The Lost Symbol Chapter 24-25

CHAPTER 24 The revelation crashed over Langdon like a wave. I know why I am here. Standing in the center of the Rotunda, Langdon felt a powerful urge to turn and run away . . . from Peter's hand, from the shining gold ring, from the suspicious eyes of Sato and Anderson. Instead, he stood dead still, clinging more tightly to the leather daybag that hung on his shoulder. I've got to get out of here. His jaw clenched as his memory began replaying the scene from that cold morning, years ago in Cambridge. It was six A.M. and Langdon was entering his classroom as he always did following his ritual morning laps in the Harvard Pool. The familiar smells of chalk dust and steam heat greeted him as he crossed the threshold. He took two steps toward his desk but stopped short. A figure was waiting there for him–an elegant gentleman with an aquiline face and regal gray eyes. â€Å"Peter?† Langdon stared in shock. Peter Solomon's smile flashed white in the dimly lit room. â€Å"Good morning, Robert. Surprised to see me?† His voice was soft, and yet there was power there. Langdon hurried over and warmly shook his friend's hand. â€Å"What in the world is a Yale blue blood doing on the Crimson campus before dawn?† â€Å"Covert mission behind enemy lines,† Solomon said, laughing. He motioned to Langdon's trim waistline. â€Å"Laps are paying off. You're in good shape.† â€Å"Just trying to make you feel old,† Langdon said, toying with him. â€Å"It's great to see you, Peter. What's up?† â€Å"Short business trip,† the man replied, glancing around the deserted classroom. â€Å"I'm sorry to drop in on you like this, Robert, but I have only a few minutes. There's something I needed to ask you . . . in person. A favor.† That's a first. Langdon wondered what a simple college professor could possibly do for the man who had everything. â€Å"Anything at all,† he replied, pleased for any opportunity to do something for someone who had given him so much, especially when Peter's life of good fortune had also been marred by so much tragedy. Solomon lowered his voice. â€Å"I was hoping you would consider looking after something for me.† Langdon rolled his eyes. â€Å"Not Hercules, I hope.† Langdon had once agreed to take care of Solomon's hundred-fifty-pound mastiff, Hercules, during Solomon's travels. While at Langdon's home, the dog apparently had become homesick for his favorite leather chew toy and had located a worthy substitute in Langdon's study–an original vellum, hand-calligraphed, illuminated Bible from the 1600s. Somehow â€Å"bad dog† didn't quite seem adequate. â€Å"You know, I'm still searching for a replacement,† Solomon said, smiling sheepishly. â€Å"Forget it. I'm glad Hercules got a taste of religion.† Solomon chuckled but seemed distracted. â€Å"Robert, the reason I came to see you is I'd like you to keep an eye on something that is quite valuable to me. I inherited it a while back, but I'm no longer comfortable leaving it in my home or in my office.† Langdon immediately felt uncomfortable. Anything â€Å"quite valuable† in Peter Solomon's world had to be worth an absolute fortune. â€Å"How about a safe-deposit box?† Doesn't your family have stock in half the banks in America? â€Å"That would involve paperwork and bank employees; I'd prefer a trusted friend. And I know you can keep secrets.† Solomon reached in his pocket and pulled out a small package, handing it to Langdon. Considering the dramatic preamble, Langdon had expected something more impressive. The package was a small cube-shaped box, about three inches square, wrapped in faded brown packing paper and tied with twine. From the package's heavy weight and size, it felt like its contents must be rock or metal. This is it? Langdon turned the box in his hands, now noticing the twine had been carefully secured on one side with an embossed wax seal, like an ancient edict. The seal bore a double-headed phoenix with the number 33 emblazoned on its chest–the traditional symbol of the highest degree of Freemasonry. â€Å"Really, Peter,† Langdon said, a lopsided grin creeping across his face. â€Å"You're the Worshipful Master of a Masonic lodge, not the pope. Sealing packages with your ring?† Solomon glanced down at his gold ring and gave a chuckle. â€Å"I didn't seal this package, Robert. My great-grandfather did. Almost a century ago.† Langdon's head snapped up. â€Å"What?!† Solomon held up his ring finger. â€Å"This Masonic ring was his. After that, it was my grandfather's, then my father's . . . and eventually mine.† Langdon held up the package. â€Å"Your great-grandfather wrapped this a century ago and nobody has opened it?† â€Å"That's right.† â€Å"But . . . why not?† Solomon smiled. â€Å"Because it's not time.† Langdon stared. â€Å"Time for what?† â€Å"Robert, I know this will sound odd, but the less you know, the better. Just put this package somewhere safe, and please tell no one I gave it to you.† Langdon searched his mentor's eyes for a glint of playfulness. Solomon had a propensity for dramatics, and Langdon wondered if he wasn't being played a bit here. â€Å"Peter, are you sure this isn't just a clever ploy to make me think I've been entrusted with some kind of ancient Masonic secret so I'll be curious and decide to join?† â€Å"The Masons do not recruit, Robert, you know that. Besides, you've already told me you'd prefer not to join.† This was true. Langdon had great respect for Masonic philosophy and symbolism, and yet he had decided never to be initiated; the order's vows of secrecy would prevent him from discussing Freemasonry with his students. It had been for this same reason that Socrates had refused to formally participate in the Eleusinian Mysteries. As Langdon now regarded the mysterious little box and its Masonic seal, he could not help but ask the obvious question. â€Å"Why not entrust this to one of your Masonic brothers?† â€Å"Let's just say I have an instinct it would be safer stored outside the brotherhood. And please don't let the size of this package fool you. If what my father told me is correct, then it contains something of substantial power.† He paused. â€Å"A talisman, of sorts.† Did he say a talisman? By definition, a talisman was an object with magical powers. Traditionally, talismans were used for bringing luck, warding off evil spirits, or aiding in ancient rituals. â€Å"Peter, you do realize that talismans went out of vogue in the Middle Ages, right?† Peter laid a patient hand on Langdon's shoulder. â€Å"I know how this sounds, Robert. I've known you a long time, and your skepticism is one of your greatest strengths as an academic. It is also your greatest weakness. I know you well enough to know you're not a man I can ask to believe . . . only to trust. So now I am asking you to trust me when I tell you this talisman is powerful. I was told it can imbue its possessor with the ability to bring order from chaos.† Langdon could only stare. The idea of â€Å"order from chaos† was one of the great Masonic axioms. Ordo ab chao. Even so, the claim that a talisman could impart any power at all was absurd, much less the power to bring order from chaos. â€Å"This talisman,† Solomon continued, â€Å"would be dangerous in the wrong hands, and unfortunately, I have reason to believe powerful people want to steal it from me.† His eyes were as serious as Langdon could ever recall. â€Å"I would like you to keep it safe for me for a while. Can you do that?† That night, Langdon sat alone at his kitchen table with the package and tried to imagine what could possibly be inside. In the end, he simply chalked it up to Peter's eccentricity and locked the package in his library's wall safe, eventually forgetting all about it. That was . . . until this morning. The phone call from the man with the southern accent. â€Å"Oh, Professor, I almost forgot!† the assistant had said after giving Langdon the specifics of his travel arrangements to D.C. â€Å"There is one more thing Mr. Solomon requested.† â€Å"Yes?† Langdon replied, his mind already moving to the lecture he had just agreed to give. â€Å"Mr. Solomon left a note here for you.† The man began reading awkwardly, as if trying to decipher Peter's penmanship. â€Å"`Please ask Robert . . . to bring . . . the small, sealed package I gave him many years ago.' † The man paused. â€Å"Does this make any sense to you?† Langdon felt surprised as he recalled the small box that had been sitting in his wall safe all this time. â€Å"Actually, yes. I know what Peter means.† â€Å"And you can bring it?† â€Å"Of course. Tell Peter I'll bring it.† â€Å"Wonderful.† The assistant sounded relieved. â€Å"Enjoy your speech tonight. Safe travels.† Before leaving home, Langdon had dutifully retrieved the wrapped package from the back of his safe and placed it in his shoulder bag. Now he was standing in the U.S. Capitol, feeling certain of only one thing. Peter Solomon would be horrified to know how badly Langdon had failed him. CHAPTER 25 My God, Katherine was right. As usual. Trish Dunne stared in amazement at the search-spider results that were materializing on the plasma wall before her. She had doubted the search would turn up any results at all, but in fact, she now had over a dozen hits. And they were still coming in. One entry in particular looked quite promising. Trish turned and shouted in the direction of the library. â€Å"Katherine? I think you'll want to see this!† It had been a couple of years since Trish had run a search spider like this, and tonight's results astounded her. A few years ago, this search would have been a dead end. Now, however, it seemed that the quantity of searchable digital material in the world had exploded to the point where someone could find literally anything. Incredibly, one of the keywords was a word Trish had never even heard before . . . and the search even found that. Katherine rushed through the control-room door. â€Å"What have you got?† â€Å"A bunch of candidates.† Trish motioned to the plasma wall. â€Å"Every one of these documents contains all of your key phrases verbatim.† Katherine tucked her hair behind her ear and scanned the list. â€Å"Before you get too excited,† Trish added, â€Å"I can assure you that most of these documents are not what you're looking for. They're what we call black holes. Look at the file sizes. Absolutely enormous. They're things like compressed archives of millions of e-mails, giant unabridged encyclopedia sets, global message boards that have been running for years, and so forth. By virtue of their size and diverse content, these files contain so many potential keywords that they suck in any search engine that comes anywhere near them.† Katherine pointed to one of the entries near the top of the list. â€Å"How about that one?† Trish smiled. Katherine was a step ahead, having found the sole file on the list that had a small file size. â€Å"Good eyes. Yeah, that's really our only candidate so far. In fact, that file's so small it can't be more than a page or so.† â€Å"Open it.