NYSEGs Corporate Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

NYSEGs Corporate Responsibility - Essay Example This altruistic program conforms to Milton Friedman and R. Edward Freeman’s concept of attempting to satisfy the profits needs of the company as well as the social responsibility needs of the employees and other stakeholders. This shows that the company is not only concerned with maximizing profits from its operations but it also has a duty to be socially responsible to the people in the environment in which it is operating from. Friedman states that the executives of the company ought to operate profitably while at the same time fulfilling the needs of the stakeholders impacted by its operations. In this case, it can be observed that Project Share is designed to appeal to the customs laws or public policies which require the companies to give back part of their profits to the members of the society in which they operate. This program does not interfere with the operations of the organization since there are responsible people who handle issues related to donations of funds to different people while the managers in the company are expected to focus on their core business of generating profits for the firm. But I believe that NYSEG uses this program as a marketing gimmick where it seeks to maximize profits in the guise of corporate social responsibility citizenry. The customers and stakeholders are very important for the survival of the company according to the stakeholder theory advanced by Edward Freeman. All stakeholders including employees, managers, customers among others must be treated as valuable asserts.

Japanese Management System Essay Example for Free

Japanese Management System Essay Management Styles Corporation management is necessary for an institution to survive during times of change as it is the role of management to provide a plan of action, leadership and delegation of authority. Management structure ensures growth will be maintained for the organization and that the corporation will continue to function. Multiple styles of management are determined by who has the responsibility for the delegation of responsibility for decision-making as well as the degree of participation in the decision-making processes across the company. In general, management systems appear to be impacted upon by the aims of the corporation, the magnitude of the organization and the cultural context the organization operates within (Kim, pp. 538-39). Optimal management style is essential to a corporation as the style used will determine how the institutions processes are organized, as well as how efficiently employees will work cooperatively or in competition with each other. Work experiences such as employee cooperation, corporation leadership and employee loyalty to the company will be dependant on the style of management used by the corporation. As such, it is important for different nations to develop human resource management practices that reflect their local circumstances and socio-cultural, political and economic situations. For example, some Asian nations such as South Korea, Taiwan and Japan have adopted a HRM strategy that is grounded in Confucian values of respect for the family foremost, and an emphasis on obligations to the collective (Rowden, pp. 163-64). Japanese Management System Japan is a democratic nation and has a highly refined and formalized culture that is in many ways restrained. The work ethics of Japanese business appears to focus dealing with work pressures in ways that are remarkably different to those of western industries. This is due to the lifetime socialization of Japanese citizens to think in terms of the collective, and behaviours that resemble individualism are highly discouraged. One way to ensure that its people conform to the practice of â€Å"maintaining face† is by the use of ostracism to disengage the non-conforming individualist from the group. Hence, team work and cooperative practices are very salient within the Japanese society. Especially, employees work with a high commitment to their organization, and also display a commitment to the economic welfare of their nation. The Japanese legal system maintains the labour standards that currently exist, a principle one being lifetime employment. Although some employees would prefer a different system to lifetime employment, the ingrained cultural management means that the practice is likely to remain. In fact the government and industry work together most cooperatively. The overall aim of the nation and its industries appears to be steady and continuous growth rather than a focus on profits, shareholder interests are secondary, and investors appear to be content with making minimal profits as long as growth is the focus. The form of management appears to be quite paternal and authoritarian (Mroczkowski, pp. 21-22). Japan tends to be very authoritarian in management style, and so there is little dispersion of power sharing across the company. Redundancy does not seem to be a concern for employees, as lifetime employment ensures that they are receiving a wage at home or they are relegated to another part of the company. As part of lifetime employment the homes of employees may likely be owned by the corporation that they work for. Employees tend to go on leisure trips as a group. Many areas of employee’s lives are influenced by the corporation that they work with. This is one of the ways conformity is expected. There is an emphasis on a team-oriented approach to corporate running. This incorporates Common and consistent goals, Organizational commitment, Role clarity among team members, Team leadership, Mutual accountability with the team, Complementary knowledge and skills, Reinforcement of required behavioural competencies and shared rewards. It s expected that such approaches fulfil the familial and community need that there is a gap present in today’s society, and so the company can fulfil a basic human need. Kaizen   The Japanese style of management is clearly characteristic of its collectivist cultural background. Foremost, the most prominent characteristic of the Japanese corporation is that it is family like in quality. As such, the Japanese corporation can be described as an â€Å"entity† firm, in contrast to a â€Å"property† firm. As an entity, the corporation functions as an institution in that it is maintained across time and has an identity of its own, that is separate and non-dependant on the employees and managers who work within it. This system of corporate governance has existed by way of lifetime employment, seniority of wages and promotion, as well as enterprise-based unions. Lifetime employment is characterized by management being primarily of employees who have spent their entire career within the firm. In this way the seniority wage system could be utilized as a promotion process by way of seniority of age and on the job task ability. Performance merit remained and rivalry was highly dependant on ones ability to cooperate with others (Bamber, p. 303).    What Is The Japanese Management System? This segment sketches the chief management practices that are mostly agreed to have applied in Japan until now, at least in large corporations in the manufacturing sector. As we shall notice afterward, the system as illustrated here is currently experiencing significant amendments. Employment and Personnel Practices Amongst many prominent features of the Japanese management structure, one is the lifetime service. The expression is, however, something of a misnomer and is better expressed as enduring employment with a particular firm. In comparison with much western practice, large firms in Japan aim to sign up all their employees, both blue and white collar, directly from the learning system. Regular workers enter the firm at its minor levels and are then projected to keep with it for the rest of their operational lives. Though some movement between firms is bearable, this is generally restricted to immature employees at the start of their profession. Apart from this, there is an indulgent between employer and employee that to depart the firm amounts to a severe contravene of mutual commitment. This system is self-maintaining because large firms hardly ever enlist personnel from other corporations. Once the preliminary exploration phase is over, employees cannot leave without rigorously damaging their profession prospects. To westerners, life span employment seems perplexing, not least because it appears to restrain a firms capability to amend its employment costs in response to varying business surroundings. But the system is underpinned by the use of transitory workers who can be laid off as the need arises. Lifetime service is therefore far from worldwide in Japan, even in large manufacturing companies. Furthermore, women are expelled from the system. Some approximations have indicated that only 40 to 60% of those functioning in large firms and trading houses are covered by lifetime employment (Coad, pp. 314-16). New employees are given exhaustive technical guidance plus a more general orientation into the firms culture covering such subjects as its history and values. Additional training is offered during each step of the employees livelihood, and is anticipated to be taken very sincerely. For example, upgrading to better levels may depend on successful completion of the firms encouragement examinations. Job-rotation is another major trait of Japanese management approach and is not limited to ground levels and carries on all the way through an employees live of business. Besides rewards of job-security, pay and position, Japanese firms offer a broad range of safety benefits. These may consist of financial support with housing and schooling, medicinal facilities, free transportation and social conveniences. Retirement profits are, however, insufficient by western principles. As with life span employment, welfare necessities express the paternalistic relationship among employer and employee, although momentary workers are not permitted to obtain these benefits. They are also disqualified from membership of the organization union.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Finally, the Japanese policy to decision-making involves wide communication and discussion. Suggestions for change are disseminated within the organization and intricate attempts are made to secure agreement from the parties that are likely to be influenced. Ideas for enhancement to operating actions are encouraged from underneath and are considered at every stage until an agreement is completed (House, pp. 6-7). Taken collectively, practices such as lifetime service, constant teaching and job-rotation, seniority-based pay and sponsorship, wide-range welfare necessities, and agreement decision-making provide centre employees with employment sanctuary, non-stop upgrading in pay and status over a long period, extensive all-encompassing safety benefits, proficiency development through training, and a grade of contribution in decision-making. In return, employees are predicted to display full commitment to their job and to their company. Japanese Management in Japan The well-known advocates of learning from Japan be predisposed to assume that Japans employment and personnel practices and the Japanese management style were the foremost causes of the success of large firms, and hence of national success. Although Japans economy has been triumphant, its industry has not been uniformly so. Industrial and hi-tech competitiveness is one of the burning current issues in Japan. Japans dominance in manufacturing has been displayed chiefly in the mass-production and high-technology industries. This could signify that firms in less successful industries have not applied the employment and personnel practices of Japanese management in the way that those in flourishing industries have (Grein and Takada, pp. 19-20). But an alternative and more reasonable possibility is that these practices are less important to success than has been assumed. Conclusion Yet, the Japanese management system should not be conceptualized as if it is composed only by practices within firms. Japans system of alliance capitalism comprises commonly supportive networks of industrial and financial firms and relations with government which play a momentous role in the economys operation.   Theorists argued that Japans system is adjusting to new conditions but that its basic model of corporate governance, struggle and employment remains largely intact. So even if the personnel practices practiced by large Japanese firms are uniting with those of the Western States, Japans overall management system looks likely to retain its pre-eminent character. Works Cited Bamber, G. and Leggett, C. (2001), Changing employment relations in the Asia-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pacific Region, International Journal of Management, Vol. 22 No.4, pp. 303. Coad, A.F. (2002), Not everything is black and white for falling dominoes, Leadership and Organization Development Journal, Vol. 21 No.6, pp. 314-16. Grein, A.F. and Takada, H. (2001), Integration and responsiveness: marketing strategies of Japanese and European automobile manufacturers, Journal of International Marketing, Vol. 9 No.2, pp.19-20. House, R. (2002), Understanding cultures and implicit leadership theories across the globe: an introduction to project GLOBE, Journal of World Business, Vol. 37 No.1, pp. 6-7. Kim, J. (2000), Perceptions of Japanese organizational culture, Journal of Managerial Culture, Vol. 15 No.6, pp. 538–39. Mroczkowski, T. and Hanaoka, M. (1998), The End of Japanese Management: How Soon? Human Resource Planning, Vol. 21 No. 3, pp. 21-22. Rowden, R.W. (2002), The strategic role of human resource management in developing a global corporate culture, International Journal of Management, Vol. 19 No. 2, pp.163-164.

