The North American Free Trade Agreement - 786 Words

On January 1, 1994, the North American free trade agreement was signed. The North American Free Trade Agreement was established so that goods and services could be traded between countries without tariffs and other trading fees while keeping peace between the trading countries. The United States now has many Free Trade Agreements (FTA) in place with numerous countries. There are many mutual benefits to signing Free Trade Agreements besides trading without tariffs and other fees. Free Trade Agreements also effect the economies of each of the countries involved in the agreement. This is because the countries without the ability to produce certain resources get them. Sometimes countries do have the resources but it would just be more cost†¦show more content†¦On June 15, 2004, Morocco and the United States signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Morocco is a country in North Africa that borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Morocco currently has approximately 33,000,000 people and has a GDP per capita of about $7,500. Morocco provides resources that help produce some of the goods and services we have in the United States and the United States helps provide some of the resources morocco does not produce. Morocco’s economy is pretty sustained now. Before establishing a FTA with the United States in 2004, Morocco’s GDP was 101.904 and GDP per capita was $3,409. Although they are expecting growth, there will not be much growth. Therefore, there will not be much of a change in the amount of unemployment or poverty due to the weather conditions affecting one of their main employers, which is the agricultural field. This field of work employs about 40% of their workforce. France imports 46% of hosiery, 29% of basic textile and 28% of ready-to-wear clothing from Morocco making them one of Morocco s top clients for exporting textile and clothing. Manufacturing is also very important in their growing economy due to the need to process raw materials for export and manufacturing consumer goods for selling and trading. Mining is an essential part of the Moroccan economy. Mining employs about 40,000 people and represents $ 2 billion in exports and 20% energy

Great Expectations Free Essays

string(48) " that his good fortune comes from this convict\." â€Å"Great Expectations† was written in the mid 19th century by the world famous novelist Charles Dickens. Of key significance is the relationship between Pip (a growing young man) and Magwitch (an escaped convict) In Chapters One and Thirty-nine we read about the first and second meetings of the two characters, separated by 15 years. In Chapter one of Great Expectations Pip is a humble, polite orphan whose parents died before the time of photography and he now lives with his sister and her husband Mr Joe Gargery. We will write a custom essay sample on Great Expectations or any similar topic only for you Order Now As he has never seen his parents he uses the look of their tombstones to get an image of what they would have looked like. â€Å"The shape of the letters on my father’s, gave me an odd idea that he was a square, stout, dark man, with curly black hair. † This suggests Pip is a lonely sensitive boy and one who misses his parents and brothers. He also goes on to describe his mother as a freckled and sickly woman, not a very high opinion of his mother, maybe due to the fact that his sister (Mrs. Joe Gargery) is a cruel mother figure and an accurate guess at what his mother would look like if she were alive. He also describes his five brothers who all died at a young age and he buried under tombstones/lozenges all of them, he imagines born with their hands in their pockets lying on their backs. Pip goes on to describe the Kent marshes on which he lived as a very bleak place and a place that you could understandably imagine as being shivery cold during the autumn and winter. Living on this cold marsh would be hard it was in an inhospitable environment one cold Christmas eve. As Pip encounters a man that appears from amongst the graves, he is without a hat (Nineteenth century, gentlemen wore hats) and dressed shabbily with a great iron around his leg, it must have been clear to Pip that this man was a convict. The man was clearly shivering and not dressed suitably for the weather. Pip is then threatened on a number of occasions, â€Å"Hold your noise! † cried a terrible voice, as a man started up from among the graves at the side of the church porch. â€Å"Keep still, you little devil, or I’ll cut your throat! The convict, Magwitch, issues imperatives/commands and orders Pip around. The convict goes on to demand after much deliberation, a file and wittles (food), Pip has been threatened by the convict time and again and one of the convicts methods of intimidation is by threatening Pip with a person that goes by the name â€Å"Young man†, he compares this young man to himself by calling himself an Angel in comparison, this young man is said to be able to eat a child’s liver, creep his way into a boys room and when they feel safe under their covers tear them open. Pip is finally let go, to run home but meanwhile with the thought of this young man in his head thinking about how to get food from his cruel sister. Mrs. Joe Gargery is hard and Pip would be hit by the tickler (a wooden stick) if caught stealing food or even suggesting giving food to the convict (Magwitch). There is a significant change in the Pip of Chapter thirty-nine to the poor, labouring boy in Chapter one. Pip has now grown up into a 23 year old gentleman and 15 years have elapsed since his unnerving ordeal on the marshes where he used to live. He now has money from a mystery benefactor and time on his hands, he reads for hour upon hour for much of the day (Not many people could read in the 19th century. It was an important source of entertainment if you could read). Although Pip had his books, his flat mate Herbert had taken a journey to France, leaving him by himself, miserable and dispirited. The weather played a huge part in creating mood and atmosphere as it was menacing and miserable outside. The wind rushing up the river shook the house that night, like discharges of cannon, or breaking of a sea† which in an echo of Chapter 1 on the Kent marshes with the discharges of cannon signalling the escape of convicts. â€Å"The staircase lamps were blown out† showing it to be a murky crepuscular environment. Pip then hears the sound of a single footstep on a stair, making him apprehensive and connecting it with being crept up upon by his dead sister Mrs Joe Gargery in an earlier chapter. Eager to discover who or what it is, he remembers the storm outside and the pitch darkness before him. Remembering then, that the staircase-lights were blown out, I took up my reading-lamp and went out to the stair-head. Whoever was below had stopped on seeing my lamp, for all was quiet. † A voice answers him from the dark, eclipse staircase. Moving the lamp closer to the stranger Pip started to describe his face as being browned by exposure to the weather which suggested that he worked in the fields as a labouer, Pip is proud that he is no longer a â€Å"labouring boy† as Estella once called him. The conversation between Pip the stranger – Magwitch reveals that he is Pip’s benefactor. Pip is then shocked to believe that Magwitch his childhood tormentor is his benefactor and tries to find ways in which to involve Miss Havisham or any other respectable people that he could think of. The dialogue between them showed a significant role reversal, with Pip issuing orders and Magwitch like Pip in the marshes, holding on to some hope that he will be treated kindly by Pip. Pip doesn’t want anything to do with this man and repulses him. Yet as the conversation starts to end Pip starts to feel more and more incriminated. He wants this to have never of happened and regrets that his good fortune comes from this convict. You read "Great Expectations" in category "Papers" He starts to think to himself and use personification to describe the wind and the rain. It becomes apparent that Pip is startled and astounded by this change in events, yet still does not want Magwitch to suffer the punishment due to him if he were to be caught in England. (hanging). The mention in Chapter one of the gallows is a reminder to us of how cruelly prisoners could be treated in Victorian times. The escaped convict in Chapter one, was revealed to be named Magwitch, He had escaped from the prison ships and somehow made his way through the Kent marshes to the cemetery where Pip, was mourning his dead family, Magwitch had no real hope of surviving on the harsh, arctic temperatures and gale force winds of the marsh environment. He needed to convince this boy to get him food and some sort of tool to remove the great iron from his legs. The only way to ensure that Pip would do what he asked was to install fear in him. Magwitch cleverly using the idea of has protecting Pip from another young man. He ensured that Pip was going to get him some food and a file, but still had to sleep in the marshes over night holding onto some hope that Pip might come back. Magwitch in Chapter Thirty-nine is a rich man having made a fortune Australia and is now looking towards Pip for hope. He’s come all the way from Australia but is still a fugitive. He hopes that Pip will accept him into his life. Pip’s rejection of him as being his benefactor must have been a huge bombshell to Magwitch to see the repulsion on Pip’s face. Magwitch has spent 15 years dreaming of this meeting with â€Å"my boy† Pip. He’s grateful to â€Å"noble pip† that helped him on the marshes. He must be hurt by Pip’s rejection. On the sound of the second cannon another prisoner escapes from the prison ships. He gets to safety in the marshes and is found by Pip as a drunk convict. When Pip tells Magwitch of the man he is instantly startled and files away trying to get the great iron of his leg. Pip thinks this man was the young man Magwitch was using to intimidate him but it wasn’t. There is no clear explanation of why Magwitch and Compeyson (the 2nd escaped convict) have a rivalry but the scar on Compeyson’s cheek tells a possible story in itself. Many of a thing could have happened to result in Compeyson obtaining a scar on his cheek but the most common view is a most probable fight with Magwitch. Compeyson in chapter thirty-nine is a man still eagerly awaiting revenge on Magwitch (whose alias is Provis). He finds out that Magwitch has come to England and sees this as his chance to get Magwitch back into prison/executed. He follows the movements of magwitch for a substantial amount of time; Magwitch is caught and almost killed by a ship’s enormous rotating wheel. Provis succeeds in his revenge, and Magwitch later dies in a hospital bed beside Pip giving him a sort of blessing to marry his daughter Estella. There are powerful descriptions of settings throughout the novel, such as the dark murky Kent marshes and the dark staircase of the apartment in London. The Setting can have a huge effect on the imagination of the reader and the mood the author is trying to convey. During the early stages of chapter one Pip gives the readers a clear understanding of what the marshes looked like in the sentence, â€Å"Ours was the marsh country, down by the river, within, as the river wound, twenty miles of the sea. † This alone tells me the marshes are located in a not too dissimilar surrounding to London in the way a river passes through it, but as a source of information to tell if the area is widely populated or if the building are fairly new or maybe old. It doesn’t help that much, maybe a purposely written piece of setting by Charles Dickens, giving the reader the chance to use there own imaginative freedom to make a mental picture in their minds. â€Å"that the dark flat wilderness beyond the churchyard, intersected with dykes and mounds and gates, with scattered cattle feeding on it, was the marshes; and that the low leaden line beyond, was the river†. Have feature of a horror story. Dickens sets a chilling mood to prepare the audience for something scary. The alliteration†low leaden line† the metaphor â€Å"savage lair† enhance the atmosphere of ominous brooding. Chapter thirty-nine opens with a setting of real importance. Without Dickens’ clever use of short and long sentences, repetition, metaphors and personification, Chapter Thirty-nine in my opinion wouldn’t be as effective and would reduce the whole climax of the chapter when Pip’s benefactor is revealed to him. â€Å"It was wretched weather; stormy and wet, stormy and wet; and mud, mud, mud, deep in all the streets. Day after day, a vast heavy veil had been driving over London from the East, and it drove still, as if in the East there were an Eternity of cloud and wind. So furious had been the gusts, that high buildings in town had had the lead stripped off their roofs; and in the country, trees had been torn up, and sails of windmills carried away; and gloomy accounts had come in from the coast, of shipwreck and death. Violent blasts of rain had accompanied these rages of wind, and the day just closed as I sat down to read had been the worst of all. † This single paragraph is a key component in the structure of this whole chapter. The opening sentence uses repetition and semi colons indicate how it should be read in a specific thrilling way. It creates a picture of a wilderness not too dissimilar to the settings in the bleak Kent marshes. Dickens describes this storm as a terrible event, the use of the word â€Å"Eternity† indicated a constant barrage of wind and cloud dominated the sky, a never ending attack of fury upon the rooftops of London. An enormous change can be seen in Pip from the small fragile boy in Chapter one to the snob and spoilt young man of Chapter Thirty-nine. This is a story of the development and change of Pip, Magwitch and Victorian Society. How to cite Great Expectations, Papers Great Expectations Free Essays Have you ever wonder how wealth can bring a person happiness and how it can change a person or does it make that person a better person who was once poor? Driving to a local grocery store for an example, to buy some food for your family to eat and at the register, you have a dollar left. So you decide to buy a lottery ticket and later that night watching TV, you out of million hit the jackpot which would change your life forever. Or just going to school everyday and doing your homework knowing that your family poor and have money problem, you kept up in school and later went to college and getting a master degree plus a well-pay career bring you wealth. We will write a custom essay sample on Great Expectations or any similar topic only for you Order Now Being poor to wealthy or being rich and staying rich as a child to an adult, does the wealth usually bring you happiness? In the novel â€Å"Great Expectation,† Pip is a character who as a child become a wealthy person from a poor background family. As he grew up in a poor childhood, an opportunity came up for him to become rich and surely he took that opportunity from a secret benefactor which was Magwitch, Pip convict. Now being wealthy, Pip thought that it would bring him closer to the girl he loved, Estella. But it didn’t. In return, he had more problems personally then before to face and wasn’t enjoying his wealthy life. Wealth brought him to the path of broken love and change him because if Pip didn’t take the job or opportunity to become rich at the Satis House where he first fell in love when he saw Estella. And now for him to get Estella, he has to change his old way of life to a higher class of people like Estella herself to even have a chance with her. (Chater 8) So according to Pip, wealth doesn’t bring happiness, but it regard only one person only Pip. The way he live in London, he look back at his childhood and old lifestyle, he realize what a terrible place he grew up in and was an embarrass to him. (Part II of the novel until the end of the book or Chapter 20) When Pip was poor, his relationship with Joe was like father to son. But when Pip became wealthy, the relationship grew further apart until a point where Pip became a higher classmen then Joe which he was at the low classmen of people. Looking back now, Pip again realize how Joe was an embarrassment to him now and that he couldn’t socialize with Joe. From what he realize, Pip didn’t talk to Joe as often as he would thought when he came from poor to rich. So wealthy does change a person and in Pip case, it made him not a better person but a poorer person especially in attitude. But Pip is only one individual compare to hundreds of thousands of people. How about what other people experience other then Pip. Another character in the novel, Miss Havisham who almost have the same but simliar problem like Pip with wealth, love, and happiness. Miss Havisham being wealthy herself wanted to get marry with guy who name is Compeyson, but she thought that the marriage was base on love not money. She also didn’t know that the guy Compeysonwas just after her money not her love. Her father warn her about this, but she didn’t care. When the wedding day came and everything was set up, the guy she thought she was going to marry stood her up just as her father warn her. Now heartbroken and mad, Miss Havisham left everything that day like the wedding cake still on the table til the present day, molding away. Because being wealthy, Miss Havisham didn’t find true love as she wanted and now so depress from that day, her lifestyle change to a witch like house. Not seeing the sun or letting sunlght enter her home, she growing old and wrinkle not having happiness to enjoy. Love was want Pip and Miss Havisham thought as happiness, but none of them got it because they were wealthy. In conclusion, so does wealth usually bring a person happiness? To my oppinion yes it should bring a person happiness because it let what the person want and desire knowing that they can afford it. It really depend on the person and what he or she think happiness is and their attitude toward other people about their wealth. Maybe being greedy or just being a fool falling in love over the person because of their wealth or their appearence. Money is money whether you earn it or win it, and it will cause the person who own its problems because of the way they spend it. But money can’t buy true love which is happiness for a person like Pip or Miss Havisham. But on the other hand, if you found true love when your poor and become wealthy, the same person that love when you were poor is true love like Herbert Pocket love life and of course you’ll be happy like Herbert and his love becoming rich. So according to the novel, about 75% percent say that wealth doesn’t bring happiness. But Pip and Miss Havisham are only two people compare to hundreds of thousands of people in real life. Maybe so, who really know what wealth will really bring happiness. If you ask me I would say yes it does for me. Well how can wealth change a person? Its can change a person in many ways from their attitude to their physical appearence. Wealth can change a person by making them feel better about life and knowing that what the want they an get. And does wealth make someone a better person that someone who is poor? Well once again, it depend on that person. That once poor person who became wealthy can realize the hardness of life low on money can help out in many way. Giving away money to buying cloths for the poor. But on the other hand, wealth can make a person attitude even poorer then before over greed. So I think wealth does bring a person happiness for a while and it can the person too. How to cite Great Expectations, Papers Great Expectations Free Essays In the novel great expectations, there are many downfalls and disappointments that Pip encounters during his lifetime, if you read on you will see some of them. A few are, when Pip realizes who his benefactor is, when he realizes Joe is not a gentleman and he is lower class, and when Estella the son of the convict marries Pips enemy Bentley Drummle. If you read on you will hear my elaboration of all of these problems. We will write a custom essay sample on Great Expectations or any similar topic only for you Order Now The benefactor, who is indirectly raising Pip to be a man with nobility and prosperity, is found out, of being the convict, a man of scorn and hate, Pip is so disappointed, he is disgraced, he hates the convict. He cant believe that a man that is one of the most frowned upon men in society has raised Pip to great expectations. Pip starts to refuse the money he receives of his benefactors, and plummets into great dept, and finds him self in jail, debtors prison. There is one subtle, but bright disappointment Pip faces some what late into the novel, and that is when he realizes that Mr Joe, the man who raised him and had so much fortune for, is a mere peasant, a naà ¯ve fool, n-o-t a â€Å"gentleman† like Pip, someone who doesn’t fit Pip’s standards and regulations. Because of this Pip ignores Joe and wished he could pay for Joe to leave him alone. Which is by all accounts nothing less than a jackass, and ignorant scum, who has to find him real self, his lineage. Even though it is JOE who PAYS for PIPS (The gentleman) BAIL, on his dept in prison. One of Pips great disheartens of Estella, is when he founds out that she has married his worst enemy, Bentley Drummle, a man who is also a gentleman like Pip, Estella falls for Bentley and they are presented in a holy marriage, that Pip longed for, for so many miserable years. Pip was very disappointed and depressed; he hated everything in this world after he found out what happen with Estella. He wanted to marry Estella the day he met her at Miss Havinshams house, when he was just a boy, and he remembers the kiss he did with her, on the cheek when he fights the little boy which little becomes his best friend, his companion some one who he will live with, and try to start an insurance company with. All in all Pip was born in a life of hardships and escaped it with a life of glam and fortune and had many loyal friends, and also many bloody crummy ones. He was very lucky to be put in a life with great expectations but very foolish to take advantage of it, He got in dept many times because he was naà ¯ve, he was a fool. He won the lottery but had no idea how to maintain the income that was presented in his way, I personally do not like the man Pip, he is scum in my eyes, he got lost, which many good men do, but he remained lost, without trying to find out his true self, but yes he did repay all the depts. But, he still, is who he is, a man with great expectations, but you know what they say about great expectations. Great expectations, lead to great disappointment. How to cite Great Expectations, Essay examples

