Descartes and Hume’s Infinity Essay

The word infinity refers to several concepts but all pertains to something that is without bound or endless. Most of the time, it is used in the field of mathematics but the concept is also used in several other fields including philosophy. This paper will try to study Rene Descartes and David Hume’s concepts and views of infinity as well as the problems regarding their concepts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For Rene Descartes, the word infinity is attributed and is referred to a perfect being, to God. On the other hand, although most of his infinity raises most paradoxes that are really challenging for his empiricism, David Hume asserts that we cannot comprehend infinity. According to Descartes, infinity is the same as God or that God is the same as infinity. He also proves the existence of God by using the concept of infinity as an illustration. Descartes also said that he is able to see infinity because he is able to think and imagine a large object and as well as a larger object but not the largest object. Descartes stated the existence of god is proven by the use of infinity because according to him, if you have the idea of infinity and yet cannot witnessed it proves the existence of God. This is because our so called finite self will not be able to generate the idea of something like infinity and therefore the idea must then came from a somewhere or someone of infinite being, from God. The ability of God is also proven by infinity because according to Descartes, the continuity of thing should be conserved and therefore needs the continuous power that is supporting it. On the other hand, according to David Hume, because it is by faith that we know that God exist and so we will know his nature in the heaven. If there is a God with infinite attributes, then he is therefore infinitely incomprehensible without proportion to us human beings. Therefore Hume objects the concept of infinity because we cannot experience infinity; therefore we have no adequate idea of what infinity really is. Because of his belief and thinking, he even proposes to replace the notion of endless or unbounded, infinity, by a time and space theory. That every idea that we have is copied from a similar impression is the fundamental of Hume’s arguments. So according to Hume, our idea of God together with his attributes such as his infinite intelligence, good being and all his infinite abilities and characteristics are just products of our own mind, increasing that idea without limit those qualities. Therefore our notion and knowledge of god is not brought by any revelations or something that god put on us but rather by of us taking our normal attributes and increasing these attributes to infinity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The major problem regarding the theory and idea of Hume is that it contradicts some principles in geometry such as the Pythagorean theorem. David Hume’s theory includes the denial of the thesis that extension infinitely divisible. Still, how Hume critiques the idea of infinity is said to be a product of Enlightenment theory of Knowledge. Also the theories of Hume disprove the existence of God in which case most people will definitely disagree and critique and would say inverse that we does not create God but rather God created us. In this case it is certain that many people will be against Hume’s principles and ideology.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The problem with Descartes ideas is that he needs the existence of a perfect being in order to be able to have a clear idea of what is infinity. Also the argument of Descartes is a circular argument because he proves the existence of God using the idea of infinity and at the same time his idea of infinity relies on the knowledge of God. The clarity of his ideas is relied on God and God on his ideas. Since Descartes infinity theory relies on the concept of having an infinite and perfect being in our mind, there surely be misconceptions and understanding on the concept since our mind is able to entertain several things that may include fiction or something that is untrue. Greek gods, goddesses as well as super heroes are some of the examples that we entertain in our minds that are far and/or not part of the real world. Also since different person have different views and as well knowledge and understanding, there could be as many interpretations of the word infinity as there are people. And how about those that did not believe in the existence of God? Does that mean that they are not capable of understanding what infinity is? Definitely not and therefore Descartes’ concept of infinity applies to limited people only. The main similarity and difference between Rene Descartes ideas of infinity to that of Hume is that both of them uses the concept of God making their argument. They both use the concept and knowledge of a so-called infinite being in their arguments. Also they are in different and in conflict because Descartes proves the existence of God by using the concept of infinity and Hume do the opposite, disproving the existence of God as disproving the concept of infinity. In Descartes statement, infinity exist although we cannot see it. The mere fact that the idea of infinity is in our minds prove that there really is an infinite being, a God that created all things and that sustains it by his infinite attributes. On the other hand, Hume believes that we cannot comprehend and understand infinity and it therefore there exist no such thing. It can be said that both Descartes and Hume have an idea of what infinity is. Their difference is the idea whether infinity is achievable or not. For Descartes, infinity or God exist although we cannot see it or even imagine it; that basically is infinity. On the other hand, Hume disapprove the concept of infinity saying that since we cannot see or visualize infinity, infinity does not exist and should be replaced by something that exist, something real like time and space. Although the two ideas are conflicting in can be said that they are truly believable and without further and close study of the matter, we may really be misguided. Still, whether we believe Descartes or Hume depends on us, no one will force us to believe someone. What is important is that we really have the basis of our beliefs. Reference Brown, R. G. (2007). God, Dog and Spark. Retrieved December 04, 2007 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/Poetry/hot_tea/hot_tea/node31.html Holding, J. P. (No Date). Humaen Understanding. Retrieved December 04, 2007 from http://www.tektonics.org/gk/hume01.html Leahy, J. P. (2000). Infinity and Eternity of the Universe. Retrieved December 04, 2007 from http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/~jpl/cosmo/infinity.html

Marriage †Cause and Effect Essay

Growing up children are surrounded with a fairy tale life, the ‘happily ever after. ’ As girls we are supposed to wait for our prince charming and he will love us forever; and for boys it is finding and rescuing a beautiful princess who can cook, clean, and is loved by all creatures. That is what marriage is based off of as a child, but that perspective changes once we get a small grasp of the concept of love and we really see what marriage is. Marriage is not something anyone goes into lightly and maybe our expectations of the fairy tale life are why divorce is so commonly sought. There are many reason whys people get married; for love, money, status or because it is the ‘right’ thing to do. For those who marry for love, it is because you share common ground with the other person. They will become your other half as they will have the same beliefs, passions and values as you. After dating and being together for a while we learn that marriage and children are next on the check list. So the marriage is set and a ceremony held and they live ‘happily ever after’, but what most couples do not grasp after they are married is that there is not a sense of pure individualism any more. When married what is mine is yours and yours is mine. There are no longer ‘his’ or ‘her’ problems; they evolve into ‘us’ problems. Hence these individual problems root into a bigger problem- communication. When couples are able to talk they are likely to solve their problems, but disagreements due to the lack of communication can often lead to arguments. Not being able to communicate can be simply caused by the differences of being a male and female, but if the couple wants to move forward in their lives together and be able to relate to each other, than learning how to converse is important. When we do not feel understood, we react, whether it is silently, verbally, or with action; but not once does it occur to us that the other person is also trying to be understood. Thus the relationship will continue in a cycle of poor communication leading in most likely a divorce. Communication is important in all relationships regardless if the relationship is intended for love or other personal gains. Some males and females try to cash in by being greedy and choosing to get married for money; when they choose a partner that they can depend on for life. Most of victims are singers, self-employed businessmen/women, actresses, or elder rich singles. Although they may not be forced into the marriage, these wealthy persons are unaware of the ulterior motives of their partner. The effect of marrying only for love is the eventual unfold of the lies and deceits of the particular partner. Another effect is if that rich person loses their wealth, the outcome is all the same. Depending if the person lost wealth or the ‘victim’ finds out the true motive of the relationship they will most likely divorce this person and continue on their search for true love or money. Another reason why a couple would get married is because it is ‘the right thing to do’, which usually means that there is a child out of wedlock. The purpose of getting married for a child is so that the child will get the right idea; fall in love, get married, have a child. Another objective is that the couple who is not necessarily in love is trying to build love from this child/union. The outcome of this method is that the child ends up driving the couple apart, because of the demand and needs. The primary care taker cannot be solely committed to their lover because the child needs attention and care for their own well-being. If one person feels there is not enough attention they might be unfaithful and/or just leave. Trying to build love in a relationship where time is precious and cannot be spent just between the two people is extremely hard and most of those relationships fall through because there will be a lack of commitment. There are many reasons why people choose to get married and the outcome of those reasons depends solely on the level of commitment and how well the couple interacts with each other. Growing up with the ideal that there is a Prince charming or a beautiful damsel in distress and living ‘happily ever after’ is not a realistic approach to a marriage, for marriages take more work than what appears. There is a level of trust, honesty, and most importantly communication that needs to be met in order for it to be successful, but unfortunately in these times where people have been accustomed to shotgun weddings, the divorce happens just as fast.

