Organic Food vs. Non-Organic Essay

Unfortunately, most organic food is disappearing, because people are not taking the time to buy it. People are buying non-organic because the food is cheaper, easier to find, and full of nutrition. But why is organic food disappearing when it has more nutrition, better tasting, and ecosystem diversity. What are people really doing? People now at days choose to buy non-organic food because it’s cheaper, easier to find, and full of nutrition. When coming in to a store the first thing you can see is the low prizing of the products. This is one reason people choose to buy non-organic products. When going into the organic section of foods and seeing that is twice the prize as non-organic people automatically chooses non-organic food. Milk certified as hormone and antibiotic-free costs 6 dollars per gallon, while grocery milk only costs 3. 50 per gallon. When coming into a super market most of the things that you see are non-organic products. This is another reason why people choose non-organic products, because it is easier to find. People now at days are really busy and doesn’t have many time to be shopping, and makes non-organic products easy to find and less time wasters. People chooses to buy non-organic products because they are easy to find, but they don’t know that it could only take two minutes looking for organic products. People chooses to buy non-organic products because they are full of nutrition. This is another reason why people chooses to buy non-organic products. Non-organic products have been industrialized and enhanced with vitamins, which many of organic products are missing. Organic products are naturally grown and are healthy to the body. Because non-organic products have been industrialized the quality of the soil is secondary, while the soil of organic products is pure. This is why food that has been grown organically tastes better than industrialized products. People chooses non-organic products because it grows faster and easier. By growing organic food it allows the environment a wider range of insects, plants, and organisms to coexist. People chooses to buy non-organic products because they won’t have to be worrying about getting a worm in their apple. Non-organic products are insect free, this is another reason people chooses non-organic products. What are they really doing? Organic fruit and vegetables are contaminated with as much as 40% more antioxidants, which scientists believe can lower the risk of getting cancer and heart disease. The levels of antioxidants in milk from organic crops are up to 90% higher than in non-organic milk. Non-Organic is most likely to be contaminated with left overs that sometimes occurs in dangerous combinations of chemicals added to organic products. They contain more water than organic products, which makes the organic products dry, and sometimes rough. Banning the use of artificial food additives like hydrogenated fats, phosphoric acid, aspartame and monosodium glutamate, which have been scientifically to health problems like heart disease, osteoporosis, migraines and hyperactivity. Non-Organic, the negative effects of pesticides in health includes neurotoxicity, disruption of the endocrine system, carcinogenicity and immune system suppression.

Farm Girl

Christina Anderson Mr. Kingsley Eng105 1 February 2012 Life Lessons from the Farm Jessica Hemauer’s essay, â€Å"Farm Girl,† tells her life story of living on a farm through her eyes as ten-year-old child to the time of her early adulthood. The purpose of this piece is to teach the importance of life's responsibilities to children, mainly female, and young adults who may not be familiar with the challenges life can bring and to promote the benefits you can gain by overcoming those obstacles.Hemauer uses pathos, which appeals to emotion, logos, designed to engage our logic, and ethos, to prove its credibility, to convey that though growing up on a family farm was a struggle day-to-day, it was valuable life lesson because it shaped her into the well-rounded and hard working person she is today. The essay opens with Hemauer’s with the immediate use of pathos to capture the audience’s emotions and to gain their sympathy towards Jessica. This is seen in the fir st sentence, when she is begrudgingly awakened by her alarm clock, â€Å"BEEP!BEEP! BEEP! It’s 5:00 a. m. My eyes are heavy with sleep and struggle to open†(83). Hemauer uses specific words to achieve ethos, such as, â€Å"heavy† and â€Å"struggle† to convey that, at age ten, she was already faced with tremendous responsibility and commitment everyday, when she heard the sound of her alarm clock. The use of â€Å"5:00 a. m. † also is used to attain sympathy because, in most cases, five in the morning would bring about a sense of disdain at any age, which can then relate back to Hemauer’s audience.Hemauer wants the young readers to attain that sympathy while reading the story so that they may reflect on their own lives and recognize the privileges they have, such as, not having to wake up at five in the morning everyday, and be grateful for them. Hamauer continues with her use of pathos to awaken the readers of the true struggle and difficul ty that is attached to being a young person with responsibilities. While walking down the stairs, in a sleepy daze, to get to the barn, Jessica is startled awake when the door opens to, â€Å"a brisk and bitter wind accompanied by icy snowflakes that feel like needles digging into our faces†(83).The language that Hemauer uses in this citation, specifically, â€Å"bitter,† â€Å"icy,† and â€Å"needles digging into,† evokes complete sympathy for this young girl. It also affects the audience with a twinge of pain due to the imagery describing the bitter cold and the fact that she must endure it. Jessica Hemauer is able to appeal to both pathos and logos in her writing as well. This is shown after the children reach the barn and begin to work on their chores. Jessica’s job is to feed the newborn calves, she indicates, â€Å"Because I am the youngest in the family, this is my favorite chore because I rarely have a chance to look after someone†¦Ã¢ € (84).The sense of pathos is obtained in this quotation because Hemauer uses certain words, such as, â€Å"favorite chore† and â€Å"rarely† to attain sympathy from the reader, by portraying that she was deprived and that she seeked enjoyment from her â€Å"favorite chore. † For a child or young adult who does not have day to day responsibilities, such as chores, they would view this with a sense of gratitude for the lifestyle that they have. This statement also gives a sense of logos because it is a cause and effect situation.Hemauer states that because she is the youngest, she rarely has the chance to look after others. This would make sense to Hemauer audience do to their age demographic. The young readers could view themselves in a similar situation by not be trusted with great responsibility due to their age. Though Jessica Hemauer appeals to pathos in her writing, she also addresses logos as well. For example, when Jessica considers being more involved in her school she realizes there is no possible way, by stating, â€Å"If I join a club that practices after school, I can’t participate.If I join a club that meets before school, I can’t attend meetings†(85). Hemauer uses logos in this specific case to clearly address the predicament that Jessica struggles with when it comes to responsibility and personal preference. This may be difficult for her audience to understand because, most likely, children or young adults that have had the privilege of growing up without having to make these sorts of decisions could not relate. Most often then not, the only thing that children have is free time.This further proves the author’s purpose for this essay because it demonstrates to children or young adults with less responsibility that, when it comes down to it, you will have to make the sacrifice of what you want for the responsibilities that you already have. Furthermore, Hemauer uses logos later in her essay, to explain some of the benefits of having a large amount of responsibility at such a young age. This is shown when she is reflecting on her past experiences and how they have helped her today, by saying, â€Å"I have always had a challenging amount of responsibility, and I have learned to complete tasks in a timely fashion†(86).The audience will view this as a challenge and a possible goal to set for themselves by seeing her accomplishments due to her initial struggle, further proving the author’s purpose for this piece. This aids to Hemauer’s ethos as well because she is proof, as an author, as to how time management and responsibility has shaped and benefited her. Hemauer’s â€Å"Farm Girl† is a reputable source for ethos due to the fact that it is an autobiographical essay. Hemauer is telling the audience the story of her memoir based true occurrences that happened in her life on her family farm.These events describe the endeavors she faced and the accomplishments she obtained due to the effort that she put forth everyday from a young age till now, as a successful author. Though the target audience for this piece may experience difficulty relating specifically to certain events, such as, walking a half a mile in a blizzard to reach barn to milk cows, they understand what it is like to be a child and what they desire. They know from reading â€Å"Farm Girl† that Hemauer did not always enjoy life on the farm but in the end, it made her a stronger person.Hemauer truly practices what she preaches, which demonstrates a great source of trust and ethos towards her readers. Jessica Hemauer displays ethos within â€Å"Farm Girl† as well by showing credible and believable sources within the story. An example of this can be found at the end of the essay, when Jessica’s Boss is paying her a compliment by asking where he can find more people like herself; her response is, â€Å"Try hiring some farm girls. I hear they turn out pretty good†(87). Within this statement, the audience can come to the conclusion that Jessica Hemauer’s work shows good example of ethos due to the inclusion of the bosses’ question.The ethos that forms from that statement is telling the audience that due to the fact that she is a hardworking, determined, and successful worker, she did not need to tell us that she is good; she can have the support of others to tell her she is instead. In conclusion, Jessica Hemauer’s essay, â€Å"Farm Girl,† is an inspiration towards those who may not be burden by great responsibility at a young age. Hemauer achieves this through her use of pathos, by indicating her past struggles through a sense of sympathy, and by doing so, she is able to reach out to the audience.The author was a success through her indication of logos by presenting her logical analysis towards Jessica’s time management predicament. Lastly, Hemauer not only indicated the use of e thos with her essay, by giving the audience a credible source to trust, being an autobiographical piece, but the audience knows that the essay is credible and believable due to the examples she presents within the essay. The combination of these three elements makes â€Å"Farm Girl† an influential essay that teaches the lesson that hard work really does pay off in the end.