Compare and contrast two restaurants free essay sample

Do you want to eat out in Datteln, a small town in Germany? There are a lot of restaurants that you can choose from. They vary greatly in appearance, menu, service and prices. Preference depends on the priority of people. There are two restaurants in Datteln that are worth a try:Lotusblume and Marmaris Doner. They have some similarities and differences. Some people prefer to eat at stylish restaurants. Lotusblume in Datteln is a traditional Chinese restaurant with an authentic Chinese decoration. The red carpets on the floor and the Asian paintings on the walls provide a fascinating ambiance. Marmaris Doner, however, has a standard decoration. For this reason, if you decide to eat out for a special occasion, it is a good idea to opt for the Lotusblume. When you decide where to eat you also consider the menu- what do you fancy eating? Lotusblume offers traditional Chinese cuisine, whereas Marmaris Doner offers the traditional Turkish Doner. We will write a custom essay sample on Compare and contrast two restaurants or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The menu of the Lotusblume is quite large. In contrast Marmaris Doner has some sort of fix menus to choose from. Yet, the foods of both restaurants are well- serviced, fresh and tasty. In conclusion, the differences between the two restaurants are more than the similarities. The common thing of both is that they offer good quality foods and are popular with locals and visitors. Nagihan EkmekciCompare and contrast two restaurants Do you want to eat out in Datteln, a small town in Germany? There are a lot of restaurants that you can choose from. They vary greatly in appearance, menu, service and prices. Preference depends on the priority of people. There are two restaurants in Datteln that are worth a try:Lotusblume and Marmaris Doner. They have some similarities and differences. Some people prefer to eat at stylish restaurants. Lotusblume in Datteln is a traditional Chinese restaurant with an authentic Chinese decoration. The red carpets on the floor and the Asian paintings on the walls provide a fascinating ambiance. Marmaris Doner, however, has a standard decoration. For this reason, if you decide to eat out for a special occasion, it is a good idea to opt for the Lotusblume. When you decide where to eat you also consider the menu- what do you fancy eating? Lotusblume offers traditional Chinese cuisine, whereas Marmaris Doner offers the traditional Turkish Doner. The menu of the Lotusblume is quite large. In contrast Marmaris Doner has some sort of fix menus to choose from. Yet, the foods of both restaurants are well- serviced, fresh and tasty. In conclusion, the differences between the two restaurants are more than the similarities. The common thing of both is that they offer good quality foods and are popular with locals and visitors. Compare and contrast two restaurants Do you want to eat out in Datteln, a small town in Germany? There are a lot of restaurants that you can choose from. They vary greatly in appearance, menu, service and prices. Preference depends on the priority of people. There are two restaurants in Datteln that are worth a try:Lotusblume and Marmaris Doner. They have some similarities and differences. Some people prefer to eat at stylish restaurants. Lotusblume in Datteln is a traditional Chinese restaurant with an authentic Chinese decoration. The red carpets on the floor and the Asian paintings on the walls provide a fascinating ambiance. Marmaris Doner, however, has a standard decoration. For this reason, if you decide to eat out for a special occasion, it is a good idea to opt for the Lotusblume. When you decide where to eat you also consider the menu- what do you fancy eating? Lotusblume offers traditional Chinese cuisine, whereas Marmaris Doner offers the traditional Turkish Doner. The menu of the Lotusblume is quite large. In contrast Marmaris Doner has some sort of fix menus to choose from. Yet, the foods of both restaurants are well- serviced, fresh and tasty. In conclusion, the differences between the two restaurants are more than the similarities. The common thing of both is that they offer good quality foods and are popular with locals and visitors.

