H&M Apparel Chains

Apart from Spain’s Zara, the Swedish retailer Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) differentiates itself from most apparel chains for its idiom â€Å"treat fashion as if it were perishable produce. † In Europe, H&M is considered to be an industry leader because it offers the â€Å"on-trend† look at an extremely lower price. In 2000, it decided to begin to establish a predatory marketing strategy of expansion within the US. The strengths of H&M are that it is a well-known company worldwide; it responds quickly to trends, particularly in its similarities to haute couture and the catwalk within a turnaround cycle speed of 3 weeks; and it is recognized for its incredibly low prices on trendy, seasonal apparel. The weaknesses of H&M are that it is relatively unknown in the States; it has yet to distinguish and set itself apart from inexpensive American apparel chains; and its goods are not high-quality. Primary Problem: Flawed Marketing Research The absence of a definitive marketing strategy is of primary concern. With benefit of hindsight, some deficiencies in H&M’s research design merited attention. It was geared towards the simple idea of expansion rather than establishing genuine market presence. Because it tried to expand too quickly, it imprudently purchased outlets too big and in poor locations, instead of building up its presence more slowly and carefully. H&M believed no competition could ever be more on-trend and more fashionable than they. However, H&M showed the fallacy of attempting growth beyond immediate capabilities in a growth-at-any-cost mindset. The rationale for embracing great growth is that it needed to run with the ball if it were to ever get that rare opportunity to suddenly double or triple sales. But there are times when a slower, more controlled growth is prudent. Secondary Problem: External Factors Apparently, it did not learn from Benetton’s past mistakes. For example, it too had tried to establish a strong presence in the US and had failed. Similarly, The Gap, a US company, also tried to further expand but choked because of the numerous retailers with their offshore resources being able to knock off current fashions much more quickly and competing favorably. Discount stores, such as Wal-Mart and Target, have big boxes in the suburbs also with offshore facilities enabling them to offer current fashion at low prices. This means that even if H&M is first to introduce the fashions, within weeks the competition could offer similar merchandise. In addition to obvious competitors, H&M did not underscore or create enough attention to its prospective customers of its distinguishing characteristics. Certainly, it recognized the importance of the dyadic relationship by hiring salespeople with similar characteristics to their customers. But it still was not effective in communicating its formula. Recommended Solutions 1. Instead of just wholly owned subsidiaries, H&M could enter into a joint venture with an American department store to at least build some presence and recognition. Licensing is a fairly low-risk method for entering into a joint venture. An example of this sort of arrangement would be what Guess has with Macy’s stores. Although H&M may have given up most of the profits, this would be a prudent manner in expanding its recognition throughout the US. H&M should still own and operate facilities in the US where it is more urban and less surrounded by discount stores. . The symbolic value of H&M needs to be underscored either through an advertisement campaign or celebrity endorsements. Although celebrities demand big bucks, the endorsements are worth the price if done in moderation and with the best of the best. Obviously, H&M recognized this in 2007 when it contracted with Madonna to do commercials and magazine advertisements. Of course, the effectiveness of these methods is difficult to measure but as long as the communication is remembered, recognized, or recalled, this will instill further presence in H&M’s goal of expansion.

Oh Father, Where Art Thou? Thy Son Awaits

Troy Maxson, the main character in August Wilson's critically acclaimed play Fences, talks about his father who was never there for him when he was a kid. Born in the southern United States, where African- Americans were racially discriminated during the time, Troy's father was evil and tortured him. He feels that he has been really supportive for his kids and he is what his father had never been to him. Troy grew up with a father who thought putting food on the table and roof over the head was the only thing a father has to do for his family. Despite Troy's attempt to be unlike his father, his style of talking to the kids and ordering them to respect him makes him exactly like his father. Fences, is not necessarily about how history repeats itself, but also how a person's past influences their life and decisions. Troy's father didn't support the family like a normal father did. His father, Maxson Sr. was there only to support his family basic needs; food on the table and roof over their heads. His father was never there for him or his family. Troy talks about his father being evil because of which nobody could withstand him and also his mother leaving him when he was young because of his father's evilness. He says: My mama couldn't stand him. Couldn't stand that evilness. She ran off when I was eight. She sneaked off one night after he had gone to sleep. Told me she was coming back for me. I ain't never seen her no more. All his women run off and left him. He wasn't good for nobody. (1.4.109) His father was not good enough for everybody and whoever was with him they would only last for few days and after that they left because Troy thinks Maxson Sr. was evil which is also the main reason why Troy feels his mother left him and Troy when Troy was a young kid. Having a father who was unable to care for his son, Troy instantly realizes that he has to mature hurriedly so he can take care of himself. At a mere age of fourteen, Troy finds himself becoming a man from a child. He realizes he has metamorphosed into a man from a kid when he and Maxson Sr. get into a fight. When his father finds him flirting with a girl when he was supposed to be working, they have a real go at each other. Troy describes the moment as, He had them letter straps off the mule and commenced to whupping me like there was no tomorrow. I jumped up, mad and embarrassed. I was scared of my daddy. But I see where he was chasing me off so he could have the gal for himself†¦When I see what the matter of it was, I lost all fear of my daddy. Right there is where I become a man†¦at fourteen years of age. Now it was my turn to run him off†¦ I picked up them reins and commenced to whupping on him. (1.4.109) When Troy whips his father with the leather straps he realizes he has transformed into a man. He feels showing his father that he didn't fear him was good enough to survive in the world by own self. Since that incident with his father, Troy associates adulthood as being strong enough to stand up for own self. He feels he has learnt that fighting with his father was the only way to prove him that he had grown up and could take care of himself. Troy thinks that he has freed himself from his father evil influence, reviews his past and tries to learn from his father's mistake. Since his father was irresponsible for him, Troy is inclined to be a father unlike his father in each and every way possible but unfortunately that doesn't work out. He turns exactly like his father. He doesn't support his sons Lyons and Cory at all. He is vile to both of his sons but Cory, his youngest son whose dream is to become a football superstar, gets affected and pays the price badly when his father shatters his dream by not letting him play. Since he and Troy don't get along, Cory feels isolated. Even when he asks Troy why he didn't like him, Troy responds: Liked you? Who the hell say I got to like you? What law is there say I got to like you? Wanna stand up in my face and ask a damn fool-ass question like that. Talking about liking somebody†¦I go out of here every morning†¦bust my butt†¦putting up them crackers every day†¦ 'cause I like you?†¦ It's my job. It's my responsibility! †¦ A man got to take care of his family†¦ ‘Cause it's my duty to take care of you. I owe a responsibility to you! (1.3.91 and 107) Troy lets Cory know that what it takes to become a â€Å"man†. The â€Å"man† Troy is referring to is himself and he explains Cory that in order to become the â€Å"man† one has to be responsible. That person has to be able to put food on the table for his family. He also lets Cory know that one doesn't have to love his family to take care of them. The duties and responsibilities bind a man and his family which keep them together. Duty to take care of the family was what Maxson Sr. did and Troy is following the exact footstep of his father. Troy, as a father, spent most of his time with Cory. He was in jail when his eldest son Lyons was born. The relationship between Cory and Troy seems to be futile; every time they are together they end up in an argument. Cory feels his father doesn't love him at all. His feeling about his father detesting him grows even stronger when his father doesn't let him play football. Cory, in order to achieve his dream, quits his job at A&P grocery store so that he can play football. He disobeys his father by quitting his job when Troy had strictly told him to quit playing football and look for a steady job. Troy was discriminated when he was young for playing baseball and thinks his son fate will also be the same like him. But he doesn't realize that times have changed and at the same time he is arrogant as well. Cory ends up not playing and as always has to obey his father's decision and forgets about his lifelong dream. Eventually one day, he gets tired of Troy and claims his dominance by standing up against his father and making him realize that he can take care and survive in the world on his own and leaves the house. Before leaving the house Troy talks to his son and says: You a man. Now, let's see you act like one. Turn your behind around and walk out this yard. And when you get out there in the alley†¦you can forget about this house. See? ‘Cause this is my house. You be a man and get your own house. (2.4.71) When Troy battles with Cory he feels his son is more than capable to take care of himself and kicks Cory out of the house. He feels Cory has become a man because he stood up for himself. Standing up for own self is the character Troy sees as being an adult. He also realizes that his son has shown enough evidence of maturity when he fights with him. This reminds Troy what he did years ago with his father which is also the reason why Cory is kicked out of the house. Wilson's Fences lets us know that no matter how one tries to forget his/her past, it will always haunt him/her and will also come to play a significant role in the future. Troy grew up with a father who hardly supported him and once beat him to death. Although he tries not being like him, he follows each and every step his father had taken and in the end becomes a mirror of his father. He demands respect, thinks about himself, is unkind and harsh to his sons. Cory pays for the arrogance that his father shows but ends up being just like his father by arguing with him and leaving the house because he thinks he has matured enough. Fences in the end, symbolizes the barriers Troy who has faced and his son Cory who is going to face in life. Wilson in the end gives the readers a hope that Cory will break the barrier and become a good father to his kids unlike his father and his grandfather.