† Katherine's tone was intense. Trish could not imagine a one-page document containing all the strange search strings Katherine had provided. Nonetheless, when she clicked and opened the document, the key phrases were there . . . crystal clear and easy to spot in the text. Katherine strode over, eyes riveted to the plasma wall. â€Å"This document is . . . redacted?† Trish nodded. â€Å"Welcome to the world of digitized text.† Automatic redaction had become standard practice when offering digitized documents. Redaction was a process wherein a server allowed a user to search the entire text, but then revealed only a small portion of it–a teaser of sorts–only that text immediately flanking the requested keywords. By omitting the vast majority of the text, the server avoided copyright infringement and also sent the user an intriguing message: I have the information you're searching for, but if you want the rest of it, you'll have to buy it from me. â€Å"As you can see,† Trish said, scrolling through the heavily abridged page, â€Å"the document contains all of your key phrases.† Katherine stared up at the redaction in silence. Trish gave her a minute and then scrolled back to the top of the page. Each of Katherine's key phrases was underlined in capital letters and accompanied by a small sample of teaser text–the two words that appeared on either side of the requested phrase. Trish could not imagine what this document was referring to. And what the heck is a â€Å"symbolon†? Katherine stepped eagerly toward the screen. â€Å"Where did this document come from? Who wrote it?† Trish was already working on it. â€Å"Give me a second. I'm trying to chase down the source.† â€Å"I need to know who wrote this,† Katherine repeated, her voice intense. â€Å"I need to see the rest of it.† â€Å"I'm trying,† Trish said, startled by the edge in Katherine's tone. Strangely, the file's location was not displaying as a traditional Web address but rather as a numeric Internet Protocol address. â€Å"I can't unmask the IP,† Trish said. â€Å"The domain name's not coming up. Hold on.† She pulled up her terminal window. â€Å"I'll run a traceroute.† Trish typed the sequence of commands to ping all the â€Å"hops† between her control room's machine and whatever machine was storing this document. â€Å"Tracing now,† she said, executing the command. Traceroutes were extremely fast, and a long list of network devices appeared almost instantly on the plasma wall. Trish scanned down . . . down . . . through the path of routers and switches that connected her machine to . . . What the hell? Her trace had stopped before reaching the document's server. Her ping, for some reason, had hit a network device that swallowed it rather than bouncing it back. â€Å"It looks like my traceroute got blocked,† Trish said. Is that even possible? â€Å"Run it again.† Trish launched another traceroute and got the same result. â€Å"Nope. Dead end. It's like this document is on a server that is untraceable.† She looked at the last few hops before the dead end. â€Å"I can tell you, though, it's located somewhere in the D.C. area.† â€Å"You're kidding.† â€Å"Not surprising,† Trish said. â€Å"These spider programs spiral out geographically, meaning the first results are always local. Besides, one of your search strings was `Washington, D.C.' â€Å" â€Å"How about a `who is' search?† Katherine prompted. â€Å"Wouldn't that tell you who owns the domain?† A bit lowbrow, but not a bad idea. Trish navigated to the â€Å"who is† database and ran a search for the IP, hoping to match the cryptic numbers to an actual domain name. Her frustration was now tempered by rising curiosity. Who has this document? The â€Å"who is† results appeared quickly, showing no match, and Trish held up her hands in defeat. â€Å"It's like this IP address doesn't exist. I can't get any information about it at all.† â€Å"Obviously the IP exists. We've just searched a document that's stored there!† True. And yet whoever had this document apparently preferred not to share his or her identity. â€Å"I'm not sure what to tell you. Systems traces aren't really my thing, and unless you want to call in someone with hacking skills, I'm at a loss.† â€Å"Do you know someone?† Trish turned and stared at her boss. â€Å"Katherine, I was kidding. It's not exactly a great idea.† â€Å"But it is done?† She checked her watch. â€Å"Um, yeah . . . all the time. Technically it's pretty easy.† â€Å"Who do you know?† â€Å"Hackers?† Trish laughed nervously. â€Å"Like half the guys at my old job.† â€Å"Anyone you trust?† Is she serious? Trish could see Katherine was dead serious. â€Å"Well, yeah,† she said hurriedly. â€Å"I know this one guy we could call. He was our systems security specialist–serious computer geek. He wanted to date me, which kind of sucked, but he's a good guy, and I'd trust him. Also, he does freelance.† â€Å"Can he be discreet?† â€Å"He's a hacker. Of course he can be discreet. That's what he does. But I'm sure he'd want at least a thousand bucks to even look–â€Å" â€Å"Call him. Offer him double for fast results.† Trish was not sure what made her more uncomfortable–helping Katherine Solomon hire a hacker . . . or calling a guy who probably still found it impossible to believe a pudgy, redheaded metasystems analyst would rebuff his romantic advances. â€Å"You're sure about this?† â€Å"Use the phone in the library,† Katherine said. â€Å"It's got a blocked number. And obviously don't use my name.† â€Å"Right.† Trish headed for the door but paused when she heard Katherine's iPhone chirp. With luck, the incoming text message might be information that would grant Trish a reprieve from this distasteful task. She waited as Katherine fished the iPhone from her lab coat's pocket and eyed the screen. Katherine Solomon felt a wave of relief to see the name on her iPhone. At last. PETER SOLOMON â€Å"It's a text message from my brother,† she said, glancing over at Trish. Trish looked hopeful. â€Å"So maybe we should ask him about all this . . . before we call a hacker?† Katherine eyed the redacted document on the plasma wall and heard Dr. Abaddon's voice. That which your brother believes is hidden in D.C. . . . it can be found. Katherine had no idea what to believe anymore, and this document represented information about the far-fetched ideas with which Peter had apparently become obsessed. Katherine shook her head. â€Å"I want to know who wrote this and where it's located. Make the call.† Trish frowned and headed for the door. Whether or not this document would be able to explain the mystery of what her brother had told Dr. Abaddon, there was at least one mystery that had been solved today. Her brother had finally learned how to use the text-messaging feature on the iPhone Katherine had given him. â€Å"And alert the media,† Katherine called after Trish. â€Å"The great Peter Solomon just sent his first text message.† In a strip-mall parking lot across the street from the SMSC, Mal'akh stood beside his limo, stretching his legs and waiting for the phone call he knew would be coming. The rain had stopped, and a winter moon had started to break through the clouds. It was the same moon that had shone down on Mal'akh through the oculus of the House of the Temple three months ago during his initiation. The world looks different tonight. As he waited, his stomach growled again. His two-day fast, although uncomfortable, was critical to his preparation. Such were the ancient ways. Soon all physical discomforts would be inconsequential. As Mal'akh stood in the cold night air, he chuckled to see that fate had deposited him, rather ironically, directly in front of a tiny church. Here, nestled between Sterling Dental and a minimart, was a tiny sanctuary. LORD'S HOUSE OF GLORY. Mal'akh gazed at the window, which displayed part of the church's doctrinal statement: WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST WAS BEGOTTEN BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY, AND IS BOTH TRUE MAN AND GOD. Mal'akh smiled. Yes, Jesus is indeed both–man and God–but a virgin birth is not the prerequisite for divinity. That is not how it happens. The ring of a cell phone cut the night air, quickening his pulse. The phone that was now ringing was Mal'akh's own–a cheap disposable phone he had purchased yesterday. The caller ID indicated it was the call he had been anticipating. A local call, Mal'akh mused, gazing out across Silver Hill Road toward the faint moonlit outline of a zigzag roofline over the treetops. Mal'akh flipped open his phone. â€Å"This is Dr. Abaddon,† he said, tuning his voice deeper. â€Å"It's Katherine,† the woman's voice said. â€Å"I finally heard from my brother.† â€Å"Oh, I'm relieved. How is he?† â€Å"He's on his way to my lab right now,† Katherine said. â€Å"In fact, he suggested you join us.† â€Å"I'm sorry?† Mal'akh feigned hesitation. â€Å"In your . . . lab?† â€Å"He must trust you deeply. He never invites anyone back there.† â€Å"I suppose maybe he thinks a visit might help our discussions, but I feel like it's an intrusion.† â€Å"If my brother says you're welcome, then you're welcome. Besides, he said he has a lot to tell us both, and I'd love to get to the bottom of what's going on.† â€Å"Very well, then. Where exactly is your lab?† â€Å"At the Smithsonian Museum Support Center. Do you know where that is?† â€Å"No,† Mal'akh said, staring across the parking lot at the complex. â€Å"I'm actually in my car right now, and I have a guidance system. What's the address?† â€Å"Forty-two-ten Silver Hill Road.† â€Å"Okay, hold on. I'll type it in.† Mal'akh waited for ten seconds and then said, â€Å"Ah, good news, it looks like I'm closer than I thought. The GPS says I'm only about ten minutes away.† â€Å"Great. I'll phone the security gate and tell them you're coming through.† â€Å"Thank you.† â€Å"I'll see you shortly.† Mal'akh pocketed the disposable phone and looked out toward the SMSC. Was I rude to invite myself? Smiling, he now pulled out Peter Solomon's iPhone and admired the text message he had sent Katherine several minutes earlier. Got your messages. All's fine. Busy day. Forgot appointment with Dr. Abaddon. Sorry not to mention him sooner. Long story. Am headed to lab now. If available, have Dr. Abaddon join us inside. I trust him fully, and I have much to tell you both. –Peter Not surprisingly, Peter's iPhone now pinged with an incoming reply from Katherine. peter, congrats on learning to text! relieved you're okay. spoke to dr. A., and he is coming to lab. see you shortly! –k Clutching Solomon's iPhone, Mal'akh crouched down under his limousine and wedged the phone between the front tire and the pavement. This phone had served Mal'akh well . . . but now it was time it became untraceable. He climbed behind the wheel, put the car in gear, and crept forward until he heard the sharp crack of the iPhone imploding. Mal'akh put the car back in park and stared out at the distant silhouette of the SMSC. Ten minutes. Peter Solomon's sprawling warehouse housed over thirty million treasures, but Mal'akh had come here tonight to obliterate only the two most valuable. All of Katherine Solomon's research. And Katherine Solomon herself.