Understanding Goals of Human Resource Management in the Context of Human Capital Theory

Labor economics currently depends on several marketable skills of employees that invest in various spheres of organizational activities. This dimension of human resource management is essential for understanding both the wage system and investment incentives.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Understanding Goals of Human Resource Management in the Context of Human Capital Theory specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The theory of human capital, therefore, states that human resources are represented through a set of â€Å"skills, experience, and knowledge have economic value to organizations because they enable it to be productive and adaptable† (Jackson 1995, p. 241). In this respect, people working in organization become the part of its intellectual capital. The full potential of human capital can be fulfilled only through cooperation with an individual. In order to establish favorable relations with individuals , much spending should be directed in training motivating and retaining human capital. Managers should be concerned with different human resource management approaches contributing to increasing the value of their human capital. It should also be stressed that contextual factors, including technology, unions, market conditions, and business approaches are significant because they have a direct impact on the costs linked to alternative methods of HRM practices to enhance the value of the human capital of the organization, as well the value of the anticipated returns. Applications of Human Capital Theory to HRM Practices The standard strategy in labor distribution considers human capital as a set of characteristics that contributes to an employees’ productivity. Human capital, therefore, should rely on efficient methods and techniques that would enhance the intellectual property of an organization. At the same time, there are different views on application of the theory in huma n resource management practices.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Becker’s conception, human capital theory should be regarded in the context of the production process. To enlarge on the issues, the theorist suggests that social capital promotes worker’s productivity in all fields, but to a different extent with regard to the type of organizational activities and situations, a work is involved (Becker 1994). Within these perspectives, human capital theory is presented as a one-dimensional object and the work labor is considered as a set of knowledge, skills, and experiences which directly affects organization’s production rates (Becker 1994). The importance of investing into intellectual development is equal to the investment made in technological and material development of an organization. Human capital theory can also be estimated from var ious angles and, therefore, it cannot be considered as one-dimensional only. In this respect, theorist Garner agrees with the ideas of multidimensionality of the human capital. In particular, the scholar believes that such an approach would enhance the correlation between physical and mental abilities of employees. Gardner’s views human capital through the perspective of multiple intelligences according to which intelligence cannot be regarded as a single ability, but a set of specific modalities, cognitive abilities that allow managers to define in which sphere an employee can contribute most. It also defines the learning and training programs for the personnel. Such an approach is much more beneficial because it identifies which skills are the most developed among the individuals and which ones are the least developed.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Understanding Goals of Human Resource Management in the Context of Human Capital Theory specifically f or you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There is also an assumption that human capital implies the capacity to adjust to situations (Shultz 1972). The supporters of this approach argue that social capital theory is beneficial while dealing with constant changing environments to which employees had to adjust. Inventing techniques to handling changes also contributes to promotion of intellectual capital, as well as to the overall productivity and performance of an organization. Finally, human capital can be represented through the ability of employees to cooperate and interact in a corporate environment. Such a perspective entails adherence to the principles established by organizational culture (Bowles and Gintis 1975). According to this view, the main task of human capital theorist is to provide individuals with right missions and goals that would allow them to achieve their personal goals as well. Finally, human capital theory can focus primarily on the individual capabilities, skills, and experiences beyond the production process. Person-centered approach, therefore, has acquired recognition due to globalization emphasizing importance of cultural diversity issues. Thus, organizational activities and intelligence should first be considered independently to define the intellectual potential of employees. All the above-enumerated applications of human capital theory highlight the necessity of its integration into human resources management practices. The approaches should be considered in combination to grasp a deeper understanding of the theory.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Organizations should pay much attention to the organization’s mission, goals, and objectives that should be oriented on enhancing corporate social responsibility rather than increasing organization’s profitability. Indeed, focusing on human capital improvement can expand the horizons of marketing approaches because of wider contexts involved into the process. One way or another, workers’ characteristics must be tackled in the workplace. Moral and Ethical Implications of the Human Capital Theory Due to the fact that human capital theory relates directly to the analysis of intellectual capital, it also closely correlates with the moral and ethical principles of organizational behavior. In fact, considering ethics in business environment is essential because it contributes tremendously to economic success of an organization. Human capital management should strongly rely on moral dimensions, which includes such issues as insecurity and risk, along with surveillance and control. Thus, employees often encounter stressful situations because of the responsibilities imposed on them. Therefore, managers should be able to create an environment that would minimize the stress. According to Koster (2007), â€Å"†¦management seeks for transparent employees in order to select those offering not only outstanding professional abilities and knowledge but also displaying desired behavior, attitudes, motivation, and interests† (p. 5). Consequently, the contemporary practices in HRM introduce a set of techniques promoting the privacy and autonomy policies for employees, as well as enforcing values and attitudes by means of change programs. The ethical underpinnings of human capital theory can be interpreted through the prism of gender inequality in the workplace. In this respect, Peil (2009) argues, â€Å"human capital theory, especially as applied to gender inequality, can be interpreted as emphasizing a utilitarian approach to ethics, in which in dividuals’ subjective assessment of their well-being is not challenged† (p. 92). In this respect, both minority groups face challenges while pursuing their personal goals in an organization. With regard to the above-presented applications of human capital theory, particularly to the views of Gary Becker, discrimination is among the most serious concerns in the employed environment. According to Becker, there are two types of discrimination – discrimination in monetary terms and statistical discrimination (Peil 2009). The latter, according to the theorist, is unethical because it is premised on using characteristics related with groups that replace information about separate individuals (Peil 2009). As a result, managers ignore outdated information, which leads to inadequate generalization. The human capital should not be regarded as the intellectual property in which monetary and financial investment should be made. Rather, human capital should also be considered a cultural asset of the company which enriches and improves its corporate culture. Managers should pay particular attention to the encouragement and development of effective network within which employees could enhance their experiences, skills, and abilities. More importantly, they should also feel that their valuable members of the organization. Accepting human resources as cultural capital contributes indirectly to organizational performance through enlarging organizational values and objectives. The development of efficient human resources methods should ensures perfectly organized work of individuals who are aware of their roles and responsibilities. Therefore, human capital theory integrates the concept of social capital underlining the importance of cross-cultural understanding and trust among the employees. Alternatively, lack of cultural understanding and ignorance of ethical norms can lead distrust. In fact, â€Å"the more opportunistic people become with their â€Å"bo unded economic rationality†, the less trustworthy they are†, which contributes to the deployment of corruption and bureaucracy (Werhane and Singer 1999, p. 148). Therefore, such moral values as trust and respect should become the foundation of an organization. The productivity of workers is associated with not only their abilities and skills, as well as the amount of investment in their development and learning, but also on their motivation, and aspiration to work. Managers should recognize the fact that â€Å"motivation in turn partly depends on earning because of the effect on an increase in earnings on moral and aspirations† (Becker 1994, p. 57). Therefore, the incentive to develop moral in organization and increase earnings should depend on the same incentives to encourage outside investments. Therefore, both material and non-material investment into the development of employees can have a positive impact on the organizational development as well. Despite the assumption that business should not be concerned with ethics, human behavior cannot be adjusted to rational decision making only. In this respect, organizational behavior relies on a set of factors, including social and cultural backgrounds, ethical belief systems, and moral obligations. In fact, previous considerations on the theory of human capital prove that lack of or poor ethical standards does not contribute to the development of the corruption-free organizational system, as well as to fair cooperation between supervisors and their subordinates. According to Rose (n. d.), â€Å"Ethical business creates a positive environment in which to buy and sell, like corruption, poverty, and lack of respect for the environment generate problems for the business community in the long term† (p. 28). The excellence of business operations, therefore, is congruent with the success of the developed code of ethical conduct, which highly relevant for today’s globalized business worl d. Ethical perspectives of business development are closely associated with the underpinnings of human capital theory. Such a perspective is highly relevant due to the global trends in business community. This is of particular concern to the development of international standards of ethical codes that should be the guiding principle in an organization. More importantly, human capital theory significantly contributes to the development of morale because it is connected with exploring human behavior and its influence on human resource management. Sustainability of Human Capital Theory Human capital theory has a strong theoretical and empirical foundation because of the growing tendency to apply individual-centered approach while carrying on business. More importantly, the international standards are prone to establishing social welfare as a priority in a corporate world. In particular, social corporate responsibility provides new perspectives of developing relations between managers a nd employees because it directly related to the welfare of the entire organization (Ehnert 2009). In particular, an employee can be considered as an essential stakeholder contributing the development of business. Managers, therefore, should rely on social capital theory while developing new techniques and approaches to treating human resources. The sustainability of human capital theory also lies in the possibility of considering employees not as a workforce for achieving organizational goals, but also an intellectual asset that should be invested and advanced for the welfare of the business. Within these perspectives, considering cultural diversity, ethics, and morale should be at the core of organizational development, apart from profitability and productivity (Ehnert 2009). Appreciation of human capital can also allow an organization to take a competitive advantage over other organizations with poor ethical and moral standards. Sustainable work systems and favorable relations bet ween the employees contribute to the establishment of corporate environment. Applying to human capital theory does not only allow managers to develop a reputable image of an organization but discover new horizons for development. Therefore, the theory of human capital is a valuable contribution to social resource management techniques. Understanding human capital theory as the study of multiple intelligences can provide new methods of exploring employment and recruitment. It also enhances retention culture and reduces the turnover within an organization. Finally, human capital theory contributes to integrating efficient methods of measuring employee performance. Reference List Becker, GS 1994, Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis, with Special Reference to Education, University of Chicago Press, US. Bowles, S, and Gintis, H 1975, The Problem with Human Capital Theory – A Marxian Critique, American Economic Review, vol. 62, no. 2, 74-82. Ehnert, I 2009, Sustaina ble Human Resource Management: A Conceptual and Exploratory Analysis from a Paradox Persuasive, Springer, New York. Gardner, HE 2006, Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons in Theory and Practice, Basic Books, US. Jackson, SE 1995, ‘Understanding Human Resource Management in the Context of Organizations and Their Environments’, Annual Reviews of Psychology, vol. 46, pp. 237-264. Koster, M 2007, Ethics in Human Resource Management, GRIN Verlag, US. Peil, J 2009, Handbook of Economics and Ethics, Edward Elgar Publishing, US. Rose, A, n. d., ‘Ethics and Human Resource Management’, Ethics in Business Environment, 27-40. Viewed on http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/0077111028/536508/EHR_C02.pdf Shultz, TW 1972, Human Capital: Policy Issues and Research Opportunities, University of Chicago, viewed on https://www.nber.org/chapters/c4126.pdf Werhane, R, and Singer AE 1999, Business Ethics in Theory and Practice: Contributions from Asia and New Zealand. Spr inger, New York. This essay on Understanding Goals of Human Resource Management in the Context of Human Capital Theory was written and submitted by user 3-D Man to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Writing Grant Proposals Essays