Personal Experience of Marketing Management in the 21st Century and Term Paper

Personal Experience of Marketing Management in the 21st Century and Emerging Issues - Term Paper Example Internet marketing is the future of marketing. The challenges that this field can face in the future will mainly be related to the quality of content involved in the promotion. However, challenges which do occur in relation to internet marketing will cause difficulties for both consumers and companies. One example of this is connection speed. The speed that consumers can access the internet, and as a consequence web based content varies significantly. If a consumer has low bandwidth, or for other reasons is unable to access the internet at a fast rate, this can affect the use of animate movies, such as flash animations, as well as graphics that are very large or detailed as methods of advertising. The amount of consumers that suffer from slow internet is rapidly decreasing, with dial-up and slow connections being replaced with cable internet and high speed broadband. Another problem with the use of internet marketing is that there is often no method for consumers to try a product bef ore they decide to buy it. Some exceptions to this would be services that offer a full refund if the customer is not happy, or that offer a trial period. For other situations, such as purchases from online stores, consumers get around the problem of not being able to test a product by getting familiar with it at physical stores, testing it there if required, before buying it online. This however is only possible for products that are accessible from a physical store, and consumers that are able to go to the stores. It is important that promotion and marketing strategies are effective and that they can reach out to the maximum number of people. Good quality of content can make sure that people get interested in the product or service. The emerging issues that internet marketing professionals face are mentioned as follows: Commodity (Product) – It is important that products and services sold over the internet are of good quality and that they are able to compete successfully wi th physical stores as well as other online ventures. Price – Monitoring prices and being aware of where they stand in relation to prices of competitors is an important factor in internet marketing. The costs in relation to hosting products and services on the internet and advertising them are low compared to that of a physical store. As a consequence price of online goods and services is generally lower than that of physical goods and services. However, this is not always the case, especially with cost of shipping involved in many internet purchases. Promotion – There are a large range of tools available to help a company or an individual promote both their site in general as well as their products and services. Such tools include search engine optimization (SEO), which involves manipulating particular components of the site, such as use of specific words in order to make it appear early in search engine listings, the use of advertising such as banner ads on other webs ites, and communication with consumers and marketing through email. Other tools include affiliating with other websites, using social media such as Facebook and Twitter for marketing as well as using forums and blogging as means of more effectively engaging the consumer. Point of sale – The point of sale is the physical location where the sale occurs. For a store that operates electronically this is the website, or for a store this is the physical l

Reading Assingment and Answer the Questions Article

Reading Assingment and Answer the Questions - Article Example Please include in your discussion the effects of the following: the lifting of interest rate caps; the permitting of bank investments in commercial real estate; the role played by net worth (owners’ equity), or capital- especially the inclusion of "goodwill" as part of a banks net worth. It was a situation of too little, too late. The restrictions of commodities were let loose but too late. By this time almost 50% of banks were insolvent and were having a net worth that was negative. There was duration of risk in the rising interest rates that led to both income and balance sheet problems. During the time of deregulation, banks did not make profits as a result of excess regulation as deregulation process was slow. Banks resorted to riskier high returning loans to reinstate profitability. In most cases, this worsened the situation. S and Ls ultimately had up to forty percent of its assets in real estate, 10% in direct investments and junk bonds and 30% in lending consumers. After excessive regulation, it got itself into problems by expanding finance and credit areas where there were no background, experience or expertise. What effect did government insurance of deposits for up to $100,000 have on depositors and banks? Does it seem fair to you that banks making risky, speculative investments paid the same deposit insurance premiums as those making safer, more conservative loans? Moreover, brokers and depositors exploited how to manipulate the 100000 dollars limit using brokered deposits. If one had 10 million for investments in banks, he would be insured to an optimum of 100000 dollars. Therefore, a broker would break the amount into a hundred investments if hundred thousand dollars each and will buy $100000 100 CDs with 100 banks. This limit would be 100000 dollars for each account and not each depositor. Consequently, very rich individuals get insured using the tax payers’ money. Riskier speculations in

Please discuss the following question with philosophy ethics and Essay - 2

Please discuss the following question with philosophy ethics and knowledge - Essay Example The concept of maximum utility notion of utilitarianism involves lack of suffering, economic well-being and pleasure. In justice and fairness, for instance, utilitarianism accounts that the rights of an individual are less important than the good of many people. Therefore, the utilitarian theory is considerate on people’s demands. The state of the world, on the other hand, is what places greater demands on different people. Individual needs are what corrupt utilitarianism. The ill-will nature of individuals is what leads to suffering. If individual’s needs are highly prioritized, then happiness would be achieved, and utilitarianism would demand very little from the people. Peter Singer’s reply is quite convincing when it comes to the roles of utilitarianism in people’s lives. This is because utilitarianism does not distinguish what people do from what they allow to happen. An individual’s innate feelings, self-ago and view of others are what necessitates or results into suffering. If utilitarianism is too demanding as critiques put it, then everyone is morally obligated to suffering which is not the case with utilitarian

CG Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CG - Case Study Example counting; not permitting enough freedom to the board of directors and sharing responsibility; and common deficiency of shareholders’ interests in the corporate governance ( Abrami et al. 3). Historical old practices of governance are responsible for adhering to different corporate mechanism based on two-tiered approach in most of the Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs). It is the sole reason of differences existing in Chinese publicly traded companies with that of the US or UK companies. Actually, the Chinese corporate structure has been historically impacted by its economic mechanism. In China, most of the large businesses were under state control. Managers in the past had been answerable to both the government policy initiatives and the business aims. The government had been the major stakeholder, therefore, its claim to fulfil its objectives were relevant and reasonable. Powers were also implicit in a firm’s Communist Party Committee, for making decisions in specific fields of governance, such as strategic planning (Abrami et al. 2-3). Change in the Chinese approach to managing listed companies happened later in 1990 in its attempt to practice globally agreed parameters of managing corporations. Thus, these differences existed till 1990 when the Chinese government started two stock exchanges in Shanghai and Shenzhen. These attempts were made to transform the procedures of corporate governance. Those companies, desiring to become listed companies were supposed to fulfil basic governance and securities law (Abrami et al. 2). Procedures smoothened with the formulation of the Chinese Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), which observed the functioning of these two exchanges and released a list of solid regulations. The primary job of CSRC is to â€Å"supervise the behaviour of listed companies and their shareholders who are liable for relevant information disclosures in securities markets† (Abrami et al. 2). In the past, there was no practice of

Renaissance of Thoughts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Renaissance of Thoughts - Essay Example However the thesis proves to be a contrast. According to Aristotle, no one would be able to stay happy and wise unless the â€Å"philosopher’s paradox† is defended. Socrates commitment to the sufficiency thesis, however, offer lucid substantiation for Socrates’ dedication to the requisite of wisdom for happiness and so defines the fundamental significance of wisdom for Socrates. On the typical interpretation, Socrates argues for the sufficiency thesis in Euthydemus 278–282. Irwin nicely exhibits this way of reading the passage: â€Å"Socrates takes it to be generally agreed that we achieve happiness by gaining many goods (279a1–4), but he argues that the only good we need is wisdom. He argues in three stages :( 1) Happiness does not require good fortune added to wisdom (279c4–280a8). (2) Wisdom is necessary and sufficient for the correct and successful use of other goods (280b1–281b4). (3)Wisdom is the only good (281b4–e5). Fro m this Socrates concludes that if we want to secure happiness, we need not acquire many goods; we need only acquire wisdom (282a1–d3)†. (Jones 2013). In this context it is relevant to discuss the philosophy of Roger Bacon where he made precise observations about the natural processes of life. His attention was mainly relating to alchemy and his misconceptions had connection with his knowledge of magic. He loved to experiment and because of this some of his contemporaries regarded him as necromancer and sorcerer. His thirst to know the truth paved the way for a new experimentation where he formed a head from dead human heads and expected it to speak to him through the aid of devil. Alchemists applied some experimentation technique in the Aristotelian domain, to draw conclusions from the principles which had already been ascertained through thoughts, philosophies and observations (Krebs 1999 124) around 2500 years back, the Buddhist tradition explained the meaning of happ iness. However, Buddha’s first preaching was about the fact that the foundation of happiness revolves round suffering and pain and both happiness and pain are the results of our own deeds and thoughts (cloudwater.org n.d.). As per Martin Luther King Jr. â€Å"If we are to have peace on earth, our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional, Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective† (The Wisdom of Martin Luther King, Jr. n.d). Thus the thoughts of scholars state that gaining continuous knowledge and obtaining wisdom from various experimentations are the main sources of happiness. Happiness is a universal term and it can’t be obtained staying aloof from others. The perspective of eminent scholars state that â€Å"happiness can’t be felt unless we know what sadness is.† However the modern day philosophies state that people today, tend to relate happiness with material possession. It is true that wealth brings happiness, but for a moment. In the words of Jesus Christ, â€Å"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God† (Gulla 2010 170) The urge for wealth and material possession is defined by our needs. It can be said that, however, even if needs are satisfied, it can’t provide a long-term satisfaction as needs are innumerable.  