Nurse`s Work

I am a staff nurse work at government sector at hematology department. My service as a staff nurse almost 4 years. This is my semester 2 assignment which is to write a case study for my patient. I choose a patient with diagnosis of aplastic anemia as my case study for this semester. Aplastic anemia is a one type of blood disorder. The body's bone marrow in which the soft tissue in the center of bones doesn't make enough blood cells. (Bennington-Castro, 2015) . Our blood is composed of three types of blood cells in a liquid called blood plasma which is red blood cells, white blood cells and platelet. Red blood cells help to carry fresh oxygen to the body's cells and take carbon dioxide away from cells (and to the lungs to be exhaled).While the function of white blood cells is help to fight infections and foreign invaders. Platelets are disk-shaped cell fragments which help to form blood clots to stop bleeding. These blood cells have their own lifespan and die naturally, to be replaced by new blood cells formed in bone marrow. Without this replacement process, health issues involving the heart and lungs, bleeding, and infection can develop. As a nurse, we should be very careful when taking care of patient with aplastic anemia. The purpose of this paper is to examine an aplastic anemia patient with respect to review of subjective and objective data, determination of nursing diagnosis, formation of outcomes with interventions, evaluation of the outcomes that can be identified based on the patient's scenario. This paper will further discuss about the main risk problem that patient will be develop and the nursing intervention for the problem developed. (Knott, 2014) In his article:Epidemiology?The annual incidence of aplastic anemia is about two cases per million population.?Aplastic anemia is 2-3 times more common in Asia than in the West.?Acquired aplastic anemia most commonly presents between the ages of 15 years and 25 years but there is a second smaller peak in incidence after age 60 years.?Certain histocompatibility locus specificities, especially HLA DR2, are associated with an underlying predisposition to acquired aplastic anemia.Nursing assessmentSubjective dataMr. X is 57 years old gentleman, came from one of the island at Malaysia, was admitted from casualty into ward on 17/11/17 with complained of mild dizziness, gum bleeding the day before admitted but he stated that it resolve after brushing teeth. He denies any chest pain, palpitations, orthopnea, cough, fever, or chills. According to the Mr. X he has been diagnose as aplastic anemia since February 2016 from the BMAT result on Feb 2016. Patient also stated that he have known case of hypertension since 2012. According to the patient again he have previous admission on 17/5/17 till 10/6/17 for UGIB secondary to thrombocytopenia. On 20/7/17, he was admitted due to low platelet count and bleeding at gum. He was again hospitalized on 9/9/17 due to lot platelet count. Patient denies consume of alcohol and smoking. He claims that he has no family history of malignancy and bleeding disorder. According to the patient, he is allergy to the antibiotic penicillin which will make his body develop rashes and itchiness with mild short of breath but no known of food allergy. Currently patient claims that he staying with his wife and son.Objective dataPatient is alert, awake and oriented to self, place, and time. Full Glasgow coma scale noted (15/15). Upon physical examination, noticed scattered petechiae (pinpoint hemorrhages from arterioles or venules) at the buccal mucosa and over bilateral upper limb and lower limb. Vital sign taken during the admission (17/11/17) Blood pressure: 110/60mmHg Pulse rate: 100/min Respiratory rate: 20/min Underarm temperature: 37 degree Celsius Blood oxygen saturation (Spo2): 99% on room air Pain score: 1 Weight: 70kg Height: 162cm Body mass index (BMI): 26 Diagnostic lab taken during the admission (17/11/17). TEST RESULT Unit NORMAL RANGEHemoglobin (HGB) 7.8 g/dl 13.0-17.0Hematocrit (HCT) 22.4 % 40.0-50.0Platelet 4 10^3/uL 150-410White Cell Count (WCC) 1.3 10^3/uL 4.00-10.00Clinical progressReviewed by doctor in the ward, plan for 4 unit platelet transfusion and 1 pint packed cell transfusion, watch out for bleeding tendency and was started medication iv tranexamic acid 1g TDS and mouthwash tranexamic acid 10mls TDS. On the 19/11/17, 4 unit platelet transfusion done and no reaction noted during the transfusion. No sign and symptom of bleeding noted. Nursing Diagnosis The main nursing problem concern for this patient is risk of bleeding related to low platelet count follow by risk of fall related to dizziness. This paper will focus on risk of bleeding related to low platelet count based on the data collected. The nursing care plan will include intervention that is mostly to provide health education for the patient, bleeding precaution and bleeding reduction as well.Nursing Plan and InterventionFirstly, nurse should assess sign and symptom of bleeding. Assessment of skin and mucous membrane for sign and symptom of petechial, brushing, hematoma formation, oozing of blood is important because patient with low platelet count might experience bleeding into tissue. For my patient, I assess that he has scattered petechial (pinpoint hemorrhages from arterioles or venules) at the buccal mucosa and over bilateral upper limb and lower limb on the day of his admission. After been transfused 4 unit of platelet on 19/11/17 no more petechial noted at patient buccal mucosa while the petechial on the bilateral upper limb and lower limb is reducing. Beside this, monitor patient's vital sign is important especially blood pressure and heart rate to look for orthostatic hypotension. Tachycardia and hypotension are initial compensatory mechanisms always can noted with bleeding (Wayne, 2016). Marc Hemeryck, a Medical advisor General Practitioner ; Geriatrics also state that hemorrhaging from internal and external can cause low blood pressure, so the heart needs to boost its output by pumping faster, thus this form of tachycardia is a necessary means for the body to compensate for the lower blood flow. (â€Å"What are possible causes of tachycardia and hypotension?† n.d.) This is supported by  Ã¢â‚¬Å"a major injury or internal bleeding can quickly deplete an individual's body of blood and cause low blood pressure† (Saljoughian, 2014) which can s upport my statement. During the whole admission, 4 hourly vital sign was monitored and no abnormal reading noticed. Stool and urine should be inspect as well to look for any melena stool or hematuria. Melena stool may be a sign of bleeding from upper gastrointestinal (Ansari, 2016). Whereas hematuria may indicate bleeding somewhere along the urinary tract (Mandal, 2014). Mr. x have a normal bowel open, no melena stool noted and normal urine output with amber color urine noted. Lab result such as hematocrit and hemoglobin can be monitor because when bleeding is not visible, decrease of hematocrit and hemoglobin can be an early sign of bleeding (Gil Wayne, 2016). During admission, Mr. X hemoglobin level noted is 7.8, after being transfused of 1 pint packed cell hemoglobin increase to 9.0.Health care personnel should avoid intravenous or subcutaneous injection or rectal procedure such as enema and rectal temperature as possible as this can stimulate bleeding to patient and to reduce unnecessary bleeding (â€Å"Risk for Bleeding | Bleeding | Platelet†, 2012).   [Should have been cited as www.scribd.com/doc/97160447 (2012)] H If subcutaneous or intravenous procedure are needed for the patient, apply pressure to the puncture site. No subcutaneous procedure one to Mr. X but only intravenous procedure (set intravenous line) applied since medication IV Tranexamic acid was ordered by doctor. Whereas, body temperature was taken on underarm for Mr. X and no rectal temperature taken. Maintaining safe environment for patient such as raise side rail for confuse or restless patient, make sure floor is dry and have enough light can prevent patient from fall or injury. Mr. X is located at bed 12 which have adequate lighting and the floor at the ward always dry including the toilet. Medication adherence can help to reduce the risk of bleeding. Nurses should monitor patient to take his/her medication in the ward. I always make sure my patient to take his medication on time. Sometimes patient will request to take meal or to take bath before taking his medication and I will monitor again if the patient already take the prescribed medication. Heath education play an important role in our nursing. â€Å"It is a much better idea to avoid bleeding rather than having it and then trying to deal with it† (Naik, n.d.). For this case, nurses can educate patient about precautionary measures to prevent tissue trauma or disruption of the normal clotting mechanisms. In the Nurses