Working During Holidays

Holiday season is here again and retail hours for many businesses both big and small are being extended. stores for â€Å"dragging millions of workers away from family and friends. † The hard truth is that, whether any of us is working on Thanksgiving or not, business is tight these days and the pressures to get work done with fewer resources continue to mount. ethics or a lack of them isn't always easy to see. Two people might undertake the exact same course of action and attain the exact same result. One had fully honorable intentions, while the other had a devious plan from the start.It's not easy, and maybe impossible, to see into the mind of another person and evaluate his true goals and motivations. Exploiting Employees When stores open, they are taking their employees away from their families. I personally feel that the stores are putting the dollar ahead of the welfare of their employees. When stores open, they are taking their employees away from their families no mat ter what day it is. If this is a problem in itself, any employment outside the home (and sometimes inside) is an ethical issue.And if â€Å"taking employees away from their families† is equivalent to â€Å"putting the dollar ahead of the welfare of their employees,† then it’s always doing so, whether or not it happens to be the fourth Thursday in November or the Friday after that. People who choose not to work on Thanksgiving will be hurt if they lose their jobs or miss some of the biggest commissions/tips of the year by not going. If working on Thanksgiving is a deal breaker to you, get a different job. If it’s not, then just get on with it and stop griping about it. It’s like moaning and groaning every time a baby needs a diaper change.It’s just part of the deal. Common Good While most agree that businesses need to make a profit, the concept that businesses exist to increase shareholder value is not unanimous. It has been claimed that busi nesses exist to serve the common good. This is a foundation of socialism, where profit is seen as exploitation of the workers. In America, there has been a push by people such as Ralph Nader, to establish a charter for corporations that would allow government oversight to confirm that corporations are indeed serving the common good.Under this system, if a corporation is determined to be detrimental to the common good, its charter could revoked and the corporation would be forced to stop operating. The problem thus far is that we have two seemingly opposite theories for the role of a business. Using our operating definition of ethics, the ethics for an organization whose role is to make profit are different from the ethics of an organization whose role is to serve the common goal. For a solution, we need a method that combines these conflicting goals into a single (although possibly complex) role.opinions are going to vary on the pros and cons of extended business hours. How strapped for cash are you? Where does your family live? What's your relationship with them like? How sentimental are you about specific holiday rituals? People will differ. This Thanksgiving there are going to be people with jobs at the Gap who wish they weren't working Thanksgiving but feel that they'd lose their jobs if they weren't willing to take an extra shift. There are also going to be people with jobs at Radio Shack who wish they could earn some extra cash and get out from under that credit card debt.

Putting the Enterprise Into the Enterprise System

Davenport’s article â€Å"Putting the Enterprise into the Enterprise System† discusses the pros and cons of Enterprise Systems. These systems gather data—manufacturing, sales, logistics, financial, etc. , and then pull this data into a central warehouse that helps companies make informed business decisions. However, the Article’s main theme is, that while these can be powerful tools for an organization, the adoption of a cookie cutter solution may be counterproductive.The part that most interested me was the Article’s discussion that very often a software system designed by the software experts may, in fact, remove the competitive edge of that company. While we tend to think of computing systems as enhancing operations and making them more efficient through faster communication, automation, removing the need for people, etc. , I had never thought of them as having the potential to remove a company’s competitive advantage.Competitive advantage , of course, is doing something different that makes your company better than the others. The difference, as cited in the Article, is typically the service, speed of delivery, etc. , and not the product itself. If, however, you and your competitor all sign up for the same or similar systems that define your business methods, then you begin to operate the same. Now all you have to compete on is price, which is going to squeeze margins.Of course there is a way around this, as the Article discusses, and that is to customize the system to match your existing processes and differentials so that you get the benefits of the efficiencies where you want them, but still maintain the uniqueness that makes your customers continue to come to you. This Article should be read by any company that is about to embark on the integration of an Enterprise System into their organization.The Article gives a lot of good pointers, particularly on the last page of the items to consider and the need for peopl e who truly understand the company’s methods of operations and DNA to ensure that these carry on even after the software is introduced. For the cost investment of such software, it is vitally important that an organization comes out with a product that makes them better and stronger and doesn’t get pulled down to be just another one of the pack.

Aspects Of Database Security Information Technology Essay

Aspects Of Database Security Information Technology Essay Many native methods of providing Database security have also been discussed along with a survey of database threats issues and its remedies. Mechanisms are discussed that propose strengthening the database security. It seems desirable to get an understanding of the complete set of security problems faced and their problems up-to-date to devise better methodologies for database security issues. The research study regarding Database Security is organized as follows: Section 1 highlights the native methods of Database Security which have been employed. Section 2 describes the threats faced by databases and Section 3 discusses varies proposed remedies to the Database security issues. Improper safeguarding of data might compromise database confidentiality, its availability and integrity. In order to prevent this, it is very important to form a comprehensive ‘database security’ concept [term paper link]. Importance of Data The security of data has always been an issue, but wi th the increase of applications relying more on databases to store that information, the threats to the security have increased manifold. Security of data is a crucial issue today then ever and the importance of it is clearly understood as well. The three main objectives of Database security include Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability [1]. The databases have to be secured in any case since they contain bulk amount of data both confidential and public. The loss of integrity of data can not only have disastrous affect for a specific user, but the reputation of the whole organization comes at stake. Methods to perturb original data and are required in which data is converted to some anonymous form, in cases where the privacy of data itself is of utmost importance. Anonymization in that case is carried out in such a way that the original data integrity and its relationships are maintained while the data is perturbed for analysis. Threats to Database Databases today face a growin g risk of threats and vulnerabilities. Security breaches are typically categorized as unauthorized data observation, incorrect data modification, and data unavailability. Unauthorized data observation results in the disclosure of information to users not entitled to gain access to such information [2]. In case of unauthorized data observation, the data is seen by users for whom that data in not intended. For incorrect data modifications, once the data in the databases is modified, its integrity is lost and then the proper usage of data cannot be carried out. The true information is not available when it is needed. Countermeasures to Threats Some countermeasures that can be employed are outlined below: – Access Controls (can be Discretionary or Mandatory) – Authorization (granting legitimate access rights) – Authentication (determining whether a user is who they claim to be)ÂÂ   – Backup – Journaling (maintaining a log file – enables eas y recovery of changes) – Encryption (encoding data using an encryption algorithm) – RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks – protects against data loss due to disk failure)ÂÂ   – Polyinstantiation (data objects that appear to have different values to users with different access rights / clearance)ÂÂ   – Views (virtual relations which can limit the data viewable by certain users) [3]. Security Solutions for Databases

BUSINESS DECISION MAKING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

BUSINESS DECISION MAKING - Essay Example The cost of this property is around 30% of prime property in London which can act as trigger for expatriates to invest in Dubai. (Castro, 2009). Similarly other proposed advantages of Dubai and reasons to remove doubts in Canadian and English minds should be gathered from the internet and real estate agents in Dubai. When it comes to gathering primary data, the company should randomly select 20 clients in the UK and Canada and present them with the questionnaire. This questionnaire is specifically designed to find out their preferences when investing. The presentation and the solution to the business problem will then be proposed after analyzing and synchronizing data from the Dubai property market and customer preferences and affordability. This when elaborated means that properties which match customer's tastes and budgets will be selected and then presented to the potential customers. Questionnaire for prospective clients 1) How much money do you plan to invest in Dubai? a) AED 10 0000 b) AED 200000 c) AED 2500000 or more 2) How much initial deposit are you willing to pay? a) 5% b) 10% c) 15% d) 20% or more 3) What is your current annual income? a) AED 200000 or less b) AED 300000 c) AED 400000 or more 4) What percentage of interest on mortgage do you recommend? a) 7.5% b) 9% c) 10% 5) What in your view is the ideal length of the investment term? a) 10 years b) 15 years c) 20 years d) 25 years or more 6) What is your expected annual rate of return from the property? a) 7% b) 10% c) 12% or more 7) What are your basic reasons for buying property in Dubai? a) Retirement/ Investment b) Vacation c) Second home d) Rental income 8) What is the ideal size of property you wish to buy? a) One bedroom studio b) 2 bedroom apartment c) 1 bedroom villa d) 2 bedroom villa or larger 9) Do you have any reservations about investing in Dubai? If yes please elaborate Results of the questionnaires collected from 10 clients. The Questionnaires were distributed to 20 potential clie nts, 10 in Canada and 10 in UK. The results were as follows. 10 out of 20 expatriates were willing to spend AED2000000 whereas 6 chose AED1000000 and 4 chose 2500000 or more. Most that is 8 chose to pay 15% as the down payment whereas 6 wanted to pay 20%. 3 chose 25% and 3 chose 10%. All potential clients had the annual income of AED 400000 or more showing that they had extra money and liquid financing to invest. Almost all unanimously agreed to lowest interest rates of 7.5% but 2 and that too only those who chose lower down payments agreed to 9% interest. The ideal length of the investment term was a tie between 15 and twenty years with 8 votes each. 2 selected 10 years and 2, 25 or more. The expected annual rate of return was 10% by 12 votes showing that prospective buyers knew that the current rate of returns lie between 7 and 10%. 6 chose 12% and 2 chose 9%. The results for the reasons for buying property were extremely variable. Muslim customers wanted property for retirement, vacations and second homes. People from other faith also chose between vacation and investment with vacations being the choice of the majority by getting 5 votes 8 clients wanted a 2 bedroom villa, 6 a 2 bedroom apartment while 4 wanted a larger villa and 2 a one bedroom apartment demonstrating that they

Past Experiences and Present Situation Personal Statement

Past Experiences and Present Situation - Personal Statement Example In almost all the cases the rivals belong to one and the same group and community. Somehow, the individuals having experience of living and interacting with different people and cultural environment are in a position to adjust in every atmosphere; the same is applied to me. Since the nature of my father’s job demanded to settle down at different places, I also had to move along with him in various cities of my country. Hence, I sought education from three different cities, during which I came across the people having divergent family and cultural backgrounds. Somehow, my active participation in the curricular activities and unflinching co-operation with the fellow-students during classroom discussions, library consulting, group-participation, giving vent to ideas during examination preparations and others made me a popular student of all the educational institutions I attended during the course of time. Additionally, my keen interest in extra-curricular activities including debates and speeches, sports and games and long-tours and trips also proved me as a flexible and amiable person in the eyes of others. I had been the football player for the last many years at school and college levels and played at different positions in the playground. The sports made me learn patience, endurance, tolerance and respect for others even after winning or losing the game. During the sports, I experienced fluctuation of moods and several other pleasant and unpleasant situations; however, my patience and efficiency always supported me.

