Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Applying lewin theory Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Applying lewin theory - Case Study Example This was to ensure why change was necessary and be able to let go of the present comfort zone. He recognized all the risks of making big changes in himself, the company as well as the colleagues but he was prepared to take action to every reaction. In this stage he expected complains from his colleagues due to the changes he was making. The change involved having a leaderless team, change the company’s name and lay off the current supervisor of the group. This was the second stage which involved implementing the required changes and coming up with more efficient and effective ideas after all the team members have agreed to the same. Glen requested reinstatement by filing grievances and John allowed him to stay in the group but not as the group leader. John weighed all his options and decided that the teams should not inquire anything from him instead they should review everything they discuss in their group meetings. This was to empower them to their desired destiny as they would have opportunities to control their own work. This stage was involved moving the work mates and the entire business to incentive for transformation. The changes made by John were not easy for Glen and other team members in the company. The first team meeting they had after the changes, they did not know how to proceed since they did not have someone to give them such details (Simms & Knowledge, 2005). William who had always thought of being a team leader volunteered to start off the meeting but he did not know what to tell the rest of the team. Though William had never been a formal team leader before, he was allowed to stand in to ensure that meetings were held. The next meeting they he came with ideas of how to improve the company but the rest of the team members never agreed on his thoughts instead, they spent the rest of the meeting voting on things they
Monday, October 28, 2019
A Revelation to me Essay Example for Free
A Revelation to me Essay When I was a kid, I got almost anything I wanted. I had travelled to China and seen the Great Wall. I travelled to Brisbane to see the Coral Reef and I even travelled to Italy and saw places like the Coliseum and the Sistine Chapel. However, to me, Singapore was the be all and end all of the world. I had lived there for 11 years and all my wants and needs were met on that small island. I could walk anywhere without worrying about getting kidnapped. I could take a taxi and not worry about the driver cheating you. I could even leave the house 10 minutes for a lesson and not worry about being late. I had a lovely school, a nice group of international friends and moreover a house in a pristine location. All was good. One day, my dad was at work and my brother was at a sleepover. My mother took me to my favorite restaurant at that timeMcDonalds. I knew something was fishy, because I hadnt done anything good, but I went along with it. Then she brought me a FULL Meal. Hmmmmsuspicious but I again parried it off. Then she upsized it. Ok! Something was wrong. So when I went to the table to eat my Upsized, full meal of McDonalds, I asked my mum Whats going on? Whats the special occasion? And she replied, Nothing Rushad. Cant we just have a mother, son outing? I looked at her in the eye and I could tell something was wrong. Ok, fine. She said. Paused. Took a bite from her burger. Swallowed. Then said We are moving from Singapore. Dont lie. I laughed. You cant be serious! MUM! But she just shook her head, like a bothered elephant and said Im sorry. But I dont want to move. And she told me the words I will never forget: Life is like McDonalds. One day you get the Big Mac, whilst others you just get simple Chicken Nuggets. However, sometimes, you only get whats available and have no say in the matter. Do you think a chicken wants to be killed to fill your stomach? Or a cow slaughtered to fill you up? No, sometimes, you have to accept defeat and walk along the path your life has chosen. This was a turning point in my life. I realized that in life, you dont always get what you wanted. Fortunately, some people learn this in simple ways such as not winning the game you wanted, or not getting that pretty girl to go out with you. Unfortunately for me, I learnt this the hard way. Leaving all that I knew behind, to start a fresh life in Jakarta. Sometimes you only want something, like staying in Singapore, because its the safe way out. However, moving to Jakarta was a risk and a scary adventure.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Ernets Hemingway Essay example -- essays research papers fc
Ernest Hemingway I.     Introduction to Ernest Hemingway II.     Life and Times A.     Early Life 1.     Birth 2.     Parents 3.     Influences 4.     Siblings 5.     Hobbies B.     Adulthood 1.     War 2.     Influences 3.     Marriage and Children 4.     Tragedies/Illnesses 5.     Death III.     Literary Style A.     Unique B.     Very Influential IV.     Famous Works A.     Novels 1.     Three Stories and Ten Poems 2.     A Farewell to Arms 3.     The Old Man and the Sea B.     Short stories 1.     â€Å"Men Without Women†2.     â€Å"The Fifth Column and the First Forty-nine Stories†V.     Conclusion Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American novelist and short-story writer, whose style was characterized by crisp, laconic dialogue, and emotional understatements. Hemingway’s writing and his personal life extended a profound influence on American writers of his time. Many of his works are regarded as classics of American literature and some have been made into motion pictures. Ernest Hemingway was born July 21, 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois. His parents were Dr. Clarence Hemingway and Grace Hall Hemingway. Ernest was the second child of six. His father was an accomplished physician and his mother was enthusiastic musician. Ernest Hemingway loved to accompany his father on outdoor activities such as hunting or fishing, although his mother would have preferred her son to be more influenced by music. His love for the outdoors would later show up in his writing as an accomplished author. He loved to play with his brothers and sister although most of them were younger then him. He had four sisters and one brother. He played football and boxed on a regular basis. Hemingway’s interest in energetic activities carried on through his high ... ...In 1952 Ernest Hemingway published the book that is widely acknowledged as his masterpiece, The Old Man and the Sea, redeeming his literary reputation after the critical attacks which had greeted his first post-war novel. Hemingway also wrote renowned short stories. â€Å"Men Without Women†(1927) was Ernest Hemingway's second major collection of short stories. Most of which are somehow related to a war, World War I, to be exact. â€Å"The Fifth Column and the First Forty-nine Stories†(1938) collected all of the short stories Ernest Hemingway had published up to that date and his only full-length play, The Fifth Column. Ernest Hemingway was a magnificent author. He incorporated his life in his works. His life was full of tragedy but was also filled with glee. In my opinion he is one of the greatest authors in American Literature. Works Cited â€Å"Biography of Ernest Hemingway.†ClassicNotes: Ernest Hemingway. 2004. GradeSaver. 23 March 2004 â€Å"Ernest Hemingway.†The Language of Literature – American Literature. Dallas: McDougal Litell, 2000. â€Å"Ernest Hemingway.†Wikipedia. 2004. MediaWiki. 23 Mar 2004 â€Å"Hemingway, Ernest (Miller) 1899-1961.†2000 A & E Television Networks. 23 March 2004. Ernets Hemingway Essay example -- essays research papers fc Ernest Hemingway I.     Introduction to Ernest Hemingway II.     Life and Times A.     Early Life 1.     Birth 2.     Parents 3.     Influences 4.     Siblings 5.     Hobbies B.     Adulthood 1.     War 2.     Influences 3.     Marriage and Children 4.     Tragedies/Illnesses 5.     Death III.     Literary Style A.     Unique B.     Very Influential IV.     Famous Works A.     Novels 1.     Three Stories and Ten Poems 2.     A Farewell to Arms 3.     The Old Man and the Sea B.     Short stories 1.     â€Å"Men Without Women†2.     â€Å"The Fifth Column and the First Forty-nine Stories†V.     Conclusion Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American novelist and short-story writer, whose style was characterized by crisp, laconic dialogue, and emotional understatements. Hemingway’s writing and his personal life extended a profound influence on American writers of his time. Many of his works are regarded as classics of American literature and some have been made into motion pictures. Ernest Hemingway was born July 21, 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois. His parents were Dr. Clarence Hemingway and Grace Hall Hemingway. Ernest was the second child of six. His father was an accomplished physician and his mother was enthusiastic musician. Ernest Hemingway loved to accompany his father on outdoor activities such as hunting or fishing, although his mother would have preferred her son to be more influenced by music. His love for the outdoors would later show up in his writing as an accomplished author. He loved to play with his brothers and sister although most of them were younger then him. He had four sisters and one brother. He played football and boxed on a regular basis. Hemingway’s interest in energetic activities carried on through his high ... ...In 1952 Ernest Hemingway published the book that is widely acknowledged as his masterpiece, The Old Man and the Sea, redeeming his literary reputation after the critical attacks which had greeted his first post-war novel. Hemingway also wrote renowned short stories. â€Å"Men Without Women†(1927) was Ernest Hemingway's second major collection of short stories. Most of which are somehow related to a war, World War I, to be exact. â€Å"The Fifth Column and the First Forty-nine Stories†(1938) collected all of the short stories Ernest Hemingway had published up to that date and his only full-length play, The Fifth Column. Ernest Hemingway was a magnificent author. He incorporated his life in his works. His life was full of tragedy but was also filled with glee. In my opinion he is one of the greatest authors in American Literature. Works Cited â€Å"Biography of Ernest Hemingway.†ClassicNotes: Ernest Hemingway. 2004. GradeSaver. 23 March 2004 â€Å"Ernest Hemingway.†The Language of Literature – American Literature. Dallas: McDougal Litell, 2000. â€Å"Ernest Hemingway.†Wikipedia. 2004. MediaWiki. 23 Mar 2004 â€Å"Hemingway, Ernest (Miller) 1899-1961.†2000 A & E Television Networks. 23 March 2004.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Eating Disorders and Pregnancy Essays -- Health Birth Nutrition Papers
Eating Disorders and Pregnancy Pregnancy has often been viewed as a period of great developmental change for women. This is also a period in which previously dormant psychological issues rise to the surface and when current issues have the potential to worsen. Because anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa occur primarily in young women, many of whom are of childbearing age, it is important to evaluate the potential medical and psychological consequences when an eating disordered woman becomes pregnant. During pregnancy, conflicts about body changes, alterations in roles, additions of responsibility, and concerns about a woman’s own mothering abilities are prevalent. Many of these concerns are also of great importance to the psychology of eating disorders. Thus, it is not surprising that anorexic and bulimic women have unique problems during their pregnancies (Franko and Walton 1993). The potential for pregnancy to exert a positive or negative influence on eating disorder symptoms is inconclusive. Some studies report a decline in symptoms, while other report heightened symptomatology. However, it has been found that when an eating disorder is present during a pregnancy, the risk of complications is increased (Conti 1998). Anorexia Nervosa and Pregnancy Pregnancy in patients with anorexia nervosa is rarely suspected. Amenorrhea (lack of menstruation) is invariably present and is often accompanied by sensations that resemble symptoms of pregnancy. These symptoms include a bloated abdomen, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. The detection of conception in anorectic patients is often delayed, and the consequences can be severe (Bonne, Rubinoff and Berry 1995). The course of pregna... ...: A Review and Clinical Implications.†International Journal of Eating Disorders. 1993 Jan; Vol. 13(1): 41-48. Lacey, J.H., and Smith, G. â€Å"Bulimia Nervosa: The Impact of Pregnancy on Mother and Baby.†British Journal of Psychiatry. 1987; Vol. 150: 777-781. Stein, A., H. Woolley, S.D. Cooper, and C.G. Fairburn. â€Å"An Observational Study of Mothers with Eating Disorders and Their Infants.†Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 1994; Vol.35 (4): 733-748. Turton, Penelope, et al. â€Å"Incidence and Demographic Correlates of Eating Disorder Symptoms in a Pregnant Population.†International Journal of Eating Disorders.1999 Dec; Vol. 26(4): 448-452. Waugh, Elizabeth and Cynthia M. Bulik. â€Å"Offspring of Women with Eating Disorders.†International Journal of Eating Disorders. 1999 Mar; Vol. 25(2): 123-133.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Coke Financial Structure
