Safety of stored information and easier retrieval Essay

Task 1: strengthen the information systems to enhance effective communication within the business and in all departments. Benefits of effective technological systems (Sanders & Bok 2013). This facilitates effective communication with the departments in the business. The daily operations of the business need effective communication. Senior departmental managers need to communicate with supervisors and other subordinates. Communication channels such telephones and computer links facilitates transmission of information from one area to another. This saves time as managers and supervisors don’t take time moving from one section to the other. Safety of stored information and easier retrieval (Target, Grimshow & Powel 2009). They facilitate better storage of information within the organization. It reduces paper work and bunch of files stored in the offices. Computers stores information which can be retrieved easily through use of logs and personal codes, when they are keyed information is displayed easily. Task 2: improve the existing markets and expand through opening new branches throughout the world. Benefits of proper marketing strategies (Kerin, Hartley & Rudelius 2009). Marketing is a very essential aspect in every business. Strategies such as integrate online and offline advertising, message adaptation and contests and discounts. Proper marketing facilitates better customer relations and increase in sales. This being the key goal of any business organization, it facilitates growth and development. Meeting customer needs (Bettencourt 2010). Organizations are required to meet the needs of the customers for competitive advantages. Customers’ satisfaction helps the business to maintain customers both in the long-run and short-run. Distribution of the products within the required time in the markets and proper pricing enhances customers’ maintenance are reaching the potential customers. Task 3: use of online marketing and product promotion                There are many ways of reaching out customers and promoting products in the market. Use of website links and online transactions enables an organization to reach more customers all over the world. Forms of product promotions such as advertising through electronic commutations such as radios and TV, use of billboards and personal selling also helps in reaching out customers. This is very beneficial to an organization as it gets enjoys economies of scale through increased production and sales. Value added by the role of my CPO.                My role adds a significant role in my CPO. For clear understanding of this role is added and what it is about, the learner have to be well informed on matters concerning proper marketing strategies, how to apply them and the benefits associated with such strategies. This comprises of the ways that a business put into consideration with an aim of reaching more customers and increasing the sales. Proper marketing strategies are very beneficial to the business both for proper control of internal and external environments (Fisher 2008). Some of the benefits involved include; market expansion both local and international, competitive advantages as the business is able to acquire large market share and meet the needs of the customers. My role in regard to adding value to my CPO is based on my knowledge concerning the marketing mix and segmentation. This is an area that is must have full knowledge concerning how a market is well segmented, the tools of marketing mix such as products, price, promotion and distribution. This knowledge will help me in preparing a good report to be presented to the marketing manager for better installation and implementation of the required strategies. The strategies should be based on the individuals and target groups in relation to their needs, knowledge and cultural activities (Augustine 2009). For my CPO to have a value addition, I must have full knowledge concerning the strategies used by other industries/competitors, the marketing trends and the needs of the customer. This will facilitate and enhance a better delivery of findings and recommendations to the clients and have qualities and important information that helps the marketing teams. My role is to ensure there is a proper interrelationship between the three departments that is IT, transport and marketing. They help the organization to pursue their interests effectively. Resolving allowed these departments adds value to my CPO as it enables me to come u p with better and effective strategies that are beneficial to an organization. LG3 Nature of relationships incorporated in my CPO during the completion of my task. Effective completion of tasks requires proper involvement of all the employees and the management. Employees are provided with the necessary skills across all the tasks carried out in the business. This enables an employee to perform any task across all departments. I always interacts with the marketing department when having a discussion with them on how to improve their operation or resolving an issue. I have acquired more knowledge through my team leader as I have always accompanied him when carrying out daily operations. This has enabled me to establish a strong marketing team and enhance good relationships. Proper communication that is done horizontally from the team leader to supervisors and the people on the ground. Receiving information concerning the progress of the market and the issues affecting them is another task I do carry in the organization. Organizational chart Ideas on how my CPO may effectively manage the organizational internal relationships. The marketing department has a well established IT and transport systems. This becomes an advantage as communication is well facilitated and goods are transported to the respective markets. Internal environment gaps; questions that will help me in developing an understanding of the internal environment. Are all the departments well resourced with the required facilitates? For effective implementation and carrying out of the activities, the overall departments have to be equipped well. Are all departmental managers well skilled with the required knowledge? This will help me in determining if there is need to have training of all the departmental attendants. What are the strategies used by the competitor? Are the strategies used in the organization more effective compared to those of the competitors? Key facts concerning my industry sector                Strategic market planning is a marketing body that is focused on the content of strategy and formulation process at the unit level of a business (Kumar 2010). It also compares the role of marketing in the organizational activity’s sphere. This marketing body helps me in analyzing key facts concerning key facts of my organization. Skills of employees                Employees are the key players in the organizational marketing. They need to be well skilled as they are the ones who interact with customers on their daily basis. Product packaging and branding                Product appearance is very vital to the eyes of the customer. The organization facilitates better packaging by using amounts affordable by the customers of all aspects. Issues faced by the business world                Political instability; Most of the countries in the world are faced with political instability. Such events are associated with chaos hence creating unfavorable marketing conditions. Market diversification: many businesses are located in different parts of the world. To have effective cooperation and proper management, the business world is facing problems of meeting the customer demands. My CPO provides strategies of ensuring that the organization has well manageable markets. External stakeholders and their significance in the relationship.                Governmental agencies of NZ, Agencies such as the tax authority and the licensing board influences the marketing operations of the business. Tax levies and restrictions imposed by the licensing board affects the rate at which the organization opens up new markets. LG 3.3 topic: entrepreneurship and communication Product promotion:                It is an area that has contributed a lot towards reaching out customers in different corners of the world. It is an area that requires a lot of skills and confidentiality as it can either assist the business in reaching more customers or can lead to loss of confidence towards the business. It has been an area of my interest, as it is closely associated with my CPO’s discipline in its industry sector. Online transaction                Carrying out online transactions assists the business to have safer operations. In AUT business school, I acquired knowledge and skills necessary for carrying out online transactions. It facilitates the growth of the business and should be adopted by the organization. I finds it easy to operate as it has closer connection with my CPO and its industry. Learning goal 4: ethical and social responsibility facing society and business                Ethical means to do with what is wrong and right, based on morality (Cafoliete 2010). Social responsibility is refers to an ethical theory that an individual or organization has an obligation to act for societal benefits (Amaeshi 2013). An ethical decision facilitates better services and creates a good image of an organization. My CPO and industry may consider offering training on how to ethical business characteristics and ensures customer needs are fully met (Bates 2013). Lack of enough skills may lead to a challenge in my CPO on making business decision that is ethical. LG 5: work collaboratively Developing business communication skills                Communication is a key factor in every business organization. Communication enhances better relationships with others in the industry thus facilitating work collaborations. My strength in this aspect is that my CPO consists of the largest communication department which links with other external organizations. The major weakness is on the poor communication skills currently displayed by many of the departmental attendants. My goal is to ensure that communication has been enhanced and effective channels installed. The strategies to be put in place include; in-service training and workshops should be held regularly, installation of communication devices in all departments and skilled managers employed. In order to assess whether the goals have been achieved, it should be measured in terms of profit margin and the number of customers. Aspect 2: working effectively in teams                Team work is a key tool in enhancing effective operations and increased productivity. It brings unity thus enhancing collaboration with others. The strengths in this aspect are that majority of the group members are of the same age thus works well as a group. The weakness is on the team leadership as my CPO industry has a few experienced managers. My goal is to develop the strongest working team in the industry. The strategies set include ensuring that more skilled managers are employed, workshops held to regular basis to train members on how to have strong working teams. Though it is hard to assess the strength of a team, my industry will check on the interrelationship between the internal and external environments to assess whether the goal has been met. References Amaeshi, K., & Nnodim, P. (2013). Corporate Social Responsibility, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. Bettencourt, L. (2010). Service innovation how to go from customer needs to breakthrough services. New York: McGraw-Hill. Bok, D. C. (2013). Universities in the marketplace: the commercialization of higher education (45 ed.). Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. Kerin, R. A., Hartley, S. W., & Rudelius, W. (2009). Marketing (9/e [9th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Kumar, D. (2010). Enterprise Growth Strategy Vision, Planning and Execution.. Farnham: Ashgate Pub.. Oliver, S. (2010). Public relations strategy (3rd ed.). London: Kogan Page/CIPR. Targett, D., Grimshaw, D. J., & Powell, P. (2009). IT in business a manager’s casebook. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann Amaeshi, K., & Nnodim, P. (2013). Corporate Social Responsibility, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. Augustine, C. H. (2009). Improving school leadership the promise of cohesive leadership systems. Santa Monica, CA: RAND. Bates, C. G. (2013). Global social issues an encyclopedia. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe. Bender, T. (2012). Discussion-based online teaching to enhance student learning: theory, practice, and assessment (2nd ed.). Sterling, Va.: Stylys. Source document

Amazon.com – the world’s biggest e-commerce retailer

Amazon is the world’s biggest e-commerce retailer. They were founded in 1994, being the first online retailer to secure one million customers in 1997. They are based out of Seattle, Washington but have locations in 18 U. S states and 14 international locations. They currently have over 88,000 employees and are still growing. Amazon sells pretty much anything you want on their website, from DVDs and video games to shoes and sports equipment. When Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon. com, started Amazon all he was selling was books and now they have their own tablet, called the Kindle, which is a virtual book. Amazon’s mission statement is â€Å"Our vision is to be earth's most customer centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online. † The way that Amazon does their business isn’t rushed, just wanting to earn a profit. Jeff Bezos business plan was a slow-growing business, and he didn’t even turn a profit until 2001, after the â€Å"dot-com boom† of the late 1990s couldn’t even stop then when a lot of other online companies had to file for bankruptcy. But they survived and made 97 million just in the last quartered of 2012. Amazon has a code of business conduct and ethics, with their main statement being â€Å"Amazon. com employees should always act lawfully, ethically, and in the best interests of Amazon. com. This Code of Business Conduct and Ethics sets out basic guiding principles. Employees who are unsure whether their conduct or the conduct of their coworkers complies with the Code of Conduct should contact their manager or the Legal Department. † The type of system that they are using is virtue ethics, which is where morals are internal. They are trying to internalize moral behavior, making sure that everyone is aware that they are there to benefit the company and do so in a lawful way. Amazon was built on making their customers happy, and by doing that they need to make sure that all of there employees are performing to the best of their ability, making sure they are making the right decisions for the company. Amazon has strict rules on conflicts of interest, insider trading, harassment, record keeping and many other things. They also give their employees the opportunity’s to submit ideas that they believe will not only better the company, but also the world called the Kaizen program. The Kaizen program is where Amazon employees work together to implement environmental and energy initiatives across all parts of the company. They have done everything from figuring out a new way to package trucks, for less shipments and saving fuel to figuring out how to install lights that are on motion sensors to help reduce energy costs.