Carmen by Georges Bizet - Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Carmen by Georges Bizet - Report - Essay Example The costumes of the opera singers were typically in the character of a Spanish Seville setting. At one point we saw actual Toreador clothing. PERFORMANCE SETTING According to the Grove Music Online the opera was chosen after a French book. A distant cousin of Bizet was one of the two people who wrote the libretto. The librettist were Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halevy. (Grove 2011)They wrote for other French composers. Bizet chose the subject himself. He wanted to use melodrame as it had been used since 1850 in opera comique . (Grove 2011) An opera where there was dialogue accompanied by music was a technique that came from Italy in the opera buffa. TYPE(S) OF MUSIC . The opera was an opera comique taking after the opera buffa in the classical period. There were spoken parts. Carmen, the provocative bohemiane gypsy was a mezzo- soprano. Don Jose was a tenor which is higher than a bass. Before the opera began there was a short spoken introduction. I did not listen. I was too excited to hear the performance begin. Carmen is a gypsy who provokes men into loving her. A soldier, Don Josee, sees her kill another women and takes her to the police. He falls in love and lets her go. When he finds her again, she is already married to someone else. He becomes a bandit. He kills Carmen out of jealousy or madness because she won't come back to him. This soldier is Don Josee. Carmen, Don Josee, Micaella, and Escamillo are the principal characters. It was so different seeing the opera on stage than seeing it on a screen; the sounds of hearing the whole hall were amazing. Knowing that Bizet never had been to Spain makes one wonder how he could have written such Spanish sounding music. The Grove's said his opera changed the Spaniard's conception of their own music. The two parts of the opera chosen were. Carmen's Fate aria, and the Duet in Act IV before Don Josee kills Carmen. Carmen's Habanara "aria" is using all of Bizet's use of musical genres. 1. It starts with the use of voi ce as if were spoken drama with music being played under the voice. Please note the music is not accompanying the voice at certain points where it is at others. 2. The voice is used in dialogue with the chorus answering 3. The voice is used as an accompaniment to the chorus 4. The voice is used as a solo without any instrumental accompaniment. 5. The full orchestra with the full chorus begins the Fate "aria" The second part chosen is in Act IV of the opera. It is the final duet which ends the opera. The duet between Carmen an Don Josee is exquisitely beautiful. It is long for a duet of the Romantic Era. Bizet uses many techniques to change the emotions and the color of the aria. In the beginning there is very little instrumental intervention and the voices are calm. He is singing of how he loved her and she is saying she doesn't anymore. There is a build up of emotions when she says in the bottom of her soul she doesn't love him. The percussion and strings are playing and there is a change of attitude of Don Josee. He starts to beg and she sings in duet that she cannot go away with him. At one moment we hear the chorus and orchestra playing the Toreador theme. Don Josee knows Escamillo is coming and starts to sing more quickly. When he sings he is going to kill her, the key (tone ) changes to minor and the bass instruments play to show the gravity of the situation. He does kill her and the Toreador, Escamillo comes. This is a duet with

What are the difference between the couples who decided to have a baby Essay

What are the difference between the couples who decided to have a baby or not - Essay Example First, young couples usually go through a lot of financial problems. Couples who decide to have babies at a young age, therefore, faces a lot of such problems. Usually, young couples have jobs with small basic salary. Raising a baby does not only require the couple to have enough money, but also adequate time to take care of the baby. This implies that the couple will not have enough time to develop their career and make more money like the couples without children who take adequate time when they are between 20 and 30 years old to move through various jobs and job groups that pay higher. As Pope Francis suggested, couples who decide not to have children are usually more energetic, younger and richer than before as they have enough of free time on their own to exercise and make money. On the contrary, a young couple with children usually has no or less control of their time and money because of their children. The young parents do not have adequate time on their own when their childr en are still small, unlike the couples without children who usually have all the time with each other. The young parents are also very cautious about their spending because of their inadequate salaries. When one is a young parent, they are also required to pick their children from school and drop them in the morning, unlike the childless couple. It is a big contrast with the childless couples who are frequently spotted hanging out with their friends after work. In general, the childless couple can be said to spend much of their time in social life than on family. Another difference between the childless couple and the couple with children is manifested in their ways of thinking. Young parents are usually considered as big children. This is so because, the young parents do not usually have adequate parenting experience. In most cases, being with their babies make them learn most of the things that take place in their babies lives, some of which

Risk Management among Older People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Risk Management among Older People - Essay Example The intention of this study is the concept of risk. McDonald argues that risk is quite a serious societal issue as demonstrated by more emphasis being placed in distribution of risks than in distribution of wealth. McDonald then explores several perspectives of the definition/concept of risk in the society as it relates to social work, beginning with the widely accepted legal view that risk is the likelihood of an event occurring and the existence of a duty of care that is owed to those who might be affected (in this case the elderly) by reasonably foreseeable consequences of another party’s actions. Another perspective of risk is the actuarial notion, where it is the probability of occurrence of certain events based on statistical analyses of whole populations or subgroups, where in this case we have the older people sub-group. McDonald also discusses the social constructivist aspect of risk, where certain risks have been granted cultural acceptance based on different societa l dynamics. An example concerning older people is where certain risk-taking behaviours are out of question in a manner different to young people who may not be limited by such events. For instance, although the risk of injury from engaging in sport is present for all sub-groups, older people are more constrained from it differently from young people. Across all these concepts of risk, it is discernible that the shared characteristic is in the probability of an event occurring, and for the purposes of social work, an opportunity to pre-empt the event from occurring which forms a vital dimension of social work. The functional definition is that risk involves calculation of probability of and description of the likelihood of a future event given certain conditions, while at the same time recognising duty of care. Risk assessment is an issue related to the probabilistic aspect of the social workers knowledge base; hence it involves balancing out the outcomes for the service user in ques tion (Hawkes 2003, p. 6). The role of the social worker here is to assess the probability of significant harm occurring, or assess that which has already occurred in a bid to prevent further/future harm from occurring. Assessment of risk occupies a pivotal position in social work since it occurs at the initial point of contact between the service user and the social worker, and hence the effectiveness of intervention mechanisms depends to a large extent on the outcomes of the risk assessment. Social Worker Duty, Reasons for Risk Assessment and Obsession with Risk Assessment The reasons behind the obsession of social work with risk assessment can be traced from the trends in the wider society. McLauglin (2008, pp. 3-6) first establishes that there is an ongoing preoccupation with risk in the society and its minimisation, with the primary concern of the contemporary society shifting from being after something good to instead preventing the worst (tendency towards self-limitation as op posed to pursuing self realisation). This shift is being driven by a shift from natural hazards to man-made ones especially in the developed world, where for example an older person

Evaluate the contributions made by the chicago school to our Essay

Evaluate the contributions made by the chicago school to our understandings of crime and the urban environment - Essay Example The Chicago School of Sociology moved the study of crime away from the basic and overly-simplified Biological and Physiological explanations of the 19th century onwards, promulgated by such positivist theorists as Lombroso1 which sought to explain criminal behaviour through ‘body type’ arguing that pathology was located in the individual. Fortuitously we live in an age where the Human Genome Project has nullified once and for all the idea that criminal behaviour can be explained categorically by ‘body type’. Whilst law enforcers may discriminate against certain physical features, theoretical law does not. Theoretical law concerns itself with the intention (mens rea) of the defendant who must also have undertaken a prohibited action (actus rea)a. It was increasingly apparent that such Biological and Physiological theories did not offer a universal theory for the existence of crime or its perpetrators. For example, those theories had no explanation to offer for ‘white-collar crime’ – undertaken by persons who had – and have - no apparent genetic, social or educational deprivation excuses for their ‘criminal’ behaviour. Edwin Sutherland’s studies in the 1940s of ‘White Collar Crime’ argued that white collar crime was rarely detected or prosecuted, as it appeared to be victimless crime and was committed by high net worth individuals. However in recent years there has been considerable focus on white collar criminals. A pertinent example is the former media mogul Conrad Black who is currently awaiting his turn on the witness stand. Pictures of the defendant clearly indicate that he does not have a low forehead. Besides raising significant counter-arguments to previous universally accepted criminological theories, the Chicago School opened a whole new avenue of empirical sociology research as they examined the impact of environment on behaviour setting out to answer the following question: Why is there

Speech Analysis Essay Example for Free

Speech Analysis Essay On October 10, 2013 I gave a speech to my classmates about the three most important steps in investigating a murder case. These are including separating witnesses, collecting evidence, and interviewing suspects. Watching the video of my speech, I observed many strengths and weaknesses: strengths including a lot of facts, an interesting topic, and talking at an average pace. Weaknesses that stuck out to me were my hands consistently being in my pockets and reading directly off my notecards. The first thing I thought I did well was including a lot of facts. This is important because it was an informative speech and the goal was to inform the audience of information about a topic they were not aware of. I feel as if adding information, that wasn’t necessarily told to the public, about JonBenet Ramsey’s case was a good decision on my part. For example, I incorporated that JonBenet’s father received a raise earlier that year of the same exact amount of money that was asked for in the ransom note. The second thing I thought I did well was picking an interesting topic. The subject of criminal justice is just exciting all around. From mysteries to solving crimes it is all enjoyable to learn about. Criminal justice and the JonBenet case was a good topic to choose because it kept the audience’s attention. When hearing about a mystery or an unsolved murder crime it is practically expected to stick around and listen to the end to see if it has been figured out if not people are left with a cliff hanger. The third strength would be talking at an average pace. If one talks too fast it’s hard to comprehend all the information that’s being thrown at you. Therefore maintaining a good pace helps to add onto time and to keep the audience’s responsiveness. Talking too slow can affect the outcome also though. There has to be a happy medium. Now that I have discussed strengths, I will now move onto weaknesses and how I can improve them in the future. During my speech I kept moving my hands in and out of my pockets. This is considered as a distracting mannerism and can affect the audience’s attention to my hands rather than what I am saying. I can improve this by keeping my hands to my side where they are out of the way and ignore my nervous habits. The final weakness I noticed was how often I looked at my notecards. It honestly just looks extremely weird looking up and down constantly. Memorization is key and I can improve this by practicing more often and in front of different people to get more comfortable with my words. I can’t just sit here and say I need to do this either, because it won’t change unless I continue to take action to make myself better. All in all I thought my speech went well over all. There are positives and negatives out of everything one does. In this case the strengths were a lot of facts, interesting topic, and talking at an average pace. The weaknesses were hands in my pockets and reading directly off my cards. Both of these weaknesses are completely capable of being changed. By the end of this semester I plan to have successfully given a speech without the little mistakes. All it takes is practice, motivation, and knowledge and quite frankly I feel as if I have all three!