Medical Ethics: Patient Wishes vs Doctor Actions :: Medical Ethics

A conflict between a doctor who wants to treat his patient a certain way, and a patient who wants to be treated by the doctor the way she wants. The doctor feels the that certain treatment that the patient wants is dangerous and warns the patient that he will pronounce the patient mentally unstable. This is exactly what happened in the case of Mrs. Jackson and Dr. Lowell. The conflict in this entire article is if weather the doctor can, or can not, accuse his patient mental instability to go about the treatment as he sees fit. Is this an invasion of the patient’s wants and desire for a certain way of treatment? or does the doctor have moral rights to do anything and everything even though it is against the patient’s wishes. What justifies as moral and immoral procedure for a doctor to treat his patient. When faced with this hard dilemma, the article suggests that is use Rule Utilitarianism and Kantian Deontology, to help me solve the problem of weather this justifiable or morally incorrect. Rule Utilitarianism basically reads that â€Å"a person ought to act in accordance with the the rule that, if generally followed, would produce the greatest balance of good over evil.†(Mappes & Degrazia, 13) According to this, if anyone faces a moral dilemma, they should always try to sort of do a Cost/Benefits analysis on the outcomes of their actions versus the good that they would cause. So even today when I was debating if or not I should personally write my research essay, or, pay somebody else to write my essay for me, it took me all of 30 second to decides that even though I might not like what i would be doing for the next three to four hours, part of me know that the happiness i would get from it was unparalleled to anything. However, now, if you look at the Kantian Deon tology, you will find a lot of things that are different. What this theory of morality says is the outcomes are not at all important, but your duty hold precedence over anything. Similar to Rule Utilitarianism, this theory of morality says that any act, as long as it complies with a rule, is morally justified. When we think about this problem in a rule utilitarian way, we have to abide by the rules which clearly state that the patient has the final say in what treatment is going to be used on them. Medical Ethics: Patient Wishes vs Doctor Actions :: Medical Ethics A conflict between a doctor who wants to treat his patient a certain way, and a patient who wants to be treated by the doctor the way she wants. The doctor feels the that certain treatment that the patient wants is dangerous and warns the patient that he will pronounce the patient mentally unstable. This is exactly what happened in the case of Mrs. Jackson and Dr. Lowell. The conflict in this entire article is if weather the doctor can, or can not, accuse his patient mental instability to go about the treatment as he sees fit. Is this an invasion of the patient’s wants and desire for a certain way of treatment? or does the doctor have moral rights to do anything and everything even though it is against the patient’s wishes. What justifies as moral and immoral procedure for a doctor to treat his patient. When faced with this hard dilemma, the article suggests that is use Rule Utilitarianism and Kantian Deontology, to help me solve the problem of weather this justifiable or morally incorrect. Rule Utilitarianism basically reads that â€Å"a person ought to act in accordance with the the rule that, if generally followed, would produce the greatest balance of good over evil.†(Mappes & Degrazia, 13) According to this, if anyone faces a moral dilemma, they should always try to sort of do a Cost/Benefits analysis on the outcomes of their actions versus the good that they would cause. So even today when I was debating if or not I should personally write my research essay, or, pay somebody else to write my essay for me, it took me all of 30 second to decides that even though I might not like what i would be doing for the next three to four hours, part of me know that the happiness i would get from it was unparalleled to anything. However, now, if you look at the Kantian Deon tology, you will find a lot of things that are different. What this theory of morality says is the outcomes are not at all important, but your duty hold precedence over anything. Similar to Rule Utilitarianism, this theory of morality says that any act, as long as it complies with a rule, is morally justified. When we think about this problem in a rule utilitarian way, we have to abide by the rules which clearly state that the patient has the final say in what treatment is going to be used on them.

Deception Point Page 52

Only fifteen feet away, Gabrielle Ashe stood in the shadows, rigid. From the den came the harmonious clink of crystal snifters and the crackle of the fire. 58 In a panic, the young NASA technician dashed through the habisphere. Something terrible has happened! He found Administrator Ekstrom alone near the press area. â€Å"Sir,† the technician gasped, running up. â€Å"There's been an accident!† Ekstrom turned, looking distant, as if his thoughts were already deeply troubled with other matters. â€Å"What did you say? An accident? Where?† â€Å"In the extraction pit. A body just floated up. Dr. Wailee Ming.† Ekstrom's face was blank. â€Å"Dr. Ming? But†¦ â€Å" â€Å"We pulled him out, but it was too late. He's dead.† â€Å"For Christ's sake. How long has he been in there?† â€Å"We think about an hour. It looks like he fell in, sank to the bottom, but when his body bloated, he floated up again.† Ekstrom's reddish skin turned crimson. â€Å"Goddamn it! Who else knows about this?† â€Å"Nobody, sir. Only two of us. We fished him out, but we thought we better tell you before-â€Å" â€Å"You did the right thing.† Ekstrom exhaled a weighty sigh. â€Å"Stow Dr. Ming's body immediately. Say nothing.† The technician felt perplexed. â€Å"But, sir, I-â€Å" Ekstrom put a large hand on the man's shoulder. â€Å"Listen to me carefully. This is a tragic accident, one I deeply regret. Of course I will deal with it appropriately when the time comes. Now, however, is not the time.† â€Å"You want me to hide his body?† Ekstrom's cold Nordic eyes bore down. â€Å"Think about it. We could tell everyone, but what would that accomplish? We're about an hour off from this press conference. Announcing that we've had a fatal accident would overshadow the discovery and have a devastating effect on morale. Dr. Ming made a careless mistake; I have no intention of making NASA pay for it. These civilian scientists have taken enough of the spotlight without my letting one of their slipshod errors cast a shadow over our public moment of glory. Dr. Ming's accident remains a secret until after the press conference. Do you understand?† The man nodded, pale. â€Å"I'll stow his body.† 59 Michael Tolland had been at sea enough times to know the ocean took victims without remorse or hesitation. As he lay in exhaustion on the expansive sheet of ice, he could just make out the ghostly outline of the towering Milne Ice Shelf receding in the distance. He knew the powerful Arctic current flowing off the Elizabethan Islands spiraled in an enormous loop around the polar ice cap and would eventually skirt land in northern Russia. Not that it mattered. That would be months from now. We've got maybe thirty minutes†¦ forty-five at the most. Without the protective insulation of their gel-filled suits, Tolland knew they would be dead already. Thankfully, the Mark IXs had kept them dry-the most critical aspect of surviving cold weather. The thermal gel around their bodies had not only cushioned their fall, but it was now helping their bodies retain what little heat they had left. Soon hypothermia would set in. It would start with a vague numbness in limbs as the blood retreated to the body's core to protect the critical internal organs. Delirious hallucinations would come next, as the pulse and respiration slowed, cheating the brain of oxygen. Then, the body would make a final effort to conserve its remaining heat by shutting down all operations except the heart and respiration. Unconsciousness would follow. In the end, heart and respiration centers in the brain would stop functioning altogether. Tolland turned his gaze toward Rachel, wishing he could do something to save her. The numbness spreading through Rachel Sexton's body was less painful than she would have imagined. Almost a welcome anesthetic. Nature's morphine. She had lost her goggles in the collapse, and she could barely open her eyes against the cold. She could see Tolland and Corky on the ice nearby. Tolland was looking at her, eyes filled with regret. Corky was moving but obviously in pain. His right cheekbone was smashed and bloody. Rachel's body trembled wildly as her mind searched for answers. Who? Why? Her thoughts were muddled by a growing heaviness inside her. Nothing was making sense. She felt like her body was slowly shutting down, lulled by an invisible force pulling her to sleep. She fought it. A fiery anger ignited within her now, and she tried to fan the flames. They tried to kill us! She peered out at the threatening sea and sensed their attackers had succeeded. We're already dead. Even now, knowing she would probably not live to learn the whole truth about the deadly game being played out on the Milne Ice Shelf, Rachel suspected she already knew who to blame. Administrator Ekstrom had the most to gain. He was the one who sent them out on the ice. He had ties to the Pentagon and Special Ops. But what did Ekstrom have to gain by inserting the meteorite beneath the ice? What did anyone have to gain? Rachel flashed on Zach Herney, wondering if the President was a coconspirator or an unknowing pawn? Herney knows nothing. He's innocent. The President obviously had been duped by NASA. Now Herney was only about an hour away from making NASA's announcement. And he would do so armed with a video documentary containing endorsements from four civilian scientists. Four dead civilian scientists. Rachel could do nothing to stop the press conference now, but she vowed that whoever was responsible for this attack would not get away with it. Summoning her strength, Rachel tried to sit up. Her limbs felt like granite, all her joints screaming in pain as she bent her legs and arms. Slowly, she pulled herself to her knees, steadying herself on the flat ice. Her head spun. All around her the ocean churned. Tolland lay nearby, gazing up at her with inquisitive eyes. Rachel sensed he probably thought she was kneeling in prayer. She was not, of course, although prayer probably had as good a chance of saving them as what she was about to attempt. Rachel's right hand fumbled across her waist and found the ice ax still bungeed to her belt. Her stiff fingers gripped the handle. She inverted the ax, positioning it like an upside down T. Then, with all her energy, she drove the butt downward into the ice. Thud. Again. Thud. The blood felt like cold molasses in her veins. Thud. Tolland looked on in obvious confusion. Rachel drove the ax down again. Thud. Tolland tried to lift himself onto his elbow. â€Å"Ra†¦ chel?† She did not answer. She needed all her energy. Thud. Thud. â€Å"I don't think†¦,† Tolland said, â€Å"this far north†¦ that the SAA†¦ could hear†¦ â€Å" Rachel turned, surprised. She had forgotten Tolland was an oceanographer and might have some idea what she was up to. Right idea†¦ but I'm not calling the SAA. She kept pounding. The SAA stood for a Suboceanic Acoustic Array, a relic of the Cold War now used by oceanographers worldwide to listen for whales. Because underwater sounds carried for hundreds of miles, the SAA network of fifty-nine underwater microphones around the world could listen to a surprisingly large percentage of the planet's oceans. Unfortunately, this remote section of the Arctic was not part of that percentage, but Rachel knew there were others out there listening to the ocean floor-others that few on earth knew existed. She kept pounding. Her message was simple and clear. THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD†¦ THUD†¦ THUD†¦ THUD. THUD. THUD. Rachel had no delusions that her actions would save their lives; she could already feel a frosty tightness gripping her body. She doubted she had a half hour of life left in her. Rescue was beyond the realm of possibility now. But this was not about rescue.