Writing Grant Proposals Essays Writing Grant Proposals Essay Writing Grant Proposals Essay How to Write a Good Project Proposal for Donor Funding by David Ingram, Demand Media Asking colleagues to review grant proposals before sending can reveal areas of needed improvement. Related Articles How to Write a Good Proposal for a Non-profit Orgnization How to Write a Letter Requesting Funding From a Foundation How to Write an Exploratory Project Proposal How to Write a Business Grant Proposal How to Write a Proposal for the Workplace How to Write a Letter of Introduction For Employment Grant proposals are documents used to secure grant funds from institutional or private donors. Writing grant proposals requires specialized skills and experience that allow you to stand out from the wide range of other projects competing for limited grant funds. Small business and nonprofits can hire professional grant proposal writers to increase their chances of winning funding, or company leaders can tackle the process themselves. Knowing how to write a good project proposal for donor funding can give you the edge you need to secure funding for your project. Ads by Google Project Management Software Agile Software Project Mgmt Tool. Download Your Free 10-User Version. www. rallydev. m Step 1 Speak with potential donors before beginning your proposal to determine donors specific giving preferences. Custom-tailor each funding proposal to a specific donor, rather than sending out the same document to multiple sources to increase the attractiveness of your proposals. Each potential donor has a preference for specific areas of need, different types of organizations and different types of projects. Find out what kind of projects each donor has funded before, donors preferred proposal formats and the areas of need that potential organizational donors address with their own services. ep 2 Begin your proposal with a comprehensive needs analysis to set the stage for the project you propose. Your description of your project will have more impact if proposal readers fully understand the why behind what you propose to do. Dig up solid statistics in your proposal to support your claims. A project proposal focused on community education, for example, could share statistics on adult illiteracy and high- school dropout rates in the surrounding communities. Discuss the root causes of the Related Reading: How to Write a Good Proposal for a Non-profit Orgnization step 3 Thoroughly describe the way your project will function, focusing on the impacts it will have in the area of need identified above, to give donors a more complete understanding of your project. Pair a detailed narrative of how your project will work with pictures, graphs, floor plans and any other documentation that will allow donors to visualize the completed project. Be prepared to answer any questions about this section of the proposal with confidence, to show that you know exactly how to put donor funds to the best use. Step 4 Lay out a financial plan showing exactly how you intend to use the money you raise. Even if donors are convinced that your project can effectively serve a need that resonates with them, they will still want assurance that you are going to use the money in the most efficient manner, maximizing the impact of their donations. Draw up a budget for spending the money, including allowances for unforeseen expenses. step 5 Include brief professional biographies of yourself and other top leaders in your organization, focusing on your experience implementing projects similar to the one you are proposing. Use this section to prove that you and the leaders of your roposed project possess the knowledge, experience and contacts to plan and execute a project successfully. Sponsored Links Full-Text Online Libraryonline library of books, Journals, articles. Research online. www. questia. com/Online_Library Producing A Book? Publishing a Book Made Easy. Production Marketing Distributionwww. bookpublishing-companies. com Referred Academic JournalFast Review, Publishing Printing International Journal(US Published)www. iiste. org Research ProposalPublish Your Research Article In International Journal:IOSRJOURNALSiosrJournals. org

Buying the Correct Health Insurance for You

Insurance plans in the market seem to be a good idea for insurance shoppers to find the best plan at a competitive price, but in reality there is the possibility of creating confusion and uncertainty. This article provides advice to individuals, small businesses, and large companies that may be helpful in making decisions when choosing insurance contracts. Individuals have no perfect choice for everyone. The best measure of the value you get is your 'willingness to pay' (Getzen, 2011). Last week, we wrote about what features to compare before purchasing a health insurance plan. As promised, today's versions compare some of the popular health insurance plans you can expect. As we all know, there are numerous health insurance plans in the market; some of them are good, and some of them are useless. Therefore it is difficult to identify which is the best and which should be considered for purchase. Open Registration You usually have to purchase health insurance during the annual public offering period. The open recruitment period is from November 1 to January 31 every year. Health insurance can be purchased only when there is a target life event such as marriage or divorce, childbirth, subscription to existing insurance or loss. Premium insurance fee is the way you pay insurance fee. When deciding on the premium, the insurer will ask your age, the place you live, whether you smoke or use cigarettes and whether the insurance you purchase is for one or one family I think only about it. They may not consider your health status, medical history, billing history, genetic information, gender, disability or other health factors Both of these policies encourage people to buy healthy 'insurance' only when people are sick. After all, why would you buy now if you are sick, if you can purchase it anytime? However, only those who are sick can purchase health insurance and lose all their aims, and the risk of getting sick is spreading to many people who can not know. In the fre e market of health insurance, most people buy naturally guaranteed renewable insurance when young and healthy; low premiums payable by everyone are sufficient to cover the cost of relatively small diseases is. . (This is the mechanism of life insurance.)

Techniques for the Biomedical Sciences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Techniques for the Biomedical Sciences - Essay Example While conducting ELISA tests mild detergents are normally used in washing out the proteins that are not bound to any particular substrate. ELISA has been widely used in pregnancy tests. Chorionic Gonadotrophin is a hormone largely produced by developing placenta during pregnancy. Peptide hormone detection is used in pregnancy tests and many other tests such as abnormally growing cell tumors most importantly the germ cell tumors. Chorionic Gonadotrophin hormone is also useful in man in the determination of cancer of the testicles. 3.A typical graph plotted will assume a sigmoid shape. This is mainly attributed to the wells from column 4 which indicate a yellow color showing positive results. However, there is increased absorption as the concentration increases. Wells that did not contain the serum showed little or no absorbance. For the wells which did not have the substrate indicated the least absorbance. This type of ELISA has been known to require the use antibody pairs which are m atching. In this case, the antibody is first coated in the pate well by an antigen molecule. The next solution known as the analyte is then applied to the well. This is then followed by addition of another antibody layer, which helps in measuring the concentration of the analyte. Capturing and detection of the analyte are possible through the use of polyclonal in sandwich ELISA is variability is allowed. In cases where the enzyme is conjugated to the detecting antibody, the process is known as direct sandwich ELISA. reduce the errors.

Ontario and Forest Sustainability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Ontario and Forest Sustainability - Essay Example Although Canada is often deemed, from a romantic point of view, as a source of endless beauty and natural resources, this is simply not the case. There are limits. The Ontario forests are owned primarily by the province of Ontario, under the auspices of the "Crown Forest", and represent more than ninety percent of all forested land in the province; of these forested lands, slightly more than thirty percent have been allocated for productive uses. These productive uses include the cutting down of timber, tourism, and a variety of other uses. Because these forested lands provide different benefits to different groups, both aesthetic and economic, philosophical conflicts are inevitable. The provincial Ministry of Natural Resources of Ontario asserts that it is doing everything possible to sustain the forested lands; and, yet, there are those that counter that more needs to be done given certain data suggesting that sustainability problems have occurred and continue to emerge. The questi on presented, in short, is whether Ontario is doing enough, both in terms of policy formulation and implementation, in order to truly ensure sustainability. I am of the view that, while Ontario's actions seem superficially comprehensive and cohesive, the fact is that there remain very real problems regarding the forests and related industry. How might Ontario better approach this issue of sustainability I will attempt to provide some answers by discussing the goals and types of sustainability, some of the policies and programs adopted in Ontario, and the ultimate reality on the ground. Sustainable Development Defined As a preliminary matter, it is important to define what is meant by the term, sustainable development. The most widely accepted definition has been attributed to the Bruntland Commission which stated that sustainable development is that type of development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."1 This implies a policy model that emphasizes regeneration; more specifically, sustainable development demands that our actions today do not disadvantage people in the future. The difficulty is that sustainability must account for several sub-types of sustainability; these sub-types include environmental sustainability, political sustainability, social sustainability, and economic sustainability. One can easily imagine the conflicts which arise when one group tends to emphasize environmental sustainability, for instance, and another group chooses instead to emphasize political sustainability given certain economic p ressures and rewards. These competing points of view have been stated as philosophies or ideologies governing how policy should be inspired and designed. The ecocentric school of thought treats everything as an interrelated living whole and posits that all policy decisions must account for all types of sustainability2; the anthropocentric approach, on the other hand, holds that the well-being of human beings must transcend all other concerns.3 Many critics have argued that the anthropocentric approach has resulted in legislation and policies which have exacerbated rather than minimized certain sustainability concerns. An

