Monday, September 30, 2019

Caryl Phillips Cambridge

In Caryl Phillips Cambridge, Phillips begins by introducing Emily, a young upper-class white woman, who is sent to the West Indies for three months to inspect her father's sugar plantation. By constructing the novel into several distinctive voices, he exposes to his readers multiple points of view surrounding the novel's fictional world. The first section of the novel is in the form of a journal, narrated by Emily herself, and gives readers a sense of Emily's identity through her depictions of her surroundings. Phillips takes a gendered narrative approach to explore eurocentric influence in the depictions of black womanhood during the African Diaspora and how it has affected the conceptualization of race in the past and present. Emily often finds the need to express her disgust of the appearances of black women. Setting forth towards her father's estate, Emily is accompanied by a white gentleman, a negro driver, and a negro woman. Observing the woman, Emily states, â€Å"Her toothless gums were visible through her thick and open lips, and her church hat failed to mask her sad, unfeminine baldness† (21). Emily justifies her revulsion of the woman's appearance based on her skewed perception of femininity. Because she does not meet eurocentric beauty ideals, her appearance is not seen on her own terms but rather criticized by someone who does not share her culture nor values. Emily uses the terms â€Å"toothless† and â€Å"bald† to highlight the black woman's unappealing features and therefore, she reinforces the idea that Black women are less feminine than other women. Such depictions take an immeasurable toll on Black women, who have to constantly challenge the notion that they are less feminine, that their blackness is something curious, or difficult to handle to white standards. Despite the fact that what is considered to be â€Å"feminine† and â€Å"beautiful† is constantly changing, it does so in a way that continues to revolve around a Eurocentric standards. Emily's faulty depictions preserve the idea that white people are superior in many ways to black people, and therefore, they have the right to assert their dominance over other races. In the past, science was used to justify â€Å"white supremacy,† where attributes of European culture were used to create a rationale for European authority. European slave traders used â€Å"scientific racism† to justify their preconceived notions that Blacks were not people but property, therefore they lacked basic fundamental rights. Upon arriving at the luncheon, Emily sets eyes on Christiana; unhappy with her presence, she orders the â€Å"coal-black, ape-woman† to leave. Emily suggests that Christiana's features and mannerisms are similar to those of an ape and that her race is not only inferior but scientifically less evolved. This passage goes above and beyond; it showcases how whites distanced race from the core values of both feminism and humanism, proving that both were based on the systematic ideology of slaveholders and their allies. Phillips shows readers that the idea that all human beings are born with basic human rights was not prevalent to Blacks during this period. European slave traders used their preconceived notions to justify that Africans served no other purpose but to work as slaves. This was a view of humanity that made life grueling for Black slaves in the Americas. Equating animals to blacks was a malicious and effective instrument of dehumanisation, which historically manifested a powerful weapon that Europeans used to justify the institution of slavery. Black physical features, especially black women's bodies and hair, have been devalued for centuries. The idea that blackness exists outside the realm of beauty was imposed by whites who constructed a hierarchy that privileged those with lighter skin, and straighter hair where Blacks could not meat this ideal of femininity. Emily, stopping to observe the black men and women washing clothes with their bare hands, can't help but comment on the appearance of the women. â€Å"The appearance of the females was truly disgusting to me†¦one woman, her hair matted with filth, and, I imagine, her flesh host to countless forms of infestation, stood in a condition of total nudity in the centre of the stream..† The standards of white beauty created a barrier for Black women to attain it because it did not apply to most Black women thus, American femininity has existed behind the image of a white women. When Emily inadequately associates â€Å"natural hair† with the her own terms, she sets standards for physical characteristics that represent her race, failing to include anyone that doesn't meet her skewed notions what constitutes a feminine woman. As a result, for years, Black women have taken part in many practices that attempt to mask their physical features in accordance with socially accepted conventions influenced by Whiteness. Emily's negative depictions of Black women stems from conditions of her privilege. Through Emily, Phillips shows readers how White's responded to black womanhood in the nineteenth century. What constituted a Black woman was directly related to the control that Whites had over them. Racism was at work, reinforcing the conception of whiteness while at the same time, deconstructing blackness.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

An investigation of code-switching in English classes at the University of Danang- College of Language Studies

Bilingual speakers usually tend to switch some words or phrases from one language to another during conversation, which is called â€Å"code-switching†. According to Heather Coffey, code-switching is the practice of moving between variations of languages in different contexts. Code-switching is also intentionally or unintentionally practiced frequently in class. This research will focus on code-switching practice in class of both teachers and students in Danang University- College of Language Studies, how it is performed, what effects it might create as well as some suggestions for this problem. Techniques for this research such as observations, interview and taking of field notes are used as means of data collection.Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Problem statementEnglish ranks second in top 10 Most Spoken Languages in the World. In Vietnam, learning English now is becoming more popular than ever before. For those who know English, they tend to mix the two languages, i.e. English and Vietnamese, in conversation. Code-switching, the practice of moving back and forth between two languages or between two dialects or registers of the same language, therefore is inevitable and sometimes unconscious, especially when they are having English classes.For example, in an English class at Danang University- College of Language Studies, a teacher says: â€Å"Cà ¡c em là  m bà  i  writing rá »â€œi submit cho cà ´ qua mail.†, and students ask: â€Å"Deadline là   khi nà  o vá º ­y cà ´?† Those are just two in tons of code-switching that can be found in English classes. The frequency of finding code-switching practice inside classrooms is very high and it is worth paying attention to work on. That is the reason why I would like to take on this problem to investigate. 1.2 Research rationaleNowadays, English is an obligatory subject at school, a means of international communication, and a second language in our society. Our college, the College of La nguage Studies, offers official, integrated and advanced language training, of which the strength is English. Moreover, students who study English are better prepared and have larger vocabulary since they are taught English at high schools. Finally, it is not only students but also the teachers that code-switch in class for many reasons.Therefore, the finding of code-switching between English and Vietnamese is much higher than in other languages. By carrying out this study, I hope that it will help the students and the teachers as well be aware of code-switching in class and through some general suggestions for this issue, they can find specific solutions to avoid the drawbacks and make code-switching an effective tool for learning and teaching English. 1.3 Research scopeCode-switching is a broad topic since it occurs in many aspects of our lives. However, in this research, I only focus on code-switching in English classes performed by teachers and students of Danang University- Col lege of Language Studies- Department of English because I think it is more practical and feasible. Therefore, the process of interviewing and observation will take place in some English classes and some notes are also taken from the Internet. All the participants taking part in this study are required to use Vietnamese as their mother tongue, and English as their second language.1.4 Aims and objectivesThe study explores the use of code-switching in English classes at the College of Language Studies. Specific objectives are set as follows: Examine the frequency of code-switching found in these classes Investigate the  fluency and accuracy of the participants who apply code-switching in their classes Investigate the purposes and reasons for the practice of code-switching in classes Present an array of the influences of this practice1.5 Research question– What is likely to be the frequency of the practice of code-switching in English classes? – What are the reasons and purposes for code-switching in English classes? – What are the effects that code-switching might create and what can be done to make it a useful tool for teaching and learning English?1.6 HypothesisFirstly, it is hypothesized that the frequency of code-switching among bilinguals is very high because of a number of reasons. It may occur because there are no equivalent words, to convey intimacy, to avoid being overheard or understood, to add emphasis and some other reasons. Such reasons were anticipated in the findings of Nguyen Ha Quyen (2011). In addition, Walid M Rihane (n.d) also provided five reasons for code-switching, which are solidarity, social status, topic, affection and persuasion.Secondly, there is a tendency of practicing code-switching in class more, especially amongst students since they are encouraged to use English in classes; their vocabulary and grammar, however, is sometimes not enough to express their feelings or ideas. This may cause some effects such as words and phrases are applied in the wrong way, some students might transcribe some words to the accents and dialects that they are familiar with and so on.Chapter 2: Literature Review2.1. Previous studies 2.1.1 Code-switching in conversationCode-switching is one of the major issues in bilingual research. According to Milroy and Muysken (1995), the switches occur in different ways, sometimes the switching occurs between the turns of speakers in a conversation, sometimes between utterances within a single turn and sometimes even with in a single utterance. Nguyen Ha Quyen (2011), also investigated code-switching in conversation of Vietnamese teenagers, she pointed out that â€Å"to some people, Code-switching has become a habit and most time occurs subconsciously when speaking with people at the same age† and that â€Å"code-switching should be viewed from the perspective of providing a linguistic advantage rather than an obstruction to communication.†2.1.2. Why do peop le code-switch?Code-switching often happens with bilinguals and there are many reasons for this. Walid M Rihane (n.d) argued that code-switching is motivated by five main factors, which are solidarity, social status, topic, affection and persuasion. Some research has also found that people code-switch to emphasize or clarify a particular point, to reinforce a request, to substitute a word or to express a concept that does not have a direct equivalent in other language. Specifically, Nguyen Ha Quyen (2011), provided some factors that influence code-switching, such as: – No equivalent words in Vietnamese.2.1.3 Code-switching in the classroomCurrently, there has been several research on this field. Ehsan Rezvani (2011), in the research â€Å"Code-switching in Iranian Elementary EFL Classrooms: An Exploratory Investigation† proved that â€Å"code-switching is a readily available and frequently applied strategy for foreign language teachers in classroom interaction and cla ssroom management†, â€Å"although the teacher enjoyed high English proficiency levels, they did not maximize the target language (i.e. English) in their classroom interactions†. In addition, Bulelwa Ndabeni (2002) argued in her research â€Å" An investigation of Code Switching in different learning areas in a grade seven class† that â€Å"code switching has an important role to play in the school classroom, but more longitudinal studies are needed on the implications of code-switching†.She noted that â€Å"we must also be careful of the other negative side of classroom code switching†; â€Å"teachers should be aware of the importance of code switching in the classroom, but they should not use it as an avoidance strategy†. In my research, therefore, I will present some general suggestions to make code switching more useful in English classes. Chapter 3: Methodology and procedures3.1 Research methodI propose a qualitative study using question naires, observation and in-depth interview methods. Specifically, I would like to use questionnaires to collect the data. One of the major advantages of this method is that it provides possible anonymity and avoids embarrassment on the part of the respondents. It can be easy to gather a large amount of information to analyze. However, using questionnaires also brings some drawbacks. Therefore, I would also choose natural observation, which involves observing behavior as it takes place in the environment. In this case, the environment is inside the classroom of English classes. Observation is a useful strategy.For Saurab, â€Å"It is the primary mode of acquiring knowledge about the environment†. This method will help the researcher avoid the wide range of problems that is usually found if using questionnaires. For example, when having questionnaires delivered to the respondents, the researcher might not always get accurate or complete answer, or respondents may answer in ways that correspond to what is socially desirable. In addition, in-depth interview is used as well. This is a powerful data collection method. The biggest advantage of this method is that there is time for the respondent to further develop and give reasons for his or her point of view- without being influenced by the opinion of other respondents.3.2 Description of population and sampleThe participants of the study are teachers and students of The University of Danang- College of Language Studies- Department of English. Those participants, especially students, come from different cities and provinces. The gap of facilities needed to learn English, therefore, may exist amongst the students. Furthermore, the participants are required to use Vietnamese as their mother tongue, and English as their second language.The chosen  type of sample is simple random sample, i.e. each unit in the population has an equal chance of being selected. According to Natalie Andrew, â€Å"freedom of human b ias and classification error remains one of the biggest advantages simple random sampling offer† and â€Å"if done right, simple random sampling results in a sample highly representative of the population of interest.†3.3 Data CollectionInformation will be collected by observing randomly some English classes with Vietnamese teachers. These classes could be for first year or even final year students, since even first year students study integrated English. The researcher will record the date or take some notes. Furthermore, as mentioned above, questionnaire will be used as one of the method to collect the information. The questionnaires will include both closed and open questions and they will be delivered to random classes in the college. In addition, some interviews are also conducted to find out the ways and the reasons for code-switching. The interviewer will ask some closed and open questions and then probe for elaboration. In this way, data will be collected by tak ing notes.3.4 Instrument for data analysisThere will be some instrument needed for data analysis. For interview, it is needed to have a computer and a recorder apart from notes. The computer is to type and edit questions and answers and to save the information after the interview. It is used to design the questionnaires as well. It is also necessary to have a simple calculator to figure out the frequency of the practice of code-switching through its occurrences. In some cases, Microsoft Excel is used as a tool to help the researcher analyze faster and more accurately.3.5 Data analysis and expected findingsData collected will be dissected by logical and statistical techniques to correspond to the followings: the frequency of using code-switching in English classes of both teachers and students, the purposes and the ways of practicing code-switching. The researcher will count the occurrence of code-switching in the data collected, then identify the frequency. Information from the inte rview and questionnaires will be analyzed mainly to get the reasons and manners of performing code-switching in classes. Finally, the researcher makes a report to present the findings.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Analyse the Purchasing Power Parity Theory and Discuss Its Applicability

