Discussion and Lab Questions Essay

Discussion Questions: Who is someone that you feel you have a positive relationship with? What role do you think openness and truthfulness have in making this relationship positive?- I think that I have a positive relationship with my high school coach because she is always there for me if I need something and she listens to what’s have to say. Even though she is older then I am, I feel like we are best friends and we understand each other. I think they have an effect on the relationship because without trust and being open with them, they maybe will not trust you and May have a hard time believing what you are saying. What effects do you think the various types of media (TV, Internet, newspapers, Facebook, etc†¦) have on your own life and your family? Do you think the overall effect is negative or positive? How can parents reduce the negative effects?-I think it has a big effect on the family because everyone is always on their phone and you never are able to have a family discussion on how things are doing. They are always focused on the internet, tv, phones, etc. 5.09 Lab Questions: 1.How can parents avoid temper tantrums?- Parents can avoid temper tantrums by having a plan for when they are put into this situation. 2.What are the A, B, Cs?- The A is attribute and that is what you would want your child to learn. The B is the behavior that you want your child to accommodate with what you have learned. C is the compassion that you want your child to compare with their behavior. 3.Do you think using consequences and following the ABC process will help shape a child’s behavior? Why or why not?- I do think that the ABC process with help as long as the consequence is related to what they did and will make a difference. The child will also realize that you are serious and will want the consequences to stop to change their behavior. 1.What are some of the reasons why people may not talk to babies as much  today as they used to?- They probably don’t talk to them as much because the parenting structures have changed and people now are much too busy. 2.Why do you think developing language skills is important for a child? – I think developing language skills is important because it affects their ability to make friends, be sociable and emotionally good people. 3.What are some of the ways that parents can encourage the development of language skills? – Parents can encourage the development of language skills by communicating with their child and listening to them so that they can practice and not feel as stressed when they talk to people.

Nike Inc

Kim Ford, the portfolio manager, outstanding performance of the fund. In order to evaluate Nikkei as a viable choice, Kim has to calculate the cost of capital for the company and make sure assumptions are a direct function from the estimates. The cost of capital calculation or WAC helps to see if an investment is worthwhile to undertake. However, the assumptions made to calculate WAC, in this case, are the underlying problem because some of the assumptions made are incorrect. Analysis Nikkei held a meeting to discuss company performance at 2011 end of fiscal year.In the meeting, management discussed their strategy to improve revenues and net income by developing more athletic shoe products in the misplaced segment of selling shoes at $70-$90 a pair. The company also planned to increase sales for its apparel line, which it had performed really well lately. Management was also concern in the drop of market share from 48%, in 1997, to 42% in 2000. Nikkei was also committed to make an ef fort in controlling company expenses more diligently. Yet, Nine's investment value was not clear to Kim Ford. Analysts' reports had mixed recommendations about the value of the company.Some analysts were recommending buying the stock and some others were recommending holding the stock. Different recommendations were based on the company's declining performance and the proposed strategies to improve the same. Weakening revenues and net income since 1997 are displayed in their firm's consolidated statement showing an improvement in the later years as well. Therefore, Ford had to run her own calculations. Kim Ford performed a discounted cash flow forecast that resulted in a 12% discount rate with an overvalued estimate for Nikkei at the current share price.Ford also performed a quick sensitivity analysis that showed Nikkei was undervalued. Ford figured the best way to make a choice about Nikkei is by calculating the cost of capital cause Nikkei is financed through equity and debt. Ford asked her assistant, Johanna Cohen, to estimate Nine's cost of capital. WAC is the cost of capital for a firm as a whole and can be interpreted as the required return on the overall firm (Ross, Westfield & Jordan, 2010). Some of the assumptions made by Johanna Cohen in calculating the cost of capital are incorrect.As stated before, the correct assumptions are necessary in order to make the right choice. Johanna used the book values for equity and debt. While book values are acceptable values for debt at times, book values for equity are not. Book values may be important from an accounting point of view but market values are forward looking. Therefore, Johanna should have calculated the equity market value. The debt market value calculated by Johanna is also slightly incorrect. Johanna did not include Redeemable Preferred Stock in her calculation.Consequently, Cone's To figure out the cost of equity Johanna used CAMP, a widely used method. CAMP tells what to expect in regards to fut ure returns on a share of stock. Johanna did right by using this method; however, her calculations include an average for six years on Betas and it should be an average for five years, since the 6th year is not finished. In addition, the 5. 74% rate on 20- year treasury bonds is sufficient to use as the risk-free rate. The geometric mean for current equity risk premiums is more representative to use.Under the cost of debt calculation, Johanna missed a simpler way to calculate the cost of debt. â€Å"The cost of debt is simply the interest rate the firm must pay on new borrowing. For example, if the firm already has bonds outstanding, then the yield to maturity on those bonds is the market required rate on the firm's debt† (Ross et al, 2010). Johanna could have simply calculated the YET on Nine's bonds. Since some of Cone's assumptions are incorrect, the cost of capital calculation does not reflect an accurate result. Nike Inc Kim Ford, the portfolio manager, outstanding performance of the fund. In order to evaluate Nikkei as a viable choice, Kim has to calculate the cost of capital for the company and make sure assumptions are a direct function from the estimates. The cost of capital calculation or WAC helps to see if an investment is worthwhile to undertake. However, the assumptions made to calculate WAC, in this case, are the underlying problem because some of the assumptions made are incorrect. Analysis Nikkei held a meeting to discuss company performance at 2011 end of fiscal year.In the meeting, management discussed their strategy to improve revenues and net income by developing more athletic shoe products in the misplaced segment of selling shoes at $70-$90 a pair. The company also planned to increase sales for its apparel line, which it had performed really well lately. Management was also concern in the drop of market share from 48%, in 1997, to 42% in 2000. Nikkei was also committed to make an ef fort in controlling company expenses more diligently. Yet, Nine's investment value was not clear to Kim Ford. Analysts' reports had mixed recommendations about the value of the company.Some analysts were recommending buying the stock and some others were recommending holding the stock. Different recommendations were based on the company's declining performance and the proposed strategies to improve the same. Weakening revenues and net income since 1997 are displayed in their firm's consolidated statement showing an improvement in the later years as well. Therefore, Ford had to run her own calculations. Kim Ford performed a discounted cash flow forecast that resulted in a 12% discount rate with an overvalued estimate for Nikkei at the current share price.Ford also performed a quick sensitivity analysis that showed Nikkei was undervalued. Ford figured the best way to make a choice about Nikkei is by calculating the cost of capital cause Nikkei is financed through equity and debt. Ford asked her assistant, Johanna Cohen, to estimate Nine's cost of capital. WAC is the cost of capital for a firm as a whole and can be interpreted as the required return on the overall firm (Ross, Westfield & Jordan, 2010). Some of the assumptions made by Johanna Cohen in calculating the cost of capital are incorrect.As stated before, the correct assumptions are necessary in order to make the right choice. Johanna used the book values for equity and debt. While book values are acceptable values for debt at times, book values for equity are not. Book values may be important from an accounting point of view but market values are forward looking. Therefore, Johanna should have calculated the equity market value. The debt market value calculated by Johanna is also slightly incorrect. Johanna did not include Redeemable Preferred Stock in her calculation.Consequently, Cone's To figure out the cost of equity Johanna used CAMP, a widely used method. CAMP tells what to expect in regards to fut ure returns on a share of stock. Johanna did right by using this method; however, her calculations include an average for six years on Betas and it should be an average for five years, since the 6th year is not finished. In addition, the 5. 74% rate on 20- year treasury bonds is sufficient to use as the risk-free rate. The geometric mean for current equity risk premiums is more representative to use.Under the cost of debt calculation, Johanna missed a simpler way to calculate the cost of debt. â€Å"The cost of debt is simply the interest rate the firm must pay on new borrowing. For example, if the firm already has bonds outstanding, then the yield to maturity on those bonds is the market required rate on the firm's debt† (Ross et al, 2010). Johanna could have simply calculated the YET on Nine's bonds. Since some of Cone's assumptions are incorrect, the cost of capital calculation does not reflect an accurate result.