General relativity Essay Example for Free

General relativity Essay For many years time travel was the stuff of science fiction. This was all just part of the worlds imagination until recently. Scientists now believe that the current laws of physics allow us to travel though time. They believe that we can now travel back to see our founding fathers sign the declaration of independence. We could travel to 2999 to witness the birth of the next new millennium. Such travel would require a machine capable of withstanding great pressures and incredible amounts of speed. The act of actually traveling though time is for the most part, agreed upon, but the implications of such travel is not so decided upon. Many different theorists have different views of what could happen and some go, as far as to say that if we did travel to the past, we would end up in a different universe that is a replica of this one. One of the most basic concepts is that of Dilation, a stretching of something. Some scientists believe that the main gateway to the past or future is a wormhole. Einsteins general relativity theory explains about universal constants, this is important to understand the concepts of travel at light speed. Traveling to the past could create problems if someone tried to change something. This is a paradox. A few of these paradoxes are explained through the use of quantum mechanics. Sailing though the cosmos at the speed of light with no time passing us by, moving throughout time to witness the ancient Egyptians create their masterpieces. This is an exciting concept that we could actually formulate and make happen. Before the time of Einstein, Newton and other great investigators thought of space as an infinite expanse in which all things exist (Hewitt 213). We are in space and we live in it along with all of the planets and stars. It was never clear if the universe exists in space or space exists in the universe. Dose space exists outside the universe or only within the bounds of it. The similar question, does the universe exist only in time or does time only exist in the universe? Was there time before the universe, and will there be time after it ceases to exist? Einsteins answer to this is that time and space only exist within the universe. There is no time or space ? outside. (Hewitt 213) Einstein said that space and time are two separate parts of a whole called space-time (Hewitt 213). To understand this, consider our present knowledge. We move though time at the rate of 24 hours per day. This is only half the story though. To get the other half we have to convert our thinking from moving though time to moving though space-time (Hewitt 213). When we move, we not only move through space, we move though time. This is the idea of space-time. If a person were to stand still, they would be moving only though time. If they moved a little bit, they would be moving though space a little bit, but still mostly though time. If one were to travel at the speed of light, what changes would they experience in time? The answer is simple; they would be traveling through space, with no travel though time (Hewitt 214). They would be as ageless as light, for light travels though space only (not time) and is timeless. The frame of reference of a photon, a particle of light, a trip across the universe would take no time at all (Hewitt 214). To understand how traveling though time would work, we must first understand how time and space can be stretched. Motion in space affects motion in time. Whenever we move through space, we to some degree alter our rate of motion in time. This is known as time dilation, a stretching of time that occurs ever so slightly for everyday speeds, but significantly for speeds approaching the speed of light. If we were to attempt to travel to the nearest star, Alpha Centauri, which is 4 light years away, even traveling at the speed of light would take 8 years round trip (Hewitt 228). The center of our galaxies is something like 30000 light years away and at the speed of light would take 30000 years to get there. We could not possibly survive that long. These arguments fail to take in to account of time dilation though. Time for a stationary observer on earth and for an astronaut on a spaceship of high velocity is different. A persons heart beats to the rhythm of the realm it is in. One realm of time seems the same as any other to the person in the realms, but not to an observer outside that realm that can see the difference. As an example, astronauts traveling at 99% the speed of light could make a trip to the star Procyon that is 11. 4 light-years away in 23 earth years round trip (Hewitt 229). Because of time dilation, it would seem that only 3 years passed for the astronauts, there clocks would be 3 years older; they would be biologically only 3 years older (Hewitt 229). It would be the mission control people that would appear to be 23 years older. The question is why dose this happen. Lets say that we are in our hometown, looking at the grandfather clock that is in the center of town. The clock reads 12:00 noon. Light from the sun bounces off the face of the clock and hits our eyes. We then turn our head and the light misses us and travels off into space. In space, there is a space ship that is traveling at the speed of light. An astronaut looks out his passenger-side window and sees the reflection of the clock. It reads 12:00 noon. As he continues to move at the speed of light, he keeps up with the reflected face of the clock. In the space ship time would pass as normal, but time in the universe would have seemed to stop. This might sound like cosmic bologna but the idea has been proven. In 1975 Professor Carl Tllie of the University of Maryland tested this theory using two synchronized atomic clocks (Brian par2). One clock was placed on a plain and flown for several hours while he other clock stayed on the ground. Upon landing, the clock on the plain was a little slower than the one on the ground. This was not due to experimental error, for the same test was done several times and each time yielded the same results. Because of time dilation travel in to the distance future is a definite possibility. The only problem lies in propelling a craft to such speed at which light travels. Carl Sagan wrote a science fiction novel about a fictional device that allowed his character to travel great distances across the universe. Those faster than light speeds are not achievable; he also knew there was a common convention in science fiction that would allow a gimmick of a shortcut through ? Hyper space as a means around this problem( par2 ) . Sagen turned to Kip Thorne for help for hyperspace connections through space-time( par2). A black hole always has two ends, a property ignored by everyone except a few mathematicians until the mid-1980s. Thorne was sufficiently intrigued to set two of his Ph. D. students, Michael Morris and Ulvi Yurtsever, the task of working out some of the details of the physical behavior of what the relativists know aswormholes. By starting out from the mathematical end of the problem, they constructed a space-time geometry that matched Sagans requirement of a wormhole that could be physical traversed by human beings. Sagan was right; hyperspace connections do at least in theory provide a means to travel to far distant regions of the universe without spending thousands of years putting around in an ordinary spacecraft. Since the 30s scientists have speculated that wormholes exist. Einsteins theory combines 3 dimensional space with time to create a 4 dimensional space (Brian par3). Wormholes are gateways between two different parts of the universe made by linking two black holes. Wormholes are in the fabric of 4 dimensional space that are connected, but which originate at different points in space and different times. By connecting the two holes they provide a quick path between two different locations in space and time. Distortions in space cause the point separated by the gap to bulge out and connect. This forms a wormhole through, which something could instantaneously travel to a far away place and time. This is basically the 4dinensial equivalent of a folded sheet of paper, to make contact from one edge of the paper to the other. One could build a craft strong enough to withstand the intense force of the gravity towards the center, and pass right through like opening a door of a house and stepping outside, except the space travelers outside could be light-years away and centuries before the current time. If the traveler enters one side he would exit in the opposite side in a different place and time. The difficulty of doing this is in keeping the hole open till the travel gets through otherwise it would collapse and the traveler would not be seen again. The trip is not impossible just extremely difficult. It is believed to be possible to create our own wormhole. To actually make one, two identical machines consisting of 2 parallel metal plates charged with unbelievable amounts of energy would need to be constructed. When the machines are placed in close proximity of each other the enormous amounts of energy, about that of an exploding star, would rip a hole in the space-time continuum and connect the two machines via a wormhole. This is possible and the beginnings of it have been illustrated in the lab by what is known as the Casimir effect. The next step would be to put one of these machines on a space ship and send it off at near light speed. The ship would take the machine on a journey while being connected to the other on earth via the wormhole. A step in the hole would take us to where the other machine is, but that would be in a different time. Its use would be somewhat limited because we could not travel to a time before the machine was created. However if we were to utilize wormhole technologic we would have to be so advanced that we could master the energy within blockhouse. Space-time consists of portraits or events that represent a particular place at a particular time. Your life forms sort of a worm in space-time. The tip of the tail is your birth and the head is your death. And everything that is the body is your life, otherwise called your world line. In three-dimensional space, a rocket that is not accelerating is stationary, but in four-dimensional space the ship is moving along is world line. Einsteins law states simply that the world line of every object is a geodesic in the continuum. A geodesic is the shortest distance between two points but in curved space is not generally a straight line. If an objects world line were to be distorted, so much of form a loop connected with a part on itself that represented an earlier place in time it would create a corridor to the past. Picture a loop to loop that runs into it as it comes around. This closed loop is called a closed time like curve. These curves could be used to travel into our own history. All the clams made about time travel are consequences of the basic scientific laws and standard Quantum Mechanics. Wormholes and closed time like curves appear to be the main way to travel to the past. The aforementioned theories do fine in expelling how to we would go about traveling through time, but they do little to explain what it would be like traveling through them. Quantum mechanics can be used to model possible scenarios and yields the probability of each possible output. In the context of time travel, it has a so-called many universe interpretation. First pursed by Huge Evertt III in 1957. This means that if something can physically happen it does in some universe. Everett says that our reality is only one of the many equally valid universes. There is a collection of these universes called a multiverse. Every multiverse has copies of every person, structure and atom. For every possible event every possible outcome is said to be played out in a different universe. This interpretation of Quantum Mechanics is quite controversial, but it does suggest that it may be impossible to travel backward in it to our own dimension, but quite possible to travel back in time to an alternate dimension. Such an idea of linking parallel universes has been suggested in science fiction novels and in some television shoes such as Sliders. In the television series Sliders, a sliding machine creates a wormhole that links 2 parallel dimensions. Each week a group of these sliders jump into the wormhole and emerge in the same place and time, but in a different dimension. They can run into there own selves and experience a society vastily different than their own. The stuff of science fiction stems from existing Physical theories. So now that we know travel through time is theoretically possible, what would it be like? What would traveling at light speed be like? It would be similar to driving our car at 60 mph. You could not really tell the difference, Einstein says that you can not tell the difference in uniformly moving vessels. According to Einsteins laws of special relativity sight speed travel is not achievable. For any object to attain light speed, an object must be massless, such as a photon. Any object with mass would require an infinite amount of energy to accelerate to light speed. As we know, everything has mass so it would be impossible for any human to achieve these speeds. Another barrier on our traveling the speed of light, is the fact that light is pure energy, if we were to travel at that speed, we would turn into energy blobs. What happens when we actually travel back in to time? What happens if we change something, or try to commit suicide or to invent something from the future that we take for granted? The future from that point could be drastically changed. This argument is commonly called the Chronology principal. This principal states that the time travel could bring information to the past that could be used to create new ideas or products. If Pablo Picaso, the most influential and successful painter of the 20th century were to travel back in time to meet his younger self, assuming he stayed in his correct universe, he could then give himself a portfolio of all his work. His younger self could reproduce the paintings and profoundly and irrevocably affecting the future of art. This would involve no creative energy by the inventor. The reproductions would exist because they are copies from the original and the originals exist because they are copies of the reproductions. No creative energy would ever have to be put forth to create these masterpieces. Because of the chronology principal time travel, by some, has been ruled out. The cosmos await us, and the history of our world is at our fingertips. Would we use this great power for good, bad, and wealth? All we have to do is get in our spaceship, set sail for the nearest wormhole, and hope for a little luck, and we can witness things only told in stories. Only the traveler can decided what he or she wishes to go back for. The theories today state that traveling through time is possible, however they do not say what could be the repercussions of our actions. This great frontier awaits us; we have the knowledge, and are slowly but surly developing the technology. Only time will tell when time itself no longer rules our lives as one of the chief amendments of the universal constitution.