Phil in literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Phil in literature - Essay Example What does it entail? What kind of statement is this--a definition, a description, or an exhortation? The given statement means that a literary activity arises out of a special occasion of encountering the established order. While lacking the possibilities of development and enhancing the potential of coercion, the statement entails that a social order gives way to the human expression, in the form of literary expression, linked up with the conscience having concern for humanity. The literary activity has to address its social environment and can not remain in isolation. The solipsistic activity can generate a literary activity but it will not be considered a literary piece unless it imbibes within it the cries of uneven social justice. The given statement tries to develop a definition for the literary expression. To identify an expression as a literary expression, the expression must be seen in the light of three things: challenging the existing legal order; having conscience; and mu st have a concern for the humanity. A literary piece must be having all these three elements in order to be identified as a literary expression. In this sense the statement can be considered as a definitional statement. However, the statement is also exhortative. It is certainly not a universally accepted truth that literary piece must be having all three given elements. ... b- Testing the Truth: Is it true? Can we test its truth? How can we justify (or refute) Algren's claim, and what kind of evidence might suffice? The statement makes a point in such a way that it should be considered as a truth. However, the truth of this sort is different from the truth of many other sorts. There are truth-claims making an objective universal claim of truth. From any perspective such truth-claims can be accepted as truth positions. Sciences, especially those of physical and natural sciences make such claims. For Jurgen Habermas, these forms of truth-claim are purposive-rational and directed towards technical interest of controlling the environment (McCarthy 55). Sciences employ Empirical-analytic method for following purposive-rationality within their specific tradition in order to gain better control on natural environment. The empirical-analytic method brings forward objective truth claims through collecting sufficient experimental evidence. There is however anothe r form of expression that brings forward different sort of social interest, as what Jurgen Habermas says, practical interest (McCarthy 56). Truth generates within society and also embeds within itself the social interests. It is not possible for any individual to transcend this condition, even a scientist needs to be a social being first for producing a scientific fact. Society however does not only generate interest emerged out of as scientific interests; an objective observatory tendency to generate a truth-position for finding out the essential-truth of the natural environment in order to have a predictable control. Society also brings forward the conflicting tendencies rooted in the existing social justice. An expression that emerges out of aesthetic feelings

Research Request - Has the U.S. governments war on drugs done anything Proposal

Request - Has the U.S. governments war on drugs done anything to reduce the use of illegal drugs - Research Proposal Example The message to the Congress comprised of text concerning with devoting more federal resources to preventing new additions and rehabilitating those who were already addicted, however, this part was not the center of attention like the war on drugs. It is estimated that the US devotes more than one billion dollars every year towards the War on Drugs and this research seeks to find out if the War on Drugs has been successful in reducing the use of illegal drugs in the United States and how effect this is on the overall drug issue. Almost three million people use eighty percent of the illegal hard drugs in the United States and there is highly likelihood of dealing with the Drug-trafficking organizations through changing the behavior of the heavy users of these drugs (Cassel & Bernstein, 2007). A reduction of the rate of consumption of the casual users will not have a considerable effect on the flow of drugs into the country or the flow of money into the areas that produce the drugs. The experience the US has had with marketing’s power has inclined the country to prefer prohibiting and enforcing rather than legalizing and marketing of the drugs. However, this option has associated consequences as an increased number of American citizens go to jail for offences associated to drugs as well as parole violations as compared to property crimes (Alexandrova, 2004). Further, even though the nation spends five times more to jail the people convicted of drug offences that it did thirty years ago, the prices of cocaine and other drugs have reduced by eighty to ninety percent compared to the prevailing prices during the beginning of the war on drugs. Consequently, critics have argued that imprisoning the low-level dealers in the streets is a futile endeavor as their transactions that cost approximately two hundred dollars will cost the state almost one hundred thousand dollars in the offender is given a sentence that

Leadership Styles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leadership Styles - Essay Example The case study related to Lake Community Hospital provides a classical example on how the leadership style implemented impacts on performance. Introduction The leadership style adopted by managers of various organizations impacts on the staff either positively or negatively. The relationship that exists between leaders and group members is one that requires a reciprocal interaction. This provides better understanding within the organization and allows a harmonized delivery of services (Raup, 2007). Efficient leadership style that takes into consideration the input of workers is crucial in terms of motivating the staff. Further, an efficient leader needs to relate positively with the staff. This allows the leader to develop a clear perception related to worker’s needs. In the case of Jamie’s unit, her staff is not happy about the move to another unit under different leadership. This is due to the uncertainty of the treatment they might receive under new leadership. The c hange means Jamie’s unit has to adapt to a new leadership style (Raup, 2007). While considering Jamie’s case and his staff, this paper explores different leadership styles used by administrators or managers. ... This is evident from the high turnover rate among nurses working in the unit and the disillusion among nurses from Jamie’s unit. In this regard, the leadership theories that the nurse manager at the telemetry unit may adapt include: Contingency Theory This theory is essential in situations where there is need to consider different variables. This assists in determining the type of leadership style to implement (Leon, 2007). In relation to this theory, there is no one leadership method that work for all situations, hence, need to adapt to the prevailing situation. There is a dilemma in regard to the transition at Lake Area Community Hospital. This involves how best to integrate nurses from Jamie’s unit into the telemetry unit. In such a case, there is need to allow for a smooth transition (Jogulu, 2010). This would involve incorporating Jamie in the management of telemetry ward in terms of assisting the managing nurse to improve relations with the new staff from Jamieâ⠂¬â„¢s unit. Since, Jamie would not have any position after the transition is complete, Jamie’s services is important in terms of improving working relationship between the new manager and his former nursing staff at the 12 bed unit. Situational Theory This theory presents a framework whereby, a leader is expected to select the best alternative leadership style that considers the situational variables (Lorita, 2005). The Hospital is in the process of shifting into a plan that would improve the management of staff and patients. As a result, the decision to down size is meant to improve service delivery. The nurse manager at the 39 bed unit has a larger responsibility in terms of managing a bigger unit, compared to Jamie’s former unit. Further, the nurse manager has to adapt to the needs of

Critical reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Critical reflection - Essay Example Risk mitigation can be carried out through the optimal use of existing assets, contingency planning and through investment in new resources. Before using these techniques, it is necessary to understand the key causes of concern through a risk analysis. Based on the risk analysis, key issues were prioritized and recommendations were provided for each of them. From the given situation, it was obvious that there were multiple issues at multiple levels. The technique of risk analysis was chosen because it helped in looking a holistic picture of the situation at hand and it also helped in the identification of the areas of improvement regarding each of the issues identified (Slovic, 2000). The methodology of carrying out risk analysis was to find out the issues of concern and look at each individual issue in detail. 1. Safety Issues – With regards to maintenance and safety, the key recommendations is to outsource maintenance to contractors who would do period checks to ensure that there is no flooding or electrical short circuits. Outsourcing to a vendor can put service level agreements in place and hence, would ensure a higher level of maintenance. In addition, the outsourced vendors would be experts in the particular domains and hence, would be able to provide a service that is of much higher standard when compared to the in-house workers. In a building, that involves a considerable movement of people, safety and maintenance is of prime importance as security and maintenance lapses drive the crowd away (Schrader, 1992). Apart from outsourcing the safety maintenance, another aspect that could have been considered was consultation from an architect who can provide a long-term solution in terms of flooding or seepages. There could be some financial investment involved initially, however during the later stages, there would be benefits as regular costs would reduce considerably. 2. Organization and Management – Through analysis, it was found out that the management did not have a proper structure and there was no motivation factor present. For any organization, however big or small it may be, it is necessary to have a very good organization structure so that at any given point, accountability of issues is possible. The recommendation was to organize an event that would help in motivating the staff and reorganizing the staff within the departments. However, it is important to understand that motivation among the staff does not happen with just an event, it is an ongoing process (Weightman, 2008). In addition, a simple reorganizing the staff would not be a long-term solution. Instead, having a proper organizing structure in place is highly recommended. The structure should be designed in such a way that accountable individuals take each aspect related to the Penine Center. A proper structure would also prove to be a motivation to the staff. 3. Retail Outlets leaving - The retail outlets in the Penine center were leaving because of di ssatisfaction. This could be due to many other reasons such as safety as well as transportation. The main reason why retail outlets leave any commercial complex is when they do not get a steady flow of customers so that they make profit out of the enterprise. The recommendation was to meet with the owners of the retail outlet and persuade them to stay. Also, providing some incentives to help them with the current financial condition can prove to be helpful in retaining them in the Penine Center.

Housewife to Career Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Housewife to Career - Term Paper Example Whatever a woman did, fell in the category of non remunerative work. Howsoever hard a woman worked and contributed towards the smooth running of the house, the society at large, did not appreciate that. And at the end of the day, the woman was still dependent on the man for any monetary support. Any misdemeanour by the man was pardoned because he is doing the most important thing; earning money. The woman was destined to live her life as a ‘dependent’ and at the whims and fancies of her spouse and family. Things had to change and they did. More and more women began to join the workforce. For some, it bolstered the family income, for others getting employment was breaking free from the humdrum of the daily life. Getting employed was kind of breaking the shackles and living a life of dignity. This transition from a housewife to a career woman has not been easy for various reasons. This paper details the problems women face, at home as well as in office, when they opt to work. It also puts forth data which establishes the presence of a glass ceiling in organizations that thwarts the progress of women. An attempt has been made to gauge the reality when it comes to the number of women actually making to the top of the corporate ladder. The first stumbling block on the road to progress is the mindset; the opinion that the other members of the family, especially the elders, have about the housewife no longer remaining a housewife and going out of the house to work. This orthodox mindset is an added mental pressure on the woman whose original responsibilities of managing the household remain with her, irrespective of the fact that she has now started working and started contributing towards the finances of the household. There is no denying the fact that women also have more personal and social pressures than men. If in a family where

Review of the Literature Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Review of the Literature - Research Paper Example â€Å"Relationship between psychiatric nurse work environments and nurse burnout in acute care general hospitals (Hanrahan, 2010).† The article analyzed the degree to which organizational components of the inpatient psychiatric situations are connected with psychiatric staff burnout. Organizational parts were measured by an instrument supported by the National Quality Forum. This study furnishes a percentage of the first confirmation that the nature of the inpatient psychiatric medical attendant work environment is connected with word related push of psychiatric attendants (Hanrahan, 2010). Nonetheless, prospective studies are required to confirm if quiet aspects alter these relationships and if tolerant conclusions are influenced by organizational variables of the forethought environment and psychiatric medical attendant burnout. Therefore, the organizational elements analyzed in this study are modifiable. Hence, supervisors can utilize the organizational elements distinguish ed as a part of this study to center quality change programs. For instance, modifiable organizational components incorporate esteeming the commitment of medical caretakers captivating the attendants in dynamic quality change projects, guaranteeing administrators are talented, distinguishing and tending to issues that show riffs in medical caretaker and doctor joint efforts and furnishing the satisfactory psychiatric medical caretaker staffing (Hanrahan, 2010). The MBI and the PES-NWI could be utilized to measure advance in these regions. Enhancing inpatient psychiatric attendant practice situations will help to draw in new attendants and hold the individuals who are right now in the workforce. In â€Å"The Relationships between Attitudes toward Seclusion, Staff Satisfaction, Levels of Burnout and Therapeutic Optimism in a District Health Service (Dares, Happell, Russell, Cokell, & Gaskin, 2012).