Corporate Social Responsibility Environmental Disclosures Philosophy Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility Environmental Disclosures Philosophy Essay In many nations debates over current global issues such as climate change and poverty are sites of educational, social and political conflict. This paper explores the academic attempt made by Human Development (HD) model, to address Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) environmental disclosures in annual reports. Also this essay seeks to examine the impact of the notion of social contract and legitimacy upon corporate responsibility and Environmental Disclosure Policies. Discussion then shifts to an ecocentric critic on Marx and an ecofeminism critic on Frankfurt school on ecological crisis. As a way forward, an ecocentric outlook is introduced. The paper ends with conclusion. Introduction There is a growing understanding that the current crisis we face is both ecological and social furthermore the global challenges of poverty, that are foreseen to grow in many ways through Climate Change demand constructive, innovative and forward looking approaches between development sectors (World Bank, 2003). In recent years, there has been a proliferation of corporate social and environmental disclosures in business practice (Coles and Murphy, 1999). This study goes further than accepting the achievements in voluntary environmental disclosures in (CSR) annual reports, into actual commitment by the industrialized world in tackling environmental degradation. It critically evaluates the impact of mainstream notion of social contract and legitimacy in (HD) literature upon corporate responsibility disclosure policies theoretical arguments a way forward, an ecocentric perspective is introduced, one that draws leading an ecologically informed philosophy of internal relatedness to narro w the gap between (CSR) environmental disclosures and actual commitment to environmental protection. Description of a New Sustainability view Ever since the Bruntland Commission introduced the concept of Sustainable Development in its seminal report, Our Common Future, (UN, 1987). Governments and their development partners at the national, regional and international level have struggled to operationalize the concept of sustainability in development policies, programs and plans (World Bank, 2003). Part of the reason for this struggle is because sustainability is a highly complex concept that over time has come to mean different things to different people (Pepper, 1996). Sustainability actually describes several different approaches as well these approaches carry with them different visions of society and different political commitments to action (Pepper, 1996). Although, the sustainability defining roots come largely from environmental-economic fields (Constanza et al, 1992) the concept of Sustainable Development incorporated other aspects questioning justice, poverty, inequality, and peoples aspiration for a better life, only to mention a few (Naess, 1990). As a result, cultural, technological, ethical ambits have been most recently introduced in various innovative ways to better picture a multidimensional and integrated perception of the sustainability notion in an attempt to achieve progressively, what has called; a public relation response between business sectors and environmental organizations (Coles and Murphy, 1999). Like many critical theorists, we are strengthening corporate responsibility as fact that must be taken into account when talking of people and their environment, not only on the things that affect them but also on things on which they have an effect (Naess, 1999). Under this idea, sustainability has been recently define d in Human Development model with rather different and new terms and further characterizations demonstrating levels of interaction between business sectors and nature originating thoughts from many authors; such as Coles and Murphy, 1999), who has for instance defined it as: a proactive environmental management. CSR- Corporate Social Responsibility Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in (HD) has emerged largely since the 1950s, but its origins in the UK can be traced back to nineteenth century and early twentieth century philanthropists, many of whom left a lasting legacy; for instance, William Cadbury, who became a leading philanthropist as a result of successful business endeavors at the turn of the twentieth century (the William Cadbury Trust). Since then Businesses sectors has been engage in (CSR) for diverse reasons, driven by economic, ethical and other considerations. The conception of (CSR) is closely related to the conception of the social accountability in Human Development (Coles and Murphy, 1999). It is evident in this post-modern world that the business (CSR) annual reports have moved away from narrow financial disclosures to the disclosure of a number of broader social issues for a larger audience on a voluntary basis ranging from information about employees, political and charitable donations, environment pollution, social audit and other social information (Coles and Murphy, 1999). Perhaps this is one of the attempts to building what literature now describes as social accountability in Human Development (Coles and Murphy, 1999). The (CSR) annual reports are already advancing future concern for peoples ´ welfare foreseen as a long run problematic issue, but certainly is not yet questioning environmental havoc as one key aspect to analyse within. Most recently though, UNDP ´s Human Development notion began to question the fact that yet through elaborated definition and examination (CSR) is not really focusing enough on people and environment. Defining CSR eco-social unsustainability Defining current patterns of (CSR) and corporations as eco-social unsustainability is one way of making transparent human-nature connections (Williams, 1980). One needs to question the reasons for a sudden increase in these broader disclosures. Some may argue that such procedures on the part of the preparers of corporate annual reports may be nothing but a giant public relations campaign. From a more critical perspective the above may be seen as celebrations by environmentalists and researchers in sustainability. As Coles and Marphy, (1999) point out (CSR) Annual report of corporations these days are filled with information that celebrate successful social accountability actions but negative consequences of their actions such as externalities from pollution as costs to the society are never highlighted, thereby silencing injustices. The difference between voluntary environmental disclosure practices and the actual tackling or commitments to environmental performance of corporations cannot go unaddressed for long. A study by Perlo-Freeman in Nigeria (2002) reports a significant negative relation between sustainable development performance and Shell (CSR) annual reports. The findings support the argument that companies with worst environmental performance records (highest levels of toxic releases) provide most extensive environmental disclosure. Given the widespread variation in social and environmental disclosure, it is not surprising that a number of narrow, human-centred overlapping theories of such disclosure have evolved (for example, social contract, legitimacy theory, stakeholder theory and progressive market) (Pepper, 1996). We argue that a (CSR) approach thorough ecocentric theory on environmental issues is capable of providing a more comprehensive theoretical framework to the (HD) current ecological cris is. A Critique of Social Accountability Mainstream Theoretical Arguments Mainstream theoretical arguments for environmental in (CSR) comprise the Social Contract Theory approach and Legitimacy Theory. Social Contract Theory approach is the base of managerialist school of thought in addiction Social Contract Theory hypothesizes that the foundation stone of morality are uniform social accords that best serve the interests of those who make the agreements. Legitimacy Theory is closely related to the conception of the social contract. The theory posits that businesses are bound by the social contract in which the firms agree to perform various socially desired actions in return for approval of its objectives and other rewards, and this ultimately guarantees its continued existence (Guthrie and Parker, 1989). Legitimacy theory is essentially a systems-oriented theory, i.e. organisations are viewed as components of the larger social environment within which it exists (Dowling and Pfeffer, 1975). As this paper demonstrates these approaches favour an anthropocent ric (CSR) stance and concur with the arguments of the critical school in relation to the limitations of such approaches. Critique of Social Contract Theory approach Firstly, it is evident that the traditional (CSR) model, although dependent upon a range of conventions, has restricted itself to a dominant principle: value of goods and services also non human perception (Ormerod, 1994). This attitude is in line with the concepts of objectivity and profit that enhance shareholders and creditors welfare. They are seen as the primary users in the managerialist model, their needs are known (wealth maximisation), and are paramount, and the needs of other users are secondary. This observation, from an ecocentric (CSR) environmental perspective, ignores the information of the environment impact furthermore is just an ideological cloak to protect corporations. With this line of argument, (CSR) under the managerialist approach becomes important only if it affects the survival and continuity of an enterprise. Critique of Legitimacy theoretical arguments Legitimacy Theory is closely related to the conception of the social contract. The theory posits that businesses are bound by the social contract in which the firms agree to perform various socially desired actions in return for approval of its objectives and other rewards, and this ultimately guarantees its continued existence (Guthrie and Parker, 1989). This theoretical arguments for environmental (CSR) are ineffective according to the eco-socialists school (Pepper, 1996), largely due to the fact that social responsibility and profitability are at odds as a result of the neoclassical economics foundation on which the social accountability model is based. In spite of severe criticisms, legitimacy theorists defends their thought by questioning whether progress could be made under the critical approach by think that is possible to somehow reconcile the destructive tendencies in neoclassical, capitalist economics with radical sustainable development (Pepper, 1996). They state that while it is acknowledged that present practices (CSR) are far from perfect, one must work within the system and slowly refine it to be reflective of social and environmental issues rather than completely accepting or completely rejecting current systems which have been widely accepted for centuries as a decision useful tool in (HD) paradigm (Pepper 1996). Ecophilosophical point of view of Social Accountability From an ecophilosophical (HD) point of view, the most fundamental division in eco-social theory is between those who adopt an anthropocentric perspective and those who adopt a nonanthropocentric (ecocentric) perspective (Pepper, 1996). The distinction could be best understood as representing a spectrum of thought rather than separate and distinct positions. The first approach focuses on human freeing and fulfillment in an ecologically sustainable society, while the second examines the notion of emancipation in a broader context emancipation that also recognises the moral standing of the nonhuman world (Dobson, 1990). We are of the view that an ecocentric philosophical orientation provides the most comprehensive, promising and distinctive framework to study todays environmental problems. This is not to claim that ecocentrism would solve all our environmental social responsibility problems. Instead, emphasis is on providing sufficient details of an alternative model that could improve the present practice of (CSR) for the environment and provide a basis for a sustainable future in Human Development. An Ecocentric Critique of Marxism In this section we present an ecocentric challenge to Marxism and the critical theory of the Frankfurt School. A complete overview of these works remains beyond the scope of this paper, and only key ideas/issues in ecological context have been considered. Pepper (1996) argues that literature is far from clear about the extent to which Marxian analysis can be said to be compatible with or at conflict with environmentalism. Marx focused on capital, labour, surplus value, class conflicts and so on, and this placed him closer to liberal economics than to environmentalism (Pepper 1996). As for Marx, environmental problems, like social problems are traced directly to the exploitative dynamics of capitalism and solution to such problems require revolutionary transformation of the relations of production (Pepper, 1996). Marx was only marginally concerned with environmental degradation with no systematic theory of humanitys relationship to nature. The dominant sense in which Marx characterised nature was as a medium for human labour (Mellor, 1992). The above arguments seek to demonstrate that an ecocentric perspective on environment cannot be wrested out of Marxism without seriously distorting Marxs own theoretical concepts. Social Ecofeminism Critique of Frankfurt School The critical theory of the Frankfurt School is not a single doctrine or a unified worldview. Sharp differences have existed for long time among critical theorists at the Frankfurt School, as evidenced by the increasingly heterogeneous nature of their works. The first generation of Frankfurt theorists focused on different levels and dimensions of domination and exploitation through critique of instrumental reason, which also included critical examination of the relationship between humanity and nature (Mellor, 1992). First, early Frankfurt Schools critical discourse was pessimistic in outlook towards nature romanticism and was increasingly preoccupied with theory instead of practice. Secondly, a more fundamental explanation lies in the way critical theory developed in the hands of Habermas, who has, by and large, focused on social and political rather than personal aspects, thereby marginalizing green movement (Warren, 1990). Critical scholars in corporate responsibility have drawn up on Marxist and Habermasian themes to think and act about environmental (HD) pathways. Yet to date, critical theory has not had a major direct bearing in shaping the theory and practice of the green movement, except in indirect ways (Pepper, 1996). An Ecocentrism Critique of Frankfurt School There are two other problematic aspects of Frankfurt Schools theses that deserve attention. One is that it separates and privileges good life for humans concerning the emancipation of nonhuman world. And the other is the claim that we know nature, through science and technology ignore the reality of biological and ecological (Mellor, 1992) only insofar as we can control it, thus legitimising continued exploitation of the nonhuman world. In this way Frankfurt Schools endorses rather than challenges dominant anthropocentric prejudices towards the nonhuman world. As Eckersley (1992) argued that according to Habermas schema, a norm is considered right if it is achieved via a consensus reached between truthful and rational human agents. Thus the principal objection to Habermas social and political theory has been that it is human-centred, insisting that the emancipation of human relations need not depend upon the emancipation of nature. Alternative Ecocentric Arguments for (CSR) Environment There is no intention on our part to offer a detailed proposal on what an ecocentric corporate responsibility might look like as this will amount to putting the cart before the horse. Instead, we argue in support of a broad, thoroughgoing framework, sensitive to both human and nonhuman world, and one that seeks emancipation which will provide a better and more meaningful theoretical basis for environmental (CSR) and related environmental disclosures. Anthropocentricism and ecocentricism represent two opposing poles on a continuum, with different orientations towards nature, and major streams of modern environmentalism fall between these poles. It is argued that this classification enables an evaluation with regard to the kind and degree of anthropocentricism or ecocentricism that is manifest in green political discourses. Eckersley (1992) discusses at least four positions (resource conservation, human welfare ecology, preservationism, animal liberation and ecocentricism) on the continuum, moving from an economistic and instrumental environmental ethic towards a comprehensive and holistic environmental ethic (Pepper, 1996). The latter conforms to key ecocentric beliefs that recognise human and non-human interests, present and future within a more encompassing framework for human development. Ecocentrism draws upon an ecologically informed philosophy of internal relatedness that advocates that all organisms are not only interrelated with their environment, but also constituted by those environmental interrelationships. Ontologically, under this perspective, the world is an intrinsically dynamic, interconnected web of relations in which there is no absolutely discrete entities and no absolute dividing lines between the living and the nonliving, the animate and the inanimate or the human and the nonhuman (Eckersley, 1992). Ecocentric theorists emphasise on the absence of any rigid and absolute dividing line between humans and nonhumans to point out the logical inconsistency in anthropocentric models that justify exclusive moral considerations of humans and their superiority (for example, language skills, reasoning skills and technological skills). Some may argue that there are countless things that nonhumans do better (see for example, Fox, 1990) and to single out special attributes of human simply tantamount to human prejudice. To criticise ecocentric orientations as anti-science, ecocentric theorists have pointed out how new scientific discoveries have served to challenge long standing anthropocentric prejudices (Eckersley, 1992), and further argue that the philosophical premises of ecocentrism are actually more consistent with modern science than the premises of anthropocentrism. The concept of internal relatedness upon which ecocentrism stands, equally applies to relations among humans, in a biological, psychological, and social sense. In other words, we are all constituted by our interrelationships between other humans, and our economic, political and cultural affiliations (Eckersley, 1992). Since birth, humans are constituted by, and co evolves within the context of such relations and cannot be separated from them. Based on this social interactionist model, which is not new in social sciences, humans are neither completely passive and determined nor completely autonomous and self-determining, rather, are relatively autonomous beings, who by their knowledge, thought and action help constitute the very relations that determine who they are ( Anderson, 1996). Further, it needs to be pointed out that ecocentric theorists are not against the central value of autonomy as depicted in Western (CSR) political thought; they are concerned with the revision of the notion to incorporate into it, a broader ecological framework a framework that incorporates individuals and social aspects in a more encompassing way. Eckersley (1992) argues that while the liberal idea of autonomy as independence from others can be seen as philosophically misguided, socialists tend to adopt a more relational model of self, but both are deeply embedded in anthropocentrism. The ecocentric reformulation of autonomy at no stage implies that the boundary between the self and others is removed, it rather seeks to emphasise the soft and flexible nature of line between them. Ecocentric foundation requires psychological maturity and involves a sensitive mediation between ones individual self and the larger whole with a view to having a sense of competent agency in the world (Ec kersley, 1992). On the contrary, the quest of radical independence from others or power over others leads to an objectification of others, and a denial of their own modes of relative autonomy or subjectivity. What is new and adds strength to an ecocentric perspective is that it extends the notion of autonomy to a broader and more encompassing pattern of layered interrelationships that extend beyond personal and societal relations to include relations with the rest of the biotic community (Pepper, 1996). In this way the nonhuman world is not posited in the background but recognised as having their relative autonomy and their own modes of being. Zimmerman (1988) made this comment: the paradigm of internal relations lets us view ourselves as manifestations of a complex universe; we are not apart but are moments in the open-ended, novelty-producing process of cosmic evolution. Some critiques are cynical of ecocentrism, as it interprets nature selectively, something that is essentially h armonious, kindly and benign, providing and all too convenient framework for human relations (Eckersley, 1992). But there is no need to depict the nature as such, and to judge the nonhuman world by human standards, we will invariably find it wanting, for nonhuman nature knows no human ethics, it simply is (Livingston, 1981, Eckersley, 1992). Conclusion While voluntary environmental disclosures in corporate annual reports throughout the world are on rise, we have argued that these disclosures do not provide sufficient grounds for celebrations. One needs to go deeper and examine the silences in those successful stories in order to understand better the motives for such disclosures and more so, the extent to which corporations are actually tackling the environmental problems. It is the actual commitment to environmental performance that matters the most, for (HD) and (CSR) disclosure of such information will fall into its appropriate place when the former is taken care of. In seeking emancipation an existential attitude of mutuality needs to be adopted simply because ones personal fulfillment is inextricably tied up with that of others. The gap between voluntary environmental disclosures in corporate annual reports and lack of firm decisive actions to protect environmental by the industralised world will continue, as long as environme ntal philosophical enquiry favours human interests over the interests of the nonhuman world. Theoretical contexts: Anderson, E.N. (1996) The disenchanted: religion as ecological control, and its modern fate and A summary, and some suggestions. Extracts from Ecologies of the heart, pp. 161-179. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0 19 509010 1 Birch, C and Cobb, B. Jr. (1981) The liberation of life: from the cell to the community, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Coles, D. and Murphy, K. (1999) Social accountability: a new approach to business.Extract from Sustainable Development International, pp. 17-20. ISSN 1 466 4739 Costanza,et al (1992) Goals, agenda and policy recommendations for ecological economics, in Costanza, R. (ed.) Ecological Economics: the science and management of sustainability, New York: Columbia University Press. Dobson, A. (1990) Green Political Thought, London: Unwin Hyman, second edition 1995. Dowling, J. and Pfeffer, J. (1975). Organizational Legitimacy: Social Values and Organizational Behaviour. Pacific Sociological Review. Vol. 18 (1). pp. 122-136. Eckersley, R. (1992) Environmentalism and political theory: towards an ecocentric approach, State University of New York Press, New York. Fox, W. (1990) Towards a transpersonal ecology: developing new foundations for environmentalism, Shambhala, Boston. Guthrie, J. Parker, L.D; (1990) Corporate Social Disclosure Practice : a Comparative International Analysis Advances in Public Interest Accounting, Vol. 3, pp. 159-175 Habermas, J. (1981) New social movements, Telos, Vol. 49, pp. 33 37. Livingston, J. (1981) The fallacy of wildlife conservation, McClelland and Stewart, Toronto. Mellor, M. (1992) Dilemmas of essentialism and materialism. Capitalism, Nature, Socialism, 3(2), 43-62. Naess, A. (1990) Sustainable development and deep ecology . Extract from Engel, J. R. and Engel, J. G. (eds) Ethics of Environment and Development, pp. 87-96. Belhaven Press. ISBN 1 85293 251 1 Ormerod, P. (1994) I see, said the blind man, Independent on Sunday, 13 March, 21, extract from The Death of Economics, London: Faber and Faber. Pepper, D. (1996) Radical materialism: changing the economic base. In Modern Environmentalism: An introduction, pp. 301-305. Routledge. ISBN 0 415 05745 0 Perlo-Freeman, S. (2002) Militarism and Sustainability. A paper for the Education for Sustainability conference, November. The World Bank (2003). Extract from The world development reporter 2003: Global problems and local concerns, pp. 162-173. Oxford University Press ISBN 0 8213 5150 8 Warren, K. (1990) The power and the promise of ecological feminism, Environmental Ethics, 12, 125-46. Williams, R. (1980) Ideas of nature. Extract from Problems in Materialism and Culture, pp. 67-85. Verso. ISBN 0 86091 028 8 Zimmerman, M. (1988) Quantum theory, intrinsic value, and panentheism, Environmental Ethics, 10, pp. 3 30.