From Childhood to Adulthood in Updikes A&P Essay -- A&P Essays Sammy

From Childhood to Adulthood in Updike's A&P Sammy is stuck in that difficult transition between childhood and adulthood. He is a nineteen-year-old cashier at an A&P, the protagonist in a story with the same name. John Updike, the author of "A&P," writes from Sammy's point of view, making him not only the main character but also the first person narrator. The tone of the story is set by Sammy's attitude, which is nonchalant but frank--he calls things as he sees them. There is a hint of sarcasm in Sammy's thoughts, for he tends to make crude references to everything he observes. Updike uses this motif to develop the character of Sammy, as many of these references relate to the idea of "play." Sammy is no longer a child, but much of what he observes he describes as the play that he did as a child. The way he thinks can also be described as childlike play, in terms of his being disrespectful and needing to show off. Updike demonstrates, however, that Sammy desires to be thought of as an adult, and many of his references are to the type of play that adults might engage in. Sammy, like many adults, does not think in what is considered an adult manner, but Updike uses the plot's climax and conclusion to show that Sammy has learned a tough lesson that will speed up his transition into adulthood. Sammy begins to play from the moment he lays eyes on three girls who enter the A&P one slow summer Thursday evening during the early 1960s. He comes up with a name, based on appearance, for each of the barely dressed girls. He nicknames them as children do to poke fun at one another. Ronald E. McFarland describes how this name-calling "indicate[s] his immaturity and lack of compassion" (99). Sammy makes fun of customers as well: McFarl... ...ammy's case, it is provoked by this incident at the A&P, which he will probably never forget. His "stomach kind of fell as [he] felt how hard the world was going to be to [him] thereafter" (31). He learns that life is not a game and that people, especially superiors, cannot be "played." Fun is certainly acceptable, but not when it is demeaning or disrespectful to other people. Works Cited Day, Frank. John Updike Revisited. New York, NY: Twayne Publishers, 1998. McFarland, Ronald E. "Updike and the Critics: Reflections on 'A&P.'" Studies in Short Fiction 20.2-3 (1983): 95-100. Shaw, Patrick W. "Checking Out Faith and Lust: Hawthorne's 'Young Goodman Brown' and Updike's 'A&P.'" Studies in Short Fiction 23.3 (1988): 321-323. Updike, John. "A&P." Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. Robert DiYanni. 5th ed. New York, NY: McGraw, 2002. 27-31.

One of the largest Bottlers for the Coca-Cola Company Essay

Case Studies Aileen R. Arias MKT 500 – Marketing Management Sections A International American University Professor Mara Murphy MBA Management -2017 Fall 2 Title Coca-Cola According to the source the word means of Coca-Cola was from a Dutch phrase that had two meaning Ik Ook translates to Me Too and Op Stap translates to Move On. The invention of the popular drink since 1886 came from the curiosity of an Atlanta pharmacist, Dr. John S. Pemberton, its discovered a distinctive tasting of soft drink that could be sold at soda fountains. Then he flavored syrup and took it to his neighborhood into a pharmacy, had mixed with carbonated water and became a superb by those who tasted the product began a milestone formulated the drinks into major success the collaboration of bookkeeper, Frank M. Robinson, was credited with naming the beverage Coca-Cola the unique designing the trademarked, distinct script, still used today. It stands for connecting with more individual no matter which co ntinent they lived they can be happy when they see Coca-Cola. The product tastes of happiness for everyone. The company advertise in overseas and all of the poster campaign are not the same they choose carefully what should the theme as their advertisements before broadcasting it to the media. Review/Analysis of the Case Analysis of Findings The extraordinary ways of a good campaign of Coca-Cola had considered not only the brand, but the music that gives the slogan provided a simple, direct way to communicate about the product. Through the year of 1906, its theme The Great National Temperance Beverage reflected a time when the society in the United States was veering away from alcoholic beverages, and Coca-Cola provided a nice alternative. It is Jingle had concerned the sales figures, such as from a Three Million a Day from 1917 or Six Million a Day from 1925. Further views upon the ways of drinks a day, had difference from the one billion a day mark TheCoca-ColaCompany passed in 1997. Variation of advertisement forCoca-Colts concentrated on th e quality of the product, Either ways of its refreshing taste or even its role in entertaining, as in 1948s Where There’s Coke There’s Hospitality. Into way back of the year 1985 into the introduction of a new taste of Coca-Cola (commonly called new Coke ) and the reintroduction of Coca-Cola classic and the original formula led to multiple slogans. Its featured Americas Real Choice, while by the year 1986, two slogans were used to differentiate the brands, from with the colors Red, White You forCoca-Cola classic and Catch the Wave forCoca-Cola. In the ways of reselling themselves for increase the level of memorable slogans. In hence from the year 1971 Hilltop ad featured a song with the words Id Like to Buy the World a Coke. Almost that wasn’t an actual slogan (the ad, in fact, was part of the Its the Real Thing campaign), the beautiful ad and song lyrics are still so well known today that the lyrics are considered a slogan to many. Furthermore years to January 2003, its recent campaign forCoca-Cola was introduced Coca-Cola Real. The ways it turns out to be (and slogan in turn) reflects a genuine, authentic feel into the life and the natural roleCoca-Coldplay in them. Summary and Conclusions The Company Coca-Cola had great deal of success regarding upon the campaign became a unique ways of marketing to billions of people around the world. As the social impact came a uplifting global campaigns that translates well into different overseas, languages, and cultures. It becomes a deal of companies to help as well income growth of ones countries to their people regarding employment. Because of a great deal of success of Coca-cola they try to copy and compete with them example the Pepsi company but they end up to be failure, I think and believe that a genuine ways and trend-setting of the company like Hansen Beverage Company (Monster Energy) could surpass Coca-Cola in the American Market and possibly change of game plan in the global market. Likewise, to Coke, Monster Energy Company was alert to keep up the changing times all while developing a premium product tied with a strong market, they are able to expand their product mix offering energy drinks, tea, coffee, sports drinks, also it goes to recently naturally flavored sparkling spring water. Now days a new wave became craze to avoid illness and aging problem in health, by a solution in the market became a major threat to producer and manufacture of soda beverages because it effect to falling aw ay fr to people choosing healthier options and that the case we must able to think the benefits and make watch list of nutritional value for our health seeking. References Kotler,Philip and Keller,Kevin Lane Marketing Management , Person 610pp.