Privacy and Confidentiality of Client Health Information Research Paper

Privacy and Confidentiality of Client Health Information - Research Paper Example ?†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..8 Privacy and Confidentiality of Client Health Information 1.0 Introduction Health information managers have the professional duty to facilitate access and utilization of information for the benefit of the client. However, this should be done while protecting the privacy and confidentiality of client information. It is therefore important to emphasize that health information manager’s role is to act as data steward. In the current world of expanding and sophisticated technology there is need to also advance privacy and confidentiality policies and procedures in regards to information access. A good example of vulnerable client information is where data is mined from different databases that have different information about the client according to Kolodner, Cohn and Friedman (2008). Safe keeping and use of inf ormation ensures good flow of relevant records to and from different stakeholders which in turn offers an avenue for maximum utility. Stakeholders in this case include the client themselves, doctors, nurses, relatives and friends among others. This paper outlines relevant information regarding privacy and confidentiality of client information. Medical practitioners, be they nurses, doctors or health information managers are obligated both legally and ethically to safeguard a client’s health information from any undue influence or unauthorized parties as stated by Acker et al. (2007). The primary means through which boundaries are maintained, trust created and client-caregiver relationship built is by considering the rights bestowed on the client and respecting them. This client right to privacy stipulates that they should control how their health information is collected, utilized and revealed. It is important to note that even health organizations have limited rights to clie nt’s information more so regarding how it should be disclosed. This lays huge task on health information managers to ensure that such right is not misused. The most common case when this right is utilized is when the medical team shares health information in order to facilitate delivery of health care to the patient. A typical scenario is where a doctor explains the patient’s actual condition and reason for certain medication to nurses attending to a particular patient (Sanbar, 2007). Such sharing cannot be deemed to be bleaching the client’s right to control disclosure as nurses need to be informed so as to efficiently and effectively deliver heath care. The following is the specific information that one needs to know in regards to client information, its confidentiality, access, disclosure and special considerations. 2.0 Confidentiality Conversations form the most easy way by which client’s health information is disseminated. As such it is an easy means through which the same leaks to unauthorized parties. It is therefore paramount for anybody to be aware of their environment before initializing conversations regarding confidential information about a client. This will definitely avoid people from overhearing such information. Contrary to popular belief, withholding just the name is insufficient to uphold confidentiality (Pozgar, 2008). In this technological world the internet acts as an easy avenue through which unwarranted information passes to the

Write a critical analysis of an 'Elegy for my Father' by Annie Finch Essay

Write a critical analysis of an 'Elegy for my Father' by Annie Finch - Essay Example Right from beginning her work brought recognition to how she has brought music to meter without diverging from the truthfulness of her emotions which she wants to express. This musicality in her words later shows through when she wrote libretti for operas and lieder for contemporary composers. Her work shows not only the relationship between nature and human but also the themes evolving from her religious inclinations. Calenders has works woven around the cycles in a Celtic or wiccan calendar and whether the themes are based in myth or in real life relations they broadly cover the cycles in a women’s life. The works like ‘Elegy for my Father’ show not only Finch’s poetic prowess but also how a personal moment became the inspiration. ‘Calenders’ is one of Finch’s major poetry books which includes her works from 1990s as well as some poems from 1980s and one from 1970. The poems are written around the theme of Celtic or Wiccan calendar which reflects not only the seasons though titles like Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, Winter Solstice, Lammas, Imbolc but they also bring the cyclical nature of time and specially a woman’s life to the reader. Many poems varying in style and ideas are written around themes which are more feminist like a woman’s cycles, her relationship with parents, her grievances, her pregnancies and her loves but in other poems which are not around mythical, like ‘Elegy for my Father’, Finch is inspired by some moment in her life. Calenders not only has a detailed account of how and when the poems were completed but it is also accompanied by a guide which is a complete work of poetics in itself. Finch listed when each poem was eventually completed and how the book evolved. The ‘Elegy for my Father’ is written in dactylic tetrameter and is unrhymed. Finch is not someone who is limited by meter. It comes as no surprise when we see variations of dactylic meter in

A comparison of Public and Private Policing in America Essay Example for Free

A comparison of Public and Private Policing in America Essay The responsibility of citizen protection, property security, and the maintaining of law and order in a community is traditionally taken on by the public police department. The police personnel are hired, paid, and report to officials at various levels of the local government. Local responsibilities usually fall under the umbrella of the city police department or county Sheriff, while other tasks such as patrolling our highways may be the responsibility of the state police. An increase in population, growth of industry, and a rise in crime have resulted in the inability of many police departments to effectively provide services as in the past. The result is the emergence of private police departments and private security companies. Private police departments have been operating since the early 1970’s (although private security companies have been in existence much longer). Large corporations, gated communities, retail establishments, and businesses that engage in government contracting all have formed private police departments. These departments, however, have not been met without criticism, skepticism and debate. Arguments have been made that the private departments are not adequately trained, lack professionalism, and do not have the authority of public police departments. This may be partially true but each private department needs to be examined individually to better assess these arguments. Some private departments require officers to attend law enforcement academies along side officers from municipal departments. This ensures the proper training is obtained and creates a more professional department. The responsibilities of a private police department have also been met with criticism. A comparison of responsibilities shows that many of the private departments perform the same duties and function in a similar manner to that of the public departments. In fact, Zalewski (2007) suggested that â€Å"the functions performed by the private organizations are not dissimilar to the functions of the public services†. Both public and private departments enforce laws, protect lives and property, and are required to report to higher authority. The manner in which, and to whom these responsibilities are carried out do differ in many ways. According to Joh (2006) public police systems and policies are governed by law. The U. S. Constitution, state constitutions, and local ordinances provide parameters establishing many of the procedures used in police work. Public police must also be responsive to requests of an entire community, city, town, or state. The interest of all citizens regardless of where he or she lives or works is protected by the public police. The need to protect all citizens of the community may give some citizens the feeling that not enough patrols are being made because of lack of exposure of the police. All public police officers are required to attend a law enforcement training academy and undergo field training prior to performing the duties and meeting the needs of the community. In many instances psychological evaluations are part of the screening process for entry into the police field. Private police departments and their personnel are governed by the policies established by the business or client paying for the service. An exception to this is a case in which an officer attends a municipal training academy and receives a state certification. These officers are also bound by the policies and regulations set forth by the local government in addition to the business or client. Although Joh (2004) suggested that there is difficulty in distinguishing the differences between the responsibilities, function, and appearance of the departments, the law recognizes an absolute distinction. Joh suggested that the private police are â€Å"unburdened by the constitutional criminal procedure or state regulation†. Zalewski (2007) indicated there were several more distinctions between the public and private police. Training, accountability, and job responsibilities may vary depending on the business or client associated with the private police. They receive minimal training as compared to the public officers. They are accountable to the client or business owner, instead of government officials and the citizens of the community. The job is primarily that of securing the property and interests of the client as compared to the general public as in the case with public police. Private police are also constrained to the boundaries of the client when performing duties. They are not allowed to conduct law enforcement work in the city streets. Training is a very controversial issue in the comparison of public versus private policing. As previously mentioned, public police officers attend an extensive and intensive training program supported by the local and state government. Part of the recruiting process usually involves written, oral and psychological testing to ensure candidates have the capability to learn the legal aspect of the job, and the psychological capability to deal with the unknown and sometimes grueling calls for service. Field training with an experienced officer is also a requirement to allow the recruits the opportunity to demonstrate their acquired skills and learn additional procedures that are better taught in a â€Å"hands-on† environment instead of the classroom. In contrast, O’Leary (1994) suggested that the training of most private police and security officers is limited, at best. The only training some of these officers receive is in the use of firearms. Training in areas such as search and seizure and other legal issues is almost non-existent within a private police department and O’Leary indicated it is critical that officers receive constant training in these areas. An argument against the private police department could be that the lack of training is putting the officers at potential risk. They may be called upon to handle a situation in which they received no training or had limited exposure to it. Although these risks may be associated with the public police also, there is a greater probability that the public police have received more training, and will probably have assistance from other officers patrolling the streets when they come upon a risky situation. Although there are an increasing number of private police departments, the shift away from the public police to maintain community security has been gradual (Noaks, 2000). Most organizations opting for the private policing are do so with extreme care, an in many instances, with the assistance of the public police. For instance, a local gated community has its own private police department. The police are responsible for protecting the lives of the residents within the community as well as patrolling the entire boundary and streets of the property including all of the facilities and buildings. Most of the officers on this department have attended a municipal law enforcement training academy, and therefore, respond to criminal complaints within the boundaries of the property. Summons’ can be issued and arrests made when the officers determine a crime has been committed. Depending on the nature of the crime however, a local public police may also be called in to assist the private police. The local police may have more experience handling particular situations, but also have more resources available to them, such as mental health counselors or social workers, in the event of possible suicide or other domestic cases. The growing population, increase in crime, and limited resources of public police make private police departments valuable assets. Although the controversy and debate over the abilities and responsibilities will probably continue, there is evidence that communities, businesses, and other private entities can benefit from both private and public policing. There are obvious differences in organizational and operational structures between the different departments, but the overall job is quite similar. Both types of departments are tasked with protecting life and property and assisting residents or citizens.