Ethan Frome

Ethan Frome: Prisoner of Sheer Bleakness Ethan Frome, the striking, disfgured man of Starkfield and main character of the novel Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, serves as an instance where a character has endured a significant event from the past that has affected the character in a negative way. Due to Ethan's harsh past that led to his repression away from society and internal moral entanglement, his activities and values in life were decrepitly modified.In the novel, certain personal circumstances surrounding Ethan Frome's early life contribute to the outcome of his pitiful life beginning with the earliest of woeful ircumstances in Ethan's life †his parents' sickliness. Shortly after graduating high school, Ethan attends a university where he studies his two passions†science and technology. This event allows the reader to view one of the few positive events in Ethan's life.After graduating he plans on escaping from Starkfield, which the reader later finds to be Ethan's ge ological and personal prison, but, soon after he begins University, Ethan's father and mother become ill. Ethan is forced to move back to the Frome's farm due to his strong willed morals, but when his father passes away, he is orced to take care his ill mother as well. Ethan's future wife Zeena, comes to care for his mother. This first sequence of circumstances allows the reader to view not only a glimpse of Ethan's moral values but Just how melancholic Ethan's early personal life begins to become.His mother, being Ethan's main source of attention and social interaction before her illness, stops talking to him and soon after dies, which leaves Zeena to be left with Ethan. Even though Zeena is viewed wicked by the reader, she is an interest to Ethan since she talks to him after his mother stopped and Ethan enjoys t. Being that it was winter, the most dreadful of seasons for Starkfield and the fact that he feels he owes her for caring for his mother, Ethan is summoned by his fear of l oneliness and contending his morals and marries Zeena.Initially, Ethan plans on moving away from Starkfleld with his new bride; however, Zeena, too, becomes ill. With Zeena's illness now becoming a hurdle in Ethan's race for freedom from the grim Starkfield, morally he tends to her needs and cares for his wife. Zeena, now ill, is no longer conversing as much with Ethan as before his mother's death and becomes n apparent hypochondriac and speaks in an obnoxious â€Å"flat whine. † Zeena is also shaping into an unattractive, old woman. Easily, Ethan could leave Zeena and escape Starkfield, but his morals prevent this from occurring.Yet again, Ethan endures another tragedy in his life and where his morality dwindles his chances of escaping Starkfield. Ethan and Zeena's marriage becomes bland and unappetizing to the both of them, and since the two are isolated from the rest of Starkfield, Ethan longs for social activity. However, this is the case until Zeena decides to appoint he r cousin, Mattie Silver, to live at the Fromes' farm with them and work as a housekeeper. Unlike Zeena, Mattie is is young, attractive, and has an interest in speaking to Ethan.Unfortunately, Mattie is inexperienced and has no knowledge of housekeeping and is naive. Upon Mattie's arrival, Ethan is skeptical of the idea of having to pay for a housekeeper. Later, Ethan learns Mattie has came to live with the Fromes' in order to feelings for Mattie (because she is livelier than Zeena) but is unable to fully pursue a relationship with her due to his marriage to Zeena because of his moral character. Mattie, who talks to Ethan and gives him the attention he yearns for, is the driving force behind Ethan's new found happiness.Together, Mattie and Ethan enjoy conversing about Ethan's lessons on science and technology which eventually leads to their outdoor walks and their discussions about their love for nature. Initially, Ethan is not physically having a relationship with Mattie due to his moral values, but envisioning one. Zeena, being an observant woman, realizes Ethan's changes and behavior for example his interest in bettering his appearance, specifically for Mattie. Ethan finds his way in a place of confusion, his happiness is because of Mattie, but morally he couldn't develop anymore of a romantic relationship with her because of his wife Zeena.Zeena decides to replace Mattie after her suspicion of a relationship between Ethan and Mattie sparks. Ethan becomes upset; â€Å"She had taken everything else from him; and no she meant to take the one thing that made up for all the others†. While escorting Mattie to her departure, the two decide to go sledding which results in act of attempt suicide to embody their love, but during the course of action, Ethan's morals†get the best of him. After the accident with Mattie, Ethan's life goes down hill.With a now disfigured body, a pitiful wife, and a paralyzed lover, Ethan Frome has now become a prisoner of Sta rkfield; â€Å"He seemed a part of the mute melancholy landscape, and incarnation of its frozen woe, with all that was warm and sentient in him fast bound below the surface;. † Negatively, the accident affects his present and future lives because he not only becomes an outcast to society but â€Å"the most striking fgure†. Left with having to aide Mattie in her physical impairment in his overty stricken home, he also deals with producing an income as well as no escape from Starkfield whatsoever.Unfortunately, Ethan no longer has memory of his beloved Mattie since she has now a reflection of another whiny, wicked â€Å"Zeena â€Å", . if [Mattie] ha' died, Ethan might ha' lived; and the way they are now, I Frome .. don't see's there's much difference between the Fromes up at the farm and the Fromes down in the graveyard; ‘cept that down there theyre all quiet, and the women have got to hold their tongues. † Ethan's moral value is questioned when he could a ve avoided his disastrous life but Just avoiding confrontation with his issues.His life becomes more dreadful than death itself. Now living in absolute pity because of the disastrous events that occurred in his life, Ethan Frome becomes a prisoner of unhappiness in his own home. All together with the death of his parents, his debt to his sickly wife, and his tragic accident which left him disfgured, Ethan Frome's repression from society and internal moral entanglement not only prevented him to never escape the harsh and bleak winters of Starkfield but, led him to become†a ruin ofa man. Ethan Frome Matt Grann January 4, 2009 Ethan Frome is an example of realist text for many reasons. The novel has many gritty facts of life and explains the lower class. It also has shows the harshness of reality. Finally, Ethan Frome is an example of men having no free will and can’t avoid their fate. Ethan Frome shows examples of Realism because of the gritty facts portrayed throughout the novel. It shows many things that make the lower class of life seem horrible and harder than what used to be thought of the poorer men. The upper class felt that poor people had no worries, but as a person would read realist text, they would realize that the poor life is hard and unrewarding. A gritty fact that is placed throughout the novel is that Starkfield is barren town. It is deserted, with limited townspeople and visitors. Also, the snow is not plowed, he has to drive himself around in the weather, and it shows him doing extremely trivial things. Frome scrambled†¦ heavily booted foot† (pg 21), shows that it is extremely hard for him to make it through the snow, and him walking through the snow as a challenge is such a trivial thing, yet it brings a new character into the story by causing so many problems. He does many other   trivial things throughout the novel that are explained, such as doing mill work, scrubbing the floor and doing dishes. This shows the worst parts of life, and shown throughout the whole book to show the problems that Starkfield faces. Harshness of reality shows realism because of the problems Ethan end sup facing throughout the book. The winter is a problem that everyone faces, in each and every persons reality. This is unavoidable and just causes a hastle on Fromes life. Being married to Zeena is also another example of the harshness of reality, he has serious issues concerning Zeena and is unhappily married to her, yet he can do nothing to change what goes on in his life. Ethan says â€Å"he was seized with an unreasoning dread of being left alone on the farm; and before he knew what he was doing he had asked her to stay with him. He married Zeena for the sole reason of fearing being alone in winter and going crazy. Another is that he could not go to college because of his parents deaths. His mother and father both died while he was attending school and he was forced to come home and take over the family business and take care of the farm. It is unfortunate for Ethan because he was on the road to becoming great yet when his parents died he was forced to give up his dream. No free will also poses another issue in Frome’s life and portrays realism strongly in Ethan Frome. The fact that he can’t avoid his fate is a strong topic throughout the novel. He can’t leave the house and go with matt because he will not have enough money to take her anywhere. The narrator states â€Å"There was no way out – none. He was a prisoner for life, and now his one ray of light was to be extinguished†, and this makes him realize life can never be fixed and get better. And he also cannot stay at home, because he loves Mattie and not Zeena so he is stuck in a dilemma, and can’t avoid what was meant to be. Also his mother died in winter, which made him feel as if he would go crazy if he was stuck in the house alone all winter, which made him ask Zeena to stay with him even though he did not love her. This is just a reason of chance, and ended up being his fate. Also he tries to escape his fate, and die with Mattie but he is meant to drag on his life with Zeena for as long as possible. Ethan Frome shows examples of realist text. It shows the gritty facts of life that exploit the lower class. This show harshness of reality in the novel as well. Also, it is an example of no free will, and that you have no way to avoid your fate. Ethan Frome Matt Grann January 4, 2009 Ethan Frome is an example of realist text for many reasons. The novel has many gritty facts of life and explains the lower class. It also has shows the harshness of reality. Finally, Ethan Frome is an example of men having no free will and can’t avoid their fate. Ethan Frome shows examples of Realism because of the gritty facts portrayed throughout the novel. It shows many things that make the lower class of life seem horrible and harder than what used to be thought of the poorer men. The upper class felt that poor people had no worries, but as a person would read realist text, they would realize that the poor life is hard and unrewarding. A gritty fact that is placed throughout the novel is that Starkfield is barren town. It is deserted, with limited townspeople and visitors. Also, the snow is not plowed, he has to drive himself around in the weather, and it shows him doing extremely trivial things. Frome scrambled†¦ heavily booted foot† (pg 21), shows that it is extremely hard for him to make it through the snow, and him walking through the snow as a challenge is such a trivial thing, yet it brings a new character into the story by causing so many problems. He does many other   trivial things throughout the novel that are explained, such as doing mill work, scrubbing the floor and doing dishes. This shows the worst parts of life, and shown throughout the whole book to show the problems that Starkfield faces. Harshness of reality shows realism because of the problems Ethan end sup facing throughout the book. The winter is a problem that everyone faces, in each and every persons reality. This is unavoidable and just causes a hastle on Fromes life. Being married to Zeena is also another example of the harshness of reality, he has serious issues concerning Zeena and is unhappily married to her, yet he can do nothing to change what goes on in his life. Ethan says â€Å"he was seized with an unreasoning dread of being left alone on the farm; and before he knew what he was doing he had asked her to stay with him. He married Zeena for the sole reason of fearing being alone in winter and going crazy. Another is that he could not go to college because of his parents deaths. His mother and father both died while he was attending school and he was forced to come home and take over the family business and take care of the farm. It is unfortunate for Ethan because he was on the road to becoming great yet when his parents died he was forced to give up his dream. No free will also poses another issue in Frome’s life and portrays realism strongly in Ethan Frome. The fact that he can’t avoid his fate is a strong topic throughout the novel. He can’t leave the house and go with matt because he will not have enough money to take her anywhere. The narrator states â€Å"There was no way out – none. He was a prisoner for life, and now his one ray of light was to be extinguished†, and this makes him realize life can never be fixed and get better. And he also cannot stay at home, because he loves Mattie and not Zeena so he is stuck in a dilemma, and can’t avoid what was meant to be. Also his mother died in winter, which made him feel as if he would go crazy if he was stuck in the house alone all winter, which made him ask Zeena to stay with him even though he did not love her. This is just a reason of chance, and ended up being his fate. Also he tries to escape his fate, and die with Mattie but he is meant to drag on his life with Zeena for as long as possible. Ethan Frome shows examples of realist text. It shows the gritty facts of life that exploit the lower class. This show harshness of reality in the novel as well. Also, it is an example of no free will, and that you have no way to avoid your fate.