[pic] Andrea R. Hart GB550: Financial Management August 24, 2011 The Abstract The topic of this research paper will be about the capital structure of Coca Cola, This paper serves as a comparison of debt and equity. It will help determine the true value of the company while also determining what their free cash flow is and the risk level for the organization. The question that this research will try to answer is if the 125 year old company is financially ready for another 125 years. The company needs to remain liquid and keep its operating costs low during times of inflation.The methodology that will be used will be multiple financial ratios to determine how the organization is operating and compare to times of exponential increases in profits. My expected findings will be that Coca Cola will have a minimal amount of free cash flow. There would be enough to remain liquid but also to remain flexible in starting new product lines or new investments. Coca Cola already operates in over 20 0 countries and should seek to expand advertising efforts in recently adopted countries. I anticipate that the company has endured over 125 years of economical, political and social upheavals.Financial StatementsI hope to conclude that although there could be unpredicted unprecedented environmental events that Coca Cola will be able to continue operate. Table of Contents A preview of capital structure issues†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦4 Business and financial risks related to capital structure†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 5 Modigliani and Miller’s [MM] capital structure theory †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 Criticisms of the MM model and assumptions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 Capital structure evidence and implications†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7Estimating the firm’s optimal capital structure†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦8 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9 A preview of capital structure issues Capital structures of companies are based on the amount of debt and equity a company holds. When a company begins to increase their debt the company becomes more of a risk to investors because the compa ny now has a higher chance that it may not be able to repay its debts. Although if there is more debt an organization taxes can be reduced because the organization is able to take out what it must pay as interest to investors and holders from being taxed.The higher cost of capital translates into a lower fair value estimate, and vice versa; furthermore, seemingly small changes in cost of capital can make a significant difference in a stock's fair value (Kathman, 2002). The giant beverage maker, that’s in a fairly stable environment does not have very much debt. The company in the non-alcoholic beverage industry, Coca Cola’s cost of equity of 8. 6% when the industry average is 11. 67% and is a large influence on the WACC of 8. 4%. Although the company incurs an 8. 6 % cost on the equity the company has averaged a return on equity for the past five years of 30. %. A Company with a high weighted average cost of capital could be considered a risky company or a company in a risky industry that mainly uses equity for funding. Coca Cola’s debt to equity ratio is 23% however the total debt to equity has been on average for the past five years at 51% showing that the company uses only half debt to finance growth within the company which is accurate for a company that is not quite so capital intensive. Although the company finds itself in a well established industry, it must still make investments and use 51% of debt to finance the new growth.WACC and Free Cash Flows impact a company’s value. FCF is what would come back to a company after the investment was made to enhance the company. FCF can determine if it is worth to take on an investment. Coca Cola’s current Free Cash Flow is -546. 8 (COCA COLA CO (NYSE:KO ), 2011). Business and financial risks related to capital structure There are many factors that could play into the financial risk of Coca Cola. The company itself, affiliates, subsidiaries, licensed distributers and bottlers ar e a risk factor to Coca Cola.Bottlers generate a significant portion of Coke’s net operating revenues by selling concentrates and syrups to independent bottling partners. In 2009, approximately 79 percent of our worldwide unit case volume was produced and distributed by bottling partners in which the Company did not have a controlling interest (ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS, 2010). The company also operates internationally which is additional business and financial risk to the company. International economies and political environments become a risk to an American investor when considering purchasing securities.Some business risk of the company includes the availability in Coca Cola’s special ingredient of extracted coca leaf, the sustainment of a network that spans 200 countries, health concerns that cause a reduction in market demands. For the company to ensure that it has enough cash flows must be able to have the infrastructure to handle the large amount of demands. Being that Coca Cola is an international company it has opened its doors to many more financial risks. Risks with their international counterparts include fluctuations in foreign currency and exchange rates effecting financial results (ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS, 2010).If interest rates rise or new tax laws are set it would negatively impact net income. Increase in costsdue to shortages of supplies or materials to produce products or changes in accounting standards can all affect the risks of the company. Coca Cola monitors exposure to financial market risks using several objective measurement systems, including value-at-risk models. Value-at-risk calculations use a historical simulation model to estimate potential future losses in the fair value of our derivatives and other financial instruments that could occur as a result of adverse movements in foreign currency and interest rates (ITEM 7A.QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK, 2011). Modigliani and Miller’s [MM] capital structure theory The underlying and basic assumption of the Modigliani and Miller Capital Structure Theory is that there is no major difference if a company were to fund its operations with the use of debt or using equity. The 1958 Modigliani-Miller Theorem was initially designed to show that the corporation's capital structure decisions are not value increasing or decreasing; it has, however, become apparent that the theorem is far more general (MacMinn, 2011).The theory rests on assumptions that there are no brokers or bankruptcy costs, no taxes and that investors can borrow at the same rate as the corporations and that EBIT is not affected by the use of debt. In 1991 Miller explained that the theory any gain from using more of what might seem to be cheaper debt is offset by the higher cost of now riskier equity and given a fixed amount of total capital, the allocation of capital between debt and equity is irrelevant because the weighted average of the two costs of capita l to the firm is the same for all possible combinations of the two (Villamil, 2010).Criticisms of the MM model and assumptions The same assumptions that the Modigliani and Miller Capital Structure Theory is based on have been criticized. While the three Modigliani and Miller propositions make good sense and have become widely known there has been disagreement. Capital Structures that are designed to enhance value, the majority of the value is from the decisions that are made by financial managers. The value in the company is from the strategy that makes and it is the duty of the financial manager to make sure that the capital structure supports the strategy that the company is trying to pursue.Further, Coca Cola, initial strategy was to sell Ice cold Coca Cola’s to its customers. The company was able to successfully change its strategy to only produce the syrup, the process was able to be broken down and both are able to reap values and benefits. By leaving capital structures to be independently determined by the bottlers and distributors, the structure of Coca Cola Holland and Coca Cola Japan to be different. Other theories have been created in spite of the MM model such as the Trade-Off Theory which takes into consideration the costs of bankruptcy.Capital structure evidence and implications Because of the low debt that Coca Cola has it also carries a low rate for taxes. In the last 5 years, half of Coke’s worldwide investments include almost $20 billion dollars in capital expenditures and acquisitions in the U. S. In addition, each year, we invest over $10 billion dollars in our supply chain in the U. S.  including $208 million dollars that was spent this past year on supplies (Kent, 2010). In 2010, The Coca Cola Company acquired Coca Cola Enterprises (CCE) assets and liabilities.Coca Cola by purchasing CCE, Coke will have a $100 million net pre-tax income benefit, however after adjusting to the impact of the full value of the stand alo ne debt Coke will have acquired a $200 million interest expense reduction. However Coke stands to benefit from the overall transaction with a pre tax benefit in 2011 of an estimated $300 million (Investors Information, 2010). CCE is still set to acquire bottlers in Germany, Sweden and Norway as part of the deal. With Coke becoming a producer and now a larger owner in bottling, this has changed the capital structure of the company.Estimating the firm’s optimal capital structure During the acquisition of Coca Cola Enterprises (CCE) assets and liabilities, Coca Cola’s shares decreased while CCE increased. â€Å"With this transaction, we are converting passive capital into active capital, giving us direct control over our investment in North America to accelerate growth and drive long-term profitability Coke said, with the transactions that are expected to generate operational cost savings of approximately $350 million over four years for Coca-Cola and will add to earning s by 2012 (Gelsi & Spain, 2010).The current estimate of Coke’s cost of debt is 7% as well as the WACC. (Coca Cola (KO) Stock Research, Equity Ratings, News & Analysis , 2911). If this amount were to increase it is possible that it could also increase the risk to investors. Coke’s beta has been reported at . 59 and for the non-alcoholic beverage industry is average. With their current capital structure Coke has had a steady 6% in revenue growth. The company also recently acquired CCE their debts, liabilities as well as CCE’s acquisitions which is why Coke’s shares declined by 3. % (Gelsi & Spain, 2010). These changes were brought about due to economical conditions and felt the need to take over more operations. Although this acquisition effected their shares in the short term, the company has estimated that this change will save the company almost $350 million in operational costs in four years and will begin generating income by 2012. References Coca Cola (KO) Stock Research, Equity Ratings, News & Analysis . (2911). Retrieved August 23, 2011, from ValueInvesting 2. 