Question: â€Å"Analyse the purchasing power parity theory and discuss its applicability† In this essay I will analyze the theory of Purchasing Power Parity and discuss its applicability. I will begin by explaining the basic concepts of PPP. In order to get a deeper understanding of the theory I will also briefly touch on topics such as the Law of One Price, the Big Mac index and similar subjects related to the Purchasing Power Parity theory. Furthermore the PPP theory will be put in to practice and its applicability will be discussed and evaluated using real life examples. It is necessary to understand the functions of the PPP theory before giving a definition to it. The purchasing power parity theory is a measurement that is being used within the economy to compare the currencies of different countries and to see if their currencies are under or over valuated. It is also commonly used as a measurement to compare the living standard between two countries. The Purchasing Power Parity theory is developed on the basis of the law of one price (LOP). The law states that once converted to a common currency, the same good should sell for the same price in different countries. (Kalinda Mkenda, 2001) To give an example of this lets neglect all the factors such as taxes, tariffs and transportations costs. The law of one price can then be explained with the following formula: e = PSWE/PUK where e equals the nominal exchange rate and P price. If I buy a bike in Sweden for 1000:- this means the same bike should, in theory cost ?100 to buy in UK which gives us a nominal exchange rate of 10. If a bike would sell for any price higher in UK, there would be a clear advantage for consumers to go to Sweden to buy bikes (remember that factors such as travelling costs are neglected in this example). Also, it would be beneficial for traders to go to Sweden and buy bikes and sell them in UK for a profit, also called arbitrage. However, this kind of activity would slowly drive prices higher in Sweden and lower in UK and in the end resulting in market equilibrium based on the theory of supply and demand (Mankiw & Taylor, 2006). This leads us to the Purchasing Power Parity theory which states that price differences between countries in the long run is not sustainable because the market will drive the prices to equilibrium and that â€Å"a currency must have the same purchasing power in all countries† (Mankiw & Taylor, 2006 p. 650). â€Å"Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) are currency conversion rates that both convert to a common currency and equalise the purchasing power of different currencies. In other words, they eliminate the differences in price levels between countries in the process of conversion. (OECD, 2010) The PPP can be expressed in either absolute or relative terms. The absolute theory on measuring exchange rates is the one mentioned above and is the theory this paper will mainly focus on. The other version, relative, is based on price movements. (Ong, 2003) It states that the inflation rate between two countries must be the same if the exchange rate is going to stay the same. That is, if the inflation in one country X is higher than the country Y, its exchange rate will depreciate against country Y exchange rate based on the following formula: % e = % Inflationx -% Inflationy here e is the change in exchange rate. As stated above, the absolute PPP theory is mainly used as a tool of measuring how a currency is valuated and whether it’s under or over valuated. One very popular way to do this is using the Big Mac index (See appendix A) put together by The Economist. The Big Mac index is an index of how much a Big Mac costs in different countries. With this index we can compare the predicted exchange rate with the actual exchange rate to how a country’s currency is valued. When we compare the PPP we use a basket of goods which is identical in the comparing countries, in this case our basket is a Big Mac. When doing this we can predict an exchange rate based on the Law of one Price and PPP. When comparing the predicted exchange rate with the nominal exchange rate and this illustrates whether a currency is over or under valuated. Looking at the Big Mac index (See appendix B) we can see that Norway’s currency is over valuated by almost 90% against the American dollar. This implies that in the long run the Norwegian Krone is expected to depreciate against the US dollar using the PPP theory. PPP is also being used for comparing different living standards in different countries. If you for example use the GDP per capita you don’t quite get an accurate overview of the standards as factors such as living costs and pricing varies between the countries. By eliminating the price differences in two countries and compare the raw price differences we get a clear overview of a country’s living standard. Looking at the data in table 1 (See appendix C), we can see that the difference of GDP per capita between Sweden and UK is about ~8500 units, however, by comparing the GDP per capita based on PPP per capita we discover a much smaller difference (~1000 units. This suggest that the actual living standard of these two countries are quite similar, something that does not show when comparing GDP per capita which is why using PPP is a better method than using GDP per capita when measuring welfare as it takes into account differences in prices and purchasing power. (International Monetary Fund, 2009) By developing root unit tests that account for both structura l change and maintaining a long-run mean or trends Papell and Prodan (2006) argues that there is additional evidence that PPP is valid in the long run. However data shows that there can be substantial and long periods of time with deviation from PPP exchange rate for either the relative or the absolute versions. (Pakko and Pollard, 2003) We can describe these variations with a few main explanations, starting off with the assumptions we had to make while explaining the law of one price: taxes, tariffs and transportations costs, but also adding a few points such as differentiated goods, pricing to market and non-traded goods. Marrewijk et al , 2006), (Pakko and Pollard, 2003), (Moffat, 2010) One simple reason why the law of one price and PPP fails is that exchange rates are influenced by many other different factors than just pricing. The existence of trade barriers and costs is one. Any variable that will increase the price in another country such as shipping costs or taxes will neglect the arbitrage opportunity and affect the exchange rates related to the PPP theory. Other important factors to consider are that when explaining the law of one price we use a basket of identical goods, in real life however, very few goods are the same and people in different countries consume different goods. Also, some goods cannot be traded across borders; real estate, haircuts and carwashes are examples of these, also called non-tradable goods. While a piece of property can be traded, its location cannot be changed, thus, prices of property can vary widely between different locations and we can expect this to account for deviations from PPP. When calculating the PPP we also require the markets to be perfectly competitive. If a market is not perfectly competitive some firms may have more control than others and may use this as an opportunity for price discrimination and regulate the price for an identical good differently depending on the customer (Economist, 2010b) which will also cause the PPP to deviate from its expected value. As we can see by this, the purchasing power parity is a useful theory to use for measuring a country’s expected currency and living standard in the long run as it consider factors that are left out when using data such as GDP per capita or CPI, this way you get a much better perspective of the actual values. The theory has been excessively tested in empirical studies with mixed results ( Mac Donald, 1993), (Abuaf, N and Jorion, P, 1990), (Papell and Prodan, 2006), (Patel, 1990). Studies show that in the short-term there can be substantial deviations from the expected PPP and exchange rates related to the previously discussed factors, which makes it limited for predicting exchange rates in the near future. However, this argument illustrates that this theory holds true in the long run when calculating currencies and long term equilibrium.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Medicare, Medicaid Billing and Equipment Fraud Essay