Stock Market and Disk Drive Operations

Question: – Why is Seagate undertaking this transaction? Is it necessary to divest the Veritas shares in a separate transaction? Who are the winners and losers resulting from the transaction? Solution: – Seagate is undertaking this transaction to generate significant wealth gains for Seagate shareholders. There is a value gap generates due to Seagate’s VERITAS stake. VERITAS stake value exceeds the entire market capitalization of the Seagate. Seagate faces two problems because of VERITAS stake. First, the company’s core disk drive operations were not receiving full value in the market. Second, the company would incur a significant tax liability if the company attempt to monetize its VERITAS stake be selling the shares. Yes, it is necessary to divest the VERITAS shares in a separate transaction. It helps the company to save itself from tax liabilities and distributing the VERITAS stock tax free to its shareholders. The Seagate shareholders are definitely winner if the two-step transaction will happen. The shareholders of Seagate get higher value of disk drive operations and tax free shares of VERITAS. The Seagate Management is also winner. They get rid of tax liabilities related to VERITAS stocks and get full value of disk drive operations. The VERITAS also feel like winner as they get higher number of stocks in exchange of lesser number of stocks. Question: – Does the negative value of Seagate’s operating assets imply markets are inefficient? Solution: – The negative value of Seagate’s operating assets implies that markets are inefficient. The core disk drive operations do not receive its full value in the market. Seagate’s Management thinks that disk drive operations value is larger than what the value is in market. This shows that markets are inefficient. Question: – Why might a negative value exist? Solution: – Tax liabilities: – The negative value of the Seagate’s operating assets is due to tax liabilities which the company is facing because of VERITAS stocks. Other liabilities : – Fear that managers will destroy value: – The negative value of the Seagate’s operating assets is not due to fear that managers will destroy value. Moreover, the investors have trust in the managers of the Seagate that’s why they want to retain the top management of the Seagate in the newly build company.

Exxon Mobil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Exxon Mobil - Essay Example 43). 3) The weighted average rate of interest at which Exxon Mobil Corporation procured their long term debt during the financial year ended 31st December 2013 was seen to be 3.3%. This is also the general lending rate of banks in the U.S to commercial organizations (p. 42). 4) The current yield on 31st December 2013 was lower than the yield on 31st December 2012. The decrease in the current yield rate was primarily due to a rise in the coupon rate. This implies that the binds were being traded at a discount (p. 40). 3) The value of common stock held in treasury amounted to a value of 212,781 million dollars. The average cost per share was approximately $150.56 and number of stock held in the treasury amounted to 2.5 million (p. 40, 42). 5) The company is seen to provide a number of employee stock option plans so as to induce savings and thereby enlarge their pool of investments. However there are no obligations imposed on the employees to invest in the company’s shares and therefore no deductions in this respect are made from their monthly payments. Employees who participate in the stock option are provided with a number of benefits such as higher medical reimbursements and travel allowances than employees who do not participate in the stock option (Harrington, 2003, Exxon Mobil, 2013). 1) The fair value of the investments of Exxon stood at 36,328 million dollars at the end of the year (p. 42). These investments were made in the form of stocks majorly. A considerable portion of the investments also consists of long term receivables granted to debtors. These were treated as investments by the company. Advances of long term maturity were also treated by the company as investments. 3) The net income per share in the year 2012 was seen to be $9.70. This had considerably fallen in the year 2013 to reach $7.37 (p. 41). A probable cause of the decline in net income per share was repurchasing

Virgin bed & breakfast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Virgin bed & breakfast - Essay Example There has been provided the analysis of the difference between the underlying profit and the statutory profit of the virgin bed and breakfast. The estimated profit with the tax of ?481m is ?110m. This recorded as being high because of the increased interest charged on the B&B working capital faculty and the government loan plus the size of lower balance sheet (Taparia, 2003 Pg. 38). Income statement information for the six months is restated according to an interim financial report that would provide consistence with the restatement in the 2013 annual reports and accounts for B&B and Virgin. Summary Income Statement 4 months to 30 May 2013 4 months to 30 may2012* 12 months to 31 December 2012 1000? 1000? 1000? Fundamental Net Interest Income Fundamental net non interest income** 723.1 900.9 1,722.4 39.0 14.7 36.5 Fundamental net operating Ongoing administrative Deficiency on loans and advances to customers Net deficiency on investment securities 637.3 816.4 1,533.4 (103.5) (104.5) (2 31.2) 7.3 3.2 57.5 Unrealized fair price movements on financial instruments Hedge vanity Other net administrative expenses - Provision for customer restore Gain on rebuying of capital instruments Profit on disposal of credit linked notes (43.9) (12.8) 79.2 (23.5) (34.4) (75.2) 3.1) (65.2) (65.0) - - - - 348.1 Statutory profit before taxation 347 550 1,298.2 The Virginia will apply some derivative financial equipment for economic purposes. Some of the instruments made and accounted for the compliant fair value. If the effective fair value is established, the movement fair value movement of the derivative is set in part or in full by the value of the edged instrument. In the virgin B&B, basis swaps are designated into a cash flow hedge. The active customer contact program for all unsecured loan payment protection is keenly observed. For the pest analysis, the Virgin has established some strongholds for its survival. Some established mechanisms of survival that would ensure that the vi rgin bed and breakfast would achieve its objectives. Several proposals have been made for the favour of the industry. Through the proposed functioning of the government departments and agencies, the virgin B&B would establish its objectives. The UK government has proposed some tax proposal that may be an increase of 5-10% that would make the UK one of the highest tax holiday destinations. This would cause a decrease for people coming into England but could increase our sales, as we will have prices below average. In addition to this, There could be an increase in travel to the UK which is due to exchange rates being low and thus and increase in customers for our B&B. Change of trends towards luxury hotels or camping and other alternative ways of travelling may influence our sales. In the side of technology, In the future, businessperson may require expensive technologies and consequently would not be able to provide all the essential facilities for our target customers needs. Balanc e Sheet Assets Q1 Ending 31st September 201 Q2 Q3 Q4 Cash/Overdraft 30,290.00 60,389.60 60,389.60 60,389.60 Total assets 30,290.00 60,389.60 60,389.60 60,389.60 And Stockholders' Equity Shareholder’s Capital 50,000. 50,000.00 50,000.00 50,000.00 Owners Equity 19,710.00 10,389.60 10,389.6 10,389.60 Total Liab 30,290.00 60,389.60 60,389.60 60,389.60 Bed & Breakfasts can have a great competitive advantage to the other Hotels in UK; this takes the advantage of

The book A Beautiful Mind, by Sylvia Nasar Literature review

The book A Beautiful Mind, by Sylvia Nasar - Literature review Example (The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2008). John F. Nash is one of the three co-recipients of the 1994 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science as a young faculty member in the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of technology) mathematics department. He came to MIT in 1951 as an instructor in mathematics. He became an assistant professor in 1953 and was promoted to associate professor in 1957. Game theory is not his only achievement in economics. He shared the 1994 Nobel prize with two other pioneers in game theory, John C. Harsanyi of the University of California at Berkeley and Reinhard Selten of the University of Bonn in Germany. (News Office, 1994) A Beautiful Mind is a book about a winning mathematician John Forbes Nash, Jr. and the staggering truth of his illness. Sylvia Nasar, the author of this best-selling biography, published the book in 1999, which later became a best-seller. It is a detailed account of John Nash who was diagnosed by his psychiatrist as having schizophrenia while being robbed of his wonderful career as a mathematician momentarily. The book, later inspired to be in the movie, won the 1998 National Book Critics Circle. The biography was quite dramatic in nature as the author relived the life of a genius whose career was hampered by a debilitating illness. Nash believed that messages are being sent to him through newspapers or media. Like any other suffering from such illness, his personal and career life was intertwined with interrupted delusions and eventually his life disintegrate. After thirty years of devastating mental illness, Nash recovered and gained him the Nobel Prize in 1994 for his contribution in Economics. His 26-page Ph.D. thesis, "Non-Cooperative Games", written at Princeton, while he was still in his early 20s, eventually won him a Nobel Prize, but only after his career was interrupted by a 30-year stint with paranoid schizophrenia. From his lonely childhood in West Virginia to his college years at  Princeton University, John Forbes Nash, Jr. encountered Albert Einstein, John von Neumann, and a host of other mathematical greats.  

Police ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Police ethics - Essay Example The enormous powers enjoyed by these detectives must be tamed through some strict checks on their ethical conduct in exercising these powers at right spot and the correct manner. While having such powers in most cases is a legal necessity but justified and dignified application of these powers is often an ethical issue. In United States there are several documents at national level like Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, its Bill of Rights and the Federalist Papers which are meant to enforce these ethical guidelines. However there is a lack of education and implementation in this connection. The tools and trick that are used in an investigation also provides a ground for ethical arguments and concerns. For example the use of sex and friendship in undercover investigations are very common tools for the police detectives but their ethical issues are lease bothered at higher level in the department. However, police ethical misconduct in using these undercover investigat ion tools is highly probable.