Traditional Costing Method vs ABC

Traditional Costing Method vs ABC Introduction In this essay we will discuss the traditional costing method and consider the alternative method offered by Activity Based Costing (ABC) technique. We will discuss how the two methods differ from each other and also from the direct costing systems. The essay will also evaluate the value added by each costing system within a company’s decision making process, in terms of the accuracy of information they provide. Cost systems differ in terms of which costs are allocated to the cost objects i.e. product, service etc and also in terms of their levels of allocation ingenuity. There are three main cost systems in existence, namely, the direct costing system, the traditional absorption costing system and the activity based costing system. The direct costing system as suggested by its name, only allocates direct costs to the products or services; it does not attempt to allocate indirect costs. Therefore, it reports only the contribution attributable from the product or service towards indirect costs incurred by the business. It is often referred to as a partial costing system. The direct costing method is only pertinent for decision making process where the indirect costs are small part of the overall organisational costs or does not fluctuate greatly to changes in demand. Both the traditional and ABC system assign indirect costs to the product or service to give full costing information to the organisation in its decision making process. As illustrated in figure 1.0 above, there are two systems of assigning indirect costs to cost objects, namely, traditional costing system and ABC system. The traditional costing system has been in use since early 1900 and is still being used today. The traditional costing method relies to a large extent on the use of arbitrary cost allocation, commonly the use of either labour or material absorption rate. Decision Making In order for companies to make viable decisions, they require accurate product costs. Without sufficient allocation of indirect costs it would be difficult for companies to differentiate between profitable and loss-making products and services. Therefore cost systems needs to accurately reflect the consumption of resources by products, otherwise, product costs will be distorted and profitable products will be discontinued or rejected by the company and loss-making ones will be continued. Traditional costing system varies greatly in the level of sophistication to that of ABC in allocating indirect costs to the cost object. There is a general consensus that the traditional system is simplistic whereas ABC is more complex in its allocation technique. Therefore, traditional cost systems are inexpensive to operate, as it extensively uses an arbitrary cost allocation and results in low levels of accuracy. This in turn leads to higher cost of errors in product decisions being undertaken by organisations. ABC on the other hand, is more expensive to operate as it makes extensive use of cause and effect cost allocations (use of cost drivers), but results in greater levels of accuracy and leads to less errors in decision making process. Traditional vs. ABC The ABC system devises a number of activity based cost centres, whereas with traditional systems, overheads tend to be pooled by departments (cost centres). Traditional costing method like ABC system use a two-stage process to allocate indirect costs, with the first stage comprising of overhead being allocated to departments both production and service, the service departmental costs are subsequently reallocated to production departments. ABC, however, assigns overheads to individual activity instead of departments. The second stage of the allocation process involves allocating costs from individual departments under traditional method and activity cost centres under the ABC system, into the cost objects. The traditional system uses only a small number of second stage allocation bases, which are linked to volume produced. ABC system on the other hand uses a large number of second stage cost drivers; including non-volume based drivers i.e. number of production runs, number of purchase orders etc. In summary, the major distinguishing features of ABC system to that of the traditional method is that, a greater number of cost centres together with a variety of second stage cost drivers exist. This result in the ABC system delivering more accurate measurement of resources being consumed by a cost object, ensuring that management undertakes correct decisions. Conclusion ABC came to prominent during the 80s as a result of the limitations of traditional costing method and its value to decision making process of large blue chip organisations. In todays volatile market place where blue chip organisations are involved in the production and delivery of complex products and services, the traditional costing system and its use of volume based cost drivers like direct labour hours represent only a small fraction of total object costs. Volume based cost drivers assume that product’s consumption of overhead resources is directly connected to units produced. The use of volume based drivers to allocate indirect costs, which are considerably larger, results in inaccurate product costs and provides management with information which is of minute or no value. In fact the organisation runs the risk of making incorrect decisions about its profitable and unprofitable products and services which could result in financial ruin for the organisation and threaten its long term survival. Therefore, unsophisticated volume based overhead allocations using a declining direct labour cannot be warranted, principally when information processing costs are no longer a barrier to introducing more sophisticated cost systems like ABC. Furthermore, the intense global competitiveness within the market place had made decision errors due to poor cost information more probable and more costly. Therefore, with use of traditional costing system, misleading information is reported. However, ABC system recognises that overheads are caused by other factors, beside volume, and it allocates overheads based on cause and effects, resulting in more accuracy in organisational decision making. However, surveys of management accounting practices continue to present evidence of organisation’s still using traditional costing. Hughes, S.B. and Paulson Gjerde, K.A. (2003) carried out a survey of US manufacturing companies and reported 35 per cent of respondent using traditional costing and a further 30 per cent using a combination of traditional with ABC. Therefore, it is evident that traditional costing still provides information which is useful for blue chip Company’s decision making process, but they must use the information only with the knowledge of its drawbacks. Word Count = 1,072 References Bibliography Drury, C. (2005) Management Accounting for Business – 3rd Edition, Thomson Drury, C. (2008) Management and Cost Accounting – 7th Edition, South-Western Gowthorpe, C. (2008) Management Accounting, South-Western Hughes, S.B. and Paulson Gjerde, K.A. (2003) ‘Do different cost system make a difference?’, Management Accounting Quarterly, Fall, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp.22-30