Medicare, Medicaid Billing and Equipment Fraud - Essay Example However, according to anonymous (3), the Congressional Budget Office estimated total Medicare spending in 2010 to be $528 billion, giving a rough estimate of approximately 9% waste. The Medicare and medic aid are fraud targets as they are founded on the billing system of â€Å"honor†. They were initially set-up as an aid to honest doctors who could help the needy access medical services. Medicare fraud is evident in phantom billing, patient billing, and upcoding unbundling scheme. Durable medical equipment is also pruned to medical fraud. Examples of this equipment include oxygen supplies and wheelchairs. In equipment fraud, scammers charge Medicare for a similar wheelchair for many times without actually giving the chair to actual persons. The most recent cases of Medicare fraud focuses on infusion injections on HIV/AIDS. These injections are very expensive but patients are normally injected with common liquids or saline solutions (Anonymous 5). However, Medicare is billed in such way that shows that the expensive injection was really given. With current trends in such frauds, only law and ethical issues can stop the practice.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Reaction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reaction - Essay Example According to Dr. Audrey Young, the type of training and experiences that are taught in medical school skip basic elements that facilitate communication and understandability of the patients. The book bases its initial principles on the fact that medicine originates from the patient. The ability for a doctor to listen to the feelings and perceptions of the [patient is a step towards the healing and recovery process. However, medical school has taught doctors to have a minimum interaction with the patient. Particular emphasis is laid on disease diagnosis through research and treatment as opposed to the soothing and communicative nature doctors must possess in order to reassure their patients of a quick recovery of the various types of diseases that they may be experiencing (Young, 2009). Communication and maintain a good rapport with the patients is the foundation of medicine. Great lessons in a career such as what Dr. Audrey Young is pursuing teach the professionals to be humble and sympathetic. It also should teach them to be tolerant and brave since there are many instances that will require them to have a lion’s heart in order to deal with them. According to my evaluation of the experiences that Young passed through during her years in Medial school, I view medicine to be a calling rather than a profession (Young, 2009). It requires a great initiative by the individual to acquire knowledge about the facts of the course and knowledge on how to blend into different cultures and people’s lifestyles in pursuit to give treatment and better health care. It was therefore prudent for the curriculum of the institution to expose the students to different environments with people of various beliefs, ailments and origins. Dr. Young worked from the regions of Seattle in the United States of America, Swaziland, Pocatello and Idaho. She encountered patients with

Reflection of Liquid Based Cytology Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Reflection of Liquid Based Cytology - Case Study Example The frameworks make the process of reflection easy. There are many frameworks.   Gibbs model is a reflective cycle which is a straightforward and recognized framework for reflection wherein it enables clear description of the situation of the patient, the analysis of feelings, evaluation of the experience, analysis to make sense of the experience, conclusion where other points are considered and reflection upon experience to examine what you would do if situation arose again. Description of the situation involves recollection of the condition of the patient, the signs and symptoms, and the initial evaluation parameters when the patient got admitted. Analysis of feelings involves evaluation of the feelings of the nurse towards the patient and also the feelings of the patient during the course of treatment. Evaluation of experience involves evaluation of the negative and positive actions of the nurse at that particular situation. The analysis involves evaluation of the impact of the actions of oneself on the condition of the patient, whether the actions cause improvement or deterioration of the condition of the patient. 40-year-old Lucy (Name changed due to confidentiality reasons according to NMC code) was referred for cervical cancer screening. Lucy apparently had no health problems. She was the mother of 3 children. She was accompanied by her husband. Lucy was apprehensive and nervous about the procedure.  She had many doubts regarding the test. She asked me whether the test had any side effects, what were the benefits of the test, whether the test was fail-safe and as to what would be the next step in case the results were abnormal.     Ã‚  

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Communication in Human Behaviors and the Structures of Society Research Paper

Communication in Human Behaviors and the Structures of Society - Research Paper Example Developing interpersonal communication skills are vitally important in today’s business environment (Taylor, 2005). Even though if an individual is working in any area and contributing in the workplace, he/she will need to communicate effectively with their top management i.e. boss as well as customers. Almost all kinds of work, activities and functions of any organization require communication and interaction among their colleagues and employees. Some people communicate with their colleagues for their benefit as well as to get success at their job (Greene, 2003). When we communicate, we don't actually exchange ideas, we exchange symbols that stand for ideas. Words are just symbols that do not have basic or inherent meaning; we simply use them in certain ways to convey an idea or give it a meaning. Communication and symbols will be delivered in words and language. Our social and cultural environment also affects communication because every culture has its own language and its own way to convey or deliver messages (Streissguth, 1997). Interpersonal communication skills would be largely dependant on cultural background and unique histories. There is a reality that when two people meet each other after a long time chances will be that, they are less effective at communicating with each other than they did before. Interpersonal communication is impossible to avoid in any condition (Baxter, 2008). When we are not communicating .i.e. when we are silent towards the other person that means we are still communicating in silence.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Personal statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Personal Statement Example I soon came to realize that I could admire and respect those teaching professionals who are equipped, through education and experience, to provide students with a well-rounded curriculum as well as serving as advocates when the student requires additional support in a variety of different domains. This is why the university experience has been so valuable and why I continue to seek to improve my lifelong learning and worldview. Before becoming a student at Bangor University, I was enrolled at the Beijing Institute of Technology where, during the first year, I struggled to achieve more than average marks in Financial Accounting and Management Accounting. It was not because the curriculum was significantly difficult, it was simply due to my own unfamiliarity with radically different teaching methods in the UK as opposed to Chinese teaching methodology. However, I was determined to rectify what I perceived to be a minor deficiency, communicating to my tutors that I was having problems a djusting to the UK culture. Because of the aforementioned support, I was able to make the appropriate adjustment, learn about the absolute value of diversity and cultural disparity and achieve much higher marks by eliminating apprehension that once existed due to said lack of knowledge about the UK educational and social environment. I ultimately scored an 80 in Finance in my 2012-2013 academic year which was, in my opinion, a significant achievement and improvement of which I am quite pleased. It was, again, through the excellence of those engaged in the university experience that allowed me to exceed any boundaries and find personal fulfillment associated with high achievement. The university experience has given me many new perspectives and assisted in broadening my scope of knowledge that, today, allows me to successfully examine a variety of academic theories and effectively apply them to real life business and social scenarios. Some of this growth can be attributed to my volun teer work at the Beijing Institute of Technology in which I was responsible for introducing new students to the campus lifestyle and assisting them in adjusting to the living conditions of the campus and accommodating their needs to improve study and general lifestyle. It was my responsibility to map out efficient routes between the main study buildings, restaurants and any other campus-related need, thus essentially serving as a student-to-student advocate of which I received much appreciation and friendship development. Through this volunteer program at BIT, I further enhanced knowledge of cultural diversity and the absolute importance of embracing diversity in both an academic and social context. I am greatly satisfied with the outcomes that I experienced in the volunteer program which not only equipped me with a better understanding of human needs and behaviours, but also enhancing my preparation and management skills. On a personal note, I have a wide variety of hobbies that he lp to cultivate my abilities and further expose me to cultural differences within a social context. I am well-skilled in dance and in piano which not only allow me to embrace the beauty of the arts, but also improve intrinsic drive and ambition to succeed. I have found that my involvement in the arts serves as a motivational force that continues to further develop my capabilities as dance and piano require deep commitment and determination, which are two success

Monday, September 23, 2019

Tata Motors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Tata Motors - Essay Example Tata Motors had conducted a series of acquisitions. In the year 2004, it had taken over Daewoo Commercial Vehicles which is one of the leading truck companies of South Korea. In 2005, it purchased 21% share of Hispano Carrocera, a bus maker corporation of Spain. In the year 2006, Tata Motors was involved in a joint business partnership with Marcopolo, a body making company of buses and coaches of Brazil. In the same year, Tata Motors had made mutual venture with a Thailand manufacturing company to produce and enter the market of pickup cars. In the year 2008, Tata Motors had purchased two British automobile brands namely Jaguar and Land Rover. Since 1961, Tata Motors has been increasing its international presence. Tata’s cars are exported in many countries of Asia Pacific, Middle East, South America, South East Asia and Europe. In previous 50 years since its inception, Tata Motors has shown tremendous growth. It has more than 4500 scientists and engineers, 25000 employees and in the year 2009–2010 its calculated earnings was approximately 20 billion USD (TATA Motors, 2011). About Tata Nano In the year 2008, Tata Motors had uncovered the cheapest car of India, Tata Nano. Tata Nano has become the yardstick among all the smaller vehicles. It has been made with proper regulatory safety necessities of Indian market. It is also an environment friendly vehicle which produces less CO2 emission than two wheelers vehicles of India. The bend body design and less weight has made Tata Nano a fuel efficient vehicle which provides dual benefit of reasonable transportation solution and low environmental pollution (TATA Motors, 2011). Marketing Context Before introducing any product in the market there is a need to conduct marketing research plan. The 4Ps of marketing is a useful tool to develop clear idea about success of any product in the market. It helps to define the target market i.e. the segment for which the product will be produced. The proper pricing of the product to meet the needs of target market must be performed. Subsequently, the place where the product will be availabl e must be decided and finally the product must be advertised with proper promotion to develop brand awareness among target audience. Marketing Issue to be Investigated This research will investigate the marketing strategy of Tata Nano and its success in the automobile market. Tata Nano was introduced publicly in the year 2008. Initially, it was produced in two versions which are deluxe and standard. The vehicle has

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Poverty and the US Economy Essay Example for Free