The strategy of e-business Annotated Bibliography

The strategy of e-business - Annotated Bibliography Example Because of the nature of these networks, there is then the recognition that the very framework of e-business strategy must be reimagined in conjunction with this new landscape. In this way the article argues that businesses must reimagine strategy based on a more dynamic business environment. The traditional business environment examined strategy in terms of specific goals and long-term visions. The nature of this new paradigm in e-business, however, is such that business must constantly assess their strategic approach in regards to the shifting nature of connectivity. For Li (2004, p. 46) then then this is accomplished through establishing a holistic framework. Within the holistic framework the business will consider all inputs – supply chain management, sales, general business strategy – in a systematic and dynamic process. No longer will business establish a simple long-term vision, but instead will establish a dynamic and agile business strategy for to function within this new paradigm. In pursuit of this new paradigm the article established seven key points. Among these points include the pursuit of margin size and volume rate, and the p ursuit of low cost and high value. The fundamental recognition is that these concerns involve different levels of strategic concerns than the traditional environment had posited. After these theoretical considerations the article examines a case study with a Chinese business. The case study functions to demonstrate the importance of developing a holistic business strategy. Additionally the case study indicates the importance of developed countries establishing effective strategies in its business model when dealing with developing countries. In this way the concept of strategic alliance emerges as a prominent strategic approach. This text relates to the key concepts in the course in a variety of ways. From an overarching perspective it considers the very

The Age of Rapid Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

The Age of Rapid Globalization - Essay Example In the developed countries like United States, United Kingdom, and Europe, racial discrimination is still being practiced within the white population. While the world is becoming a global village, it is unfortunate that lack of interest and understanding seem to be creating the greater divide among the people coming from different race, culture, and nationality. In the eighteenth and nineteenth century, the color of the skin played a major role in the social status. The whites maintained a racial divide within the society through the deliberate use of powerful lobby of the whites and financial advantages that they enjoyed over their less privileged counterparts. The blacks were not allowed to participate in social activities and even education was denied to them so that they would remain unequal socially and economically. In the book ‘I know why the caged birds sing’, the author has given a new meaning to the finishing school and where, according to the protagonist, a young black girl ‘.. white girls learned to waltz†¦.. During the tenth year, a white woman’s kitchen became my finishing school’ (Angelou, p101). Maya Angelou has sensitively portrayed the social paradigm that the whites and the ethnic minority undergo within the same social structure. Richard Wright is yet another writer who has written ab out the plights of the blacks and ethnic minorities with great understanding mainly because he had undergone those harrowing experiences of being a black, especially in a society which was dominated by whites. In ‘The Ethics of Living Jim Crow: An Autobiographical Sketch’, he says that he was not even allowed to learn because he was told by his white colleagues at work ‘this is a white mans work around here, and you better watch yourself" (Wright, 291). ‘

Science and its Future Essay Example for Free

Science and its Future Essay Technology is, in its essence, new ways of thinking. The most powerful type of technology, sometimes called enabling technology, is a thought incarnate which enables new knowledge to find and develop news ways to know. This kind of recursive bootstrapping is how science evolves. As in every type of knowledge, it accrues layers of self-reference to its former state. New informational organizations are layered upon the old without displacement, just as in biological evolution. Our brains are good examples. We retain reptilian reflexes deep in our minds (fight or flight) while the more complex structuring of knowledge (how to do statistics) is layered over those primitive networks. In the same way, older methods of knowing (older scientific methods) are not jettisoned; they are simply subsumed by new levels of order and complexity. But the new tools of observation and measurement, and the new technologies of knowing, will alter the character of science, even while it retains the old methods. Im willing to bet the scientific method 400 years from now will differ from todays understanding of science more than todays science method differs from the proto-science used 400 years ago. A sensible forecast of technological innovations in the next 400 years is beyond our imaginations (or at least mine), but we can fruitfully envision technological changes that might occur in the next 50 years. Based on the suggestions of the observers above, and my own active imagination, I offer the following as possible near-term advances in the evolution of the scientific method. Compiled Negative Results — Negative results are saved, shared, compiled and analyzed, instead of being dumped. Positive results may increase their credibility when linked to negative results. We already have hints of this in the recent decision of biochemical journals to require investigators to register early phase 1 clinical trials. Usually phase 1 trials of a drug end in failure and their negative results are not reported. As a public heath measure, these negative results should be shared. Major journals have pledged not to publish the findings of phase 3 trials if their earlier phase  1 results had not been reported, whether negative or not. Triple Blind Experiments – In a double blind experiment neither researcher nor subject are aware of the controls, but both are aware of the experiment. In a triple blind experiment all participants are blind to the controls and to the very fact of the experiment itself. The way of science depends on cheap non-invasive sensor running continuously for years generating immense streams of data. While ordinary life continues for the subjects, massive amounts of constant data about their lifestyles are drawn and archived. Out of this huge database, specific controls, measurements and variables can be isolated afterwards. For instance, the vital signs and lifestyle metrics of a hundred thousand people might be recorded in dozens of different ways for 20-years, and then later analysis could find certain variables (smoking habits, heart conditions) and certain ways of measuring that would permit the entire 20 years to be viewed as an experiment – one that no one knew was even going on at the time. This post-hoc analysis depends on pattern recognition abilities of supercomputers. It removes one more variable (knowledge of experiment) and permits greater freedom in devising experiments from the indiscriminate data. Images-25 Combinatorial Sweep Exploration – Much of the unknown can be explored by systematically creating random varieties of it at a large scale. You can explore the composition of ceramics (or thin films, or rare-earth conductors) by creating all possible types of ceramic (or thin films, or rare-earth conductors), and then testing them in their millions. You can explore certain realms of proteins by generating all possible variations of that type of protein and they seeing if they bind to a desired disease-specific site. You can discover new algorithms by automatically generating all possible programs and then running them against the desired problem. Indeed all possible Xs of almost any sort can be summoned and examined as a way to study X. None of this combinatorial exploration was even thinkable before robotics and computers; now both of these technologies permit this brute force style of science. The parameters of the emergent  library of possibilities yielded by the sweep become the experiment. With sufficient computational power, together with a pool of proper primitive parts, vast territories unknown to science can be probed in this manner. Evolutionary Search – A combinatorial exploration can be taken even further. If new libraries of variations can be derived from the best of a previous generation of good results, it is possible to evolve solutions. The best results are mutated and bred toward better results. The best testing protein is mutated randomly in thousands of way, and the best of that bunch kept and mutated further, until a lineage of proteins, each one more suited to the task than its ancestors, finally leads to one that works perfectly. This method can be applied to computer programs and even to the generation of better hypothesis. Simmatrix Multiple Hypothesis Matrix – Instead of proposing a series of single hypothesis, in which each hypothesis is falsified and discarded until one theory finally passes and is verified, a matrix of many hypothesis scenarios are proposed and managed simultaneously. An experiment travels through the matrix of multiple hypothesis, some of which are partially right and partially wrong. Veracity is statistical; more than one thesis is permitted to stand with partial results. Just as data were assigned a margin of error, so too will hypothesis. An explanation may be stated as: 20% is explained by this theory, 35% by this theory, and 65% by this theory. A matrix also permits experiments with more variables and more complexity than before. Pattern Augmentation – Pattern-seeking software which recognizes a pattern in noisy results. In large bodies of information with many variables, algorithmic discovery of patterns will become necessary and common. These exist in specialized niches of knowledge (such particle smashing) but more general rules and general-purpose pattern engines will enable pattern-seeking tools to become part of all data treatment. Adaptive Real Time Experiments – Results evaluated, and large-scale experiments modified in real time. What we have now is primarily batch-mode  science. Traditionally, the experiment starts, the results are collected, and then conclusions reached. After a pause the next experiment is designed in response, and then launched. In adaptive experiments, the analysis happens in parallel with collection, and the intent and design of the test is shifted on the fly. Some medical tests are already stopped or re-evaluated on the basis of early findings; this method would extend that method to other realms. Proper methods would be needed to keep the adaptive experiment objective. AI Proofs – Artificial intelligence will derive and check the logic of an experiment. Ever more sophisticated and complicated science experiments become ever more difficult to judge. Artificial expert systems will at first evaluate the scientific logic of a paper to ensure the architecture of the argument is valid. It will also ensure it publishes the required types of data. This proof review will augment the peer-review of editors and reviewers. Over time, as the protocols for an AI check became standard, AI can score papers and proposals for experiments for certain consistencies and structure. This metric can then be used to categorize experiments, to suggest improvements and further research, and to facilitate comparisons and meta-analysis. A better way to inspect, measure and grade the structure of experiments would also help develop better kinds of experiments. Wiki-Science – The average number of authors per paper continues to rise. With massive collaborations, the numbers will boom. Experiments involving thousands of investigators collaborating on a paper will commonplace. The paper is ongoing, and never finished. It becomes a trail of edits and experiments posted in real time — an ever evolving document. Contributions are not assigned. Tools for tracking credit and contributions will be vital. Responsibilities for errors will be hard to pin down. Wiki-science will often be the first word on a new area. Some researchers will specialize in refining ideas first proposed by wiki-science. Defined Benefit Funding — Ordinarily science is funded by the experiment(results not guaranteed) or by the   investigator (nothing guaranteed). The use of prize money for particular scientific achievements will play greater roles. A goal is defined, funding secured for the first to reach it, and the contest opened to all. The Turing Test prize awarded to the first computer to pass the Turing Test as a passable intelligence. Defined Benefit Funding can also be combined with prediction markets, which set up a marketplace of bets on possible innovations. The bet winnings can encourage funding of specific technologies. Zillionics – Ubiquitous always-on sensors in bodies and environment will transform medical, environmental, and space sciences. Unrelenting rivers of sensory data will flow day and night from zillions of sources. The exploding number of new, cheap, wireless, and novel sensing tools will require new types of programs to distill, index and archive this ocean of data, as well as to find meaningful signals in it. The field of zillionics — dealing with zillions of data flows — will be essential in health, natural sciences, and astronomy. This trend will require further innovations in statistics, math, visualizations, and computer science. More is different. Zillionics requires a new scientific perspective in terms of permissible errors, numbers of unknowns, probable causes, repeatability, and significant signals. Images-23 Deep Simulations – As our knowledge of complex systems advances, we can construct more complex simulations of them. Both the success and failures of these simulations will help us to acquire more knowledge of the systems. Developing a robust simulation will become a fundamental part of science in every field. Indeed the science of making viable simulations will become its own specialty, with a set of best practices, and an emerging theory of simulations. And just as we now expect a hypothesis to be subjected to the discipline of being stated in mathematical equations, in the future we will expect all hypothesis to be exercised in a simulation. There will also be the craft of taking things known only in simulation and testing them in other simulations—sort of a simulation of a simulation. Hyper-analysis Mapping – Just as meta-analysis gathered diverse experiments on one subject and integrated their (sometimes contradictory) results into a large meta-view, hyper-analysis creates an extremely large-scale view by pulling together meta-analysis. The cross-links of references, assumptions, evidence and results are unraveled by computation, and then reviewed at a larger scale which may include data and studies adjacent but not core to the subject. Hyper-mapping tallies not only what is known in a particular wide field, but also emphasizes unknowns and contradictions based on what is known outside that field. It is used to integrate a meta-analysis with other meta-results, and to spotlight white spaces where additional research would be most productive. Images-24 Return of the Subjective – Science came into its own when it managed to refuse the subjective and embrace the objective. The repeatability of an experiment by another, perhaps less enthusiastic, observer was instrumental in keeping science rational. But as science plunges into the outer limits of scale – at the largest and smallest ends – and confronts the weirdness of the fundamental principles of matter/energy/information such as that inherent in quantum effects, it may not be able to ignore the role of observer. Existence seems to be a paradox of self-causality, and any science exploring the origins of existence will eventually have to embrace the subjective, without become irrational. The tools for managing paradox are still undeveloped.