0: http://www. wikiwealth. com/research:koCOCA COLA CO (NYSE:KO ). (2011, August). Retrieved August 23, 2011, from Forbes. Com: http://finapps. forbes. com/finapps/jsp/finance/compinfo/Ratios. jsp? tkr=KO Ehrhardt, M. C. , & Brigham, E. F. (2009). Financial Management: Theory and Practice. Mason: South-Western. Freeland, K. , Gabruk, B. , Laidlaw, K. , Levine, J. , Michaels, M. , & Schramm, G. (1998, May 4). The Beverage Industry: This One’s on the House! Retrieved August 23, 2011, from Stern NYU. Edu: http://people. stern. nyu. edu/adamodar/pdfiles/cfprojs/beverage. df Gelsi, S. , & Spain, W. (2010, Feb 25). Coca-Cola buying CCE North American bottling business. Retrieved Aug 23, 2011, from The Wall Street Journal: MarketWatch: http://www. marketwatch. com/story/coca-cola-buying-north-american-unit-of-cce-2010-02-25 Hines, J. J. (2007, March). Capital Structure w ith Risky Foreign Investment. Retrieved August 11, 2011, from Harvard Business School: http://www. people. hbs. edu/ffoley/riskycap. pdf Investors Information. (2010, Dec 14). Retrieved Aug 23, 2011, from The Coca Cola Company: ttp://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/investors/pdfs/modeling_2010. pdf ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS. (2010). Retrieved August 23, 2011, from The Coca Cola Company. Com: http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/investors/pdfs/10-K_2009/04_Coca-Cola_Item1A-1B. pdf ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK. (2011). Retrieved August 23, 2011, from The Coca Cola Company. Com: http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/investors/pdfs/10-K_2006/Coca-Cola_10-K_Item_07a. pdf Kale, J. R. , Noe, T. H. , & Ramirez, G. G. (Dec. , 1991).The Effect of Business Risk on Corporate Capital Structure: Theory and Evidence. The Journal of Finance , 1693-1715. Kathman, D. (2002, December 20). Why Discount Rates Matter. Retrieved August 23, 2011, from MorningStarNews. Com: h ttp://news. morningstar. com/articlenet/article. aspx? id=84699&_QSBPA=Y Kent, M. (2010, May 19). Enhancing our National Competitiveness. Retrieved August 23, 2011, from The Coca Cola Company: http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/dynamic/leadershipviewpoints/2010/05/enhancing-our-national-competitiveness-is-not-an-option. htmlMacMinn, R. (2011). Theorems in Corporate Finance . Retrieved August 23, 2011, from MacMinn. ORG: http://macminn. org/Fin374/theorems/theorems. html The Coca Cola Company. (2011). Financial Statements. Retrieved August 9, 2011, from The Coca Cola Company. Com: http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/investors/financial_statements. html Villamil, A. P. (2010, March 10). The Modigliani-Miller Theorem. Retrieved August 9, 2011, from Econometrics at the University of Illinois: http://www. econ. uiuc. edu/~avillami/course-files/PalgraveRev_ModiglianiMiller_
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers Free Online Research Papers â€Å"We’re all dead and just hoping that we come back to life when we get into the World again.†In the book Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers you follow a young man named Richard Perry through his time in Vietnam. In this book all of the characters face the same emotions and fears. They all have to face the possibility of death at any moment, the intense love of comrades, and the sorrow of losing a close friend in combat. All of the men deal with facing death and destruction every single day. They have to live with the idea that at any moment they could be killed. During one of the times they went into a village, Perry is almost killed by a VC but the VC’s gun didn’t fire and instead Perry kills him. This is only one incident when the men come face to face with death. The men also develop a strong bond of friendship. After seeing all the terrible things they see every single day they come to understand each other and care about each other strongly. After being together for so long it is not uncommon for them to show strong feelings towards each other that in the World would be thought of as weird. The men understand each others fears and hopes and don’t make fun of each other for crying. This is a bond that will stay with them forever. Each and every man also deals with the loss of a close friend in combat at one point or another. In the beginning a man who came to Nam with Perry, Jenkins, steps on a mine and is blown up right in front of Perry and the other men. This is something that they will grow accustomed to and learn to deal with. All of the men deal with the sadness that follows losing a close friend and that makes them understand each others sadness. It is not uncommon for a man to cry and no one else will make fun of him. In the book Fallen Angles by Walter Dean Myers, the characters all share some of the same experiences and feelings, such as death, comradeship, and losing a close friend. When they are in Nam the men feel as though they are dead and just waiting to get back to the World in order to feel alive again. Research Papers on Fallen Angels by Walter Dean MyersHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayCapital PunishmentThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsThe Fifth HorsemanTwilight of the UAW19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThree Concepts of PsychodynamicHip-Hop is ArtThe Spring and AutumnPersonal Experience with Teen Pregnancy
Monday, October 21, 2019
Kitchen Cabinetâ€Origin of the Term and Its Political Meaning
Kitchen Cabinet- Origin of the Term and Its Political Meaning The Kitchen Cabinet was a mocking term applied to an official circle of advisers to President Andrew Jackson. The term has endured through many decades, and now generally refers to a politicians informal circle of advisers. When Jackson came into office after the bruising election of 1828, he was very distrustful of official Washington. As part of his anti-establishment actions, he began to dismiss government officials who had held the same jobs for years. His reshuffling of the government became known as​ the Spoils System. And in an apparent effort to ensure that power rested with the president, not other people in the government, Jackson appointed fairly obscure or ineffectual men to most of the posts in his cabinet. The only man considered to possess any real political stature in Jacksons cabinet was Martin Van Buren, who was appointed secretary of state. Van Buren had been a very influential figure in politics in New York State, and his ability to bring northern voters in line with Jacksons frontier appeal helped Jackson win the presidency. Jacksons Cronies Wielded the Real Power The real power in Jacksons administration rested with a circle of friends and political cronies who often did not hold official office. Jackson was always a controversial figure, thanks largely to his violent past and mercurial temperament. And opposition newspapers, implying there was something nefarious about the president receiving much unofficial advice, came up with the play on words, kitchen cabinet, to describe the informal group. Jacksons official cabinet was sometimes called the parlor cabinet. The Kitchen Cabinet included newspaper editors, political supporters, and old friends of Jacksons. They tended to support him in such efforts as the Bank War, and the implementation of the Spoils System. Jacksons informal group of advisers became more powerful as Jackson became estranged from people within his own administration. His own vice president, John C. Calhoun, for example, rebelled against Jacksons policies, resigned, and began to instigate what became the Nullification Crisis. The Term Endured In later presidential administrations, the term kitchen cabinet took on a less derisive meaning and simply came to be used to denote a presidents informal advisers. For example, when Abraham Lincoln was serving as president, he was known to correspond with newspaper editors Horace Greeley (of the New York Tribune), James Gordon Bennett (of the New York Herald), and Henry J. Raymond (of the New York Times). Given the complexity of issues Lincoln was dealing with, the advice (and political support) of prominent editors was both welcome and extremely helpful. In the 20th century, a good example of a kitchen cabinet would be the circle of advisers President John F. Kennedy would call upon. Kennedy respected intellectuals and former government officials such as George Kennan, one of the architects of the Cold War. And he would reach out to historians and scholars for informal advice on pressing issues of foreign affairs as well as domestic policy. In modern usage, the kitchen cabinet has generally lost the suggestion of impropriety. Modern presidents are generally expected to rely on a wide range of individuals for advice, and the idea that unofficial persons would be advising the president is not seen as improper, as it had been in Jacksons time.
Sunday, October 20, 2019
congressional project essays
congressional project essays Between these two great men Steve Rothman and Robert Torricelli. I have learned a lot about congressmen and politics but I am going to go into both of their biography and tell you a little about them. Senator Torricelli born Robert Torricelli on August 26, 1951, in New Jersey is where he has spent most of his childhood. Torricelli the son of a school librarian and an attorney, Bobs interest in politics was fueled by his parents and history lessons that he took from his mothers school library. Bob went on to attend University of Rutgers, while there he worked with Brendan Byres successful campaign for governor. After Bob graduated he attended Rutgers law school. Then he worked as a counsel to Vice-President Walter Mondale. Then Bob went to receive his masters degree in public administration from Harvard Universitys Kennedy school of government in 1980. Since then Bob has been in politics, a right now he is a senator in New Jersey. Bob received most of his money from businesses around his hometown. Congressman Rothmans is another great man who rights now lives in Fairlawn, New Jersey. Steven R. Rothmans, a 48 year old moderate democrat represents Bergen and Hudson counties in New Jerseys 9th congressional district. Mr. Rothmans is now serving his 3rd Steve has focused on many issues such as social security and bringing down our national debt. Congressman Rothmans wants the best for New Jersey thats why hes in office. Steve also received money for his campaign from several businesses around New Jersey. The two federal agencies I have chosen to research were the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) and the NSA (National Security Agency). But first I will talk about the CIA because thats my favorite. President Truman created the CIA in 1947 with the signing of the National Security Act. The CIA is an agency, which deals with larger crimes and government politics for the nations secu ...
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Identity theft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words
Identity theft - Essay Example Credit card fraud falls under the category identity theft. Credit card fraud means a fraud or theft committed, using a credit card or any similar payment mechanism. The intention of such a fraud is to obtain unauthorized funds from an account or receive goods without paying. It is estimated that the cost of credit frauds runs in to billions of dollars annually. Credit card fraud begins with either compromise of the account information or theft of the physical card. The drastic increase of credit cards has made data base security lapses very costly. If a credit card is stolen, it can be reported quickly by the owner, but a compromised account can be concealed by a thief for weeks or months. In most cases the owner or the credit card holder may not be able to discover the fraudulent use till he receives the billing statement which is delivered only once per month. When a credit card is stolen or lost, it remains unknown to the bank till the owner informs them that the card is lost. So it is possible for a stealer to make purchases till the card is cancelled. Signature panel is the only common security measures on all cards, but signatures are relatively easy to counterfeit. In some cases, credit cards bear the holder’s photograph. However, self serve payment system such as kiosks, gas station, which are used by the thieves, have no way to verify the card holders’ identity. Nowadays many websites which contain card information such as name of the card holder, account number, expiration date and verification code etc.