Poem appreciation – A Poem should not mean but be

In the poem ‘A Poem should not mean but be' the poet causes the reader to question themselves over how they read a poem, how they see it. ‘A Poem should not mean but be' the Poet here from the title is saying a poem should not be looked upon by people as just words on paper, seeing them as empty and meaningless, but experience the feeling and emotion that has been expressed in poems. A poem is a verbal composition designed to convey experiences, ideas, or emotions in a vivid and imaginative way, characterized by the use of language chosen for its sound and suggestive power and by the use of literary techniques such as meter, metaphor, and rhyme. This is what the Poet is trying to get across to the reader of this poem ‘Does it work when the word happiness is pronounced?' here right from the start of the poem the Poet asks the question ‘Does it work when the word happiness is pronounced?' he is putting this question to the audience forcing them to think does it make it happen?, does it bring it to life?, happiness?. In this quote from the poem the Poet is asking the reader are they really feeling the feeling and emotion which is being expressed in poems when they read them rather than just seeing the words. ‘Never is the happiness because orgasm and orgasm are worlds apart', in this quote from the Poet it shows him expressing his view when he says ‘Never is the happiness' meaning not ever, on no occasion, at no time is it felt in the poem. The Poet uses the word orgasm to represent the strong feeling of emotional excitement which he obviously feels has been put in poems should be conveyed to the reader. The Poet does not feel that these feelings of emotional excitement expressed in Poems are being picked up by the reader, this is shown when he says ‘orgasm and orgasm are worlds apart' this shows just how often the Poet feels the readers of poems are on the same wavelength, way of thinking as the one who wrote the poem. ‘At times I see it – words that are pulled from the depths of unknowing', here the Poet is telling the reader on occasion he sees the words from Poems rely being fully felt for what he believes they should be, the true feeling and emotion ‘from the depths of the unknowing' I quote from the Poet.  Read also Critical appreciation of the poem â€Å"Old Ladies’ Home†. ‘The secret of life in a sudden line of poetry through the washed rooms of the simple senses', here the poet is once again speaking about how he feels the readers are seeing the poems. ‘The secret of life in a sudden line of poetry', here when the Poet says ‘the secret of life' he is telling us just how much feeling he thinks is put into poems. ‘The secret of life' refers to the feelings and emotions inside of the Poet who has written the poem . ‘In a sudden line of poetry', in this quote the Poet uses the word ‘sudden' to relate to the unforeseen feeling and emotion that has been put into any poem it is unforeseen by the reader because it is coming out of the Poet. ‘Through the washed rooms of the simple senses' here the Poet once again tells us how he feels readers are not feeling the fullness of poems. This quote from the Poet tells us he feels that the feeling and emotions in poems are passing through the mind, as ‘washed rooms' he refers to it in the poem. The Poet believes the reader is unaware of how to feel the of the depths of the poem by not seeing past the words on paper, using their ‘simple senses' I quote from the Poet. A Poem should not mean but be is an exceptionally well written composition which really conveys the feelings of the Poet onto the reader through by the literature used in the text. This Poem really shows the reader how much feeling and emotion is put into a poem and acknowledge the hidden depths of a poem. I found it a compelling ballad which causes much cerebration.

Ouranosaurus - Facts and Figures

Ouranosaurus - Facts and Figures Name: Ouranosaurus (Greek for brave lizard); pronounced ore-ANN-oh-SORE-us Habitat: Plains of northern Africa Historical Period: Middle Cretaceous (115-100 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 23 feet long and four tons Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Row of spines jutting out from backbone; horned beak About Ouranosaurus Once considered to be a close relative of Iguanodon, paleontologists have now classified Ouranosaurus as a type of hadrosaur (duck-billed dinosaur)albeit one with a major difference. This plant-eater had rows of spines jutting out vertically from its backbone, which has fueled speculation that it may have sported a sail of skin, like the contemporary Spinosaurus or the much earlier pelycosaur Dimetrodon. However, some paleontologists maintain that Ouranosaurus didnt have a sail at all, but a flattened hump, rather like that of a camel. If Ouranosaurus did in fact possess a sail (or even a hump) the logical question is, why? As with other sailed reptiles, this structure may have evolved as a temperature-regulation device (assuming that Ouranosaurus had a cold-blooded rather than a warm-blooded metabolism), and it may also have been a sexually selected characteristic (that is, Ouranosaurus males with bigger sails had the opportunity to mate with more females). A fatty hump, on the other hand, might have served as a valuable reserve of food and water, the same function as it serves in modern camels. One lesser-known feature of Ouranosaurus is the shape of this dinosaurs head: it was unusually long and flat for a hadrosaur, and lacking any of the ornamentation of later duck-billed dinosaurs (such as the elaborate crests of Parasaurolophus and Corythosaurus) save for a slight ridge over the eyes. Like other hadrosaurs, the four-ton Ouranosaurus may have been capable of running away from predators on its two hind feet, which presumably would have imperiled the lives of any smaller theropods or ornithopods in the immediate vicinity!

Apocalypse Now essays

Apocalypse Now essays I have always enjoyed movies. But at some point I started to think of movies as more than just entertainment. I began to view them as a movie critic would, rather than just a casual viewer. Because of this perspective, I think of "Apocalypse Now" as one of the best American made movies I have ever seen. As a student of and an active participant in the late twentieth century media age, I feel justified in making this statement. In my lifetime of observation of American media, including fourteen months of intense movie watching in conjunction with my employment at a local video store, I have had an opportunity to observe a broad sampling of the films, and feel more than qualified to make this statement. By referring to "Apocalypse Now" as one of the best American movies, I do not want to diminish my praise for the movie, but rather, acknowledge the fact that my knowledge of foreign movies is limited. I first saw Francis Ford Coppula's "Apocalypse Now" in a high school literature class after reading Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, the story from which the movie was derived. After viewing the movie the first time, it was clear to me that "Apocalypse Now" was something special, not only superior to the mindless drivel that permeates much of what is produced by Hollywood, but also better than many of the movies that have come to be regarded as classics. Now you are probably thinking, "How does an eighteen year old college freshman decide how one movie deserve such recognition? How does he judge the quality of movies?" To me, a good movie presents a well constructed plot combined with skilled cinematography. A great movie incorporates a message into the attributes of a good movie. An excellent movie goes further by adding deeper levels of meaning. When I watch a movie which I judge to be excellent, I feel that it can be viewed from many angles and appear seamless from each direction. I see an excellent movie as being like a well made ...

Word Choice Accept vs. Except - Proofeds Writing Tips

Word Choice Accept vs. Except - Proofeds Writing Tips Word Choice: Accept vs. Except Many English words can seem confusing to those learning the language, but even native speakers sometimes get accept and except mixed up. This is because they sound similar, so despite differing in spelling it isn’t always obvious which you should use when writing. Yet the distinction is an important one, as accept and except have very different meanings. And since you’re likely to encounter both words fairly frequently, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with how they are used. Accept (Receive Willingly) The word â€Å"accept† typically means admit or receive something willingly. In the former case it means to understand something as true: After the experiment, Karen’s colleagues had to accept she was right. In terms of receiving something willingly, meanwhile, accept can refer to either tangible things: Bob accepted the package from the mail carrier. Or it can be used with more abstract things: She didn’t like it, but Shirley had to accept her fate. In addition, accept can also mean to say â€Å"yes† to something: Quivering with excitement, Frank accepted Jenny’s invitation. The common factor in all of these cases is consenting to something. Except (Excluding) The term â€Å"except† means â€Å"apart from† or â€Å"excluding.† Usually, it’s a preposition indicating that something is excluded from a general statement. Take this famous example from Oscar Wilde: I can resist everything except temptation. You can also use â€Å"except† as a conjunction meaning â€Å"but†: I would go shark fishing with you, except you need a bigger boat. Accept or Except? So, how to remember which of accept or except to use in any given situation? It can help to focus on the start of these words, especially â€Å"except†: the â€Å"ex-† at the beginning of â€Å"except† is the same as at the start of â€Å"exclude,† which makes it easier to remember that â€Å"except† means â€Å"to leave out† or â€Å"other than.† Hopefully this guide has helped you to understand the difference between accept and except. And don’t forget that further advice on vocabulary can be found in the word choice archive section of our academic blog. For added peace of mind, you can also have the expert proofreaders at Proofed double-check your work. Simply send us a 500-word sample today and we will proofread it for free.

Political, Fiscal and Programmatic Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Political, Fiscal and Programmatic Power - Essay Example National Governments assumed more and more power and the original spirit of the federalism under which states had a role too diminished. Though the federalism emerged as a concept of sharing the powers of the states and the national government however, the power naturally shifted towards the national government. Though this may be considered as good however, states being the laboratories for democracy tend to have their own role too. The founding fathers of the country established this mechanism of governance in order to control the overlapping of powers between different organs of the State however, the power ultimately shifted. Over the period of time, powers such as fiscal, political as well as programmatic have been largely in the hands of national government. This paper will therefore discuss as to whether these powers should be shifted towards the states or not in order to streamline the powers between national governments and states. Federalism in US It is argued that the fede ralism emerged out of a political necessity and it was established in order to consolidate the different states under one national government. One of the plausible explanations of the federalism was actually to prevent the rise of the power holders and balance the powers between different power holders. ... (Gerston, 2007) Theoretically, a federal system is based upon a system in which the overall power and authority is shared between a central government at the national level and different sub-governments. This very characteristics of dividing the power between different players actually limits the authority and also preserve the representative democracy. As such , federalism blends both the centralized as well as de-centralized political systems thus creating a fusion of governance mechanism which can ensure transparency and balance. Historically, however, except the general assignments as outlined specifically within US constitution, there has been a critical struggle between the national governments and states to maintain the powers between themselves. The overlapping of powers, roles and responsibilities between states and national government therefore requires critical insight and exploration into the practical nature of the federalism and whether it has achieved its objectives or not. The era from great depression to at least 1980s, even the apex court of the country gave decisions based on entrusting greater powers to the national government under the impression that strong central government is necessary for ensuring fiscal stability within the country. States and National Government National Government, in US, evolved as a result of creating a policy making entity at the top. As such the laws passed by the Congress almost touched every aspect of human life. This approach towards law making and the historical tendency of the Congressmen to pass laws with uniform policy implications for the social sphere of life at least have been historically on rise. Right from