Aspects and implication of Cyberspace Surveillance Technologies Essay

The three most thought about aspects of a surveillance society, would be; from one side it protects and monitors, but on the other hand in order to achieve its protection functions, certain boundaries of privacy are crossed. Some would argue that it is governments demand for more power over people, a disciplinary technique; the fact that people are more likely to behave if they had known they had been under a certain amount of supervision. But not all of the time can this be beneficial to them; questions are asked of whether the success of it, rationalize for existence radical surveillance technologies. As much as it acts as a nation protector, and crime preventer, it is also, on a massive scale, a privacy invader. In this essay I will examine some of these aspects and theories that justify their disadvantages from their advantages. The purpose of surveillance as Lyon explained, is: â€Å"the focused, systematic and routine attention to personal details for purposes of influence, management, protection to direction† (2007: p.14) this describes a more of national secure safety matter, then what he had supposed in his 1998 description of â€Å"watching others’ activities as a means of monitoring and supervising them† this here, describes a more a simple service, people are being watched purely for the purpose of monitoring and supervising, such as a prison watcher or an exam monitor. However in since the happening of September, 11 of 2001, surveillance on individual has became more of a formal national security issue. Moving away from the notion of specific should be targeted, to a notion of everyone is suspected and therefore targeted. Post nine eleven, â€Å"war against terrorism† has become a major excuse or reason for national security to k... ...ivilians fears over the paranoia of under consent surveillance and feel that their freedom is under consent restriction. Works Cited Foucault, M. (1979) Discipline and Punish. London: Penguin. Dreyfus, H and Rabinow, P. (1982) Michel Foucault: Beyond Structuralism and Hermeneutics. Chicago: Chicago University Press. Lyon, D. (1988) The Information Society: Issues and Illusions. Cambridge: Polity Press. Lyon, D. (2003) Surveillance after September 11. Cambridge: Polity Orwell, G. (1948) Nineteen Eighty Four. New York: New American Library Links: BBC. (2005) â€Å"Shot man not connected to bombing† July 23. Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4711021.stm â€Å"Cookies† http://epic.org/privacy/internet/cookies/ BBC. (2005) â€Å"Full text of Tony Blair's speech† September 27. Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4287370.stm

How does Scout develop and mature as the novel progresses? Essay

How does Scout develop and mature as the novel progresses? Atticus says, "Scout , you're not old enough to understand some things yet" Scout Finch, who is a six-year-old girl at the beginning of the novel To Kill a Mocking Bird, is nine by the end of it. The novel, written by Harper Lee, is written in a very adult style because Scout is recounting memories of her childhood in Maycomb County, Southern Alabama. Scout is a very lively, intelligent girl but has a hot temper, which gets her into a lot of trouble with the adults. Unlike the typical late nineteenth century American female stereotype, of a woman staying home sitting on the porch while the man of the house goes and earns the money, Scout enjoys taking part in boyish activities with her older brother, Jem, but when she starts school, she does not just take part in the curricular activities, but also begins to learn about life and the way her society works. There are many events in the story that contribute to Scout's learning experiences, such as fights with Walter Cunningham, reading to Mrs Dubose, going to church with Calpurnia, the outcome of the Tom Robinson trial, and meeting social outcasts like Boo Radley and Dolphus Raymond. The story is set in the 1930s, where there is racial segregation in Alabama as a result of the American Civil War and the economy is corrupt due to the Wall Street crash (this was known as the Great Depression). At the time that the book was written, in the 1960s, men like Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were fighting in the Civil Rights Movement for racial equality in the United States. All of these factors affect the main themes of the novel and the events that occur within it. Pride is an important aspect o... ...ause they could not explain him, they feared him. This is similar to the situation Scout found herself in with Dolphus Raymond. He was a white man who married a black woman and fathered mixed race children. This was deemed unacceptable behaviour by Maycomb standards and therefore Dolphus pretended to be a drunk. In that way the people of Maycomb had an excuse for him marrying a black woman. Scout only realises why he pretends to be drunk when she finds out that he just sips Coca-Cola all day. She then starts to feel some sympathy for the people who are victims of racial and social prejudice. After learning about Boo Radley and Dolphus Raymond, Scout learns not to believe everything she hears. All of these factors have, in their own way, influenced the development of Scout's ethics and have shown how they affect her, along with how she reacts to them.

The Death Penalty: Cruel and Unusual Essay -- Argumentative, Persuasiv

The death penalty is the most inhuman and crucial punishment. Even though it is not applied in every state, the death penalty is a very strong debate and argument within our own government. There are people who support it and those who are against it. The death penalty is a punishment to those who due to their actions and circumstances commit crimes. All people are all equal under the eyes of the law and those people in the end are still humans no matter the crimes they have committed. The death penalty is looked as a violation to the eighth amendment. It is an invalid form of punishment. The risks of inaccurate judgment can change the live of a human within just a few seconds. Taking away another person’s life for committing a crime is like taken an easy way out. The U.S. government should stop using immediately death penalty as a way of punishment because it is unfair, unethical and crucial. Our founding fathers wanted a government that would show the tyrants or absolute monarchs of Europe that it was possible to coexist and live free within fair justice. Even though they excluded any religion to be part of the government regulations, they used Christianity to influence them and built a strong foundation for the new type of government. In a webpage of the history of death penalty they stated that they used the bible and popular teachings to create basic laws and form basic human rights that many religions would forbid death penalty such as; Catholics, Presbyterians, Quakers, Amish’s, and Mennonites. One can easily find a statement teaching that one should not kill, which was used to make a law against murder. No matter what circumstance killing is wrong. So, why are we killing criminals? Aren’t we basically acting again... ...mistake, it is too and nothing can be done to reverse it. Therefore, people should realize that dealing with a human’s life; something so precious and valuable, no technology or currency can replace it or manipulate. When violence is committed the judge has the order to either punish a person with a lifetime of prison or sentence them to death penalty. Homicide is a power that no one should have on their hands. If someone acts against another person, there should be another way of solution discarding the act of death penalty. The death penalty is a huge argument in which many people will always have different opinions towards it. People should realize and acknowledge the fact that we are are equal under the eyes of the law and mistakes are always done. The unfairness, cruelty, and unethical behaviors of the death penalty should be taken under major consideration.

Cognition domains Essay

Events that happen in an adolescent’s life can affect one of three domains; these three domains are known as ‘psychosocial’ ‘cognitive’ and ‘biophysical’. This essay will focus on the area of the cognition domain now this domain will be discussed in relation to an event that has affected my perception of the world around me, the way I feel in relation to blame and judgment and lastly the ability to learn how to be more reflective. My perception on life changed rapidly when I was informed of a tragic accident concerning the suicide of a family friend. This caused a rapid change in the way I thought about death, grief and sadness. â€Å"David Elkind proposed that formal operational thought also leads to adolescent egocentrism (difficulty differentiating one’s own thoughts and feelings)† (Sigelman, Rider, De George-Walker, Pg 173, 2013) This has impacted the way that I look at the world having gone through this experience I now see that people’s perception can change no matter what. I guess what’s trying to be said is that everyone’s perception is different and it is changing due to the experiences that we all encountering in our everyday lives. The judgment that came after the tragedy was phenomenal. Greg Newham will always be loved and greatly missed but never will he be forgotten. Was it my fault that he died? Greg Newham was a teacher. If I had visited him when the bell rang after school would he still be here today? I did not understand his wife’s decision to not let me go to the funeral. And because of this, because I never got to say my final goodbye it is hard to let go. Hard to move on. A book written by Temple University in the USA about seeking closure states â€Å"closure typically implies that something is finished, ended, closed. Finally you can move on† (2014). Without closure I feel that I am always judging myself. Always questioning my motives, wondering if I could have done more. The last aspect of cognitive development that was affected by this experience was learning. It is hard to live with the knowledge that someone’s death was your fault, even if rationally you know it wasn’t. Those left behind never usually learn the reasons as to why they harm themselves and those around them. Bronfenbrenner’s view of a developing person, with his or her  biological and psychological characteristics are embedded in a series of environmental systems which interact with each other and with the individual over time to influenced development. (Sigelman, Et.al, 2013), with all the developmental events that we all go through it is fair to say that the learning side of our cognitive development is always changing. This essay was written to explain the affects of our everyday lives and how it affects our cognitive domain. With what was said from Bronfenbrenner and David Elkind it is clear to say that the choices we make today do mostly change our lives in some way/s. I never completely understood the affects from my life could change the way I see and think about everything that I do today. References; Sigelman, Rider and De George-Walker, 2013, Life Span Human Development. Temple University, USA, 2014, http://www.temple.edu/tempress/chapters_1800/2136_ch1.pdf

Reconstruction and African Americans from 1865-1900

Reconstruction and African Americans from 1865-1900 From 1865 to 1900, Reconstruction was meant to help change the lives of African Americas. However, because of prejudice, Reconstruction didn’t go on as far as it could have. Reconstruction tried to deliver its promises to African Americans while battling a discriminatory white America. This is seen socially, through civil rights, and politically, through Jim Crow Laws and voting. Concerning social promises, Reconstruction made astounding changes for African Americans; this is evident in newspapers and the Civil Rights Act of 1875.White Americans were becoming more sympathetic to the needs of African Americans, or at least white reporters were. Newspapers began to print stories and pictures made to draw sympathy to the black man and anger towards the KKK, such as in Harper’s Weekly’s â€Å"One Less Vote† (Doc A, F). The Civil Rights Act of 1875 allowed each citizen equality, no more segregation in hotels, restaurants, public theaters, etc. , but it wasn’t followed by everyone. Business owners were not willing to de-segregate, and the ones who were willing lost white business.White men and women remained biased, making it impossible for African Americans to have equality. White bias didn’t stop the American government from taking political action to protect African Americans. The 14th and 15th Amendments attempted to stop discrimination; the 14th Amendment gave protection of privileges for blacks and the 15th Amendment gave them the right to vote. Because of reforms, African Americans were legally allowed to vote. This brought celebration in African American communities, now they could have political influence. However, mainly in the South, blacks were threatened and even killed for going to vote.Opposing government reforms, such as the Amendments, was the Deep South. The Jim Crow Laws were passed; by segregation, prohibiting people to even talk about equality, and inter -racial marriage, equality was outlawed. Socially there was more acceptance. Politically there was more freedom. Reconstruction did alleviate many of the African Americans’ burdens. Overall, Reconstruction during 1865 to 1900 could have gone much farther. If it were not for the hostility expressed towards the equality of the races, Reconstruction could have quickly given the blacks their freedoms.