Ethics in Psychology and Criminal Justice

Ethics in Psychology and Criminal Justice Ethical behavior is important within any discipline whether it be automobile mechanics or brain surgeons. Two disciplines in which ethical behavior is especially important are the disciplines of criminal justice and psychology due to the vulnerable state of the individuals which are encountered on a daily basis. Straying from compliance of ethical guidelines in either of these disciplines could result in mental damage in psychology, false arrests or acquittals in criminal justice, or termination and dishonor within either discipline. This manuscript discusses a couple ethical dilemmas within the disciplines of psychology and criminal justice as well as provides examples of each. The manuscript also briefly discusses the similar variables which make each discipline sensitive to ethical behavior. Ethical Dilemmas in Psychology and Criminal Justice Within any profession, whether it is a psychology, law enforcement, news casting, or even an automobile mechanic, an individuals integrity plays a pivotal role in how successful their endeavors turn out. Integrity, as defined by the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, is firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values (Integrity, 2010). One whose integrity is compromised may be perceived as irresponsible, dishonest, and possibly even immoral. One thing that affects ones integrity is whether or not the individual conducts themselves in an ethical manner. Ethics within in a profession are a set of moral principals used to determine whether a certain behavior is right or wrong. Most disciplines have an ethical code whether it is implied or actually documented. For example, the American Psychological Association has a set of ethical principals published through which psychologists may judge whether a particular behavior or action is ethically sound (American Psychological Association, 1992). Alternatively, automobile mechanics have no generally accepted, published, ethics code. In a case such as this, establishments may be certified by different organizations which have developed an ethical code or they may develop one of their own (Mechanics R Us, 2010). This manuscript will discuss some ethical dilemmas which have been encountered and studied within the fields of psychology and criminal justice. Literature Review The American Psychological Association published a set of guidelines and codes which govern ethical behaviors within the psychological field (American Psychological Association, 1992). These codes cover most if not all aspects of psychology from therapy to research. It is upon this foundation that the choices of ethical dilemmas within the field of psychology are based. Also based upon these ethical guidelines Sherwin (1998) made a statement regarding the effects of unethical behavior upon the vulnerable individuals that psychological professionals encounter on a daily basis. Peternelj-Taylor (2002) and Lambie (2005) both provided examples of ethical dilemmas professionals within the psychological field may encounter. Peternelj-Taylor writes on the dilemma of over- and under-involvement with patients. Wartenburg (1990) discusses how the ideal amount of involvement for a professional within the psychological field to have with a client lies in an area called transformative power. Everett and Gallop (2001) went on to describe the ideal purpose of transformative power. Lambies (2005) composition involved the divulgence of suspected child abuse by school counselors. Crenshaw, Lichtenberg, and Bartell (1993) as well as Sechrist (2000) performed analyses that found problems in the amount of times that suspected child abuse is reported. Wilson, Ireton, Wood (1997) discussed how this dilemma ranks high among the concerns of helping professionals. The decision to report suspected child abuse is governed not only ethically but legally as well. In 1974, the National Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (PL 93-247) provided a definition of child abuse (42 USCS 5101). Most states have also enacted statutes and laws which make divulgence of suspected child abuse required by law North Carolina General Statutes (2003). The differing professions within the field of criminal justice are also governed by sets of ethical guidelines. One ethical dilemma which is encountered within law enforcement is the use of excessive force. The case of Rodney King provides an excellent, high-profile example upon which to base the effects of this dilemma (Cannon, 1997). Schoch Lin (2007) found that, even several years after the event, a degree of civil unrest as well as a deep seated mistrust of the criminal justice community still exists. Vidmar (2002) discusses the ethical dilemma of introducing prejudice within the courtroom. He uses examples of cases in which he was called to analyze the amount of prejudice including Regents of the University of California vs. Genentech (1999) and R. v. Reynolds (1997). In these cases he found that it does not take much for prejudice to find its way into the courtroom setting and affect the opinions of those involved. Discussion Ethical Dilemmas in Psychology As one may easily ascertain, ethical behavior in any aspect of psychology is incredibly important. In many instances, those that participate in psychological research or receive a treatment of some sort from a psychologist are in a vulnerable state of mind. Sherwin (1998) said it best stating without a strong principle of respect for patient autonomy, patients are vulnerable to abuse or exploitation, when their weak and dependant position makes them easy targets to serve the interests (e. g. financial, academic, or social influence) of others (p. 20). In cases such as this, the psychologist must be incredibly cautious with the actions they take or risk causing damage that may take years to treat or may even be irreversible. Consequences against the psychologist may include having their qualifications questioned or possibly even legal actions. The ethical guidelines for the discipline of psychology are published in the Ethical Principals of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (American Psychological Association, 1992). In this section the manuscript will cover some ethical dilemmas which have been discussed within published literature. One ethical dilemma that psychologists may encounter involves relationships with patients outside of the patient-therapist or patient-researcher relationship. Peternelj-Taylor (2002), a nurse who worked as a team leader on a sexual offender unit of a maximum security forensic hospital, discussed this dilemma at length. Within the manuscript, the researcher discusses psychologists over-involvement and under-involvement with a patient. Over-involvement with a patient includes relationships past patient-therapist relations including friendships or sexual relations with patients. Under-involvement includes behavior which borderlines ignoring the patient which includes avoidance of patients or not exploring or addressing patient problems with sufficient detail. As one may imagine, either one of these instances may be harmful to not only the patient but also the therapeutic integrity of the psychologist. During patient-therapist interaction, it should be the goal of the psychologist to remain in an area between the two extremes of over-involved and under-involved power assertion. Wartenburg (1990) refers to this area as transformative power which focuses upon a sort of partnership with the patient. In patient-therapist relationships that maintain a transformative power relation, the focus is placed upon working with the patient in resolving their problems rather than overtop or in spite of. Everett and Gallop (2001) stated that the goal of transformative power is mutual liberation from dependency (for the client) and from being depended on (for the professional) (p. 124). In essence, this expresses what should be the ultimate goal of the patient-therapist relationship. Another ethical dilemma faced within the psychological profession is divulging information about suspected child abuse or neglect that was obtained during therapy. Lambie (2005) composed a manuscript discussing how this dilemma affects professional school counselors. One would assume that, with legal statutes requiring divulgence, the decision to report instances of suspected abuse would immediately be reported as soon as it is encountered though this is not always the case. In an analysis by Crenshaw, Lichtenberg, and Bartell (1993) the researchers found that, in many instances, helping professionals choose against reporting suspected abuse. Additionally, a study by the Federal National Child Abuse and Neglect Incidence Study found that school personnel only reports a small percentage of suspected abuse cases to Child Protective Services (Sechrist, 2000). Research has found that encountering a suspected case of child abuse is high among the fears of helping professionals (Wilson, Ir eton, Wood, 1997). It has been said that, while professionals are aware of their legal duty to report such cases, procedural uncertainty about how to go about reporting among other things are deterrents (Lambie, 2005). The decision of helping professionals to report suspected abuse is governed by both legal and ethical guidelines. Lambie (2005) discusses how professional ethics are in place to guide professionals throughout their ethical decision making. Within these ethical guidelines is a subgroup of ethics called mandatory ethics. Lambie goes on to discuss how the reporting of suspected child abuse falls under these mandatory ethics which crosses barriers into all disciplines. In 1974, the National Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (PL 93-247) was enacted by Congress which defined child abuse as (42 USCS 5101): Physical or mental injury, sexual abuse or exploitation, negligent treatment, or maltreatment of a child under the age of eighteen or the age specified by the child protection law of the state in question, by a person who is responsible for the childs welfare under circumstances which indicate that the childs health or welfare is harmed or threatened thereby. In addition to this act passed by congress all of the states in the United States have passed statutes that make it illegal for an individual who is aware of an instance of child abuse not to report it (North Carolina General Statutes, 2003). Based upon these laws and statutes, it is not only ethically required that helping professionals report suspected child abuse but failure to do so may also result in legal ramifications as well. The field of psychology provides an important service for those that are having trouble coping with a mental disability or other psychological aspect of their life. As was mentioned earlier those that see a psychologist as a patient are, many times, in a psychologically vulnerable state. This is why it is especially important for those within the field of psychology to follow the ethical guidelines developed for their field as closely as possible. Those that are steadfast in their ethical behavior help to ensure that their patients receive the best treatment possible and reduce the possibility of inflicting any psychological damage upon the patient. Ethical Dilemmas in Criminal Justice Just like in the discipline of psychology, it is also exceptionally important to follow ethical guidelines within the discipline of criminal justice. Those whose profession falls within the discipline of criminal justice find themselves in an authoritative role amongst those around them. This fact puts the individual in a position of having power over others. If the individual is not cautious, this power may be easily exploited. Again, as with psychology, dire consequences may be suffered. In some cases, innocent individuals may be wrongfully accused and convicted while the true guilty party is freed in which case justice is not served. Police officers who stray from ethical behavior risk termination as well as having their reputation tarnished within their community. These facts make it necessary for those in criminal justice, just like those within the field of psychology, to follow strict ethical guidelines as well (See Appendix A). Within this section the manuscript will discuss some of the ethical dilemmas that are encountered within the field of criminal justice. One action that a police officer must inevitably take part in is the use of force. The action of applying force is not unethical in itself though ethics do come into question when the use of force gets to the point of becoming excessive. In any case, excessive force is any force used beyond what is necessary to subdue an assailant. One high profile case through which excessive force by law enforcement was brought to the forefront is the case of Rodney King (Cannon, 1997). During this incident, a video was taken of Los Angeles Police Department officers striking King repeatedly with batons after he was lying on the ground. Unethical behavior, such as was displayed in this case, is not only damaging to the individual performing the action, but it is also damaging to the law enforcement community as a whole. The use of excessive force by an officer of the law may lead to termination and, more than likely, legal repercussions such as restitution, prison time, or both. Actions such as this may also lead to an overall mistrust of the law enforcement community by individuals within the public which in turn may lead to civil unrest. Referring back to the Rodney King case, many years after the fact tensions are still high within the Los Angeles community as a result of the incident as well as the occurrences that followed (Schoch Lin, 2007). This should be a major concern due to the fact that law enforcement, as well as the other professionals within the criminal justice community, are in place to serve and protect the public and are required to be trusted when the time comes to perform their duty. Another ethical behavior that must be practiced within any criminal justice profession, as well as any other profession, is the elimination of prejudice. Prejudice may be presented in many different forms including prejudice by race, gender, social standing, or any other individual criteria. One area of criminal justice in which prejudice is particularly damaging is during jury selection. If a seated jury is introduced into the courtroom with a preconceived prejudice based upon some characteristic of the case, it may, in fact impede upon an individuals right to a fair trial. In most instances, prejudices may cause an individual to draw conclusions about a defendants guilt or innocence before the evidence against the defendant is even presented. There are many sources of prejudice, some of which include media publicity, community involvement, gossip, and rumors (Vidmar, 2002). It is for this reason that jury selection for any given case is, at times, a long a drawn out process. Jury selection is utilized to remove any individuals which may house some of these prejudices, such as family and friends of any individuals involved in the process, or any individuals that have been affected in any way by the type of crime in question. Vidmar (2002) performed several case studies upon court cases and their involvement of pre- and midtrial prejudices a few of which the following paragraphs will summarize. One case that Vidmar (2002) discusses is the case of Regents of the University of California vs. Genentech (1999). The case involved patent infringement on the human growth hormone Protropin. The jurors had been chosen and a date for the trial had been set. Before the trial, defense lawyers had discovered that Genentech had pled guilty in a federal case involving off label promotion of Protropin and had to pay $50 million. Obviously the defense lawyers were concerned that this information, if brought to light to the current jurors, could affect the outcome of the trial. The judge refused to delay the trial but did instruct the jurors to refrain from reading any news articles that involved the company Genentech. During the trial, the jurors were in a waiting room waiting to be called into the trial and one of the jurors brought with them a copy of the Oakland Tribune to read during the wait. When the juror turned to the business section of the paper one of the headlines stated what ha d happened in the previously mentioned case Genentech was involved in. According to reports, there is evidence suggesting that several jurors also observed the same headline. Obviously, in a case such as this, the jury pool had been tainted to a certain degree with prejudice. Another case study discussed by Vidmar (2002) involved the case of R. v. Reynolds (1998). The case dealt with a mother named Louise Reynolds that had been charged with stabbing her 7-year-old daughter 84 times. During this period, a great deal of community hostility had been directed towards her after a memorial poem of her composure had been published within the local newspaper. The defense had presented an alternative means through which Ms. Reynolds daughter could have been killed which involved a pit bull near the crime scene that was found covered in blood. The body of the child was then exhumed and examined by two forensic scientists whose findings strongly supported the alternative means presented by the defense. These results were not published within the local newspaper but were covered in nationally circulated newspapers. In preparation for a motion for a change of venue, Vidmar conducted a survey assessing the level of hostility that still existed towards Ms. Reynolds. Out of the respondents, 75% said that they were capable of giving an unbiased decision towards the case. Of the same group that was surveyed, only 45% stated that a non-guilty verdict would be a satisfactory verdict within this case. This gives the indication that even though evidence had been presented in support of Ms. Reynolds innocence, the hostility that was introduced as a result of the published poem still lingered to a degree within those surveyed prejudicing their decisions. As is evidenced above, ethical behavior is detrimental to the proper transaction of justice. Unethical behavior within the criminal justice community may result in civil unrest, false convictions, or worse. The daily interactions of those within one of the many criminal justice professions provide ample opportunities for abuse of power and dishonesty as well as many other unethical behaviors. Therefore it is vitally important for those within the criminal justice community to be vigilant in their endeavors as well as strive to complete their duties in an ethical manner. Conclusion As one can see both the disciplines of psychology and criminal justice require strict ethical guidelines if they are to be professionally and effectively implemented. Professionals within both disciplines interact on a daily basis with individuals that are within a vulnerable state. The effects of unethical behavior within the confines of these disciplines can be tremendously harmful to both the professional as well as the individual that the professional is interacting with. Professionals within the field of psychology risk losing their practice as well as legal repercussions while the patients that are victim to the unethical behavior risk further damage to their already vulnerable mental state. Professionals within the criminal justice community risk termination, a tarnished reputation, and possibly even legal repercussions as well. The effects of unethical behavior within criminal justice deprive the affected individuals of their right to justice while, in some of the more extrem e cases, may even lead to civil unrest and a deep mistrust for the justice community as a whole. Given these facts, it is obvious the important role that ethics plays in ensuring the effectiveness as well as the professionalism in both the disciplines of psychology and criminal justice.