Role of Literature in the Age of Technology

Literature refers to the realm of letters and the writings of a particular period, mostly those whose value lies in the beauty of form or emotional effect. Technology is the science of the industrial arts. Scientists have played an important role in promoting human welfare, but the benefits of science may not have reached the masses, at any rate in ample measure, without technological devices and practical applications. We live in the world of both science and technology and many people, who take a rather superficial view of things, have begun to feel that in the technological world of tomorrow the role of literature seems poor.In fact, literature in its pure form is believed to have little relation with science and technology. Science provides knowledge and power and both science and technology affect human life at several points, though the extent and utility of the applications are determined by our culture, our wisdom and our priorities. Literature reflects the moods and emotions of the times in which it is produced; it is conditioned by the reflexes which, in turn, are created by the impact of science and technology.Modern technology increasingly dominates the world, and the domination is likely to become more pronounced in future, because of the fast developments tending to subdue creative human thinking and expression. But the belief that literature would have no place in future and in futuristic calculations is erroneous. There is no reason to believe that the mechanical way of life, in which our actions are governed more and more by computer culture and electronic calculators of all types, will destroy the talent of writers, authors, poets, biographers and artists.Technology does not discourage natural, multi faceted talent; rather, it generally promotes the climate for expressions of talent in countless channels. All round prosperity helps a great deal in creating literature of lasting value, and it is technology which has made many countries wealthy and prosperous. Jawaharlal Nehru cautioned us some four decades ago that it was only through the growth of technology that our country would become prosperous.In some cases technological development and automation may cause misery, through the resultant unemployment, for instance. But it has to be noted that both science and technology also provide additional avenues for employment; countries which boast of maximum employment, or nearly so, are those which are technologically advanced. In fact, our country may go down, instead of progressing fast, if we do not keep pace with technological developments and march in step, as far as possible, with the industrialised and technologically progressive nations.It is not only for the sake of the material benefits, the comforts and conveniences of life that we must opt for the latest technological processes, even by discarding our traditional practices, but for our art and literature, too, we shall have to make the best of technology, which w ould enable talented people to put in their best in art and literature. Some people think and they have a reason for doing so, that since science demolishes faith and tradition, it tends to produce scepticism, anxiety and even tensions, and it doubts everything, even cherished values.Science has eliminated superstitions. Technology helps to provide weapons of war; war stimulates technologists, but it depresses the artists and those who prepare literary pieces. Sensitivity and the urge to create new masterpieces get suppressed; reckless destruction, bloodshed and hostilities ruin the very climate that helps to create literature and artistic masterpieces. Culture and literature, after all, indicate the cultivation of man's inner nature.Culture prompts men and women to seek perfection; they are not motivated by curiosity and the endless sense of enquiry which characterise scientists and technologists. Literature expresses feelings and innermost thoughts and ambitions, while technology has other ends and other fields to explore. Literature may at first appear to be out of place in a technological milieu, but surely scientists and technologists do not encroach upon the field of literature. There seems to be no reason why both literature and technology cannot flourish side by side.A society that is highly progressive technologically may also become rich in literature. We may take the example of the world's most industrially advanced country and the mightiest military power, the USA, where technology has registered unprecedented achievements and yet the USA has produced rich literature. Technology results in affluence and prosperity and economic prosperity promotes good literature and masterpieces in the arts. So there is no contraction involved. It is only during war and the all out preparations for war, that literature gets a setback.Science and technology, it has been truly said, have radically altered the face of civilisation, but nothing, not even the most sophi sticated mechanical devices and the most fruitful applications of new inventions, can change human nature or replace human being, who must indeed remain in effective command of all scientific inventions and their day-to-day application. Technology has created robots, artificial intelligence in the shape of â€Å"thinking computers† which can read, translate, interpret and give decisions with amazing speed and accuracy.But not even the most sophisticated technological advances can by themselves produce literature—poetry, prose, plays, novels and stories. In a sense, science and technology may be said to be of direct assistance in promoting literature, because they help to create leisure by introducing labour saving and time saving devices and by eliminating drudgery as well as duplication of effort. The leisure thus created can be put to literary pursuits. In such a context, the talk of a contradiction between technology and literature is not well founded.Scientific kno w how may thus be viewed as technology which, examined dispassionately, has an important bearing on arts and literature. Good literature makes a lasting impact on the human mind; it entertains, instructs and ennobles the spirit of human beings; it does not debase or corrupt the mind in any way, and it certainly does not lead to destruction of any section of mankind. Science and its handmaid, technology, however, have placed in the hands of man vicious and highly destructive tools in the shape of lethal weapons the like of which he has never had before.Literature builds, but technology, if misused by vicious statesmen and politicians may cause havoc on a massive scale, destroying both litterateurs and technologists without discrimination. Technology does make for concentration and centralisation of economic and political activity. A person's individuality, sense of fraternity and selflessness tend to get eroded. Where there is less patronage of art and talent, there is bound to be le ss of literature of permanent value, because the right spirit and mood are not there to promote it.The depersonalisation of modern life which, it appears, will get stronger as the years pass, is likely to discourage writers and poets; misery, anguish and a generally noisy atmosphere are hardly conducive to the production of sound literature. But we need not give up all hope of a better world tomorrow, from the standpoint of culture and literature, simply because science and technology tend to predominate over human values. It is within the power and capacity of man, provided he exercises his sound judgment and pursues the right priorities to shape a better world, where literature flourishes along with industry and technology.

Critical Analysis of Linked Lesson Plans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Critical Analysis of Linked Lesson Plans - Essay Example This criterion pertains to the match between the lesson’s objectives and the activities included in the plan or what would actually transpire during the lesson. Veal and Anderson (2011, p. 97) argued that this evaluation framework is appropriate method of evaluation because it can be tailored specifically for the plan and could enable an examiner to tie it with the specific events of the class. In addition, it will also contextualize the lesson plan and the entailing activities within the teacher’s teaching capability, style and value systems. Hence, the main question of efficacy would be answered with the extent by which the activities and actual lessons are aligned with what the teacher want to accomplish. In addition, this can further be supported by an adherence to system and structure. Session 1: Dancing the Elephant This lesson plan is designed for Physical Education class. The objective is for the students to learn basic dance movements. This was complicated by a dditional aims such as the opportunity to choose and apply skills and actions in sequence and in combinations. The teacher also wanted to integrate some social elements by having students observe and copy others, becoming aware about concepts of rhythm, movement and expression in the process. For these purposes, the teacher designed an activity that will revolve around the elephants. Using the animal, primarily through the song L’Elephant, it was expected that the students will be able to depict dance stances through imagination and personal experience. The activities provided by the lesson plan can be structurally divided into three parts or stages. The first is the use of the L’Elephant music. Secondly, there was the explanation of the elephants, how they move and how such movements could be mimed into dances and graceful movements with the aid of sound and imagination. Finally, there is the learning of a dance sequence created based on the previous activities. These lesson elements would collectively call a high degree of skill from the teachers because they involve not just close and strong participation from students but also the strength of their imagination. If one is to assess whether these activities are aligned with the objectives, the answer will be positive. However, to implement the activities in such a way that it achieves the intended aims may be difficult. The use of L’Elephant song is not enough. Asking the students to be imaginative based on this music is problematic. There are students who do not know about it and the music itself is not very expressive of the concept of elephants that this activity calls for. This is like asking for creativity among the students within a vacuum. What the teacher could do was to edit L’Elephant and use it as a score for videos or slideshow of elephants at play. According to Lavin and Lavin (2008, p. 7), creativity will not flourish in this kind of situation because there needs to be a firm foundation for the skills in order for creativity to flourish, otherwise, the students could abandon the promising creative approach. One can just consider the student’s reaction from an objective point of view: He would listen to L’Elephant. Besides the title, the music does not tell much about the animal. When he is told to imagine the animal, he would probably think about the slow moving ones at the zoo or those gentle characters in literature such as Horton by Dr. Seuss and Hathi in the Jungle Book. Imagining

Journals Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Journals - Coursework Example I understood that where the generation that preceded it was about conformity, this generation was about breaking the rules and exploring new psychological and social spaces for the rest of us. I could not wait to get started on the materials and the discussions and to participate, reflect and learn. Mostly too at that point I was eager to dive into the books and films. I also understood at this point that the perspectives for viewing the time period and the generation included not just the artistic, but also other relevant perspectives that hopefully would broaden my understanding of the era and give me a rounded overall understanding. The historical, business, and cultural viewpoints are important too, and I understood that these takes on the era would be explored in depth in the coming weeks (â€Å"Hollywood Rebels†). The ground rules and expectations for class performance and participation were also clearly laid down during this first week. I learned what was expected of me, and this learning was valuable, because I knew that if I participated in class and applied myself to the tasks in earnest that I would do fine. Moreover, I also appreciated how my inputs were important not only in terms of being able to get good marks but also in terms of the being able to get truly learn and get genuine insights into the subject matter. Taking the high road, I understood that to be able to learn as much as I can from this era, I need to take the class discussions seriously and really try to assimilate the materials as much as I could (â€Å"Hollywood Rebels†). Etiquette and attendance were discussed. Etiquette was mostly about respecting the class and giving full attention during lectures. Attendance rules were clearly laid out, to make sure that students knew when they would be marked as late or absent, and what absences mean in terms of passing or failing the class. The syllabus and assignments and their

Shipping Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Shipping Management - Essay Example It has been proved, that old management techniques in shipping have been working fir short-term profits only; it has also become evident that socially 'responsible' shipping business causes higher revenues and better positive results for both the stock markets and the general company performance. New management framework has also been formed with the additional pressure of environmental issues, which always carried a tint of social knowledge. All these factors have challenged shipping management to re-negotiate their position in the social environment and in the society as a whole. CSR is essentially about companies moving beyond a base of legal compliance to integrating socially responsible behaviour into their core values, in recognition of the sound business benefits in doing so. Since businesses and the challenges they face differ widely, government interventions need to be carefully considered, well-designed and targeted to achieve their objective. (___) The PD Ports Company located in Hartlepool (UK) is the company which can be seen as the bright example of the organization having actively applied the principles of the CSR through changing legislation and environments. It is noted in the striving for further strengthening and promoting its CSR activities. It has been engaged into many CSR activities, and it should be said that CSR in the UK has become one of the principal governmental priorities. It is stated, that 'we recognize that there is no 'one size fits all' approach to CSR, and that companies need to consider the nature of their business and its key impacts in developing their CSR practice'. (http://www.csr.gov.uk/raisingawareness.shtml) This is why for the shipping companies the implementation of CSR carries certain peculiarities. Government works for the for making the companies aware of the available CSR practices and encourages businesses to improve their performance; this may be considered to be one of the essential ch anges in the general implementation of the CSR principles through the shipping companies. As for PD Ports, the company also takes active part in the promotion and support of the CSR principles through the following activities: the philosophy 'safety first' is the top priority for the company management; the company is prepared to invest into both Capital and people; the company has its main focus on the customers, and looks for additional profitability through this customer focus; the company shows full commitment to the equal opportunities for employees; what is essential, is that the company actively works for the promotion of the environmental interests, as well as for their protection. (http://www.thpal.co.uk/corporate/core_values.asp) 'While various conventions and regulations imposed minimum standards for the operation of shipping companies, the control mechanisms were not always efficient in their mission. However, quality in shipping is not a matter of the shipowners only. Quality has a price and, as with all other goods and services, this price is determined by demand and supply. Neither shipowners nor regulation alone can force or command this price if quality is not demanded by the users of the shipping service by the manufacturers, traders, freight forwarders

Master of science, financial engineer personal statement

Master of science, financial engineer - Personal Statement Example One of the reasons I studied engineering is due my excellent quantitative abilities. I scored a perfect 800 on the math section of the GRE exam. Despite my background in engineering I have realized that pure engineering work might not be what I desire to do with my life. My love for math can be put to better use in a related field. I am interest in applying for the master’s degree program in financial engineering. I want to pursue a degree in financial engineering because this is a growing field that has plenty of jobs available due to the fact that there is a shortage of professionals trained in this field. My background in engineering will only enhance my ability to visualize how to apply finance to optimize the efficiency of an engineering project. All engineering projects require the assistance of accountants and financial people. As a financial engineer I can become the bridge that connects the engineering and accounting/finance departments. My technical expertise in engineering will enable me to speak the language of engineers, while at the same time being able to communicate effectively with the managers and financial people. Upon further researching the salary potential of electrical engineering I realized that even though engineers are paid a very competitive salary which hovers around $60,000 starting out, the field of financial engineering is much more rewarding. The average starti ng salary for a financial engineer is $80,000 to $90,000. Investing an extra two years of my life pursing a graduate degree in financial engineering is an investment that will provide me with a tremendous return on investment. Along with the financial incentive one of the primary reasons that I want to study financial engineering is because the type of work performed by financial engineers is more personally rewarding to me. I love performing pure math and working with numbers. My college counselor told me that based on my math