Friday, October 18, 2019
CIPD NO.3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
CIPD NO.3 - Essay Example sions in appropriate time while keeping in consideration the important factors that can help in making better decisions or factors that can be effected due to a certain decision made. It is more than often that decisions go wrong and business suffers (Kurtz & Snowden, 2003). This dilemma is not new in organizations and it is important that while making decisions one must; The objective of the learning session is to enhance the decision making abilities of middle and senior managers of the organization, enabling them to make efficient decisions while keeping important environmental factors in consideration. Decision making is the most valued commodity these days and successful leaders aspire to improve their decision making abilities and consistently look for variables that can help them in making more informed decisions. Bad decision making can hurt the repute of the company, result in loss of revenue and lower down the employee morale while good decision making can bring wonders to the organization (Kurtz & Snowden, 2003). Using Cynefin framework, the trainer shall introduce the four decision making situations with appropriate action plans for each while differentiating between ordered and unordered scenarios (Snowden. 2000). A further explanation of how a particular decision delayed can move the issue in to complicated, complex or chaotic situations. Such a transition in situations occur due to wrong assessments, delays and conservative actions. The session also includes use of technology where employees are introduced to software that can help in making better decisions. Software like Microsoft office including project server, Visio and others. Identifying the context is an important aspect of decision making once identified the problem can be resolved by devising the appropriate solution. The learning and development activities used in the learning session on framework for decision making are appropriate because they promote experiential learning, by
Personality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Personality - Essay Example to be more active to accept obstacles. Conscientiousness: Conscientious individuals attain high levels of success through focused planning and perseverance. My score is 13. This will help me in achieving a suitable position in my future carrier. Possibly one of the most well recognized personality tools is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator ® (MBTI). What’s My Jungian 16-Type Personality is a type of test that is not keen on calculating one’s abilities or skills in any area, rather it is a method to assist a person to become conscious of his or her particular type of style.. Within the 16 type personality trait I belong to the ISTJ trait. These trait characteristics are found to be practical and organized and there is a scope for better career choice as a business manager or an office manager who will get higher opportunities in an organization. Yes, people with ENFP type of personality direct their powers towards the external world of activities and spoken words. As my personality score is 90, I am a Type B personality. The person acquiring this type is found to be enjoying their achievements and is more likely to face any challenges or obstacles. I am creative and I like to explore new ideas and concepts in solving the decision making process. This has helped me a lot in attaining success in most of my team work. 1) Results of the personality test point out my character of preferring to maintain personal development as well as build up my career. I need to keep on challenging myself intellectually. According to this test, there are 16 different kinds of personalities. â€Å"Where you focus your attention†(Sample Myers Briggs Personality Report n.d pg 1). 2) Each personality type has its own characteristic which can be recognized through different traits of an individual. In my group, I have judged the personality traits of three of my members. The personality traits of my group members belong to the ENTJ, ISFJ and ENFP
Thursday, October 17, 2019
The Virtues of Ambition by Joseph Epstein Research Paper
The Virtues of Ambition by Joseph Epstein - Research Paper Example He bases this argument towards viewing ambition as a delightful and supremely crucial aspect of both society and humanity. He argues in such a manner as to shun those that view ambition from a wrong point. Consequently he also argues out the need for control and constraint when it comes to ambitions such that they do not turn for the worst. According to Epstein, ambitions make a person what they are in form and character, in daily life. It is the thing that describes what a person is or will become that is different from the common humanity features. That through these ambitions one gets dreams and desires. These dreams and desires may not always be favored by courses of life, but this should not stop people from being ambitious (Mei & Dasgupta, 2007). The unpredictability and uncertainty in the outcomes of the future should not stop one from being ambitious in life. This is because through the possible achievement of such ambitions a person discovers themselves and gains their desires. He continues to argue that being ambitious is suitable for a person as it enables for the fulfillment of one’s dreams or the dreams of others. One can be ambitious, to gain glory, love, distinction, wealth, and fight for the welfare of others, among other aspects (Mei & Dasgupta, 2007). ... Moreover, there is a strong link between ambition and individualism (Mei & Dasgupta, 2007). These are people that work for their own achievement disregarding those of others. This trend bears Jesuitical behavior where people think their personal achievements are beneficial to others. This aspect tends to downplay morals of the ambitious, as a result, brings questions to their achievements. These are such questions that rise crimes against humanity such as greed and corruption. Though this is sometimes true, it harms those that are true successful of ambition. Epstein argues that the negative view of ambition has raised a trend of hypocrisy amongst people towards the subject. This is through shunning away from ambition and the aspects that come with it such as success. It is evident in the media the educated saying that they have given up on the idea of ambition while they are the products of benefit from ambition itself. People do not own up to their dreams of success while others form a state in which such fruits of success seem to be normally available attributes to them. Other people have developed a natural state of distrust of ambition, as a result, view ambition as an uncontrollable part of humanity. Some even go to the extent of blaming ambition for the misdeeds that happen in their life. He further argues that to shun ambition to guard against its adversities is to restrain its successes. Through ambition, people desire and such de sires amplify their hard work and discipline towards the achievement of such goals.
The Cinematic Auteurist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
The Cinematic Auteurist - Essay Example Some of the major arguments against auteur theory are that the theory is not applied across wide range of film artists and is often confined to the creative inputs of directors. People also believe that it also gives undue credit to the directors when they are supposed to transform the script into films. As directors are supposed to make films as per the script, the originality factor of directors is meaningless. In the contemporary times, auteur theory significantly impacts the marketing of films not only in Hollywood but throughout the world. The personal style of the directors is used as a market statement for advertising the film across all formats of media. The popularity of the directors therefore becomes the key element within the market strategy of the films. The eminence of director and his creative inputs to the scripts give huge credibility to the film and help to market it with success. Hence, auteur theory helps provide the genre of the film with new dimension of interpr etation through the eyes of the director’s creativity. Auteur theory also affects the way that films are analyzed by critics and audiences. The scripts with common themes and issues become stupendous success as films because of the way the issues are treated within the wider scope of film making. The director as main anchor, helps to visualize the thematic portray in a highly sensitive way which gives a unique perspective to the otherwise common issue. Hitchcock films and films by Steven Spielberg have created their own niche market because they have successfully transformed common themes into work of art. Thus, individual contributions of directors often become important part of film success which the critics use to analyze the films.
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
The Virtues of Ambition by Joseph Epstein Research Paper
The Virtues of Ambition by Joseph Epstein - Research Paper Example He bases this argument towards viewing ambition as a delightful and supremely crucial aspect of both society and humanity. He argues in such a manner as to shun those that view ambition from a wrong point. Consequently he also argues out the need for control and constraint when it comes to ambitions such that they do not turn for the worst. According to Epstein, ambitions make a person what they are in form and character, in daily life. It is the thing that describes what a person is or will become that is different from the common humanity features. That through these ambitions one gets dreams and desires. These dreams and desires may not always be favored by courses of life, but this should not stop people from being ambitious (Mei & Dasgupta, 2007). The unpredictability and uncertainty in the outcomes of the future should not stop one from being ambitious in life. This is because through the possible achievement of such ambitions a person discovers themselves and gains their desires. He continues to argue that being ambitious is suitable for a person as it enables for the fulfillment of one’s dreams or the dreams of others. One can be ambitious, to gain glory, love, distinction, wealth, and fight for the welfare of others, among other aspects (Mei & Dasgupta, 2007). ... Moreover, there is a strong link between ambition and individualism (Mei & Dasgupta, 2007). These are people that work for their own achievement disregarding those of others. This trend bears Jesuitical behavior where people think their personal achievements are beneficial to others. This aspect tends to downplay morals of the ambitious, as a result, brings questions to their achievements. These are such questions that rise crimes against humanity such as greed and corruption. Though this is sometimes true, it harms those that are true successful of ambition. Epstein argues that the negative view of ambition has raised a trend of hypocrisy amongst people towards the subject. This is through shunning away from ambition and the aspects that come with it such as success. It is evident in the media the educated saying that they have given up on the idea of ambition while they are the products of benefit from ambition itself. People do not own up to their dreams of success while others form a state in which such fruits of success seem to be normally available attributes to them. Other people have developed a natural state of distrust of ambition, as a result, view ambition as an uncontrollable part of humanity. Some even go to the extent of blaming ambition for the misdeeds that happen in their life. He further argues that to shun ambition to guard against its adversities is to restrain its successes. Through ambition, people desire and such de sires amplify their hard work and discipline towards the achievement of such goals.
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Conduct research on ship broking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Conduct research on ship broking - Essay Example Ship broking happens through the shipbrokers who act as the mediators or the agents of the vessel owners and the clients (Schramm 2012, p.146). A competitive ship broking is an opportunity-based business where the brokers may swift and smart moves to accomplish their deals. The brokers have diverse understanding of latest market progress within their areas of operations and because of these skills they possess, they are highly valued by charters. There are different types of groups in ship broking depending on the kind of cargo involved. The persons who negotiate and organize the charter of a vessel on behalf the charterer and ship owner are the brokers who specialize in dry cargoes brokering, wet cargoes or tanker brokering (Lange 2011, p.41). The fundamental operation of the shipbrokers is to represent the ship-owner and find the jobs for the ships according to the principals of the vessel owner. In case the shipbrokers represent a cargo interest, the brokers’ role is to find suitable ships for the cargo in accordance with the charterer principals. The broker must have a vast knowledge of vessels and cargoes, information about ports, methods of loading and release of various cargoes, weather patterns, demand, and supply of ships. With the advancement in communications technology and sophisticated computing techniques shipbrokers, networks have intensified the brokering business (Talley 2012, p. 305). With the modern digital communication evolution communication with brokers have become accessible from any part of the globe be it on land, sea, or air. The exchange of information has emerged reliable and affordable. The large amount of data traverses across the world very fast including the details of fixtures because of advanced communication technology (Carter 2014, p.188). The concluded information about profits, and the market reports, government policies, economic
Educating Essay Example for Free