Duty of Care and Contractual Agreements in Architecture

Duty of Care and Contractual Agreements in Architecture Section 1 Clearly explain what particular requirements must be in place for a Contract to exist between two parties? For a contract to exist between two parties there must be evidence of three key principles. An intention between all involved parties to form a legally binding relationship. A consideration (usually monetary) for the agreement. The offer and acceptance of the stated agreement. The intention of a legally binding relationship from each party must be formal; a moral obligation alone is insufficient. As such, articles such The Memorandum of Agreement outline the requirements of parties when intending to enter a contract. For a contract to exist the promise must be enforceable with a consideration. It is the party who provides this bargain who enforces the contract. Once a consideration is provided, all parties are drawn into privity of contract. The consideration is decided by the parties involved and the level of adequacy is irrelevant, it must be offered and accepted for the agreement to mature into a contract. As such, an offer without an acceptance is merely a pre-contractual agreement, not binding in law. In any case, for a contract to exist all terms of the offer must be accepted and a consideration provided. However, there is no requirement for a written document for most types of contract. An oral contract is legally binding providing there has been acceptance of an offer. From a legal stand-point, difficulty can be avoided if documentary evidence is provided of an agreement. The four corners rule allows a contract to be recorded and subsequently is easier to enforce in law. Explain what is meant by the term Duty of Care and what are the implications upon the architect? A duty of care is a legal obligation in tort law imposed on the Architect requiring they exercise a standard of reasonable care and diligence whilst carrying out professional work that could foreseeably harm others. Any failure in an Architects duty of care can result in an action in negligence where they become liable in tort law. Furthermore, a duty of care is also applicable in agency outside of any contractual arrangement. It is not required that a duty of care be defined by law, however, it often develops through the jurisprudence of common law. In this respect, a duty of care can be interpreted as a formalisation of the social contract and implicit responsibilities of the individual towards others in society. It is an ARB requirement that Architects adhere to the established standards of the profession and exercise due skill, care and diligence,whilst carrying out professional work within agreed time-frames and without unnecessary delay. For a duty of care to be breached, the following must be true: Harm must be reasonably foreseeable of the defendants conduct. A relationship of proximity between the defendant and the claimant. It must be fair, just and reasonableto impose liability. Explain the term Joint and Several Liability and how does it impact upon particular forms of architectural Practice? Under Joint and Several Liability, a client may pursue an obligation against any single party as if they were jointly liable. The responsibility then passes to the defendants who must establish their respective percentages of liability and monetary payment. Therefore, if a claimant pursues a single defendant and receives all the damages, that defendant must then pursue the other libelous parties to obtain contributions proportionate to their share of liability. Joint and Several liability is most relevant in tort claims and most often invoked in cases of negligence. Architects seek to establish a clear and properly defined agreement with specific reference to the understanding and expectations of the client. These agreements provide an assured basis on which the commission can be undertaken. Furthermore, the chosen form of appointment will determine the limit of the Architects liability and accountability. Architects also seek to limit their risk and liability through their chosen form of architectural practice. For Example, Limited Liability Partnerships and Companies cannot be jointly or several liable with its members liability determined by their stakehold in the partnership or shareholding in the company. Explain what is meant by the term Lean Construction. Lean construction is a method of designing production systems to minimize the time, effort and material waste of a project to generate the maximum amount of value. The process itself is derived from the lean production system within the manufacturing industry. It is fundamental that the production system is designed through a collaboration of project participants (Client, Architect, Engineer, Contractor, Building Owner) at the earliest stages of the project. It is based on the premise that desired ends affect the means to achieve these ends, and that available means will affect realized ends. The principles of Lean Construction are as follows: Allow value to flow by systematically removing obstacles to value creation and dispensable processes that create no value. Optimisation of the system through collaboration and systematic learning. Priority on delivering the Client/End-user/Building Owners expected value. Creating Pull Production. The pursuit of perfection/continual improvement, involving everyone in the system. Lean construction supplements traditional construction management by considering material and information flow, focusing on the enhancement of the production systems value generation. Therefore, a project using the Lean Construction method should: Deliver maximum functionality. Benefit end-users with the lowest optimum cost of ownership. Eliminate the inefficiency and waste in the use of labour and materials. Involve specialist suppliers in design from the beginning to achieve integration and buildability. Establish performance and improvement achievements by measurement. Use a single point of contact for effective co-ordination and clear responsibility. Explain and define what is meant by a Letter of Intent. What are the circumstances under which it may be issued, what may be its objectives and what are the principal matters that it should contain? A Letter of Intent is a document that outlines an agreement between two or more parties before the agreement is finalised. They resemble written contracts but are not legally binding for the parties involved. However, letters of intent can contain provisions that are legal binding such as a covenant to negotiate in good faith, non-disclosure agreements and stand-still provisions that promise exclusive negotiation rights. It can also be interpreted as binding if it resembles a formal contract too closely. Therefore, the letter of intent is enforceable by the courts both in terms of the remuneration and the act. However, the letter of intent is not a contract; instead it is a unilateral agreement in which one party confirms an intention to enter a contract with another party. Most importantly, it must contain an instruction to act and confirmation of a consideration as payment. Letters of intent are usually issued to: Clarify the nature of complex transactions for the convenience of the parties involved. Provide safeguards in case of collapsed negotiations. Officially declare interest or intent. Allow work to continue quickly based on trust. Architects mainly use letters of intent for the purpose of negotiation. For example, following the first stage of tender, a letter of intent maybe issued to inform a contractor of their approval based on their proposal. The contractor can then contribute to the design before the second stage of tendering by providing detailed pricings and an overall building cost. Once the second stage of tendering is complete, a formal contract can be established between the parties. What are the principal factors that determine the choice of a particular contract form? To determine the most appropriate contract form, the Architect and client must first consider the priorities of the project in terms of time, cost and quality. These three factors are linked through a trade-off paradigm: Time results in increased cost and decreased quality. Cost results in increased time and decreased quality. Quality results in increased cost and increased time. They are all related and inter-dependant. If time is the priority, then the procurement method must allow sufficient time to consider all of the design issues properly at the pre-contract stage. The client is afforded predictability and additional time can be saved by allowing the contractor to resource their own materials, effective management, real-time planning and overlapping detailed design phases with actual construction. If cost is the priority, then a financial limit must be established that a contract sum cannot exceed. Certainty of cost is dependant upon comprehensive design, drawings and specification that accurately assesses cost at the tender stage. If quality is the priority, the issue and degree of quality in the finished building must be clearly defined and established from the outset through a specification. Also, the measure of quality must also be defined. The choice of contract type is also directly related to the chosen type of procurement. Each type of procurement type uses standard contract forms that are known and accepted by the industry. Most architects choose to use these standard forms as they are comprehensive, address common construction situations and take account of current legal decisions. Factors such as the complexity, size and overall value of the project may also inform the procurement route or contract type. In all situations the Architect as the lead consultant has the duty to advise the client of the long-term implications of their decisions. Section 2 The Design and Build process of procurement has been endorsed by the Public Sector as the preferred procurement option, on the basis that it is claimed that it offers certainty of contract sum and brings certain cost benefits. Consider and discuss the merits or otherwise of this approach in comparison with the Traditional method of procurement with particular reference to the role of the architect. (70 marks). Design and Build is a procurement method for project delivery whereby an individual contractor is contractually responsible for both the design and construction of a project. In recent years, the public-sector has moved towards Design and Build as the chosen procurement path as opposed to the traditional, three-party arrangement where design and construction are separately contracted. The public-sectors interest in Design and Build can be attributed to several potential benefits that are not always obtainable through alternative procurement methods. The following points outline the advantages. The Design and Build procurement route provides a single source of responsibility as the contractor is singularly responsible for any defect in both the construction and design of the project. This is of particular benefit to the building owner or client, who does not have to define whether such defects are brought about by a deficiency in design or construction. Instead, the contractor is jointly and severly liable for the complete works. In a traditional contract, it is the client who must first determine the nature and cause of a problem, before deciding whether it is the designer or contractor who is at fault. Design and Build is also a popular route for the public-sector client as the contractor is obliged to bear any additional cost that results from inadequate or defective plans provided by the design team. In a traditional contract, the client warrants the sufficiency of the plans and as such is liable for any increased cost because of inadequate design. In the Design and Build contract, it is the contractor who is responsible for the projects design as well as the construction. They are hired to meet the clients specific performance specifications rather than merely construct the building as in the traditional contract procurement. Hence, if the plans are inadequately drafted or designed, the contractor is unable to seek compensation from the client. It is widely recognised that Design and Build contracts enable a project to be completed within a shorter time-period than the traditional three-party arrangement. The interface between the designer and contractor, often adversarial in the traditional method, can become more open and hence foster a more co-operative arrangement and exchange of ideas that can make the project a faster process. Time savings are also made by fast-tracking construction of known elements before the specifications and drawings of unknown elements are complete. The phased-nature of the design essentially allows work to commence on site whilst the later phases of the project are still being designed. The same time-savings are unable to be made within a traditional contract as the contractor does not usually even submit a tender, let alone start work on-site, before the design and drawings of the Architect are finalised. The responsibility for meeting local controls such as planning, bylaws and legislation is placed with the contractor, which usually results in increased efficiency. The phased nature of the Design and Build method also allows the contractor to have increased control of the project and can result in lower costs for the client. The specific control of detailed design enables the contractor to use familiar construction methods and materials which increase the efficiency of the build process. By staggering the construction process, the contractor is able to order materials for upcoming phases, ahead of time and at a lower cost. The savings made on labour, materials and time are all passed on to the benefit of the client. It is considered that the Design and Build method reduces the requirement for independent professional representation. Public sector clients often prefer to limit the number of points of contact to restrict the amount of time, effort and in-house staff it requires to undertake a project. Often it will use Design and Build in conjunction with privatisation, whereby it contracts an independent party to undertake responsibilities previously held by the Government, such as land acquisition, project finance, design, construction, operation and ownership. This method, in its most complete form is represented by the turnkey and package deal options, whereby the client is uninvolved for the majority of the project and presented with the completed building. However, it is desirable to have an independent third party (usually an Architect) for the purpose of quality control. Without a third party, the contractor, who is hired to complete the project promptly and economically, also has the task of assessing the quality and quantity of its own work. Hence, the contractor has a potential conflict of interest and is likely to reduce quality in order to satisfy the clients other requirements. With the presence of a third-party, the client/owners interests are represented during the design and construction. Clients choose Design and Build contracts as usually a fixed price and contract sum can be negotiated. The client specifies the maximum price it is willing to pay for the project before it solicits a proposal from the Design and Build contractor for its specifications, configuration and materials. However, difficulty can arise when there is an increase in the cost of work and construction. The contractor can sometimes abuse the situation by recouping costs in other areas of the project and without a third party, the client finds it far more difficult to detect and control such situations than in a traditional contact form. Therefore, most Design and Build contracts are lump-sum and fixed price, but payments are completed on a cost-plus basis to facilitate potential increases in cost. Also, payments tend to be dependant on the achievement of project milestones. This allows the contractors progress to be measured and assessed by the client, allowing easier negotiation in terms of compe nsation where costs have significantly increased under a fixed-price contract. However, the Design and Build route is not without potential problems. Many architects, clients, building owners and contractors have varying opinions about the successes of this procurement type. The following points are amongst the potential disadvantages to using Design and Build in the public-sector. If a public-sector client chooses the Design and Build procurement path it is difficult to actively compare preliminary proposals from multiple contractors. The contractor is only responsible for satisfying the clients performance specification; therefore the designs may be wide-ranging in aesthetic and prioritise different issues depending on the contractors individual stand-point. As in the turnkey approach, the client or eventual building owner has little input into the design and final appearance of the building and as such, may be unsatisfied with the result. Also, as the contract is entered into by negotiation rather than competitive tendering, the client may not always achieve the lowest cost for the building. Therefore, unlike the traditional route, if a client wants to attract multiple preliminary proposals, they must provide an individual consideration for each contractor that submits a design package. This is a cost often overlooked in debating the value of Traditional vs. Design and Build procurement, as these fees are separated from the contract sum in the case of Design and Build. Another problem with tendering a Design and Build contract is the potential for the building to become a competition in under-design. Contractors will seek to meet the clients outline requirements whilst sacrificing quality, life-span, ease of maintenance, and value in a bid to offer the minimum price. In placing responsibility for both the design and construction in the contractors hands, the client forfeits control. Therefore the client has little input in assessing sub-standard work, claiming for variations, debating extensions of time or even using a termination clause due to excessive delay. To combat against this, it is again advisable to use a third-party design professional who can check the value and realism of the tendered bid. However, the monetary and time savings inherent to Design and Build contracts then become nominal as the time-period and expertise needed by the third-party to check the work of the contractor is both expensive and time-consuming. Such a third party can be appointed independently by the client, or be appointed through consultant switch or novation if they are the original designer/design team. Also, contractors seek to recoup the outlay of unsuccessful tenders with their successful tenders; therefore, the client will always pay a small premium for the work of their chosen contractor. Another disadvantage to the Design and Build arrangement is the difficulty of obtaining long-term contractual protection in terms of the suitability of the work. Many contractors use contracts where such insurance is prohibitively expensive and resultantly, commercially unviable for the client. Therefore, it is the clients responsibility to be aware of the extent of coverage of the contractors liability insurance. In the event of a defect in the design or construction of the project, the client may be unable to recuperate anything if the contractors insurance coverage or assets are insufficient to pay compensation, regardless of whether liability can be determined. Public sector clients often choose the Design and Build procurement route as the available financial resources of a contractor are normally greater than that of the professional individual or architectural practice, in the event of a post-completion failure. A potential problem with liability can arise when the Design and Build contractor hires an Architect as a sub-consultant. Most contractors professional indemnity insurance does not cover damages caused by defective design or specifications prepared by the Architect. Conversely, the Architects professional indemnity insurance does not cover damages caused by defective labour, materials or operations during the contractors construction process. Therefore, the contractor offers a warranty for an agreed (but usually limited) time-period based on the notion of negligence. However, the commercial and financial pressures of the Design and Build contract compel the contractor to essentially under-design the building as far as possible making failures within the building an increased likelihood. As a result, there is often a need for litigation to define whether the economy of the project surpasses the expected level of professional responsibility at the time of design and construction. Therefore in order to protect their building, the client should seek to obtain a warranty that guarantees the completed building is suitable for its intended purpose, regardless of defects incurred by the contractor. In the public sector, Design and Build contracts are usually awarded on subjective criteria such as value, experience and qualification. The public sector in particular has developed contractor evaluation and selection policies that try to mitigate against the risk of such subjective judgments. In many cases this is achieved by awarding contracts based on a point-scoring system with the highest scorer being appointed. However, this discretional points system implemented by public managers offers little objectivity in determining the adequate point allocation for individual elements of the proposed scheme. For instance, there is hardly any way to decide whether one contractors foundation system warrants 20 points or a different contractors warrants 22, it is completely subjective. Also the criteria used for marking generally do not relate to the specific building type, therefore analysing a contractors qualifications and experience presents a measure of competence but does not guarant ee a successful project outcome. There is also difficulty in reasonably comparing alternative design proposals in an effort to determine which represents the best value. For example, some contractors may offer higher quality plumbing whilst others offer better electrical systems. Therefore it is impossible to draw reasonable conclusions from dissimilar bids in terms of which proposal offers best value. Often, value can only be determined after the building has been completed. In conclusion, public owners look for procurement systems that meet the needs of the public whilst mitigating against legal problems and reducing administrative burden. The public-sector has favoured the Design and Build approach as the client can guarantee a total fixed project cost early in the process and the building can be constructed in a shorter time-period with more efficiency than other procurement systems. The contract type also allows an exploration of new solutions through an open dialogue between architect and contractor, in which the public benefit from the innovation and lower costs. As a result, the public-sectors involvement with Design and Build has increased over recent years. Fundamentally, the public requires its construction projects to be durable, environmental, functional and most importantly, fit for purpose. At the same time, it expects the government funded projects to represent good value and be economic in nature. Therefore, the public itself has little involvement or interest in which procurement system is utilised, however, they expect each project to fulfill its stated requirements within its allocated budget. It is the view of the public-sector, that Design and Build is the system best equipped to meet the publics expectations and provide the most transparent value for projects that are ultimately funded by the tax-payer. Bibliography Lupton S. Architects Job Book. (RIBA Enterprises 7th ed.) Chappell D Wills A. The Architect in Practice. (Blackwell Publishing 10th ed.) ARB. Architects Code: Standards of Conduct and Practice. (November 2002) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_and_Build http://www.lao.ca.gov/2005/design_build/design_build_020305.htm