Green Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Green - Case Study Example Green Case Jain suggest that politics is an art of governance where, the involved persons formulate rules or regulations and principles that would help them run or deliver well to the public or community at large. Politics involves matters or affairs of public interest. Politics relates most with power and resource distribution. Here political ideas used to create chances or persuade people or individuals for personal gain. However, politics has both the good and the bad side in every involvement that touches on politics. Politics may play a major role in influencing certain actions or behaviors to suit personal gain. In an organization, politics may influence the decisions the management make at certain points concerning certain critical issues in the organization. Issues about promotion and performance at work may involve politics. Politics plays an important role in creating regulations and principles governing the public affairs with an aim of maintaining law and order. With thes e points at hand, in agreement with statement that politics is not inherently bad there are several instances or reasons in favor of this statement. To support the statement, it is good to consider the case of Michelle Jones, used her political tactics to shape up her region’s strategy and the support she gave to their selling efforts. To this end, this political move translated to her performance and for her organization’s benefit at the end of the day.... Politics has power to institute changes in an organization (Sasser and Beckham 9; Jain 151). From Sasser and Beckham (8) suggestions, it is true also that, politics is a fact in an organization. Here, Thomas used his political and his power of creativity to influence or convince the company’s vice president so as to get into the ob position he so wished to be in. In normal circumstances, this would not have occurred in this order, positions some times go with experience and the right procedure to select qualifying candidates within the department or organization may seem okay. In addition, because of politics some decisions that would have been impossible to make, influencing may be in a matter of hours of a few days when a politically activated channel of decision-making is used (Jain 156). Decisions in a big organization may at one point need the application of politics to effect good and reliable solutions as this may call on all company employees and representatives to par ticipate in some kind of voting for the best principles for an organization to adapt. This points out to Michelle’s efforts that involved all the sells representatives at one point or the other. A number of organizational factors that lead to or contribute to some political behaviors in an organization range form; self-serving seniors, unclear evaluation systems in an organization, this may be in terms of promotions and critical decision making, lack of such systems leads to the individuals like Thomas seeking there own way to address there needs or ways of promotion. High performance pressures, this case an assumption concerning Michelle’s political involvement that created an impression to her seniors and a move

The New Economics of the Music Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

The New Economics of the Music Industry - Essay Example The technological boom has ushered countless innovations in almost all the sectors in the global economy. These advances have facilitated the spillover of positive and negative externalities in various industries facilitating the emergence of new trends that disrupt and refine the current economic equilibrium. Along with other sectors, the global music industry had been significantly altered by this technological boom notably, the internet and associated technologies. These innovations have revolutionized the market structure and value chain of the music industry through the alteration of the intermediation processes. These new technologies allowed the faster mobility of goods from the artist to the costumers as other processes in the value chain are eradicated. Aside from these obvious developments, technological changes have many other considerable implications for the music industry. ... Having a strong foothold on the entire music industry, these companies command high level of bargaining power among other important players as they have are involved in all the processes in the value chain. Figure 1. Market Share of the Big Five (2001) Source: Hannaford, 2005 However, the dominance of these companies is largely felt in America and Europe while the Asia Pacific market is mainly controlled by independents [3]. In this region independent record labels hold almost 40% of the entire market share. In this case, we can see a duopolistic competition where the Big Five abound together with a local competitive fringe. III. Traditional Market Structure Record label plays various roles in the operation of the music industry. It can be noted that these companies are almost always present in the entire traditional value chain. The value chain of the music industry begins with the acquisition of content which typically involves the contract signing between artists and the company to formalize the production of an album. The record label will then start the production of the album by allocating fund in order to cover the costs of providing a producer and engineers or subcontracting with an artist's own team. After the record is produced, discs are manufactured which is typically simultaneous with the launching of aggressive marketing efforts to promote the album [4]. Distribution of the album is usually done by the marketing arm of the record label. Artists heavily rely in the name and reputation of the label for their releases to succeed. The strong marketing muscle of the company has a large influence for different media in the promotion of an artist's music. Record label and music

The Portrayal of Brazil In The U.S. News Media Thesis

The Portrayal of Brazil In The U.S. News Media - Thesis Example This sresearch study will focus on the leading print news media in the United States - The New York Times and Washington Post. This is a valuable topic as it attracts the foreign affairs, policies and global issues between the United States and Brazil in the international platform. This is the main reason for choosing this subject matter as a research topic.From the report it is clear that  Brazil has seen two consecutive two-term Presidents: Fernando Henrique Cardoso and his successor Luis Inà ¡cio Lula da Silva. These two administrations were paramount in strengthening the Brazilian economy and in bringing about a consolidation of a strong democracy. They impacted the way this â€Å"BRIC country†   is perceived everywhere in the world, and especially in the U.S.  In recent news publication, BBC has quoted that Brazil is the biggest democratic country and economic giant and is South America’s most significant country. The mutual knowledge between U.S. and Brazil is increasingly important, given Brazil’s recent insertion into the international system and the fact that Brazil is a more active international player than most other countries of its economic stature.  In the Post-Cold War period, Brazil has begun to think of itself, and to some extent to behave, as a regional and global power. The U.S. is beginning to take account of the fact that for the first time another country in the American continent has serious aspirations to become both a regional power – in South America, perhaps even in Latin America, a region in which the United States has been the undisputed leader for more than a century –as well as a global power.... Role of Brazil in the World’s Economy Brazil has seen two consecutive two-term Presidents: Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995 to 2002) and his successor Luis Inacio Lula da Silva (2003 to 2010). These two administrations were paramount in strengthening the Brazilian economy and in bringing about a consolidation of a strong democracy. They impacted the way this â€Å"BRIC country† (grouping acronym that refers to the related economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, coined by Goldman Sachs in 2003) is perceived everywhere in the world, and especially in the U.S. Little is known about how the US news media portrays Brazil’s image (Sotero, 2007, p. 1). There is a lack of research and analysis on how both countries perceive and portray each other. For instance, as stated by Sotero (2007) in one of his studies, â€Å"historically, the United States has been disproportionately more relevant for Brazil than Brazil has been for the United States† (-p. 3). This a symmetry of interests, true for most countries in the world vis-a-vis the United States, lead one to conclude that U.S. scholars and intellectuals have not followed Brazil’s growth over the last two decades. In recent news publication, BBC has quoted that Brazil is the biggest democratic country and economic giant and is South America’s most significant country (BBC, 2010). The mutual knowledge between U.S. and Brazil is increasingly important, given Brazil’s recent insertion into the international system and the fact that Brazil is a more active international player than most other countries of its economic stature. According to Brazilianist Andrew Hurrell, beginning with Fernando Henrique Cardoso and quickening with Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, the perception has grown that Brazil has finally assumed its

Business ownership and global business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business ownership and global business - Essay Example All the three forms of companies have their own benefits and risks. However sole proprietorship appears to be more risky as the owner is totally liable for every debt or loss incurred by the company. Limited Liability Company has some characteristics of sole trader and some of corporations as it is a limited liability company but a flow-through entity which means not subject to taxation up to some extent. Usually single owners choose this type of company to get rid of tedious paperwork required in other forms of companies. I think co-operative structure will be appropriate for this organization as it will help them to bring a wider platform in terms of financing and other resources. It also brings more knowledge and expertise to the organization. The company is totally run by the owner by his own self with out any other partner or director so in this form of business, the owner is not only limited in terms of ideas and knowledge but also monetary resources. The owner should think to delegate some powers and duties by getting other stakeholders in the company to extend the scope of business. A Limited liability company can also be limited in terms of financing sources. The owner, if not willing to change the ownership structure, opt to open branches of his business in other cities by replicating the same operations administered by local branch managers. He may choose to outsource some of the operations to other companies to get expert output. Tariffs and duties may affect the global business negatively. Higher rates of custom duties and taxes usually discourage buyers to import from other countries and they prefer to buy locally. The governments may take measures of decreasing such tariffs in order to encourage global

Research topics and explanation Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Topics and explanation - Research Paper Example The increasing trend of students being expelled for exam cheating in schools is a matter that has aroused debate in the society. Since the students are expected to be the future leaders, there is need to give them sound bringing up and in the event they commit some mistakes especially in learning institution. It is therefore important to resort to other rehabilitative measures like counseling in cases of examination cheating instead of the ultimate destructive move of expelling them. This issue is therefore critical for the general welfare of the society. Various states have been experiencing high cases of accidents caused by reckless motorists. Most of these accidents can be attributed to lack of safety measures like helmet for the motorcyclists and the passengers (Savageau, 2007). The society has kept blaming transport department and related authorities on laxity of enforcing safety measure rules with particular emphasis on wearing helmet. This topic is relevant as if it is addressed it will significantly mitigate cases of motorcyclists and passengers having head injuries at the slightest contact with the ground or any other object in the event of an accident. The sensitivity of the head to injuries also makes it important to address the issue of wearing helmet as a compulsory requirement for any motorcyclist (Merson, Black, & Mills, 2012). The audience of this subject should be the motorcyclists, general public who forms the passenger community and the transport governing authorities who should ensure rules and regulations on road safety are implemented. The increasing call for safety measures in the roads requires that all the motorcyclists enlist the use of helmet. It is in the interest of the general public that helmets are made available for the passenger and the motorcyclists to minimize case of fatalities in

Business ownership and global business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business ownership and global business - Essay Example All the three forms of companies have their own benefits and risks. However sole proprietorship appears to be more risky as the owner is totally liable for every debt or loss incurred by the company. Limited Liability Company has some characteristics of sole trader and some of corporations as it is a limited liability company but a flow-through entity which means not subject to taxation up to some extent. Usually single owners choose this type of company to get rid of tedious paperwork required in other forms of companies. I think co-operative structure will be appropriate for this organization as it will help them to bring a wider platform in terms of financing and other resources. It also brings more knowledge and expertise to the organization. The company is totally run by the owner by his own self with out any other partner or director so in this form of business, the owner is not only limited in terms of ideas and knowledge but also monetary resources. The owner should think to delegate some powers and duties by getting other stakeholders in the company to extend the scope of business. A Limited liability company can also be limited in terms of financing sources. The owner, if not willing to change the ownership structure, opt to open branches of his business in other cities by replicating the same operations administered by local branch managers. He may choose to outsource some of the operations to other companies to get expert output. Tariffs and duties may affect the global business negatively. Higher rates of custom duties and taxes usually discourage buyers to import from other countries and they prefer to buy locally. The governments may take measures of decreasing such tariffs in order to encourage global