Antonio Gaudi Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Antonio Gaudi - Research Paper Example Using modern decorative tools of ceramics, glass and color of the Art Nouveau school, he introduced innovative techniques in the processing of materials. By the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century, Gaudi had secured his place as an architect beyond orthodox modernism, creating a personal style based on the observation of nature, using its geometric patterns as well as color, texture and structural and decorative allusions to emulate nature in architecture. Now, nearly one hundred and sixty years after his birth, and over seventy since his tragic death in a street accident, Gaudi has finally transcended his local fame as a Spanish icon and become internationally recognized as the prime architect of the modern city of Barcelona. His famed Sagrada Familia, a cathedral of enormous architectural and landmark proportions, is recognized not only as a design phenomenon of universal importance, but as a major contribution to modern ideas regarding religious architectu ral representation. While Gaudi’s work was initially met with incomprehension, mockery and outright hostility from both the professional architectural world and the populace of Barcelona, the passing of time and further scrutiny has been kinder. His work now is considered the prime example of nature combined with architecture in its purest, most original and spectacular forms. Evidence of this is replete in his major works. A Dedication to Natural Form Religiously dedicated to the extreme from childhood, plagued by rheumatic ailments from an early age, Gaudi, unable to play with other children, spent time observing the world around him and drawing what he saw. It was during this time that he developed his keen observation of the elements in nature destined to later influence his architectural designs. Somewhat of a mathematical genius, throughout his life Gaudi also studied nature's angles and curves and incorporated them into his designs and mosaics. Hyperboloids and parabol oids he borrowed from nature were easily reinforced by steel rods, allowing his designs to resemble elements from the environment. In Gaudi’s view, â€Å"Those who look for the laws of Nature as a support for their new works collaborate with the Creator.†1 Given this, and his religious bent coupled with a childhood spent ill, isolated and contemplative in the country, it is not surprising that Gaudi’s design sense would reflect his intense interrelationship with God and nature. The elements found in Gaudi’s nature-inspired work--sometimes alluded to as biomimetic, are obvious to the informed structural observer: catenary arches, spiral stairways, conoid-shaped roofs, and a new type of tree-inspired column that uses hyperbolic paraboloids as its base. Ornamental aspects have their own identifiers: honeycomb gates, vine-inspired frieze, diatom-shaped windows, gargoyles depicting animals displaced by the church’s construction, and pinnacles in the for m of grasses and pyrite crystals. Gaudi’s dedication to nature is always reflected in his insistence upon color, â€Å"as nature does not present us with any object that is monochrome or completely uniform in colour.†2 Following in that vein, the artist went well beyond color in his quest for the incorporation and refection of natural elements. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Gaudi for his models

Genetic Engineering Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Genetic Engineering - Research Paper Example Nature has the inherent ability to produce a new combination of genes through the process of natural sexual reproduction. However the number of combinations that can be produced is small due to limitations in sexual reproduction mechanism. Through the process of genetic engineering innumerable genes can be shuffled from a variety of organisms and used for the production of novel and economically viable traits (Genetic Engineering). This process was initially developed for the production of genetically modified foods that had resistance against pesticides and which provided higher yields. Genetic engineering allows for bulk production of substances which could be an economically viable option in cases where conventional process required to produce the same compound are expensive. This technology is now being widely used for the commercial production of enzymes, antibodies, crops, drugs and vaccines. In addition, several genetically modified organisms such as insects, bacteria, plants, livestock, fishes and animals are also being produced through this process that is not otherwise possible through natural means (Epstein; Abbas, Lasekan and Khalil). Though the technology has ushered in the production of organisms, crops and drugs with unique properties major interest groups within the society believe that genetic engineering is a threat to mankind as there are several grave consequences associated with the development. One of the main concerns is the ability of this technology to disrupt the natural ecosystems and the environment. All the genetically modified organisms such as plants, animals and microbes would further reproduce and mutate to give rise to ne life forms and all of these could cause irreversible changes to the natural ecosystems and environment (Epstein). Most of the genetic engineering work is carried out through the use of recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology that employs vectors such as plasmids or viruses to transfer the

Housewives and Blue Collars Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Housewives and Blue Collars - Essay Example Maduro wherein â€Å"E.S. Maduro tells the story of her mother and the typical "housewife" tale.    Her mother dated the same man her entire life, married right before college graduation, and stopped any working to pursue another career--motherhood.†(2) While the male of the household worked to support the family and did not contribute much to the running of the household. This social organization based on gender roles is vehemently attacked in the essay through the anger felt by the author: "I became angry at both of my parents: at my father that his chores (take apart and reassemble the kitchen sink, work in the garden, snow-blow the driveway) seemed interesting and challenging and were always impressive to friends and relatives, while my mothers endless chores seemed layered in routine and monotony."(3) The title of the essay itself is proof to this claim. The author wants to break away from the age-old concept that the woman should keep house, bear children and make ever yone happy. This is the reason why she continued to work and did not stay home when she settled in with her boyfriend. She chose a man who knew how to do chores at home with the view of sharing the household tasks between them. She had it all planned but the irony of it all that brings her great anger is that she eventually took on the role of her mother: â€Å"So there it is. In trying to avoid a life of an overworked housewife that I see my mother as having occupied for more than thirty years now.

Kangaroo, an Australian Icon Essay Example for Free

Kangaroo, an Australian Icon Essay An Australian Icon is defined as â€Å"an image or symbolic representation, which often holds great significance and importance to the Australian culture. † Every country has icons that represent their culture and values; Nelson Mandela is an example of a South African icon but also an icon of the world, who represented statesmanship, courage, freedom and equality against apartheid. Australia also has many significant icons such as the Sydney Opera House, Uluru, vegemite, Ned Kelly, and the Koala to name a few. These have all played significant parts in Australia’s background, culture and values. Uniquely Australian. Ultimately, the Kangaroo has to be Australia’s most famous and significant icon, it is known by the majority of people around the world and associated always with Australia. Due to the similarities it shares with the Australian character, it is recognised as the typical icon of Australia. The kangaroo represents Australia in many ways including: the logo for Qantas airlines, mascots for many sporting teams, and all products made in Australia are represented by the gold and green kangaroo trademark. Likewise it is represented on many television programs (e. g. Skippy the bush kangaroo), movies (e. g. kangaroo Jack), songs (e. g.Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport), toys and souvenirs. Most significantly of all, the kangaroo appears on the Australian Coat of Arms. Being an animal exclusive to Australia as well as one that can’t move backwards, the kangaroo is symbolically appropriate in representing Australia and the countries progress forward. Historical, Social, Cultural Context The kangaroo holds a significant historical, cultural and social background to Australia. Before European settlement (around 1780’s), the kangaroo was an important animal to Aborigines for its meat, hide, bones and sinews. It was also used in Aboriginal dreaming stories (also an icon of Australia). There is a well-known myth about kangaroo’s and how they got their name. When European settlers arrived, seeing such a strange animal they asked the Aboriginals what it was, and they replied with ‘kanguru’. In their language this meant ‘I don’t know’ which is supposedly how the kangaroo got its name. Aboriginal tribes have many different legends regarding the kangaroo and some see it as a reincarnation of their ancestors. Over the past 200 or so years, the kangaroo has broadened a lot in historical significance; it is one of the oldest icons of Australia and therefore should be kept that way. By contributing the Kangaroo to a National Australian exhibition, it will help to keep the icon of the kangaroo alive and significant. The kangaroo represents Australia’s cultural and social background and is internationally recognisable. It represents the Australian character in many ways including: Its size, strength and speed, which make it a national logo/emblem for Australian organisations and especially sporting clubs. Kangaroo’s are also symbolic of another Australian trait; to stick up for your self and not back down. With their large feet and long tail kangaroos find it hard to move backwards, indicating that Australians are people who are moving forward and growing as people of Australia. Discourse Discourses are the â€Å"social and cultural practices through which individuals and groups use language to establish their identities†¦they provide ways of being, thinking, acting and using language so that people can identify themselves in social and cultural networks† Discourses affect peoples views on all things, for example, two different discourses can be used about various guerrilla movements describing them either as freedom fighters or terrorists. The Kangaroo is so well represented as Australian that it has come to support and embody the dominant Australian discourse of both indigenous and non-indigenous people of Australia. This is evident through strength, fighting spirit, individualism, attitude, and their tough/rough personalities. To conclude this proposal, the kangaroo should be contributed to the National Exhibition titled ‘Icons of Australia’ because it represents Australians in such a way that it is known by most people throughout the world. The Kangaroo is recognised culturally, socially and historically and symbolises Australian discourse through its many traits. It is a unique animal to Australia and makes a huge contribution to Australia’s national identity. Representing Australia in so many ways, the kangaroo plays such a big part in Australia’s culture, history and even future, the National exhibit would be such a good way to show and help Australians understand how such an icon can play such a big part in the country of Australia. Bibliography Icon definition: icon ,2008, www. thefreedictionary. com/icon 20/05/08 Kangaroo Myth: Kangaroo, 2000, http://www. frogandtoad. com. au, 20/05/08 Discourse: M. Miller R. Colwin, Queensland Senior English, Macmillan Education).