The Golden Lily Chapter 4

SONYA DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING about the mysterious encounter to the rest of the gang at Adrian's, so I respected her silence. Everyone else was too preoccupied with dinner and the experiments to notice much else. And once they conducted the second wave of experiments, even I grew too distracted to give much thought to the guy on the street. Sonya had said she wanted to see how Eddie and Dimitri responded to direct spirit. This was accomplished by her and Adrian focusing their magic at the dhampirs one at a time. â€Å"It's sort of like what we'd do if we were trying to heal them or make something grow,† Sonya explained to me. â€Å"Don't worry – this isn't going to make them supersized or anything. It's more like we're coating them with spirit magic. If Dimitri's got some lasting mark from when he was healed, I'd imagine it would react with our magic.† She and Adrian coordinated their timing and did Eddie first. Initially, there was nothing to see – just the two spirit users staring at Eddie. He looked uncomfortable under the scrutiny. Then, I saw a silvery shimmer run over his body. I stepped back, amazed – and unnerved – at seeing a physical manifestation of spirit. They repeated the process on Dimitri, with the same results. Apparently, on an unseen level, things were the same too. There was nothing notable about Dimitri's response. All of them took this in stride as part of the scientific process, but seeing that magic actually embrace the two men had creeped me out. As Eddie and I drove back to Amberwood that night, I found myself sitting as far away from him as I could in the car, as though residual magic might leak over and touch me. He chatted with me in our usual, friendly way, and I had to work hard to hide my feelings. Doing so made me feel guilty. This was Eddie, after all. My friend. The magic, even if it could've hurt me, was long since gone. A good night of sleep went a long ways to shake both my anxiety and guilt, leaving the magic a distant memory when I woke and prepared for classes the next day. Even though being at Amberwood was an assignment, I'd kind of come to love the elite school. I'd been homeschooled before this, and while my dad had certainly taught tough curriculum, he'd never gone beyond what he felt was necessary. Here, even if I surpassed what my classes were learning, there were plenty of teachers ready to encourage me to push farther. I hadn't been allowed to go to college, but this was a nice substitute. Before I could get on to it, I had to chaperone a training session with Eddie and Angeline. Even though he might want to avoid her, he wouldn't – not with Jill's safety on the line. Angeline was part of Jill's defense. I settled down in the grass with a cup of coffee, still wondering if he wasn't just imagining Angeline's interest. I'd recently acquired a one-cup coffee maker for my dorm room, and while it couldn't compare to a coffee shop, it had gotten me through a number of rough mornings. A yawn smothered my greeting as Jill sat down beside me. â€Å"Eddie never trains me anymore,† she said wistfully, as we watched the spectacle. Eddie was trying to patiently explain to Angeline that headbutting, while suitable in a bar brawl, was not always the best tactic with Strigoi. â€Å"I'm sure he will if he gets more time,† I said, though I wasn't sure at all. Now that he could admit his feelings for Jill to himself, he was nervous about touching her too much. That, and a chivalrous part of him didn't want Jill risking herself anyway. It was ironic because Jill's fierceness in wanting to learn self-defense (rare in a Moroi) was what had attracted him to her. â€Å"Angeline was recruited as protection. He's got to make sure she can handle it.† â€Å"I know. I just feel like everyone's trying to coddle me.† She frowned. â€Å"In PE, Micah won't let me do anything. After I had all that trouble starting out, he's now paranoid I'll hurt myself. I keep telling him I'm fine, that it was just the sun†¦ but well, he keeps jumping in. It's sweet†¦ but it drives me crazy sometimes.† â€Å"I've noticed it,† I admitted. I was in the same PE class. â€Å"I don't think that's why Eddie won't train you, though. He knows you can do it. He's proud that you can†¦ he just thinks that if he's doing his job, you shouldn't have to learn. Kind of weird logic.† â€Å"No, I get it.† Her earlier dismay shifted to approval as she turned back to the training session. â€Å"He's so dedicated†¦ and, well, good at what he does.† â€Å"The knee's an easy way to disable someone,† Eddie told Angeline. â€Å"Especially if you're caught without a weapon and have to – â€Å" â€Å"When are you going to teach me to stake or decapitate?† she interrupted, hands on her hips. â€Å"All the time, it's hit here, dodge this, blah, blah, blah. I need to practice killing Strigoi.† â€Å"No, you don't.† Eddie was the picture of patience and back in the determined, ready mode I knew so well. â€Å"You're not here to kill Strigoi. Maybe we can practice that at a later time, but right now, your priority is keeping mortal assassins away from Jill. That takes precedence over anything else, even our lives.† He glanced over at Jill for emphasis, and there was a flash of admiration in his eyes as he looked at her. â€Å"Seems like decapitation would kill Moroi just the same,† Angeline grumbled. â€Å"And besides, you did have a Strigoi problem last month.† Jill shifted uneasily beside me, and even Eddie paused. It was true – he had had to kill two Strigoi recently, back when Adrian's apartment had been Keith's. Lee Donahue had led the Strigoi to us. He was a Moroi who'd once been Strigoi. After he was returned to his natural state, Lee had wanted desperately to become a Strigoi again. He was the reason we'd learned that those restored by spirit seemed to have some Strigoi resistance. The two Strigoi he'd called to help him had tried to convert him but ended up killing him instead – a better fate than being undead, in my opinion. Those Strigoi had then turned on the rest of us and inadvertently revealed something unexpected and alarming (if not to them, then to me). My blood was inedible. They'd tried to drink from me and been unable to. With all the fallout from that night, no one among the Alchemists or Moroi had paid much attention to that small detail – and I was grateful. I was terrified that one of these days someone would think to put me under a microscope. â€Å"That was a fluke,† said Eddie at last. â€Å"Not one that's likely to happen again. Now watch the way my leg moves, and remember that a Moroi will probably be taller than you.† He did a demonstration, and I cast a quick look at Jill. Her face was unreadable. She never talked about Lee, whom she'd dated briefly. Micah had gone a long way to distract her on the romantic front, but having your last boyfriend want to become a bloodthirsty monster couldn't be an easy thing to get over. I had a feeling she was still in pain, even if she did a great job at hiding it. â€Å"You're too rigid,† Eddie told Angeline, after several attempts. She completely relaxed her body, almost like a marionette. â€Å"So, what? Like this?† He sighed. â€Å"No. You still need some tension.† Eddie moved behind her and attempted to guide her into position, showing her how to bend her knees and hold her arms. Angeline took the opportunity to lean back into him and brush her body suggestively against his. My eyes widened. Okay. Maybe he wasn't imagining things. â€Å"Hey!† He leapt backwards, a look of horror on his face. â€Å"Pay attention! You need to learn this.† Her expression was pure angelic innocence. â€Å"I am. I'm just trying to use your body to learn what to do with mine.† So help me, she batted her eyelashes. Eddie moved back even farther. I realized I should probably intervene, no matter what Eddie had said about handling his own problems. An even better savior came when the school's thirty-minute warning bell rang. I jumped up. â€Å"Hey, we should go if we want to get to breakfast in time. Right now.† Angeline gave me a suspicious look. â€Å"Don't you usually skip breakfast?† â€Å"Yeah, but I'm not the one putting in a hard morning's work. Besides, you still need to change and – wait, you're in your uniform?† I hadn't even noticed. Whenever Eddie and Jill trained, it was always in casual workout clothes – just like he wore now. Angeline had actually come out today in an Amberwood uniform, skirt and blouse, that were showing the wear and tear of a morning's battle. â€Å"Yeah, so?† She tucked in her blouse where it had started to come undone. The side of it was smudged with dirt. â€Å"You should change,† I said. â€Å"Nah. This is fine.† I wasn't so sure, but at least it was better than the jean shorts. Eddie did leave to put on his uniform and never came back for breakfast. I knew he liked his breakfasts, and since he was a guy, he could change clothes pretty quickly. My guess was he was sacrificing food to stay away from Angeline. I heard my name called as we entered the cafeteria and caught sight of Kristin Sawyer and Julia Cavendish waving to me. Aside from Trey, they were the two closest friends I'd made at Amberwood. I still had miles to go in ever being socially savvy, but those two had helped me a lot. And with all the supernatural intrigue my job involved, there was something comforting about being around people who were normal†¦ and, well, human. Even if I couldn't be fully honest with them. â€Å"Sydney, we have a fashion question for you,† Julia said. She tossed her blonde hair over one shoulder, her usual sign that what she was about to say was of utmost importance. â€Å"A fashion question for me?† I was almost ready to glance back and see if maybe there was another Sydney standing behind me. â€Å"I don't think anyone's ever asked that.† â€Å"You have really nice clothes,† Kristin insisted. She had dark skin and hair, as well as an athletic air that contrasted with Julia's more girly nature. â€Å"Too nice, actually. If my mom were ten years younger, cool, and had a lot more money, she'd dress just like you.† I didn't know if that was a compliment or not, but Julia didn't give me a chance to ruminate. â€Å"Tell her, Kris.† â€Å"Remember that counseling internship I wanted next semester? I scored an interview,† Kristin explained. â€Å"I'm trying to decide if I should wear pants and a blazer or a dress.† Ah, that explained why they were coming to me. An interview. Anything else they could have pulled from a fashion magazine. And while I could admit that I probably was the authority on such practical matters†¦ well, I was kind of disappointed that was what I'd been summoned for. â€Å"What color are they?† â€Å"The blazer's red, and the dress is navy.† I studied Kristin, taking in her features. On her wrist was a scar, the remnant of an insidious tattoo I'd helped remove, back when Keith's shady tattoo ring had run rampant. â€Å"Do the dress. Wait†¦ is it a dress you'd wear to church or to a nightclub?† â€Å"Church,† she said, not sounding happy about it. â€Å"Dress for sure then,† I said. Kristin flashed a triumphant look at Julia. â€Å"See? I told you that's what she'd say.† Julia looked doubtful. â€Å"The blazer's more fun. It's bright red.† â€Å"Yeah, but ‘fun' isn't usually what you want to portray at an interview,† I pointed out. It was hard to keep a straight face with their banter. â€Å"At least not for this kind of job.† Julia still didn't seem convinced, but she also didn't try to talk Kristin out of my sound fashion advice. A few moments later, Julia perked up. â€Å"Hey, is it true Trey set you up with some guy?† â€Å"I†¦ what? No. Where'd you hear that?† Like I had to ask. She'd undoubtedly heard it from Trey himself. â€Å"Trey said he'd talked to you about it,† said Kristin. â€Å"How this guy's perfect for you.† â€Å"It's a great idea, Syd,† said Julia, face as serious as if we were discussing a life or death matter. â€Å"It'd be good for you. I mean, since school started, I've gone out with†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She paused and silently counted out names on her fingers. â€Å"†¦ four guys. You know how many you've gone out with?† She held up a fist. â€Å"That many.† â€Å"I don't need to go out with anyone,† I argued. â€Å"I have enough complications already. I'm pretty sure that would add more.† â€Å"What complications?† laughed Kristin. â€Å"Your awesome grades, killer body, and perfect hair? I mean, okay, your family's a little out there, but come on, everyone has time for a date now and then – or lots, in Julia's case.† â€Å"Hey,† said Julia, though she didn't deny the charge. Kristin pushed forward, making me think she was more suited to a legal internship than a counseling one. â€Å"Skip homework for once. Give this guy a shot, and we can all go out together sometime. It'd be fun.