Human -wk9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human -wk9 - Essay Example Rohn (2011) suggests that some emotions can both fuel or dampen motivation at the same time. As an example, he suggests that disgust, though most people may think this emotion would dampen motivation, but it can actually fuel it also. Sometimes feelings of disgust about a certain situation can make an individual make changes. Feelings of resolve can make an individual decide to stay in a negative situation or spur them to not live in a situation and move forward. I believe that culture has an effect on everything and in this situation, emotions and motivation can be very different. Reeve (2009) states that emotional expressions can be different across cultures, and that the expressions may be learned. Tsai (1999) states that culture regulates social relationships. As an example, in a study that Tsai reported about Chinese infants were seen to have less reactionary emotions than American infants. Also, in my opinion, there are different ways that cultures are taught to display or not display their emotions. As an example, many African American males have been taught not to show emotion. They are taught that to show emotions is unmanly. Tsai, J.L. (1999). Culture Tsai, J. L. (1999). Culture. In D. Levinson, J. Ponzetti, & P. Jorgensen (Eds.) Encyclopedia of Human Emotion (pp.159–166). New York: Macmillan Press. Retrieved December 11, 2006, from http://www- psych.stanford.edu/~tsailab/PDF/Culture%20- %20Encyclopedia%20of%20Human%20Emotions.pdf The recent situation that I have chosen for this assignment is my divorce. Divorce is a difficult process to go through especially when you have children. I had to adjust to becoming a single parent and to living without my husband. When I think of reacting in a "less than adaptive way" I feel it was because I felt depressed and overwhelmed. I was not sure what I would do and I was angry that my marriage ended in divorce. In some respects, I

Cap and Trade Policy Paper Essay Example for Free

Cap and Trade Policy Paper Essay Introduction: The issue of carbon emissions is an important one not only from an environmental perspective but also an economic one. While reducing carbon emissions is an important one for the health of human beings as well as that of the environment, the larger question is what type of policy strategy is best for both reducing such emissions which might have an impact on efforts to mitigate the effects of pollution on climate change. While ther are options to consider which does not rely on economics technological or output standards achieved by command and control regulationsthey are often fraught with political resistance by industry because they do not allow industry to make any choices or play a role in solving the problem of excessive emissions and the burden that these emissions place on others. Instead of such draconian measures based on fiat, the preferred options rely on economic tools instead to provide incentives to industry to police itself by either incenting investment in emission-reducing and/or energy saving technologies or to reduce production in line with the total/social-costs rather than just the private/ producer-costs of production. Two such economic policies to consider in this regard are emission taxes and cap-and-trade policies. Overview of Policy Problem: Carbon emissions reduction Consider a company that faces an increasing marginal pollution abatement cost curve as in the Figure 1. Left unregulated it will choose not to reduce its carbon emissions (a.k.a abate carbon emissions) and avert facing the costs of abatement represented by the area underneath the marginal abatement cost curve represented by area (B + C + D) in the diagram below. Figure 1: Marginal Costs and Marginal Benefits of Reducing Carbon Emissions [pic] Source: Econ 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap-and-Trade, 2012, n.pag. Suppose that policy analysts have determined that the economically efficient level of pollution abatement occurs at the point where marginal benefits of abatement equal the marginal cost costs of abatement as is suggested in economic theory. The resulting level of carbon emissions is e* (reduction in emissions is measured from the far right in the diagram above to the pointe*). The question is what policy to follow to achieve e*: either some type of fiat policy involving either some type of output restriction or requiring use of a particular pollution-control technology or some type of policy that involves financial incentives to reduce emissions. This paper hypothesizes that policy options involving economic incentives are preferable to those options that involve regulatory fiat. Specification of Economic Policy Models: 1) A Carbon Emissions Tax: One policy instrument that can be used to achieve this level of abatement is to set a tax where marginal benefit equals marginal cost represented by the horizontal tax line in the Figure 2 below. Under such a scheme, the polluter will find that it is cheaper to reduce carbon emissions so long as the marginal cost is lower than the tax. Since the tax bill (A + B) is great than the marginal abatement cost bill (B) to the left of the point e*, the firm will choose to reduce emissions up to the level of C with the remaining emissions level indicated in figure 2 measured from the right in the diagram. To the right of e*, the marginal abatement costs, represented by areas C + D, are greater than the tax bill (area D) so the firm will choose to pay the tax and continue to emit pollutants beyond e*. Figure 2: The Carbon Emissions Tax [pic] Source: Econ 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap-and-Trade, 2012, n.pag. So long as the marginal costs and benefits of abatement can be known with certainty, an emissions tax can be set at the point of intersection of these two measures resulting in an efficient level of pollution emissions at e* with total abatement costs (including taxes paid) to the polluter of area B+D and providing the government with revenues represented by D (Econ. 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap and Trade, n. pag.). It is when these marginal costs and marginal benefits are either not measurable in their entirety or when there is uncertainty about the figures obtained that leads to added questions as to whether this would be the best policy to follow. 2) A Cap Policy: An alternative policy to an emissions tax to achieve reductions in emissions through the tools of economics is to set a cap at the point where marginal social benefit equals marginal social cost of reducing emissions/abatement represented by the vertical cap line in Figure 3 below. The polluting firm must reduce its carbon emissions to e* where the marginal social cost of reducing emissions equals the marginal social benefit of the products produced by the polluter. Such a policyif the social costs and social benefits can be measured accurately—results in an efficient level of emissions produced/reduced at e* with an abatement cost borne by Figure 3: Cap Policy for Each Firm [pic] Source: Econ 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap-and-Trade, 2012, n.pag. the polluter equivalent to area B (Econ. 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap and Trade, n. pag.). The issue is whether total social costs can be measured and measured accurately in order to set such a policy at the correct or efficient level of emissions for each firm. Normally such policies do not result in efficiency even though an efficient level of overall emissions can be attained since it does not account for different costs of abatement in different firms. That is, a level of emissions can be attained that is equivalent to that achieved under an economically efficient policy but the level is not achieved at the lowest overall cost. One way of obtaining individual caps is for the government to auction off emission permits that total the pre-set amount of emissions that it feels is optimal. Firms with higher costs of reducing emissions will bid higher than firms with lower cost structures. Again, the only problem is determining what the total amount of emissions should be reflecting all social costs and benefits of reducing carbon emissions. 3) A Cap-and-Trade Policy An added twist on the cap policy allows firms to trade emission allotments between themselves based on the buyer of allotment bargaining with the seller over the proper price to pay for the extra allotment. A two-panel diagram is needed to better understand the logic of trading emission allotments. Figure 4 illustrates the marginal cost of reducing emissions of two firms. One firm is run on older technology with high abatement costs that goes from right to left with zero costs represented at the lower right-hand corner of the diagram. The other firm has newer technology in its plant with lower abatement costs that goes left to right with zero costs represented at the lower left-hand corner of the diagram. The width of the horizontal axis is the reduction in emissions that must be achieved overall to an efficient level. The intersection of the two marginal cost curves is where economic efficiency is achieved. That is, the value achieved Figure 4. Cap-and-Trade Between Firms Policy Source: Econ 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap-and-Trade, 2012, n.pag. from the last dollar expended on abatement must be the same across all firms in the market. This is known as the equimarginal principle (Boyes and Melvin, 2011,122). The total cost of attaining the efficient abatement/emissions level is equal to the area C + G + K. At the efficient level of emissions, e*, the low cost (of reducing emissions) firm should reduce more emissions than the high cost (or reducing emissions) firm. Such a policy can be implemented by issuing carbon permits to different firms and allowing them to buy and sell their permits in the open market. Normally, equal amounts of permits are issued to each firm since it is difficult to assess the true abatement cost a priori. In the end, the marketplace will help determine the differences in cost structure depending on how high a firm is willing to bid for an extra permit or two (Econ. 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap and Trade, n. pag.). As with the individual firm cap policy, the cap-and-trade policy is predicated on the government being able to determine the optimal level of total emissions desired reflecting social costs and benefits of reducing carbon emissions. Combining the different economic policy options together, it is obvious that it is possible to achieve the same level of reduction in emissions by setting a tax at the same level as where the marginal costs of reducing emissions is the same between firms which is at the level represented by the horizontal line in Figure 4 above. As above, the polluting firms will notice that it is cheaper to abate carbon emissions as long as the marginal abatement cost is lower than the tax. The firms with the higher cost structure will reduce emissions to e* when measured from right to left and incur abatement costs equivalent to area K and pay taxes equivalent to area B+C+F+G. The firms with the lower cost structure will reduce emissions to e* when measured from left to right and incur abatement costs of C+G and pay taxes equivalent to areas J + K in Figure 4. Setting a cap on each individual firm will produce the same level of reduction in emissions, but given that it is difficult, if not impossible, to individualized caps based on different cost structures of abatement, an efficient outcome is difficult to achieve under such a policy even though emissions are reduced to the same overall level. Regarding the market failure due to the negative carbon externality, both a carbon tax and carbon cap-and-trade will achieve the same level of increased efficiencyassuming that measurements of costs and benefits can be measured accurately by reducing emissions to the optimal level at minimum cost. The real difference in these policies is due to differences in the distribution of costs. In the carbon tax policy, the government receives added revenues while in the cap and cap-and-trade policies when permits are simply handed out to firms, the firm has no additional outlays other than the cost of abatement to stay within the cap or to purchase additional allotment from other firms. If the permits are initially auctioned off by the government, the additional revenues to the government should be nearly the same as with a tax scheme if marginal social costs and benefits have been measured accurately. However, the economics-based policies are preferable to policies based on fiat where specific technologies (e.g., smoke-stack scrubbers) or a uniform cap on emission outputs across all firms since these other policies fail to take into account social costs and benefits. With regard to the economics-based policies, the following added impacts may also occur. First, in addition to static efficiencyefficiency occurring within a single period of timethere may also be dynamic efficiency within these policy schemes whereby firms have an incentive to adopt new technology over time to reduce their marginal costs of reducing carbon emissions (Econ. 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap and Trade, n. pag.). Secondly, carbon emission taxes and/or auctioning permits will generate additional government revenue that might be used to offset various distortionary taxes on labour and/or capital (Econ. 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap and Trade, n. pag.). Evidence and Analysis: There are various problems associated with the design of emissions tax regimes warranting discussion. First, if such a tax were placed on individuals rather than firms without any offsetting changes in other taxes or government transfers, a carbon tax might be regressive suggesting that the highest tax burden would be placed on the poor (Poterba, 1991, 11). This is mostly applicable to gasoline taxes where a flat emissions tax would make up a higher percentage of the income of poorer over wealthier taxpayers; thus, an issue of equity arises here. Likewise, firms with higher profit margins would shoulder less burden from the tax than firms with lower profit margins given a similar costs of pollution abatement. Poterba (1991) suggests that this regressiveness could be offset by changes in either the direct tax system or in government transfers. Second, as the population grows and production totals continue to increase to meet the demands of this growing population, emission taxes will need to rise to keep emissions at a particular level; this may lead to a set of distortions in terms of domestic vs. foreign production whereby firms can transfer production to other jurisdictions that do not have such taxes in place. Thus, international trade leads to an opportunity to get around the tax scheme and the higher the taxes instituted, the higher the incentive to engage in such behaviour. Thus, if emission taxes differ significantly between two neighbouring jurisdictionfor example, the State of New York and Connecticut or even New York and one of its neighbouring Canadian provincesthere is an inherent incentive to move production outside of the jurisdiction with the highest taxes and import products from elsewhere. Third, a central issue regarding the design of carbon emissions taxes to harmonize such polities with other fiscal instruments designed to mitigate the effects of climate change. For instance, it is important to ensure that taxes on chlorofluorocarbons and emissions from fossil fuels are comparable to avoid distortions in consumption that may lead to a worse outcome for the environment than in the absence of such policies (Poterba, 1991, 27). Bosquet (2000) conducted a review of the evidence regarding the impact of carbon emissions taxes on the environment and the economy. She claims that environmental taxes involve the shifting of tax burden from employment, income, and investment to resource depletion and waste. She asks the general question of whether such tax reform can produce a double benefit by helping the environment and the economy simultaneously. Based on her reviews of the literature and available evidence, she concludes that when emissions taxes are instituted, they are generally associated with reductions in payroll taxes, andif wage-price inï ¬â€šation is preventedthey often result in signiï ¬ cant reductions in pollution and small gains in employment (Bosquet, 2000, 19). Also associated with the implementation of such environmental taxes are also marginal changesgains or losses in production in the short to medium term, while investments decease marginally and prices increase. However, she cautions that the results of such environmental taxes in the long-term are less certain (Bosquet, 2000, 29). With regard to cap and cap-and-trade policies, the evidence is also available regarding the effectiveness and consequences of such policies. Stavins (2008) describes a graduated cap-and-trade scheme that involves initially just Carbon gasses with 50% of permits issued to polluters in the market free of charge and other half auctioned off. Over 25 years, the percentage auctioned off annually will gradually increase to 100% and other greenhouse gas emissions will be included over this time span. The idea is to implement a gradual iterative policy with a slow trajectory of emission reductions. As time goes on, other emissions are included in this scheme and the system provides for harmonizing this scheme over time with effective cap-and-trade systems and other emission credit reduction programs in other jurisdictions. This harmonization effectively addresses the issue raised with emission tax policies that are unilaterally established in one jurisdiction without consideration for the po licies in neighbouring jurisdictions. If there is an effective way to dovetail policies in different jurisdiction, then this would level the playing field between domestic and imported products. Regarding actual cap-and-trade policies already in place, Colby (2000) analyzes a cap-and-trade policy for limiting Sulfur Dioxide emissions. The changes stemmed from the Clean Air Act of 1990 which allowed for a nationwide cap-and-trade policy for industrial firms emitting sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. Marginal costs of reducing emissions fell substantially duringn the 1990s due to reduced costs of installing scrubbers, reduced costs of flue gas desulfurization, and falling costs for low sulfur coal all due, to a large extent, to an active program of trading/buying allowances between firms that emerged after a few years of experience after the program was initiated. As Colby (2000) states, â€Å"The allowance trading market enhanced competition among the different methods that firms use to control emissions, adding impetus to cost reductions† (Colby, 2000, 642). Low allowance prices and falling marginal costs associated with reducing emissions produced earlier-than-predicted cutbacks in sulfur dioxide emissions. Allowance prices rose from lows of $80-90/unit in 1996 to about $215/unit in mid-1999 spurring further conservation efforts. Colby (2002) does mention that design and implementation of cap-and-trade schemes involves some important policy tradeoffs: equity among the players, balancing use levels with resource conditions, facilitating transactions between firms wishing to trade allowances, accurate accounting for externality costs, assuring adequate monitoring of emissions levels, and documenting welfare gains due to the policy. She says that efficient trading mechanisms can be more easily implemented when there is a strong political or legal mandate to cap resource use and trading allowances are sensed by all parties involved to be a way to ease adjustment to limits on emissions (Colby, 2000, 638). In choosing between the various policies, it is inevitably important to sense the level of uncertainty over measuring the items of interest. With regard to emissions taxes, it is important to have fairly accurate estimates of marginal social costs and benefits and with regard to cap-and-trade schemes, there needs to also be a fairly accurate means of estimating the optimal level of emissions given all the costs and benefits involved in reducing emissions. If it becomes difficult to measure these items accurately, then the expected deadweight loss and associate probabilities of various miscalculations needs to be assessed and compared across the different strategies to determine the policy that produces the smallest expected deadweight loss which is key from an economic perspective. Since policies based on fiat, such as technology mandates and non-economically based output standards, are not set with regard to these types of measures, it is likely that the deadweight economic loss associated with these policies will be greater than for either emissions taxes or better yet, cap-and-trade policies. Conclusion: The evidence suggests that economics-based emissions policies are preferred over policies based on fiat. Moreover, the strongest evidence for promoting investment in pollution control equipment and reducing emissions that mitigate the effects of climate change appear to involve cap-and-trade policies. Partially, this might be due to the flexible design of such policies which—through the auctioning and/or trading of allowances—account for changing market conditions. This policy, even more so than emission taxes, forces the industry to face current market conditions through the use of auctions and trading for emission allowances. As a result, the parties are forced to make choices based on strong economic criteria to obtain efficiencies over time. Works cited: Bosquet B. 2000. Environmental Tax Reform: Does It Work? A Survey of The Empirical Evidence. Ecological Economics. 34, 19-32, Colby G. 2000. Cap-and-Trade Policy Challenges: A Tale of Three Markets. Land Economics, 76, 638-658. Econ. 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap-and-Trade. 2012. Website. Retrieved on June 5th, 2012 from http://www.env-econ.net/carbon_tax_vs_capandtrade.html Melvin W. Boyes M. 2011. Microeconomics. 9th ed. Marion, OH: South-Western, Cengage Learning, Poterba JM. 1991. Tax Policy to Combat Global Warming: On Designing a Carbon Tax. NBER Working Paper. MIT-CEPR 91-003WP. Retrieved on June 7th, 2012 from http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/50159/28596145.pdf?sequ Stavins RN. 2008. Addressing Climate Change with a Comprehensive U.S. Cap-and-Trade System. Nota Di Lavoro 67.2008 Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei. Retrieved on June 7th, 2012 from http://www.feem.it/userfiles/attach/Publication/NDL2008/NDL2008-067.pdf