Truffaut’s Jules et Jim †An Expressionistic Analysis :: Movie Film Essays

Truffaut’s Jules et Jim — An Expressionistic Analysis As far as Bazin’s essay â€Å"The Evolution of the Language of Cinema† might be used as a formal test of categorisation—notwithstanding the problematics inherent in his oversimplification of the realist and expressionist methodology—initial viewing of Jules et Jim seems to present a dichotomous structure. Certainly, a number of Bazin’s criteria for realism are met: camera movement; long-takes; composition-in-depth. and deep focus; a certain ambiguity of meaning. Similarly, several of Bazin’s criteria for expressionism also can be found: there is spatial and temporal discontinuity; editing is used for artistic effect; reality is augmented to create a world only vaguely like our own, and so on. The dichotomy though is only apparent. The over-all effect created by Truffaut shows Jules et Jim belonging more comfortably in the expressionistic domain; and, as we shall discover, devices which would normally—at least according to Bazin— deliver the effect of realism are utilised by Truffaut as tools of expressionism. In our analysis of Jules et Jim, rather than examine fleetingly the whole gamut of expressionistic techniques, we shall instead explore in some detail the more important methods, paying particular attention to temporal and spatial distortions, editing and montage, special visual effects, and finally discover the manner in which Bazin’s archetypal techniques of realism—long-takes and composition-in-depth.—are recast. Certainly one of the most striking features of Jules et Jim is temporal distortion. Truffaut utilises this effect by various means and for various purposes. In the first two minutes of the film, time is condensed in two ways: by the third person narrative, which encapsulates the film’s exposition in the most laconic of terms, describing the meeting and developing friendship of Jules and Jim, and also by the selective images which largely avoid redunant description of the aural narrative, but instead seek to interpret and compliment. Accordingly, when the narrator tells us that Jules is a foreigner in Paris; that he wants to go to an art student’s ball; and that Jim gets him a ticket and costume, the image we are offered is a simple one of the two playing dominoes. This image, incidentally, becomes a leitmotif in the film, supporting the theme of friendship and is touchingly varied much later when Jules plays instead with his daughter. Next, the narrator tells us that their friendship grows; the ball takes place; that Jules has tender eyes.