Legitimacy of Secular Authority Among Calvin, Luther and Muntzer Essay

Legitimacy of Secular Authority Among Calvin, Luther and Muntzer - Essay Example Several centuries later, Martin Luther wrote the book On Secular Authority, whose very principles are said to be the foundation of the principle of the separation of the Church and State. Luther crafted the doctrine of the two kingdoms or the theory that God wields authority in two ways: one through the laws, and; two, through the Gospel. Hard on the heels of the Lutheran Reformation was Calvinism, which was founded by John Calvin. Echoing Luther, Calvin believes that mankind is under two kinds of government, the spiritual and the secular. In the last chapter of Book V of his book Institutions, Calvin essays the role, duties and functions of secular authority. While both men acknowledge the importance of secular authority to maintain order in society, Luther cautions it from encroaching into the business of the spiritual on the ground that secular power carries no importance in the eyes of God and is confined to a kingdom separate from that of God. Calvin, on the other hand, believes that there is no sense in severing God’s laws from manmade laws considering that to do so is to ignore the ascendancy of God’s law. In this respect, it is fundamental upon secular authority to enforce God’s laws as well. ... Since Frederick was entitled to a vote in the election of the Holy Roman Emperor, Luther was almost untouchable (Noble et al 392). This call for help for secular support was not however, an easy decision for Luther and gave his writings dimensions not found in other reformists before him. Thus, although he ascribed to secular authority divinity to which people owed obedience to, he was quick to qualify this divinity as exclusive of the obligation to establish and maintain true religion (Estes 356). Prior to seeking support from secular authorities, however, Luther appealed to popes and bishops to spearhead the reform movement, believing that the responsibility belong to them although he opined that such personalities had no special authority to rule the church. Failing to get their support, Luther turned his attention to the German princes (Estes 356). In his works Treatise on Good Works and On the Papacy in Rome, Luther approaches the idea of secular authority with respect even attr ibuting it the characteristic of being a divine institution. He qualifies however, that secular authority’s jurisdiction only applies to temporal matters and the punishment of violation of the second table of the Decalogue such as murder, theft, adultery, and the like. Nonetheless, Luther believes that there are situations in which secular authorities may have ascendancy over members of the clergy, such as when a clergyman commits a crime. Matters pertaining to preaching the Gospel and giving absolution are however, beyond the authority of secular powers. However, property and property rights may be conceded by secular authorities, which exercise power over them, to members of the clergy (Estes 362). In Treatise, Luther defends the right of the secular authority to

Software and Data Sharing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Software and Data Sharing - Essay Example According to Tan & Payton (Eds), data sharing is different in CHIN models from Mayo clinic because CHIN uses data sharing and health IT innovations to improve partnerships between clinicians, public health leaders, policy makers, and informatics experts. CHIN community partners gain from the shared data such as centralized data warehouse a connected electronic health record. Contrary to this, Mayo clinic shares its data through creating software, tools, and services for large scale health records. The risk of a Community Health Information Network (CHIN) is that membership in it, if not controlled can lead to greater risks associated with the law. The benefits include facilitation of care, lower cost of care, and knowledgeable choice to the patients. The providers on the other hand reduce segregation of rural physicians, mange complete cost of therapy, and develop a competitive market

STATISTICAL COURSEWORK Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

STATISTICAL - Coursework Example The group Motility assay for control has the highest SD value with 0.71 and the group Motility assay: After incubation for 48h at 37oC has the lowest SD value with 0.37. From the above ANOVA table, it is found that the F value of 16.038 is highly significant (with probability 0.000). Hence it is concluded that the means of the three assay groups differ significantly. The individual comparison is given in the following table. The mean difference between the groups Motility assay: After incubation for 48h at 37oC and the group Motility assay for control organism is not significant. Hence the groups Motility assay: After incubation for 48h at 37oC and the group Motility assay for control do not differ significantly. But the group Motility assay: After incubation for 24h at 37oC is having significant difference in mean with both the groups Motility assay: After incubation for 48h at 37oC and Motility assay for control organism. Hence among all groups, the group Motility assay: After incubation for 48h at 37oC has the highest

Measuring Shareholder Value Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Measuring Shareholder Value - Term Paper Example Capital gain is the gain that if gotten above an assets original buying price upon disposal. Any realized capital gain forms an investment that has been disposed of as at a profit. An unrealized capital gain may, on the other hand, refer to an investment which is yet to be disposed of but would lead to a profit if it was disposed of. Assets that can realize capital gains may include options, bonds, shares/stock, or businesses. A buyback kind of program involves a situation where a company repurchases its bond or stock that it had issued previously. In that case, the amount of stock that is outstanding reduces and this gives the shareholders that are remaining a bigger ownership stake of that company in the process. (investorwords.com, 2011) Investors in the world over have gotten more informed and, thus, if they have made an investment in a stock and that stock has proven not of much return as they would have wanted, then, they are unlikely to continue holding on to that stock. Thus, this escalated demand for shareholder value has led to a lot of pressure upon finance managers of various organizations. They have to ensure that the companies are earning reasonable profits and besides that, they have to come up with a very appropriate measure to shareholder value. This way, shareholders can monitor the performance of their investments. The task of getting the befitting measure for that can be an uphill one to most managers. In recent times executives have adopted numerous metrics to determine shareholder value and these are with the inclusion of cash flows, operating profits, economic performance, and return on assets. All of these metrics can be applied one at a time or all of them in entirety instantaneously. In the recent past, another metric was introduced by Stern Stewart and Company and this metric was known as EVA (Economic Value Added). EVA is said to evaluate shareholder value through computing the magnitude by which profits surpass the given companyâ₠¬â„¢s cost of capital.           Ã‚  

The Triumph of Science Over Religion In the West Essay Example for Free

The Triumph of Science Over Religion In the West Essay By the sixteenth century, the Western experience with religion had turned bitter. The Catholic Reformation, also referred to as a Counter Reformation, was a response to the great Protestant Reformation in Europe during this period of time. There were two elements of the Catholic Reformation. First of all, Catholics were being called for a renewal of piety and of virtue in the form of renewed commitments to prayer as well as mysticism. This component of the Reformation was particularly evident in the clerical orders. The ordinary folks had nothing whatsoever to do with this component of the Reformation, seeing that even the clerical orders were not looked upon as worthy guides. Secondly, the Church was being asked to reform in order to deal with unparalleled as well as swift changes in society, and abuses that accompanied those changes. There was turbulence witnessed in the societal structure, and one of the reasons why it was necessary to initiate the Catholic Reformation was that the humanists had revived classical pagan philosophy in the fifteenth century, using the new miracle of printing to shift the attention of society from the after life to the present. At the same time as the classical pagan philosophy was being circulated, the Church was going through a period of decline with a desiccation of scholastic thinking. Internal abuses at the Church were also well-known, and these involved simony, the sale of indulges, multiple benefices, and much more. The Church could not be trusted as much as it was meant to be. As a matter of fact, the condition of religion in the sixteenth century was characterized by turmoil. King Henry VIII of England created the Church of England in the year 1533 A.D. by splitting from the Roman Catholic Church. Around the same time, the French Wars of Religion were waged between the Catholics and the Huguenots in France. How much confusion such chaos would have given birth to in the minds of Western Christians with respect to their religion could only be imagined. Christianity was, after all, supposed to be a religion of peace and unconditional love. The Western religion around 1500 A.D. was chiefly Christian, and the sixteenth century has been described as â€Å"probably the most intolerant period in Christian history.† It was not the scientists that were killed during this time because they came up with new ideas. Rather, in the sixteenth century, there were thousands of people that were killed because they were called heretics. Michael Servetus was only one such individual. He was burned in 1553 A.D., alive, on the order of John Calvin in addition to the city authorities, because he had made theological speculations that Calvin was sure were falsehoods. To put it another way, the religious authorities of the time would not allow people even to deviate in their thinking with respect to religion. Christians of the West were required to think of Christianity in the way that the religious authorities felt was appropriate. Critical thinking or questioning was not allowed by any means. What is more, the religious authorities themselves were known to be corrupt enough for places of worship to be closed down. Lindsay Clarke reports: In January, 1535, the newly appointed Vicar-General of the English Church, Thomas Cromwell, sent out his agents to conduct a commission of enquiry into the character and value of all ecclesiastical property in the kingdom. Overtly, they were reformers, exercising the new powers accorded to the Crown by the Act of Supremacy: from time to time to visit, repress, redress, reform, order, correct, restrain and amend all such errors, heresies, abuses, offences, contempts and enormities . . . which ought or may be lawfully reformed. But Dr. Richard Layton, Dr. Thomas Legh, Dr. John London, and the other tough-minded and venal officials chosen for the job had no doubt what the Crown expected of them. It took them only six months to submit for Cromwells scrutiny an accurate and detailed tax-book, the Valor Ecclesiasticus. Along with it came evidence of corruption and scandalous immorality in Englands monasteries. Such evidence was not hard to find, for by the 16th century many of the religious houses had long since lost their sense of purpose. The religious turbulence of the sixteenth century was continued into the seventeenth century. The government of England had become known for its harassment of Catholics as well as Jesuits. On 20 May 1604, certain religious men began to plot the destruction of the government after having heard Mass. A priest knew of this plotting, and was made to pay the price of this knowledge later on. And yet, the religious authorities of the Near and Far East were not facing religious turmoil around this time. Nor were the people of the advanced civilizations of the Near and Far East being confronted with religious confusion. Furthermore, scientists of the Near East were especially involved with their work during the sixteenth century, as for a number of centuries before. The Ottoman astronomer, Taqi al-Din, created astronomical tables in the sixteenth century. These tables were considered as accurate as the ones made by Tycho Brahe in Denmark during the same period of time. All the same, the Ottomans are known to have ceased their support for scientific innovations and research a century later, as their priorities took a shift. The West, however, continued scientific explorations even after the sixteenth century. The East had maintained its religions. It was only the West that had showed immense intolerance toward different religious beliefs and practices, even with respect to its own faith. Whereas religious authorities stopped Westerners from thinking and reasoning, science opened up a new world to the ordinary people. They were not called heretics because of their new scientific ideas. Rather, people who came up with new scientific ideas were in the company of many others who came up with great new ideas in the scientific arena. Giordano Bruno, Girolamo Cardano, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo, William Gilbert, Johannes Kepler, Paracelsus, John Napier, and Andreas Vesalius are only few of the important Western scientists of the sixteenth century. Besides, this century saw the birthing of Copernicus’ theory, the import of new plant species from the Americas into Europe, and new inventions that revolutionized manufacturing and other features of living. The wheel-lock musket, the helicopter, the spinning wheel, the pocket watch, the diving bell, the seed drill, the camera obscura, the knitting machine, the compound microscope, the Gregorian Calendar, and the enameling of pottery were all brought into the world in the sixteenth century. So, while religion disappointed people, science brought renewed hope of existence through new products and discoveries. No scientist could be killed in the name of science. Hence, science was safely meant to stay on in the West despite the good or bad luck of religion. Bibliography 1. Clark, Lindsay. â€Å"The Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th Century.† Available from http://www.historynet.com/. Internet; accessed 31 March 2007. 2. Hogge, Alice. God’s Secret Agents: Queen Elizabeth’s Forbidden Priests and the Hatching of the Gunpowder Plot. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2005. 3. MacroHistory. â€Å"How the Idea of Religious Tolerance Came to the West.† Available from http://www.fsmitha.com/review/index.html. Internet; accessed 31 March 2007. 4. Lewis, Jone Johnson. Women Saints: Doctors of the Church. London: Penguin, 1998. 5. Magic Dragon Multimedia. â€Å"Timeline 16th Century.† Available from http://www.magicdragon.com/UltimateSF/timeline16.html. Internet; accessed 31 March 2007. 6. Olin, John. Catholic Reformation: From Cardinal Ximenes to the Council of Trent, 1495-1563. New York: Fordham University Press, 1990. 7. Pollen, J. H. â€Å"The Counter Reformation.† The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: K. Knight, 2004.