Loving v. Virginia Essay -- Miscegenation

Miscegenation: Noun; Marriage, cohabitation, or sexual relations between two members of two separate races. Most commonly used in reference to relations between African Americans and Caucasian Americans (blacks and whites.) In 1960’s nearly 4 out of every 225 marriages was interracial. This was frowned upon in the early to mid 1900’s and this is what two people, Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving had to face. Racial indifference or a racial supremacy has been an issue in America as long as it has existed. It began with the Native Americans on this soil we thrive on today. The whites of the time pushed the Natives of what land they could and fooled them off of the rest of it. They took their children, and tried to conform them into a race they were not, and never would be. From there on, our nation grew larger and more independent. In 1619, 127 years after North America had been discovered, a Dutch man traded his cargo of Africans for food. This gave our nation its first g roup of â€Å"servants.† The uproar of slavery did not start until the 1680’s as far as the records show. The idea of slavery gave some, not all, Caucasian Americans the idea that they were better than the blacks who worked for them. Mind sets like these set the ball in motion for anti-miscegenation laws. 41out of our 50 states had these laws at one time, leaving only 9 states without ever having an anti-miscegenation law. These states being: Alaska, Hawaii, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and New Jersey. 15 of these states abolished these laws only after the Loving V. Virginia case which was ruled on the 12th of June, 1967. That day, this couple got what they had wanted more than anything. They’re home back and their love to be a... ...icant. This one for many families today is very important. These cases are also the reason why during a census you have the opportunity to check multiple races, instead of just one. This case stirred debates of gay marriage, which is a matter of personal opinion. It is up to you whether that is a pro or a con. As we can now see, Loving v. Virginia opened plenty of doors. It took a couple that were strong and would not be beat down by hearing their marriage was illegal or how wrong they were. Richard and Mildred Loving did what every interracial couple wanted to do; make a difference. The couple gained the right to move back to their home with their families, to stay in their hometown peacefully, and to hang their marriage license on the wall and know that it is now recognized by every state. Race made no difference to them, it shouldn’t to anyone else either.

Mattel Inc. Stock :: essays research papers fc

Mattel Inc. (MAT) The Mattel Company, best known for its Barbie dolls, is the world's largest toy maker. In March 1997, it acquired Tyco toys the third largest U.S.-based toy maker. Its product lines include Fisher-Price and Sesame Street preschool items, Disney-related products and Hot Wheel miniature vehicles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They type of industry Mattel is located under, is dolls and stuffed toys, although they have other types of products such as Hot Wheels. This company is under monopolistic competition. They sell their products in many stores, such as Toys ‘R Us, KB Toys, K-Mart, Walmart, and others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some of Mattel’s competitors include Marvel Enterprises Inc. and Hasbro Inc. Marvel Enterprises (formerly Toy Biz) publishes comics based on more than 3,500 characters including Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, and the X-Men. The company, North America's top comic publisher through its Marvel Entertainment subsidiary, also makes action figures, games, and puzzles based primarily on its Marvel characters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hasbro is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys, games, interactive software, puzzles and infant products. Included in its offerings are games, traditional board and card, hand-held electronic and interactive CD-ROM, and puzzles, preschool, boys' action and girls' toys, dolls, plush products and infant products.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The company’s business activities include many things. The standards address a wide spectrum of issues, ranging from on-the-job concerns, such as factory lighting, air quality and health care facilities, to acceptable parameters for dormitories and recommendations for recreational programs. They serve as the principles by which Mattel's internal and independent monitoring programs are measured around the world. While the development of a code of conduct/manufacturing principles is essential to success, enforcement of the code is equally as important. Mattel has initiated an extensive three-stage auditing process, which is overseen by an independent monitoring council, to thoroughly inspect both the company's owned-and-operated facilities around the world, as well as those of all core contractors. If a contractor facility is either unable or unwilling to work with Mattel in order to meet and maintain its standards, however, Mattel will discontinue the workin g relationship.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I think that the stock price rose due to the company flourishing. Mattel has many extraordinary products that have been around for years, and many more to come. This company seems very stable. They keep their customers happy and keep them coming back for more. Now that the holidays are coming near, I predict that the company will do very well and the stock will go up once again.

French and Russian Revolutions :: European Europe History

French and Russian Revolutions Both the French and Russian revolutions occurred because of two main reasons. Both of these revolutions were the direct results of bad leadership and a bad economy. These two reasons along with other factors caused both of these revolutions. Although they were both similar, they also had differences. A difference between the two is that the Russians had an unsuccessful "pre-revolution" in 1905. Another difference between these two revolutions is the fact that the French turned towards a democracy while the Russian government became communist. In 1905 , Russia had a prerevolution that was put down of the Czar. Instead of learning from this prerevolution, Czar Nicholas II, made a very big mistake by in not introducing some reforms to correct the problems. So because of his actions, the situation grew worse. In 1917, the Russians were fighting in World War I. A good majority of the Russian people were weary and uncontent with the way the war was going and with the Czar's rule. This uncontent along with economic hardships caused riots and demonstrations to break out. The Czar called for the army to put down the revolution as they did in 1905. But the army joined the revolt and the Czar was kicked out of power soon afterwards. A temporary government was set up to decide on what kind of government Russia was gonna set up. Two political parties were set up. The Bolsheviks were one of the two. The leader of the Bolshevik party was a man named Lenin. Lenin was a firm believer of the theories and ideas of Karl Marx. So with his slo gan of "Bread, Peace and Land", Lenin gained the support of the peasants and gained control of Russia and setup a communist state. The French revolution was also caused by a bad ruler and a bad economy. During the early 1780's a big percent of annual budget went towards king Louis XVI's lavish estate at Versailles. France also had no central bank, no paper currency, no ways of getting more money, and an out-dated tax system which only taxed the poor who had no money to begin with. Signs of revolution first appeared when the peasants stormed the fortress known as the Bastille looking for gun powder. The Bastille incident set off revolts all over France and Louis was soon deposed afterwards.A democratic goverment was setup in place of the old monarcy.

Value Chain of Tesco

â€Å"To further the analysis of competitive advantage, Michael Porter introduced the value chain as a tool to examine the activities of a business. † As seen in figure 2, â€Å"Porter distinguished a firm’s support activities from its operational or primary activities. †(Book) [pic][pic] Support Activities Firm Infrastructure Human Resource Management Peta Hay, Director of the Tesco Academy, commented: â€Å"We believe it is more important than ever to invest in our people as Tesco continues to expand both geographically and into new business sectors.Tesco has a proven track record of both nurturing internal talent and successfully attracting external senior executives†. (7) Technology Development Procurement Primary Activities Inbound Logistics The overall cost leadership strategic management of Tesco is exhibited in its lean and agile inbound logistics function. Drawing upon Abeysinghe (2010), the company uses its leading market position and economies o f scope as key bargaining powers to achieve low costs from its suppliers.The analysts have also highlighted the constant upgrading of their ordering system, approved vendor lists, and in-store processes to induce effectiveness and efficiency into the company’s inbound logistics operations. Operations Management Tesco has been praised by a number of supply chain management critics for its effective use of IT systems that facilitate the company’s low cost leadership strategy. According to Tesco (2010), the company has invested over ? 76 million in streamlining its operations through their Tesco Digital program, which is a third generation ERP solution for the company. The company has achieved ? 50 million in increased profitability during 2009 alone due to the introduction of this system. This company -wide ERP system has also facilitated the minimisation of stock holdings within the company. Outbound Logistics Tesco holds leadership position in online and offline food r etail segments, which is due to its efficient and effective outbound logistics. Drawing upon Mintel (2010), the company has developed a range of store formats and types, which are strategically placed to achieve maximum customer exposure. These formats include Express, Metro, Superstores, Extra and Homeplus, which are segmented according to the target population.Marketing and Sales Loyalty programs like Tesco Clubcard are being introduced through information technology advances which dissuade the customers from switching over to their competitors. Tesco has introduced its Greener Living Scheme to give consumers advice on environmental issues, including how to reduce food waste and their carbon footprint when preparing meals . Services Tesco has been pursuing a dual strategy of cost leadership and differentiation, which has led to an increased importance placed on customer service.Drawing upon Keynote (2010), this dual strategy is exhibited through the development of self-service kio sks, financial services, focused direct marketing and promotions. In order to put Tesco’s value chain analysis into perspective, it should be noted that despite cost leadership strategy the company has been able to create a high degree of value in comparison with its key competitors. The relative analysis of the value created by the big four supermarket chains, i. e. , Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons has been provided as follows:

Inputs Diagnosis Whole Foods Essay

The range of competitors within the overall industry include chain and independent supermarkets (Krogers, Safeway, others); mass merchandisers and super centers (Wal-mart,Target); convenience stores; wholesale clubs (Sam’s); restaurants and fast food chains andnatural food stores (Whole Foods, Wild Oats Generally the concentration of competitors has been fragmented by geography. However, through recent consolidations, the emergence of regional and national chains has started to prevail along with the decline of the independent/local shops. This consolidation activity has allowed many companies to spread their fixed costs over a wider range of output, thus creating more efficiency in operations. Often, it is cheaper for a company to acquire an incumbent due to the location of their stores and access to customers rather than to raise the capital for entirely new stores, which is how Whole Foods has been able to expand following their growth model strategy. Whole Foods acquisitio n growth plan has helped them to gain enough economies of scale to better compete with the Wal-marts and Sam’s Clubs. Threat of Substitutes Price of substitutes plays a role in determining a company’s profitability. Organic food is priced at a premium to conventional food reflecting the high labor costs in cultivating the product. The price premium may be one reason why organic food has not become mainstream. Another reason is that consumers either lack education about its benefits (or don’t care) so that the price premium does not appear to be justified. However, when comparing upscale organic and prepared foods to competitors such as restaurants, the benefit/cost ratio appears more justified. Market research conducted shows that â€Å"20 percent of shoppers as dedicated to healthy eating†.(PRNEWSWIRE, 2013) These shoppers tend to be better educated, more affluent, couples or singles without children, and generally in better physical shape than the rest of the population. These individuals that actively seek out health and nutritional information, are younger to middle aged, and have medium to high household incomes. Thus, this market segment likely has a higher propensity to substitute than the segment above, but still is probably lower than the overall market. In total, the organic segment of the market has captured â€Å"73 percent of consumers as of 2008†.(QSRMAGAZINE, 2013) Buyer Power The retail grocery market is typically considered somewhat resistant to economic downturns, thus, to some degree, consumers’ food budgets are price insensitive. However, there is risk that consumers will switch from high quality / high margin stores to mass merchandisers (Walmart, Shop N Save) to stretch declining incomes further in a downturn market. Furthermore, while individual consumers typically lack significant buyer power to affect the specific prices of products, collectively, they can exert influence on retailers to sell or not sell specific types of products. Supplier Power The organic food suppliers are not highly concentrated, so natural food retailers have some power over them. Also, the natural food retailers may have the ability to backward integrate with partnerships and joint ventures with local growers. In addition, there is a trend for top conventional food manufacturers to invest in national/organic food companies as shown by the following excerpt * Kraft (NYSE: KFT ) : Boca Foods, Back to Nature * PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP ) : Naked Juice * General Mills (NYSE: GIS ) : Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen * Dean Foods: Horizon, The Organic Cow of Vermont, Alta Dena, White Wave/Silk * ConAgra (NYSE: CAG ) : Lightlife, Alexia Foods * Kellogg (NYSE: K ) : Morningstar Farms, Kashi, Gardenburger, Bear Naked * Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO ) : Odwalla * M&M Mars: Seeds of Change * Hain Celestial (Nasdaq: HAIN ) : Nile Spice, Health Valley, Bearitos, Earth’s Best, Walnut Acres (FOOL, 2013) Thus, the larger number of suppliers of organic products, the less influence one supplier can have in the market. Threat of New Entry Because the retail grocery market is typically low margin, â€Å"typically in the mid-single digit range†.(VALUELINE, 2013) It is critical for companies to have some type of cost advantage over peers, the larger chains may be able to obtain better and cheaper access to products than the independent stores(economies of scale). Labor is also a significant cost to retail grocers, representing 50% to 53% of total operating costs (EHOW, 2013). Other operating costs (including rent, utilities, transportation, and technology) are controllable by the company. Lastly, technology costs are key in the retail grocery industry in order to increase efficiency in operations and aid marketing aids. Point-of-sale systems can help to increase inventory turnover and sales and lead to better targeted customer marketing (COUNTERPOINTPOS, 2013) Other areas that affect new entry into a market include capital requirements, economies of scale, and brand identity. All of these factors have been discussed to some degree under other forces. Retaliation by incumbent competitors is an important element in determining the threat of new entry. Specifically, Whole Foods faces a threat from conventional supermarkets and mass merchandisers who may move to carry organic products within their stores. CONGRUENCE MODEL In conducting the Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model, of Whole Foods Market’s inputs and how they align with the strategy. I have resubmitted the model for your review The congruence model has four modals for analysis: 1. Inputs – resources used by the organization but also its history and its social, economic and market position. Resources include people, technology, capital and reputation 2. Strategies – what strategies best match the inputs to produce and how to produce those outputs from the available inputs. 3. Organizational components – allows the analyst to isolate the individual influences and adjust them for a good fit 4. Performance -include the ability to pinpoint where performance is not adequate and to trace the reason back to a lack of congruence in the model’s part (SMALLBUSINESS 2013) The model is good for input diagnosis and it can be broken down with the following steps: TASKS The work itself does not need any specific skill set or knowledge except to be as personable as possible and like dealing with people. While there are materialistic rewards to working at whole Foods the other reward is the ability to have a vote in how things happen in the company. Whole Foods runs on â€Å"democratic capitalism; where all of the work is teamwork.†(Fastcompany, 2013) the system itself tends to creative while at the same time it is mechanistic as everything has to be in its correct spot just so-so. The work flows from the top down with a healthy response for the department teams. The department teams have the sole discretionary right to hire and approve new hires which upper management screens first. The work is through, caring and precise. The teams are interdependent as they are all an integral part of the stores success as a whole together. PEOPLE The people of Whole Foods are a team oriented group with a single mindedness to have their store succeed with a democratic disciplined outlook. Most of the employees are young, well-educated individuals whose participation reinforces attention to performance and profit. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE: The organization is set up as a virtuous circle which has a two way avenue to company policies to improve the company’s bottom line. Whole Foods has a knack to please their customers and every employee is empowered to correct as discrepancy that is brought to their attention by a customer. Each department is s3et up as a team which has a direct bearing on bonuses through â€Å"gainsharing†. (Fastcompany, 2013) Sales per labor hour the productivity metric at Whole Foods, democracy reinforces discipline. If someone doesn’t do the work and gets a poor rating then the team suffers in lost bonus money. Culture People work as a team to get the product out the door and keep customers happy and returning for repeat business. With that said the company’s success is driven by their employee’s attention to detail and satisfying the customer. Whole Foods has open salary concept where everyone knows what everybody else makes salary and bonuses. Also every store knows what another store is doing in sales, salary and bonuses. With that being known an individual wanting to transfer to another store or state knows what that store is doing financially and is able to make a well informed decision as to what to do with their career. There appears to be no political intrigue involved with the company and the â€Å"Hill† as most of the food wholesale segment is already tightly monitored as far as food safety and other regulation. The above listed modals are in in alignment with the major strength of Whole Foods in comparison to the Congruence model and Porters Five Forces Model. Their strength is the fact tht they can withstand entry of new competition due to their market chare and market segmentation. While company’s can enter into the retail food market they would be hard pressed to copy Whole foods business strategy in empowering their employees and making it work as far as satisfying their customers and meeting Whole Foods profit margin. Porter’s five forces strength model aligns quite well with the resources modal of the congruence model and several of the segments blur as everything is not cut and dried and able to be placed in the puzzle of what is Whole Foods. As a whole the strategies under the congruence and Porters model align with the complete Porter’s Five Forces Model well to give a rounded view of what Whole Foods is and what they can do if they stick to their mission statement and core values. Under the restraints of this report all of the congruence segments critical to the analysis as broken down the model reinforce Porters with their strength segment. As listed above the three input factors complement each other in regards to the strengths of the company as a whole. Also if you review my earlier reports all of my suppositions are supported and well documented as to how Whole Foods supports its marketing style and fills a niche with customers in search of alternatives to non-natural food stuffs.. References Percent health food consumers retrieved February 2013 from http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-survey-shows-shoppers-eating-more-meals-at-home-cooking-meals-to-save-money-62056997.html Flat Lining Organics retrieved February 2013 from http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-survey-shows-shoppers-eating-more-meals-at-home-cooking-meals-to-save-money-62056997.html Investing in organics retrieved February 2013 from http://www.fool.com/investing/high-growth/2009/01/16/investing-in-organics.aspx Retail grocery market industry analysis retrieved February 2013 from http://www.valueline.com/Stocks/Industry_Report.aspx?id=7243 calculate food