lab risk for bleeding, by giving information to patient regarding precaution measures can decrease the risk for bleeding (Wayne, 2016). To maintain an oral hygiene, patient can use a soft-bristled toothbrush and nonabrasive toothpaste and avoid the use of toothpicks and dental floss. Mouthwash tranexamic acid are prescribed to Mr. X and he was advice to buy a soft-bristled toothbrush to use. Patient follow the advice given. Educate to the patient and family members about signs of bleeding such as petechial that need to be reported to a health care provider are vital as the health care provider can take early action and treatment for the patient which can reduce the complication from blood loss. Mr. X always been remind by staff nurses to inform if he notice any brushing in the body of gum bleeding while brush teeth. Educate to patient the important need to use water-soluble lubricants during sexual intercourse as lubricants are used to reduce friction and tissue trauma that increase the risk for bleeding. Mr. also being teach to use lubricants. Teach the patient about measures to reduce  constipation  such as increased fluid intake and dietary fiber. Hard and dry feces may cause trauma to the mucous membranes of the  colon  and rectum. Increasing fluid intake and dietary fiber soften the fecal mass for easier defecation. I advised my patient to take more vegetables and fluid intake to get easier defecation and Mr. x total fluid intake was around 1.5 litter per day. Educate patient not do heavy lifting, contact sports, or strenuous exercise as it may increase the bleeding tendency. Mr. X was always being advised not to do heavy lifting or strenuous exercise and he understand about that. Patient's daily activity at home include washing clothes and cooking. Patient should be informed to wear proper fitting shoes all the time both in and out doors to avoid cuts on their feet (â€Å"Learn about Managing Your Chemotherapy†, 2016). Mr. X are told to wear proper shoes and I noticed that patient always wear slippers i nstead of wearing shoes. Educate the patient and family members about limiting the use of herbal remedies that can increased risk for bleeding like dongquai, feverfew, ginger, ginkgo biloba, and chamomile). Most herbal preparations interfere with platelet aggregation through inhibition of serotonin release from the platelet. Other herbs increase the effect of antiplatelet and anticoagulant medications, thus increasing the risk for bleeding. The following herbs can increase the bleeding tendency to a low platelet patients (Peters, n.d.): GINGER- Ginger is for gastric, distress, migraines and headaches but it can interfere with platelet function.GINSENG- Use to treat colic, infections, aging, and stress. It can increase bleeding, and have side effects of nausea, headaches, and blood pressure changes.GINKO- Used to treat Alzheimer's and other memory disorders but it also been associated with excess perioperative bleeding.GARLIC- Garlic has been used as a medicine for centuries. It has been advocated for high blood pressure, fungal infections, heart attack and cancer. Consumption of garlic in high doses resulting in bleeding, nausea and vomiting as well as low blood sugar.Besides from herbal remedies, patient with high risk of bleeding should be very careful about their daily diet. Some food can lead to increase bleeding tendency.The Platelet Disorder Support Association (PDSA) states that the most common offenders for low platelet patients are foods that contain quinine (tonic water, bitter lemon, bitter melon), aspartame (diet soda, sugar-free and low-fat candy and cakes) or alcohol such as beer, wine, hard liquor (â€Å"Eating for Health†, n.d.). (Stein, 2017) Says â€Å"Leafy green vegetables and dairy product can help to reduce the risk of bleeding† in which this can support my statement. Leafy green vegetables are the best sources of vitamin K. The Platelet Disorder Support Association also recommends  foods like leafy green vegetables rich in vitamin K which is important for blood clotting and platelet creation. Chairman Tan, registered dietitian at Seventeen Nutrition Consultants advises: â€Å"Green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, kale, Chinese vegetables like choi sum and kai lan are rich with antioxidants and rich in vitamins and minerals which are believed to reduce inflammation and help increase platelet count. (South China Morning Post, 2018) Dairy products such as milk can help your blood clot because of their calcium. Calcium is an essential mineral at seven different points in the coagulation cascade that results in blood clotting when you've cut yourself, The Platelet Disorder Support Association recommends following an anti-inflammatory or macrobiotic diet to increase platelet counts. This diet focuses on whole grains, beans and vegetables and reduces animal foods. Sesame oil has properties that can increase the platelet levels. Two tablespoons of a natural sesame oil when taken orally twice a day, and even rubbing some externally on lymph node areas can help to increase platelet counts over a period of several weeks (SINGLETON, 2017).  I have told MR. X to consume more leafy green vegetables and drink more milk at home and I strongly remind him not to take herbs as it might increase the bleeding tendency and he claimed that he didn't take any herbs from others.EvaluationPatient being discharge on 20/11/17 with prescribed medication. Patient manage to get well and reduce bleeding tendency by adhere to the medication prescribed. Thus from here, nurses play an importance role in ensure patient is adherence to their medication to prevent bleeding for deteriorate. Beside for adherence to the medication, patient supposed to be advice to strictly follow the date given by doctor for their To Come Again (TCA) appointment to have regular blood checkup as this can detect early sign of bleeding. During the admission, patient not receive any injury like fall because the environment provided is safe for the patient. Patient aware that he cannot do any hard activities that might cause bleeding. This case study can managed to meet the desired goal.ConclusionAlthough aplastic anemia is consider incurable but the prevention of bleeding form aplastic anemia can reduce a lot of complication that can threat one's life. Hence patient must be instruct clearly about the adherence to the medication prescribed. Diet also play a vital role in reducing the bleeding tendency hence must be strictly implemented. Continuous of blood checkup must be strictly follow. Thus it is important to the nurses to provide a good heath education to the patient to increase patient awareness regarding the prevention of the bleeding that will take patient's life. Prevention is better can cure. We may never understand illnesses such as cancer. In fact, we may never cure it. But an ounce of prevention is worth more than a million pounds of cure. (Agus, n.d.). In writing of this case study, I feel happy that this writing meet the desired outcome. No further bleeding noted for my patient and no further deterioration condition developed. I have learnt many things after writing this case study and I hope that I can use it to others patient as well to increase their health and living. I have learn what intervention I should do while patient in the ward and what education I can give to patient when he discharge. I manage to know what diet are recommended to the patient and what diet are not recommended to the patient. I feel glad to write this case study because I able to use this knowledge from what I have learnt not only to teach my patient but also to share the knowledge among my colleagues to improve our nursing care. In future, to improve the nursing care and practice, nurses might can put a sign over the patient's bed as a reminder of bleeding precaution. This will make all the health care provider be more alert when handling to the patient. Besides that, those patient with high risk of bleeding can wear a bracelet as a sign of bleeding precaution to others as well. Environment also take a vital role in patient's safety. Nurses can advise patient and patient's family to create a safety environment such as put a holder in the bathroom as the floor wet and might easily fall down and not only focuses on the dry floor and adequate lighting. Creating a group of patient will high risk of bleeding can be consider as well. Nurses can gather them all and provide a health education to the patient. This can increase their awareness of the bleeding precaution. At the same time they can communicate and share their experience to reduce the risk of bleeding. I hope this will improve our nursing care and practice with a patient with high risk of bleeding tendency. Together we work to improve our patient's well-being and our nursing care practice as a professional nurse.