Negative Effects of TV on Young People

Negative Effects of TV on Young People As we can see, television is playing a very big role in our life. Television has its good side. It can be entertaining and educational, and can open up new worlds for children, giving them a chance to travel the globe, learn about different cultures, and gain exposure to ideas they may never encounter in their own community. However, parents need to understand the negative influence of childrens TV, even childrens programming, because children are likely to learn things from TV that parents dont want them to learn. Television can affect childrens health, school work and behavior in negative ways. Excess television viewing can influence childrens physical and mental health. On one hand, it could affect badly childrens physical health. It is easy for children to be myopic if they watch TV more than two hours in a day. Children will spend less time on sports and TV time also takes away from participating in sports, music, art or other activities that require practice to become skillful. And they may have high caloric intake if they are watching TV at dinner. A person would burn fewer calories while watching TV than when just sitting quietly, doing nothing (Langholt, 2010). So it may contribute to obesity problems. Children who watch more TV are more likely to be overweight. TV is a bigger factor than diet. Estimates of risk indicate that more 60% of overweight incidence in this population can be linked to excess television viewing time (Dietz, 1996). Many TV ads encourage unhealthy eating habits. Two-thirds of the 20,000 TV ads an average child sees each year are for food and mo st are for high-sugar foods. After-school TV ads target children with ads for unhealthy foods and beverages, like fast food and sugary drinks. On the other hand, watching TV has bad influence on childrens mental health, too. Children who are addicted to TV are hard to communicate with their family members and classmates. One study found that TV viewing before age three slightly hurt several measures of later brain development. Before the age of three, childrens brain develops rapidly, forming connections and pathways that will assist with learning later in life. Studies indicate that exposure to television, with its fast-moving images and rapid actions, actually rewires childrens brain to crave this hyperactive stimulation. The benefits of parent-child interactions are proven, and under age three, talking, singing, reading, listening, to music or playing are far more important to childrens development than any TV show. The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly recommends that pare nts keep their kids away from all TV until after the age of two (Bushman, 2010). Children under age eight cant tell the difference between reality in our lives and fantasy on TV. In this case, children may be frightened or upset by TV stories easily, and the symptoms include bad dreams, anxious feelings, being afraid of being alone, withdrawing from friends, and missing school. TV viewing may replace activities that we know help with school work, such as reading, doing homework, pursuing hobbies, and getting enough sleep. First, it makes children read fewer books and have lower grades in school. Watching TV at age four is one factor to be associated with bulling in grade school. Second, children may become more seeing than thinking. It may prevent children from the development of their imagination and creativity. Finally, one research study found that TVs effects on education are long term. The study found that watching TV as a child affected educational achievement at age 26. Watching more TV in childhood increases chances of dropping out of school and decreased chances of getting a college, even after controlling for confounding factors (Bushman, 2010). Children who watch more sensitive TV may have behavior problems. First of all, they will imitate the violence they see on TV. Programs designed for children more often contain violence than adult TV. Young children may even try to emulate the things they see on TV, not realizing that they risk injuring themselves or others. According to the AAP, Extensive research evidence indicates that media violence can contribute to aggressive behavior, desensitization to violence (Bushman, 2010). Watching violent shows is also linked with having less empathy toward others. A university of Michigan researcher demonstrated that watching violent media can affect willingness to help others in need (Bushman, 2010). Whats more, alcohol advertising, including TV ads, contributes to an increase in drinking among youth. TV ads are a major factor in normalizing alcohol use in the minds of children, adolescents and college students. Alcohol has damaging effects on young peoples developing brains-and the da mage can be permanent. Children who watch TV are more likely to smoke. Even though tobacco ads are banned on TV, young people still see people smoking on programs and movies shown on television. Recent research has shown that exposure to smoking in movie characters increases the likelihood that viewers will associate themselves with smoking (Langholt, 2010). Kids who watch more TV start smoking at an earlier age. The relationship between television viewing and age of starting smoking is stronger than that of peer smoking, parental smoking, and gender. Finally, children get lots of information about sexuality from television. Because most parents dont talk to their kids about sex and most school dont offer complete sex education programs, they get much information about sex from TV. However, watching sex on TV increases the chances that a teen will have sex, and may cause teens to start having sex at younger ages (Bushman, 2010). In summary, television viewing affects childrens physical and mental health, school performance and behavior in negative ways. Therefore, children should replace TV time with creative and physical activities, reading and playing games with positive values and educational content.

Macbeth: Banquos Soliloquy :: essays research papers

Macbeth: Banquo's Soliloquy In Macbeth, a play by William Shakespeare, Banquo's soliloquy at the beginning of the third act explains some of his present feeling towards Macbeth. He believes that Macbeth killed to become the King of Scotland. He explains that he is the one who will start a chain of kings, not Macbeth. Strangely enough, Banquo makes this discovery two scenes from his death, not giving him enough time to tell others the discovery. In the first three lines of the soliloquy, Banquo explains that Macbeth has become king just like the "weird women", or witches had prophesied. However, he also says that "thou play'dst most foully for't." Which basically means that he committed murder to attain it. He is Macbeth's best friend. He knows that Macbeth has the desire to be the king and would do anything to get the crown. Banquo knows Macbeth has it in him to commit murder. In the next three lines, Banquo explains that he should really be the king because the witches also proclaimed that Banquo would be the "root and father of many kings." In the line, "May they not be my oracles as well and set me up in hope?", Banquo is saying that he wants the prophesies to come true for him also and make him the king and the beginning of a long line of kings. The main idea of his soliloquy is that Banquo knows that Macbeth killed Duncan. Strangely enough, this soliloquy is placed two scenes before he died, not giving him enough time to tell anyone else about his discovery. Banquo has realized that Macbeth murdered Duncan but will die in two scenes anyway. In Banquo's soliloquy in the beginning of the third act of Macbeth, Banquo suspects that Macbeth is behind Duncan's murder. He knows this because he has been best friends with Macbeth for a long time and knows that Macbeth has

Raskolnikov’s Duplistic Nature in Crime and Punishment :: Crime Punishment Essays

Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment is the story of a poor man in czarist Russia who can only purge himself of his guilt through suffering. It deals with the mental and physical tribulation brought upon him by his crime. His troubles are compounded by the conflicting personalities which he possesses. The reader is inclined to characterize him by his cold, intellectual side. Yet, without the contrasting humane side of his nature, Raskolnikov never realizes the errors in his theory and actions. Raskolnikov is defined by the duplistic nature of his personality, with each facet being just as vital as the other. Raskolnikov's cold side leads him to develop his theory, and thus to commit murder. This side of him bases all decisions on reason and rationalization (although it is sometimes incorrect), rather than on feeling. It is purely stoical, without emotion. The other side of his character is kind and compassionate. Without this side being presented the reader views him as an evil murderer, and not a mislead victim, as Dostoevsky intends. In the novel Raskolnikov engages in sporadic acts of kindness. He gives money to the Marmeladov family, he attempts to aid Marmeladov when he dies, and he tries to get a drunken girl home and away from her pursuer. All of these deeds were done without premeditation. He simply feels that at the time it is the right thing to do. After a short period of time his outlook dramatically reverses. He starts to rationally analyze what he has done, and then feels that his actions were stupid. This transition marks the return of his cold side, and it occurs after every kind thing that Raskolnikov does.

The Role of Historians :: essays research papers

The Role of Historians Professional historians spend their lives pursuing the meaning of the past for the present." Everything that exists in today's world has some origin coming from the past. Everything that exists today and seems to be unique of its time has some basis from the past. It is a known fact that history has a tendency of repeating itself, and so to prepare us for the future we need to understand the past. History can give a person an answer to almost everything that is going on in the present, with what we call a historical investigation. History not only states facts but explains disciplines such as sociology, religion, psychology, anthropology and so on. It explains to us why certain events happened, such as the reason why six millions Jews died in the Second World War. The reason history gives us is anti-Semitism. The Nazis were a group that had as a goal to purify the world of what we call minorities and so to keep it a White, straight, Christian world. History explains the evolution of things, people, beliefs, laws and many more in order for us to understand why certain things are the way they are. In this article, we come across a few major points. Each of them is introduced in a very original way. The author uses a literal journey into the past as a means of comparing it to the present. One of the many points is an in depth definition of history related profession. What are they trying to accomplish and how they work to get what they are looking for. "Professional historians spend their lives pursuing the meaning of the past for the present." Historians study facts and records that previous generations have left, to find out what kind of lives they led and how they solved their problems. The way a historian works is very determined and simple to understand. A historian needs to first choose an important question he wants to answer. Then he needs to find research on the subject that already exists and which he can get access to. Next he has to judge the source that he has obtained, is it credible? Is it genuine? The article explains that there are two basic forms of historical evidence that exist, primary and secondary. Primary evidence records the actual words of someone who participated or witnessed the events in question. Or it can also be newspaper accounts, diaries, official statements, photographs, videotapes. Secondary evidence, on the other hand, records the findings of someone who did not observe the event but who investigated primary evidence,

Of Mice and Men- Prejudice Essay

This room is made put to be privileged and also because it means he is nearer to the horses but in fact it is really because the other ranch hands do not want him in the bunk house with them. As a result of this prejudice Crooks has become bitter and very lonely. When Lennie comes to pet the puppies, not even realising that Crooks room is â€Å"out of bounds†, Crooks instantly becomes defensive and uncivil, â€Å"I ain’t wanted in the bunk room and you ain’t wanted in my room† but Lennie in his childish innocence is completely without prejudice, â€Å"why ain’t you wanted†, he asks. Crooks retaliates to this with: â€Å"Cause I’m black, they play cards in there but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink. Well I tell you, all of you stink to me†. This quote shows us that Crooks desperately wants to join I, be accepted, but because of his colour he cannot so he feels the only way he can make himself feel better is to cut himself off further. When Crooks realises that Lennie means no harm he invites him to â€Å"come on in and set a while† Lennie talks to him about George and his dream, it makes Crooks remember his childhood which he looks back on as a kind of heaven. The white kids come to play at our place, an’ sometimes I went to play with them and some of them were pretty nice. My ol’ man didn’t like that. I never knew till long later why he didn’t like that. But I know now†. Crooks did not experience racism directly as a child, this makes his current situation worse as he was not us ed to racism. Crooks is fascinated by the strength of the friendship of Lennie and George. Especially how close they are. Crooks said, â€Å"Well, s’pose, jus’ s’pose he don’t come back. What’ll you do then? Crooks asked these questions as he does not have any friends, and he would not know how losing a friend unexpectedly would feel. He was curious and Envious, about the friendship of Lennie and George, noticing that Lennie is mentally immature, he takes advantage of this situation to â€Å"torture† him mentally, to make him feel better and ease the pain of having others reject him â€Å"Crooks face lighted with pleasure at his torture† he also does this to ease his jealousy towards the friendship Lennie has, but that Crooks will never have. He wants the people to feel the way that he does, completely alone. Crooks goes on to talk about his loneliness â€Å"‘A guy needs somebody to be near him’, he whined: ‘A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you’ he cried ‘I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ gets sick’† Crooks is looking for sympathy, he is so incredibly lonely that he says being lonely can make you fall ill. Lennie continues to talk about is dream. Crooks, having been on the ranch for quite a while, has witnessed a lot of people with the same dreams, he mocks it â€Å"Nobody ever gets to heaven, and nobody never gets no land† but when Candy comes in and backs up what Lennie has been saying he begins to believe in the dream â€Å"if you†¦ guys want a hand to work for nothing just his keep, why I’d come and lend a hand† Crooks sees the dream as his escape from what he is living in, somewhere like his childhood where his colour would not be an issue. There are different levels of racial prejudice throughout the book. Most of the ranch hands do not socialise with Crooks but would not go out of their way to insult him.