Warrior Leader Course Pa

December 2008 MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD SUBJECT: Warrior Leader Course Welcome Letter 1. Congratulations on your selection to attend the Warrior Leader Course at the 3rd BN, 166TH Regiment at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. You will report between the hours of 0800 and 2200 on the ATRRS report date. 2. Effective 10 August 2006 soldiers attending WLC are still required to meet the APFT and HT/WT requirements.However, soldiers who meet academic course requirements, but fail the APFT or HT/WT standards, will be considered a course graduate under the category of marginally achieved course standards. 3. Soldiers that have returned from OIF/OEF within 90 days of reporting to WLC are required to take the APFT. However, prior to the test you will have the option to have the PT test count towards your academic average or not. Soldiers in this category need either their DD 214 or a memorandum from their commander stating that they returned from deployment with in the last 90 days. . Physical re quirements for this course are very demanding. Students must be able to pass the APFT, meet HT/WT standards, carry a 50 pound combat load, low crawl, high crawl, rush for three to five seconds, walk a minimum of 2 miles with combat load and negotiate rough terrain under varying climatic conditions. 5. Soldiers who have a permanent profile designator â€Å"3† or â€Å"4† must include a copy of their DA Form 3349 and the results of their military medical review board (MMRB) as part of their course application.Soldiers who have met the previous criteria may attend WLC and train within the limits of their permanent profile, provided they can otherwise meet course prerequisites and graduation requirements. Soldiers with temporary profiles, with the exception of shaving or nonperformance deterring profiles who have participated in OIF/ OEF can attend WLC provided they have a copy of their current profile and memorandum bearing the commanders signature stating that the tempor ary profile exists as a result of injuries during participation in OIF/ OEF.