Holland Tunnel Essay -- History Historical tunnels Engineering Essays

Holland Tunnel It has taken engineers thousands of years to perfect the art of digging tunnels. Today tunnels provide available space for cars and trains, water and sewage, even power and communication lines. However, before cars and trains, tunnels carried only water. The first to use tunnels on a major scale were the Romans. Roman engineers created the most extensive network of tunnels in the ancient world. The Romans built aqueducts to carry water from mountain springs to cities and villages; however, in many instances there were obstacles, such as rock formations, in between the spring and the city of interest. To solve these problems the Romans built tunnels by carving underground chambers and building elegant arch structures to carry fresh water into the city and wastewater out. As transportation technology progressed the demand for tunnels also evolved, and by the 17th century tunnels were being constructed for canals. Before the use of roads or railways to transport raw materials from the country to the city, waterways were the best way to haul freight over great distances. The major expansion in tunnel construction came with the introduction of the train and the automobile in the 19th and 20th century. The first major underwater mechanically ventilated tunnel was the Holland tunnel; it set the stage for all tunnels to follow by tackling the engineering obstacles surrounding underwater automobile tunnel traffic. With the rapid rise of the auto at the turn of the century Hudson River ferries struggled to meet demands and were carrying 30 million vehicles each year between New York and New Jersey. In 1906 a joint commission between New York and New Jersey was created to bridge the Hudson between Manhattan and Jer... ... normalize. The bridge opened in 1927 at the time the toll was 50 cents and the trip took eight minutes. The tunnel, when it opened, was the longest underwater tunnel in the world, with its north tube 8,558 feet long and its south tube 8,371 feet long. On its first day of operation 51,694 vehicles passed through it. The total cost of the tunnel was $48 million. Today, it would cost approximately $1.4 billion not including the purchase of the necessary land from Manhattan and Jersey City. Work Cited http://www.nycroads.com/crossings/holland/, Tuesday October 2, 2004 http://www.panynj.gov/tbt/htframe.HTM, Tuesday October 2, 2004 http://www.panynj.gov/tbt/hthist.HTM, Tuesday October 2, 2004 http://www.nycroads.com/crossings/holland/, Tuesday October 2, 2004 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/wonder/structure/holland.html, Tuesday October 2, 2004

Whitmans Leaves of Grass: Democratic Themes Essay -- Leaves of Grass

Leaves of Grass:   Democratic Themes  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer I Hear America Singing  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In his Preface to Leaves of Grass, Whitman states, â€Å"The United States themselves are essentially the greatest poem†.   Whitman was the ultimate Transcendentalist/ Romantic.   He united democratic themes and subject matter with free verse form.   In Leaves of Grass, Whitman celebrates unity of all life and people.   He embraces diversity of geography, culture, work, sexuality, and beliefs.   Whitman’s impact solidifies American dreams of independence, freedom, and fulfillment, and transforms them for larger spiritual meaning.   Whitman values hard work and being humble and non-egotistical.   His ideals are things such as good health, soul, and the love of nature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Whitman expresses his celebration of working class democracy through the â€Å"varied carols† of men and women who take pride in their occupations in the poem â€Å"I Hear America Singing†.   For example, he writes:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   strong,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  &nbs... ... United States themselves are essentially the greatest poem,† I believe he meant that the diversity of geography, culture, beliefs and work all combine to create a wonderful country.   Whitman’s subject matter and style tie together to reflect his values of a working class democracy, humbleness and the enjoyment of life.   Whitman’s impact has solidified American dreams (of independence, freedom, and fulfillment) and transcends, transforms them for a larger spiritual meaning.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Evaluate Break-Even Analysis as a Decision-Making Tool

3. 3 Evaluate break-even analysis as a decision-making tool. The definition of the Break-even analysis: The break-even analysis is an analysis of a product or company’s sales required to neither lose money nor make a profit, but simply to cover costs. Explain in mathematical term: total revenues – total costs = 0. The methods: By using a break-even formula or by drawing a break-even chart. Why is it so important using a break-even analysis?Because it gives vital information about a business or a company’s financial status, not just for a simple break-even point. For start-up businesses, it determines how businesses are setting-up prices for their projections to achieve a reasonable level of break-even point and safety margin. For an on-going business, it equally vital for review analysis and forecast its break-even point; as, how can it improve the relationship between fixed costs, variable costs and revenues and justify a right decision to achieve an ultimate re sult for a healthy business.Although it’s simple and easy to set-up, yet fundamentally it’s an essential decision-making tool for analysing all forms of businesses. For example: 1. Increase prices to raise total revenues, it creates a lower break-even point and better safety margin. 2. Reduce fixed costs or variable costs and prices remain the same also can lower the break-even point. 3. Reduce selling prices and variable costs to generate more sale revenues; equally it can lower the break-even point.

Summaries of Outsourcing Works

Summary # 1 : 2 In their article Outscouring Types, Relative Wages, and the Demand for Skilled Workers: New Evidence from the U. S. Manufacturing Aekapol Chongvilaivan, Jung Hur and Yohanes E. Ryianto analyse the impacts of outsourcing on relative wages of firm workers. The concept of outsourcing implies that firms contract out some level of production in the vertical chain of production. The authors claims that there is a relationship between outsourcing types and relative wages of skilled and unskilled workers.In fact, the researchers thesis claim that downstream materials and service outsourcing are influenced by worker skill, while upstream materials outsourcing is not. First, the authors divide the concept of outsourcing in three categories. The first type consist of upstream material outsourcing. A firm doing so will outsource the production of inputs for a good. The second type consists of downstream production in which firms outsource the production of the final product. The third type consists of service outsourcing sectors such as communications, accounting, auditing , bookkeeping and computer services.The authors explain that each type require different levels of skills for labour. Therefore, they do not have the same impact on demand for skilled labour. Before conducting their study, the authors reviewed previous literature on the topic. An influential study to the authors research is one written by Blum in 2007. This reviewed literature showed that shifts of structures in the economy industries could explain the rising wages for skilled workers. Another influential literature studied by the researchers is one study conducted by Amiti and Weu (2006).This study evaluated the impacts of contracting out on the productivity in the United-States. Amiti and Weu (2006) explain that if firms are able to internationally fragment the inefficient parts of their production process by outsourcing, they can then specialise in the part of the production process in which they have comparative advantage locally. The study conducted by Manufacturing Aekapol Chongvilaivan, Jung Hur and Yohanes E. Ryianto differs from previous ones because of their distinction between skilled and unskilled worker.Another distinguishing aspect of the research is the division of upstream and downstream outsourcing as different categories . Instead of using a panel data analysis researchers used a cross industry analysis. In order to conduct their research on impact of outsourcing on relative wages, the authors have retrieved their information from various data sources. The first one is the 2002 Annual survey of Manufactures(ASM). This source offered authors information on â€Å"wages and employment of the skilled and unskilled workers across the manufacturing sector†.Researchers also used the 2002 economic census as a data source where they got the â€Å"cost and production structure of manufacturing firms and also their use of capital and services†. To measure the employment share of skilled workers the authors used a short run cost function based on the Brown and Christensen(1981 model). To measure downstream and upstream outsourcing impacts on relative wages, researchers scattered skill wage share with different logarithm of elements of production.As for results, authors found that if import share is not significant on wage gap between skilled and unskilled workers. Researchers found a negative relationship between capitals and the relative demand for skilled workers. The authors also present that larger industries have higher wage share of skilled workers. This can be due to their cost advantage as a firm. Researchers also found that material outsourcing show the way to a decline in the overall productivity of labour in the short-run. Consequently, the efficiency of has a positive impact on relative wages.The authors show that downstream materials and service outsourcing have a positive impact on the wages of skilled workers relative to those of unskilled workers. Researchers also showed that upstream material outsourcing has a negative impact on relative wages of workers. The authors conclude by claiming that technology is influenced by skill in the manufacturing sector. Summary # 2 : Hartmut Egger and Peter Egger are authors of International outsourcing and the productivity of low-skilled labor in the EU.Their article shows the relationships between outsourcing and the productivity of low skilled labor. For their work, the authors claim that in the short run outsourcing has a minor negative effect on contributions of workers. They estimate that in the long run however, that outsourcing has a positive impact on real value added per worker. The researchers relied on previous studies conducted by Feenstra and Hanson to structure their study. Feenstra and Hanson’s article studied the effects of offshoring and outsourcing on the labor market in the U.S. Other influential studies used by authors stu died the trade relationship of the E. U with developing countries. For their study, the researchers used various source of data to analyze the relationship of outsourcing and worker productivity. First, authors referred to the sources New Cronos (Eurostats) and Stan (OECD) to obtain numbers on productivity per worker, real gross production, employment and education in the European Union. Also, to measure the concept of outsourcing researchers used EU-output input tables.Finally, the authors used data from the UN data on intermediate goods trade. The data sets chosen by researchers were computed using translog functions and CES functions. CES refers to constant elasticity of substitution; a function that include complex production or utility functions. Such functions offer simulation of the outsourcing effect on the average productivity of labor. The calculations where based on three main characteristic assumptions. The first being that outsourcing moves part of the production to oth er countries economies and markets.Secondly, by maximizing their surplus firms want to adjust their factor employment. Thirdly, the difference between the short-run and the long run effects of contracting out may be increased due to flaws in markets. More firms may have the incentive to respond to competing companies outsourcing. After analyzing data with functions researchers made the following findings: The first relates to outsourcing seems to make use of a significant negative effect on low skill worker productivity. Their research showed that.Also, researchers demonstrated that in the long run outsourcing had a positive effect on the productivity of low skilled labor. The difference between the short-run and the long-run effects of international outsourcing may be magnified by product market imperfections. The authors conclude their work by claiming that low-skilled labor productivity growth in the European industries in the short run was mainly stimulated by the change in phys ical capital stocks and skill upgrading rather than fragmentation of production across borders.