Arguments for and Against the Minimum Wage in the Uk

Arguments for and against the National Minimum Wage (NMW) in the UK: stop employees being taken advantage of by being paid unfair wages by their employers. set a standard of the minimum worth of a worker. This benchmark was set so that employers would be unable to hire any staff for less than the suggested hourly rate. reduce pay differentials between genders. What is the new minimum wage? : In October 2009, the NMW for workers increased from: ?5. 73 to ? 5. 80 per hour – aged 22 years and older ?4. 77 to ? 4. 83 per hour – aged 18 to 21 years ?3. 53 to ? 3. 7 an hour – aged 16 and 17 years As of October 2010, the adult minimum rate will start from 21 years. Who qualifies for the Minimum Wage? Home workers, agency workers, part-time employees, pieceworkers†¦ most adult employees working legally in the United Kingdom with a written, verbal or implied contract, qualify for the NMW. The relationship between Demand and Supply: Arguments in favour of the NMW: Dia gram showing potential earnings from the NMW: {draw:frame} Diagram showing increasing demand for Normal goods: {draw:frame} Reduced labour turnover, raised productivity: Economic benefit for the country: Monopsonistic labour markets: A monopsony occurs when one buyer faces many sellers in a market. The buyer thus controls a large proportion of that market share. In the diagram below, a monopsonistic business maximises its profits at Q2, paying a wage at W1. (Demand = Marginal Revenue Product and supply =Average Costs). If the minimum wage increases to W2, demand for labour will increase to Q1. The level of unemployment will not increase until the minimum wage increases to an amount higher than W3. Diagram showing NMW effects on a Monopsony: draw:frame} Arguments against the NMW: Law not properly enforced: The NMW is not a properly enforced law. The result is that is has merely become a guideline to which employers are expected to adhere. It is estimated that 5% of the UK workforce receives less than minimum wage (WordPress 2009). If an employee reports his employer for paying less than the minimum wage, the employee pays a nominal fine. Fines are not severe enough (HM Revenue and Customs 2009). Low-skilled workers suffer: Many opposed the NMW when it was first introduced. Some believed that it would increase unemployment and cause wage inflation. They argued that if the minimum wage was high enough to be effective, unemployment among the inexperienced and handicapped would escalate. The workers with lesser skills would be harmed to the benefit of those who were more highly skilled. The demand for jobs at the higher wage levels would be greater than the supply of jobs available. Businesses could therefore afford to be more selective in the employees they chose, and workers with limited skills and experience would typically be excluded. Cost of production increases, leading to higher prices for consumers: Another argument is that an increase in the minimum wage willincrease production costs, thus increasing the overall cost of the product. The result of this would be reduced profits for the business, due to: producers absorbing the extra costs, leaving less money for re-investment. Diagram showing how an increase in the price of a product affects supply and demand: {draw:frame} The original price of product X is ? 35, and the demand for the product is 320 units (E1 representing Equilibrium between demand and supply). Product X then increases in price to ? 4 due to an increase in the NMW, resulting in a drop in demand for the product to 120 units. This drop in demand then results in an oversupply of goods from the producer, who is then forced to reduce his supply to the new demand level, or goods may sit on the shelf. E2 represents the new Equilibrium level between supply and demand. If the good was perishable and th e supplier did not adjust his supply, there would be a lot of wastage. Not everybody qualifies: Those who are exempt from receiving the NMW include; Apprentices under 19 years of age, and apprentices 19 years or older in their first year of their apprenticeship. Students on a work placement, forming part of a higher- or further education course, where the placement is for less than one year. The self-employed Those on a Department for Workers and Pensions back-to-work scheme The Recession: A recession is characterised by a period of at least two consecutive quarters of negative growth. During a recession, demand and supply of goods and services in the economy contracts. The UK economy contracted by 1. 5% in the last quarter of 2008 and the Gross Domestic Product experienced its biggest fall since the second quarter of 1980 (Kowelle 2009). This is the first time since the inception of the NMW that employment has fallen. Unemployment is rapidly on the increase. A reduction in output means that the need for labour is reduced. In the early stages of a recession, companies tend to cut back on employee hours, rather than making workers redundant. If companies are forced to reduce their employee numbers, they will initially attempt to do this through natural wastage, putting a hold on hiring, and not replacing workers who leave the company of their own accord. Thus the demand for new entrants to the market is very limited. The current recession has caused a very limited availability of credit and reduced demand worldwide. It is expected that high levels of debt and the fall of housing prices and equity prices will affect the UK more than many other nations (Bain 2009). What if there were no minimum wage in place? : Without a set minimum wage, the quantity of labour supplied will continue to change according to price, until the level of labour demanded is equal to the level of labour supplied. That is to say, an equilibrium price will be reached, where supply and demand curves intersect. {draw:frame} Deepak Lal, criticises the minimum wage, stating that it is â€Å"an inefficient, well-intentioned but inexpert interference with the mechanisms of supply and demand.. † References: DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS INNOVATION & SKILLS. , 2007. National Minimum WageGuide for Employees [online] United Kingdom. Available from: http://www. berr. gov. uk/files/file53059. pdf [Accessed 23 November 2009] eHOW How To Do Just About Everything. How Does The Minimum Wage Affect The Economy [online video]. Available from: http://www. ehow. co. uk/video_4974004_minimum-wage-affect-economy. html? cr=1 [Accessed 20 November 2009] NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE COMMISSION. , 2009 National Minimum Wage. Low Pay Commission Report 2009. (Chairman George Bain). United Kingdom: The Stationery Office. WORD PRESS. , 2009. New Deal Scandal: UK Unemployment Course Scandal and Welfare Reformconcerns [online] 20 August. Available from: http://newdealscandal. wordpress. com/2009/08/20/national-minimum-wage-nmw/ [Accessed 23 November 2009]