Describe What Your Role, Responsibilities and Boundaries Would Be as a Teacher or Trainer in Terms of the Teaching and Learning Cycle. How Might “Equality”, “Diversity” and “Inclusion” Impact on a Learner’s Experience?

PTLLS Assessment Describe what your role, responsibilities and boundaries would be as a teacher or trainer in terms of the teaching and learning cycle. How might â€Å"equality†, â€Å"diversity† and â€Å"inclusion† impact on a learner’s experience? Give examples from your own experience and research to support your assertions. â€Å"This submission is entirely my own work unless I have used quotation marks to indicate my reference to the work of others† As a teacher or trainer, there are a variety of roles and responsibilities that are important to consider. The main role of a teacher is to create a relaxed, comfortable learning environment for students to meet their learning needs. In many cases, the teacher’s role also involves delivery of specific content as defined by a curriculum, in order to prepare students for passing examination. As such one of the main responsibilities of the teacher is to be aware of any curriculum and examination requirements of a course. Another role of the teacher is to ensure that the lesson is inclusive of all learners and they are therefore responsible for recognising diversity within the group. This may include disabilities; language barriers and cultural differences. These roles and responsibilities would fall under the ‘identification of learners needs’ aspect of the teaching and learning cycle. This is a continual process and would necessarily be affected by other aspects of the cycle, particularly assessment and evaluation of the learning and teaching. This evaluation will constantly inform the teacher and will include such varied mediums as end of course evaluation sheets as well as simple observation of candidates demonstrating their knowledge and/or skills. It may be appropriate for candidates to meet certain assessment criteria or competencies throughout a course as part of this evaluation process. In my experience of teaching manual handling, I would expect leaners to be able to demonstrate specific manual handling, lifting, pushing and pulling skills during the course. Evaluation of previous courses and of the evolving requirements of students also helps to inform the planning and designing of lessons. In addition, the teacher is responsible for researching the subject area to ensure a wide, current knowledge base that will help when establishing credibility and professionalism, and then to develop a variety of interesting ways to deliver the content whilst ensuring a safe working environment for students. The teacher’s role is then to deliver the lesson content in a manner consistent with the learning styles and requirements of the delegates. These might include lecturing, large group discussion or case studies. In the past I have taught legislative considerations in regard to health and safety aspects of manual handling and use of display screen equipment and have used role play; small group work and case studies to try to accommodate different learning styles. Within all this, it is essential that the teacher establishes and maintains professional boundaries. These can be varied and quite different, depending on the context, the environment and the group or individual being taught, for example, a teacher teaching young children would have a different set of boundaries than a football coach coaching an adult football team. However, the teacher should always consider relevant legislation. This includes health and safety legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974; the Equality Act, 2010 and most relevant to the above example, child protection guidelines. On a more general level, establishing ground rules such as timekeeping and use of mobile phones is important in minimising disruption and allowing optimal delivery of course content. Promoting equality, embracing diversity and ensuring inclusion are essential components of an effective teaching strategy, if the goal of that strategy is to provide a positive, rewarding learning experience for all learners. â€Å"Equality is about the rights of learners to attend and participate, regardless of their gender, race, ethnic origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation and age†1. If a teacher fails to actively promote equality, they run the risk of excluding individuals from the learning process. For example a failure to acknowledge that English may not be the first language of some or all of the delegates and to adapt the teaching session accordingly would be detrimental. Once, when teaching a manual handling training session to porters and housekeepers working in a hospital, the majority of the candidates spoke Portuguese as their first language. I acknowledged this prior to starting the course and altered the course structure to enhance the learning process. One of the strategies I used was to include more small group work, ensuring a mix of people with difficulty understanding English, and those who were bilingual. â€Å"Diversity is about valuing the differences in people, whether that relates to gender, race, age, disability or any other individual characteristics they may have† 1. Just like promotion of equality, the importance of embracing diversity lies in recognising differences within any given group and using this to enhance, rather than detract from the learning experience. Diversity within a group will allow a variety of different perspectives on any given topic, thereby promoting wider understanding in the group as a whole. Johnson and Romanello2 examined teaching and learning considerations when teaching generationally diverse nurses. They opined that when presenting health problems to nurses from different generations it â€Å"leads student to share insights that can be applied to patient care with multiple groups of patients across generations†. 2 â€Å"Inclusivity is about involving all learners in relevant activities rather than excluding them for any reason† 1. In many ways, failure to acknowledge diversity and/or promote equality will inevitably lead to exclusion. In order to effectively ensure inclusion, planning of the teaching process, utilising a variety of teaching methods is essential. Moreover, the ability to adapt course content and delivery methods following recognition of diversity within a group is paramount to ensuring equality and inclusion. Even something as basic as starting and finishing a lesson on time will help with inclusion as a failure to do this might exclude learners who have commitments outside of the lesson times such as childcare. With regards to the learning cycle, the assessing and planning stages: assessing the requirements of the group and planning the format of the lessons accordingly are essential to ensuring inclusion. References 1 GRAVELLS, A, Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector, Bell and Bain Ltd, Glasgow, 2008, p. 18. 2 JOHNSON, S and ROMANELLO, A. Generational Diversity. Teaching and Learning Approaches, Nurse Educator, 30(5): Sept-Oct. 2005: 212-216.