Poverty and the US Economy Essay Today, there are developed, emerging and developing countries in the world. A larger percentage of people live under extreme poverty in most developing countries. In most developed countries poverty exist, but a lower proportion. Most developing countries formulate policies either monetary or fiscal to reduce the prevalence of poverty. However, there is no country without a policy options for elimination poverty. In a broader sense, poverty cannot be eradicated, but can be reduced to a certain level. This is why countries are pursuing various polices that could help reduce poverty in their region. Fiscal and monetary policies are the main tools used in formulating various strategies, actions that aim to reduce poverty. This issue leads us to poverty issue in the United States of America. Then, what are the various policies that can be used to eliminate poverty in the country. Should the policy makers make use of fiscal or monetary policy? Subsequently, what policy tools will be used, fiscal or monetary? In this write up there will be a comprehensive analysis on what policy option that should enacted to eliminate poverty in the USA. To begin with, understanding what fiscal and monetary policy entails is necessary. Then, what is fiscal policy? In a simple term, fiscal policy refers to an effort by the government to manage, influence and guide the tempo or direction of the economy by using its major tools taxation and its total spending. There are two major tools of fiscal policy, which are taxation and government spending. In addition, there could be contractionary or expansionary fiscal policy. Expansionary fiscal policy here means when there is increase in government spending or reduction in taxation. This normally leads to budget deficit and vice versa. While, monetary policy refers to an effort by the government to change the pace of the economy by influencing or controlling the money supply and interest rates. These various policies are pursued by government in other to achieve the basic economic objectives of full employment, stability in price level and growth of the economy. However, in the US the fiscal or monetary policies have to be enacted in other to reduce or eliminate poverty. In performing this task, different things have to be put in their rightful place. Even though, poverty cannot be eliminated from the country yet with a very good fiscal and monetary policies it proportion could be reduce. The reason why I believe poverty cannot be completely eliminated is because of the way economy and nation evolves. From time immemorial, there have been some certain classes of people in the economy. They range from upper, middle and lower classes. In any economy, there will always be the lower class and this comprises of the people living below the poverty line. In addition, there will always be those at the receiving end. Africa can be a very good example of this issue. Therefore, there is way how we would not have poverty in any nation. What can only be done is to reduce drastically the number. In country like the US, the poverty rate can be reduced to a small level if government pursues good monetary and fiscal policies. The government could enact fiscal, monetary policies and both together in the economy to reduce the poverty rate. These would be explained as follows: Firstly, we are going to consider the fiscal policy. Since, our main aim is to reduce the level of poverty. The government could pursue both the contractionary or expansionary fiscal policy. However, global financial crises have an overall effect on the nation’s economy. Moreover, the US government could enact contractionary policy to reduce the level of inflation. Since, the tools of fiscal policy are taxation and government spending. The government should reduce its spending and increase the tax of the elite and the upper class in the nation only. When this is done, the government will have more funds, which could be spent on increasing the aggregate demand of the lower class or people living below the poverty line. In a way the real income of the lower class will be increased through this policy, since the funds will be redistribute from the rich to the poor. In a way, there is the effect that fiscal policy has on the nation at large and on the individual as a whole. In as much as our focus relates to individual then, we pursue those action that will be beneficial to the individual rather than the whole nation. In addition, when government pursue budget deficit the economy is receiving less than what its expend. In this case, the government will have to finance this deficit using different approaches. They could borrow the populace or sell assets. Sale of asset may include the sale of bonds and treasury bills in other to offset the deficit. Treasury bills and bond are example of government tools use to reduce the money in circulation. Government sells these to the public in other to remove money in circulation. This money needed will be gotten from the upper class or the rich by increasing their tax. On the other hand, an expansionary fiscal policy could also be enacted. Here, the government should reduce the tax of the lower class and government should increase their spending on economic activities that could increase aggregate demand of this lower class and result in increased productivity. When government takes this action, the real income or the disposable income of this class of people would increase and thereby increasing their purchasing power. Given that, disposable income is the income that is left for spending when tax has been removed from income. In addition, when government increases their spending they pursue budget deficit. Here, they should incur these funds on economic activities that could increase the productivity and aggregate demand of the lower class. When there is increase in government spending, it means that the government is redistributing its asset to its populace. Thereby increasing total productivity in the economy and leading to increase in total income. This increase in total income will trickle down to the lower class and increase their disposable income. In essence, when government pursues the basic economic objective, they will be solving the issue of eliminating poverty indirectly. Therefore, the government could use fiscal policy in reducing the level of poverty in the nation However, the government in pursuing this objective of eliminating poverty can also use monetary policy. They could also use expansionary monetary policy. In a way, contractionary monetary policy will not be effective in achieving this objective. When they wish to use expansionary policy, the government should influence the interest rate by reducing it using its various tools. When this happens, investment will increase leading to increase in productivity that will trickle down to the lower class. Since, increasing productivity more labor effort would be require in achieving this. Then, there will be increase in employment that will trickle down to the lower class. In a way, more people will be employed and this will include the lower class. This situation will increase the real income of the lower class and will enable them live above the poverty line. However, the contractionary monetary policy will not be effective in this case. Since, under this policy there will be reduction in the rate of interest and consequently leading to decrease in productivity. When productivity is reduced, it means inventory is reducing and companies are sacking workers and this most times affects the lower class. Therefore, this will further worsen poverty situation in the country and contributing to increase in the level of unemployment. In another way, the government could combine both fiscal and monetary policies in other to achieve their objective of eliminating poverty in the country. What is needed is the right combination in other to guide against inflation. The government could influence the interest rate and at the same time enact policy that would make lower income earners pay reduce tax or used to offset the feedback from these policy option. The government could also combine expansionary monetary and fiscal contractionary policies in a way to offset any feedback from this policy options. In conclusion, there are ways the government of the United States of America could use to eliminate poverty. However, we should have it in mind that poverty cannot be eliminated permanently in the country. It could only be reduce to its barest minimum. In a way, the government actions are very vital. The two main policies to be enacted are the monetary and the fiscal policy. Finally, I think the global financial crises have a way of influencing the way these policies will work.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Emirates stadium