United Health Group and the Health Reform Policy Essay

United Health Group and the Health Reform Policy - Essay Example United Health Group and the Health Reform Policy The group strives to provide all people an access to quality health care. The passing of the health care reform act is one of the events that have had measurable effects on the majority of American health insurance industry. This paper will analyze the activities of the group, its strengths, and weaknesses and highlight how health insurance reforms will affect the group’s standing. The united health group operations fall under two main categories. These include the united health care and optum. Under each of these activities, there are distinct business units that define the services offered by united health group. United health care employer and individual unit offers a comprehensive package of health benefit plans specific for the public sector, individuals, employers, and educational institutions. In addition, the united health care Medicare and retirement unit strives to provide Americans aged 50 years and above with health security through preventive services and chronic disease management. Moreover, the united health care community and state unit strives to provide societies and communities to care for those facing economical hardships and those without employer-funded health insurance. On the other hand, optum health strives to enhance the well-being of people in society by offering health management plans that help people live healthier lives. In addition, optum insight offers information concerning the health care sector in society. Optumrx helps in delivering customer prescriptions and integrated pharmacy services. The united group provides such a wide range of health care services in the United States and additional 33 countries. ... For consecutive years, it has managed to remain a dominant leader in the market. Being a leader in the market, the health group has a shorter sales system in the market because vast awareness of its services in the market. In addition, leadership in the market earns the group loyalty from clients. United health group has earned publicity in the United States and is a preferable choice for many people. The fact that united health group has diversified services is an additional strength. The group can make profits from a vast range of services. In addition, the group registers a great financial performance in the health insurance sector. Weaknesses The united health group has several weaknesses that serve to give its competitors an advantage in the market. Statistics show that the company has numerous debts. Being in debt places unwanted pressure on the group because it has to ensure a continuous flow of cash to enable it pay the debts. In addition, debt brings along numerous restricti ons to the group, negatively affecting its operations. Indebtedness affects the company’s financial stability placing it in an unfavorable position in the market. In addition, stock option practices have often affected the company’s reputation in the market. Reports indicate that the company has indulged in unfavorable stock practices affecting its operations (EBSCO Publishing, 2011). The signature of the health care reform act by president Obama had an impact on the insurance sector. The reform introduces a form of regulation by the government, a factor that affects the growth in the industry. The group has the privilege to run the Medicaid insurance plan, which is a contract from the government. The reform requires an increase of the

Development Efforts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Development Efforts - Essay Example Not all firms can survive without emergency managers since all face diverse perils and hazards. However, in some businesses, emergency management departments have secluded themselves from strategizing with the rest of the response system in attaining the goals of the organization. This has raised so many concerns as to whether this act is right or wrong. This dilemma may be solved based on deduced lessons from several reviews of literature. Emergency management has different response departments referred to as agencies. The leaders of the agencies perform different functions. Because the leaders have some emergency solving related jobs, they are grouped under one department. This suggests that they have some related strategies aimed at achieving a common goal. More so, in time of need, emergency managers consult each other before coming up with some decisions and tactics of solving the problems caused by disasters. The strategies should not work against each other to bring about harmony at the scene of the disaster (Belasco & Ralph, 2008). From the research on ants by the US scholars, emergency leaders may learn the importance of collaboration of the departments. In this setting, ants are not as bright as such, but they are able to tackle any task. In addition, they are more organized than other insects. They embrace the art of teamwork. Any ant may handle any job at any given time since all have the skills to handle any job. This policy should work in any emergency system. Different departments should be able to perform the duties interchangeably. In case one response system misses, any one present should be able to make informed decisions in solving certain problems. Therefore, there should be collaborative strategies in order to attain the goals of the firm (Gerber & Sims, 2005). According to Waugh & Streib (2009), important duties prior to, during and post disaster requires coordination from multi-organizational, inter-organizational

Anything in Corporate Finance Field Research Proposal

Anything in Corporate Finance Field - Research Proposal Example Given that this is a completely new type of accounting, a number of questions are popping in the minds of accounting professionals:- Given that this is an entirely new governance system, a number of experts are trying to answer such questions or raise more questions. The author proposes to undertake a broad educational perspective of this subject by assessing the current company valuation techniques and then try to evaluate if these techniques are feasible to carry out fair value measurements of company assets. [Mard, Michael J. 2008] Fair value measurements have been in discussions for many years but post the current Sub-Prime crisis the same is in the process of getting mandatory for publicly listed organizations and a number of private companies as well. This new requirement is expected to trigger a number of researches in the industry trying to answer the questions that is raised by practicing accountants of the industry. The author proposes to contribute by trying to answer the following Research Questions pertaining to the proposed research: In an interview with Mr. ... ny years but post the current Sub-Prime crisis the same is in the process of getting mandatory for publicly listed organizations and a number of private companies as well. This new requirement is expected to trigger a number of researches in the industry trying to answer the questions that is raised by practicing accountants of the industry. The author proposes to contribute by trying to answer the following Research Questions pertaining to the proposed research: (a) How effective are the current company valuation techniques in determining the fair value of company assets (b) What are the possible fair value measurement methodologies that companies should be following (c) Will these fair value measurements effectively mitigate the risks of overvaluation of company assets The research will be conducted in academic style and hence will be a mix of academic theorizing as well as investigation into limited practical implications. Literature Review In an interview with Mr. Robert H Herz, FASB Chairman, he emphasized that the SFAS 157 is not the first introduction of the concept of Fair Value measurements. Fair Value has appeared in many standards in the last few decades and hence is not a new concept. However, a consolidated standard of fair value from GAAP perspective was needed and SFAS 157 was introduced to fulfil this criteria. The emphasis of fair value is to provide accurate information to those individuals that study financial statements and then take decisions on investments & credits based on such statements. Fair value is not essentially a replacement of historical costs but is an additional projection to the users of the accounting statements about the current market valuation of assets whereby cash assets and cash equivalents should be depicted separately.