Night World : Black Dawn Chapter 6

Because there's no point. She's as good as dead already.† Jeanne's expression was as hard andclosedas it had been in the beginning. â€Å"But – â€Å" â€Å"Can't you see? She'd slow us down. There's noway she could run without help. And besides that,P.J. says she's blind.† Blind. A new little shock went though Maggie.What would that be like, to be in this situation andsick and blind on top of it? She tugged on the girl's shoulder gently, tryingto see the averted face. But she's beautiful. The girl had smooth skin the color of coffee with cream, delicate features, high cheekbones, perfectlips. Her black hair was pulled into a loose, glossyknot on her neck. Her eyes were shut, long eye lashes tremblingas if she were dreaming. It was more than just the physical features,though. There was a serenity about this girl's face,a gentleness and stillness that was †¦ unique. â€Å"Hey, there,† Maggie said softly. â€Å"Can you hearme? I'm Maggie. What's your name?† The girl's eyelashes fluttered; her lips parted. ToMaggie's surprise, she murmured something. Maggie had to lean down close to catch it. â€Å"Arcadia?† she repeated. It was a strange name; she wasn't sure she'd heard right. The girl seemed to nod, murmuring again. She can hear me, Maggie thought. She canrespond. â€Å"Okay. Can I call you Cady? Listen to me, Cady.†Maggie shook the girl's shoulder slightly. â€Å"We're ina bad place but we're going to try to escape. If we help you out, do you think you can run?† Again, the eyelashes fluttered. Then the eyesopened. Doe eyes, Maggie thought, startled. They wereextraordinarily large and clear, a warm brown withan inner radiance. And they might be blind, butMaggie had the oddest sensation that she had justbeen seen more clearly than ever before in her life. â€Å"I'll try,† Cady murmured. She sounded dazedand in pain, but quietly rational. â€Å"Sometimes I feelstrong for a little while.† She pushed herself up. Maggie had to help her get into a sitting position. She's tall. But she's pretty light†¦and I've gotgood muscles. I can support her. â€Å"What are you doing?†Jeanne said in a voice thatwas not just harsh and impatient but horrified. â€Å"Don't you see? You're only making it worse. You should just have let her sleep.† Maggie glanced up. â€Å"Look. I don't know whatyou're thinking, but we can't leave anybody with them. How would you like to be left behind if itwas you?† Jeanne's face changed. For a moment, she lookedmore like a savage animal than a girl. â€Å"I'd understand,† she snarled. â€Å"Because that's the way it has to be. It's the law of the jungle, here. Only strongpeople survive. The weak ones †¦ .†She shook her head. â€Å"They're better off dead. And the faster youlearn that, the more chance you'll have.† Maggie felt a spurt of horror and anger-and,fear. Because Jeanne clearly knew the most about this place, and Jeanne might be right. They mightall get caught because of one weak person who wouldn't make it anyway†¦. She turned and looked at the lovely face again.Arcadia was Miles's age, eighteen or nineteen. And although she seemed to hear what Jeanne was say ing-she'd turned her face that way-she didn'tspeak or argue. She didn't lose her still gentleness, either. I can't leave her. What if Miles is alive but hurtsomewhere, and somebody won't help him? Maggie shot a glance at P.J. in her baseball cap.She was young-she might be able to take care ofherself, but that was all. â€Å"Look, this isn't your problem,† she finally saidto Jeanne. â€Å"You just help P.J. get away safe, okay?You take care of her, and III be responsible for Cady.† â€Å"You'll be caught with Cady,† Jeanne said flatly.†Don't worry about it.† â€Å"I'm not. And I'm telling you right now; I'm notgoing to help you if you get in trouble.† â€Å"I don't want you to,† Maggie said. She lookedright into Jeanne's angry eyes. â€Å"Really. I don't wantto wreck your chances, okay? But I'm not going toleave her.† Jeanne looked furious for another moment; thenshe shrugged. All the emotion drained from herface as if she were deliberately distancing herself.The bond she and Maggie had shared for that brief moment was severed. She turned, looked through a crack behind her,then turned back. â€Å"Fine,† she said in a dull, indifferent tone. â€Å"Whatever you're going to do, you'd better get ready todo it now. Because the place is coming right up.† â€Å"Ready?† Maggie said. They were all standing-or crouching, actually,since there wasn't room to straighten up-withtheir backs against the walls of the cart. Jeanneand P.J. on one side, Maggie on the other, with Cady in the corner. â€Å"When I say go, you guys jump over here. Thenall of us throw ourselves back that way,† Maggie whispered. Jeanne was peering out of the crack. â€Å"Okay, thisis it,† she said. â€Å"Now.† Maggie said,†Go!† She had been a little worried that P.J. would freeze. But the moment the word was out of Maggie's mouth, Jeanne launched herself across thecart, crashing heavily into her, and P.J. followed. ThecartrockedsurprisinglyhardandMaggieheard the groan of wood. â€Å"Back!† she yelled, and everybody lunged the other way. Maggie hit a solid wall and knew shewould have bruises, but the cart rocked again. â€Å"Come on!† she yelled, and realized that they were all already coming on, throwing themselvesto the other side in perfect sync. It was as if someflocking instinct had taken over and they were all three moving as one, throwing their weight alter nately back and forth. And the cart was responding, grinding to a halt and lurching off balance. It was like one of thoseparty tricks where five or six people each use only two fingers to lift someone on a chair. Their combined force was impressive. But not enough to tip the cart over. It was surprisingly well-balanced. And at any minute, Maggie realized, the people driving it were going to jumpout and put a stop to it. â€Å"Everybody-come on! Really hard! Really hard!†She was yelling as if she were encouraging her soccer team. â€Å"We've got to do it, now.† She launched herself at the other side as the cartbegan to sway that way, jumping as highas shecould, hitting the wallas it reached the farthestpoint of its rock. She could feel the other girlsflinging themselves with her, she could hear Jeanne giving a primal yell as she crashed into the wood. And then there was a splintering sound, amazingly loud, amazingly long. A sort of groaning and shrieking that came from the wood itself, and aneven louder scream of panic that Maggie realizedmust have come from the horses. The whole world was,Run, Maggie thought. Stop looking now. Run. She ran into the forest, dragging Cady with her. They had to find a place to hide – underbrush or something. Maybe they could climb a tree†¦. But one look at Cady and she realized how stupid thatidea was. The smooth skin of the girl's facewas clammy and luminous with sweat, her eyeswere half shut, and her chest was heaving. At least Jeanne and P.J. got away, Maggiethought. Just then there was a crashing behind her, and a voice cursing. Maggie threw another glance backand found herself staring at a man's figure in the mist. A scary man. The mist swirling behind him madehim look eerie, supernatural, but it was more thanthat. He was huge,with shouldersasbroad as a two-by-four, a massive chest, and heavily muscledarms. His waist was surprisingly narrow. His face was cruel. â€Å"Gavin! I've got two of them!† he shouted.Maggie didn't wait to hear more. She took offlike a black-tailed deer. And for a long time after that it was just a nightmare of running and being chased, stopping sometimes when she couldn't hold Cady up anymore, looking for places to hide. At one point, she andCady were pressed together inside a hollow tree,trying desperately to get their breath back withoutmaking a sound, when their pursuers passed right by them. Maggie heard the crunch and squish offootsteps on ferns and started praying. She couldfeel Cady's heart beating hard, shaking them both, she realized that Cady's lips were moving soundlessly. Maybe she's praying, too, Maggie thought,t, andapplied her eye to a crack in the tree. There were two people there, horribly close, justa few feet away. One was the man she'd seen before he was doing something bizarre, somethingthat sent chills up her spine. He was turning his face this way and that with his eyes shut, his head twisting on a surprisingly long and supple neck. As if he's smellingus out, Maggie thought, horrified. Eyes still shut, the man said, â€Å"Do you sense anything?† â€Å"No. I can't feel them at all. And I can't see them,with these trees for cover.† It was a younger manwho spoke, a boy really. He must be Gavin, Maggiethought. Gavin had dark blond hair, a thin nose, a sharp chin. His voice was impatient. â€Å"I can't feel them either,† the big man said flatly,refusing to be hurried. â€Å"And that's strange. Theycan't have gotten too far away. They must beblocking us.† â€Å"I don't care what they're doing,† Gavin said.†We'd better get them back fast. It's not like theywere ordinary slaves. If we don tdeliver that maiden we're dead. You're dead, Bern.† Maiden? Maggie thought. I guess in a placewhere they have slaves it's not weird to talk aboutmaidens. But which girl does he mean? Not me;I'm not important. â€Å"We'll get her back,† Bern was saying. â€Å"We'd better,† Gavin said viciously. â€Å"Or I'm goingto tell her that it was your fault. We were supposedto make sure this didn't happen.† â€Å"It hasn't happened yet,† Bern said. He turned onhis heel and walked into the mist. Gavin staredafter him for a moment, and then followed. Maggie let out her breath. She realized that Cady's lips had stopped moving. â€Å"Let's go,† she whispered, and took off in the opposite direction to the one the men had gone. Then there was a time of endless running andpausing and listening and hiding. The forest was aterrible place. Around them was eerie twilight,made even spookier by the mist that lay in hollowsand crept over fallen trees. Maggie felt as if she were in some awful fairy tale. The only good thingwas that the dampness softened their footsteps,making it hard to track them. But it was so quiet. No ravens, no gray jays. No deer. Just the mist and the trees, going on forever.And then it ended. Maggie and Cady suddenly burst out into an-.other meadow. Maggie gavea frantic glancearound, looking for shelter. Nothing. The mist was thinner here, she could see that there were no trees ahead, only an outcrop of rocks. Maybe we should double back†¦. But the voices were shouting in the forest behind them. Above the rocks was a barren ledge. It lookedlike the end of a path, winding the other way down the mountain. If we could get there, we'd be safe, Maggiethought. We could be around the corner in a minute, and out of sight. Dragging Cady, she headed for the rocks. Theydidn't belong here; they were huge granite boulders deposited by some ancient glacier. Maggie clambered up the side of one easily, then leaned down. â€Å"Give me your hand,† she said rapidly. â€Å"There sa path up above us, but we've got to climb a little.† Cady looked at her. Or-not looked, Maggie supposed. But she turned her face toward Maggie, and once again Maggie had the odd feeling that those blind eyescould somehow see better than most people's. â€Å"You should leave me,† Cady said. â€Å"Don't be stupid,† Maggie said. â€Å"Hurry up, giveme your hand.† Cady shook her head. â€Å"You go,† she said quietly.She seemed completely rational-and absolutely exhausted. She hadn't lost the tranquility whichhad infused her from the beginning, but now itseemed mixed with a gentle resignation. Her fineboned face was drawn with weariness. â€Å"I`ll justslow you down. And if I stay here, you'll have moretime to get away.† â€Å"I'm not going to leave you!† Maggie snapped.†Come on!† Arcadia remained for just a second, her faceturned up to Maggie's, then her clear and luminousbrown eyes filled. Her expression was one of inexpressible tenderness. Then she shook her headslightly and grabbed Maggie's hand-very accurately. Maggie didn't waste. time. She climbed as fastasshe could, pulling Cady, rapping out breathless instructions. But the delay had cost them. She could hear the men getting nearer. And when she reached the far end of the pile ofboulders she saw something that sent shock waves through her system. She was looking up a barren cliff face. There wasno connection from the rocks to the ledge above.And below her, the hillside dropped off steeply, ahundred feet down into a gorge. She'd led Cady right into a trap. There was nowhere else to go.