Policing Practices and Operations Essay Example for Free

Policing Practices and Operations Essay Law enforcement officers have many duties. Law enforcement officers are sworn to serve and protect society as well as to fight crime. They also maintain order within their jurisdiction, as well as providing other services that the community will benefit from. Most of the time, police officers are considered to be crime fighters, in which this image has been brought to citizen’s attention by the media. The styles of policing should match the community in which they serve, so there is no conflict between the community and the law enforcement officer. The future policing structure does have a huge impact socially, economically, and politically within the community and the police departments general needs so that they can provide the proper policing that is needed. Life threatening situations take place in different circumstances, which includes the law enforcement agencies. Dangers Law enforcement officers face being wounded or murdered as they are on the line of duty in the United States, every year. The greatest threat a police officer will ever face is bodily harm and death. When a law enforcement officer is called to a scene and responds to a disturbance call, the law enforcement officer is confronted with the possibilities of violent actions from an armed suspect. Although, bodily harm as well as death upon a law enforcement officer are not the only dangers in policing. Family issues and stress related illnesses also can be contributing factors to the danger of a law enforcement officer and policing. Law enforcement officer’s jobs can surely take a toll on their lives as well as their well-being. If the pressures of their type of work are handled and coped with property, it could end up becoming life threatening. Today’s law enforcement officers are faced with many dangers within their everyday duties, like rival threats of getting shot. Examples are: vehicle pursuits, traffic control, and foot pursuit, stress, making an arrest, and sun exposure/duty equipment and biohazard exposure. These dangers are exposed to law enforcement officers on a daily basis. This is why it is important for law enforcement officers to wear their bulletproof vests as well as their belts that contain pepper spray, radio, handgun, baton, and handcuffs. All of this specified equipment usually will weigh up to about twenty pounds, which adds stress to the law enforcement officers hips, feet, knees, and back areas. Stress to the law enforcement officers body by getting in and out of their patrol vehicle up to about fifty times within one day, as they have to wear all of their equipment. Law enforcement officers are exposed to the extreme temperatures for many hours at a time. They may have to be in extreme heat c onditions, such as one hundred degree heat, while conducting traffic control at a scene of an accident. They also sometimes have to provide crime scene security when the weather may be in freezing conditions. Law enforcement officers are at the mercy of all weather conditions. Also, a lot of the times law enforcement officers are called to a scene and they are not properly prepared for it because of the weather conditions and they do not have the time to stop somewhere to get what they need to prepare themselves. They may have to stand out in extremely hot or freezing weather without the proper protection they may need or hydration they so desperately have to have. Law enforcement officer’s physical dangers have to be dealt with as well as trying to always be ready for the worst. As this can add so much mental and physical stress upon the law enforcement officer. They have to be aware of their surroundings and environment all the time. Law enforcement officers have to be alert as well as being prepared for all situations that may occur. The officer will rarely have time to get prepared for an emergency call. They have to sometimes rely on the training the received to be able to make important, split second decisions that are based on different circumstances. The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks gained the attention from all the departments within law enforcement. Within the federal policing agencies, they took precautionary measures to make sure that the people of  the United States were safe. Even though, the local and state agencies have managed to keep the people’s fears under control within the United States and communities as well. All of the agencies in the United States have to work fearlessly on preventing and reducing the citizen’s fears caused by terrorism. When terrorism is looked into, law enforcement agencies and Homeland security across the world are very imperative that the agencies try to work together in solving the crimes by using shared information and by having departmental as sistance. All in all, terrorism is always a danger for law enforcement officers. Statistics As reports were published by the National Police Officer Memorial Funds said that in 2010, officer’s fatalities treacherously rose. There was a two year drop of law enforcement mortalities in 2010 that rose to 160. This was intensified by about forty percent compared by looking at the year before. The data gathered by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund indicated that for the thirteenth consecutive year, the number one cause of law enforcement officers deaths were contributed by traffic fatalities, within thirty nine states. Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia were also involved in law enforcement officer’s related deaths in 2010. Within the third consecutive year in a row, Texas, Florida, and California were ranked on top of the five states that involved the most of law enforcement fatalities. The Federal law enforcement Officers had a total of eleven law enforcement officers that were lost, including the Federal agents that lost their lives in the line of duty during 2010, along with United States Customs, two United States Border Patrol agents, and three Border Protection officers. According with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (2011) website, it stated that fifty-six law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty. Thirty two law enforcement officers that were among the fifty-six, were employed within city police departments. Thirteen of them were employed for law enforcement agencies within cities of a population consisting of 250,000 or more people that reside there. In Puerto Rico and twenty two other states, there was also line of duty deaths as well. There were fifteen law enforcement officers who lost their lives in ambush situations as well. There were fourteen law enforcement officers that lost their lives in felonious attacks while involved in arrest situations. There were eight law enforcement officers that were killed when they were investigating suspicious persons/circumstances. There were seven law enforcement officers that were killed while working on traffic stops/pursuits. Six law enforcement officers were killed while answering to disturbance calls. There were three law enforcement officers that were killed while they were involved in tactical situations, like high risk entry, barricaded offender, hostage situations, etc. There were two law enforcement officers that were killed upon conducting investigations while searching, interviewing, and looking at surveillance. And one law enforcement officer was killed as they were maintaining custody of a prisoner or while transporting a prisoner. With future policing, I feel that it is important to have close communication with the homeland security. I personally feel that the more communication there is, the more we will progress and bring better policing skills. It is equally as important to have communication with all law enforcement agencies to help in improving all policing operations that are dealt with. In future policing, the importance of keeping law enforcement agencies relationships maintained will build better and stronger agencies. With the relationship within law enforcement agencies and homeland security are not as accurate as seemed. It is understood that all agencies serve different purposes, as they are all in charge of different types of areas within society to serve and protect. I believe that joining forces with other agencies would be beneficial. It would be beneficial because by all working together, there could be issues that could be addressed a lot better. Along with lack of communication among law enforcement agencies and homeland security, we would be able to better handle the various criminal issues better. I feel that this can also improve community policing and law enforcement relationships. With the new technology equipment that police officers receive, they can work on their policing styles, such as being reactive or proactive. Once these issues are changed, there will be better communication with other law enforcement agencies, as they would be able to serve and protect in much more positive ways. This will decrease crime rates as well as increasing practices that  are reactive. As crime rates decrease, and proactive and reactive practices are being practiced, then the start of confidence will show within all law enforcement agencies. Although, there are many differences in the power as well as the authority, responsibilities and roles, and the difference in jurisdiction at the local, state, and federal levels within law enforcement officers. It is clearly apparent that all of the dangers within them remain equally the same. References American bar association. (2011). Standards on urban police functions. Retrieved from http://www.americanbar.org/publications/criminal_justice_section_archive/crimjust_standards_urbanpolice.html Federal bureau of investigations. (2011). Officers feloniously killed. Retrieved from http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/leoka/leoka-2010/officers-feloniously-killed Crime in America.NET. (2011). Law enforcement fatalities dramatically increase in 2010. Retrieved from http://crimeinamerica.net/2011/01/04/law-enforcement-fatalities-dramatically-increase-in-2010/