Emirates stadium Emirates Stadium Historical background (who wants the project? And why?) The Emirates Stadium is built on a former brownfield industrial estate known as Ashburton Grove in Islington, London; to provide a home ground for Arsenal FC. Arsenal FCs previous stadium in Highbury, of which it was named after, was located a mere half a mile away from the emirates. The capacity of Highbury was small in comparison to other top-flight status football clubs and therefore expansions were proposed. However, due to surrounding transport and residential amenities, further to local authority planning objections, the room for expansion was very limited at the existing ground. Corporate hospitality management via corporate viewing boxes is a key business network to Arsenal FC as a means of securing deals for the benefit of the clubs financial capital. Highbury however, was incapable of accommodating the expanding wealth of prospective clients bearing interest in the club. The proposition of enhancing corporate relationships and negotiations was a key figure in the framework plans for a new stadium. Sporting successes at Arsenal FC had also widened their fan base and the demand for match tickets was outweighing the supply. Stakeholders within the ownership of the club were subsequently underutilised and opportune revenue was missed; this was sacrificial to the prospects of future investment. After selective consideration of various locations suitable for Arsenal FC and their respective fans it was therefore decided on the turn of the millennium, that a new stadium was to be developed on the Ashburton Grove site. The capabilities of generating greater capital to enable the club to financially contest with some of the biggest football teams in Europe whilst also providing first class facilities to their many supporters showed an unwavering determination for the clubs advancement. This was the birth of the Emirates Stadium. Islington, London; was before hand, a waning borough and the new stadium was seen as a solution to contribute to the regeneration of the area. BUY OUT EXISTING OCCUPANTS ON ASHBURTON GROVE very expensive Islington councils waste recycling plant Royal mail Holloway delivery office Two bridges over the Northern city railway were also built connecting the stadium with drayton park wer also built. Structure of the project (Financing, Objectives, Constraints etc.). In order for Arsenal FC to fund the approximate  £275m project, the sale of existing surplus land assets was necessary to enable their financiers to provide sufficient supporting gain for a case in obtaining a large loan to fund the remainder. Highbury was demolished and redeveloped (with the exception of the east stand due to heritage listing) into what is now known as Highbury Square; an allotment of housing units that were sold to generate over  £300m in final completion sales (currently payable in instalments to Arsenal FC). Sportswear manufacture Nike, also contributed to the project funding through their multi-million pound sponsorship deal that is still binding at present. At the beginning of 2004, the project order date, Ashburton Properties, a subservient of Arsenal Holdings plc, was created in order to gain access to a loan over  £200m from a banking assembly that specialised in stadium facilities management and funding. Noteworthy banking companies within this assembly include: the RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland plc), The Bank of Ireland and Allied Irish Banks plc. Towards the end of 2004, a  £100.2m corporate sponsorship deal had been struck between Emirate Airlines and Arsenal FC. One of the significant terms of this deal comprised of Emirates owning the naming rights of the stadium of which led to the stadium being known as the Emirates Stadium and not its original Ashburton Grove. Multi-faceted, Analysis, Feasibility Complicated cash flow, site assembly, waste plant location, residential, demolition and disposal, advertisements. Highbury re-development 2-stage tender: Taylor Wimpey Sir Robert McAlpine Main Contractors (There Project Manager was Gulf Christiansen) Also did Excel Centre, London. Construction team was entirely site-based (Contractors and Consultants); problems were solved quickly, minimal expense, dispute resolution. Financial, Programme capital; certainty of delivery time half way through season? X Time of the essence Stakeholder analysis (Conflicts and resolutions) Construction of the Emirates stadium began promptly once the tender had been signed in February 2004. Leading UK building and civil engineering company Sir Robert McAlpine was awarded the contract as the main contractor to complete the job. Global designs practice Populous (formerly known as HOK Sport) were responsible for the architecture and design of the stadium. They have been and are currently lead architects on many large projects of similar nature throughout the UK and across the globe e.g. Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales; Wembley National Stadium, London; and the 2014 Asian Games Stadium, Incheon, South Korea. UK-based consultant engineers Buro Happold provided solutions in both structural and services engineering design to the stadium. Arcadis AYH (formerly AYH) were initially appointed as project and cost managers to the project, however, their role quickly expanded as the administering and relocation of over 80 businesses at Arsenal FCs former site was required. This allowed for commercial and residential developments within Islington to be cross-funded and eventually made provision for the new housing allotments and a new waste and recycling centre for the Islington Borough. Private funded, Private project/ contract (Onus on who?) Local communities; business displacement, working with local authorities. Sustainability issues and agendas (Impact, Conflicts and resolutions) Due to the Emirates stadium being built upon a former brownfield industrial site, Buro Happold thought it was necessary to carry out an environmental impact assessment of the estate so that any contaminated earth found could be re-generated and re-used to provide better ground conditions for the stadiums foundations. Buro Happolds engineering expertise in developing the form and structure of the Emirates Stadium was thoroughly examined to minimise the environmental impact and reflect the aspirations of the local community. One of the most noticeable design solutions provided by Buro Happolds to meet these objectives, is the clear downward sloping roof that forms a natural dish of which augments the stadiums micro-climate. When designing the project, Populous tried to coalesce the needs of the end-users with an environmentally sound structure. As the Architects of the stadium, their ideas implemented took account of multiple contributors to the sustainable agenda that is ever-growing in the UK, particularly within urban areas such as greater London. The incorporation of natural passive ventilation systems throughout the stadium has made way for a more pleasant environmental climate whilst also deducing the need for mechanical ventilation systems of which can add to the released emissions count. Solar power systems through glass cladding and skylights have also been fitted to contribute to their power-saving ethos that could potentially prove money-saving during the lifetime of the project. Not only does the stadium have sustainable measures integrated into its design but the surrounding new-build developments have also been built to standards set out under the BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) Eco Homes guidelines. These form part of the Code for Sustainable Homes; a benchmark in voluntary frameworks for sustainable development. Desso Sports Systems; a company that specialise in artificial turfs for sports and recreation currently provide the stadium with their pitch. They say that their synthetic grass fibres can be recycled for civil-engineering applicationsor as artificial turf and are keen to stress the point that only environmentally friendly, biodegradable chemical products are used to clean the turf. Regeneration Brownfield site Section 106 TCPA, obligation to support and facilitate project area Newlon Housing Trust; Social Housing Evaluation of risks Even with the new Emirates stadium as the home ground for Arsenal FC, the current demand for tickets still greatly outweighs the supply. The board of directors are said to be in the process of looking to expand the stadium as a result. It is however, very unlikely that the extent of the supply will be matched by the demand due to the sheer fan-base the football club possesses and the feasibility of constructing such a vast amount extra to the existing development. The risks of this potential expansion include jeopardising the sustainability issues mentioned (above) so that the stadium only meets the demands of the present and is sacrificial to meeting the demands of the future (Brundtland). What also needs to be borne in mind is to what extent the extra capacity will bring in terms of revenue. With economies of scale in highly populated areas such as London, the capital gain of a greater number of sales made may not prove profitable and could drastically add to the clubs overall net doubt; thought to be around  £200m 3Q 2009. Motor vehicle use and other forms of private transport have not been well incorporated into the stadiums design and surrounding location. This has not been by mistake and the developers are trying to promote the use of public transport (possibly tied in with the sustainable communities agenda). There have been recent upgrades on the tube at Holloway Station (Arsenal FCs local station) and more buses have been added to frequently provide services to the stadium. The potential risks of relying on public transport are: inaccuracies in times, traffic congestion and provision for disabled supporters access to the ground. Programming Business displacement Compulsory purchase orders Financial model Stigma with football stadiums e.g. Wembley, Birse walker stadium, laing orourke millennium stadium Economic and business related factors From a marketing point of view; the emirates stadium was purely financially driven. The clubs successes had expanded to a rate which was over-utilising its existing resources and many opportune costs resulted. As an innovation to providing Arsenal FC with the maximum potential for revenue gain, a completely new and improved stadium for the entire club was seen as the most serviceable concept to adopt. REGENERATION Not about football stadium, regeneration of Islington Trying to get on the local authorities side Reflection on projects management REFERENCES: * Arcadis AYH (2006), Professional Services: Property: Lifestyle: Stadia Sports: Projects: Emirates Stadium, available from [Accessed 08/02/10]. * Building (2007), Emirates Stadium boosts Arsenal FCs Results; Football clubs income jumps 46% following move from Highbury, available from [Accessed 08/02/10]. * DesignBuild-Network (2008), Projects: Emirates Stadium, Ashburton Grove, London, United Kingdom, available from [Accessed 08/02/10]. * DesignBuild-Network (2008), Projects: Emirates Stadium, Ashburton Grove, London, United Kingdom: Specifications, available from [Accessed 08/02/10]. * E-architect (2008), Arsenal Stadium, London; Information and Photos, available from [Accessed 08/02/10]. * Sir Robert McAlpine (2006), Projects: Emirates Stadium, available from [Accessed 08/02/10].

Friday, September 20, 2019

Auto Parts and Service Company Business Plan

Auto Parts and Service Company Business Plan ABC will be participating in a growing market. After China join in the WTO, the price of cars keep going down. Since 2005, the price of cars has declined 10%-50% in China. It has become one of the largest-growing markets in China.  A recent survey indicates that over 20% factories and customers have suffered the problems that the lack of auto repair services. If we consider the whole auto market as a giant whose left leg is new cars or used cars market and right leg is auto-parts and auto repair services market. The left leg of the giant has stepped in China. However his right leg is still out of the country. Because the auto market is increasing in such high speed, it will help the auto-parts supplies and auto repair services market grow. The Organization Gaining the unsatisfied customers is the first mission of the organization. With this in mind, ABC will be working hard and produce the impressive services that are exceeded in customers expectations. To gain and maintain those customers, to build up close and stable relationships to customers, and to expand the market, ABC is going to offer supplies to auto factories, including body shops, to offer auto repair services to individual customers through participation and .inviting 3-5 local auto supply business partners to fund a corporation by offering advanced technology from the U.S. 1.1 Mission Firstly, ABC will offer high-quality auto repair services with all kinds of auto parts. ABC will proffer its convenient and rapid service. Secondly, ABC will set up a computer system to make sure that parts are available. Lastly, ABC will build strong relationships with the local towing companies and body shops. Keys to Success Relitionships with local towing service companies, body shops and workshops. A wide range of auto parts inventory. Proffering website which answer customers questions whenever they have a problem with their cars and make them be able to order auto parts on line. Rapid delivery of major auto parts. Uperior customer service, and systematic operation More advanced technology and more technical employees The idea of fixing customers cars in their own gagrages is one of our main operational cencept. 2.0 Company Summary The Chinese economic have been growing and it had resulted in the Chinese peoples increased income, since 2000. Nowadays, many Chinese have chosen to spend their money on their automobiles in order to declare they have become the members of middle class. As a result, the need for reliable and convenient auto services will increase with the help from the booming economy and the strong ideas of having own cars. ABC is going to enter Chinese market to fill up the need of the middle and upper class market for quality auto service in Qingdao. 2.1 Company History ABC was found by several local 4S shops in Seattle 2008. Besides the ABC has combined the successful experience of marketing, sales, management and operation, ABC also has developed its technical advantage. In 2008, due to ABC had seen the blight future of the application of composite materials in auto repair market and the corporation in the technical communication between Boeing Company and the local community colleges and universities, the company hired 30 employees from University of Washington and North Seattle Community College to put this technology in use for auto repair in order to improve the companys competitive advantage. These made ABC successful and generate the net profits which have exceeded $50000 in Seattle area in this year. However, ABC realized the advanced position in the competition will not last for long. Also, considering extending its size and influence and exploring a more valuable market, ABC is going to enter Chinese market. Past Performance 2010 Sales $600000 Gross Margin $500000 Operating Expenses $50000 Balance Sheet 2010 Current Assets Cash $200000 Inventory $100000 Other Current Assets $50000 Total Current Assets $350000 Long-term Assets Long-term Assets $290000 Accumulated Depreciation $10000 Total Long-term Assets $300000 Total Assets $650000 Current Liabilities Accounts Payable $50000 Total Current Liabilities $50000 Long-term Liabilities $1300000 Total Liabilities $1350000 Paid-in Capital $500000 Retained Earnings $50000 Total Capital $550000 3.0 Services 3.1 Auto services ABC will offer superior customer services with systematic operation. 3.2 Online services ABC has a free website where our employees will answer the questions and try to help our customers online. If the customers think they can fix the problems of their cars in their own garage with the help of our employees or somebody else, these customers will be welcome to order our parts through our website. Also, ABC allows their customers make appointment online. Lastly, our customers will be able to check out the record of their automobiles online. 3.3 Door to door services, fix your cars in your own garages! ABC will have a door to door services for some VIP customers to slove some problems which are not necessary to come to our shops, such as oil change. 4.0 Market Analysis Summary ABC highly focuses on the demand of local customers. At the same time, ABC also is going to establish relationships with the major local towing companies, and body shops. 4.1 Market Segmentation and Stategy Towing companies After traffic accidents, the towing companies usually are called to take their damaged cars away. However, the companies in China dont usually give the repair service. In this way ABC can make approximate 20% revenue, if we can successfully build up the relationships with the major towing companies. The Body shops The young people like to go to body shops to race their cars for vary reasons. They are more likely focus on the look of their cars and usually require very quick services as well. After we establish and strengthen the relationships with the body shops, we can reach that target market segment so that we can offer the body shops the rapid delivery services and make it available to ship the designed auto parts for each individual since we have an online booking service. Local regular customers The local regular customer base is the largest market of ABC. Based on the fact that not too many repair issues happens daily among the local customers and some owners of new cars prefer to take their cars to the dealers if there are really serious problems with their cars, ABC will also focus on the other services of automobile, such car wash, oil change, and so on. 4.2 Competition and Buying Patterns The exsiting market in China already have had 10 major auto repair and auto parts companies in the local area, so ABC will have 10 major competitiors. Nevertheless, ABC get the advantages that they dont have or not as competitive as ours. Firstly, these companies usually are not large enough, or do not have uperior customer service and systematic operation. Secondly, none of these competitors a computerlized systerm and online service. Thirdly, none of these competitiors have the technical superiority as ours. ABCs key to win the game is gaining and remaining customers by using the technical advantage, focusing on the convenienct high level customer service, and establishing and strengtening the relationships with lacal major body shops and towing companies. 5.0 Strategy and Implementation Summary ABC will be successful by offering its systematic operation by adapt the technology from the U.S. 5.1 Sales Strategy ABC will focus upper and middle class customers. To reach the target market and promote the customers, the company will employ direct sales staff. At the same time, the company will further strengthen its relationships with the towing companies, and body shops. 5.2 PromotionMarketing Strategy Direct sale employees, online helping, door to door services, coupons will be our promotion. On the ABCs free website, our employees will answer questions and try to help our customers online. On asking question section, we will put the quick link to the booking page. These researchers will be more likely to order our parts through our website so that they can make it in their own garage. ABC also can send our employees to help them. Fix your car in your own garage! will be one of our marketing strategies. Additionally, ABC will give coupons to customers for 10% off. 5.3 Sales Forecast Sales Forecast 2011 2012 2013 Sales $50000 $150000 $250000 Direct Costs $10000 $10000 $10000 6.0 Management Summary ABC will be successful by combining the 3-5 local auto supply business partners experience of sales, marketing, orperation and management. In order to keep organization stable and keep all of the partners, the ABC will keep the core of the technology. 6.1 Personnel Plan Thank to the low average salaries in China, ABC will be able to hire more employees in the technology department in the U.S. Personnel Plan (Not in including investment from partners) Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Owners $10000 $50000 $90000 Managers $5000 $15000 $25000 Mechanics $4000 $12000 $20000 Technology improment $20000 $60000 $100000 Sales Administrative $1000 $3000 $5000 Total People 25 75 125 7.0 Financial Plan ABC will be a corporation. The funding is from 3-5 local auto supply business partners by offering advanced technology from the U.S. Each partner will invest an equal amount. 7.1 Partners investment Summary ABC is looking for four local partners which meet the requrements to corporate.Each of the four partners which means to join ABC have to invest an equal amount. Table: Investment from partners (Requriements) Requirements Start-up Expenses Legal $1000 Other $5000 Total Start-up Expenses $6000 Start-up Assets Cash Assets $3000 Other Current Assets $15000 Long-term Assets $100000 Total Assets $130000 Total Requirements $130000 (ABC will be more likely to accept partners which are able to meet those requirements.) 7.3 Break-even Analysis Break-even Analysis Monthly Revenue Break-even $25000