Analysis of My Last Duchess by Robert Browning Essay -- Last Duchess R

Analysis of My Last Duchess by Robert Browning Murder mystery intrigue. All describe Robert Browning's poem, 'My Last Duchess'. From the speaker's indirect allusions to the death of his wife the reader might easily think that the speaker committed a vengeful crime out of jealousy. His flowery speech confuses and disguises any possible motives, however, and the mystery is left unsolved. The poem is a great example of dramatic dialogue, a poetic form used to narrate and dramatize. It consists entirely of the words of a single speaker who reveals in his speech his own nature and the dramatic situation in which he finds himself. This format suits this poem particularly well because the speaker, taken to be the Duke of Ferrara, comes across as being very controlling, especially in conversation. For example, he seems jealous that he was not able to monopolize his former duchess' smile for himself. He also seems to direct the actions of the person he is addressing with comments such as "Will't please you rise?" The title of the poem evidently refers to a wall painting that Ferrarareveals to someone yet unidentified in the first fourteen words of the poem. "That's my last Duchess painted on the wall." He says. The line suggests self-satisfaction. The emphasis in the title is on last, as the ending of the poem makes clear; the Duke is now negotiating for his next Duchess. Fra Pandolf and Claus of Innsbruck are artists of Browning's own invention. Emphasizing the word Last as the ending of the poem implies; the Duke, identified as "Ferrara" in the poem's speech prefix, is negotiating for his next Duchess. Finding ourselves being given a tour of a grand home for the first time, by the owner himself, and be... ...ssiveness of the prospective son-in-law. I think that another positive aspect of the poem was the fact that Browning allows the reader to asses the Duke for themselves. I as the reader could see that such powerful Renaissance rulers were ruthless and greedy. I also saw how jealousy and possessiveness can destroy things that we love the most. I think that framing his former wife is a way for the Duke to prevent the count's daughter from misinterpreting him. His absolute rule will allow him to prescribe her behavior, but he depends on the count's representative to convey his indelicate hints about propriety better than he could verbally respond to the last duchess's miscues. I feel that in the poem there is pain, jealousy, rejection and happiness. The majority of the spectrum of emotions associated with love and marriage is contained by this piece.

The Minimum Wage Should be Raised Essay -- Increase Minimum Wage Essays

Minimum wages go all the way back to 1938, during the great depression, when the stock market crash and bank loan were failing. Families need income of some type, were they wanted to make it fair were individual could get pay the same without a college degree. I am going to start off with a little about minimum wages history and how this could help our Economic. In 1892 Federal Government adopt an 8 hour workday and other wages standard for employee. In 1903 Congress create the U.S. Department of Commerce and Labor. In 1933 Congress passes the National Industrial Recovery Act covering private sector wage hour (Congressional Digest). â€Å"On Saturday, June 25, 1938, to avoid pocket vetoes 9 days after Congress had adjourned, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed 121 bills. Among these bills was a landmark law in the Nation’s social and economic development- Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938† (Jonathan Grossman, Dol.gov). Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 becomes basic federal statute governing minimum wage, working hour, equal pay, and child labor. Minimum wages was set at .25 cents an hour (Congressional Digest). Congress could raise minimum wages if our economic growth was better. Congress just cannot change minimum wage overnight. This take time and also studies to make sure the United State business can afford to pay more. But also now that minimum wages is only $7.25. Now, somehow the President and Congress think that a low-income family can live off less than $15,080 a year in 2012, according to David and Doug. Minimum wages did not fall pass the poverty line till about 1980. But also the value of a dollar was worth way more back then. During are economic growth has expanded, in which it means more people, and not enough job... ... in better shape today we would be making more than $7.25. But the value of a dollar is not worth what it once was. I believe that today minimum wage should be raised because everyone will need to have health insurance because it became a law in 2014. Works Cited Cooper, David, and Doug Hall. "Raising the Federal Minimum Wage to $10.10 Would Give Working Families, and the Overall Economy, a Much Needed Boost." N.p., 13 Mar. 2013. Web. 01 Dec. 2013. "Fair Labor Standard Timeline Evolution of Fedral Minimum Wage Law." Congressional Digest. N.p., Mar. 2007. Web. 1 Dec. 2013. "Home - Wage and Hour Division (WHD) - U.S. Department of Labor." Home - Wage and Hour Division (WHD) - U.S. Department of Labor. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013. "Rebuilding an Economy That Works for All of Us." Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013.