Analysis of Schick Company

Analysis of Schick Company Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to provide a diagnosis analysis of Schick giving the major issues that are confronting the company and the attendant implications for the company. Schick was established in the year 1990 and registered in Southampton as a private limited liability business following the outcome of the collaborative research efforts of three university professors namely; Prof. Chen Ding, Prof. Karl Otto Ludwig and Prof. Andrew Marsh resulting in the design and manufacture of energy saving refrigerators during the period noted for environmental consciousness and high energy prices among others. Given their technical and engineering background, over time, the business became one of the market leaders renowned for its design and environmentally friendly home appliances and enjoy recognition as a 21st Century Role Model in the year 2014 given its unique capability for growth and profitability while setting global standards in innovation, corporate social responsibility, and Responsible Leadership. The demise of the three professors in a tragic road accident in Munich marks the end of an era coupled with the eventual management change of Mr. John Marsh Son of Professor Andrew Marsh as the new CEO who introduced changes in the overall structure of the company including the termination of the four management professionals. Within a short period after this failed leadership and mismanagement resulted in a critical situation which brought the company close to struggling for dire survival as its bedevil by challenges confronting it. The realisation of this reality informs the need for fundamental strategic change, hence the appointment of an independent analysis of current situation. A cursory look and critical evaluation of current conditions revealed a strategic shift from the founding owners ethos creating a non-tangent between value, resources, and environment because of a major shift in the business objective and strategy from environmental protection and corporate social responsibility to a short-term profit maximization and benevolence leadership style. This has several negative implications both internal and external which range from loss of credibility and trust of staff and other stakeholders, lack of strategic investment in the business future, to cost-cutting that resulted in poor design and product safety standard. Internally, there is a high-power distance organisation culture and leadership style currently whereby the CEO displays a coercive power that tends to alienate other stakeholders and serve as a barrier to adequate crisis management and the future business of Schick. Consequently, there is the need for a general review of management ethos and strategies to regain its lost credibility and image necessary for the survival of the business. Introduction This report is intended to provide an independent diagnosis of the Schick[1] issues affecting and to provide a detailed evaluation of the present and future implications of these on this company. Registered as a private limited business with the head office in Southampton in 1990 to manufacture domestic white goods, Schick has been in successful business for over 25 years and with laurels nationally and internationally for its innovative environmental friendly energy saving products, responsible leadership, and corporate social responsibilities. However, things took a new turn in January 2015 with the demise of the founders in an auto crash and Mr. John Marsh taking over the management of the business. From this stage, Schick started experiencing changes and challenges resulting in its poor image and reputation because of the shift in strategic management ethos of the business that led to product fire and death incident. Consequently, this report took a detailed analysis of the major issues with the attendant implications for the future survival of Schick before the summary conclusion of the main findings which leads to the prospective action required in response to them. Case diagnosis and analysis of implications The examination of Schick home appliances revealed a series of issues that are hereby provided in this abbreviated SWOT Analysis[2] below and further discussed in this report Figure 1: Abbreviated SWOT Analysis Strengths: Global operating platform. Strong brand name. Economies of scale. Strong sustainability focus. (manufacturing in China) Wide range of products Weaknesses: Lack of responsible leadership. Short-term profit focus. Poor business strategy in terms of innovation, value and core competencies. Weakening bargaining power over distributors. Lack of corporate social responsibility research development facility commitment. Negative publicity poor company image Opportunities: Increasing concern and demand for environmental energy saving appliances. Growing Asian market new market in Africa. New acquisitions business alliance. Potential inventions. Governmental cooperation and potential funding. Growing concern about climate change and investment in fast-growing product categories, e.g. air conditioning Threats: Increasing competition. Lower return on investment. Economic uncertainty (BREXIT). Reduce skilled workforce due to migration Changes in laws and regulations. Cheap goods from other countries i.e. Japan Change in customer preferences and demand The crisis in Schick stems from the change of leadership culture and style. This, in turn, brought about a change of the companys management ethos and style as the business now focuses on short-term profit maximization strategy through cost reduction and undermines major consideration for other stakeholders. This manifested in a decision to eliminate staff training and development programme, reduce funding for the research and development unit of the business which stands at the heart of the business future strategic investment absence of which leads to the risk of innovation, and development that would further grow the business and increase profit (Koch, 2010). To put this in the context of profit maximization, a scholar states that To argue that all firms aim to do nothing else but maximize profits has not better basis in logic or intuition as to argue that all students aim only to maximise examination marks (Hawkins, 1970, pp. 129-140). In other words, it is not ideal to focus on profit maximization especially within a short span of time. Management style adopted by the Mr. John Marsh is akin to autocratic leadership style associated with rigid control and top-down decision making characterised by hierarchical organisation structure (Schein, 2004; Whetton, Cameron, 2016) whereby the leader makes most important business decisions without the input of his employees. (Enderle, 2009; Northouse, 2016). Efficient decision making is of great benefit especially when urgency is required. But autocratic leaders tend to reduce the morale of his staff and very quickly begun alienating both the directors and employees of the company (Lewin, et al 1939; Cook, 2008). This was compounded by the news of the Schick directors termination which caused a widespread shock, concern, and unrest. This is further reflected the organisational culture best described as power culture (Hardy 1978 cited by Hughes, M 2010), with Mr. John Marsh at the centre of power From the above, it can be stated that the psychological contract Schick and its employees has been damaged and undermine their sense of individual autonomy particularly among Munich staff when given the news of the proposed cuts in research development laboratory as well as training and development that not only give room for social interaction but knowledge exchange that leads to safe innovative product design that contributed the make the company an household name for silk, efficient, safe and reliable product that creates a background for the business profitability. (Mone, London, 2010; Abdoli, Pourkazemi, 2012). Equally of note is the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, also known as the Brexit referendum, which took place on Thursday 23 June 2016. This is a critical moment for Schick given all the uncertainty and forms surrounding exit (Global Counsel October 2015) compound matters, as about 50% of the employees in Southampton were of Polish origin, majority of these Polish staffs are concern that they would not have a future at Schick the Brexit situation and employee engagement issues in the company particularly the termination of the four director which they reasoning that if Mr. John Marsh could sack the directors who had help build the company, he certainly could do same to them as well and as such could not be trusted to protect their interest as employees in the event of changes imposed following the formalisation of Brexit. (The Guardian July August 2016). In turn, this creates skills gap and further made worse by Mr. John Marsh management decision to do away with the operational arrangement in China that gives the business access to the Asian market. The Chinese manufacturer which had established its own market, reputation and distribution channels in Asia was equally concerned about the impact of Mr. John Marshs leadership on its profitability. By 15th July 2016, the agreement was reached limiting Schicks operations to only Southampton and focused on the UK and Northern European market, now apparently more difficult given the UK exiting the common European Union market and without a research development unit (Lorca, Garcà ­a-Diez, 2004). The situation at Schick combined with the uncertainty in the UK, the weak pound sterling could increase the companys production cost and reduce its profit margin (Lorenczik, et al. 2016). Regarding its customers, the situation could be likened to that implicit contract that is akin to the employee psychological contract mentioned earlier that was damaged by Schick by not meeting norms, and value expectations given the fact that the company was synonymous with global standards setting in product quality and corporate social responsibility has been badly affected by the attempt to stimulate sales and regain lost credibility in the marketplace, which made Mr. John Marsh used a previous design for washing machines discarded by the research development laboratory in 2015 and the attendance fire and death. This accident event effect was poorly managed (Varadarajan, et al 2006; Carroll, 2013). In addition, Schicks main distributor responsible for the distribution of the faulty washing machine which caused the fire had to terminate its contract with Schick following the negative publicity and the poor management of the situation by Schick. The company option, therefore, coul d have been to take action in recalling the affected products and make press statement to express regret over the incident and give reassurance of its total commitment to the corporate ethos; safety reliability that would demonstrate good communication, business ethics and values in consideration of corporate social responsibility that could help restore stakeholders confidence and loyalty (Daly Moloney, 2004; Le, et all 2014). The future of the business is not sure if Schicks narrow market focus is considered as the Brexit could restrict access to northern Europe. But there is growing market demand for white goods in Africa (KPMG, 2016) if connection with china could be re-established and adequate funding provided for research and development. In order to address the issue of staff trust and loyalty, as all staff felt unable to carry on working for Schick given recent events which will also lead to skills shortage and loss of competitive advantage, there is the great need for corporate culture and leadership style. Since staff only remained at Schick due to the memory of the three professors and all they had achieved, there is a need to build on this loyal sentiment through a robust employee involvement as it were to increase employee engagement and participation (Hyman, Mason, 1995). In summary, Schicks established reputation for sleek, modern, innovative energy-saving white goods achieved through a devotion to research development, corporate social responsibility, and responsible leadership, has fallen from grace in short time under the management of Mr. John Marsh bringing about the following challenges;. The sacking of the directors created a leadership gap and caused grave concern amongst employees and other key stakeholders. The sale of its research development Laboratory had not only compromised Schicks innovative capability but placed customers at risk and reduce it comparative competitive advantage as a market leader. The leadership style and short term profit focused approach to business led to the loss of confidence in Schicks leadership both within Schick and in the marketplace. Schick experienced high staff turnover at over a short period of time which created major gaps in knowledge and expertise.   The well-publicised fire caused by Schicks new washing machine has seriously ruined its image and reputation in the marketplace resulting in its main distributor terminating its contract, these created a strategic drift and a situation of lost organisation with environmental and resource value tangent (Kew Stredwick, 2008). Conclusion The good old Schick is now confronted with enormous challenges and crisis breaking point. Diagnosis exposed the major issues affecting it which need urgent attention for its future business existence consequently, the need to revisit and change the narrow business strategy of short-term profit maximisation, high-power distance structure to furnish considerations for other stakeholders interest with regard for corporate social responsibility, good business ethics and responsible leadership all of which call for immediate action plan and implementation to ensure the survival of the company. [1] All information relating to Schick in this report and not stated otherwise are drawn from: Sockalingam, S (2016) Distressing times at Schick home appliances. Unpublished coursework case study, Glasgow Caledonian University. [2]The information provided in the abbreviated SWOT Analysis (figure 1) is drawn from the Appendices. Full SWOT Analysis, PESTLE Analysis, stakeholder Analysis, Cultural Web, and Porters five forces of comparative position model respectively.

Romanticism and Realism in War Stories :: Romantic Period Essays

Romanticism and Realism in War Stories Tom Brokaw called the people who lived through World War II (WWII) â€Å"The Greatest Generation†, where he shares many heroic war stories in The Greatest Generation. The classic character displayed in the book was a decorated war veteran who returned to the United States (US) and developed a prosperous lifestyle. The WWII veterans came to symbolize strength, honor, unity, justice, success, and noble sacrifice. This image was portrayed through literature and film. Books and movies created an image of the WWII veterans which the US would idolize. Popular culture gave the war a romantic appeal. People fell in love with the idea that the US was liberating Europe from the Nazi Hun and the evil Japanese Empire. After the war, men came back to marry their sweethearts and had several children who were called the Baby Boomers. This romanticism continued through television shows like Leave it to Beaver and literary titles similar to Dick and Jane, which dominated popular culture . Though popular culture defined the perfect life, the lifestyle was not typical for the average American. The Baby Boomers were called into the Vietnam War and expected to follow in their father’s heroic footsteps; but unlike their father’s generation they failed to live up to the expectations. The Baby Boomers rebelled against the state and popular culture, developing flower power, free love, and equality. The Vietnam War conflicted with many of the generation’s values, resulting in internal conflict with many of the nation’s youth. Some men joined the military to fight, while other dodged the draft, creating conflict within a generation. Overall, the Baby Boomer generation symbolized individuality, dishonor, injustice, failure, and wasteful sacrifice. Unlike the WWII era, the Vietnam War brought realism into literature and film. There were no heroic movies of men fighting in Vietnam. Men could no longer shoot fifty enemy combatants on top of a tank without being hurt. Instead, popular culture brought a realistic view of war, death, pain, and destruction. Author Tim O’Brien, like many war veterans, struggled with his Vietnam experience and expressed them through writing. Tim O’Brien exposed the truth behind war stories because he shows the difference between WWII romanticism and Vietnam realism. The difference between romanticism and realism can be seen through two variations of the same war story.

Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin and A Place Called Heaven by Cecil Foster :: Black Like Griffin Heaven Foster Essays

Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin and A Place Called Heaven by Cecil Foster Racism cruelly and completely corrupts the heart, body and intelligence not only of the oppressed, but it dehumanizes and brutalizes even the oppressors. In the autobiographical diaries, Black Like Me, written by John Howard Griffin, and A Place Called Heaven, written by Cecil Foster, both main characters alter their lifestyles, one in America, one in Canada, only to suffer raw hate, violence, crudity and inhumanity from white racists. Through these experiences, both men encounter many racial barriers that exist between whites and blacks, which entirely destroys the dignity and self worth of the blacks. However, the cruelty towards the blacks was not their most intriguing conclusion. Through observation, communication and personal experiences, both men came to realize that racism is not a part of human nature, but rather a by-product of the human nature of the fear of the unknown. John Howard Griffen was a white journalist who truly wanted to understand racism and how it affected the blacks. Griffen began to research the rise of suicide tendencies in Southern blacks. However, he realizes that it is very difficult to collect useful information because "the Southern Negro will not tell the white man the truth", (Griffen, pg.12). The reason the blacks would not speak to him is because he is white and whites were ultimately the driving force behind the suicide of many blacks. The blacks feared the white man, even Griffen, who disagreed with racism. He observed the situation, saw the fear and the hurt in the eyes of the Blacks when he came to speak to them, and decided that "the only way to observe what it was like to be black, was to become black", (Griffen, pg.21). Griffen, now disguised convincingly as a black man, was able to observe racism from a different perspective. Griffen observed how he was treated among his "fellow" blacks in order to attain his examination of racism. "A pleasant young Negro woman took my order and fixed my breakfastà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The man at the counter turned toward me and smiled, as though he wanted to talk", (Griffen, pg.23). This proves that it is the white's and the black's implanted and prohibiting fear that ultimately makes their minds up about the opposite race. If Griffen were still white, there is no doubt that the woman and the man would not have been so pleasant and open towards him. He observed the fact that just because he was black, like them, that they felt content and safe speaking and interacting with him. Griffen then continues to board a bus.