Succubus Revealed Chapter 14

Seth shot up from the chair, face filled with hurt and fury. It was surreal. For a moment, he looked like a stranger . . . and yet, he also looked like everyone I'd ever known. Everyone I'd loved. Everyone I'd hurt. â€Å"You,† he exclaimed, striding toward me. â€Å"How could you do that to me? How could you do that to me?† I had never heard Seth yell like that. I cringed against my chair, too stunned to react. Meanwhile, Hugh seemed to come to life. He had been as shocked by Seth's initial reaction as me, particularly since Hugh understood even less than I did about what was going on. He was still undoubtedly confused, but some instinct spurred him to action when he saw Seth advance. I didn't think Seth would've hurt me, but he was kind of scary just then. Hugh grabbed a hold of Seth's arm. â€Å"Whoa, whoa,† said Hugh. â€Å"Easy there. Everyone calm down.† Roman likewise seemed to suddenly realize something was wrong here. He'd been so excited by the developments, his face aglow as all his theories fell into place. Now events were moving in a direction he hadn't foreseen. He rose, mirroring Hugh's fighter's stance. Only, Roman was doing it defensively, coming to stand in front of me, in case Seth broke Hugh's hold. That didn't seem very likely. The imp was strong. â€Å"How could you do that to me?† repeated Seth, voice still roaring with fury. â€Å"I trusted you! I trusted you and I loved you!† I had witnessed all of this unfolding but hadn't dared allow myself to really and truly accept it. I had seen the impossible. I had seen Seth relive the lives of men he hadn't known – men he couldn't have known – walking back through the centuries of my long existence. Some voice inside of me kept saying, No, no, this isn't happening. This can't be real. It's some trick of Hell's. I was working hard not to process what I'd heard because processing it meant accepting it. But with those last words, Seth penetrated something inside of my numb self. He broke through, and I snapped. â€Å"I didn't! I didn't do anything to you!† I cried. I had to peer around Roman to meet Seth's eyes and almost wished I hadn't. They were cold. So terribly cold and hurt. â€Å"You cheated on me,† said Seth, straining against Hugh. â€Å"Cheated on me with my best friend. . . .† Yet, even as he spoke, I could see him falter. The feelings he'd felt as Kyriakos were real, but he was examining it now as Seth Mortensen. The mixed realities were confusing him. It was understandable. They confused me. â€Å"Seth,† I said desperately. â€Å"I didn't do that to you. Think about it. I love you. I love you so much.† Seth stopped struggling, though Hugh didn't relinquish his grip. Seth's features were still filled with hurt and confusion. â€Å"Not to me . . . to him. But I am him. I'm all of them.† Seth closed his eyes and took a deep breath. What had been reasonable and clear under hypnosis was becoming more difficult to grasp. â€Å"How? How is that possible?† â€Å"Past lives,† said Roman. â€Å"You're right. You were all of them. You lived all of those lives, long before you were born into this one.† â€Å"Reincarnation? That . . . that's impossible,† said Seth. â€Å"Is it?† asked Roman, regaining some of his confidence now that the situation was no longer escalating. â€Å"How do you know? Do you have a direct line into the way the universe works?† â€Å"So, wait . . . what about you guys?† asked Seth. â€Å"Are Heaven and Hell not real?† â€Å"Oh,† said Hugh wryly, â€Å"they're real.† â€Å"All of it is real,† said Roman. â€Å"And vastly more complex than any faulty human system can understand.† He turned to me, expression softening. I must have looked terrified. â€Å"What Seth saw . . . what he lived through. You knew all of them, didn't you? All of those identities?† I focused on Roman, afraid I'd lose my nerve if I looked at Seth again. I nodded. â€Å"Yes . . . they were all people . . . all men I knew in my life.† Hugh frowned. â€Å"How is that possible? I can get on board with reincarnation. I've seen enough to believe it can happen. But him always being reborn around you? You running into him – what was it, ten times? That's statistically impossible.† â€Å"The things we're dealing with aren't really governed by statistics and probability,† said Roman. â€Å"There are other forces at work here, forces that guide his rebirth. It was part of his contract, the deal you made as Kyriakos. What can you tell us about it?† â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about. . . . I don't remember . . . I . . .† Seth shook his head, the anger returning. â€Å"I don't want to talk about this anymore. Let me go. I need to get out of here. I need to get away from her!† â€Å"Seth . . .† I said. â€Å"But you're the key!† exclaimed Roman. â€Å"The key to unlocking Georgina's problems. You're the other contract, the one Erik was talking about. You're tied to her, tied to everything that's been going on with her.† â€Å"I don't care,† said Seth. He seemed to just barely be able to keep his emotions in check. â€Å"I don't care about your various and sundry plots! Do you have any idea what I just saw? What I just went through? I'm still not even sure I understand any of it! I don't understand who I am! All I know is her – and what she did to me.† â€Å"Seth,† I tried again. Or should I address him as Kyriakos? I didn't know. â€Å"Please . . . I love you. I've always loved you. What happened . . . it was . . . it was an accident. . . .† The look Seth gave me was dark and wary. â€Å"It sure didn't seem like an accident when I walked in on you.† â€Å"I never meant to . . .† â€Å"To rip my heart out?† he cried. â€Å"To destroy my world? My life?† â€Å"Roman,† said Hugh carefully. â€Å"Maybe we should give him some time to process this.† â€Å"We don't have time,† said Roman. â€Å"Hell can move fast – especially if they find out what we know. If we're going to save Georgina – â€Å" â€Å"I don't care!† said Seth again, this time with more vehemence. â€Å"I don't care what happens to any of you, and I certainly don't care about what happens to her. It's probably less than she deserves.† â€Å"She didn't do anything to you,† said Roman. â€Å"She's been a pretty solid girlfriend, from what I've seen.† â€Å"Seth,† I pleaded, knowing Roman wasn't quite getting it yet. â€Å"I . . . I'm sorry. It was a long time ago.† My words were terribly, terribly inadequate, but Seth was tapping into things I'd forced myself to block out – because they were too painful. â€Å"For you, maybe,† said Seth. â€Å"It happened over the course of centuries. One life for you. But for me . . . whatever you guys did with the hypnosis, it's all here now. All of those lives . . . those memories. Here in my head at the same time. It didn't happen ‘a long time ago' for me. It's like it just happened yesterday! All those feelings, all that pain . . .† â€Å"It'll fade,† said Hugh, not sounding as though he was certain. â€Å"What you regressed through is still fresh, and you weren't brought out of the trance properly. Give it time. Or . . . if you want, I can put you back under and make you forget this.† â€Å"And forget her?† demanded Seth. â€Å"So I can forget what a faithless, conniving bitch she's been to me?† â€Å"Seth . . .† I could feel tears forming in my eyes. â€Å"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. If I could take it back, I would.† â€Å"Which part?† he asked. â€Å"The part where you proved our marriage meant nothing to you? Or the countless other times you lied to me and broke my heart? Do you have any idea how I feel? What it feels like to be experiencing all of that at the same time? Maybe you've moved past it all and don't care anymore, but it's real for me!† â€Å"It is for me too. I . . . I love you.† They were the only words I managed to get out, and they still weren't enough. Where was all my usual glib charm? My ability to talk my way out of anything? I was still too choked up on my emotions, still reeling from the fact that looking into Seth's eyes meant looking into the eyes of every man I'd ever loved. I wanted to convince him how sorry I was and explain that having a long life hadn't dulled the feelings inside me. If anything, it had only provided more time for those feelings to sink in and punish me. I wanted to explain to him how I'd felt during that first transgression and how it had been a poor reaction to feelings I didn't know how to process as a scared young woman. I wanted to explain that most of my actions since then, especially the times I'd pushed away other lovers, had been weak attempts at protecting them. There was so much I wanted to say, but I just didn't have the words – or courage – to get any of it out. So, I remained silent, and the tears spilled out of my eyes. Seth took a deep breath, forcing. â€Å"Let me go, Hugh. I won't hurt her. I don't want anything to do with her. I just want to go home. I need to get out of here.† â€Å"Don't,† said Roman. â€Å"We need him. We need more answers, so that we can understand the contracts.† â€Å"Hugh, let him go.† I barely recognized the voice as my own. Roman looked at me incredulously. â€Å"We need him,† he repeated. â€Å"He's done enough,† I said flatly. In my head, Seth's words echoed: I don't want anything to do with her. â€Å"We've done enough to him.† When nobody reacted, I met Hugh's gaze squarely. â€Å"Do it. Let him go.† Hugh glanced between Roman and me and then made a decision. Still keeping hold of Seth's arm, Hugh steered him away from us and walked him to the door. Roman made more protests and took a few steps toward them, but I remained frozen where I was. I didn't look behind me, not even when I heard the door slam. Hugh returned, and Roman slumped back into his chair, sighing with frustration. â€Å"Well,† he said. â€Å"Once he calms down, we'll get him back and talk things out.† â€Å"I don't think he's going to calm down,† I said, staring off at nothing. I don't want anything to do with her. â€Å"He's just in shock,† said Roman. I didn't answer. Roman didn't know. Roman didn't understand the full scope of our history together. He hadn't seen Kyriakos's face after my betrayal, the grief that had been so deep it had nearly driven him to suicide. That was part of why I'd become a succubus, using my soul to purchase peace for him in the form of forgetfulness. It was the only way to save him. But if he remembered everything now, if he really was Kyriakos reborn . . . then, no. He wasn't â€Å"just in shock.† I had done a terrible, terrible thing to him, and his outrage wasn't unfounded. A shiver ran through me as I thought about the instant connection I'd had with Seth, the feeling like I'd always known him. It was because I had always known him. Life after life. I'd always felt like we were bound into something greater than ourselves . . . and we were. Something great and terrible. Hugh dragged up a chair and sat across from me. He caught hold of one of my hands. â€Å"Sweetie, I swear to you, I had no clue any of that would happen.† I gave him a halfhearted squeeze back. â€Å"What . . . what did you think would happen?† Hugh glanced at Roman. â€Å"He asked me if I could hypnotize Seth and attempt some past life regression. I had no idea what it was for. Fuck, I had no idea it would really work, let alone walk us through nine emotionally damaged lives. Ten, since we now seemed to have fucked up this one.† I felt hollow inside, hollow and aching. I turned to Roman, astonished I could manage any sort of reasonable discussion when my world had just been destroyed. â€Å"How did you know it would happen? How did you figure all of this out?† â€Å"I only figured some of it out,† said Roman. â€Å"It was actually your stupid Santa stuff that tipped me off. About how that guy was worried about Santa being in two places at once?† He scoffed and raked a hand through his hair. â€Å"I started thinking about how everyone says your contract is fine and how Erik had mentioned a second contract. We'd already deduced Hell wanted you and Seth apart, but why? And I thought, what if it's like the Santa thing? There's nothing wrong with your contract or Seth's in and of themselves, but together, something goes wrong.† â€Å"How did you even know Seth had a contract?† asked Hugh. â€Å"Well, that's the thing. I didn't. And since Seth had never mentioned it before, it seemed he didn't know he had one either. And how could that be? I started thinking maybe it was because he hadn't made the contract in this life. I thought maybe Hell had a long game going on with him across lives, and hence . . . the hypnosis.† â€Å"Jesus Christ,† said Hugh, shaking his head. â€Å"You made a fuckload of deductions there.† â€Å"And they were right,† said Roman. â€Å"Georgina and Seth both have contracts with Hell. And those contracts don't work together.† â€Å"Why not?† I asked. That zealous gleam was back in Roman's eye. â€Å"What were we able to deduce about Seth's contract? What did he get?† The only thing I'd deduced was that Seth was never going to speak to me again. When I refused to answer, Hugh obligingly played student to Roman's teacher. â€Å"He got ten lives instead of one. The gift of reincarnation.† â€Å"Why?† asked Roman. â€Å"To find Georgina,† said Hugh. He paused, and I guessed he was replaying what Seth had described. â€Å"It sounds like he died in that first life, and when the time came for his soul to move on, he was aware of missing her. I'm guessing Hell wouldn't have gotten his soul then, so they made the deal to give him nine more chances to find Georgina and be reunited with her.† â€Å"He did find me,† I said flatly. â€Å"Over and over.† Betrayal after betrayal. â€Å"Yes,† said Roman. â€Å"And you were drawn to him without even realizing it. He certainly seemed to fit your dreamy artistic type each time. But you never made it work out.