† I gave them a forced smile and murmured something noncommittal. Everyone has time for a date now and then. Everyone but me, of course. I felt a surprising pang of longing, not for a date but just for social interaction. Kristin and Julia went out a lot with a larger group of friends and love interests and often invited me on their outings. They thought my reticence was because of homework or, perhaps, no suitable guy to go with me. I wished it were that simple, and suddenly, it was as though there was a huge chasm separating me from Kristin and Julia. I was their friend, and they had welcomed me to every part of their lives. Meanwhile, I was full of secrets and half truths. Part of me wished I could be open with them and able to confide all the woes of my Alchemist life. Heck, part of me just wished I really could go on one of these outings and let go of my duties for a night. It would never work, of course. We'd be out at a movie, and I'd probably get texted to come cover up a Strigoi slaying. This mood wasn't uncommon for me, and it began lightening as I started my school day. I fell into the rhythm of my schedule, comfortable in its familiarity. Teachers always assigned the most work over weekends, and I was pleased to be able to turn in all that I'd done on my plane rides. Unfortunately, my last class of the day derailed all the progress of my mood. Actually, class wasn't the right word. It was an independent study I had with my history teacher, Ms. Terwilliger. Ms. Terwilliger had recently revealed herself to be a magic user, a witch of sorts or whatever those people referred to themselves as. Alchemists had heard rumors of them, but it was nothing we had a lot of experience with or facts about. To our knowledge, only Moroi wielded magic. We utilized it in our lily tattoos – which had trace amounts of vampire blood – but the thought of humans producing it in the same way was crazy and twisted. That was why it was such a surprise when Ms. Terwilliger not only revealed herself to me last month but also ended up kind of tricking me into wielding a spell. It had left me shocked and even feeling dirty. Magic was not for humans to use. We had no right to manipulate the world like that; it was a hundred times worse than what Sonya had done to the red lily on the street. Ms. Terwilliger insisted I had a natural affinity for magic and had offered to train me. Why she wanted this, exactly, I wasn't sure. She'd gone on and on about the potential I had, but I could hardly believe she'd want to train me without a reason of her own. I hadn't figured out what that might be, but it didn't matter. I'd refused her offer. So, she'd found a workaround. â€Å"Miss Melbourne, how much longer do you think you'll be on the Kimball book?† she called from her desk. Trey had picked up â€Å"Melbourne† from her, but unlike him, she seemed to constantly forget that wasn't my actual name. She was in her forties, with mousy brown hair and a perpetually cunning glint in her eyes. I looked up from my work, forcing politeness. â€Å"Two more days. Three at most.† â€Å"Make sure to translate all three of the sleep of spells,† she said. â€Å"Each has its own nuances.† â€Å"There are four sleep spells in this book,† I corrected. â€Å"Are there?† she asked innocently. â€Å"I'm glad to see they're making an impression.† I hid a scowl. Having me copy and translate spell books for research was how she taught me. I couldn't help but learn the texts as I read them. I hated that I'd been ensnared, but it was too late in the school year to transfer out. Besides, I could hardly complain to the administration that I was being forced to learn magic. So, I dutifully copied her spell books and spoke as little as possible during our time together. Meanwhile, I simmered with resentment. She was well aware of my discomfort but made no attempts to alleviate the tension, leaving us in a stalemate. Only one thing brightened those sessions. â€Å"Look at that. It's been nearly two hours since my last cappuccino. It's a wonder I can function. Would you be kind enough to run to Spencer's? That should finish us out for the day.† The last bell had rung fifteen minutes ago, but I'd been putting in some overtime. I was already closing the spell book before she finished speaking. When I'd begun as her assistant, I'd resented the constant errands. Now, I looked forward to the escape. Not to mention my own caffeine fix. When I reached the coffee shop, I found Trey was just starting his shift, which was great – not just because he was a friendly face, but because it meant discounts. He began making my order before I even placed it since he knew the drill by now. Another barista offered to help, and Trey gave him meticulous instructions on what to do. â€Å"Skinny vanilla latte,† said Trey, grabbing the caramel for Ms. Terwilliger's cappuccino. â€Å"That's sugar-free syrup and skim. Don't mess it up. She can sniff out sugar and 2% milk a mile away.† I suppressed a smile. Maybe I couldn't reveal Alchemist secrets to my friends, but it was nice to know they at least knew my coffee preferences backwards and forwards. The other barista, who looked to be our age, gave Trey a droll look. â€Å"I'm well aware of what skinny means.† â€Å"Nice attention to detail,† I teased Trey. â€Å"I didn't know you cared.† â€Å"Hey, I live to serve,† he said. â€Å"Besides, I need your help tonight with that lab write-up from chem. You always find things I miss.† â€Å"It's due tomorrow,† I chastised. â€Å"You had two weeks. I'm guessing you didn't get much done in your cheerleader study session.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah. Will you help me out? I'll even go to your campus.† â€Å"I'll be up late with a study group – a real one.† The opposite sex was banned from our dorms after a certain hour. â€Å"I could meet you on Central Campus afterward if you want.† â€Å"How many campuses does your school have?† asked the other barista, setting down my latte. â€Å"Three.† I reached eagerly for the coffee. â€Å"Like Gaul.† â€Å"Like what?† asked Trey. â€Å"Sorry,† I said. â€Å"Latin joke.† â€Å"Omnia Gallia in tres partes divisa est,† said the barista. I jerked my head up. Not much could have distracted me from coffee, but hearing Julius Caesar quoted at Spencer's certainly did. â€Å"You know Latin?† I asked. â€Å"Sure,† he said. â€Å"Who doesn't?† Trey rolled his eyes. â€Å"Only the rest of the world,† he muttered. â€Å"Especially classical Latin,† continued the barista. â€Å"I mean, it's pretty remedial compared to Medieval Latin.† â€Å"Obviously,† I said. â€Å"Everyone knows that. All the rules became chaotic in the post-Empire decentralization.† He nodded agreement. â€Å"Although, if you compare it to the Romance languages, the rules start to make sense when you read them as part of the larger picture of the language's evolution.† â€Å"This,† interrupted Trey, â€Å"is the most messed-up thing I've ever seen. And the most beautiful. Sydney, this is Brayden. Brayden, Sydney.† Trey rarely used my first name, so that was weird, but not nearly as weird as the exaggerated wink he gave me. I shook Brayden's hand. â€Å"Nice to meet you.† â€Å"You too,† he said. â€Å"You're a Classics fan, huh?† He paused, giving me a long, considering look. â€Å"Did you see the Park Theatre Group's production of Antony and Cleopatra this summer?† â€Å"No. Didn't even know they performed it.† I suddenly felt kind of lame for not having known that, as though I should be up on all arts and culture events in the greater Palm Springs area. I added by way of explanation, â€Å"I only moved here a month ago.† â€Å"I think they have a couple performances left in the season.† Brayden hesitated once more. â€Å"I'd see it again if you wanted to go. Though I'll warn you – it's one of those reinterpreted Shakespeare productions. Modern clothes.† â€Å"I don't mind. That kind of reinterpretation is what makes Shakespeare timeless.† The words rolled automatically off my lips. As they did, I suddenly had one of those epiphany moments where I realized there was more going on than I'd initially thought. I replayed Brayden's words. Between that and Trey's enormous grin, I soon had a startling realization. This was the guy Trey had been telling me about. My â€Å"soul mate.† And he was asking me out. â€Å"This is a great idea,† said Trey. â€Å"You kids should totally go see that play. Make a whole day of it. Grab some dinner and hang out at the library or whatever it is you do for fun.† Brayden met my eyes. His were hazel, almost like Eddie's but with a little green. Not as much green as Adrian's, of course. No one's eyes were that amazingly green. Brayden's brown hair occasionally picked up glints of gold in the light and was cut in a no-nonsense way that showed off the angles of his cheekbones. I had to admit, he was pretty cute. â€Å"They perform Thursday through Sunday,† he said. â€Å"I've got a debate tournament over the weekend†¦ could you do it Thursday night?† â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Could I? There was nothing planned, so far as I knew. About twice a week, I took Jill to the home of Clarence Donahue, an old Moroi who had a feeder. Thursday wasn't a scheduled feeding night, though, and technically I wasn't obligated to go to experiment nights. â€Å"Of course she's free,† Trey jumped in before I could even answer. â€Å"Right, Sydney?† â€Å"Yes,† I said, shooting him a look. â€Å"I'm free.† Brayden smiled. I smiled back. Nervous silence fell. He seemed as unsure as I was about how to proceed. I would have thought it was cute, if I wasn't so worried that I looked ridiculous. Trey elbowed him sharply. â€Å"This is the part where you ask for her number.† Brayden nodded, though he didn't look like he appreciated the elbowing. â€Å"Right, right.† He pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. â€Å"Is it Sydney with a y or i?† Trey rolled his eyes. â€Å"What? I'm guessing the former, but as naming conventions become increasingly untraditional, you never know. I just want to get it right in my phone.† â€Å"I would have done the same thing,† I agreed. I then told him my phone number. He looked up and smiled at me. â€Å"Great. I'm looking forward to it.† â€Å"Me too,† I said, and actually meant it. I left Spencer's in a daze. I had a date. How on earth did I have a date? Trey hurried out to me a few moments later, catching me as I was unlocking my car. He still wore his barista apron. â€Å"Well?† he asked. â€Å"Was I right, or was I right?† â€Å"About what?† I asked, though I had a feeling I knew what was coming. â€Å"About Brayden being your soul mate.† â€Å"I told you – â€Å" â€Å"I know, I know. You don't believe in soul mates. Still,† he grinned, â€Å"if that guy isn't perfect for you, then I don't know who is.† â€Å"Well, we'll see.† I balanced Ms. Terwilliger's cup on top of the car, so I could drink from my own. â€Å"Of course, he doesn't like modern Shakespearean interpretations, so that might be a deal breaker.† Trey stared at me in disbelief. â€Å"Seriously?† â€Å"No,† I said, giving him a look. â€Å"I'm kidding. Well, maybe.† The latte Brayden had made me was pretty good, so I was willing to give him the benefit of a doubt on the Shakespeare thing. â€Å"Why do you care so much about my romantic life anyway?† Trey shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Already, beads of sweat were forming on his tanned skin from the late afternoon sun. â€Å"I don't know. I guess I feel like I owe you for everything that went down with the tattoos. That and all your homework help.† â€Å"You don't really need my help with that. And the tattoos†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I frowned, as an image of Keith beating on the glass flashed through my mind. Keith's vampire blood ring had resulted in high-inducing tattoos that had wreaked havoc on Amberwood. Trey, of course, didn't know about my personal interest in the matter. He just knew I'd gotten rid of those who were using the tattoos to unfair advantage in sports. â€Å"I did it because it was the right thing to do.† That made him smile. â€Å"Of course. Still, it's saved me a lot of grief with my dad.† â€Å"I should hope so. You don't have any competition on the team now. What more could your dad want?† â€Å"Oh, there's always something else he thinks I could be the best at. It's not just football.† Trey had hinted at that before. â€Å"I know what that's like,† I said, thinking of my own father. A moment of silence fell between us. â€Å"It doesn't help that my perfect cousin's coming into town soon,† he said finally. â€Å"Makes everything I do look completely lame. You got a cousin like that?† â€Å"Er, not really.† Most of my cousins were on my mom's side, and my dad tended to shy away from her family. â€Å"You probably are the perfect cousin,† Trey grumbled. â€Å"Anyway, yeah, there're always these expectations in the family†¦ always these tests. Football's given me some respectability for now.† He winked at me. â€Å"That and my awesome chem grade.† That last comment wasn't lost on me. â€Å"Fine. I'll text you when I get back tonight. We'll make it happen.† â€Å"Thanks. And I'll give Brayden a talking-to so he doesn't try anything on Thursday.† My mind was still full of Latin and Shakespeare. â€Å"Try what?† Trey shook his head. â€Å"Honestly, Melbourne, I don't know how you've survived this long in the world without me.† â€Å"Oh,† I said, blushing. â€Å"That.† Great. Now I had something else to worry about. Trey scoffed. â€Å"Between you and me, Brayden's probably the last guy in the world you have to worry about. I think he's as clueless as you are. If I didn't care about your virtue so much, I'd actually probably give him a lecture on how to try something.† â€Å"Well, thanks for keeping my best interests at heart,† I said dryly. â€Å"I always wanted a brother to watch out for me.† He studied me curiously. â€Å"Don't you have, like, three brothers?† Oh no. â€Å"Er, I meant figuratively.† I tried not to panic. I rarely slipped up on our background story. Eddie, Adrian, and Keith had all been passed off as my brothers at some point. â€Å"None of them are really that concerned about my dating life. What I'm concerned about, though, is getting into air conditioning.† I opened my car door, and a wave of heat rolled out. â€Å"I'll talk to you tonight and help you with the lab.† Trey nodded, looking like he wanted to get back inside as well. â€Å"And I'll help you if you have any more questions about dating.† I hoped my scathing look told him my opinion on that, but once he was gone and I was blasting the car's air conditioning, my arrogance faded. Anxiety took its place. The question I'd asked myself earlier repeated in my head. How on earth was I going to get through this date alive?