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Interpretation of Poetic Sound :: essays research papers fc

Understanding the Speaker’s Voice: Through Interpretation of Poetic Sound   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Classical, Early European, Eastern and Modern poetry share structural similarities in their use of rhythm, meter and rhyme; however, sound plays a more subtle role for purposes of interpretation. Poets combine structured rhythmic patterns and the formal arrangement of words with devices such as alliteration to create images in the reader’s mind. Two contrasting poems written by William Blake titled â€Å"The Lamb† from Songs of Innocence (1789) and â€Å"The Tyger† from Songs of Experience (1794), effectively illustrate how the fundamental use of poetic structure, selective alliteration and imagery, accentuates the underlying sounds of a poem; thereby, enabling the reader to better understand the voice or tone being portrayed by the speaker.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Blake’s opening lines of â€Å"The Lamb,† the speaker sets the initial tone for the conversation that takes place between the child and the gentle creature; â€Å"Little Lamb, who made thee/Dost thou know who made thee† (Blake 1-2). As evidenced by the speaker’s selective use of diction, the soft and non-threatening nature of the words establishes an atmosphere of child-like innocence and wonder that echoes throughout the remainder of the work. As the conversation progresses, the setting is established through the use of the words â€Å"stream† and â€Å"mead† (Blake 4), which is intended to suggest that the conversation is taking place outside, in a peaceful meadow. In subsequent lines of the poem, the child poses a series of softly worded phrases such as â€Å"Gave thee clothing of delight/Softest clothing wooly bright† (Blake 5-6). Although not initially obvious to the reader, through the selective use of alli teration, the speaker has effectively introduced the characteristics and subtle rhythmic sound that is consistent with that of a childhood nursery rhyme. The speaker’s melodious combination of repetition, diction and rhyme is further reinforced in the final two lines of the last stanza, â€Å"Little Lamb God bless thee/Little Lamb God bless thee† (Blake 19-20), which symbolically culminates in the child’s belief that the miracle of creation resides in God himself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is a stark contrast between the opening lines of â€Å"The Lamb† and the opening lines of Blake’s companion poem â€Å"The Tyger.† In â€Å"The Tyger,† the speaker immediately establishes a very different setting for the conversation that takes place between the child and the fearsome beast; â€Å"Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright/In the forests of the night† (Blake 1-2). Unlike the peaceful setting of â€Å"The Lamb,† the image created in the reader’s mind through the selective use of words like â€Å"burning,† â€Å"forests,† and â€Å"night,† suggests that the conversation is taking place in an environment of uncertainty and darkness.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The Ku Klux Klan Essay -- african americans, civil war

At one point in time in the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan – KKK – had a total of more than 4 million members (History.com Staff)! Fortunately, its number of followers decreased rapidly throughout the century. However, this did not stop them from sticking their foot out in the path of the Civil Rights Movement. The Klan had many efforts to slow down the movement; but in the end, they failed to phase it. Actions that the Klan took were bombing and man-slaughtering (History.com Staff). The KKK also had a hand in the sabotage of the Freedom Riders (Fre14). Looking back on the Civil Rights Movement nowadays, some believe that the KKK actions actually gained support for integration. The Ku Klux Klan was created in 1866 and was embedded into nearly all the American southern states. White southerners used the group as a way to take action against Reconstruction after the American Civil War. Its name originated from the word â€Å"kyklos,† which translates to â€Å"circle† in the Greek language. Members believed they were part of the â€Å"Invisible Empire of the South.† Within this empire there was a hierarchy that consisted of a leader, known as the Grand Wizard, along with lower-ranking grand dragons, grand titans, and grand cyclopses. The Klan reached its highest point in the early part of the 1900s. Its number of members declined following this peak. There was a revival of KKK activities in the 60’s due to the Civil Rights Movement. Actions after that decade were rare and scattered throughout the rest of the century (History.com Staff). A very radical way that the KKK showed its opinions on civil rights for African Americans was bombing. A very infamous catastrophe was the bombing of a Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama. Racism, discrimination, and ... ...elt the pain of those who suffered, and their hearts were turned justice. No matter how many Klan members there are or what the Klan members did, the Civil Rights Movement saw no victory for the Ku Klux Klan. Works Cited Freedom Rides of 1961. n.d. 13 May 2014 . History.com Staff. Birmingham Church Bombing. 2014. A+E Networks. 16 April 2014 . —. Ku Klux Klan. 2014. A+E Networks. 29 April 2014 . The KKK kills three civil rights activists. 2014. 11 May 2014 . Viola Gregg Luizzo Biography. 2014. A&E Television Networks. 13 May 2014 .

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Fluke, or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings Chapter 12~13