A Synopsis of the Kennedy Family

The Kennedy family has long been plagued by tragedy and scandal. The patriarch of the Kennedy’s, Joseph Patrick Kennedy, outlived five of his own children. Many Kennedy offspring grew up not knowing their father. Kennedy administrations have long been wracked with scandal. Despite all of this, the Kennedy’s have long been thought of as America’s â€Å"royal family†. What is it about the many misdeeds and tragedies of this particular family that has drawn America towards them? Why it is that America has been fascinated by the royal status of the Kennedy, and just what is it about this beleaguered dynasty that has mesmerized generations?The patriarch of the Kennedy political dynasty, Joseph Patrick Kennedy, better known as Joe, came from very humble beginnings. His father, Patrick Joseph Kennedy, came to America during the great potato famine in Ireland. He was in the U. S. only nine years when he died of tuberculosis. After the death of his father, Josephâ €™s mother Bridget began working at a saloon and was eventually able to earn enough money to buy her own saloon, which was quite prosperous. The money from this saloon went to support Joseph’s education at Harvard.After graduating from Harvard, Joe went into the liquor business, and from the liquor business he got into the movie business, all the while racking up large sums of money and making himself a very rich man. On October 7, 1914, Joe married Rose Fitzgerald and began the greatest political dynasty in American history. Joe used his fabulous wealth to further his own ambitious political career. He was able to earn favors from powerful politicians, and even formed a relationship with Franklin D. Roosevelt by being one of his major supporters during his first bid for president.After FDR was in office Joe expected to be rewarded for his large contributions by being nominated for either Secretary of Treasury or Ambassador to England. Although it was the Secretary of Tre asury position that he really wanted, he was barely able to finagle the Ambassador position out of Roosevelt, and he only managed this by using his powerful influence in the media. Joe was a horrible politician, and many of the comments he made prior to World War II prevented him from ever holding a high public office, (The Kennedy Curse; page 43) including the one that was his ultimate goal, president. While ambassador to England, Joe made comments indicating that he sympathized with Nazi Germany and supported their extermination of the Jewish people.He also said that democratic countries should bribe dictator countries in order to avoid war, and also made many other statements that indicated that he did not support democracy. Soon after the war started Joe returned to the United States where he was relieved of his title and banished from all aspects of going-ons’ in Washington, D. C. After his aspirations of holding high office were dashed, Joe Kennedy placed all his expect ations on his eldest son, Joseph Kennedy Jr. Born on July 15, 1915, Joe Jr. received all the benefits of coming from a wealthy and influential family. He graduated from the best schools, and was almost through with law school when World War II broke out, which prompted him to drop out, join the navy and become a pilot. He was awarded his wings in May of 1942, and was sent to England in September of 1943. He flew many missions and collected many accolades.He was on the verge of being offered leave when his younger brother, John F. Kennedy won a heroic battle in the Pacific and stole his limelight. This upset Joe Jr. more than many people realized (The Kennedy Curse; page 36). Instead of accepting his offered leave and going home, Joe Jr. stayed in Europe and continued to fly, often taking more and more risks. In 1944 he volunteered for a top-secret mission, in which the odds of him living were only 50-50. His mission was to take a bomber loaded with 21,170 pounds of explosives and fl y over England to Normandy and crash-dive on a German V-2 rocket-launching site.Shortly after take-off on August 12, 1944, his plane exploded killing both Joe Jr. and his co-pilot. Joe was awarded the Navy Cross and the Air Medal posthumously (countrystudies. us). While World War II was raging in Europe, another Kennedy was frolicking in England. Kathleen (Kick) Kennedy was prominent in London society during England’s war era. She had succeeded in capturing the heart of William Robert John Cavendish, who was the son of Edward William Spencer Cavendish, who was the present Duke of Devonshire.By marrying William Cavendish, better known as Billy Hartington, Kick would secure a place at the top of British society and become a duchess in the process. Even though Billy was engaged to Sally Norton for a while, Kick was able to use her charm to win Billy’s heart. The only problem that seemed to exist was the fact that Billy was a member of the Angelican Church of England, whic h had a reputation for being notoriously anti-Catholic. However, Kick was a Kennedy and therefore everything would work out in her favor, because that’s what happened to Kennedy’s.Normally the Cavendish’s would never have allowed the marriage, but because of the fact that while the war raged on and taxes were increased and the fortune that was once the inheritance of Billy was slowly trickling away, the Cavendish’s were willing to allow the marriage due to the fact that Kick’s father was named the fourth wealthiest man in America. So even though Kick would be able to marry Billy, she would break many Catholic laws, and would be condemned to eternal purgatory. Billy made several compromises, such as getting married in a civil ceremony instead of an Angelican Church.However, one of Billy’s major stipulations was that his children would not be raised Catholic. After they were married on May 6, 1944, Billy offered Kick another compromise regardi ng the rearing of their children. He said that if Britain’s rigid class structure survived the war, then their children would have to be part of the Angelican Church; but if the class structure was gone then their children could be raised in the Catholic faith. Despite all these agreements, Kick’s entire family except for Joe Jr. condemned her decision, especially her mother Rose.Shortly after Kick and Billy married, Billy was called off to fight while Kick was left to her own devices. A few months after her wedding she received bad news; her favorite brother had been killed in a plane accident. She flew to the U. S. for Joe’s memorial service and remained there for several weeks. Subsequently, she was still in the U. S. when she received news that Billy had been killed in action on September 9, 1944. She immediately flew to England for the memorial service. She remained there even after his service, and was still prominent in British affairs.Even though she was no longer married to the future Duke of Devonshire, she still had several responsibilities, including planning balls and dances. It was at one of these dances that she first met Peter Fitzwilliam, a returning war hero and eighth earl. Pretty much everything Billy had been, but more exciting. For Kick and Peter it was considered love at first sight, although there were several obstacles, such as the ever-present problem of religion, and more importantly the fact that Fitzwilliam was married to Olive Dorothea.Even though Fitzwilliam was in the process of seeking a divorce when he first met Kick, he pursued a relationship with her while still being married to Olive. Kick’s relationship with Fitzwilliam, deemed a ‘scandalous affair’ by most prominent people, was violently condemned by her mother. Her mother threatened to cut off Kick’s allowance and pretty much kick her out of the family. Kick decided to seek her father’s support and arranged to meet h im in Paris. During their trip they ran into several delays, which caused them to run into bad weather.It was on May 13, 1947, that the plane carrying Kick, Peter, and two pilots crashed in the French countryside, killing all people on board (The Kennedy Curse; page 55). Even though he had lost two children already, Joe Kennedy still harbored aspirations of having one of his sons in the White House. Since his oldest son had died, the mantel fell on his next oldest son, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. After returning to the United States, John Kennedy, also known as Jack, used his war hero title as a springboard to get into politics. His first victory was in 1946 when he was elected into the U. S.House of Representatives, into which he was reelected in 1948 and 1950. In 1956 he unsuccessfully tried for vice president on the democratic ticket, but was successful in winning the primary for the democratic presidential nomination in 1960. In campaigning for the presidency, he used his New Front ier Program to garner support. The New Frontier promised an extension of economic benefits, an increase in federal aid for education, better health insurance for the elderly, a new department of urban affairs, an end to recession and a restoration of growth, a tax cut to stimulate the economy, and also funding for the space program.Due to the fact that JFK had a narrow victory over Richard Nixon, he often faced opposition in congress, especially from conservative southern democrats (Encarta. msn. com). Even though he is today viewed by many people as an influential figure in American history, JFK’s administration was far from ideal. When he first took office he inherited a problematic situation with Cuba and its dictator, Fidel Castro. His failed attempt to overthrow Castro is known as the Bay of Pigs fiasco. The Bay of Pigs is actually the place where U. S. acked Cuban exiles unsuccessfully tried to invade Cuba and overthrow Castro. The exiles were quickly defeated by Castro ’s forces, resulting in a very public embarrassment for the Kennedy administration.The Bay of Pigs fiasco almost in turn led to the Cuban missile crisis, which was a confrontation between the then U. S. S. R. and the United States, the closest the world has ever come to seeing nuclear war (Encarta. msn. com). The confrontation started when U. S. intelligence learned that the Soviet Union was supplying Cuba with long-range nuclear weapons, capable of hitting several U. S. targets. JFK was able to negotiate with the Soviet president, Khrushchev, and convinced him to take back the weapons from Cuba in exchange for the removal of several nuclear weapons located in Turkey that belonged to the U. S. Even though JFK was able to avoid nuclear war, one of his greatest legacies was his penchant for womanizing. This supposedly left him with chronic venereal disease, which is blamed for the death of his infant son, Patrick. JFK was able to cover up all his affairs because he had a close trusting relationship with most members of his secret service.This close relationship with his bodyguards was more of a hindrance than anything else because it prevented the agents from performing at their best. Security was very relaxed during JFK’s administration, which may have been one of the contributing factors to his assassination in 1963 (The Kennedy Curse; page 106). JFK originally went to Dallas in order to secure votes from this crucial state for his reelection. His approval rate in Texas was at an all time low, and JFK hoped a visit there would up his public opinion. Preparation work for his parade was sloppy; very few of the buildings along the parade route were inspected or secured.The night before his planned parade several of his secret service members went to a club where they drank and didn’t come back to the hotel until three or four o’clock in the morning (The Kennedy Curse; page 112). The next day, November 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy was shot in the head by Lee Harvey Oswald as his open car made its way down the parade route. The assassination of JFK has long been disputed as a conspiracy involving almost all of Washington and even the Mafia rather than just a mad act by a lone gunman. Evidence to support the conspiracy theory includes the trajectory of Oswald’s’ bullets.Many people say that the number of bullets and the directions of the wounds inflicted to JFK indicate another gunman (How Did It Really Happen? ; page 270). All these conspiracy theories sprang up after the murder of Oswald by Jack Ruby, which prevented Oswald from ever being questioned. Even though the family was still reeling from the death of the young president, life went on and there was still the push to have a Kennedy in the White House again. This time the mantel fell on the next brother, the former attorney general under JFK himself, Robert Kennedy, better known as Bobby.Bobby had begun his career much as his older brothers had, g raduating from prestigious colleges including Harvard and the University of Virginia. After completing his education he was made an attorney in the U. S. Department of Justice, where he worked for a year before leaving his post to become the manager of his older brother’s presidential campaign. After the election was over he was appointed to the position of attorney general where he gained prominence for his determination to crack down on organized crime.He is especially remembered for his investigation of teamsters David Beck and James Hoffa, as well as his activism for civil rights (Encarta. msn. com). After the assassination of JFK he resigned his post but remained active in politics, representing New York in the United States Senate. He continued working on civil equality and trying to improve the lives of the poor. In 1968 he began his campaign to be elected as the democratic candidate for president. His campaign was going well and many people thought that he would be th e next president and carry on the Kennedy name in the White House.However, when walking through the pantry in the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California, on June 6, 1968 he was fatally shot by Sirham Bishara Sirham, an Islamic extremist (Encarta. msn. com). He left behind ten children and a pregnant wife. As with the assassination of JFK many people suspected that there was a large complicated conspiracy behind the murder of Bobby Kennedy. Many witnesses say that there were more than one gunman in the pantry at the time that shots went off, and others say that they saw a couple running out of the hotel yelling, â€Å"We shot him, we shot him! † (homepages. com. cp. co. uk/~dlewis/crime. htm). However, as with the assassination of his older brother, we may never know the whole truth of the murder of Bobby Kennedy. One would think that after so many tragedies, the Kennedy’s would give up having their name in the White House. However, they still had one hope that lay in the youngest brother, Edward Kennedy, better known as Ted.Ted followed the same path as his brothers before him, graduating from the best schools and getting straight into politics. His career started off when he became district attorney for Suffolk County, Massachusetts in 1960 (Encarta. sn. com). In 1962 he was appointed to the Senate seat vacated by his older brother, JFK. In 1969 after his two older brothers had been assassinated, he made plans to begin campaigning for the democratic nomination for president. However, his plans were cut short, not because of another tragedy but because of a scandal that happened at Chappaquiddick Island. Ted Kennedy was driving to a rented beach house on the island with a young woman that had worked on Bobby’s campaign, Mary Jo Kopechne. The only way to the island was over a bridge that connected Martha’s Vineyard and Chappaquiddick Island.No one is sure if he was drunk or just inattentive, but either way he drove off the bridg e, killing Kopechne in the process. Instead of sticking around and waiting for someone he left the scene. Not only did he leave, but he also failed to report the crime until his car was found in the water several days later. He was convicted of leaving the scene of an accident, driving without a license, and reckless driving, as well as having to pay $90,000 to Kopechne’s family. Many people think that he should have received a harsher punishment, such as manslaughter charges, and that the only reason he was able to avoid these harges was the power and influence of the Kennedy name. Even though his aspirations for president were extinguished, Ted remained in the Senate, representing Massachusetts even to this day. The people discussed are only a small majority of the Kennedy family, and the incidents only a small portion of the numerous scandals and tragedies that plague the Kennedy’s. Even through so many tragedies, the Kennedy name remains an influential sound in pol itics, and the remaining members of the clan part of a royalty all their own.Bibliography †¢Reader’s Digest How Did It Really Happen? Copyright 2000 †¢Klein, Edward The Kennedy Curse oSt. Martin’s Press, NY, copyright 2003 †¢http://www.countrystudies.us/united-states/history-120.htm †¢http://www.sc94.ameslab.gov/TOUR/jfk.html †¢http://www.jpkf.org/BIOG.HTML †¢http://www.pbs.org/wgbn/amex/kennedys/peopleevents/p_joe.html †¢http://www.who2.com/josephkennedysr.html †¢http://www.encarta.msn.com †¢http://www.homepages.tcp.co.uk/~dlewis/crime.htm †¢http://www.wisegeek.com/what-was-the-chappaquiddick-incident.htm