Educating Essay â€Å"Individuals venturing into new experiences may encounter obstacles but may also gain significant rewards†. â€Å"Do you agree with this perspective?†In your response, refer to your prescribed text and atleast one other related text of your own choosing. Individuals venturing into new experiences may encounter obstacles but may also gain significant rewards. This is present in the text ‘Educating Rita’ written by Willy Russell and the film ‘The Help’ written by Kathryn Stockett. In this text we see a fairly un-educated woman blossom and find herself through education; the obstacles she faces on her way to knowledge are the stepping stones in finding herself and entering the new world of education. Rita is a typical uneducated woman; her life is already planned out for her consisting of children, cooking/cleaning, pub trips and the overall expectation to be content with this life and not expect any more. However throughout the text we see Rita break away from this lower class/restricting stereotype to blossoming and finding herself in the world of education. The opening scene portrays to us the two completely different worlds in which Rita and Frank live. Rita has enrolled in an Open University course as she sees education as a way of moving out of her world; she feels out of step with her working class background and wants to discover herself first before having a baby and tying herself down for life. Rita’s constant desire to ‘know everything’ makes Frank feel that he is an appalling teacher because he feels he has nothing to offer her. Frank is Rita’s course tutor; he is a very negative and dismal man who is heavily reliant on alcohol to dull his boredom and frustration. Although being a jaded alcoholic he is also a very precise, formal and educated professor who is just on a downward spiral in his life. Throughout the text we see Rita and Frank’s relationship grow as Rita makes him feel as if he has hope again, therefore his drive comes back. In scene one we observe Rita struggling to open the door into Frank’s office; this symbolises her struggle to enter that world, it’s a barrier, however she’s determined to get what she wants – in this case education – therefore almost breaks the door in order to get in. â€Å"You’re the first breath of air that’s been in this room for years†quoted by Frank symbolises the opening up of a new world for him, he’s now got someone new and different to experience. This is a good change for Frank. Scene two beings with Rita oiling Frank’s office door, then handing the oil to Frank. This is symbolic of giving him the key/tool to open up to another world. Rita still doesn’t portray herself as a ‘proper student’ and her self esteem/confidence is still very low. She doesn’t think she is capable of achieving the great essays that the other students write and doubts herself that she will even finish the course. This scene really reveals the cost that trying to change herself is likely to have on Rita. She is dissatisfied with her life and has a desire to change it, yet it would be easier in her opinion to simply stay as she is and continue her boring life of hairdressing and different flavoured beers. Frank assigns Rita 3 novels to read as her hunger for knowledge is starting to grow extremely. The slow change in Rita is starting to become evident as she can read/take on any book presented to her, â€Å"it feeds me inside†. Her hunger is growing and making her slowly discover who she is, â€Å"it makes me stronger comin’ here†. Although Rita feels as if she’s finally accepted in the university and has a place/fits in with the ‘proper students’, she still has barriers to face in her personal life that are important determining points in her progress and choices as an individual. Rita’s husband Denny isn’t accepting nor happy about her doing this ‘whole learning thing’ and forces her to choose between him and education as he doesn’t understand that this is the first time she’s happy and felt a sense of purpose in her life. Denny has made her constantly feel stupid for even considering getting an education and therefore burns all of her books. The burning of the books is symbolic of Denny trying to prevent Rita from moving away. â€Å"You’d think I was havin’ a bloody affair the way he behaves†â€Å"And aren’t you?†symbolises Rita’s affair with education. Although she may not be cheating on Denny, she still desires to educate herself more than spend time with her husband and is happy with this choice as it is her own choice and no one else’s. In scene six we start to see a notable change in the relationship between Rita and Frank. When Rita bursts into Frank’s office excited to tell him that she saw one of Shakespeare’s plays â€Å"it was bleedin’ great†, Frank thought that something serious had happened – which indicates that he is beginning to care for her. After inviting Rita to a dinner party at his house Frank feels closer to Rita – this invite symbolises the change in the basis of their relationship from teacher and student to a more personal one. Throughout the text we have seen Rita grow and shape herself as an individual, no matter what obstacles and new experiences she has encountered with on her way she has got through them with determination and strength, and as a result has been great personal gain. Towards the end of the text Frank presents Rita with a dress; this is symbolic of a dress for an educated woman, she is now one and can wear the dress with pride. Frank decides to leave the university, as he does not feel it is the right career for him anymore and would prefer to spend his time doing something else. Rita and Frank have both grown and found themselves throughout this text which is also evident in the film ‘The Help’ written by Kathryn Stockett. The Help is set in Mississippi during the 1960s, main character Skeeter (Stone) is a southern society girl who returns from college determined to become a writer, but turns her friends lives and the Mississippi town upside down when she decides to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of the richer upper class families. Davis, Skeeters best friends housekeeper, is the first to open up and be interviewed to the shock of her friends in the close black community. Despite Skeeters life long friendships hanging in the balance, she and Davis continue their partnership and soon more women come forward to tell their stories and as it turns out, they have a lot to say. Along the way, unlikely friendships are forged and a new sisterhood emerges, but not before everyone in town has a thing or two to say themselves when they become unsuspectingly/unwillingly caught up in the changing modern times. This is relevant to the text Educating Rita as the women find the co urage and self confidence to venture into new experiences to help better either themselves or their community.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Gender Gap In Rates Of Offending
Gender Gap In Rates Of Offending To address this statement and draw a conclusion it is necessary to look at changes in society over time, as women have a different role now than they used to. Even though early criminology has often been gender blind, criminologist such as Lombroso and Pollak tried to make a connection with male crime to explain and answer the question why women do not commit as much crime ( Messerschmidt, 1993; Biel, 2008). It was not until feminist criminology came into force that it challenged the masculine nature of criminology, pointing to the repeated negligence and misrepresentation of women. As a result of such critique there was increasing attention to women and girls in criminological theory and research (Messerschmidt, 1993; Walklate, 2005). Additionally as the social role of women began to change, the view of their involvement in criminal behaviour began to change. As a consequence social, biological, economical and psychological explanations have been used to developed and explain why wo men commit crime and why they commit less crime than men. A reliable research finding (Parker and Reckdenwald, 2008) is that women are seen to commit fewer and less serious offences than men, which became known as the gender gap in offending. Recently it has been reported the gap in violent offending has narrowed (Parker and Reckdenwald, 2008; Rennison, 2009). What is unclear is whether the reported convergence is an accurate reflection of changes in violent offending or a manipulation of the data used: official records and self-report offending data. Determination of crime problems among women has been neglected within theoretical and empirical research compared with the crime problem among men. Womens crime, because of its size and character was not perceived as particularly dangerous. An important reason for this could be the fact that even in the earliest historical sources women often appeared as an object of the offence and not as it perpetrators (Messerschmidt, 1998). According to Kilday (2005) much of the history of women remained on the margin of criminological interests. Moreover Kilday (2005) argues that studies that examine women criminals tends to emphasize so called traditional acts of womens deviance such as prostitution, while perception of womens involvement in criminal activity has been dominated by their role as a victim rather than perpetrators of crime . What is more during 18th and 19th century Britain, criminality was highly gendered and focused on class. The vast majority of women who appeared before the court were from the poor and laboring classes, and most female criminals were considered far less threatening and problematic than men. As a consequence when women could not be criminalized in their own right it was thought that they must be influenced by men or by severe personal problems such as poverty (Kilday, 2005). One of the most commonly observed features of the criminological background is that a bulk of crime appears to be undertaken by men and boys (Messerschmidt, 1993). Fundamentally speaking major criminological theories are alarmingly and radically gender-blind. In other words when men and boys have been seen as the normal subjects in criminology the girls and women have attracted the attention of criminology only as a special category that allegedly explains the gender nature of crime (Messerschmitt, 1993) . Lombroso (1911) and Bagnor (1916) (cited in Messerschmitt, 1993; Szczepanik and Pospieszył, 2007) for example argue that women commit less crime due to their different biological make-up. They argue that such a woman is nothing but a man backward in the development. The main evidence for this is their lower weight, height, less body hair and fewer red blood cells. They have argued that the consequence of an organic inferiority is a natural inferiority. Lombroso (1920 cited in Klein,1996) specifies the born female offender as a woman, who is characterized by antagonism to motherhood, increased libido, tendency to immoral life , enjoys a good time, has a tendency to take part in male sport and wear more masculine clothes. They are more likely to be addicted to drugs and alcohol and display hostile behaviour. The most characteristic features of women criminals, they believed, were a bulky jaw, wild eyes, prominent cheeks, thin lips and a nap on the face (facial hair). Apart f rom these masculine traits female offenders also have characteristics typical for females such as cunning, cruelty, vanity and vindictiveness. What is more womens offences are thought to be influenced by male suggestion and that the female has no resistance to this. (Klein, 1996). Bjorqkvist (1994 cited in Howitt, 2009) claims that males and females do not differ in aggressiveness. They only differ in the way in which it is expressed. He further argues that women are physically seen as the weaker sex and are likely to learn different aggression strategies from those seen as the physically stronger sex being men. What is more, much of the feminist literature focuses on power relationships between the sexes. Because women have been restricted to domestic work and child-raising duties, their economic productivity was limited, which contributed to their dependent role. Consequently, because women are relegated to the household, they undergo less socialization experiences and that restricts their activities, whereas men maintain their power and dominance over economic resources and hold a position of power over women (Parker and Reckdenwald, 2008). In addition, Messerschmitt (1986) suggests that through sex-role socialization, the family encourages its own members to adjust and conform to patriarchal ideologies. Furthermore private patriarchy accounts for the degree to which womens activities are restricted and the extent to which female work is unpaid within the family, when linking womens economic status and crime rates (Parker and Reckdenwald, 2008). One aspect of the gender gap in crime that has attracted significant attention within the research community as well as the media is the observation that the gender gap has narrowed somewhat over time ( Parker and Reckedenwald, 2008). Several explanations of this phenomenon have been offered, including legal, social and economical aspects. It was not until 1970 when argument about whether female offences were raising that it became a criminological issue. When Freda Adler (cited in Heidensohn and Gelstohorpe, 2007) argued that female crime rates had been rapidly rising between 1960s and 1970s, she claimed that not only crime rates had changed but patterns of womens offending had also changed to a more masculine style. Women it appeared, were becoming more aggressive and violent, due to the growth of the modern womens movement. Adler (cited in Heidensohn et al, 2007) put forward the theory that liberation in short was the cause of more crime. Granting equal rights to women had allowe d them to take action in many areas of social life by giving them the chance to take on new social roles, which were previously only available exclusively to men. The womens liberation movement brought not only economic independence but also the sense of psychological independence, with women gaining new aspirations and confidence in their own ability. These changes have created conditions conducive to the activation of women in the employment structure which has led to an increase in social status and more aggression in women. However Heidensohon et al. (2007) claims that the visible increase in female offending is that their conviction is mostly for most minor forms of offending which do not include weapons, and further argues that girls behaviour once seen and treated as a welfare issue, is now more criticized, criminalized and punished. It is difficult to determine precisely the extent of crime, due to the limitation arising from the analysis made based solely on official statistical sources made up of Police Recorded Data and British Crime Survey. Determination of the size of womens crime may pose a special kind of difficulty. Firstly, the lack of sufficient empirical data, secondly womens crime is seen