CHAPTER TWELVE Here's My Coupon, He Said, Singing the Redemption Song Normally, if the whale cops found an unauthorized person on a research vessel, they would simply record the violation, write a ticket, then remove the person from the boat and take him back to Lahaina Harbor. A fine was paid and violations were considered the following year when the permit came up for renewal. By contrast, Kona was delivered to the Maui county jail with both his wrists and ankles shackled and a swath of duct tape over his mouth. Nate and Amy were waiting in the lobby of the Maui county jail in Wailuku, sitting in metal chairs designed to promote discomfort and waffled butt skin. â€Å"It's really okay if he has to stay in overnight,† said Nate. â€Å"Or for a week or so if it would be easier.† Amy punched Nate in the shoulder. â€Å"You creep! I thought it was Kona that got them to let you come to us.† â€Å"Still, jail builds character. I've heard that. It might do him good to be off his herb for a few days.† Kona had slipped his fanny pack full of pot and paraphernalia to Nate before he'd been taken away. â€Å"Character? If he starts with his native-sovereignty speech stuff in there the real Hawaiians will pound him.† â€Å"He'll be okay. I'm worried about you. Don't you want to go get checked?† Clair had taken Clay to the hospital to get a CAT scan and have his scalp stitched up. â€Å"I'm fine, Nate. I was only shaken up because I was worried about Clay.† â€Å"You were down a long time.† â€Å"Yes, and I went by Clay's dive computer. We decompressed completely. The worst part was I froze my ass off.† â€Å"I can't believe you had the presence of mind to decompress with Clay unconscious. I don't know if I would have. Hell, I couldn't have. I'd have run out of air in ten minutes. How did you manage – ; â€Å"I'm small, Nate. I don't use air like you. And I could tell that Clay was breathing okay. I could tell that the cut on his head wasn't that bad either. The biggest danger to both of us was decompression sickness, so I followed the computer, breathed off of Clay's rescue supply when I ran out, and nobody got hurt.† â€Å"I'm really impressed,† said Nate. â€Å"I just did what I was supposed to do. No big deal.† â€Å"I was really scared – I thought you – You had me worried.† He patted her knee in a grandmotherly fashion, and she looked at his hand. â€Å"Careful, I'll get all sniffly over here,† Amy said. They led the surfer into the holding tank, where everyone was wearing the same orange jumpsuit that he was. â€Å"Irie, bruddahs,† Kona said, â€Å"we all shoutin' down Sheriff John Brown in these Great Pumpkin suits, Jah.† They all looked up: a giant Samoan who had beaten an Oldsmobile to death with a softball bat when it stalled in the middle of the Kuihelani Freeway, an alcoholic white guy who had fallen asleep on the Four Seasons' private beach in Wailea and made the mistake of dropping his morning business in one of the cabanas, a bass player from Lahaina who had been brought in because at any given time a bass player is probably up to no good, an angry bruddah who had been caught doing a smash-and-grab from a rental car at La Perouse Bay, and two up-country pig hunters who had tried to back their four-wheeler full of pit bulls down a volcano after huffing two cans of spray paint. Kona could tell they were huffers by the glazed look in their eyes and the large red rings that covered their mouths and noses from the bag. â€Å"Hey, brah, Krylon?† One of the pig hunters nodded and briefly lost control of the motion of his head. â€Å"Nothin' like a quality red.† â€Å"I hear dat,† said the pig hunter. â€Å"I hear dat.† Then Kona made his way to the corner of the cell, the guard locked the door, and everyone resumed looking at his shoes, except for the Samoan guy, who was waiting for Kona to make eye contact so he could kill him. â€Å"Ye know, brah,† Kona said to him in a friendly, if seriously flawed fake Jamaican accent, â€Å"I be learning from my science dreadies to look at tings with the critical eye, don't ya know. And I think I know what the problem with taking a stand against da man on Maui.† â€Å"Whad dat?† ask the Samoan. â€Å"Well, it's an island, ain't it, mon? You got to be stone stupid going outlaw here wid nowhere to escape.† â€Å"You callin' me stupid, haole?† â€Å"No, mon, just speaking the truth.† â€Å"An' what you in for, haole girl?† â€Å"Failing to give a humpback whale the proper scientific handjob, I tink.† â€Å"Goin' ta fuck ya and kill ya now.† â€Å"Could ya kill me first?† â€Å"Whadeva,† said the Samoan, climbing to his feet and expanding to his full Godzilla proportions. â€Å"Thanks, brah. Peace in Jah's mercy,† said the doomed surfer. Forty-five minutes later, after Nate had filled out the requisite papers, the jailer, a compact Hawaiian with weightlifter shoulders, led Kona through the double steel doors into the waiting room. The surfer shuffled in, head down, looking ashamed and a little lopsided. Amy put her arm around his shoulders and patted his head. â€Å"Oh, Sistah Amy, 'twas heinous.† He put his arm around Amy, then let his hand slip to the curve of her bottom. â€Å"Heinous most true.† The jailer grinned. â€Å"Had a disagreement with a big Samoan guy. We stopped it before it got too far. The holding cells are monitored on closed-circuit video.† â€Å"Snatched half me dreads out.† Kona pulled a handful of orphaned dreadlocks from the pocket of his surf shorts. â€Å"Going to cost some deep monies to hook these boys back up. I can feel my strength waning without them.† The jailer waived a finger under Kona's nose. â€Å"Just so you know, kid, if it had gone the other way – if the Samoan had decided to kill you second – I wouldn't have stepped in so early. You understand?† â€Å"Yah, Sheriff.† â€Å"You stay out of my jail, or next time I tell him which end to start on, okay?† The jailer turned to Quinn. â€Å"They aren't filing any charges that merit incarceration. They just wanted to make a point.† Then he leaned close to Nate and whispered, their height difference making it appear as if he were talking to the scientist's shirt pocket, â€Å"You need to get this kid some help. He thinks he's Hawaiian. I see these suburban Rasta boys all the time – hell, Paia's crawling with them – but this one, he's troubled. One of my boys goes that way, I'd pay for a shrink.† â€Å"He's not my kid.† â€Å"I know how you feel. His girlfriend is cute, though. Makes you wonder how they pick 'em, doesn't it?† â€Å"Thanks, Officer,† Nate said. Having shared all the paternal camaraderie he could handle, he turned and walked out into the blinding Maui sun. To Kona, Amy said, â€Å"You better now, baby?† Kona nodded into her shoulder, where he'd been pretending to seek comfort in a nuzzle. â€Å"Good. Then move your hand.† The surfer played his fingers over her bottom like anemones in a tidal wash, anchored yet flowing. â€Å"That's it,† Amy said. She snatched a handful of his remaining dreads and quickstepped through the double glass doors, dragging the bent-over surfer behind her. â€Å"Ouch, ouch, ouch,† Kona chanted in perfect four/four reggae rhythm. CHAPTER THIRTEEN Spirits in the Night Nate spent the whole afternoon and most of the evening trying to analyze spectrograms of whale-song recordings, correlate behavior patterns, and then chart the corresponding patterns of interaction. The problem was figuring out what actually defined interaction for an eighty-thousand-pound animal? Were animals interacting when they were five hundred yards away? A thousand? A mile, ten miles? The song was certainly audible for miles; the low, subsonic frequencies could travel literally thousands of miles in deep ocean basins. Nate tried to put himself in their world – no boundaries, no obstacles. They lived, for the most part, in a world of sound, yet they had acute eyesight, both in and out of the water, and special muscles in the eye that allowed them to change focus for either medium. You interacted with animals you could both see and not see. When Nate and Clay used satellite tags, of which they could afford only a few, or rented a helicopter, from which they could observe animals from a wide perspective, it appeared that the whales were indeed responding to each other from miles apart. How do you study an animal that is socializing over a distance of miles? The key had to be in the song, in the signal somewhere. If for no other reason than that was the only way to approach the problem. Midnight found him sitting alone in the office, lit only by the glow of his computer monitor, having forgotten to eat, drink, or relieve himself for four hours, when Kona came in. â€Å"What's that?† asked the surfer, pointing to the spectrograph that was scrolling across the screen. Nate nearly jumped out of the chair, then caught himself and pulled the headphones down. â€Å"The part that's scrolling is the spectrograph of the humpback song. The different colors are frequency, or pitch. The wiggly line in this box is an oscilloscope. It shows frequency, too, but I can use it to isolate each range by clicking on it.† Kona was eating a banana. He handed another one to Nate without taking his eyes off the screen. â€Å"So this is what it looks like? The song?† Kona had forgotten to affect any of his accents, so Nate forgot to be sarcastic in reply. â€Å"It's a way of looking at it. Humans are visual animals. Our brains are better suited to process visual information rather than acoustic information, so it's easier for us to think about sound by looking at it. A whale or a dolphin's brain is structured to process acoustics more than visuals.† â€Å"What are you looking for?† â€Å"I'm not sure. I'm looking for a signal. For some pattern of information in the structure of the song.† â€Å"Like a message?† â€Å"Maybe a message.† â€Å"And it's not in the musical parts?† Kona asked. â€Å"The difference in notes? Like a song? You know the prophet Bob Marley gave us the wisdom of HIM in song.† Quinn swiveled in his chair and paused in midbite of his banana. â€Å"HIM? What's that?† â€Å"His Imperial Majesty, Haile Selassie, emperor of Ethiopia, Lion of Judah, Jesus Christ on earth, son of God. His blessings upon us. Jah, mon.† â€Å"You mean Haile Selassie, the Ethiopian king who died in the 1970s? That Haile Selassie?† â€Å"Yah mon. HIM, the direct descendant of David as foretold in Isaiah, through the divine consort Solomon and Makeda, the queen of Sheba, and from their sons all the emperors of Ethiopia have come. So we Rastas believe that Haile Selassie is Jesus Christ alive on earth.† â€Å"But he's dead, how's that work?† â€Å"It helps to be stoned.† â€Å"I see,† Nate said. Well, that did explain a lot. â€Å"Anyway, to answer your question, yes, we've looked at the musical transmission, but despite Bob Marley I think the answer is here, in this low register, but only because it travels the farthest.† â€Å"Can you freeze this?† said Kona, pointing to the oscilloscope, a green line dancing on a field of black. Nate clicked it and froze a jagged line on the screen. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Those teeth? See, there are tall ones and not so tall ones.† â€Å"They're called microoscillations. You can only see them if you have the wave stopped like this.† â€Å"What if the tall one is a one and the short one is a zero? What's that?† â€Å"Binary?† â€Å"Yah, mon, what if it's computer talk, like that?† Nate was stunned. Not because he thought Kona was right, but because the kid had actually had the cognitive powers to come up with the question. Nate wouldn't have been more surprised if he'd walked in on a team of squirrels building a toaster oven. Maybe the kid had run out of pot, and this spike in intelligence was just a withdrawal symptom. â€Å"That's not a bad guess, Kona, but the only way the whales would know about this would be if they had oscilloscopes.† â€Å"And they don't?† â€Å"No, they don't.† â€Å"Oh, and that acoustic brain? That couldn't see this?† â€Å"No,† said Nate, not entirely sure that he hadn't just lied. He'd never thought of it before. â€Å"Okay. I go for to sleep now. You need more grinds?† â€Å"No. Thanks for the banana.† â€Å"Jah's blessing, mon. Thanks for getting me out for jail this day. We going go out next morning?