The best sister in the world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The best sister in the world - Essay Example The researcher will begin with the statement that sometimes he thinks that it is amazing that while we look for companionship and friendship, outside the confines of our home, our best sources of support and joy are placed by providence right at the place we live and love. At least it happened to him. The author’s sister Fatimah is 25 years old and they are more of friends than merely being siblings. Fatimah is his best friend and whenever he feels lonely or alone, she turns out to be a constant source of companionship. Though the author prefers solitude over socializing, still he must say that he never like to be alone. Fatimah has a beautiful way of making him feel loved and cherished. The researcher feels really wonderful and happy, whenever he is with her. She always makes the author feel that somebody is there for him, who will stand by him whenever he is stressed and lonely. Both of them share fond memories of the experiences we had while we were traveling in Lebanon, th e country where she was studying for her degree. Fatimah is a biologist. She graduated from the American University of Beirut (AUB).   There is no denying the fact that Fatimah happens to be one big influence on the author’s social skills and interpersonal communication. Having a stable relationship with his sister and being able to convey to her all that the author thinks or feels has made him an independent and confident person. The researcher feels really easy to open up with others while he is moving in the outside world. It was owing to Fatimah that a lot many things turned out to be better and beneficial for the author. It had been solely owing to Fatimah that the author had been able to get over his juvenile hesitations and have learned to open up to other people. The biggest delight that Fatimah holds for the author is the opportunity he gets to share his ideas with her. The researcher has many dreams and goals, and Fatimah has always encouraged him in whatever ende avor he engage in by extending her true and honest opinion. The researcher shares such a sense of camaraderie with Fatimah that even during our childhood, they used to dress up alike. The researcher must say that both of them share a salubrious and benign relationship with each other. He is always there, whenever Fatimah needs him and she receives the author’s help and advice not only as a brother but also as a worthy an imitable role model. They both harbor much ambition in their hearts. Besides, both of them love their family a lot and do their best to make their family happy, especially their parents. The researcher does believe that good idea are of no use if they are not put into practical action. So Fatimah always diligently encourages him to weave goals and aspirations around the good ideas that the author share with her. This brings in a kind of accountability into the researcher’s life and always stimulates him to work to the best of his capacity. Besides, the author does know that Fatimah is always there to help him sort out the problems that he comes across in his academic life.

Love Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Love Assignment - Essay Example Furthermore, they focused on the company’s requirements, and have been honest throughout the process. In addition, they knew the software that they were working on, and out of all the other providers, their out of box fit was better than the rest. They worked as a team during the demo, which is a culture that is similar to Harley, and they showed some kind of cultural diversity, which is vital today. About their honesty, they admitted that some of the requirements could not fit the functionality and to counter that shortcoming, they came up with a solution to the problem (Austin, Cotteleer and Sole 21). It also shows that they focused more on the functionality of the product, which was the main idea. Overall, they scored the highest points, meaning that most of the criteria used was satisfactory and nearly matched all the requirements of the company. In this case, then the answer is yes. The provider with the highest matrix wins automatically because this shows that almost all the requirements of the software for the company were met, and the clients were satisfied. The reason that provider scored the highest marks and were the preferred providers for the software was that apart from the functionality, they considered the dynamics of the people who would use the software, ownership issues. One thing that also made them have the highest score is that they stood out in terms of experience in manufacturing and prior similar work. They knew exactly what they were doing right from the start, and they understood the requirements of the company. As stated before, they not only focused on the functionality of the software, their relationship with the organization was impressive, as they showed that they tried to fit in the shoes of the client company. They also showed diversity in their group as they addressed all the areas, both the functionality and the change of the management (Austin, Cotteleer and Sole 20). Therefore, high score

Family-based Care or Nursing Home Care in the Face of Dementia Essay

Family-based Care or Nursing Home Care in the Face of Dementia - Essay Example Dementia is a collective term used to refer to a range of diseases that involve the deterioration of cognitive function over time. For those suffering dementia, their quality of life can substantially decrease, and they quickly become dependent on others to help them with even their most basic needs. The prevalence of dementia increases dramatically with age, as a consequence the number of people suffering from dementia at a given time is likely to rise as our population in general ages. As a consequence of this, the government is increasingly interested in determining what method of care is of lower cost. In general, it is often assumed that it is cheaper to care for an individual through family-based care as opposed to caring through nursing facilities. However, this does not take into account costs that are incurred by family members in terms of finances or time. This is an important factor, as dementia patients frequently require full-time care, thus when dementia patients are being cared for through family-based care it is likely that at least one member of the family has reduced hours at work compared to under normal circumstances. When labor and costs are taken into account, studies have shown that for patients with severe levels of dependence it was more economically viable for them to be cared for through nursing home care than through family-based care. Thus, despite the financial costs of nursing home care, it is still equal in cost, or cheaper than family-based care. The financial cost is not the only consideration in regards to deciding the best type of care for those suffering dementia. Dementia is progressive and destroys mental function. When it is a family member or loved one that this is occurring to, the process can be very painful to watch and can cause feelings of helplessness and mental trauma. There are many reports of caregivers of dementia  patients suffering from severe depression as a consequence of watching the progression of the disease (Eisdorfer et al. 2003). As a consequence caring for an individual with dementia exerts significant mental pressure on those responsible.

SUSTAINABILITY AND PROFITABILITY OF MICROFINANCE INSTITUTIONS IN Thesis

SUSTAINABILITY AND PROFITABILITY OF MICROFINANCE INSTITUTIONS IN NIGERIA - Thesis Example Such organizations are able to grant small micro loans to members of the lower class who can both demonstrate a need and a means to pay back the loan. In addition, the findings of this report indicate that microfinance institutions are beginning to provide needed financial services to help individuals begin to save and get themselves on the path towards financial independence. At the same time, microfinance institutions in Nigeria are facing difficult challenges to their own sustainability and profitability moving forward, so the recommendations contained in this study are designed to push the institution in a more successful future. Throughout the world, it has become increasingly noticeable in recent decades that the gap between the developed and developing nations of the world continues to widen to an almost unfathomable proportion. This truth is not only been seen from an individual wage earner’s perspective, as it is truly a regional and global economic phenomenon1. In an increasingly competitive, modern, and globally connected society, developing nations are often left behind in the movement towards progress and economic expansion. With this reality in mind, it can be seen that the gap is now increasing almost exponentially, with individuals and businesses in the poorest regions of the world left wondering how they will ever find the financial and human capital necessary to improve upon and provide for their own eventual economic freedom2. It is no secret that much of the world has been concerned over the course of the past century with the amount of poverty that is existent in various parts of the globe, and how the rate of poverty seems to only be increasing. Consider the abject poverty and poor economic infrastructure that has been endemic to the countries of West Africa for all of the modern era. One of the primary reasons limiting economic expansion in countries such as Nigeria is that basic lack of access