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 21

Chapter 21 â€Å"You make a very attractive woman,† Rumi said from the comfort of his pit. â€Å"Did I tell you that my wife has passed on to her next incarnation and that I am alone?† â€Å"Yeah, you mentioned that.† He seemed to have given up on us getting his daughter back. â€Å"What happened to the rest of your family, anyway?† â€Å"They drowned.† â€Å"I'm sorry. In the Ganges?† â€Å"No, at home. It was the monsoon season. Little Vitra and I had gone to the market to buy some swill, and there was a sudden downpour. When we returned†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shrugged. â€Å"I don't mean to sound insensitive, Rumi, but there is a chance that your loss could have been caused by – oh, I don't know – perhaps the fact that you LIVE IN A FUCKING PIT!† â€Å"That's not helping, Biff,† Joshua said. â€Å"You said you had a plan?† â€Å"Right. Rumi, am I correct in assuming that these pits, when someone is not living in them, are used for tanning hides?† â€Å"Yes, it is work that only Untouchables may do.† â€Å"That would account for the lovely smell. I assume you use urine in the tanning process, right?† â€Å"Yes, urine, mashed brains, and tea are the main ingredients.† â€Å"Show me the pit where the urine is condensed.† â€Å"The Rajneesh family is living there.† â€Å"That's okay, we'll bring them a present. Josh, do you have any lint in the bottom of your satchel?† â€Å"What are you up to?† â€Å"Alchemy,† I said. â€Å"The subtle manipulation of the elements. Watch and learn.† When it was not being used, the urine pit was the home of the Rajneesh family, and they were more than happy to give us loads of the white crystals that covered the floor of their home. There were six in the family, father, mother, an almost grown daughter, and three little ones. Another little son had been taken for sacrifice at the festival of Kali. Like Rumi, and all the other Untouchables, the Rajneesh family looked more like skeletons mummified in brown leather than people. The Untouchable men went about the pits naked or wearing only a loincloth, and even the women were dressed in tatters that barely covered them – nothing as nice as the stylish sari that I had purchased in the marketplace. Mr. Rajneesh commented that I was a very attractive woman and encouraged me to drop by after the next monsoon. Joshua pounded chunks of the crystallized mineral into a fine white powder while Rumi and I collected charcoal from under the heated dying pit (a firebox had been gouged out of the stone under the pit) which the Untouchables used to render the flowers from the indigo shrub into fabric dye. â€Å"I need brimstone, Rumi. Do you know what that is? A yellow stone that burns with a blue flame and gives off a smoke that smells like rotten eggs?† â€Å"Oh yes, they sell it in the market as some sort of medicine.† I handed the Untouchable a silver coin. Go buy as much of it as you can carry.† â€Å"Oh my, this will be more than enough money. May I buy some salt with what is left?† â€Å"Buy what you need with what's left over, just go.† Rumi skulked away and I went to help Joshua process the saltpeter. The concept of abundance was an abstract one to the Untouchables, except as it pertained to two categories, suffering and animal parts. If you wanted decent food, shelter, or clean water, you would be sorely disappointed among the Untouchables, but if you were in the market for beaks, bones, teeth, hides, sinew, hooves, hair, gallstones, fins, feathers, ears, antlers, eyeballs, bladders, lips, nostrils, poop chutes, or any other inedible part of virtually any creature that walked on, swam under, or flew over the subcontinent of India, then the Untouchables were likely to have what you wanted lying around, conveniently stored beneath a thick blanket of black flies. In order to fashion the equipment I needed for my plan, I had to think in terms of animal parts. Fine unless you need, say, a dozen short swords, bows and arrows, and chain mail for thirty soldiers and all you have to work with is a stack of nostrils and three mismatched poop chutes. It was a challenge, but I made do. As Jo shua moved among the Untouchables, surreptitiously healing their maladies, I barked out my orders. â€Å"I need eight sheep bladders – fairly dry – two handfuls of crocodile teeth, two pieces of rawhide as long as my arms and half again as wide. No, I don't care what kind of animal, just not too ripe, if you can manage it. I need hair from an elephant's tail. I need firewood, or dried dung if you must, eight oxtails, a basket of wool, and a bucket of rendered fat.† And a hundred scrawny Untouchables stood there, eyes as big as saucers, just staring at me while Joshua moved among them, healing their wounds, sicknesses, and insanities, without any of them suspecting what was happening. (We'd agreed that this was the wisest tack to take, as we didn't want a bunch of healthy Untouchables athletically bounding through Kalighat proclaiming that they had been cured of all ills by a strange foreigner, thus attracting attention to us and spoiling my plan. On the other hand, neither could we stand there and watch these people suffer, knowing that we – well, Joshua – had the power to help them.) He'd also taken to poking one of them in the arm with his finger anytime anyone said the word â€Å"Untouchable.† Later he told me that he just hated passing up the opportunity for palpable irony. I cringed when I saw Joshua touching the lepers among them, as if after all these years away from Israel a tiny Pharisee stood on my shoulder and sc reamed, â€Å"Unclean!† â€Å"Well?† I said after I'd finished my orders. â€Å"Do you want your children back or not?† â€Å"We don't have a bucket,† said one woman. â€Å"Or a basket,† said another. â€Å"Okay, fill some of the sheep bladders with rendered fat, and bundle the wool in some kind of hide. Now go, we don't have a lot of time.† And they all stood and looked at me. Big eyes. Sores healed. Parasites purged. They just looked at me. â€Å"Look, I know my Sanskrit isn't great, but you do know what I am asking?† A young man stepped forward. â€Å"We do not want to anger Kali by depriving her of her sacrifices.† â€Å"You're kidding, right?† â€Å"Kali is the bringer of destruction, without which there can be no rebirth. She is the remover of the bondage that ties us to the material world. If we anger her, she will deprive us of her divine destruction.† I looked at Joshua across the crowd. â€Å"Do you understand this?† â€Å"Fear?† he said. â€Å"Can you help?† I asked in Aramaic. â€Å"I'm not good at fear,† Joshua said in Hebrew. I thought for a second as two hundred eyes pinned me to the sandstone on which I stood. I remembered the red-stained gashes on the wooden elephant statues at the altar of Kali. Death was their deliverance, was it? â€Å"What is your name?† I asked the man who had stepped out of the crowd. â€Å"Nagesh,† he said. â€Å"Stick out your tongue, Nagesh.† He did, and I threw back the cloth that covered my head and loosened it around my neck. Then I touched his tongue. â€Å"Destruction is a gift you value?† â€Å"Yes,† said Nagesh. â€Å"Then I shall be the instrument of the goddess's gift.† With that I pulled the black glass dagger from the sheath in my sash, held it up before the crowd. While Nagesh stood, passive, wide-eyed, I drove my thumb under his jaw, pushed his head back, and brought the dagger down across his throat. I lowered him to the ground as the red liquid spurted over the sandstone. I stood and faced the crowd again, holding the dripping blade over my head. â€Å"You owe me, you ungrateful fucks! I have brought to your people the gift of Kali, now bring me what I ask for.† They moved really quickly for people who were on the edge of starvation. After the Untouchables scattered to do my bidding, Joshua and I stood over the bloodstained body of Nagesh. â€Å"That was fantastic,† Joshua said. â€Å"Absolutely perfect.† â€Å"Thanks.† â€Å"Had you been practicing all that time we were in the monastery?† â€Å"You didn't see me push the pressure point in his neck then?† â€Å"No, not at all.† â€Å"Gaspar's kung fu training. The rest, of course, was from Joy and Balthasar.† I bent over and opened Nagesh's mouth, then took the ying-yang vial from around my neck and put a drop of the antidote on the Untouchable's tongue. â€Å"So he can hear us now, like when Joy poisoned you?† Joshua asked. I pulled back one of Nagesh's eyelids and watched the pupil contract slowly in the sunlight. â€Å"No, I think he's still unconscious from me holding the pressure point. I didn't think the poison would work quickly enough. I could only get a drop of poison on my finger when I loosened my sari. I knew it would keep him down, I just wasn't sure it would put him down.† â€Å"Well, you are truly a magus, now, Biff. I'm impressed.† â€Å"Joshua, you healed a hundred people today. Half of them were probably dying. I did some sleight of hand.† My friend's enthusiasm was undeterred. â€Å"What's the red stuff, pomegranate juice? I can't figure out where you concealed it.† â€Å"No, actually I was going to ask you about that.† â€Å"What?† I held my arm up and showed Joshua where I had slashed my own wrist (the source of blood for the show). I had been holding it against my leg and as soon as I removed the pressure the blood started spurting again. I sat down hard on the sandstone and my vision began to tunnel down to a pinpoint. â€Å"I was hoping you could help me out with this,† I said before I fainted. â€Å"You need to work on that part of the trick,† Joshua said when I came to. â€Å"I might not always be around to fix your wrist.† He was speaking Hebrew – that meant for my ears only. I saw Joshua kneeling above me, then beyond him the sky was blotted out by curious brown faces. The recently murdered Nagesh was in the front of the crowd. â€Å"Hey, Nagesh, how'd the rebirth go?† I asked in Sanskrit. â€Å"I must have strayed from my dharma in my last life,† Nagesh said. â€Å"I have been reincarnated, once again, as an Untouchable. And I have the same ugly wife.† â€Å"You challenged master Levi who is called Biff,† I said, â€Å"of course you didn't move up. You're lucky you're not a stink bug or something. See, destruction isn't the big favor you all thought it was.† â€Å"We brought the things you asked for.† I hopped to my feet feeling incredibly rested and energized. â€Å"Nice,† I said to Joshua. â€Å"I feel like I just had one of those strong coffees you used to make at Balthasar's.† â€Å"I miss coffee,† said Josh. I looked at Nagesh, â€Å"I don't suppose you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"We have swill.† â€Å"Never mind,† I said. Then I said one of those things that as a boy growing up in Galilee, you never think you'll hear yourself say: â€Å"Okay, Untouchables, bring me the sheep bladders!† Rumi said that the goddess Kali was served by a host of black-skinned female demons, who sometimes during the feast would bring men to corners of the altar and copulate with them as blood rained down from the goddess's saw-tooth maw above. â€Å"Okay, Josh, you're one of them,† I said. â€Å"What are you gonna be?† â€Å"The goddess Kali, of course. You got to be God last time.† â€Å"What last time?† â€Å"All of the last times.† I turned to my intrepid minions. â€Å"Untouchables, paint him up!† â€Å"They're not going to buy that a burr-headed Jewish kid is their goddess of destruction.† â€Å"O ye of little faith,† I said. Three hours later we were again crouched beneath a tree near the temple of Kali. We were both dressed as women, covered from head to toe by our saris, but I was looking much lumpier under mine due to Kali's extra arms and garland of severed heads, played tonight by painted sheep bladders filled with explosives and suspended around my neck by long strands of elephant tail hair. Any observers who might get close enough to notice my protrusions were quickly deterred by the smell coming off of Joshua and me. We had used the goo from the bottom of Rumi's pit to paint our bodies black. I didn't have the courage to ask what the substance had been in life, but if there was a place where they allowed vultures to ripen in the sun before pounding them into a smooth paste and mixing it with just the right amount of buffalo squat, then Rumi called it home. The Untouchables had also painted huge red rings around Joshua's eyes, fitted him with a ropey wig of oxtails, and affixed to his torso six pe rt little breasts fashioned from pitch. â€Å"Stay away from any open flame. Your tits will go up like volcanos.† â€Å"Why did I have to have six and you only had to have two.† â€Å"Because I am the goddess and have to wear the garland of skulls and the extra arms.† We'd made my arms from rawhide, using my primary arms as models, then drying the molded arms in place over the fire. The women made a harness that held the extra arms in place under my own, then we painted the arms black with the same black goo. They were a little wobbly, but they were light and would look realistic enough in the dark. It was still hours from the height of the ceremony at midnight, when the children would be hacked to death, but we wanted to be there in time to stop the revelers from cutting off the children's fingers if we could. Now, the wooden elephants were empty on their turntables, but the altar of Kali was already filling with gruesome tribute. The heads of a thousand goats had been laid on the altar before the goddess, and the blood ran slick over the stones and in the grooves that channeled it into large brass pots at the corners of the altar. Female acolytes carried the pots up a narrow ladder at the back of the great statue of Kali, then dumped them through some sort of reservoir that fed it through the goddess's jaws. Below, by torchlight, worshipers danced in the sticky shower as the blood flowed down upon them. â€Å"Look, those women are dressed like me,† Joshua said. â€Å"Except they only have two breasts each.† â€Å"Technically, they're not dressed, they're painted. You make a very attractive female demon, Josh. Did I tell you that?† â€Å"This isn't going to work.† â€Å"Of course it's going to work.† I guessed that there were already ten thousand worshipers in the temple square, dancing, chanting, and beating drums. A procession of thirty men came down the main boulevard, each carrying a basket under his arm. As they reached the altar, each man dumped the contents of the basket over the rows of bloody goat heads. â€Å"What are those?† Joshua asked. â€Å"Those are exactly what you think they are.† â€Å"They're not the heads of the children?† â€Å"No, I think those are the heads of strangers who happened down the road we were on before Rumi came along to pull us into the grass.