to be guided by its own gender-specification. The so called dark figure of crime committed by women may be caused by the fact that the womens crime is usually crime carried out in private. Pollak (1950 cited in Messerschmidt, 1993; Klein, 1996) claim that womens and mens crime are likely to be equal, but because womens biology interacts with certain social conditions their criminality is largely masked . He argues that women can be addicted to crime that can be easily hidden such as shoplifting, thefts by prostitutes, abortion. Consequently the crimes women commit are more often unreported. What is more women are bi ologically more guileful than men and more able to conceal crime (Biel, 2008). Relatively speaking womens offending usually take place in private (e.g. home) while mens offending usually takes place in public (e.g. Theft). Pollak (1950 cited in Messerschmidt, 1993; Klein, 1996) believed that a root cause of low rate crime among women is chivalry in the criminal justice system. Relatively speaking women are treated more leniently than the men and Allans study (1987 cited in Heidensohon et al. 2007) suggests that violent women offenders received more sympathy for serious crimes than men. Also that single mothers and pregnant women were better treated then men. On the other hand Walker (2003 cited in Heidensohon et al. 2007) argues that the fact of pregnancy among female offenders does not affect the weight of the punishment and what is more, it is not seen as ethical or indeed successful. He claims many women achieved only temporary acquittal because of the fact of their pregnancy and were later punished. The structure of the crime committed by women is a reflection of their position, and the role of social and environmental influence. Heimer, (2000) claimed that the most widely endorsed hypothesis in favour of the narrowing of the gender gap is the economical marginalization hypothesis, which states that reduction in the gender gap in crime is an effect of financial instability of women. In other words the need to escape from poverty, economical dependency on man and economic hardship. Moreover expansion in the divorce rate and illegitimacy rates in recent years which have in turn led to more female-headed households where women have greater responsibility for their children resulted in a significant increase in economic pressure on women. Following this Zaplin, (1998) argues that an increase in female offending is a result of increased opportunity for female types of crime. The increase in the rate of female arrests for minor crimes (especially property crimes) reflects not only economic marginalization, but also an increase in opportunity for those crime categories. Relatively speaking females tend to commit crimes that involve little or no criminal skills, and now their range has expanded due to changes in merchandising and credit, which are easily accessible to women as the consumer and head of a family. As a consequence of this women have more opportunities to commit shoplifting, cheque fraud theft and welfare fraud. Another possible explanation according to Zaplin, (1998) is that rises in female arrest is a product of changes in public sentiment and enforcement policies that bring to attention the visibility, reporting and sanctioning of female offenders. Whereas Freda Adler (Heidensohon et al. 2007) argues that female crime rates has been rapidly rising between the 1960s and 1970s , the Home Office claimed that during this time the prison population of women was so low that they thought it may be possible to end womens imprisonment by the year 2000. However along with the new century , there was a very large growth of overall imprisonment rates for women. According to the Home Office study(Hunter, Hearnden and Gyateng, 2009) the following factors had an impact on the rise of the crime rate for women: a growth in the number of women coming before the courts, a rise in the proportion of women getting a custodial sentence and an increase in the length of prison sentences being imposed on women. As an example they state that in 1996-7, 95 per cent of the rise was in effect more women coming before the courts. What is more the Home Office argues that now courts tend to impose harsher sentences on women for less serious crimes. The growth of the crime rate among women may also be due to the impacts of new legislation, which has created new offences, hence it may indicate that the offending rate for women is growing. Another factor influencing the growth of the offending rate in women may be seen in social changes and social attitudes towards particular offences. Szczepaniak and Pospieszył (2008) argue that since the equal opportunity for men and women came into force, women started to be seen not only as a victims of domestic violence but also as perpetrators. What is more, men are now encouraged and willing to talk about and report to the police domestic violence against themselves. Zaplin, (1998) argues that the ability and willingness of women to commit crime is strongly pressured by social control, especially during their formative years. Females are more closely supervised and their misconduct discouraged by negative sanctions. Risk-taking behavior that is rewarded among boys is censured among girls. Careful observation of girls companions reduces the danger for influence by delinquent peers. Even as adults, women find their freedom to explore worldly temptation constricted by social control. Also females are far more likely than males to be motivated by relationship disturbances to commit an offence and they need a higher level of provocation before turning to crime. A sense of danger and threat to significant relationships play a greater role in female offending. If their close relationship with those who commit crime is threatened, they may be unwilling to compromise these relationship by abstaining from crime and therefore take part in criminal activitie s Zaplin,(1998). Despite the fact that the gender gap of offending is narrowing and women commit much more crime than they used to, women are far less likely to be involved in serious crimes, regardless of data sources and level of involvement ( Maguire et al 2007). According to the findings of the Ministry of Justice (2009:15) females aged between 10 and 25 were less likely than males to say they had committed a serious offence (eight per cent compared with twelve per cent). They were also less likely to be classed as frequent offenders (three per cent compared with eight per cent) and less likely to be categorized as serious and frequent offenders (five per cent compared with three per cent). Further findings show that males were more than twice as likely as females to have carried a knife (five per cent compared to two per cent); more males (15 per cent) than females (10 per cent) said they had committed a violent offence (defined as robbery and assault); males were more likely than females to hav e handled stolen goods (22 per cent compared to 16 per cent); and over a quarter of males (26 per cent) had committed at least one of four types of anti-social behaviour, a higher proportion than females (18 per cent). The girls and women who make up the greatest part of the criminal justice workload commit ordinary crimes mostly minor crimes such as theft and fraud, low level drug dealing, prostitution and simple assault against their children or partners. Additionally much of the time, a large majority of these women are associated with men who are without good prospects, are not ambitious and who often themselves are involved in some kind of criminal acts . Consequently these men along with the children are the main focus of these womans lives. The world of these men tends to be an extreme patriarchal one in which women are demoted to subordinate roles, exploited and treated with indifference by their male partners causing the women to lead lives that are often miserable and difficult. Routinely, it is they who are left to cope with the consequence of these mens unsuccessful escapades and the incarceration this can bring Szczepaniak and Pospieszy (2008). Lastly we should note that most of the criminological theories were developed by men specifically to explain male involvement in criminal behaviors. As a consequence it raises the question of whether such theories are useful in explaining female crime or whether female crime can be only explained by so called gendered-specific theories. Therefore some criminologist believe that the traditional theories developed to explain male crime are not well-suited to explain female crime. Zaplin (1998) argues that their andocentric origin, traditional, structural and social process theories are more or less gender neutral. As a consequence these theories may be useful in understanding overall male offending as well as overall female offending. What is more they can be also helpful in explaining why females commit less crime than men. Also he argues that many of the delicate and deep differences between male and female crime patterns may be better explained by gendered approaches. In conclusion it is difficult to find a clear answer to female offending and to the rise of the crime rate among them. Despite many studies and research papers founded on this topic there is still no consensus among professionals. We cannot hide the fact that female criminality is a social phenomenon that has many differences compared with the crime of men. The structure of the crimes committed by women is a reflection of their position, their role in society and environmental influences. Usually women commit crimes which are associated with low risk detection or lower sentences. They do not plan the commission of the crime as male criminals do, rather they use opportunistic situations. Many women scientists involved in the studying of crime and the demoralization among women, explain it as the process of emancipation. Along with gender equality, women began to take action until which recently was reserved only for men. There are also those who blame the new fashion for being strong as a reason for female involvement in crime .As the weaker sex becomes old-fashioned, the so called miming of male behaviour by women allow them to occupy leadership positions in the group.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Essay example --
History / Educational Influences Marina City, as a modernist urban solution, was possible by Bertrand Goldberg because of his formal architectural training as well as his early practice and interaction with key architects. Exposure to architectural, socioeconomic, and cultural context that shaped modernist architecture developed him as an architect. Influence began early on from his physics teacher, George Vaubel, which inspired him with a lifelong love for logic and â€Å"reasoning backwards†and finding evidence for what was taught to him. Goldberg studied at the Cambridge School of Architecture and Landscape then at the Bauhaus in Berlin, Germany and lastly, at the Armour Institute of Technology in Chicago. He discovered architecture while studying at Harvard in 1930. The dean, Henry Frost, allowed Goldberg to study with his graduate studio as an undergraduate. During the Great Depression, Goldberg was studying at Harvard where debates with professors and fellow students centered on the political and soc ial problem, dealing with poverty. It unleashed and influenced his lifelong consciousness of social and political factors because he took social and political problems into consideration when designing. Harvard exposed Goldberg to the Beaux-Arts architecture and he desired to go to Paris to study but instead went to the Bauhaus after being advised. The Bauhaus introduced Goldberg to the new ideals of art and architecture. The Bauhaus emphasized on vision and spatial skills. Goldberg was greatly influenced by Mies van de Rohe and Josef Albers. Goldberg embraced â€Å"less is more†and was disciplined to work out details of the total design by creating an aesthetic out of structure and seeking alliance with an industrial world. At the B... ... solution of a central core and columns made the structure safe and efficient. The concrete also acted provided security against uplift because of concrete nature of heaviness. Mechanical systems were engineered within the floors which allowed for more spatial freedom. The efficient solution to the foundation was also achieved through engineering and the use of caissons. Construction initiated after structural issues were resolved. Machine and hand became the medium to create the building. While the tower crane allowed for the fast construction of Marina City, artisanship was also required. The use of formwork to create the petals require of artisanship while being mass produce implied machine. The hand work can be seen in the uneven surfaces were molding was required. Marina City became the biggest structural and residential building at the time of its completion.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Causes of the American Civil War Essay -- Civil War American History E
Causes of the American Civil War The American Civil War is one of the most significant and controversial periods in American history. The Civil War was caused by mounting conflicting pressures, principles, and prejudices, fueled by differences and pride, and set into motion by unlikely set of political events. At the root of all of the problems was the establishment of slavery, which had been introduced into North America in early colonial times. The American Revolution had been fought to confirm the idea that all men were created equal, yet slavery was legal in all of the thirteen colonies throughout the revolutionary period. Although it was largely gone from the northern states by 1787, it was still enshrined in the new Constitution of the United States, not only at the request of the Southern ones, but also with the approval of many of the Northern delegates who saw that there was still much money to be made in the slave trade by the Yankee shipping industry. Eventually its existence came to influence every aspect of American life. It seemed to Thomas Jefferson and many others that slavery was on its way out, doomed to die a natural death. It was becoming increasingly expensive to keep slaves in the south. Northern and Southern members of Congress voted together to abolish the importation of slaves from overseas in 1808, but the domestic slave trade continued to flourish. The invention of the cotton gin made the cultivation of cotton on large plantations using s...