The British invasion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The British invasion - Essay Example According to Curtis (1987), rock music is a common name of many musical styles that emerged in the mid 50s. Rock is not just music; rock became a global cultural phenomenon and formed the basis of many subcultures. The origins of rock music are blues, but rather, in rhythm and blues - a synthetic genre of popular music, primarily African-American musicians performed elements of jazz, blues and gospel in it. In continuation it is necessary to add that American rock and roll is the earliest genre of rock music, which combined the features of blues, rhythm and blues, jazz, boogie-woogie and country music in it. Naturally, America, being a home to all of these genres, was the most successful in promoting rock and roll, and the most famous ‘pioneers’ of rock and roll came from the United States too. The United States occupied a dominant position in rock music until the early 60s, when in England began to appear the bands playing a new style of dance music – bits under the influence of folk music. Then appeared merseybeat style of music, which was among the bits subgenres and was presented by Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Searchers, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, as well as early The Beatles recordings were made in this style. It was The Beatles who were able to press American artists in the charts with their single â€Å"I Want To Hold Your Hand†, and begun the British invasion. Observing the British invasion it becomes obvious that the British rock groups, famous rhythm-and-blues teams, began a rapid rise in their activities. Their hits were as popular as it was possible and even in American charts they have occupied leading places; the glory of the British rock groups flew in a few seconds all over the world. Records and tapes were swept from the shelves as fast as possible, they were overwritten by fans, and resell for big money. In general, it was a real feast of Rock. Musical groups included in the wave of the British invasion were divi ded into different areas of rock music. The most successful with a more melodic and soft merseybeat were Herman's Hermits, Manfred Mann, The Hollies, The Searchers, while easy beat with elements of folk music was played by The Zombies. Analyzing the British invasion, Curtis (1987) stated that â€Å"though not all of the bands sounded similar -- they ranged from the hard rock of the Rolling Stones and the Kinks to the sweet pop of Gerry & the Pacemakers and Herman's Hermits - each group was heavily influenced by American rock & roll, blues, and R&B.† Many groups have been actively influenced by rhythm and blues, for example, The Yardbirds, as well as The Animals, famous for the use of organ music. According to Friedlander (1996), exactly legendary The Rolling Stones achieved the greatest success and undeniable popularity. Their image was much more aggressive in comparison with the performers of merseybeat, and songs, such as the famous â€Å"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction†, sounded much heavier. The Rolling Stones were perceived by the American public as more "acute" and even a dangerous group. They positioned their music, as closer to the traditional "black" rhythm and blues. They created a specific image which separated them from the environment of beat artists such as The Beatles, who were harmless pop band on their background, more acceptable by the

Project management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Project management - Essay Example Each project undertaken is unique in terms of its timeline, cost, objectives, roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders and participants, issues and constrains and this requires the use of the right approach or methodology. The main challenges of project management are satisfactory achievement of goals and objectives and overcoming all project constrains. These constrains include time, project scope and budget. There is also a challenge of integrating and allocating necessary inputs. This means that a successful completion of a project and the attainment of its goals and objectives requires the use of the right approach or methodology and the utilization of appropriate project management tools and techniques. According to Ireland (2006), project management techniques refers to the ways in which we communicate, gather information and get things done in the most effective and efficient ways. Project management tools are helpful in the efficient organization and management of a pro ject. Generally, the project management tools and techniques should have an overall effect of ensuring that the particular project does not over run and that it operates within its allocated budget. They are also important for the quick spotting of delays so that necessary steps are taken to rectify them (Ireland 2006). Wysocki (2007) defines project management methodology as a set of practices and processes that are repeatedly carried out throughout the project in order to deliver the expected outcomes. The chosen methodology gives a clear process of managing the undertaken project. After customizing to the project environment, the project methodology directs on what should be done, how, in what order and by when. A project methodology can therefore be used create a project roadmap, control change and scope, monitor quality, time and cost, manage staff and supplies, and minimize project risks and issues. Popular project management tools, techniques and methodology in market Project management tools The most popular project management tools in the market are Gantt chart, PERT chart, Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), Logic Network and Product Breakdown Structure (PBS). A Gantt chart is a chart that illustrates the schedule of a project. The chart tracks tasks across time hence it indicates the starting and finishing dates of the projects’ terminal elements (Wallace and Gantt 1922). Some Gantt charts are able to illustrate precedence network or dependency relationships between various project activities. Most importantly, it is possible to use a Gantt chart to show a projects current schedule status. This is done using a vertical TODAY line and percent-complete shadings. A Gantt chart is important in tool for showing resources, tasks, phases and milestones required as part of a project. The Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) chart is a project management tool used for the analysis of all tasks involved in the completion of a particular project. This mainly includes identifying the time required to complete each project task and the total project. According to Malcolm et al (1959), a PERT chart gives a graphic representation of a project as a network diagram composed of numbered nodes linked by directional lines. The numbered codes represent project events or milestones while the directional lines represent proje

Egyptian shabtis' style and description Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Egyptian shabtis' style and description - Essay Example Further, the concept of doubling or imitation extended to the mummified body of the deceased, which was viewed as a different form of the living body. These dimensions were considered as material doubles, while the essential parts of the self as ba, ka, shadow and name formed the doppelganger or ghostly double of the living person (Meskell, 119). After the body of the deceased was prepared and mummified, it was necessary to ensure that the deceased person would not be called upon in the after life to perform menial labor in the form of farm work or labor in the irrigation ditches. The funerary figurines called shabtis, shawabtis or ushebtis were meant to answer on behalf of the mummy. Linguistically, the word shabti was derived from the verb: to answer, and their name meant â€Å"answerer†. The actual meaning of their name was the words â€Å"Here I am† which these servant figures were to answer when their master was called by Osiris, the Lord of the Dead (O’Connor & Cline, 122). Because of Ancient Egypt’s great and pervasive concern regarding their comfort in the afterlife, Egyptians placed differing numbers shabtis in the tombs of the deceased to act as â€Å"servants of the dead†. From the period of the New Kingdom, the deceased were buried in the company of 365 of these statue workmen, which were meant to be miniature imitation copies of themselves. Their purpose was to work as substitute laborers. Around thirty-six overseer figures were also included to supervise the workers, in case of any resistance from them (Meskell, 119). Shabtis were imitation workers who were regarded as servants of their owner and were referred to as male and female slaves (Taylor, 114). They were represented as carrying hoes, grain baskets, yoke and water pots, apparently always ready to undertake their agricultural tasks. The command to do their master’s work on his behalf was literally inscribed textually on their bodies, in the form of a potent spell. Power was directly

Ethical argument Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethical argument - Term Paper Example Discussion Basing our argument on Ethical reasoning in the environmental justice movement it is right to understand the fact that being knowledgeable on environmental justices important as it shows social engagement to surrounding. Recently theologians have developed the term eco-justice to reflect a universal religious aspiration for right relationship between humans and the earth, putting special attention on vulnerable people and the earth's creatures at risk of greed and destructive human activities. At this point, it is good to support the idea of not buying a SUV due to its following negative impacts as argued by ethical scholars on SUVs. They are threat to the environment as they are observed to use a lot of gas, more than most other cars, so there is more gas emissions which adds to the problem of global warming, (Bradsher 23). A case study findings is given of SUV owners who were fined almost $9 billion to $350 for gasoline in the year 2002 in the USA far much compared to if SUVs were as fuel-efficient as average car. Therefore it is not economically fit to buy a SUV. Apart from being harmful to owners, SUVS are also dangerous to other motorists as they are larger and heavier compared to many vehicles on the road. In the event a of a SUV crashing into a relatively smaller car, the passengers in the smaller vehicle would probably lose their lives or get very serious injuries contrary to if the accident involved two small vehicles. Observation have been made that SUVs are also a threat to their children and adult passengers as they likely to rollover crash than in other types of vehicle. A research shows that the currently increasing road accident is because of SUVs dominating car market. SUVs safety is in great multiple questioning and they are made with limited safety standard then cars because they count as a truck and trucks do not need to have certain specifications to protect the passengers, ((Bradsher 23); therefore, not only is it both unethical to buy or sell SUVs. However some reasons has been given as to why one should own a suv, they want the offloading capabilities and a car that is all weather drive and can help in moving around better when touring the area or carrying out business. Additionally, a vehicle that suits their cargo capacity requirement hence feels that SUV is much better for it holds more than a station wagon, and furthermore, people prefer SUV arguing that they are safer because it is larger and heavier built. Individuals like a vehicle with taller seating and want a combination of cargo carrying capacity and passenger seating. Therefore they would go for SUVs owing to the fact that many of them seat five passengers with others offering third row seating. Most people purchase SUV as they are cheap. It may not fully satisfy them but to an extent meets their needs. For example, Americans are in love with cars and appreciate good life which is currently met by affordable SUVs. Basing our argument on the ab ove discussed points on importance of SUVs and their negative impacts a recommendation would be given that people should prefer buying other cars rather than going for SUVs. When we look into the issue of health it has been observed that SUVs have negatively contributed to poor health to drivers, passengers and people in the world. Additionally diesel pollution by SUVs is known to be dangerous to human health, as it has led to increased

Brand management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Brand management - Assignment Example It is an international company with several sub-brands and a strong strategy in operation. In the United Kingdom, the company has a well-defined brand elements and architecture. Brand architecture acts as a powerful tool through which organizations can effectively organize the brands in their portfolio and focus on enhancing each and every brand in the market. In this regard, the choice of the brand architecture to be used is an important consideration which can greatly determine the performance of a brand in the market. In the case of Sony, the corporation has so many individual brands which create the need for effective brand architecture (Chernatony, 2008). In the United Kingdom, Sony uses the umbrella brand architecture in marketing its various brands across the country and beyond. This arises out of the fact that Sony has been a global brand over the years and the name has therefore become very synonymous with quality products. In this case, the umbrella or corporate brand offers an effective opportunity for the company to market its various sub-brands. Indeed, the nature of the products produced by Sony creates the need for a family name in order to limit much of the effort that would be used in promoting the individual brands. In this case, marketing can be done both for the individual sub-brands and by jointly marketing the family name. However, it should be realized that umbrella branding does not really imply that all the portfolio of the corporation falls under one name. Rather, the family name is just a unifying factor while each and every product has its different brand line. Across the United Kingdom, it is seen that Sony promotes its products effectively through the use of umbrella branding. Sony operates in the technology world where new products are constantly produced. For instance, when a new PlayStation is launched, promotion becomes much easy since the consumers are already acquainted with the bead name. In the