Client Assessment Report in Counseling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Client Assessment Report in Counseling - Essay Example He was able to overcome his castration anxiety and identify with his father. However as he grew up, his father expected him to take over the family business. This did not feature in his ambitions since he had a strong desire to start his own IT firm which he went on to do. Conscientiousness as one of the five factors found in Goldberg’s trait theory of personality deals with the assessment of an individual’s degree of organization, persistence, and motivation in goal-directed behavior. Dickson being high in conscientiousness seemed to be what created the wedge in the relationship with his father and therefore it crumbled. It was because of this that Dickson found himself sinking into a depressed state. Dickson is the only son in a family of three of which he is the middle born child. According to Alfred Adler; the birth order was seen to influence the formation of the personality of an individual. Being a middle born the universal traits expected to feature in Dickson i ncluded independence on behavior. Alfred advanced that middle born less closely identify with the family because they receive less attention compared to the first or last born children. They, therefore, learn to look out for themselves and they tend to report having been less loved as a child. His older sister who is eight years his senior is a successful figure in her father’s family business. This heightened the pressure to join the family business even more and his refusal to do so was just seen to be much worse because as a boy, he is expected to have been socialized by his father to take up the role of the head of the family business. The age difference also put a strain on the sibling relationship between him and both his sister. This is because even his younger sister was ten years younger than he was. Age difference affects sibling relationships whereby, the contextual influences e.g. the environmental influences vary with different generations. Growing up, Dickson en joyed spending most of his time reading and studying in order to excel in his studies with the sole purpose of making his father proud. His introverted lifestyle allowed him to get very good grades all through his school life but this came at a high price. It denied him the chance of socially interacting with his peers who at the adolescent stage are key agents of socialization or the way in which orientation to the society normally occurs. Studies by Dunn and Plomin et al (1990) have shown that peer groups influence an individual into acceptance of new rules of behavior and provide lasting experiences for personality. Dickson, therefore, missed out on the opportunity to learn various ways of how interaction with others besides his father occurs. Dickson grew up looking up to his father who he saw as his role model. In Albert Bandura’s social learning theory; it was advanced that children learn through observational learning or what is alternatively referred to as modeling.

English Grammar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

English Grammar - Essay Example Through this class I have learned that no matter what I write, the piece will never reach its zenith without proper grammar. I enjoyed English class in elementary school. I don't believe that I found much inspiration in the subject because I knew it was a core class and I was expected to get the all important "A". It was not until middle school that I actually began to loose points on other tests because of poor grammar. I became aware of the importance of grammar during my first Social Studies test and lost ten points because of improper grammar. I can recall readying myself to do battle with my teacher and demanding my well earned "A" and watching my imagined victory deflate as my teacher explained to my classmate that they were lucky they did not receive a "F" because of the poor grammar on their test! Erroneously, I presumed that my grammar would improve with my widening repertoire of vocabulary. I had hoped that by writing for my school newspaper, I would be the new maven of journalistic news, not so. My grammar held me back. I found my articles being consistently edited due to my lack of grammatical skills and realized that if I did not do something about it, my grades would fall, I would be thrown off of the newspaper and fail the SAT's! I realized that any point that I tried to make in writing would be belied by horrid grammar use. It was then that I realized that grammar skills are the common denominator to all subjects. I sought tutoring in high school from my English teacher and we began from square one. Slowly but surely I gained confidence in adverbial placement. Additionally, I became determined to not rely upon the spell and grammar check feature in my computer. Obviously, I felt intimidated when I began this course. I am not a scholar, nor am I looking to be. I had expected everyone to be far more advanced than I. To prepare myself for this course, I began tutoring myself on a website called Edhelper.com. I studied acrostic poems, conjunctions, collective nouns and I began to study adjectives. Once this class began, I felt that I was starting with solid footing, but I soon came to learn that "composition" means far more than a simple name to a class. This class in English composition has taught me to compose. I have learned to take thoughts and bring them together to create a vision. As I mentioned earlier, I do not consider myself a scholar or the next Pulitzer prize winner. I do believe however, that my progress in grammar has affected my writing in a positive way not just in prose but in speech as well. I am a mature woman now. I am not a child, adolescent or young adult. My grammar usage, both written and oral gives the reader and listener respectively, their first impressions of me. I want them to be positive impressions. Grammar usage, whether we care to admit it or not, is a reflection of our intellect and our wit. This class has been the most challenging by far as applied to grammar. I am well aware of the fact that I have not mastered grammar and I am learning to proof read my work because I am a reactive writer. Nonetheless, I think this is my most successful class because I am confident in grammar usage both verbal and written. I appreciate all of the advice that I have received and the encouragement that greets me as I read my feed back

Critique two research propsals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critique two research propsals - Essay Example This logical, sequential review enables the reader to follow the historical progress of this line of investigation. In discussing the study by Jonson-Reid, Fuller reports on the results that are relevant to his own study. This previous study indicated that children who were in care for less than three months before being returned to their families had increased risk of substantiated maltreatment recurrence. It is clearly stated that the purpose of this research is to â€Å"examine the factors that might predict short-term maltreatment recurrence following reunification exits from substitute care.† Fuller does this by combining administrative data with detailed information collected from case record reviews. However, no hypothesis is provided other than an assumption that the Jonson-Reid study was correct in reporting the increased risk to children in short-term care. The purpose of the study is reported, though, as providing an assistive guide to caseworkers’ decision-making at the reunification milestone while making their safety assessment. The method for this research is described as being a case-control study. It is described as selecting two groups of participants: one group is selected based on their experience of the outcome of interest – in this case maltreatment recurrence within 60 days of reunification – and the comparison group selected who have not experienced the outcome. This type of study was appropriate for the element being researched because it is particularly useful to examine the effects of a given agent in relation to an occurrence, such as maltreatment following reunification. In addition, case-control studies can match cases with controls by such things as age (children under age 5 have been shown to suffer maltreatment recurrence more often than children ages 5-10), family income levels (low income families have shown greater recurrence than