Drama Portfolio :: Drama

Drama Portfolio When I entered the stimulus room my initial reactions were that it had been created in a way that it made you think about what was going on within each section of the room. For example none of the objects were straightforward and simple to figure out. A lot of the items were symbolic and had multiple meanings such as the mirror in the past section could mean a change of appearance or reflecting on the past. The room was divided into three different sections, past, present and future. There were dividers in-between the sections and these also seemed to have meanings. I interpreted the whole room as being one person’s past, present and future and the room told this persons story. The future section was covered by a large white cloth. On top of the cloth was a bench on which lay a shape that looked like a body. This instantly made me think of a funeral, as next to the body was a huge vase of flowers. Also in this section was a table set out for one, which I think indicates that the person who died was lonely when they died, as it is only set out for one. On the white cloth was painted a large question mark, which I think was placed there to symbolise the uncertainty of the future, and the mystery of death. Hanging up in the corner of this section was a larger than life railway ticket that read â€Å"On my way to meet Fiona.† This gave me the idea that maybe Fiona was somebody that the dead person knew and she passed away. Now that the mystery person has died too they are going to meet them in heaven. The divider between this and the present section was a row of blank newspapers on the floor, and I think these were put here to show that it was the future section (as the newspapers haven’t been written yet) and maybe to imply that the person who died was important or famous (as their death was in the newspaper). In the middle of the room was the present section. In this section the main theme was time. There were pictures of melting clocks stuck to the walls, on the floor and there was clock with no hands chalked on the floor. There was also a working clock placed on the floor. I think all of these objects were to symbolise time passing by, and that time is precious. Also in this section was a table laid out for two. I think this is to symbolise meeting someone – maybe a partner or

Full Faith and Credit Clause

I think the most predominant subject that comes to mind involving the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the U. S. Constitution centers around â€Å"same-sex marriages. † The argument in this issue centers around whether a gay couple who gets married in Massachusetts would/should be recognized as legally married in any other state they move to. I am sure the framers of the Constitution could never have imagined that some 200+ years later, that the original intent of Article IV Section 1 of the Constitution, the â€Å"Full Faith and Credit Clause,† could possibly undergo the scrutiny it has had to endure in recent years. The word â€Å"marriage† means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word â€Å"spouse† refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife. The Constitution specifically delineates that no State shall be required to give effect to any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other State respecting a relationship between persons of the same sex that is treated as a marriage under the laws of any other State, or any right or claim arising from such relationship. If â€Å"same-sex marriages† have become legally acceptable in some states, then those couples should enjoy those benefits in the states in which they are considered to be legal. States are granted the right to determine those laws that have effect on their own citizens, and, should a gay married couple wish to reside in a state where same-sex marriages are not legal by law in that state, then they must accept the law in that state as binding on them. Any state that chooses to not recognize same-sex marriages within their own constitution certainly has that right under the Full Faith and Credit Clause. Until at such time someone finds a way to challenge the constitutionality of the Clause, gay couples will have to resign themselves being able to practice their chosen lifestyle, but without the benefits of such union in states where it is deemed illegal. In further support of this issue, I believe that the Defense Of Marriage Act (DOMA) (1996) is unconstitutional on its face. DOMA violates principles of equal protection and due process. A strong case can also be made that DOMA abuses the Full Faith and Credit Clause and contravenes fundamental principles of federalism. Since there are relatively similar laws enacted in all 50 states, with only small differences between most of them, I see no reason that the Full Faith and Credit Clause should be held applicable to the issue of same-sex marriages. I find it difficult to imagine how the Court could find excluding same-sex couples from the definition of marriage unconstitutional without creating a constitutional requirement that same-sex couples be allowed to marry. Therefore, I believe that the Constitution guarantees each and every one of us the right to choose to marry the one we love. The fact that they are of the same sex should not deprive those individuals of the same rights and privileges of other citizens merely because it violates some individuals morals or beliefs. Since the Constitution itself does not actually delineate the definition of marriage, I believe that all attempts that deprive gay people certain rights not otherwise deprived of other individuals violates the spirit of the Constitution, and abuses the Full Faith and Credit Clause therein.

Pakistan Textile Industry

Compiled By: Mirza Rohail B http://economicpakistan. wordpress. com/2008/02/06/textile-industry/ Historically, Pakistan’s textile industry and clothing sector has always been a major contributor to the foreign exchange earner and still contributes about 55% to the total export proceeds. The Economist reports that Pakistan is the 4th largest producer of cotton in the world and the 6th largest importer of raw cotton, the 3rd largest consumer of cotton, and the 1st largest exporter of cotton yarn. Over 1. 3 million farmers, out of total of 5 million are involved in cultivation of this crop. Textile exports in 1999 were $5. 2 billion and rose to become $10. 5 billion by 2007. Textile exports managed to increase at a very decent growth of 16% in 2006. In the period July 2007 – June 2008, textile exports were US$ 10. 62 Billion. Textile exports share in total export of Pakistan has declined from 67% in 1997 to 55% in 2008, as exports of other non-textile sectors grew. UN reports 102 countries import textile and apparel products and 104 countries export these products. Global trade in textile and apparel products account for an approximately $440 billion. Pakistan is bogged down in the 5% textile requirement of the world, by dedicating 62% of its GDP share for textile. An anti-dumping of 5. 8% has been imposed by the European Union, which has put Pakistan in a desperate position to match competitiveness posed by Bangladesh, India, China, Sri-Lanka and Vietnam. The top buyers of Pakistani textile goods are: USA, EU, Gulf region, UK, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Turkey, Germany, Norway, France, Canada, Sweden, Australia, etc. Government vision 2005-2010 To overcome global competition, the Pakistani government in 2006 approved a â€Å"Technology-based Industrial vision and strategy for socio-economic† which called for technology up-gradation, human resource development, and establishment of a fully integrated chemical industry in the country. Investment Policy & Incentives for Vision 2005-2010:  · Whole of textile sector is included in list of value added industries.  · 5% custom duty on imported machinery if not manufactured locally.  · Tax relief: Initial Depreciation allowance (IDA) at 50% of machinery & equipment cost. Export plan 2006-13 seeks to increase textile and garment’s sector exports to $24. 36 billion. There is a need to engage young qualified generation as roving ambassadors of marketing caliber, diplomacy and professional approach. Pakistan commerce intelligence may chalk out plans to reach every region bloc with in-depth study of regional trade bloc. 2009-10 Performance The share of textile exports in total exports of the country shrunk to 55 percent so far in the current financial year from well above 60 percent in the past years. As the overall export volume remained stagnant in the first seven months of the current financial year, the shrinking share of textile goods in exports has been adversely impacting the export sector. During July-January 2009-10, total exports came to $10. 870 billion as against $10. 820 billion in the corresponding period of last year. In the months under review, textile export proceeds totalled to $5. 981 billion over $5. 849 billion in the same months of previous year. 2008-09 Performance According to data by Federal Bureau of Statistics, Textile exports during the first eight months of current financial registered negative growth of 5. 6% as against the exports recorded corresponding period of the last financial year. Exports during July-February (2008-09) totaled $ 6. 47 billion against the exports of $6. 85 billion recorded during July-February (2007-08). [Link] During the time under review, the highest negative growth of 51. 24 percent was recorded in the exports of yarn (other than cotton yarn) while exports of art, silk and synthetic textile were decreased by 23. 5 percent. Similarly, exports of cotton yarn declined by 15. 28 percent, cotton (carded or combed) by 13. 81 percent, knitwear by 2. 66 percent, bed wear by 10. 44 percent, tents, canvas and tarpaulin by 21. 18 percent, readymade garments by 12. 43 percent, made up articles by 0. 3 percent while the exports of other textile materials declined by 15. 28 percent during the period. However, the exports of raw cotton witnessed increase of 154. 5 percent during the time under review while exports of cotton cloth increase by 5. 57 percent and towels by 10. 02 percent. Textile Machinery Imports According to official statistics released by Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS), country’s total textile machinery imports declined to $438. 270 million during the last fiscal year of 2008, over the import of $502. 898 million in fiscal year 2007, depicting a decrease of $64. 6 million in the fiscal year 2008. [Link] Imports of textile machinery in the month of June 2008 alone also indicated a decline of 22 percent, as compared to the month June 2007. In June 2008, the industrialists and textile manufacturers have imported textile machinery worth $32. 101 million as compared to $41. 7 million during the corresponding period fiscal year 2007, which depicted a decrease of $9 million only in June 2008. Industry – Spindles, Rotors and Looms In 1999-00: Units 443 and Spindles 8,477,000 and Rotors 149,780 and Looms 9944. In 2003-04: Units 456 and Spindles 9,590,000 and Rotors 146,640 and Looms 10,646. In 2005-06: Units 461 and Spindles 10,437,000 and Rotors 155,104 and Looms 8747. In 2006-07: Mills 567 and Spindles 11,809,000 and Rotors —– and Looms 9000. The least developed sector is weaving which mostly comprises of smaller, fragmented and inefficient units. These units are called inefficient as they mostly use power looms, which are capable of producing narrower width fabric s and mostly use coarse counts of yarn. Therefore, the quality is much inferior to fabrics produced on shuttle-less looms. For decades, the government continued to charge import duty at fabulous rates on shuttle-less looms. Income from power looms was tax exempt but income of units using shuttle-less looms was taxable. The knitwear segment of Pakistan has always focused on achieving higher volume rather than concentrating on quality, price and terms of delivery. A spinning unit of 14,400 spindles employs around 100 persons. Global financial crisis As the economies in the US and Europe slow down, Pakistan’s key exports of textiles and leather products are experiencing a slowdown in growth as well. According to APTMA, textile exports have declined by about 20 percent in 2008. The industry is bracing for more trouble ahead with continuing crises of electricity and gas, international market access, global economic slow-down, and adverse travel advisories. Pakistan’s share of the US textile market is dropping. China tops the US market with a share of 36 per cent followed by Bangladesh 21 per cent, India 18 per cent, Morocco 19 per cent and Pakistan 13 per cent. South Korea has lost 20 per cent of the US market. In the European market, China tops again with a share of 29 per cent, Vietnam 28 per cent, India 19 per cent and Pakistan only 1. 5 per cent while the Philippines had lost 11 per cent of the market. WestPoint Stevens and Dan River were two American companies which were negotiating a $200 million deal with a Karachi-based textile group in Karachi. It has been put on halt. Setbacks for Pakistan Textile Industry  · Recently, the government has also abolished research and development (RandD) support program for the textile sector from July 1 2008. [Link]  · The Pakistani government had recently proposed to implement 18 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) on the textile sector in the upcoming budget. [Link]  · Decline in the machinery imports, is also due to the enhanced interest rates on loans, which have not been decreased by the new State Bank governor. Recent substantial hike in gas tariff also hurt the growth of the textile industry.