The resistance of the wire Essay Example for Free

The resistance of the wire Essay I will do this buy putting crocodile clips on each end of the wire. I will then take the readings for the current after the wire and the voltage across the length of wire. I will then double check this by using a multimeter and measure the resistance across the piece of wire. I will repeat this three times. I will repeat the same method for all the other lengths of wire. Fair test: I will make it a fair test by using the same thickness of wire every time. I will use the same amount of voltage on the battery pack every time I take a reading. I will use the same equipment every time. I will also measure the thickness of the wire before every reading I take to make sure that it is always the same. I will make sure that the temperature of the wire is the same each time because as the temperature increases it causes the atoms to move around more, which creates more resistance as the moving atoms create a better barrier for the current. Results 1st Attempt Length of Wire (cm) Voltage (V) Current (Amps) Resistance (Ohms) 2nd Attempt Length of Wire (cm) Voltage (V) Current (Amps) Resistance (Ohms) 3rd Attempt Length of Wire (cm) Voltage (V) Current (Amps) Resistance (Ohms)Â   Average Length of Wire (cm) Voltage (V) Current (Amps) Resistance (Ohms) Analysis: In my prediction I said that: I predict that as the length of wire increases so will the resistance. I have found that my results are actually incorrect because I havent calculated the resistance but I can analysis the affect the length of wire has on the current. These results are incorrect because the voltage shouldnt be the same each time. The voltage should be measured across the wire so as the length increases the voltage should decrease. The resistance is then found from diving the voltage by the current. I can see from my results that my prediction was right because after the current has passed through the wire it decreases. This is more evident as the length of the wire increases because the current decreases as the wire increases. I can see from my average of results that when the length of the wire has doubled the current has almost halved because when the length of wire was 30 cm the current was 0. 65 amps and when the length of wire was 60 cm the current was 0. 32 amps, half of 0. 65 is 0. 325. I can see on my graph that my results a fairly accurate because three out of five of them touch the line of best fit and the forth point is 0. 1 amps higher than the line of best fit. My reading for 30 cm is 1. 1 amps higher than the line of best fit. From reading the line of best fit the reading for 30 cm should be 0. 54 and I got the reading 0. 65. The reading for the 70 cm of wire that I got was 0. 26 but on my line of best fit it is 0. 25. I can also see from my results the amount at which they decrease each time the length of the wire is increased is very similar. The difference between 30 cm of wire and 40 cm is 9 amps, the difference between 40 cm and 50 cm is 7 amps, the difference between 50 cm and 60 cm is 7 amps and the difference between 60 cm and 70 cm is 6 amps. This also shows that my results were fairly accurate and reliable. Evaluation: The first thing I would like to do is do my experiment again so that I can measure the resistance properly so that I can see if my prediction is really correct. I would measure the resistance properly by measuring the voltage across the wire and the diving the voltage by the current. I can see from my results that because all my readings do not touch the line of best fit they are not totally reliable. This may be because the temperature of the wire was different each time as I did not monitor the temperature or the length of the wire may not of been accurate because of the way the crocodile clips were placed. I would like to improve this by using pointers instead of crocodile clips; I would do this because pointers would be more accurate. The pointers would be more accurate because the tips have a much smaller area than the crocodile clips giving a more accurate measurement of the length of wire. As well as making these modifications I would also improve my investigation by testing the same wire but different widths of wire. I would do this to expand on my investigation.

Career Aspirations Of Individuals Commerce Essay

Career Aspirations Of Individuals Commerce Essay Every individual has an aspiration regarding his or her career. However organisation plays an important role in individual career aspiration. Recruitment plays a vital role in career aspirations because organisation need to be a learning organisation so that when they recruit employees, they have the motivation factor and the employees would have a feeling that they will develop and learn new ways that could be beneficial for their career growth.An individual leaves the company when there is no learning and motivation and he or she gets bored with the culture and environment of the organisation. Companies should mainly target the high performance of the employees. Good examples for this can the company Accenture. Accenture always focus on their responsibility of organisational change and transformational work. They involve talent and organisational performance to make workers more productive even under complex changes taking place in the working environment. Career transitions are result of improper work environment and stagnant learning behaviour of the organisation. The involvement of talent and organisational consulting helps the business operations even under pressure. Accenture also involves the customer relationship management. The recruitment procedure of Accenture is transparent as they look for applicant that has got broad understanding of the business. People who have got multi skills are recruited who are then nurtured by senior leaders of the organisation. Training and development program are one of the best way of retaining staff (John wiley and sons). Accenture provides on job training which helps the employees to learn and reach the top level and help them top grow continuously.() Mentoring is the important process which helps the recruitment because Accenture provides the support to their employees. Along with this they provide sound and competitive environment to cultivate mentoring relationship among the co-workers. They also involve the reviews and revising of their product so as to update them according to their taste and demand of the customers. The leaders are always working to implement the new ways for their employees to learn(-). They also provide online courses so that their employees always undergo the learning process. People from different culture works in Accenture that automatically creates the competitive and learning environment which is the basic requirement for the people to learn and develop their career goals.(www.accenture.com/careers) Organisation generally looks for people who can act as team workers. Knowledge enhancement and sharing can be another way of learning because this leads to the development of views from different individuals having different perspective (John Hall and Peter Oppenheim). Organisations search for people having a directed and focused target. Talent management is another important aspect that should be kept in mind during the process of the recruitment(-). Accenture process on long term consequences because companys regret when their decisions prove to be wrong and the employees start leaving the organisation. Implementation of innovative and effective approach to talent management can prove beneficial to improve the condition of the company even in the bad time. Accenture believes that if an organisation response quickly to talent management it can solve problem in much lesser time. Accenture has resource based strategies. It evaluates the talented workers as their asset and not the cost (www.accenture.com). By using the workers analytical talent, organisations can expand their analytical capabilities which in turn can increase the KSA of the employees.() New career forms have lot of importance on organisational activities. Recruitment should be done keeping in mind the flexibility for the employees so that employees feel that organisation cares for them. Availability of part time and full time options allows the employees to work more effectively. Job sharing can be a reason for staff retention. Job sharing is increasingly used by companies as broader views can be encountered because this may not be an individual persons view. Hence, view from different people can be beneficial for the company. Accenture can be a good example that favours for the flexible working. They believe that part time workers are more enthusiastic and energetic as they work for lesser time than a full time employee. Part time working is beneficial for Accenture because it helps to retain people with great potential.Flexi time helps to use the workers more effectively rather than making the employees to work long shifts every day as it decreases their efficienc y. Job sharing can be another possible flexible working style. Accentures working style is such that the work load is divided among different people because it ultimately involves more external views that can result in the better output. Job sharing is helpful in keeping people in career track(). Accenture does not discriminate on the basis of sex, colour or ethnic origin, in fact the only criteria is performance and qualification. Career transition can also be another mode of flexible working because in this case the companies send people outside the organisation around different locations of the world so as to get international experience of diversified culture which can be helpful in getting the extra factor for the success of the organisation. Job Analysis Before recruiting a candidate it is necessary to decide the nature of the job. It is necessary to overview what could be the possible output and whether it fits into the requirement criteria of the organisation and the job profile. Some of the ways of finding information regarding this can be interviews and questionnaire. However job analysis should be framed by keeping in mind using the Job/Person specification (CIPD).Job design is a group of motivational work patterns for improving the efficiency and satisfaction (Daft, 1990:530).Due to industrial revolution it is important for companies to switch to new methods that provide job satisfaction for employees which can help in providing positive outcomes (Morgan 1997:15). Job description and person specification A job description basically defines the roles and responsibilities of an individual in an organisation. A job description is important because it clearly describes the expectations of the employer for a particular vacancy in the company. A part from this a proper job description is also helpful in attracting the potential and talented applicants because it describes the nature and corporate image of the company. A job description may also be used as appraisal system to evaluate individuals performance. A person specification describes the skills and the knowledge required from a candidate to successfully operate a task. It clearly defines the requirement from the applicants and also provides the overall view of the expectations of the experience required to complete the task. A person specification is also helpful for the organisation in recruiting the candidates during the recruitment process. Person Environment Fit Person environment fit is the matching or alignment among the company culture and environment with the employees characteristics. The more is the alignment, the greater will be the positive the positive result (Schneider, Smit Goldstein,2002, OStroff,Shin Feiberg,2002).If there is mismatch among different ideas ,the employees will start to leave the organisation. Sometimes new comers may not be fit he organisational; characteristics and may develop conflicts which may decrease the efficiency of the employees(Chatman Barsades,1995).Person environment fit further adds to low staff turnover and establishes communication among different levels of the organisation. Organisational brand image plays an important role in attracting the potential applicants. This is because it is the organisations brand and recruitment image that increases the probability of applicants of contacting the organisation (Gatewood et al, 1993).The mail idea of employer branding is to attract the applicant that have the capacity and ensure that they identify the organisations mission and vision and then work to produce the desired outcome (Graeme Martin, 1998) E-Recruitment The purpose of E-Recruitment is to attract the potential employees to apply for posted vacancies. The Human Resource Management plays an important role in an organisation because recruitment is done keeping in mind the vision and mission of the company. The recruitment strategy of any organisation is to first identify the type of person necessary to fulfil a vacancy and then provide them with other training and development programmes to acquire KSA that may be required to deliver the vision and mission strategy. The principle aim of recruitment strategy is to attract quality and potential applicants. E-Recruitment is also sometimes known as online recruitment. E- Recruitment is recruitment of potential employees using the latest technology to attract and then recruit the candidates. There are several methods of recruitment. Internal recruitment is one in which a company find a replacement within the organisation, that is, someone from the organisation fills the vacancy whereas external recruitment is the process in which business works for the suitable applicant outside the organisation. There are several advantages of both the type of said recruitment. Some of the advantages of internal recruitment are that since the candidate is chosen from within the organisation, he/she is familiar with the environment and is quicker and cheaper to recruit. Apart from this company may already know the strength and weakness of the candidate. However there are some disadvantages like no new ideas from outside the organisation is inherited and also it creates another vacancy which anyhow needs to be filled in from other sources. The disadvantages of internal recruitment can be overcome in external recruitment like innovative ideas from outside the organisation can be generated. Another disadvantage is poor availability of people from which recruitment needs to be done, however it is an expensive and time consuming process. Comparisons of e- recruitment with traditional methods Companies prefer to use e- recruitment because it is quicker and attractive for applicants. E.g: an employee fills a vacancy application online. Now it is easier to receive the feedback via emails because it is faster and quicker. On the other end if we entertain applications in the form of resumes and covering letters, the first problem is to gather the hard copies. However, if it is online, it can be accessed from anywhere. Apart from this, in order to give the feedback, companies may need to post the letters. Some of the problems with these postal letters may result in delay or loss of the copy. Hence, the employee does not get the good impression of the company since he or she could not receive the feedback. Another possibility is that the organisation may provide the feedback over a phone but telephonic feedback can be more personal and hence, companies tries to avoid it and use it to minimum extend. Another reason for the companies using e-recruitment is that the companies get the chance to express their brand image via website. More attractive is the website greater will be the application of the applicant. Applicant gets the complete information of the company with its back ground and future goals and also the vision and mission statement to be accomplished. It is easier to post jobs specifications and realistic job previews (RJP) on websites. Companies can represent themselves and can be more transparent using the e-recruitment methods. Apart from this companys can be more descriptive on the websites. Another reason for the companies in posting job vacancies on web site is that it is easier and cheaper to advertise on websites rather than newspapers or advertising on hoardings because in the second case they need to first do the analysis as to where are their targeting customers and then need to make postings. On the other hand, posting on the websites is easier and easily accessible from anywhere. Survey suggests that using e-recruitment has almost cut 80% of the input cost as compared to traditional method. Another aspect of the e-recruitment is that user can use it 24 x 7. However, traditional methods do not provide such flexibility. Hence, E-Recruitment can be a win win situation for the employee as well as the employer. E- Recruitment is beneficial for the employer because it is easy to check the status of the candidate at the time of hiring. However, there are some disadvantages as well of the e-recruitment. Companies need to update their website on regular basis. This is because if there are no new updates on the website this may deteriorate the brand image of the company. There may be occasions where, there can be technical problem on the website which may prove to be disaster because the organisation could not access any data from the website. Apart from this it may require great funds to get technical assistance. Another problem is that websites cannot provide two way communications. Sometimes possibility of passive (duplicate) resumes is also another problem being faced by the companies in e- recruitment and there is no proper solution to this problem till now. E-Recruitment can be beneficial for a company and the company can learn a lot from it, says the Head of Recruitment of 3s (U.K Mobile Company).The company states that the principle reason for redesigning of their websites is to attract employee to apply for the job since the E-Recruitment has completely changed the attractiveness of the company. Now new employees can complete a form in very less time as compared to other previous recruitment methods. 3s online E-Recruitment strategy In year 2002, 3 (mobile company) started to recruit the employees though online recruitment. This is because they thought that online recruitment can provide more positive experience of the company as compared to other methods. It increased their efficiency and speed of hiring the employees. It helped them to access loads of application systematically. The head of recruitment department further states that not only E-Recruitment has made recruitment easier and quicker but it has also helped the company to improve its brand image which in turn has helped them to attract the potential employees (Rebecca Baker, Head of recruitment department).She continued saying that now candidates can track the status of their application at any stage of the recruitment process. She added saying that in year 2002, company hired 41% employees from the agencies. However these figures have dropped down to only 19% in the year 2007.This is the reason why they rely more on e E-Recruitment rather than other traditional methods. The company encountered a profit of  £1760 per year. Furthermore it became easier for the company to post job vacancies on websites rather than posing vacancies somewhere else which was much more complicated and expensive(www.three.co.uk) Another company named Stonefish Software also experienced tremendous advantages and profit of using E-Recruitment. Caroline Catmur (HR Administrator) states that use of E-Recruitment in October 2007 proved to be a boon for the organisation. Everything looks to be simple and more streamlined after the involvement of E-Recruitment. She further stated that another advantage of E-Recruitment was saving on both time and paperwork. She further added saying that E-Recruitment has been a driving force for the development of their organisation (www.stonefish.co.uk) Conclusion The essay briefly describes the career aspirations and the impact of recruitment and selection on individual career. It throws light on the company Accenture that provides flexibility and works consistently for retaining their staff. This describes as to how companies should prepare the job and person specifications so as to attract the potential applicants. The advantages of learning organisation and talent management are explained that helps the company to decide the basis for recruiting the potential applicants. The importance of E-Recruitment, its advantages and disadvantages are explained that helped the companies in recent time to overcome the problems of recruitment and selection. Two companies 3(Mobile Company) and Stonefish Software are illustrated showing their comments on the result of using E-Recruitment in their organisation.