Malcom X Essay Example for Free

Malcom X Essay Malcom X was a man who held many strong beliefs and posed numerous persuasive arguments. Many of these arguments are presented by Malcom X in his autobiography. The told events of his life provide the evidence for the arguments he makes. One of his contentions is that women are inferior to men. Malcoms perception of women and his basis for this argument develop through out his life. His experiences with women provide efficient evidence for the argument he makes, but there are some counter-examples which contradict his argument. Malcom grew up watching his father beat his mother. As a young boy he lived in a society where women were considered less significant than men. When Malcom moved to Boston, he gained knowledge about women by the examples of his friends who used women as status symbols. His experiences with his own status symbol, Sophia, further lead him to believe that women were inferior to men. These conditions shaped Malcoms views on women. It was through Malcoms experiences with his family, his friends in Boston, and the women he knew that lead him to believe women were nothing but another commodity (155). Malcom did have models of proud and self-reliant women through out his life. However, these women did not seem to affect his overall opinion. Malcoms father was often physically abusive to his mother. Malcom was subjected to witnessing his fathers actions. Malcom observes that a possible reason for his fathers violent outbursts was the fact that his mother had a pretty good education (6). His father would not tolerate being corrected by a woman which presented Malcom his first example of womens inferiority to men. These violent outbreaks and his mothers passive reactions taught Malcom that women could be treated in any harmful and shameful way without consequence. Moving to Boston exposed Malcom to a different culture. Bostons urban setting clashed with the rural areas where Malcom was raised. The friends he made in Boston were hustlers who operated in a fast paced and manipulative world. They believed that being seen with a white woman was the ultimate establishment of reputation. Not only did Malcom witness the white women being used for status by his friends, he understood that those white women had no more respect for those Negroes (140). He knew that the white women were using them for pleasure and escape from the security of their marriages. These experiences taught Malcom that women were to be regarded as nothing more than trophies. The lack of respect given to the women and the lack of which they gave provided evidence that women did not deserve to be appreciated. Malcom had his own white woman to parade around town to the clubs and bars, Sophia. Sophia succumbed to anything that Malcom demanded. She surrendered all of her money to him and would appear at his beck and call. Malcom would abuse her just to keep her in line (156). It became Malcoms belief that some women love to be exploited (156). Malcom exploited the submissive Sophia because she allowed him to do so. Malcom was surrounded by meek and subservient women which lead him to believe women like to be treated in such a harsh manner. Malcom was acquainted with a few very highly regarded women. The first really proud black woman Malcom had known was his sister, Ella (39). Ella was a woman of great achievements. Malcom had never been so impressed with anybody (39-40). Another impressive woman who impacted Malcoms life was the wife of his boss. She was educated and had business abilities which Malcom respected. Malcom regarded these women much differently than the others he knew like Sophia, however, his inferiority-of-women attitude was not changed by these decent women. The mistreatment and abuse of women that Malcom witnessed and acted out guided his beliefs about women and where they stood in society. Malcoms perceptions of women and his argument about gender relations are clearly connected with his raising. His evidence of these views and arguments give good reason for him to accept them as true. His gender relations argument does not take into consideration the few, but highly upright, women that did take part in his life, though. The fact that he did experience relationships with women whom he did not consider inferior conflicts his argument.

Internal Assessment Front Sheet Essay Example for Free

Internal Assessment Front Sheet Essay

Netspeak Is Something Completely New English Language Essay

Netspeak Is Something Completely New English Language Essay In this essay, I will briefly identify the key features of Netspeak outlined by Crystal and subsequently attempt to evaluate his assertion that Netspeak can be classed as a fourth medium. In his book, Language and the Internet, Crystal states, Netspeak relies on characteristic belonging to both sides of the speech/writing divide I aim to decide whether this is the case or whether it is simply an aggregate of written and spoken characteristics. To begin his analysis, Crystal first establishes the key differences between written and spoken language and the criteria for each; he then applied each to Netspeak with reference to different areas of the internet. Table 1 illustrates the application of spoken language, with Table 2 doing the same for written. Table 1: Spoken language criteria applied to Netspeak (Crystal, 2006, p. 45) Web Blogging e-mail Chatgroups Virtual worlds Instant messaging Time-bound No No Yes, but differently Yes, but differently Yes, but differently Yes Spontaneous No Yes, but restricted Variable Yes, but restricted Yes, but restricted Yes Face-to-face No No No No No No, unless camera used Loosely structured Variable Yes Variable Yes Yes Yes Socially interactive No, with increasing options No, with increasing options Variable Yes, but restricted Yes, but restricted yes Immediately revisable No No No No No No Prosodically rich No No No No No No A key point in favour of Crystals argument is the lack of likeness to spoken language, however some features of spoken language is present for example, short constructions, phrasal repetition and looser sentence construction (Crystal, 2006). Nevertheless, there are crucial differences, including the absence of kinesics and proxemics that are essential for expressing personal opinions and attitudes in spoken language, as well as moderating social relationships to avoid disambiguation. Smileys or emoticons are used, particularly on social media sites, chat groups and in online messaging, in an attempt to replace these language features as without the common courtesies of spoken language, online messages may well be construed as impolite or offensive. However, the semantic role of emoticons are limited and can lead to misunderstanding themselves (Crystal, 2006), especially as they often appear in different formats. Further attempts have been made to replace paralinguistic features in instant messaging or on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. Exaggerated use of spelling and punctuation, capitals and repeated letters and/or punctuation marks such as, NOOOOO!!!!, aaaaaah and woooooo are all common. Nevertheless, although capable of expressiveness, the range of meaning from these exaggerations is limited to emphasis, surprise and puzzlement. (Crystal, 2006) Spontaneity is probably the most obvious distinction between spoken language and Netspeak. A web page is never spontaneous as it is written, published, and then can be viewed years later. If an article from an online newspaper, or a blog, were viewed, it would not be unusual for said article to be a couple of years old. In terms of written language also, it could have been edited, with its content updated, layout altered or, if it is one of the larger newspapers, its advertising sponsor may have changed. An article on the Guardian website for example could have been written in 2007, yet been updated in 2011 to be relevant to current affairs. During these 4 years, the Guardian may have changed their sponsor from 02 to Hilton Hotels and so the adverts down the side will have changed too, and so on. Whilst these changes will have been made online, the same article printed in the Guardian newspaper in 2007 will remain un-edited in print form. Even instant messaging lacks the spontaneity of speech; a face-to-face conversation normally runs at 5 to 6 syllables a second, instant messaging however, must include time for the recipient to read and type their reply. An email could take even longer to respond months, although unusual , is not impossible. Table 2: Written language criteria applied to Netspeak (Crystal, 2006, p. 47) Web Blogging e-mail Chatgroups Virtual worlds Instant messaging Space-bound Yes, with options Yes Yes, but routinely deleted Yes, but restricted Yes, but restricted Yes, but moves off-screen rapidly Contrived Yes Variable Variable No, but with some adaption No, but with some adaption No Visually decontextuali-sed Yes, but with considerable adaption Yes Yes Yes Yes, but with some adaption Yes, unless camera used Elaborately structured Yes Variable Variable No No No Factually communicative Yes Yes Yes Variable Yes, but with some adaption Variable Repeatedly revisable Yes Variable Variable No No No Prosodically rich Yes, but differently No, with increasing options No No Yes, but differently No We must also consider that a large proportion of the language on the internet is written with the intention an audience of more than one will read it. Emails, along with other messages, are normally, but not always revised before sent, and web pages or articles from online magazines for example are edited before publishing. It is clear from Table 2 that there are a greater number of similarities between Netspeak and written language than Netspeak and Spoken. Equally, there is still a large number of further dissimilarities not yet discussed, for example, a user can interfere with a text from a web page through copy and paste, downloading or other methods not possible using traditional written texts. Thus, it is clear that Netspeak is closer to written language than spoken although there are still dissimilarities; this is where Netspeak has been described as written language pulled towards spoken. Whilst I am prepared to agree with this, I feel that Crystals assertion that Netspeak is a new medium is more accurate. Yes, Netspeak displays characteristics of both written and spoken forms of language, there are too many dissimilarities, at the moment, to enable us to categorically state to which category Netspeak belongs. The internet is constantly growing, likewise language evolving, so this may change. However with language as it currently stands, I feel Crystals assertion that Netspeak is a fourth medium is accurate.