Last Sacrifice Chapter Five

GETTING AWAY FROM DIMITRI WASN'T just about our rocky romantic past. I'd meant it when I said I didn't want him getting in trouble because of me. If the guardians found me, my fate wouldn't be that much different from what I'd already been facing. But Dimitri? He'd been making baby steps toward acceptance. Sure, that was pretty much destroyed now, but his chance for a life wasn't over. If he didn't want to live at Court or with humans, he could go back to Siberia and return to his family. Out there in the middle of nowhere, he'd be hard to find. And with how close that community was, they'd go to a lot of trouble to hide him if someone ever did try to hunt him down. Staying with me was definitely the wrong option. I just needed to convince him. â€Å"I know what you're thinking,' Dimitri said, after we'd been on the road for about an hour. We hadn't spoken much, both of us lost in our own thoughts. After a few more country roads, we'd finally made it to an interstate and were making good time toward †¦ well, I had no idea. I'd been staring out the window, pondering all the disasters around me and how I alone could fix them. â€Å"Huh?' I glanced over at him. I thought there might be the smallest hint of a smile on his lips, which seemed absurd considering this was probably the worst situation he'd been in since being restored from his Strigoi state. â€Å"And it won't work,' he added. â€Å"You're planning how to get away from me, probably when we eventually stop for gas. You're thinking maybe you'll have a chance to run off then.' The crazy thing was, I had been thinking very much along those lines. The old Dimitri was a good partner on the road, but I wasn't so sure I liked having his old ability to guess my thoughts back as well. â€Å"This is a waste of time,' I said, gesturing around the car. â€Å"Oh? You have better things to do than flee the people who want to lock you up and execute you? Please don't tell me again that this is too dangerous for me.' I glared. â€Å"It's about more than just you. Running away shouldn't be my only concern. I should be helping clear my name, not hiding in whatever remote place you're undoubtedly taking me to. The answers are at Court.' â€Å"And you have lots of friends at Court who will be working on that. It'll be easier on them if they know you're safe.' â€Å"What I want to know is why no one told me about this–or, I mean, why Lissa didn't. Why'd she hide it? Don't you think I'd have been more helpful if I'd been ready?' â€Å"We did the fighting, not you,' Dimitri said. â€Å"We were afraid if you knew, you might give away that something was up.' â€Å"I would have never told!' â€Å"Not intentionally, no. But if you were tense or anxious †¦ well, your guards can pick up on those kinds of things.' â€Å"Well, now that we're out, can you tell me where we're going? Was I right? Is it some crazy, remote place?' No answer. I narrowed my eyes at him. â€Å"I hate not being in the loop.' That tiny smile on his lips grew a little bigger. â€Å"Well, I have my own personal theory that the more you don't know, the more your curiosity is likely to make sure you stick around with me.' â€Å"That's ridiculous,' I replied, though really, it wasn't all that unreasonable of a theory. I sighed. â€Å"When the hell did things get so out of control? When did you guys start being the masterminds? I'm the one who comes up with the wacky, impossible plans. I'm supposed to be the general here. Now I'm barely a lieutenant.' He started to say something else but then froze for a few seconds, his face instantly taking on that wary, lethal guardian look. He swore in Russian. â€Å"What's wrong?' I asked. His attitude was contagious, and I immediately forgot all thoughts of crazy plans. In the erratic flash of headlights from oncoming traffic, I could see his eyes dart up to the rearview mirror. â€Å"We have a tail. I didn't think it would happen this soon.' â€Å"Are you sure?' It had grown dark, and the number of cars on the highway had increased. I didn't know how anyone could spot one suspicious car among that many, but well †¦ he was Dimitri. He swore again and suddenly, in a maneuver that made me grab the dashboard, he cut sharply across two lanes, barely missing a minivan that expressed its annoyance with a lot of honking. There was an exit right there, and he just barely made it without clipping the exit ramp's rail. I heard more honking, and when I looked back, I saw the headlights of a car that had made just as crazy a move to follow us onto the exit. â€Å"The Court must have gotten the word out pretty fast,' he said. â€Å"They had someone watching the interstates.' â€Å"Maybe we should have taken back roads.' He shook his head. â€Å"Too slow. None of it would have been an issue once we switched cars, but they found us too soon. We'll have to get a new one here. This is the biggest city we'll hit before the Maryland border.' A sign said we were in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and as Dimitri skillfully drove us down a busy, commerce-filled road, I could see the tail mirroring everything we did. â€Å"What exactly is your plan to get a new car?' I asked warily. â€Å"Listen carefully,' he said, ignoring my question. â€Å"It is very, very important that you do exactly as I say. No improvising. No arguing. There are guardians in that car, and by now, they've alerted every other guardian around here–possibly even the human police.' â€Å"Wouldn't the police catching us create a few problems?' â€Å"The Alchemists would sort it out and make sure we ended up back with the Moroi.' The Alchemists. I should have known they'd get involved. They were a secret society of humans who helped protect Moroi and dhampir interests, keeping us out of the mainstream human public. Of course, the Alchemists didn't do it out of kindness. They thought we were evil and unnatural and mostly wanted to make sure we stayed on the fringes of their society. An escaped â€Å"criminal' like me would certainly be a problem they would want to help the Moroi with. Dimitri's voice was hard and commanding when he spoke again, though his eyes weren't on me. They were busy scanning the sides of the road. â€Å"No matter what you think of the choices everyone's been making for you, no matter how unhappy you are with this situation, you know–I know you do–that I've never failed you when our lives were at stake. You trusted me in the past. Trust me now.' I wanted to tell him that what he said wasn't entirely true. He had failed me. When he'd been taken down by Strigoi, when he'd shown that he wasn't perfect, he had failed me by shattering the impossible, godly image I had of him. But my life? No, he had always kept mine safe. Even as a Strigoi, I'd never entirely been convinced he could kill me. The night the Academy had been attacked, when he'd been turned, he'd told me to obey him without question too. It had meant leaving him to fight Strigoi, but I'd done it. â€Å"Okay,' I said quietly. â€Å"I'll do whatever you say. Just remember not to talk down to me. I'm not your student anymore. I'm your equal now.' He glanced away from the side of the road just long enough to give me a surprised look. â€Å"You've always been my equal, Roza.' The use of the affectionate Russian nickname made me too stupid to respond, but it didn't matter. Moments later, he was all business again. â€Å"There. Do you see that movie theater sign?' I gazed down the road. There were so many restaurants and stores that their signs made a glittering haze in the night. At last, I saw what he meant. WESTLAND CINEMA. â€Å"Yes.' â€Å"That's where we're going to meet.' We were splitting up? I'd wanted to part ways but not like this. In the face of danger, separating suddenly seemed like an awful idea. I'd promised not to argue, though, and kept listening. â€Å"If I'm not there in a half hour, you call this number and go without me.' Dimitri handed me a small piece of paper from his duster pocket. It had a phone number scrawled on it, not one I recognized. If I'm not there in a half hour. The words were so shocking that I couldn't help my protest this time. â€Å"What do you mean if you're not–ah!' Dimitri made another abrupt turn, one that caused him to run a red light and only narrowly miss a number of cars. More honking ensued, but the move had been too sudden for our tail to keep up. I saw our pursuers whiz past on the main road, brake lights flashing as they searched for a place to turn around. Dimitri had taken us into a mall parking lot. It was packed with cars, and I glanced at the clock to get a grasp for human time. Almost eight o'clock at night. Early in the Moroi day, prime entertainment time for humans. He drove past a few entrances to the mall and finally selected one, pulling into a handicap spot. He was out of the car in one fluid motion, with me following just as quickly. â€Å"Here's where we split up,' he said jogging toward a set of doors. â€Å"Move fast, but don't run when we're inside. Don't attract attention. Blend in. Wind through it for a little bit; then get out through any exit but this one. Walk out near a group of humans and then head for the theater.' We stepped into the mall. â€Å"Go!' As though afraid I might not move, he gave me a small push toward an escalator while he took off on the main floor. There was a part of me that wanted to just freeze and stand there, that felt dumbfounded by the sudden onslaught of people, light, and activity. I soon pushed that startled part aside and began heading up the escalator. Fast reflexes and instinctual reactions were part of my training. I'd honed them in school, in my travels, and with him. Everything I'd been taught about eluding someone came rushing back to my head. What I wanted to do more than anything was look around and see if I had a follower, but that would have definitely attracted attention. I had to imagine that, at most, we had a couple minutes' lead on our pursuers. They would have had to turn around to get back to the mall and then circle to spot our car, presuming they figured out we'd gone into the mall. I didn't think Harrisburg had enough of a Moroi presence to summon very many guardians on short notice. The ones they had would likely split up, some searching the mall and some guarding the entrances. This place had too many doors for the guardians to watch them all; my escape choice would be pure luck. I walked as fast as I reasonably could, weaving through couples, families with strollers, and giggling teens. I envied that last group. Their lives seemed so easy compared to mine. I also passed the usual mall stores, their names registering but not much more: Ann Taylor, Abercrombie, Forever 21 †¦ Ahead of me, I could see the center of the mall where several corridors branched out. I'd have a choice to make soon. Passing an accessories store, I ducked inside and pretended to look at headbands. As I did, I covertly glanced back out to the mall's main section. I saw nothing obvious. No one had stopped; no one had followed me into the store. Beside the headbands section was a clearance bin filled with items that obviously deserved to be on clearance. One item was a â€Å"girly' baseball cap, hot pink with a star done in rainbow rhinestones on the front. It was god-awful. I bought it, grateful the guardians hadn't taken away the meager cash I'd had on me when arrested. They probably figured it wasn't enough to bribe anyone. I also bought a ponytail holder, all the while still keeping an eye on the store's