† â€Å"Which Hell was probably hoping for,† said Hugh. The imp in him was coming out, puzzling over how a contract like this would have been designed. â€Å"Hell has to be fair, but they always want an advantage. So, they probably went into the deal thinking a guy hoping to make amends with his soul mate could never do it if she was a succubus. Seth – or whoever – certainly didn't know that. He only knew that he was supposed to have forgotten her.† He thought about it a few moments more. â€Å"There's nothing wrong with that, though. That's hedging your bets on a contract. There's no violation.† â€Å"You're right,† said Roman. â€Å"And that's not the problem.† He focused back on me. â€Å"What was your deal? What was your contract for becoming a succubus?† â€Å"You already know it,† I said wearily. I was tired of the scheming and fallout. I want to crawl off, curl up in my bed, and sleep for the next five centuries. I wanted to renegotiate my contract and have my memory and heart purged of all pain. â€Å"Humor me,† he said. â€Å"Just tell me the basics again. The deal Niphon made with you.† â€Å"Roman, leave her alone,† said Hugh. I waved him off. â€Å"Fine. I sold my soul and became a succubus in exchange for everyone I knew as a mortal forgetting about me.† Roman looked so supremely satisfied and triumphant that I wanted to punch him just then. He nodded to Hugh. â€Å"And tell me Seth's again, to the best of your guessing.† â€Å"At a guess? He gets to live ten lives, all of which will put him near her, giving him the chance to find her and make amends with her. Hell gets his soul at the end of the tenth life.† â€Å"And why did Seth make the deal?† prompted Roman, practically trembling with excitement. â€Å"Because he remembered that – † Hugh cut himself off, eyes widening. â€Å"Exactly,† said Roman. He shook me in his excitement when I didn't react right away. â€Å"Don't you get it? Your contracts contradict each other! In fact, Seth's should never have even been written! He remembered you. He knew that you were gone from his life.† â€Å"He knew his ‘soul mate' was gone,† I said bitterly. â€Å"I don't think he remembered specifics. You saw how much trouble he had.† Roman shook his head. â€Å"Doesn't matter. I'm guessing your contract specifies forgetting you entirely. He remembered. By that happening, Hell violated your contract. Then, they wrote an impossible contract for him, claiming he'd have the chance to reunite with you – which again, implies a degree of remembering you.† â€Å"We don't know that exactly,† warned Hugh. â€Å"We haven't seen the contract and didn't get all the details from him. I couldn't follow if he got anything for patching things up with her or not.† â€Å"We know enough,† said Roman. â€Å"Seth wanted to be reunited with her and make amends. For that to happen, it would contradict Georgina's contract – specifying he forget her.† â€Å"I'd want to see the wording,† said Hugh. â€Å"I'm not trying to dash your hopes. I just know how these things work.† â€Å"Fair enough,† said Roman. â€Å"But can you deny that when Seth called her ‘Letha' last month, that was most definitely in violation of her contract? He remembered. Not consciously. But some part of him, deep inside, remembered her.† My thoughts were still moving sluggishly, but something clicked into place. â€Å"The transfer . . . the transfer came through the morning after I told Jerome about Seth calling me Letha.† â€Å"Yes,† said Roman. â€Å"That's why things were mucked up with it. I guarantee my dear father has always known about your contracts and has accepted them grudgingly, especially if Seth's contract allows for you two to keep running into each other. But, when you told the gang about the name, Jerome had a serious problem. He recognized the violation and tattled to his superiors as fast as he could, making them panic and act quickly – too quickly – to get you out of here.† â€Å"But . . . it already happened. Seth remembered. The violation took place,† I said, scarcely able to believe it. â€Å"It's like a tree in the woods,† remarked Hugh. â€Å"It only happens if they're called on it. Neither you nor Seth would have known about the contracts or any violation. You were oblivious. Jerome needed to keep it that way, get you guys apart and kill any chance of you figuring out what had happened.† â€Å"Hence the Vegas dream job,† said Roman. â€Å"It's like we talked about before. Forbidding you guys to be together would've drawn too much attention. A run-of-the-mill transfer, however, would've seemed like business as usual – if not for the screwup. Hell was so anxious to get it going that they sent you the memo before Jerome had a chance to meet with you. I guarantee everything you saw in Vegas was thrown together on a day's notice.† I drew my hand back from Hugh's and buried my face in my palm. â€Å"Oh God.† Roman patted my shoulder in a way that was probably supposed to be comforting but mostly made me grit my teeth. â€Å"God's not the one you've got to look to right now. Do you realize what you've got here, Georgina? A once in a millennium opportunity to thwart Hell! You can challenge them, call your contract into dispute. And Seth's. All you need to do is talk to him, get the exact details of – â€Å" I jumped up from my chair, finally giving way to all my own grief and fury. â€Å"No! Didn't you see his face? Didn't you hear him? He won't talk to me! Not now, not ever. And don't say he's just in shock again,† I warned, seeing Roman about to speak. â€Å"You don't know what I did, what it was like for him . . . back then. There's a reason I made him forget! He's not going to forgive me for this. Never. He didn't then and isn't going to now. Oh Lord. Why did we have to do this? Why did we have to make him remember? We should've just let him forget. . . . Everything was fine. . . .† My frantic pacing led me over to the living room window, where I drew back the curtains. It was late in the day now, the sunset turning the clouds orange. â€Å"Fine?† asked Roman, coming to stand beside me. â€Å"Hell was creating elaborate ploys to separate you and cover their asses! And they were killing his sister-in-law to do it. That is not fine. You and Seth have done nothing but play into Hell's hands all these centuries. Over and over, you find each other and lose each other, you bicker and fight, throw it all away on mistrust and lack of communication. Are you going to let that continue? Especially when they didn't even give you what you were promised?† I rested my cheek against the glass, taking comfort in the coolness, refusing to listen to Roman's logic. â€Å"But Seth didn't remember until we made him.† â€Å"Not true. He remembered before that,† said Roman. â€Å"On his own, when he called you Letha. That's how this all started. Nothing we did here changed that.† â€Å"He hates me,† I said, fully aware of how whiny I sounded. Roman didn't try to deny it. â€Å"People forgive.† I scoffed. â€Å"Do they?† â€Å"They do,† said Hugh, coming to stand on my other side. â€Å"Seth must have – or whomever he used to be. Your husband. Why else would he have made that bargain in the first place to find you?† â€Å"Because he didn't remember what I'd done,† I said. I met Hugh's eyes. â€Å"He only knew that I was missing from his life.† â€Å"You answered your own question, sweetie. His love for you was stronger than his hate, if he was able to remember the one and not the other.† I wanted to argue with that but didn't know how. â€Å"I can't . . . I can't face him. You don't know what this is like. It's . . .† My lifelong fear? My greatest sin? â€Å"I just can't.† â€Å"We need to know about the rest of his contract,† said Roman. â€Å"We need all the details if we're going to see this through.† Hugh sniffed. â€Å"You keep saying ‘we,' but somehow I don't see you being the one filing the paperwork with Hell to challenge her contract.† When Roman didn't answer, Hugh added, â€Å"Which, by my estimate, we don't need any more of Seth's information for. We already have enough to question her contract's integrity.† â€Å"Question its integrity?† exclaimed Roman. â€Å"We have enough evidence to blow it wide open.† There was that metaphor again. Roman loved the dramatic. â€Å"Hell failed to hold up their end of the bargain. They told you they'd make everyone forget. Obviously, they didn't.† â€Å"It may not be quite that simple. Hell will question what you call evidence,† said Hugh. â€Å"But it can be done, right?† asked Roman. â€Å"You know how to do it – to file the necessary paperwork?† â€Å"Well, I've never done it before,† said Hugh. â€Å"Jesus. I don't know anyone who's done it.† I dragged my gaze from the window. â€Å"Don't,† I told Hugh. â€Å"It's not worth it. You don't know anyone who's done it because no imp who values his job or his life would ever try to get a contract revoked. I don't want you doing that for me.† â€Å"Hugh,† said Roman, looking over me like I wasn't even there. â€Å"You could free her. You could get her soul back for her. You could end this life she has – sleeping with strangers for eternity.† â€Å"Stop it,† I snapped. â€Å"Stop trying to guilt him into it. I made this choice. No one tricked me into being a succubus. They told me what it entailed and what I'd get.† â€Å"And you didn't get it,† said Hugh quietly. â€Å"It doesn't matter,† I said. If I didn't have Seth, one form of Hell was as bad as another. â€Å"I would do it for you,† said Hugh. â€Å"I'll file the paperwork. Maybe you knew what you were getting into, but that doesn't mean you don't have the right to change your mind – especially if you were played. If you want it, I'll help you do it.† â€Å"Why?† I asked, recalling all the times Hugh had become uneasy whenever we'd talked of challenging the status quo. â€Å"Why would you risk it?† â€Å"Because you're my friend,† Hugh said, his lips twisting into a bitter half smile. â€Å"And that still means something to me. Besides, give your pal Hugh some credit here. I might be able to pull this off with minimal punishment for myself.† A strange feeling welled within my chest, tight at first and then loosening. This day had become one impossible thing after another. Somehow, hearing Hugh say it made it more real. I was so used to Roman's ideas and dreams for undermining Hell that at times, it was easy to ignore them. But to hear Hugh saying this might actually work . . . I swallowed, feeling more tears were on the way. â€Å"I can't even imagine that. A world where I don't belong to Hell. I don't know what my life would look like.† â€Å"Like anything you want it to,† said Hugh, wrapping me in a hug. Behind me, I heard Roman sigh. â€Å"Well. I'll settle for one contract blowing up in Hell's face. I mean, Seth was already Hell-bound anyways, wasn't he? With or without any of this?† I winced. It was true. Seth's soul – once so bright and shining – had darkened when he cheated on Maddie with me. He'd come to my bed out of love but had still felt guilty over what he'd done. The mark of sin had tainted his soul enough that were he to die right now, Seth would go to Hell. Hugh cleared his throat and let go of me, suddenly looking uncomfortable. â€Å"It's funny you mention that. . . .† â€Å"Why?† I asked. â€Å"I hadn't seen him in a while and nearly didn't notice . . . but today when he was here, his soul . . .† Hugh shook his head. â€Å"I don't know what all he's done, but it's lightened. It's not the spotlight it used to be, but something's changed. Enough of the taint's gone now that I don't think he's marked for Hell anymore.† â€Å"Except, he is because of his contract,† I realized. â€Å"That was the price for all those lives. It doesn't matter how good he is.† I felt my legs grow weak again and had to struggle to stay up. Seth had redeemed himself for his sin. How? Probably through the sacrifices he'd made for his family. He'd given up the things he loved most for them – writing, even me. It was a remarkable feat, something few humans were able to rebound from. Usually, those who were damned stayed damned. But it didn't matter. Seth's soul could shine like a supernova and he would still go to Hell, because it was the same soul he'd had as Kyriakos, the one that had made the bargain to come and find me. â€Å"We don't know for sure,† I said. â€Å"He didn't make it clear if he definitely signed his soul over or if there was a wager, like he'd get to keep it if he made amends with me.† â€Å"Which doesn't really seem like it's going to happen at the moment,† said Roman. â€Å"So either way, he's damned.† â€Å"Unless we can break his contract too,† I said. â€Å"And we need his help for it.† Hugh gave me a sympathetic look. â€Å"Do you want me to try to talk to him?† I had hated myself for what I'd done to Kyriakos all those years ago, hated myself so much that I'd paid the ultimate price to be wiped from his memory. And after seeing the look in Seth's eyes earlier . . . well, honestly, if given the chance, I might very well have asked to be erased again. I couldn't stand seeing that hate, that disappointment in the eyes of someone I'd loved. I'd hurt him. I'd let him down. I wanted to hide and never see him again because if I faced him, I would have to face the failings within myself. That had always been a problem for me, I realized. I hated confrontation – especially when I was the one at fault. I'd continually run away from that my entire life. I forced a weak smile for Hugh, who stood there offering me a cowardly way out. No, I decided. If we were going to get Seth's help, it would be better coming from me. Would he talk to me? I didn't know, but I had to try. For nothing else would I have risked facing that hate and sorrow again . . . but for Seth's soul, I would. â€Å"I'll go to him,† I said.