† After the severed heads were dispersed across the altar, the female acolytes came out of the crowd dragging the headless corpse of a man, which they laid on the steps leading to the altar. Each one mimed having intercourse with the corpse, then rubbed their genitalia against the bloody stump of its neck before dancing away, blood and ochre dripping down the insides of their thighs. â€Å"There's sort of a theme developing here,† I said. â€Å"I think I'm going to be sick,† Joshua said. â€Å"Mindful breath,† I said, using one of the phrases that Gaspar was always barking at us when we were learning meditation. I knew that if Joshua could stay with the yeti for days at a time without freezing to death, he could certainly conjure up the bodily control to keep from throwing up. The sheer magnitude of the carnage was all that was keeping me from vomiting. It was as if the atrocity of the whole scene couldn't fit in my mind all at once, so I could only see just enough for my sanity and my stomach to remain intact. A shout went up in the crowd now and I could see a torch-lit sedan chair being carried above the heads of the worshipers. On it reclined a half-naked man with a tiger skin wrapped around his hips, his skin painted light gray with ashes. His hair was plaited with grease and he wore the bones of a human hand as a skullcap. Around his neck hung a necklace of human skulls. â€Å"High priest,† I said. â€Å"They aren't even going to notice you, Biff. How can you even get their attention after they've seen all this?† â€Å"They haven't seen what I'm going to show them.† As the sedan chair emerged from the crowd in front of the altar, we could see a procession following it: tied to the back of the sedan chair was a line of naked children, most of them not more than five or six, their hands tied together, a less ornately dressed priest on either side of them to steady them. The priests began to untie the children and take them to the great wooden elephants lining the boulevard. Here and there in the crowd I could see people beginning to brandish edged weapons: short swords, axes, and the long-bladed spears Joshua and I had seen over the elephant grass. The high priest was sitting on the headless corpse, shouting a poem about the divine release of Kali's destruction or something. â€Å"Here we go,† I said, pulling the black glass dagger from under my sari. â€Å"Take this.† Joshua looked at the blade shimmering in the torchlight. â€Å"I won't kill anyone,† he said. Tears were streaming down his cheeks, drawing long red lines through the black and if anything making him look more fierce. â€Å"That's fine, but you'll need to cut them loose.† â€Å"Right.† He took the knife from me. â€Å"Josh, you know what's coming. You've seen it before. Nobody else here has, especially those kids. You can't carry all of them, so they have to have enough of their wits about them to follow you. I know you can keep them from being afraid. Put your teeth in.† Joshua nodded and slipped the row of crocodile teeth attached to a piece of rawhide under his upper lip, leaving the teeth to protrude like fangs. I put in my own false fangs, then ran into the dark to circle the crowd. As I approached the rear of the altar I pulled the special torch I'd made from under my girdle of human hands. (Actually my girdle of human hands was made of dried goat's udders stuffed with straw, but the Untouchable women had done a pretty good job as long as no one bothered to count fingers.) Through Kali's stone legs I could see the priests tying each of the children on the trunk of a wooden elephant. As soon as the bonds were tight, each priest drew a bronze blade and held it aloft, ready to strike off a finger as soon as the high priest gave the signal. I struck the tip of my torch on the edge of the altar, screamed for all I was worth, then threw my sari off and ran up the steps as the torch burst into dazzling blue flame that trailed sparks behind me as I ran. I hopped across the array of goat heads and stood between the legs of the statue of Kali, my torch held aloft in one hand, one of my severed heads swinging by the hair in the other. â€Å"I am Kali,† I screamed. â€Å"Fear me!† It came out sort of mumbled through my fake teeth. Some of the drums stopped and the high priest turned around and looked at me, more because of the bright light of the torch than my fierce proclamation. â€Å"I am Kali,† I shouted again. â€Å"Goddess of destruction and all this disgusting crap you have here!† They weren't getting it. The priest signaled for the other priests to come around me from the sides. Some of the female acolytes were already trying to make their way across the dance floor of decapitations toward me. â€Å"I mean it. Bow down to me!† The priests charged on. I did have the crowd's attention, though unfortunately they weren't cowering in fear at my angry goddessness. I could see Joshua moving around the wooden elephants, the guarding priests having left their posts to come after me. â€Å"Really! I mean it!† Maybe it was the teeth. I spit them out toward the nearest of my attackers. Running across a sea of slick, bloody heads is evidently a pretty difficult task. Not if you've spent the last six years of your life hopping from the top of one post to another, even in ice and snow, but for the run-of-the-mill homicidal priest, it's a tough row to hoe. The priests and acolytes were slipping and sliding among the goat and human heads, falling over each other, smacking into the feet of the statue, one even impaling himself on a goat's horn when he fell. One of the priests was only a few feet away from me now, trying not to fall on his own blade as he crawled over the mess. â€Å"I will bring destruction†¦oh, fuck it,† I said. I lit the fuse on the severed head I held in my hand, then swung it between my legs and tossed it in a steep arch over my head. It trailed sparks on its way into the black goddess's open maw, then disappeared. I kicked the approaching priest in the jaw, then danced across the goat heads, leapt over the head of the high priest, and was halfway to Joshua at the first wooden elephant when Kali, with a deafening report, breathed fire out over the crowd and the top of her head blew off. Finally, I had the crowd's attention. They were trampling each other to get away, but I had their attention. I stood in the middle of the boulevard, swinging my second severed head in a circle, waiting for the fuse to burn down before I let it sail over the heads of the receding crowd. It exploded in the air, sending a circle of flame across the sky and no doubt deafening some of the worshipers who were close. Joshua had seven of the children around him, clinging to his legs as he moved to the next elephant. Several of the priests had recovered and were storming down the steps of the altar toward me, knives in hand. I pulled another head from my garland, lit the fuse, and held it out to them. â€Å"Ah, ah, ah,† I cautioned. â€Å"Kali. Goddess of destruction. Wrath et cetera.† At the sight of the sparking fuse they stopped and began to backpedal. â€Å"Now that's the sort of respect you should have shown before.† I started whirling the head by the hair and the priests lost all semblance of courage and turned and ran. I hurled the head back up the boulevard onto the altar, where it exploded, sending a spray of real severed goat heads in all directions. â€Å"Josh! Duck! Goat heads!† Joshua pushed the children to the ground and fell over them until the pieces settled. He glared at me a second, then went on to free the other children. I hurled three more heads into different directions and now the entire temple square was nearly deserted but for Joshua, the children, a few injured worshipers, and the dead. I had built the bombs without any shrapnel in them, so those who had been injured had been trampled in the panic and the dead were those who had already been sacrificed to Kali. I think we pulled it off without killing anyone. As Joshua led the children down the wide boulevard and out of the temple square, I covered our exit, backing down the boulevard, my last explosive head swinging in one hand, my torch in the other. Once I saw that Joshua and the children were safely away, I lit the fuse, whirled the head around and let it fly toward the black goddess. â€Å"Bitch,† I said. I was out of sight when it exploded. Joshua and I got as far as a limestone cliff overlooking the Ganges before we had to stop to let the children rest. They were tired and hungry, but mostly they were hungry, and we had brought nothing for them to eat. At least, after Joshua's touch, they weren't afraid, and that gave them some peace. Josh and I were too jangled to sleep, so we sat up as the children lay down on the rocks around us and snored like kittens. Joshua held Rumi's little daughter, Vitra, and before long her face was smeared with black paint from nuzzling his shoulder. All through the night, as he rocked the child, all I heard Joshua say was, â€Å"No more blood. No more blood.† At first light we could see thousands, no, tens of thousands of people gathering at the banks of the river, all dressed in white, except for a few old men who were naked. They moved into the water and stood facing east, heads raised in anticipation, dotting the river as far as the eye could see. As the sun became a molten fingernail of light on the horizon, the muddy surface of the river turned golden. The gold light reflected off its surface onto the buildings, the shanties, the trees, the palaces, making everything in sight, including the worshipers, appear to have been gilded. And worshipers they were, for we could hear their songs from where we sat, and although we could not discern the words, we could hear that these were the songs of God. â€Å"Are those the same people from last night?† I said. â€Å"They would have to be, wouldn't they?† â€Å"I don't understand these people. I don't understand their religion. I don't understand how they think.† Joshua stood and watched the Indians bowing and singing to the dawn, looking occasionally to the face of the child that slept on his shoulder. â€Å"This is testament to the glory of God's creation, whether these people know it or not.† â€Å"How can you say that? The sacrifices to Kali, the way the Untouchables are treated. Whatever they might believe, in practice their religion is hideous.† â€Å"You're right. It's not right to condemn this child because she was not born a Brahman?† â€Å"Of course not.† â€Å"Then is it right to condemn her because she is not born a Jew?† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"A man who is born a gentile may not see the kingdom of God. Are we, as Hebrews, any different from them? The lambs at the temple on Passover? The wealth and power of the Sadducees while others go hungry? At least the Untouchables can reach their reward eventually, through karma and rebirth. We don't allow any gentile to do so.† â€Å"You can't compare what they do to God's law. We don't sacrifice human beings. We feed our poor, we take care of the sick.† â€Å"Unless the sick are unclean,† Joshua said. â€Å"But, Josh, we're the chosen. It's God's will.† â€Å"But is it right? He won't tell me what to do. So I'll say. And I say, no more.† â€Å"You're not just talking about eating bacon, are you?† â€Å"Gautama the Buddha gave the way to people of all births to find the hand of God. With no blood sacrifice. Our doors have been marked with blood for too long, Biff.† â€Å"So that's what you think you're going to do? Bring God to everyone?† â€Å"Yes. After a nap.† â€Å"Of course, I meant after a nap.† Joshua held the little girl so I could see her face as she slept on his shoulder. When the children awoke we led them back to their families at the pits, handing them into the arms of their mothers, who snatched each child away from us as if we were devils incarnate; they glared over their shoulders as they carried the babies back to their pits. â€Å"Grateful bunch,† I said. â€Å"They are afraid that we've angered Kali. And we've brought them another hungry mouth.† â€Å"Still. Why did they help us if they didn't want their children back?† â€Å"Because we told them what to do. That's what they do. What they are told. That's how the Brahmans keep them in line. If they do what they are told, then perhaps they will not be Untouchables next life.† â€Å"That's depressing.† Joshua nodded. We only had little Vitra to return to her father now, and I was sure that Rumi would be happy to see his daughter. His distress over losing her had basically been the reason he had saved our lives. As we came over the sandstone rise we could see that Rumi was not alone in his pit. Rumi stood on his sitting rock, stark naked, sprinkling salt on his erect member as a large humpbacked cow, which nearly filled the rest of the pit, licked at the salt. Joshua held Vitra so she faced away from the pit, then backed away, as if he didn't want to disturb the moment of beefy intimacy. â€Å"A cow, Rumi?† I exclaimed. â€Å"I thought you people had beliefs.† â€Å"That's not a cow, that's a bull,† Joshua said. â€Å"Oh, that's got to be your super-bonus abomination there. Where we come from whole cities get destroyed for that kind of thing, Rumi.† I reached over and put my hand over Vitra's eyes. â€Å"Stay away from Daddy, honey, or you'll turn into a pillar of salt.† â€Å"But this is my wife, reincarnated.† â€Å"Oh, don't try that one on me, Rumi. For six years I lived in a Buddhist monastery where the only female company was a wild yak. I know from desperate.† Joshua grabbed my arm. â€Å"You didn't?† â€Å"Relax, I'm just making a point. You're the Messiah here, Josh. What do you think?† â€Å"I think we need to go to Tamil and find the third magus.† He set Vitra down and Rumi quickly pulled up his loincloth as the child ran to him. â€Å"Go with God, Rumi,† Joshua said. â€Å"May Shiva watch over you, you heretics. Thank you for returning my daughter.† Joshua and I gathered up our clothes and satchels, then bought some rice in the market and set out for Tamil. We followed the Ganges south until we came to the sea, where Joshua and I washed the gore of Kali from our bodies. We sat on the beach, letting the sun dry our skin as we picked pitch out of our chest hairs. â€Å"You know, Josh,† I said, as I fought a particularly stubborn gob of tar that had stuck in my armpit, â€Å"when you were leading those kids out of the temple square, and they were so little and weak, but none of them seemed afraid†¦well, it was sort of heartwarming.† â€Å"Yep, I love all the little children of the world, you know?† â€Å"Really?† He nodded. â€Å"Green and yellow, black and white.† â€Å"Good to know – Wait, green?† â€Å"No, not green. I was just fuckin' with you.†