Friday, October 11, 2019
Coyote Blue Chapter 28~29
CHAPTER 28 Hope Is Bulletproof, Truth Just Hard to Hit As Minty Fresh drove back to Las Vegas he thought about what Sam had said: â€Å"You have a mother, don't you?†And the question set Minty Fresh to thinking about a phone call from his mother that had changed his life. â€Å"You're the only one left can do something, baby. The others are too far or too far gone. Please come home, baby, I need you.†(Even when he had to duck to pass through her front door she still called him â€Å"baby.†) That tone: he'd heard it in her voice before, when she was tugging at her husband to get him to stop strapping her youngest. But he hadn't gone back for her, had he? It was a call deep with duty and silent pride that brought him home. He went back for Nathan. Nathan Fresh had never been home when any of his nine children were born. He was a sailor, and as far as he knew, when you came home from sea a new child would be waiting for you. The others grew an inch or two at a time, and the shoes that one was wearing when you left would be on the next one down when you got home. He loved his children, foreign creatures that they were, and trusted his wife to raise them – as long as they could line up, snap to, and pass inspection when he came home. And although he was gone most of the time, making the high seas safe for democracy, he was a presence in the house: photographs in crisp dress whites and blues stared down from the walls; commendations and medals; a letter once a week, read out loud at the supper table; and a thousand warnings of what Papa would do to a doomed misbehaver when he got home. To the Fresh children, Papa was only a little bit more real than Santa Claus, and only a bit more conspicuous. On the ship, Chief Petty Officer Nathan Fresh was known only as the Chief: feared and respected, tough and fair, starched, razor creased, and polished, always in trim and intolerant of anyone who wasn't. The Chief: did you notice that he was black? only five foot five? barely 130 pounds? No, but did you see his eyes, like smiles, when he was showing the pictures of his kids – when he was telling tales of lobbing shells the size of refrigerators into the hills of Korea? Did you ever mention retirement to him? That's a frost, that's a chill. Minty Fresh, the youngest of nine, the one born with golden eyes, knew the chill. â€Å"He's not mine,†Papa said – said it only once. Minty stayed out of Papa's way when he could, wore dark glasses when he couldn't. At age ten he stood six feet tall and no amount of slouching would roll Papa's resentment off his back. His place in the family was a single line at the bottom of a letter – â€Å"Baby's fine too†– far enough from â€Å"Love, Momma†to deny the association. At night, by flashlight, he wrote his own letters: â€Å"My team is going to the state championships. I was voted all-conference. The press calls me M. F. Cool, because I wear tinted goggles when I play, and sunglasses during interviews. The colleges are calling already and sending recruiters to the games. You'd be proud. Momma swears you're wrong.†In the bathroom he watched the letters go, in tiny pieces, around the bowl, down, and out to sea. Minty Fresh left for the University of Nevada at Las Vegas the week after high school graduation, the same week that Nathan Fresh took his mandatory retirement from the navy and came home, to San Diego, for good. The coach at UNLV wanted Minty to lift weights all summer, beef up for the big boys. The coach gave Momma Fresh a new washer and dryer. Nathan Fresh put them out on the porch. The day before the first game, when UNLV was going to unleash its secret weapon on the unsuspecting NCAA – a seven-foot center with a three-foot vertical leap who could bench-press four hundred pounds and shoot ninety percent from the free-throw line – M. F. Cool got the call. â€Å"I'm on my way, Momma,†he said. â€Å"My father needs me,†he said to the coach. â€Å"When we brought you up from nothing, gave you a full scholarship, put up with the goggles and the shades and the silly name? Gave your mother a washer and dryer? No. You won't miss the season opener. You're mine.†â€Å"How touching,†Minty said. â€Å"No one has ever said that to me before.†Perhaps, he thought later, stuffing the coach in that locker had been a mistake, but at the time a few hours in seclusion, among socks and jocks, seemed just what the coach needed to gain some perspective. He broke the key off in the padlock, tore the M. F. Cool label off the locker, and went home. â€Å"He's been gone four days now,†Momma said. â€Å"He drinks and gambles, hangs out at the pool hall 'til all hours. But he always came home before. Since he retired, he's changed. I don't know him.†â€Å"Neither do I.†â€Å"Bring him home, baby.†Minty took a cab to the waterfront and ducked in and out of a dozen bars and pool halls before he realized that Nathan would go anywhere but the waterfront. There were sailors there, reminders. After two days of searching he found Nathan, barely able to stand, shooting pool with a fat Mexican in a cantina outside of Tijuana. â€Å"Chief, let's go. Momma's waiting.†â€Å"I ain't no chief. Go away. I got a game going.†Minty put his hand on his father's shoulder, cringing at the smell of tequila and vomit coming off him. â€Å"Papa, she's worried.†The fat Mexican moved around the table to where Minty stood and pushed him away with a cue stick. â€Å"My friend, this one goes nowhere until we get what he owes us.†Two other Mexicans moved off their barstools. â€Å"Now you go.†He poked Minty in the chest with the cue stick and Nathan Fresh wheeled on him and bellowed in finest chief petty officer form. â€Å"Don't you touch my son, you fucking greaseball.†The Mexican's cue caught Nathan on the bridge of the nose and Nathan went down, limp. Minty palmed the Mexican's head and slammed his face into the pool table, then turned in time to catch each of the two coming off the bar with a fist in the throat. Another with a knife went airborne into a Corona mirror, which broke louder than his neck. Two more went down, one with a skull fractured by a billiard ball; one, his shoulder wrenched from its socket, went into shock. There were seven in all, broken or unconscious, before the cantina cleared and Minty, dripping blood from a cut on his arm, carried his father out. Momma met them at the hospital and stood with Minty as Nathan came around. â€Å"What are you doing here, you yellow-eyed freak?†Minty walked out of the room. Momma followed. â€Å"He don't mean it, baby. He really don't.†â€Å"I know, Momma.†â€Å"Where you going?†â€Å"Back to Vegas.†â€Å"You call when he sobers up. He'll want to talk to you.†â€Å"Call me if you need me, Momma,†he said. He kissed her on the forehead and walked out. She called him every week, and he could tell by her whisper that Nathan was home, was fine. It made him fine too – not M. F. Cool, just M.F., the one who handled things. All that was missing was the feeling of being needed, essential, bound to duty. Sam had said, â€Å"You have a mother, don't you?†Minty steered the limo off the next exit, across the overpass, and back on the highway, headed back to King's Lake. -=*=- It had taken Steve, the Buddhist monk, only a half hour to put the car back together. When Sam tried to figure out a way to pay for the repairs, Steve said, â€Å"All misery comes from desire and connection to the material. Go.†Sam said thanks. Now he was driving the Z into Utah. Calliope was asleep on Coyote's lap. Coyote snored. Sam passed the time trying to figure out how long it would take to get to Sturgis, South Dakota, the location of the rally that the Guild was going to. About twenty hours, he thought, if the car held together. From time to time he looked over at Calliope and felt a twinge of jealousy toward Coyote. She looked like a child when she slept. He wanted to protect her, hold her. But it was that childlike quality that frightened him as well. Her ability to dismiss facts, deny the negative, to see things so clearly, but so clearly wrong. It was as if she refused to accept what any reasonable adult knew: the world was a dangerous, hostile place. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face before looking back to the road. She murmured, and came awake with a yawn. â€Å"I was dreaming about sea turtles – that they were really dinosaur angels.†â€Å"And?†â€Å"That's all. It was a dream.†Sam had been thinking about it too long, so there was anger in his voice when he asked her, â€Å"Why didn't you call me before you went after Lonnie?†â€Å"I don't know.†â€Å"I was worried. If it weren't for Coyote, I would have never found you.†â€Å"Are you two related?†She seemed to be ignoring his anger. â€Å"You look a lot alike. He has the same eyes and skin.†â€Å"No, I just know him.†Sam didn't want to explain, he wanted an answer. â€Å"Why didn't you call me?†Calliope recoiled at his harshness. â€Å"I had to go get Grubb.†â€Å"I could have gone with you.†â€Å"Would you have? Is that what you wanted?†â€Å"I'm here, aren't I? It would have been a hell of a lot easier if I didn't have to chase you across two states.†â€Å"And maybe you wouldn't have done it if it was a hell of a lot easier. Would you?†The question, and her tone, threw him. He thought for a minute, looking at the road. â€Å"I don't know.†â€Å"I know,†she said softly. â€Å"I don't know much, but I know about that. You're not the only man that ever wanted me or wanted to rescue me. They all do, Sam. Men are addicted to the wanting. You like the idea of having me, and the idea of rescuing me. That's what attracted you to me in the first place, remember.†â€Å"That's not true.†â€Å"It is true. That's why I had sex with you so soon.†â€Å"I don't get it.†This was not at all how Sam had expected her to react. His brief moment of self-righteousness had degraded into self-doubt. â€Å"I did it to see if you could get past the fantasy of wanting me and rescuing me, to the reality of me. Me, with a baby, and no education, and a lousy job. Me, with no idea what I'm going to do next. I can't stand the wanting coming at me all the time. I have to get past it, like I did with you, or ignore it.†â€Å"So you were testing me?†Sam said. â€Å"That's why you took off without telling me?†â€Å"No, it wasn't a test. I liked you, but I have Grubb to take care of now. I can't afford to hope.†She was starting to tear up. Sam felt as if he'd just been caught stomping a litter of kittens. She took Grubb's blanket from behind the seat and wiped her eyes. â€Å"You okay?†Sam asked. She nodded. â€Å"Sometimes I want to be touched and I pretend that I'm in love – and that someone loves me. I just take my moments and forget about hope. You were going to be a moment, Sam. But I started to have hope. If I'd called you and you had said no, then I would have lost my hope again.†â€Å"That's not how I am,†Sam said. â€Å"How are you, then?†Sam drove in silence for a while, trying to think of something to say – the right thing to say. But that wasn't the answer either. He always knew the right thing to say to get what he wanted, or had until Coyote showed up. But now, he didn't know what he wanted. Calliope had declared wanting a mortal sin. Talking to a woman, to anyone, without having an agenda was completely foreign to him. Where was he supposed to speak from? What point of view? Who was he supposed to be? He was afraid to look at her, felt heat rise in his face when he thought about her looking at him, waiting. Maybe the truth? Where do you go to find the truth? She had found it, let it go at him. She had laid her hope in his hands and she was waiting to see what he would do with it. Finally he said, â€Å"I'm a full-blooded Crow Indian. I was raised on a reservation in Montana. When I was fifteen I killed a man and I ran away and I've spent my life pretending to be someone I'm not. I've never been married and I've never been in love and that's not something I know how to pretend. I'm not even sure why I'm here, except that you woke something up in me and it seemed to make sense to run after something instead of away for a change. If that's the horrible act of wanting, then so be it. And by the way, you are sitting on the lap of an ancient Indian god.