doorway. Before leaving, I bound my hair up as much as I could with the holder and then put on the hat. There was something silly about being reduced to disguises, but my hair was an easy way to ID me. It was a deep, almost-black brown, and my lack of any recent haircut had it hanging to my mid-back. In fact, between that and Dimitri's height, we would have made a very conspicuous pair walking through here. I merged back into the shoppers and soon reached the mall's center. Not wanting to show any hesitation, I took a left toward Macy's. As I walked, I felt slightly embarrassed at the hat and wished I'd at least had time to find a more stylish one. Minutes later, when I spotted a guardian, I was glad I'd made such a quick fashion choice. He was near one of those carts you always see in the center of malls, pretending to be interested in cell phone covers. I recognized him first because of his stance and the way he was managing to act interested in a zebra print phone cover while simultaneously searching around him. Plus, dhampirs could always distinguish each other from humans with close enough examination. For the most part, our two races appeared pretty identical, but I could spot one of my own. I made sure not to look right at him and felt his eyes pass over me. I didn't know him, which meant he probably didn't know me either. He was likely going off a photo he'd seen once and expected my hair to be a big giveaway. Keeping as casual an air as I could, I moved past him at a leisurely pace, glancing in windows that kept my back to him but sent no obvious messages that I was on the run. All the while, my heart pounded in my chest. Guardians could kill me on sight. Did that apply to the middle of a mall? I didn't want to find out. When I was clear of the cart, I picked up my pace a little. Macy's would have its own outside door, and now it was just a gamble to see whether or not I'd made a good call coming in this direction. I entered the store, went down its escalator, and headed toward the main floor exit–passing a very nice selection of cute berets and fedoras. I paused near them, not because I planned on upgrading my hat, but because it allowed me to fall in step just behind a group of girls who were also exiting. We left the store together, and my eyes quickly adjusted to the change in light. There were lots of people around, but I again saw nothing threatening. My girls stopped to chat, giving me an opportunity to get my bearings without appearing totally lost. To my right, I spotted the busy road Dimitri and I had come in on, and from there, I knew how to get to the movie theater. I exhaled in relief and cut across the parking lot, still watching my surroundings. The farther I walked from the mall, the less crowded the parking lot became. Lampposts kept it from being totally dark, but there was still an eerie feel as things grew quieter and quieter. My initial impulse was to head right for the road and take the sidewalk directly to the theater. It was well lit and had people. But a moment later, I decided it was too conspicuous. I was pretty sure I could cut across parking lots much more quickly to get to the theater. It proved true–kind of. I had the theater in sight when I realized I had been followed after all. Not far ahead of me, the shadow of a parking lamp's post didn't cast correctly. The shadow was too broad. Someone was behind the pole. I doubted a guardian had coincidentally picked this spot in the hopes Dimitri or I would come by. Most likely it was a scout who'd seen me and circled ahead for an ambush. I kept walking, trying not to obviously slow down, though every muscle in my body was tensing for attack. I had to be the one who attacked first. I had to be in control. My moment came, seconds before I suspected my ambusher would have made his move. I leapt out, throwing him–it turned out to be a dhampir I didn't recognize– against a nearby car. Yup. I'd surprised him. Of course, the surprise was mutual when the car's alarm went off, blaring into the night. I winced, trying to ignore the shrieking as I punched my captive on the left side of his jaw. I had to make the most of having him pinned. The force of my fist knocked his head against the car, but he took it admirably, promptly pushing back in an effort to free himself. He was stronger, and I did stumble a little, but not enough to lose my balance. What I lacked in strength, I made up for in speed. I dodged each attempt at me, but it brought me little satisfaction. That stupid car alarm was still going strong, and it was eventually going to attract the attention of other guardians or human authorities. I dashed around the side of the car, and he gave chase, stopping when we were on opposite sides. It was like two kids playing keep-away. We mirrored each other as he tried to anticipate which direction I'd go. In the dim lighting, I saw something surprising tucked into his belt: a gun. My blood ran cold. Guardians were trained to use guns but rarely carried them. Stakes were our weapon of choice. We were in the business of killing Strigoi, after all, and guns were ineffective. But against me? Yeah. A gun simplified his job, but I had a feeling he'd hesitate to use it. A car alarm could be blamed on someone accidentally getting too close, but a gunshot? That would elicit a call to the police. This guy wouldn't fire if he could help it–but he would if he ran out of options. This needed to end soon. At last I made a move toward the front of the car. He tried to intercept me, but then I surprised him by springing onto the car's hood (because honestly, at this point, it wasn't like the alarm could get any louder). In my split second of advantage, I threw myself off the car and onto him, knocking him flat to the ground. I landed on top of his stomach and held him down with all my weight while my hands went around his neck. He struggled, trying to throw me off, and nearly succeeded. At last, the lack of air won out. He stopped moving and fell into unconsciousness. I let go. For a brief moment, I had a flashback to our escape from Court, when I'd used the same technique on Meredith. I saw her lying on the ground all over again and felt that same pang of guilt. Then, I shook it off. Meredith was okay. Meredith wasn't even here. None of that mattered. All that mattered was that this guy was out of commission, and I had to get out of here. Now. Without looking to see if others were coming, I tore off across the parking lot toward the theater. I stopped once I had some distance between me and the wailing car, using another car as cover. I saw no one near the guy yet, but over by the parking lot's front, close to the mall, there seemed to be some activity. I didn't stick around to get a closer look. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good for me. I reached the theater a couple minutes later, breathless more from fear than exhaustion. Running endurance was something I had built up a lot of, thanks to Dimitri. But where was Dimitri? Theatergoers mingled around, some giving my disheveled state an odd look, as they either waited for tickets or discussed what movie they'd just seen. I saw no sign of Dimitri anywhere. I had no watch. How long had passed since we'd parted? Surely not a half hour. I walked around the theater, staying obscured in the crowd, searching for any indication of Dimitri or more pursuers. Nothing. Minutes ticked by. Uneasily, I reached into my pocket and touched the piece of paper with the phone number. Leave, he'd told me. Leave and call the number. Of course, I had no cell phone, but that was the least of my problems right now– â€Å"Rose!' A car pulled up at the curb where others were dropping people off. Dimitri was leaning out the driver's side window, and I nearly fell over in relief. Well, okay, not nearly. In reality, I didn't waste a moment in hurrying over to him and hopping into the passenger seat. Without a word, he hit the gas and got us away from the theater and back to the main road. We said nothing at first. He was so wound up and on edge, it seemed the slightest provocation would make him snap in half. He drove as fast as he could without attracting police attention, all the while glancing into the rearview mirror. â€Å"Is there anyone behind us?' I asked at last, as he drove back onto the highway. â€Å"It doesn't look like it. It'll take them a while to figure out what car we're in.' I hadn't paid much attention when I'd entered, but we were in a Honda Accord– another ordinary-looking car. I also noticed that there was no key in the ignition. â€Å"Did you hotwire this car?' I then rephrased my question. â€Å"Did you steal this car?' â€Å"You have an interesting set of morals,' he observed. â€Å"Breaking out of jail is okay. But steal a car, and you sound totally outraged.' â€Å"Im just more surprised than outraged,' I said, leaning back against the seat. I sighed. â€Å"I was afraid †¦ well, for a moment there, I was afraid you weren't coming. That they'd caught you or something.' â€Å"No. Most of my time was spent sneaking out and finding a suitable car.' A few minutes of silence fell. â€Å"You didn't ask what happened to me,' I pointed out, a little miffed. â€Å"Don't need to. You're here. That's what counts.' â€Å"I got in a fight.' â€Å"I can tell. Your sleeve is ripped.' I glanced down. Yup, ripped. I'd also lost the hat in my mad dash. No big loss. â€Å"Don't you want to know anything about the fight?' His eyes stayed on the road ahead of us. â€Å"I already know. You took down your enemy. You did it fast, and you did it well. Because you're just that good.' I pondered his words for a moment. They were matter-of-fact, all business †¦ and yet, his statement brought a tiny smile to my lips. â€Å"Okay. So what now, General? Don't you think they'll scan reports of stolen cars and get our license plate number?' â€Å"Likely. But by then, we'll have a new car–one they won't have any clue about.' I frowned. â€Å"How are you pulling that off?' â€Å"We're meeting someone in a few hours.' â€Å"Damn it. I really hate being the last one to know about everything.' â€Å"A few hours' put us in Roanoke, Virginia. Most of our drive had passed uneventfully up until that point. But as the city came into view, I noticed Dimitri watching the exit signs until he found the one he wanted. Turning off the interstate, he continued checking for a tail and found none. We reached another commerce-filled road, and he drove to a McDonald's that stood out clearly from the rest of the businesses. â€Å"I don't suppose,' I said, â€Å"that this is a food break?' â€Å"This,' he responded, â€Å"is where we catch our next ride.' He drove around the restaurant's parking lot, his eyes scanning for something, though I didn't initially know what. I spotted it a fraction of a second before he did. In the far corner of the lot, I saw a woman leaning against a tan SUV, her back to us. I couldn't see much of her except that she wore a dark shirt and had tousled blond hair that almost touched her shoulders. Dimitri pulled into the spot next to her vehicle, and I was out of ours the second he hit the brake. I recognized her before she even turned around. â€Å"Sydney?' The name came out as a question, though I knew for sure it was her. Her head turned, and I saw a familiar face–a human face–with brown eyes that could turn amber in the sun and a faint gold tattoo on her cheek. â€Å"Hey, Rose,' she said, a rueful smile playing on her lips. She held up a McDonald's bag. â€Å"Figured you'd be hungry.'