Night World : Daughters of Darkness Chapter 14

They walked back to the gas station quickly, their shoulders almost touching. Mary-Lynnette found comfort in Rowan's nearness, in her levelheadedness.She'd never had a friend before who was completelyher equal, who found it as easy to take care of people as to be taken care of. As they reached the gas station, they could see thatthe little group was now clustered around Mary Lynnette's car. Jeremy was peering under the hood.Mark and Jade were back, hand in hand, but there was no sign of Tiggy. Kestrel was leaning against a gas pump, and Ash was talking to Jeremy. â€Å"So the werewolf walks into the second doctor's office and he says, ‘Doc, I think I have rabies.' And the doctor says †¦Ã¢â‚¬  So much for bluffing him, Mary-Lynnette thought. Rowan, eyes shut and shoulders tensed, said, â€Å"Ash,that isn't funny.† She opened her eyes. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she said to Jeremy. â€Å"He doesn't mean it.† â€Å"He does, but it doesn't matter. I've heard worse.† Jeremy bent over the engine again. He replaced a cap with careful, even twists. Then he looked up at Mary-Lynnette. Mary-Lynnette didn't know what to say. What's the etiquette when you've just discovered that somebody's a werewolf? And that it may be their duty to eat you? Her eyes filled. She was completely out of control today. Jeremy looked away. He shook his head slightly. His mouth was bitter. â€Å"That's what I figured. I thought you'd react this way. Or I'd have told you myself a long time ago.† â€Å"You would?† Mary-Lynnette's vision cleared.†But-then you would have gotten in trouble. Right?† Jeremy smiled faintly. â€Å"Well, we're not really sticklers for Night World law around here.† He said it in a normal tone of voice. Ash and the sisters looked around reflexively. Mary-Lynnette said, â€Å"‘We'?† â€Å"My family. They first settled here because it was so far out of the way. A place where they wouldn't bother anybody, and nobody would bother them. Of course, they're all gone now. There's only me left.† He said it without self-pity, but Mary-Lynnette moved closer. â€Å"I'm sorry.† Jade moved in on the other side, silvery-green eyeswide. â€Å"But that's why we came here, too! So nobody would bother us. We don't like the Night World,either.† Jeremy gave another faint smile-that smile thatshowed mostly in his eyes. â€Å"I know,† he said to Jade. â€Å"You're related to Mrs. Burdock, aren't you?† â€Å"She was our aunt,† Kestrel said, her golden gaze fixed unwaveringly on him. Jeremy's expression changed slightly. He turned around to look at Kestrel directly. â€Å"‘Was'?† â€Å"Yes, shemet with a slight accident involving astake,† Ash said. â€Å"Funny how that happens some times†¦.† Jeremy's expression changed again. He looked as if he were leaning against the car for support. â€Å"Who did it?† Then he glanced back at Ash, and Mary-Lynnette saw a gleam of teeth. â€Å"Wait you think I did. Don't you?† â€Å"It did cross our minds at one point,† Ash said. â€Å"Actually, it seemed to keep crossing them. Back and forth. Maybe we should put in a crosswalk.† Mary-Lynnette said, â€Å"Ash, stop it.† â€Å"So you're saying you didn't do it,† Mark said to Jeremy, at the same time as Rowan said, â€Å"Actually, Kestrel thinks it was a vampire hunter.† Her voice was soft, but once again, everybody looked around. The street was still deserted. â€Å"There's no vampire hunter around here,† Jeremy said flatly. â€Å"Then there's a vampire,† Jade said in an excited whisper. â€Å"There has to be, because of the way Aunt Opal was killed. And the goat.† â€Å"The goat . . . ? No, don't even tell me. I don't wanttoknow.† Jeremy swung Mary-Lynnette's hood shut. He looked at her and said quickly, â€Å"Everything's fine in there. You should get the oilchanged sometime.† Then he turned to Rowan. â€Å"I'm sorry about your aunt. But if thereis a vampirearound here, it's somebody staying hidden. Really hidden. Same if it's a vampire hunter.† â€Å"We already figured that out,† Kestrel said. MaryLynnette expected Ash to chime in, but Ash was staring across the street broodingly, his hands in hispockets, apparently having given up on the conversation for the moment. â€Å"You haven't seen anything that could give you a due?† Mary-Lynnette said. â€Å"We were going to lookaround town.† He met her eyes directly. â€Å"If I knew, I'd tell you.† There was just the slightest emphasis on the last word. â€Å"If I could help you, I would.† â€Å"Well, come along for the ride. You can put your head out of the window,† Ash said, returning to life. That did it. Mary-Lynnette marched over, grabbedhim by the arm, and said to the others, â€Å"Excuse us.† She hauled him in a series of tugs to the back of the gas station. â€Å"You jerk!† â€Å"Oh, look†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. â€Å"Shut upl†She jabbed a finger at his throat. It didn't matter that touching him set off electrical explosions. It just gave her another reason to want to kill him. She found that the pink haze was a lot like anger when you kept shouting through it. â€Å"You have to be the center of every drama, don't you? You have to be the center of attention, and act smart, and mouth off l† â€Å"Ow,† Ash said. â€Å"Even if it means hurting other people. Even if itmeans hurting somebody who's only had rotten breaks all his life. Well, not this time.† â€Å"Ow â€Å"Rowan said you guys think all werewolves are low class. And you know what that is? Where I come from, they call that prejudice. And humans have it, too, andit is not a pretty picture. It's about the most hateful thing in the world. I'm ashamed to even stand there while you spout it off.† Mary-Lynnette realized she was crying. She also realized that Mark and Jade were peering around the edge of the gas station. Ash was flat against the boarded-up window, armsup in a gesture of surrender. He looked at a loss for words and ashamed. Good, Mary-Lynnette thought. â€Å"Should you keep poking him that way?† Mark said tentatively. Mary-Lynnette could see Rowan andKestrel behind him and Jade. They all looked alarmed. â€Å"I can't be friends with anybody who's a bigot,†she said to all of them. She gave Ash a jab for emphasis. â€Å"We're not,† Jade said virtuously.†Wedon't be lieve that stupid stuff.† â€Å"We really don't,† Rowan said. â€Å"And Mary-Lynnette-our father is alwaysyellingat Ash for visiting the wrong kind of people on the Outside. Belonging to a dub that admits werewolves, havingwerewolves for friends. The Elders all say he's too liberal about that.† Oh. â€Å"Well, he's got a funny way of showing it,† Mary-Lynnette said, deflating slightly. â€Å"I just thought I'd mention that,† Rowan said.†Now we'll leave you alone.† She herded the others back toward the front of the station. When they were gone, Ash said, â€Å"Can I move now, please?† He looked as if he was in a very bad mood. Mary-Lynnette gave up. She felt tired, suddenlytired and emotionally drained. Too much had happened in the last few days. And it kept happening, it never let up, and †¦ well, she was tired, that's all. â€Å"If you'd go away soon, it would be easier,† shesaid, moving away from Ash. She could feel her headsag slightly. â€Å"Mary-Lynnette . . .† There was something inAsh's voice that she'd never heard before. â€Å"Look it's not exactly a matter of me wanting to go away.There's somebody else from the Night World coming on Monday. His name is Quinn. And if my sistersand I don't go back with him, the whole town is in trouble. If he thinks anything irregular is going onhere †¦ You don't know what the Night Peoplecan do.† Mary-Lynnette could hear her heart beating distinctly. She didn't turn back to look at Ash. â€Å"They could wipe Briar Creek out. I mean it. They've done things like that, to preserve the secret. It's the only protection they have from your kind.† Mary-Lynnette said-not defiantly, but with simpleconviction, â€Å"Your sisters aren't going to leave.† â€Å"Then the whole town's in trouble. There's a roguewerewolf, three renegade lamia, and a secret vampirekiller wandering around somewhere-not to mention twohumans who know about the Night World. This is a paranormal disaster area.† A long silence. Mary-Lynnette was trying very hard not to see â€Å"things from Ash's point of view. Atlast she said, â€Å"So what do you want me to do?† â€Å"Oh, I don't know, why don't we all have a pizza party and watch TV?† Ash sounded savage. â€Å"I haveno idea what to do,† he added in more normal tones.†And you'd better believe I've been thinking about it. The only thing I can come up with is that the girlshave to go back with me, and we all have to lie through our teeth to Quinn.† Mary-Lynnette tried to think, but her head was throbbing. â€Å"There is one other possibility,† Ash said. He saidit under his breath, as if he wouldn't mind if she pretended not to hear him. Mary-Lynnette eased a crick in her neck, watchingblue-and-yellow images of the sun on her shut eyelids. â€Å"What?† â€Å"I know you and the girls did a blood-tie ceremony. It was illegal, but that's beside the point. You're part of the reason they don't want to leavehere.† Mary-Lynnette opened her mouth to point out thatthey didn't want to leave because life had been unbearable for them in the Night World, but Ash hurried on. â€Å"But maybe if you were-like us, we could work something out. I could take the girls back to the island, and then in a few months I could get them out again. We'd go someplace where nobodywould know us. Nobody would suspect there was anything irregular about you. The girls would be free,and you'd be there, so there's no reason they shouldn't be happy. Your brother could come, too.† Mary-Lynnette turned around slowly. She examined Ash. The sun brought out hidden warm tonesin his hair, making it a shimmering blond somewherebetween Jade's and Kestrel's. His eyes were shadowed, some dark color. He stood lanky and elegantas ever, but with one hand in his pocket and a pained expression on his face. â€Å"Don't frown; you'll spoil your looks,† she said. â€Å"For God's sake, don't patronize mel† he yelled. Mary-Lynnette was startled. Well. Okay. â€Å"I think,† she said, more cautiously but with emphasis to let him know that she was the one with a right to be upset, â€Å"that you are suggesting changing me into a vampire.† The corner of Ash's mouth jerked. He put his other hand in his pocket and looked away. â€Å"That was the general idea, yes.† â€Å"So that your sisters can be happy.† â€Å"So that you don't get killed by some vigilante like Quinn.† â€Å"But aren't the Night People going to kill me just the same if you change me?† â€Å"Only if they findyou,† Ash said savagely. â€Å"And if we can get away from here clean, they wouldn't.Anyway, as a vampire you'd have a better chance of fighting them.