†Now he looked at her. He was a little out of breath and his mind was racing, but he felt incredibly relieved. He felt like he needed a cigarette and a towel – and maybe a shower and breakfast. Calliope looked from Sam to Coyote, and then to Sam again. Her eyes were wider each time she looked back. Coyote stopped his snoring and languidly opened one eye. â€Å"Hi,†he said. He closed his eye and resumed snoring. Calliope bent over and kissed Sam's cheek. â€Å"I think that went well, don't you?†Sam laughed and grabbed her knee. â€Å"Look, we've still got twenty hours on the road and I'm going to need you to drive. So get some sleep, okay? I don't trust him at the wheel.†Sam nodded toward Coyote. â€Å"But he's a god,†Calliope said. â€Å"‘As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods;/They kill us for their sport. â€Å" â€Å"What an icky thing to say.†â€Å"Sorry. Shakespeare wrote it. I can't get it out of my mind this week. It's like an old song that gets stuck.†â€Å"That happened to me once with ‘Rocky Raccoon. â€Å" â€Å"Right,†Sam said. â€Å"It's exactly like that.†CHAPTER 29 Shifting Sam drove through the day and into the night and finally stopped at a truck stop outside of Salt Lake City. Calliope and Coyote had been awake for the last few hours, but neither had spoken very much. Calliope seemed embarrassed about talking to the trickster, now that she knew he was a god, and Coyote just stared out the window, either lost in his own thoughts or (Sam thought this more likely) absorbed in some new scheme to throw people's lives into chaos. From time to time someone would break the silence by saying, â€Å"Pretty rock†– a statement which covered the complete observational spectrum for Utah's landscape – then they would lapse into silence for a half hour or so. Sam led them into the truck stop and they all took stools at a carousel counter among truckers and a couple of grungy hitchhikers who were hoping to cadge a ride. A barrel-shaped woman in an orange polyester uniform approached and poured them coffee without asking if they wanted it. Her name tag read, Arlene. â€Å"You want something to eat, honey?†she asked Calliope with an accent warm with Southern hospitality. Sam wondered about this: no matter where you go, truck-stop waitresses have a Southern accent. â€Å"Do you have oatmeal?†Calliope asked. â€Å"How 'bout a little brown sugar on that?†Arlene asked. She looked over rhinestone-framed reading glasses. Calliope smiled. â€Å"That would be nice.†â€Å"How 'bout you, darlin'?†she said to Coyote. â€Å"Drinks. Umbrellas and swords.†â€Å"Now you know better'n that – come into Mormon country and order drinks.†She shamed him with a wave of her finger. Coyote turned to Sam. â€Å"Mormon country?†â€Å"They settled in this area. They believe that Jesus visited the Indian people after he rose from the dead.†â€Å"Oh him. I remember him. Hairy face, made a big deal about dying and coming back to life – one time. Ha. He was funny. He tried to teach me how to walk on water. I can do it pretty good in the wintertime.†Arlene giggled girlishly. â€Å"I don't think you need any more to drink, hon. How 'bout some ham and eggs?†Sam said, â€Å"That'll be fine, two of those, over easy.†Sam watched Arlene move around the counter, flirting with some of the truckers like a saloon girl, clucking over others like a mother hen. She snuck a cinnamon roll to a scruffy teenage hitchhiker with no money and asked after him like an older sister, then moved across the counter and found the kid a ride with a gruff cowboy trucker. One minute she was swearing like a sailor, the next she was blushing like a virgin, and all the customers who sat at her counter got what they needed. Sam realized that he was watching a shape-shifter: a kind and giving creature. Perhaps he was meant to notice. Perhaps that was what he needed. She was good. Maybe he was too. He turned to Calliope and caught her in the middle of losing a bite of oatmeal down her chin. â€Å"We can do this,†he said. â€Å"We'll get him back.†â€Å"I know,†she said. â€Å"You do?†She nodded, wiping oatmeal off her chin with a napkin. â€Å"That's the scary thing about hope,†she said. â€Å"If you let it go too long it turns into faith.†She scooped another bite of cereal. Sam smiled. He wished that he shared her confidence. â€Å"Did you ever go to South Dakota with Lonnie? Will we be able to find them?†â€Å"I went to the big summer rally, not this time of year. They don't camp with the other bikers. They rent land from a farmer in the hills. All the Guild chapters stay together there.†â€Å"Could you find it again?†â€Å"I think so. But there's only one dirt road leading in there. How will we get Grubb out?†â€Å"Well, I guess just walking in and asking for him isn't going to work.†â€Å"They usually have guns. They get drunk and play shooting games.†Coyote said, â€Å"Wait for them to go to sleep, then sneak in and count coup.†â€Å"They don't really sleep,†Calliope said. â€Å"They do crank and drink all weekend.†â€Å"Then we will have to trick them.†â€Å"I was afraid you'd say that,†Sam said. He spun on his stool and looked out the windows of the truck stop to the gas pumps, where a black stretch Lincoln was just pulling away. -=*=- Sam woke up in the passenger seat. The Z was parked sideways on the side of the road, the headlights trained over a pasture. The driver's seat was empty. Coyote, who was curled up in the tiny space behind the seat, growled and popped his head out between the seat. â€Å"What's going on?†â€Å"I don't know.†Sam looked around for Calliope. It was raining out. â€Å"Maybe she stopped to take a leak.†â€Å"There she is.†Coyote pointed to a spot by the barbed-wire fence where Calliope was standing by a young calf, working furiously on something at the fence. A mother cow stood by watching. â€Å"The calf's tail is stuck on the barbed wire,†Coyote said. Sam opened the car door and stepped out into the rain just as Calliope finished untangling the calf, which scampered to its mother. â€Å"It's okay,†she called. â€Å"I got him.†She waved for him to get back into the car. She ran to the car and got in. â€Å"Sorry, I had to stop. He looked so sad.†â€Å"It's okay. Pasture pals, right?†Sam said. She grinned as she started the car. â€Å"I thought we could use the karma balance.†Sam looked for a road sign. â€Å"Where are we?†â€Å"Almost there. We have to get going. There's been a car behind us for a while. I got way ahead of it, but I felt like it was following us.†She pulled onto the road, ramming through the gears like a grand prix driver. Sam was peeking at the speedometer when he saw a colored light blow by in the corner of his eye. â€Å"What was that?†â€Å"The only stoplight in Sturgis,†Calliope said. â€Å"I'm sorry, guys, it sort of snuck up on me. The Z goes better than it stops.†â€Å"We're here already?†Sam said. â€Å"But it's still dark out.†â€Å"It's a few more miles to the farm,†Calliope said. â€Å"Sam, if a cop saw me go through that light can you take the wheel? My license is suspended.†Sam checked his watch, amazed at their progress. â€Å"You must have averaged ninety the whole way.†â€Å"I had to go to jail the last time they caught me. Three months. They taught me to do nails for vocational training.†â€Å"You did three months for a traffic violation?†â€Å"There were a few of them,†Calliope said. â€Å"It wasn't bad; I got a degree. I'm a certified nail technician now. In jail it was mostly LOVE/HATE nails, but I was good at it. I would have had a career except the polish fumes give me a headache.†Coyote pulled Grubb's blanket out of the hole in the back window and looked through. â€Å"It's clear. There's a car behind us but it's not a cop.†The sleeping town was only a block long – a stoplight with accessories. Calliope drove them through town and turned south on a county road that wound into the Black Hills. â€Å"It's a couple of minutes up this road to the turnoff, then about a mile in on a dirt road.†Sam said, â€Å"Turn off the lights when you make the turn. We'll drive halfway in and walk the rest of the way.†Calliope made the turn onto a single-lane dirt road that led through a thick stand of lodgepole pines. The road was deeply rutted, the ruts filled with water. The Z bucked and bottomed out in several places. â€Å"Keep it moving steady,†Sam said. â€Å"Don't hit the gas or the wheels will dig into the mud. Christ, it's dark.†â€Å"It's the trees,†Calliope said. â€Å"There's a clearing ahead where they camp.†Sam was trying to peer into the darkness. To his right he thought he saw something. â€Å"Stop.†Calliope let the Z roll to a stop. â€Å"Okay,†Sam said. â€Å"Hit the parking lights, just for a second.†Calliope clicked the parking lights on and off. â€Å"That's what I thought,†Sam said. â€Å"There's a cattle gate back there to the right. Back the Z in there so we can turn it around.†â€Å"Giving up?†Coyote said. â€Å"If we have to get out of here fast I don't want to have to back down this road.†He got out of the car and directed Calliope as she backed the Z in and turned it off. â€Å"We walk from here.†They got out of the car and started down the road, stepping between the puddles. The air was damp and cold, and smelled faintly of wood smoke and pine. When the moonlight broke through the trees they could see their breath. Calliope said, â€Å"Wait.†She turned and ran back to the car, then returned in a moment with Grubb's blanket in hand. â€Å"He'll want his wubby.†Sam smiled in spite of himself, knowing the girl couldn't see his face in the dark. Never face heavily armed bikers without your wubby. Coyote and Cottontail It's an old story. Coyote and his friend Cottontail were hiding on a wooded hill above a camp, watching some girls dance around the fire. Coyote said, â€Å"I'd sure like to get close to some of them.†â€Å"You won't get near them,†Cottontail said. â€Å"They know who you are.†â€Å"Maybe not, little one. Maybe not,†Coyote said. â€Å"I'll go down there in disguise.†â€Å"They won't let any man get close to them,†Cottontail said. â€Å"I won't be a man,†Coyote said. â€Å"Here, hold this.†Coyote took off his penis and handed it to Cottontail. â€Å"Now, when I come back into the woods I will call to you and you can bring me my penis.†Then Coyote changed into an old woman and went down to the camp. He danced with the girls and pinched them and slapped their bottoms. â€Å"Oh, Grandmother,†the girls said, â€Å"you are wicked. You must be that old trickster Coyote.†â€Å"I'm just an old woman,†Coyote said. â€Å"Here, feel under my dress.†One of the girls felt under Coyote's dress and said, â€Å"She is just an old woman.†Coyote pointed to two of the prettiest girls. â€Å"Let's dance in the trees,†he said. He danced with the girls into the woods and tickled them and made them roll around with him laughing. He touched them under their dresses until they said, â€Å"Oh, Grandmother, you are wicked.†â€Å"Cottontail, come here!†Coyote called. But there was no answer. â€Å"Wait here for your old grandmother to return,†Coyote told the girls. He ran all over the woods calling for Cottontail, but could not find him. He went over that hill to the next one and still no Cottontail. He was excited and wanted very much to have sex with the girls, but alas, he could not find his penis. Finally the sun started coming up and the girls called, â€Å"Old Grandmother, we can't wait for you any longer. We have to go home.†Coyote stalked the hills cursing. â€Å"That Cottontail, I will kill him for stealing my penis.†As he walked he passed three other girls coming out of the woods. They were giggling and one of them was saying, â€Å"He was so little, but he had such a big thing I thought I would split.†Coyote ran in the direction the girls had come from and found Cottontail sitting under a tree having a smoke â€Å"I'll kill you, you little thief,†Coyote cried. â€Å"But Coyote, I pleasured the three many times and four times I made each of them cry out.†Coyote was too tired from tickling and dancing all night to stay mad. â€Å"Really, four times each?†â€Å"Yep,†Cottontail said, handing Coyote his member. â€Å"I feel like I was there,†Coyote said. â€Å"You got a smoke?†â€Å"Sure,†said Cottontail. â€Å"Are you going to need your penis tonight?†Coyote laughed and smoked with Cottontail while his little friend told the story of his long night of pleasuring.
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