How Is Inactivity And Obesity Effecting Children Young People Essay

How Is Inactivity And Obesity Effecting Children Young People Essay The rise of inactivity and its consequences The prevalence of sedentary lifestyles is increasing in America and much of the developed world. In the US (our core geographic area of focus for this project) this trend coupled with poor eating choices has notably manifested itself in rising obesity rates across the country over the past two decades as depicted in Exhibit 1. As of 2008, over 68% of Americans were categorized as being overweight, with nearly half of that group being defined as obese or morbidly obesei. Between 1980 and 2002 overweight rates for children aged 6 11 more than doubled from 7% to 16%ii. Today that number is estimated to be closer to 20%iii. Shortened life spans. More than 14% of deaths in the US in 2003 resulted from obesity related conditions; and Diminished motivation to be active. Being overweight or obese makes physical activity more challenging, thus requiring greater commitment and effort to be active compared to a healthy weighted individual. The more overweight people become due to reduced levels of activity the less likely they are to engage in future activity. Furthermore, obesity is often tied to depression which causes individuals to experience lower levels of energy and motivationiv. Teenagers the gateway to addressing rising inactivity levels . The number of years a consumer leads an active life; The variety of sports or fitness related activities the consumer engages in over those years; and The products that the two factors above drive demand for. In order to optimize across all drivers we honed in on teenagers (primarily 13-15) as our focus segment. We view other groups, such as adults and, retirees, and so forth, who have a shorter customer lifetime value and being, as being more set in their ways, both in terms of habit and product affinities. In arriving at this focal segment we have taken the following factors into consideration: According to the Eight Stages of Development, adolescents learn about and define who they are between the ages of approximately 12 and 19. If being athletic, or at least active, is not established as central to ones identity, the probability of prioritizing athletic activity later in life is likely diminished. If more children define themselves as being active during this influential period, the market for healthy, sustainable athletes will likely increase over time. From a commercial perspective, the potential lifetime value of an active teenager is likely to be higher than that of an average U.S. adult. Firstly the cost of acquiring an active youth is lower, as there are fewer barriers to exercise/activity as outlined above. Secondly, the number of years that teenagers have to be active is significantly greater as they not only start younger but may potentially live longer due to their adoption of healthy and active lifestyles. Teenagers generally have lower opportunity costs of activity and learning to exercise than adults. A combination of the greater amounts of leisure time available to them and their propensity to experiment with new things makes teenagers more likely to be comfortable learning about and engaging in activity. Teenagers also tend to have many opportunities to choose to engage in activities. These include physical education (PE) programs, sports teams, community teams, and informal pick-up games. Section 2 of this report presents key underlying influences and trends that currently inhibit and have the potential to further diminish activity levels among teenagers. Section 3 of this report then discusses the selection criteria that potential solutions must satisfy in order to most effectively address the problem of teen inactivity. Finally Section 4 lays out a potential solution aimed at leveraging key influences to encourage more active lifestyles among teenagers. Section 2: Factors underlying teenage inactivity Family influences In order to address the rising levels of inactivity among teenagers, it is necessary to first identify and understand the primary network of influencers that ultimately impact their decision making behavior and involvement in activities. Dual income single parent households Traditionally parents have been one of the strongest sources of influence over teenagers, and have played a crucial role in shaping their overall growth and development. However insights from interviews conducted with families in the Boston area suggest that shifts in the overall structure and composition of the average American family have decreased the amount of influence that parents exert over their children. In particular, the steady increase in the number of dual income earners1 and the rise in the number of single parent households highlight that parents today are facing increasing time constraints. A significant consequence of this phenomenon is that teenagers are increasingly subject to less direct parental oversight, as working parents often outsource the supervision of their children to external parties such as baby-sitters, nannies and daycare centers. While parents have a vested interest in encouraging their children to lead active lives in order to promote overall health and well-being, external parties are more likely to encourage teenagers to engage in sedentary, home-based activities that are easier to supervise. Examples of such activities include watching TV, surfing the internet or playing video games. Decline of parental role models Another implication of parental time constraints is that parents have less face-to-face time with their children and consequently fewer opportunities to educate them on the merits of leading an active lifestyle and adopting healthy eating habits. Given these time constraints parents themselves are also less likely to demonstrate the very behaviors that they aim to instill in their children. Thus, an absence of role models that are leading active lives in the household could further explain why teenagers are tending towards more sedentary lifestyles. Additionally, if parents spend less time prioritizing the on-going supervision and support of their childrens activity levels, teenagers may feel less motivated to participate in sports or other physical activities at school. For example our interviews with parents suggest that parental inability to attend games to cheer for their children or even provide the basic resources that support their childrens involvement in sports, such as providing rides to practice, may result in teenagers being less inclined or able to pursue active lifestyles. Evolution of family dining A further implication of parental time constraints is that working parents are increasingly relying on convenience and on-the-go food solutions for meal preparation. These habits can have a profound impact on the overall health and well-being of their children as evidenced by Child Development research which suggests there is a link between the number of years a working mother spends in the workforce and their childs BMI.v The increase in child obesity has attracted a great deal of media attention which has, in turn, resulted in a heightened sense of awareness of health wellness issues among parents. The observation that child obesity persists in the face of this awareness suggests that parents are precluded from developing solutions because they lack the necessary tools to motivate their children in the face of time constraints. This insight highlights an area of opportunity for Nike to provide tools to: Assist parents in incentivizing their children to lead more active lives; and Assist parents in motivating their children in a way that fits into their busy schedules. Crime parental attitudes An emphasis on helicopter parenting2, which has gained popularity in recent times, combined with the persistent coverage of criminal activity in the media has resulted in a heightened sense of paranoia around crime levels and neighborhood safety among parents. The implications of helicopter parenting are straightforward. As parents become more concerned about the overall safety of their neighborhoods they are more likely to only allow outside activity with adult supervision. However, due to their personal time constraints, they often encourage their children to stay indoors or commute to school by car, rather than engage in outdoor activities or walk, for example. In this case, parents appear to be prioritizing the short term benefits of child safety over the long term risks of obesity and other future health problems due to reduced activity levels Friend influences Increasing prominence of friends as influencers Siblings, particularly older ones, have traditionally been a powerful source of influence over teenagers. Younger siblings generally tend to emulate the behavior and habits of their older siblings, especially if there is a positive relationship between the two. However as the size of U.S. households continue to decline, the average teenager is growing up with fewer siblings to rely on and learn behaviors from. As a result of teenagers being exposed to fewer siblings and busier parents, peers and friend groups have gained more prominence in the influence and authority they have over teenagers lives. School influences In light of the factors discussed above, such as the limited amount of time parents spend with their children; external environments can serve as important influences on teenagers. Schools are not only a physical representation of where teenagers spend most of their time outside the home, but are also the arena within which their social networks converge. Teacher attitudes resource constraints Given that teenagers are highly exposed to their social networks at school, their fear of failing at physical activities can often overshadow their desire to try something new or different to shine in front of their peers causing them to shy away from any activity. For example, a school that has a reputation for being a leader in a certain sport, say basketball, may place significantly more emphasis on winning than inclusion. In such environments, children have less room to fail, that is to say, not to be good at basketball. Such overtly competitive situations can lead to divisions (ball players vs. non ball players) which amplify less skilled students feelings of inadequacy. Teachers serve as de facto parents in the school environment. Their attitudes towards general wellness and encouraging teenagers can be powerful drivers of childrens sustained engagement in activities. However, the continuous budgetary pressures schools face often result in understaffing, which causes teachers to stretch themselves very thinly across large student bodies. In these situations, teachers may not be able to provide the level of encouragement and personal attention necessary for children to enthusiastically engage in activities. If a child does not enjoy participating in an activity, the child is unlikely to engage in that activity again in the future. Tension between academics activity Teenagers are increasingly living in an achievement-oriented society, wherein the results of their efforts today can have a profound impact on their future options. In light of this, parents are getting their children involved in an array of extracurricular activities, such as debating clubs and honors classes, in order to increase their childrens chances of getting into good colleges. This additional competition on teenagers time often leads to reduced levels of activity. City influences Rural vs. urban settings The natural resources and climate of a region can impact activity levels depending on the type of sports they encourage. For example, hiking is an activity that requires minimal financial resources to participate and would likely encourage higher levels of activity. However, the relatively higher cost of participation in skiing may deter people from adopting the sport and therefore drive lower levels of activity. Media Technology influences Celebrity influence Proliferation of media distribution channels Celebrities and pop culture icons have become significant influencers of social behavior as children spend less time with their parents. The emergence of distribution channels such as Twitter has increased teenagers ability to gain direct access to celebrities. Given parents limited ability to monitor their childrens internet and mobile phone usage, teenagers are now accessing messages of varying quality. For example, children are no longer confined to watching PBS, which has focus on activity and wellness. They can now watch the latest craze on YouTube or access celebrity gossip on other outlets, which typically place a premium on glamorous lifestyles over healthy ones. Such messages can have a great degree of influence on children, who are particularly impressionable. Addictive characteristics of technology Perpetually connected to the internet and their mobile devices, teenagers today have become attuned to interacting with their environments using technology. Activity which requires them to disengage from electronic devices may be seen as dull and involve de-addiction from perceived high stimuli technology driven experiences. Physical vs. virtual interaction The advent of mobile phones and online social networks has reduced teenagers need to meet in person, as they can rely on the immediacy of virtual communication. The increased usage of these platforms has fundamentally changed the ways in which teenagers interact with one another by allowing them to remain socially engaged without needing to physically walk or bike over to see a friend.

Animals’ Rights? Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Animals’ Rights? Animals flock about nature going on with their daily lives eating, mating, playing, and hiding. â€Å"Hiding from what?† someone might ask. They are hiding from the predators that roam the earth as if it is only theirs to move about freely without respecting the other inhabitants of the earth. These predators are known as humans. Many of these predators have taken the lives of many animals selfishly and disrespectfully. Some animal species have been killed by the hundreds each year, many times for the purpose of putting money in the pocket of the killers. Some animals have been wounded and not retrieved and therefore left to die in agony. This must stop and there are some reasons why. If all of the animals were gone, then they could not reproduce and would not survive as an ongoing species. Humans could not survive without animals for food and shelter. Killing these animal species off without any purpose but for the pleasure of hunting and for the small portion of money earned thereafter. This leads to the belief that a certain amount of respect has been lost for animals. This respect that I am trying to give to the animals is in the sense that humans will do almost anything to ensure that life continues for them for as long and prosperous as possible. Plants will grow back and animals reproduce, but something must exist if it is to reproduce. We as humans do not see this problem. When I speak for the humans I am speaking for the majority of people who do not realize that this is a problem. However, I believe that some do understand the reality behind excessive amounts of hunting. There are those, however, who see nothing except for the animal that stands in fron t of them and the weapon they hold. Those who stan... ...en every year. Hunting them within the set limits has resulted in the decrease of these accidents and it has also regulated the deer population. Without these rules however, animal species are at risk. Humans have become predators of everything that exist. Animal, plants, and the earth are prey for the humans. The amount that the humans use of each has drastically increased. The earth was made for the humans to look after and humans are not doing a very good job of keeping it fit for survival. Of course, not all humans act in this way nor do they believe that this is how the human race has developed. Remember that animals and humans both live on the earth and though it may be human nature to hunt for our survival, over-hunting many of these animals will result in our extinction, especially when many of the animals that we use for food and shelter cease to exist.

The Comparisons Of Charles Manson To Transcendental Philosophy :: essays research papers

The Comparisons of Charles Manson to Transcendental Philosophy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Charles Manson and various members of his â€Å"family† brutally killed several people from the Tate and LaBianca family on two seperate ocassions. The purposes of these killings are misunderstood by today's society, when ignoring Manson's philosophy. Although Manson never killed anyone, he went to prison in 1969 for masterminding the operation. Today's society has labeled Charles Manson as a mass-murderer who had no purpose through his cause. However, society overlooks the goal of Manson's plan, which included creating a better society. Manson continues to preach his cause through repeated parole attempts, behind the walls of a California prison where he resides currently. His cause remains unknown to many, but several of Manson's underlying themes coincide with earlier transcendental views.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many of Charles Manson's beliefs include creating a better society by reducing the size of the government, and preserving the role of an individual in society. This explains why Manson refused counsel at his trial, he represented himself until the judge found many of his motions â€Å"ludicrous† and appointed him an attorney. Manson preached that only he could represent himself, because no one could preserve his individuality. Mr. Manson lost his sixth amendment right to self-representation, and he uses this example now to prove that the individual rights of people are controlled and manipulated by the government.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story of the â€Å"Manson Family† goes beyond the Tate/LaBianca murders, to years before the murders took place. Manson and his â€Å"family† would gather together in a house, when generally they would sit contently and listen to Charles preach. Usually the sermon would last for an hour or two and include stories and prophecies about the â€Å"revolution† that Manson felt was coming. Manson called this revolution helter skelter, after a Beatles song, which he felt told about the future of our society. Manson believed that the African- American members of our society were troublesome and would over-through the white race. Therefore, Manson began to prepare for helter skelter by informing his family. Instead of waiting for helter skelter, Manson wanted to prevent it by creating a utopian society that excluded the African-American race.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Above and beyond individuality, Manson felt that four important things needed preserved: air, water, trees, and animals. Mr. Manson commonly refers to these things as AWTA, and claims that his â€Å"family gave their lives to unite the brothers and sisters of the world† with these standards. The use of euphorics by Manson and his followers, provided an enhanced sense of individuality in an environment interacting with nature. Manson commonly used music to get his message out to other people, and generally, he would end a session with songs