Eluded Socialist Allusions within Steinbecks Grapes of Wrath :: essays papers

Eluded Socialist Allusions within Steinbecks Grapes of Wrath Imagine awaking to the first rays of dawn, finding yourself lying on a tattered scrap of cardboard beneath a highway overpass. Your empty stomach churns with numbing hunger and you know today will be yet another listless scramble for survival. Homeless, jobless, and hungry, you glare with fervent jealousy at those clothed, groomed, and pompous passers-by grasping their purses and wallets tightly when they catch sight of you. Ashamed and enraged, you feel cheated and wonder how it is possible for such financial diversity to exist within the same city. You pitifully prop yourself against a wall on a busy street corner and await the morning rush hour that will supply your meager breakfast. The extreme poverty experienced by the unfortunate farmers who were forced into vagrancy during the Great Depression is not unlike the neediness that exists in American ghettos today. Such widespread destitution is a direct result of an inadequate economic system. Through tales of helpless fa milies’ tribulation, Steinbeck and Kotlowitz disclose the defects of the capitalist system in The Grapes of Wrath and There Are No Children Here, meanwhile alluding to an alternative economic structure: socialism. Throughout the novels, disadvantaged families become helpless victims of the lack of effective government aid in their area, an adverse effect of extreme capitalism. The Chicago Housing Authority actually hired â€Å"private security guards [who] searched out the squatters and physically removed them† (Kotlowitz 79). By kicking homeless people back out on the street, this government outfit coldly disregarded the basic human need of shelter in order to preserve their right to the decrepit property of the Henry Horner Homes. Such self-interested procedures are frequent and permitted through the capitalist ideas of personal property ownership. The â€Å"salesmen, neat, deadly, [with] small, intent eyes watching for weakness† depicted in an intercalary chapter are exemplary members of those who abuse the system . These malefactors, examples of limitless capitalism fueled by selfishness and greed, are able to prey on the vulnerable migrants because the mandating power set no restrictions against such unjust monopoly. Similarly, the violence that denigrates childhood in There Are No Children Here could be prevented if the government enforced laws against such brutality. Unfortunately, rash and illegal gang business is transacted with impunity in the Henry Horner Homes area daily because no one bothers to regulate illicit activity.

Paul Thomas Anderson :: Essays Papers

Paul Thomas Anderson Paul Thomas Anderson is one of today’s most acclaimed and essential young filmmakers. He has swept the motion picture industry with a powerhouse trio of films that have breathed life and exuberance into an industry that is all too often ladened with films exhibiting massive deficiencies of originality and thought. PTA’s genuine love of filmmaking sets him apart from so many others. PTA tends to keep himself out of the spotlight. Rarely will he pose for magazine covers or photo shoots. Details involving future projects and his personal life are often kept shrouded in secrecy. Informational pieces regarding his personal life and family history are few and far between. I’ve researched his background and unearthed a few brief factoids that are consistent amongst many sources. Included is information obtained from Cigarettes and Coffee, PTA’s unofficial website, which he often praises and contributes to. Paul Thomas Anderson was born in Studio City, CA on January 1, 1970 to Bonnie and Ernie Anderson. His father was a well-known voice actor who can be recognized for his work on America’s Funniest Home Videos and The Love Boat. He also created a character, Ghoulardi, who was a popular B Movie/ horror film host in the sixties. Unfortunately, Paul suffered a devastating blow when his father passed away in 1997 at the age of 73. Incidentally, he has since named his production company after his late father’s famous character Ghoulardi. PTA also has two brothers and four sisters. He is reputed to be estranged from his mother. Academics never appealed to Paul. Being expelled from his elementary school for fighting and bad grades and his quick departure from Emerson College after two semesters demonstrated this. He also attended New York University Film School for two days before dropping out. PTA moved on to begin his career by working as a production assistant on various television movies and game shows. After performing similar work for numerous low budget and independent films, PTA went on to write and shoot a short film titled, Cigarettes and Coffee. This 24-minute excursion into the world of film shorts made it’s premier at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival. As a result of the buzz that Cigarettes and Coffee generated, he was afforded the opportunity to develop his first full-length motion picture, Hard Eight.

From Innocence to Adulthood in The Catcher in the Rye Essay -- Catcher

From Innocence to Adulthood in The Catcher in the Rye      Ã‚   Adolescence is a time of existence in two worlds. One world having the desire to be in the adult world, which is filled with all the unknown wonders of the world. The other world is the world of childhood which is comfortable and protected from all the impurities in the world.   This sort of tug of war between the two worlds is not only mentally imposed on a being, but physically, socially, and morally as well.   With all the mentioned above, often times an adult will discourage an action of an adolescent by saying they are too old to a act a certain way, and then will turn around and say they are too young to do something, like go out late or go on dates.   These contradictions can lead an adolescent to complete uncertainty of their actions.   J.B. Salingers book, The Catcher in the Rye, aptly describes the immense confusion of the in between stages of being a boy and a man.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout the whole story, the narrator, Holden tries to act both the boy and thw man but cannot.   He tries in vain to get a grip on the adult world, but never is quite successful.   Holden's first attempt at adulthood is exemplified when he leaves his school without permission from his parents or the school.   This act in itself sets the stage for his trial and error attitude about adulthood in the sense he failed out of school, which was a childish act.   He tries to rectify his failing out of school by leaving, which he views as an adult act. Holden's leaving school represents his need for independence and he achieves this by leaving.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another of Holden's failed attempts at ... ... In The Rye". English Journal. 77.7 (1988): 72-75. Kaplan, Robert B. Cliff's Notes: Catcher In The Rye. Lincoln: Cliff's Notes, Inc., 1999. Marsden, Malcolm M. If You Really Want To Know: A Catcher Casebook. Chicago: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1963. Miller Jr., James E. "American Literature". World Book Encyclopedia. Volume 1. Chicago: World Book Inc., 1983. Pinsker, Sanford. The Catcher In The Rye: Innocence Under Pressure. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1993. Roemer, Danielle M. "The Personal Narrative and Salinger's Catcher in the Rye". Western Folklore 51 (1992): 5-10. Salinger, J.D. The Catcher In The Rye. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1951. Wildermuth, April. "Nonconformism in the Works of J.D. Salinger." 1997 Brighton High School. 24 November 1999.   