† â€Å"Maybe not everyone. We'll have to see how Clay feels tomorrow. He went right to his cabin when Clair brought him home from the hospital.† â€Å"Oh, Boss Clay got cool runnings, brah. He having sweet agonies with Sistah Clair. I hear them love jams as I'm coming over.† â€Å"Well, good,† Nate said, thinking from Kona's tone and his smile that whatever he said must have been good. â€Å"Good night, Kona.† â€Å"Good night, boss.† Before the surfer was out the door, Nate had turned to the monitor and started mapping out peaks in the wave pattern of the low end of the whale song. He'd need to look up some articles on blue-whale calls – the lowest, loudest, longest-traveling calls on the planet – and he'd have to see if anyone had done any numerical analysis on dolphin sonar clicks, and that was all he could think of right at the moment. In the meantime he had to have enough of a sample to see if there was any meaning there. It was ridiculous, of course. It would never be so simple, nor could it be so complex. Of course you could assign values of one or zero to parts of the song – that was easy. It didn't mean there would be any meaning to it. It wouldn't necessarily answer any of their questions, but it was a different way of looking at things. Whale-call binary, no. Two hours later he was still assigning ones and zeroes to different microoscillations in wave patterns of different songs and felt as if he might actually, strangely, amazingly, be learning something, when Clay came through the door wearing a knee-length pink kimono emblazoned with huge white chrysanthemums. There was a small bandage on his forehead and what appeared to be a lipstick smear that ran from his mouth to his right ear. â€Å"Any beer in there?† Clay nodded to the kitchen. The office cabin, like all the others at Papa Lani, had once been living quarters for a whole family, so it had a full kitchen in addition to the great room they used for a main office, two smaller rooms they used for storage, and a bathroom. Clay padded past and threw open the refrigerator. â€Å"Nope. Water, I guess. I'm really dehydrated.† â€Å"You okay,† Nate said. â€Å"How was the CAT scan?† â€Å"I'm cat free.† Clay came back to the office and fell into the chair in front of his broken monitor. â€Å"Thirteen stitches in my scalp, maybe a mild concussion. I'll be okay. Clair may kill me yet tonight, though – heart attack, stroke, affection. Nothing like a near-death experience to bring out the passion in a woman. You can't believe the stuff that woman is doing to me. And she's a schoolteacher. It's shameful.† Clay grinned, and Nate noticed a little lipstick on his teeth. â€Å"So that's shame?† Nate gestured for Clay to wipe his mouth. The photographer took a swipe across his mug, came up with a handful of color, and examined it. â€Å"No, I think that's strawberry lip gloss. A woman her age wearing flavored lip gloss. The shame is in my heart.† â€Å"You really had her worried, Clay. Me, too. If Amy hadn't kept her head†¦ well – ; â€Å"I fucked up. I know it. I started living in the viewfinder and forgot where I was. It was an amateurish mistake. But you can't believe the footage I was getting using the rebreather. It's going to be amazing for singers. I'm finally going to be able to get underneath them, beside them, whatever you need. I just need to remember where I am.† â€Å"You're unbelievably lucky.† Nate knew that any lecture he might come up with, Clay had already put himself through a dozen times. Still, he had to say it. Regardless of the outcome, he had endured the loss of his friend, even if was for only forty minutes or so. â€Å"Unconscious, that deep, for that long – you used up a lot of lives on that one, Clay. The fact that your mouthpiece stayed in is a miracle.† â€Å"Well, that part wasn't an accident. I have the hoses tight because the rebreather is so temperamental about getting water in it. Over the years I've had mouthpieces knocked out of my mouth a hundred times, kicked out by another diver, camera caught on it, hit by a dolphin. Since you have to keep your head back to film most of the time anyway, with the hoses short so the thing stays in your mouth, it's just a matter of keeping the seal. Man's only instinct is to suck.† â€Å"And you suck, is that what you're saying?† â€Å"Look, Nate, I know you're mad, but I'm okay. Something was going on with that animal. It distracted me. It won't happen again. I owe it to the kid, though.† â€Å"We thought we'd lost her, too.† â€Å"She's good, Nate. Really good. She kept her head, she did what needed to be done, and damned if I know how she did it, but she brought my ancient ass up alive and without the bends. Situation was reversed, I would have never done the decompression stops, but it turns out she did the right thing. You can't teach that kind of judgment.† â€Å"You're just trying to change the subject.† Clay was indeed trying to change the subject. â€Å"How'd Toronto do against Edmonton tonight?† Oh, sure, thought Nate, try to appeal to his inherent Canadian weakness for hockey. Like playing the hockey card would distract him from – â€Å"I don't know. Let's check the score.† From outside the screen door came Clair's voice. â€Å"Clay Demodocus, are you wearing my robe?† â€Å"Why, yes, dear, I am,† said Clay, shooting an embarrassed glance at Quinn, as if he'd only just noticed that he was wearing a woman's kimono. â€Å"Well, that would mean that I'm wearing nothing, wouldn't it?† said Clair. She wasn't close enough to the door for him to actually see her through the screen, but Quinn had no doubt she was naked, had her hip cocked, and was tapping a foot in the sand. â€Å"I guess,† said Clay. â€Å"We were just going to check the hockey scores, sweetheart. Would you like to come in?† â€Å"There's a skinny kid with a half order of dreadlocks and an erection out here staring at me, Clay, and it's making me feel a little self-conscious.† â€Å"I woke up with it, Bwana Clay,† Kona said. â€Å"No disrespect.† â€Å"He's an employee, darling.† Clay said reassuringly. Then to Quinn he whispered, â€Å"I had better go.† â€Å"You better had,† said Quinn. â€Å"See you in the morning.† â€Å"You should take the day off.† â€Å"Nah, I'll see you in the morning. What are you working on anyway?† â€Å"Putting the subsonic part of the song in binary.† â€Å"Ah, interesting.† â€Å"Feeling vulnerable out here,† Clair said. â€Å"Vulnerable and angry.† â€Å"I had better go,† said Clay. â€Å"Night, Clay.† An hour later, just when Nate was getting to the point where he felt he had enough samples marked out in binary to start looking for some sort of pattern, the third spirit in the night came through the door: Amy, in a man's T-shirt that hung to midthigh, yawning and rubbing her eyes. â€Å"The hell you doing up at this hour? It's three in the morning.† â€Å"Working?† Amy padded barefoot across the floor and looked at the monitor where Quinn was working, trying to blink the bleariness out of her eyes. â€Å"That the low end of the song?† â€Å"Yeah, that and some blue-whale calls I had, for comparison.† Quinn could smell some kind of berry shampoo smell coming off of Amy, and he became hyperaware of the warmth of her pressing against his shoulder. â€Å"I don't understand. You're digitizing it manually? That seems a little primitive. The signal is already digitized by virtue of being on the disk, isn't it?† â€Å"I'm looking at it a different way. It will probably wash out, but I'm looking at the waveform of just the low end. There's no behavior for context, so it's probably a waste of time anyway.† â€Å"But still you're up at three in the morning anyway, making ones and zeroes on a screen. Mind if I ask why?† Quinn waited a second before answering, trying to figure out what to do. He wanted to turn to look at her, but she was so close that he'd be right in her face if he did. This wasn't the time. Instead he dropped his hands into his lap and sighed heavily as if this were all too tedious. He looked at the monitor as he spoke. â€Å"Okay, Amy, here's why. Here it is. The whole payoff, the whole jazz of what we do, okay?† â€Å"Okay.† She sensed the unease in his voice and stepped back. Nate turned and looked her in the eye. â€Å"It might be out on the boat, as you're coming in for the day – or it might be in the lab at four in the morning after working on the data for five years, but there comes a point where you'll find something out, where you'll see something, or where something will suddenly come together, and you'll realize that you know something that no one else in the world knows yet. Just you. No one else. You realize that all the value you have is in that one thing, and you're only going to have it for a short time until you tell someone else, but for that time you are more alive than you'll ever be. That's the jazz, Amy. That's why people do this, put up with low pay and high risk and crap conditions and fucked-up relationships. They do it for that singular moment.† Amy stood with her hands clenched in front of her, arms straight down, like a little girl trying to ignore a lecture. She looked at the floor. â€Å"So you're saying that you're about to have one of these moments and I'm bugging you?† â€Å"No, no, that's not what I'm saying. I don't know what I'm doing. I'm just telling you why I'm doing it. And that's why you're doing it, too. You just don't know it yet.† â€Å"And what if someone told you that you'd never have one of those moments of knowing something again – would you keep doing it?† â€Å"That won't happen.† â€Å"So you're close to something here? With this binary thing?† â€Å"Maybe.† â€Å"Didn't Ryder analyze the song as far as how much information it could carry and come up with something really anemic like point six bits per second? That's not really enough to make it meaningful, is it?† Growl Ryder had been Quinn's doctoral adviser at UC Santa Cruz. One of the first generation of greats in the field, along with Ken Norris and Roger Payne, a true kahuna. His first name was actually Gerard, but anyone who had known him called him Growl, because of his perpetually surly nature. Ten years ago, off the Aleutians, he'd gone out alone in a Zodiac to record blue-whale calls and had never come back. Quinn smiled at his memory. â€Å"True, but Ryder died before he finished that work, and he was looking at the musical notes and themes for information. I'm actually looking at waveform. Just from what I've done tonight, it looks like you can get up to fifty, sixty bits per second. That's a lot of information.† â€Å"That can't be right. That won't work,† Amy said. She seemed to be taking this information a bit more emotionally than Nate would have expected. â€Å"If you could move that much information subsonically, the navy would be using it for submarines. Besides, how could the whales use waveform? They'd need oscilloscopes.† She was up on her toes now, almost shouting. â€Å"Calm down, I'm just looking into it. Dolphins and bats don't need oscilloscopes to image sonically. Maybe there's something there. Just because I'm using a computer to look at this data doesn't mean I think whales are digital. It's only a model, for Christ's sake.† He was going to pat her shoulder to comfort her, but then remembered her attitude toward that at the jail. â€Å"You're not looking at data, Nate, you're making it up. You're wasting your time, and I'm not sure you're not wasting my time. This whole job might have been a big mistake.† â€Å"Amy, I don't understand why –  » But she wouldn't give him a chance to defend himself. â€Å"Go to bed, Nate. You're delirious. We have real work to do tomorrow, and you'll be worthless if you don't get some sleep.† She turned and stormed out into the night. Even as she moved across the courtyard to her cabin, Nate could hear her ranting to herself. The words â€Å"doofus,† â€Å"deluded,† and â€Å"pathetic loser† rang out above the tirade to settle on Nate's ego. Strangely enough, a feeling of relief washed over him as he realized that the delusions of romantic grandeur that he'd been indulging – nay, fighting – about his research assistant had been just that: delusions. She thought he was a complete joke. At peace with himself for the first time since Amy had come on board, he saved his work, powered down the machine, and went off to bed.