Cacther In The Rye Essay -- essays research papers

JD Salinger, also known as Jerome David Salinger, is an American novelist and short story writer. Critics and readers alike recognize Salinger as one of the most popular and influential writers. His only novel, The Catcher in the Rye, drew such great attention during the fifties and sixties that those years have been called the age of Holden Caulfield (Contemporary Literary Critiscm, Vol. 12). Salinger is a master of contemporary dialect and idiomatic expression. He created in Holden Caulfield a character who became the prototype of alienated adolescence for an entire generation of Americans. The Catcher in the Rye has been banned even recently from a few libraries, schools, and bookstores for the starkness of its language and attitudes and the realism of some of its settings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although Salinger has fallen out of critical favor because of his sentimentality, it is generally agreed that Catcher has yet to be surpassed in its portrayal of the pains and pleasures of a youth searching for love and direction. In all his work Salinger draws upon the experience of his own life. For instance, his parents shared the same backgrounds as do those of his fictive Glass family. An undistinguished student, Salinger flunked out of private high school. His family sent him to Valley Forge Military Academy, the model the Catcher’s Pencey Prep (Contemporary Literary Criticism Vol. 3).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The protagonist of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, is one of these American heroes, but with a significant difference. He seems to be engaged in both sorts of quests at once; he needs to go home and he needs to leave it. Unlike the other American knight errants, Holden seeks Virtue second to love. He wants to be good. When the little children are playing in the rye-field on the clifftop, Holden wants to be the one who catches them before they fall off the cliff. Like these American heroes, Holden is a wanderer, for in order to be good he has to be more of a bad boy than the puritanical Huck could have imagined. Holden has had enough of both Hannibal, Missouri, and the Mississippi; and his tragedy is that when he starts back up the river, he has no place to go- save, of course, a California psychiatrist’s couch (Contemporary Literary Criticism, Vol. 12).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Holden’s quest takes him outside socie... ...oment always becoming a segment of the past. Holden views his life as being in a state of continual change. Since a developed intellect is needed to realize immutable conceptions, and since Holden’s â€Å"thinking† is limited to his sense of the mutability of life, Holden remains trapped within time, unable to recognize anything permanent in human existence (Contemporary Literary Criticism, Vol. 5).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One might conclude by stressing that Holden is talking, not to an analyst, but to you, the reader. Holden is talking directly to anyone who might be as â€Å"troubled morally and spiritually† as Holden was about the nature of this world in which everyone exists. He offers his narration of The Catcher in the Rye as a record of his troubles for anyone who might wish to learn from his experiences. As Mr. Antolini says, â€Å"It’s a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn’t education. It’s history. It’s poetry.† (Contemporary Literary Criticism, Vol. 12)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Work cited Contemporary Literary Criticism, Vol. 3 Contemporary Literary Criticism, Vol. 8 Contemporary Literary Criticism, Vol. 12 Contemporary Literary Criticism, Vol. 5

Deception Point Page 74

â€Å"Smart people like yourself don't have the luxury of playing stupid, Dr. Harper. You're in trouble, and the senator sent me up here to offer you a deal. The senator's campaign took a huge hit tonight. He's got nothing left to lose, and he's ready to take you down with him if he needs to.† â€Å"What the devil are you talking about?† Gabrielle took a deep breath and made her play. â€Å"You lied in your press conference about the PODS anomaly-detection software. We know that. A lot of people know that. That's not the issue.† Before Harper could open his mouth to argue, Gabrielle steamed onward. â€Å"The senator could blow the whistle on your lies right now, but he's not interested. He's interested in the bigger story. I think you know what I'm talking about.† â€Å"No, I-â€Å" â€Å"Here's the senator's offer. He'll keep his mouth shut about your software lies if you give him the name of the top NASA executive with whom you're embezzling funds.† Chris Harper's eyes seemed to cross for a moment. â€Å"What? I'm not embezzling!† â€Å"I suggest you watch what you say, sir. The senatorial committee has been collecting documentation for months now. Did you really think you two would slip by undetected? Doctoring PODS paperwork and redirecting allocated NASA funds to private accounts? Lying and embezzling can put you in jail, Dr. Harper.† â€Å"I did no such thing!† â€Å"You're saying you didn't lie about PODS?† â€Å"No, I'm saying I bloody well didn't embezzle money!† â€Å"So, you're saying you did lie about PODS.† Harper stared, clearly at a loss for words. â€Å"Forget about the lying,† Gabrielle said, waving it off. â€Å"Senator Sexton is not interested in the issue of your lying in a press conference. We're used to that. You guys found a meteorite, nobody cares how you did it. The issue for him is the embezzlement. He needs to take down someone high in NASA. Just tell him who you're working with, and he'll steer the investigation clear of you entirely. You can make it easy and tell us who the other person is, or the senator will make it ugly and start talking about anomaly-detection software and phony work-arounds.† â€Å"You're bluffing. There are no embezzled funds.† â€Å"You're an awful liar, Dr. Harper. I've seen the documentation. Your name is on all the incriminating paperwork. Over and over.† â€Å"I swear I know nothing about any embezzlement!† Gabrielle let out a disappointed sigh. â€Å"Put yourself in my position, Dr. Harper. I can only draw two conclusions here. Either you're lying to me, the same way you lied in that press conference. Or you're telling the truth, and someone powerful in the agency is setting you up as a fall guy for his own misdealings.† The proposition seemed to give Harper pause. Gabrielle checked her watch. â€Å"The senator's deal is on the table for an hour. You can save yourself by giving him the name of the NASA exec with whom you're embezzling taxpayers' money. He doesn't care about you. He wants the big fish. Obviously the individual in question has some power here at NASA; he or she has managed to keep his or her identity off the paper trail, allowing you to be the fall guy.† Harper shook his head. â€Å"You're lying.† â€Å"Would you like to tell that to a court?† â€Å"Sure. I'll deny the whole thing.† â€Å"Under oath?† Gabrielle grunted in disgust. â€Å"Suppose you'll also deny you lied about fixing the PODS software?† Gabrielle's heart was pounding as she stared straight into the man's eyes. â€Å"Think carefully about your options here, Dr. Harper. American prisons can be most unpleasant.† Harper glared back, and Gabrielle willed him to fold. For a moment she thought she saw a glimmer of surrender, but when Harper spoke, his voice was like steel. â€Å"Ms. Ashe,† he declared, anger simmering in his eyes, â€Å"you are clutching at thin air. You and I both know there is no embezzlement going on at NASA. The only liar in this room is you.† Gabrielle felt her muscles go rigid. The man's gaze was angry and sharp. She wanted to turn and run. You tried to bluff a rocket scientist. What the hell did you expect? She forced herself to hold her head high. â€Å"All I know,† she said, feigning utter confidence and indifference to his position, â€Å"is the incriminating documents I've seen-conclusive evidence that you and another are embezzling NASA funds. The senator simply asked me to come here tonight and offer you the option of giving up your partner instead of facing the inquiry alone. I will tell the senator you prefer to take your chances with a judge. You can tell the court what you told me-you're not embezzling funds and you didn't lie about the PODS software.† She gave a grim smile. â€Å"But after that lame press conference you gave two weeks ago, somehow I doubt it.† Gabrielle spun on her heel and strode across the darkened PODS laboratory. She wondered if maybe she'd be seeing the inside of a p rison instead of Harper. Gabrielle held her head high as she walked off, waiting for Harper to call her back. Silence. She pushed her way through the metal doors and strode out into the hallway, hoping the elevators up here were not key-card operated like the lobby. She'd lost. Despite her best efforts, Harper wasn't biting. Maybe he was telling the truth in his PODS press conference, Gabrielle thought. A crash resounded down the hall as the metal doors behind her burst open. â€Å"Ms. Ashe,† Harper's voice called out. â€Å"I swear I know nothing about any embezzlement. I'm an honest man!† Gabrielle felt her heart skip a beat. She forced herself to keep walking. She gave a casual shrug and called out over her shoulder. â€Å"And yet you lied in your press conference.† Silence. Gabrielle kept moving down the hallway. â€Å"Hold on!† Harper yelled. He came jogging up beside her, his face pale. â€Å"This embezzlement thing,† he said, lowering his voice. â€Å"I think I know who set me up.† Gabrielle stopped dead in her tracks, wondering if she had heard him correctly. She turned as slowly and casually as she could. â€Å"You expect me to believe someone is setting you up?† Harper sighed. â€Å"I swear I know nothing about embezzlement. But if there's evidence against me†¦ â€Å" â€Å"Mounds of it.† Harper sighed. â€Å"Then it's all been planted. To discredit me if need be. And there's only one person who would have done that.† â€Å"Who?† Harper looked her in the eye. â€Å"Lawrence Ekstrom hates me.† Gabrielle was stunned. â€Å"The administrator of NASA?† Harper gave a grim nod. â€Å"He's the one who forced me to lie in that press conference.† 88 Even with the Aurora aircraft's misted-methane propulsion system at half power, the Delta Force was hurtling through the night at three times the speed of sound-over two thousand miles an hour. The repetitive throb of the Pulse Detonation Wave Engines behind them gave the ride a hypnotic rhythm. A hundred feet below, the ocean churned wildly, whipped up by the Aurora's vacuum wake, which sucked fifty-foot rooster tails skyward in long parallel sheets behind the plane. This is the reason the SR-71 Blackbird was retired, Delta-One thought. The Aurora was one of those secret aircraft that nobody was supposed to know existed, but everyone did. Even the Discovery channel had covered Aurora and its testing out at Groom Lake in Nevada. Whether the security leaks had come from the repeated â€Å"skyquakes† heard as far away as Los Angeles, or the unfortunate eyewitness sighting by a North Sea oil-rig driller, or the administrative gaffe that left a description of Aurora in a public copy of the Pentagon budget, nobody would ever know. It hardly mattered. The word was out: The U.S. military had a plane capable of Mach 6 flight, and it was no longer on the drawing board. It was in the skies overhead.