Comparing Coca-Cola Enterprise and Pepsi Co. Financial Management Research Paper

Comparing Coca-Cola Enterprise and Pepsi Co. Financial Management - Research Paper Example They are equally important for all, Management, Owners and prospective Investors. The first thing that attracts investors to a Company is its profitability and what the investors will get in return of their investment, as profit whether distributed or not is Profitability measures are important to company managers and owners alike. If an entity has to attract investors , the owners have to show some attractive profits to lure them into investing and for that the profitability ratios are the key. Company’s overall efficiency and performance is shown by the profitability ratios and one can easily compare financial information available for two or three companies to ensure the worth of each after making and investment. Financial Ratios used to determine the satisfaction of a Company’s Stockholders: The Return on Equity is an important ratio as it calculates the company’s earnings performance and tells the shareholders how much are they getting on every $1 of their investment (as capital) made in the company. This ratio explains the shareholders how effectively their money is being employed and getting the profits for the company each period. Shareholders, on comparing the ratios with similar companies or industry as a whole, can get the satisfaction or dissatisfaction that their monies are utilized properly and getting the desired results or not. However, it should be kept in mind while making the comparisons that there are variations in this ratio among some types of businesses. The Dividend Payout Ratio, as the shareholders are always looking for the return, not in form of figures in the financial statements but also in their hands as ready cash. This ratio indicates the dividend a company pays to its common shareholders on every $1 net profit it earns. That is how muc h of the profit is distributed by the company to its shareholders as return and how much is retained. And no matter how forward looking the shareholders are they are always looking for some materialistic return and dividend is one of those things that satisfy the shareholders the most. Guidelines to invest in one of those companies: The debt ratio gives an idea how much the Company is indebted as compared to the assets it held. That is the amount of total liability per $1 of its total assets. The more the debts are the more riskier is the company and its operations to invest in as its shows that the company is not able to pay its debts from the assets it holds if all the amount is called currently. Further it also indicates that in case of liquidation the shareholders equity would be utilized and the owners share in the assets will be reduced or nullified. Comparing Coca-Cola Enterprise and Pepsi Co, in this regard Coca-Cola Enterprise is less risky because of its 0.946 debt ratio a s compared to Pepsi Co’s 0.562. The Current Ratio highlights the liquidity of the company, higher the current ratio means more liquid the company is and that the company’