† â€Å"So I'm supposed to become a vampire and leave everything I love here so your sisters can be happy.† Ash just stared angrily at the roof of the building across the street. â€Å"Forget it.† â€Å"Believe me, I wasn't even thinking about it in the first place.† â€Å"Fine.† He continued to stare. All at once Mary-Lynnette had the horrible feeling that his eyes were wet. And I've cried I don't know how many times inthe last two days-and I only used to cry when thestars were so beautiful it hurt. There's somethingwrongwith me now. I don't even know who I am anymore. There seemed to be something wrong with Ash, too. â€Å"Ash †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He didn't look at her. His jaw was tight. The problem is that there isn't any tidy answer, Mary-Lynnette thought. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she said huskily, trying to shake off the strange feelings that hadsuddenly descended on her. â€Å"It's just that everything's turned out so †¦ weird.I never asked for any of this.† She swallowed. â€Å"I guess you never askedfor it, either. First your sisters running away †¦and then me. Some joke, yeah?† â€Å"Yeah.† He wasn't staring off into the distance anymore. â€Å"Look †¦ I might as well tell you.I didn't ask for this, and if somebody had said last week that I'd be in †¦ involved †¦with a,human, I'd have knocked his head off. I mean, after howls of derisive laughter. But.† He stopped. That seemed to be the end of his confession:but.Of course, he didn't really need to say more. Mary-Lynnette, arms folded over her chest, stared at a curved piece of glass on the ground and tried to think of other phrases that started with in.Besides the obvious. She couldn't come up with any. She resisted the impulse to nudge the glass with her foot. â€Å"I'm a bad influence on your sisters.† â€Å"I said that to protect you. To try and protect you.†Ã¢â‚¬ I can protect myself.† â€Å"So I've noticed,† -he said dryly. â€Å"Does that help?† â€Å"You noticing? No, because you don't really believe it. You'll always think I'm weaker than you, softer †¦even if you didn't say it, I'd know you were thinking it.† Ash suddenly looked crafty. His eyes were as greenas hellebore flowers. â€Å"If you were a vampire, you wouldn't be weaker,† he said. â€Å"Also, you'd know what I was really thinking.† He held out his hand. â€Å"Want a sample?† Mary-Lynnette said abruptly, â€Å"We'd better get back. They're going to think we've killed each other.† â€Å"Let them,† Ash said, his hand still held out, but Mary-Lynnette just shook her head and walked away. She was scared. Wherever she'd been going with Ash, she'd been getting in too deep. And she wondered how much of their conversation had been audible around front. When she rounded the corner, her eyes immediately went to Jeremy. He was standing with Kestrel by the gas pump. They were dose together, and forjust an instant Mary-Lynnette felt something like startled dismay. Then her inner voice asked, Are you insane? You can't be jealous over him while you're worrying whether he's jealous over you, and meanwhile worrying about what to do with your soulmate†¦. It's good if he and Kestrel like each other. â€Å"I don't care; I can't wait anymore,† Jade was saying to Rowan on the sidewalk. â€Å"I've got to find him.† â€Å"She thinks Tiggy's gone home,† Rowan said, seeing Mary-Lynnette. Ash went toward Rowan. Kestrel did, too. Somehow Mary-Lynnette was left beside Jeremy. Once again, she didn't know the etiquette. Sheglanced at him-and stopped feeling awkward. He was watching her in his quiet, level way. But then he startled her. He threw a look at thesidewalk and said, â€Å"Mary-Lynnette, be careful.† â€Å"What?† † Be careful. â€Å"It was the same tone he'd used whenwarning her about Todd and Vic. Mary-Lynnette followed his gaze †¦ to Ash. â€Å"It's all right,† Mary-Lynnette said. She didn't know how to explain. Even his own sisters hadn't believed Ash wouldn't hurt her. Jeremy looked bleak. â€Å"I know guys like that.Sometimes they bring human girls to their clubsand you don't want to know why. So just just watch yourself, all right?† It was a nasty shock. Rowan and the girls had saidsimilar things, but coming from Jeremy it sank in, somehow. Ash had undoubtedly done things in his life that †¦ well, that would make her want to kill him if she knew. Things you couldn't just forget about. â€Å"I'll be careful,† she said. She realized her fists were clenched, and she said with a glimmer of humor, â€Å"I can handle him.† Jeremy still looked bleak. His brown eyes were dark and his jaw was tight as he looked at Ash. Underhis quietness, Mary-Lynnette could sense leashed power. Cold anger. Protectiveness. And the fact that he didn't like Ash at all . The others were coming back. â€Å"I'll be all right,† Mary-Lynnette whispered quickly. Aloud, Jeremy said, â€Å"I'll keep thinking about the people around town. I'll tell you if I come up with something.† Mary-Lynnette nodded. â€Å"Thanks, Jeremy.† She tried to give him a reassuring look as everybody got into the car. He stood watching as she pulled out of the gas station. He didn't wave. â€Å"Okay, so we go home,† Mark said. â€Å"And then what?† Nobody answered. Mary-Lynnette realized that she had no idea what. â€Å"I guess we'd better figure out if we still have anysuspects,† she said at last. â€Å"There's something else we've got to do, first,† Rowan said softly. â€Å"We vampires, I mean.† Mary-Lynnette could tell just by the way she said it. But Mark asked, â€Å"What?† â€Å"We need to feed,† Kestrel said with her most radiant smile. They got back to Burdock Farm. There was no sign of the cat. The four vampires headed for the woods, Jadecalling for Tiggy, and Mary-Lynnette headed for Mrs. B.'s rolltop desk. She got engraved stationery only slightly mildewed at the edges-and a silver pen with a fussy Victorian pattern on it. â€Å"Now,† she said to Mark as she sat at the kitchen table. â€Å"We're going to play List the Suspects.† â€Å"There's nothing in this house to eat, you know,† Mark said. He had all the cupboards open. â€Å"Just things like instant coffee and green Jujyfruits. The ones everybody leaves.† â€Å"What can I say, your girlfriend is undead. Come on. Sit down and concentrate.† Mark sat down and sighed. â€Å"Who have we got?† â€Å"We should have gone to find out what the dealwas with that horse,† Mark said. Mary-Lynnette stopped with her pen poised overthe stationery. â€Å"You're right, that must be connected. I forgot about it.† Which just goes to show you, detective work doesn't mix with 1-with idle dawdling. â€Å"All right,† she said grimly. â€Å"So let's assume that whoever killed the horse was the same person who killed Aunt Opal and the goat. And maybe the sameperson who broke the gas station window-that hap pened last night, too. Where does that get us?† â€Å"I think it was Todd and Vic,† Mark said. â€Å"You're not being helpful.† â€Å"I'm serious. You know how Todd is always chewing on that toothpick. And there were toothpicks stuck in the goat.† Toothpicks†¦ now, what did that remind her of? No, not toothpicks, the bigger stakes. Why couldn't she remember ? She rubbed her forehead, giving up. â€Å"Okay†¦I'llput Todd and Vic, vampire hunters, with a question mark. Unless you think they're vampires themselves.† â€Å"Nope,† Mark said, undeterred by her sarcasm. â€Å"I think Jade would've noticed that when she drank their blood.† He eyed her thoughtfully. â€Å"You're the smart one. Who doyou think did it?† â€Å"I have no idea.† Mark made a face at her, andshe doodled a stake on the stationery. The doodle changed into a very small stake, more like a pencil,held by a feminine hand. She never could draw hands†¦. â€Å"Oh, my God. Bunny.† â€Å"Bunny did it?† Mark asked ingenuously, preparedto be straight man for a joke. But Mary-Lynnette said,†Yes.I mean-no, I don't know. But those stakes in the goat-the big ones I've seen herusingthem. She uses them on her nails. They're cuticle sticks.† â€Å"Well †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Mark looked dismayed. â€Å"But I mean †¦ Bunny . C'mon. She can't kill a mosquito.† Mary-Lynnette shook her head, agitated. â€Å"Rowan said she had a lamia name. And she said something strange to me-Bunny-the day I was looking for Todd and Vic.† It was all coming back now, a flood of memories that she didn't particularly want. â€Å"She said, ‘Good hunting.†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ â€Å"Mare, it's from The Jungle Book .† â€Å"I know. It was still weird for her to say. And she's almosttoosweet and scared-what if it's all an act?† When Mark didn't answer, she said, â€Å"Is it any more unlikelythan Todd and Vic being vampire hunters?† â€Å"So put her down, too.† Mary-Lynnette did. Then she said, â€Å"You know, there's something I keep meaning to ask Rowanabout how they wrote to Mrs. B. from thatisland-† She broke off and tensed as the back door banged. â€Å"Am I the first one back?† It was Rowan, windblown and glowing, slightlybreathless. Her hair was a tumbling chestnut loud around her. â€Å"Where's everybody else?† Mary-Lynnette asked. â€Å"We separated early on. It's the only way, you know, with four of us in this small of an area.† â€Å"Small!† Mark looked offended. â€Å"If Briar Creekhas one good thing-and I'm not saying it does it's space.† Rowan smiled. â€Å"For a hunting range, it is small,†she said. â€Å"No offense. It's fine for us-we never got to hunt at -all on the island. They brought our mealsto us, tranquilized and completely passive.† Mary-Lynnette pushed away the image this evoked. â€Å"Urn, you want to register a guess on Whodunit?† 0Rowan sat down in a kitchen chair, smoothing a wisp of brown hair off her forehead. â€Å"I don't know. I wonder if it's somebody we haven't even thought of yet.† Mary-Lynnette remembered what she'd been talking about when the door banged. â€Å"Rowan, I always meant to ask you-you said that only Ash could havefigured out where you were going when you ran away. But what about the guy who helped yousmuggle letters off the island? He would know where your aunt lived, right? He could see the address on the letters.† â€Å"Crane Linden.† Rowan smiled, a sad little smile. â€Å"No, he wouldn't know. He's †¦Ã¢â‚¬  She touched her temple lightly. â€Å"I don't know what you call it. His mind never developed completely. He can't read. But he's very kind.† There were illiterate vampires? Well, why not?Aloud Mary-Lynnette said, â€Å"Oh. Well, I guess it's one more person we can eliminate.† â€Å"Look, can we just brainstorm a minute?† Mark said. â€Å"This is probably crazy, but what if Jeremy'suncle isn't really dead? And what if-† At that moment, there was a crash from the front porch. No, a tap-tap-crash, Mary-Lynnette thought. Then she thought, Oh, God . . . Tiggy.