Credit Rating of Uttara Bank Limited Essay

1.1. Rationale of the Report In today’s world, banking sector has become an integral part of overall economy around the world. Millions of people are involved in banking sector. In Bangladesh, banking sector has experienced enormous growth over the past few decades. Millions of depositors, borrowers and other related parties have interest in this sector. Creditworthiness of banks is rated by CRAB and CRISL in Bangladesh. The idea behind our report on â€Å"Credit Rating Report on Uttara Bank Limited (UBL)† is to give credit rating of UBL by considering both qualitative and quantitative factors with judgement. 1.2 Origin of the Report This report has been prepared as a requirement for completion of MBA program under University of Dhaka. We have prepared the report under course F-504(Fixed Income Securities) with directions and valuable guidelines from our honorable course teacher Muhammad Mujibul Kabir, Associate Professor, Department Of Finance, University Of Dhaka. 3. Objectives of the Report Broad Objective: To do credit rating of Uttara Bank Limited (UBL) by considering important qualitative and quantitative information along with application of proper judgment. Specific Objectives: The objectives of the report are- âž ¢ To have an overall picture regarding the credit rating procedure of banking sector. âž ¢ To be informed with the trend and performance of the bank. âž ¢ To get an idea of factors affecting credit rating score of UBL. 4. Scope of the Report This report has been prepared to do credit rating of a particular bank (UBL) as assigned by our course teacher. 5. Methodology 1.5.1 Data Collection: The report is primarily based on secondary and published information. The major sources of information are published research reports and papers, DSE library, newspapers, data from annual report of UBL and peer banks, rating methodology of S&P etc. 1.5.2 Techniques of Data Analysis Both qualitative and quantitative statistical techniques were used for this research. †¢ Qualitative tools: bar graphs and trend line were used to present the collected data. †¢ Software used: Microsoft Excel 2007, Microsoft word 2007, stata software version 10. 6. Limitations In preparing the report, the main limitations that we faced were- †¢ Reliance on secondary data, mainly annual reports of banks. Sometimes, published data suffer from accounting manipulation. †¢ We had to prepare the credit rating report within a short time frame. Taking more time would have made the report more comprehensive. SECTION-II: THEORETICAL DISCUSSION ON CREDIT RATING 2.1. Why Credit Rating Is Necessary A credit rating evaluates the credit worthiness of a debtor, especially a business (company) or a government. It is an evaluation made by a credit rating agency of the debtor’s ability to pay back the debt and the likelihood of default. Credit ratings are determined by credit ratings agencies. The credit rating represents the credit rating agency’s evaluation of qualitative and quantitative information for a company. The credit rating is used by individuals and entities that purchase the bonds issued by companies and governments to determine the likelihood that the government will pay its bond obligations. A poor credit rating indicates a credit rating agency’s opinion that the company or government has a high risk of defaulting, based on the agency’s analysis of the entity’s history and analysis of long term economic prospects. 2.1. Corporate Credit Ratings The credit rating of a corporation is a financial indicator to potential investors of debt securities such as bonds. Credit rating is usually of a financial instrument such as a bond, rather than the whole corporation. There are two types of corporate credit rating: 1. entity rating 2. issue rating In Bangladesh, credit rating agencies conduct entity rating. However, issue rating may be different from or similar to or better than entity rating. Issue rating may be higher than entity rating if a particular issue is backed by sufficient collateral, third party guarantee. 2.3. Rating Methodology For the credit rating of the selected companies we have considered the guidelines provided by our course teacher. Credit rating is â€Å"an objective and impartial opinion on the ability and willingness of an issuer to make full and timely payments of financial obligations.† This opinion is conveyed in a simple alphanumerical scale, for easy reference and comparability. We have analyzed both the qualitative and the quantitative factors of the banking industry as a whole and also various factors of the companies itself. In the part of qualitative analysis we have analyze the industry risk, keys to success, diversification factors, firm size, management quality, quality of the financial reporting, performance in the industry. In the quantitative analysis we consider the profitability, cash flow adequacy, capital structure and financial flexibility. We have assigned some points on both the qualitative and quantitative information to get the exact rating. As for the sustainability of an organization both the quality of the management and quantitative figure that means company’s financial performances are equally important. We have assigned more weight for qualitative part than quantitative part. 2.4. Company Background Uttara Bank is one of the largest and oldest private-sector commercial banks in Bangladesh, with years of experience. Adaptation of modern technology both in terms of equipment and banking practice ensures efficient service to clients. 215 branches at home and 600 affiliates worldwide create efficient networking and reach capability. Uttara is a bank that serves both clients and country. The Bank had been a nationalized bank in the name of Uttara Bank under the Bangladesh Bank (Nationalization) order 1972, formerly known as the Eastern Banking Corporation Limited which started functioning on and from 28.01.1965. Consequent upon the amendment of Bangladesh Bank (Nationalization) order 1972, the Uttara Bank was converted into Uttara Bank Limited as a public limited company in the year 1983. The Uttara Bank Limited was incorporated as a banking company on 29.06.1983 and obtained business commencement certificate on 21.08.1983. The Bank floated its shares in the year 1984. It has 215 branches all over Bangladesh through which it carries out all its banking activities. The Bank is listed in the Dhaka Stock Exchange and Chittagong Stock Exchange Ltd. as a listed company for trading of its shares. At present, the authorized capital of the bank was Tk 5000 million divided into 500 million shares of Tk 10 each. The issued and paid up capital is Tk 3306 million. Since beginning, the bank acquired confidence and trust of the public and business houses by rendering high quality services in different areas of banking operations, professional competence and employment of the state of art technology. During the last 47 years, UTTARA Bank Limited has opened 215 Branches in different Business Centers of the country SECTION-III: QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS Qualitative analysis A. Industry Risk In preparing credit rating report, industry analysis is a subject of great importance. Level of competition in the industry affect the profitability of a company. Different industries react differently to economic changes. Cyclical industries do much better than the aggregate economy during the expansion whereas they suffer more during contraction. In contrast, non-cyclical industries such as banking industry would experience a significant decline during a recession and also would do better during an economic expansion. Competitive advantage and disadvantage of banking industry can be examined by Michel Porter’s 5 factors model. The potential threat of new entrants is moderate for banking industry due to following reasons – †¢ Growth of the industry is very high which is creating field for the new company that is observed during the past several years. †¢ Huge population of the country provides a large customer base. †¢ Entry into the banking sector requires huge equity capital investment for establishing branches and related infrastructures. †¢ Established companies have absolute cost advantage relative to potential entrants. †¢ There exists Government regulation to enter into the industry. The level of profitability is primarily influenced by the nature of rivalry among firms within the industry. Several factors determine the intensity of competition among existing players in an industry. The rivalry among existing competitors is high for banking industry due to following reasons – †¢ Price and non-price Competition among banks has increased recent years. †¢ High fixed costs. †¢ Exit barriers are high as the firm can’t exit as they wish and there is regulatory burden. †¢ Banks are trying to grab market share by offering various price and non-price products †¢ Banking products are not differentiated and easy to copy by other banks. The third dimension of competition in an industry is the threat of substitute products or services. The threat of substitute product in banking industry is high for the following reasons: †¢ New Products are easily and quickly adopted by other competing banks. †¢ Non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) offer many of products and services offered by banks. There are two factors which determine the bargaining power of buyers; price sensitivity and relative bargaining power of buyers. By focusing these two issues, the bargaining power of buyers in banking industry is discussed below – †¢ There are large numbers of banks. †¢ Banks depend on the buyers for a large percentage of its total revenue. †¢ Customer switching cost is low. †¢ Inability to backward integration. †¢ Buyers are highly price sensitive. The bargaining power of suppliers is high for banking industry due to following reasons †¢ Banks depend on loan and deposits as their primary products. †¢ There are a large number of banks already operating in the country. Assigned Rating: |Rating |Rating Score | |Industry Risk |7.5 | B. Key to success Factors ⠝â€" Strategic focus Uttara Bank has prioritized the areas depending upon the business need and regulatory requirements with the change in technologies and delivery process. The Bank rendered special focus on growth and expansion to comply with the changing characteristics of capital market. As a result of this, â€Å"UB Capital and Investment Limited† a fully owned subsidiary company has been formed in 2010 to carry out merchant banking operation in compliance with the regulation of the Securities and Exchange Commission. In the meanwhile the company is operating its activities in related field. Resource mobilization was centered round delivery channels, technology, people and brand. Bank’s operation has achieved the confidence of its customers with sound fundamentals in respect of deposit accumulation, loans and advances, export-import business, remittance collecting from abroad and profitability. The Bank has also put special emphasized on SME financing considering the sector as a tool of diversifying portfolio to minimize risk. Again the bank has also rendering its services in Women Empowerment Development Scheme, Agricultural sector and Rural Financing sector. ⠝â€" Corporate Credit Uttara Bank’s business is focused to a considerable extent on the corporate clients by maintaining a relationship and extending financial assistance based on a deep understanding of the clients’ business environments, financial needs and internal strategies for growth. The bank extends its financial support to the corporate clients either from own finance or by arranging syndicated/club finance. The investment in corporate sector is the combination of a mixed and balanced allocation in various natures of business based on the socio-economic perspectives and long term planning. The bank distributed Tk. 2774.1 million as funded and non-funded facilities in Syndication Finance. The outstanding balance of same was as on 31.12.2011 was Tk. 1596.2 million. The Bank participated in syndication finance with 21 companies. Some of them were BSRM Steels Ltd., Pacific Telecom Bangladesh Tel Ltd.(Citicell), Ranks Tel Ltd., Samuda Chemical Complex Ltd., Banga Building Materials Ltd., Pran Foods Ltd., Capital Board Mills Ltd., Creative Paper Mills Ltd., Everest Power Generation Company Ltd., Appolo Ispat Complex Ltd., PHP Float Glass Ind. Ltd., Dhaka Telephone Co. Ltd. (DTCL), Tele Barta Ltd.(TBL), Orascom Telecom Bangladesh Ltd. (Banglalink), Venture Capital Energy Ltd and many other reputed organization. The Bank worked as a participating financial institution in syndication finance. ⠝â€" Branch Network As on 31 December 2011, Uttara Bank Ltd had 211 branches in different geographical locations of the country. Branches are classified under different zonal office. Out of these 211 branches, 23 branches are under Dhaka Central Zone, 23 branches are under Dhaka North Zone, 20 branches are under Dhaka South Zone, 13 branches are under Narayangonj Zone, 08 branches are under Mymensingh Zone, 17 branches are under Camilla Zone, 19 branches are under Chittagong Zone, 21 branches are under Sylhet Zone, 16 branches are under Khulna Zone, 18 branches are under Barisal Zone, 12 branches are under Rajshahi Zone and 19 branches are under Bogra Zone. ⠝â€" Technology As one of the oldest commercial banks in the country, Uttara Bank uses latest information and communication technology. The extensive use of ICT in banking operations is increasingly a matter of concern about the risk associated with information technology. The bank has formulated well defined ICT policy in line with the international best practices and prudential guidelines of Bangladesh Bank on ICT Security. In all branches of the bank, banking operations are conducted through computerized system to minimize cost and to optimize benefits and increase overall efficiency for improved services. The branches have ability to prepare the financial statements at the end of the day. Bank has a guideline named â€Å"Guideline on information and Communication Technology (ICT)† as per Bangladesh Bank BRPD circular 14 dated 23.10.05. The bank has signed an agreement with LEADS Corporation limited, Software Company, for implementation of Core Banking Solution â€Å"Bank Ultimas† in the Bank. The Bank continues maintenance of the latest financial service products REUTERS-3000 Xtra and REUTERS Dealing System (RDS) for collecting accurate information of rapid changing position of international money market with Bank’s own independent Dealing Room. As a result the Bank has been able to render Treasury service up to the international standard through its Treasury Division which is equipped with most modern technology and expertise manpower. At present International Division of Head Office and 38 branches are under SWIFT operation. As a result the bank has been able to conduct international trade including transmission of letter of credit, fund and message instantly throughout the world at low cost. ⠝â€" Human Resource The Bank has always recognizes the contributions of its human resources as they individually and collectively render their force to the achievement of the objectives of the organization. Human Resources Division of UBL worked with the business as the core strategic partner through performing the job of recruitment, training, placement, and through introduction of the performance management tools. UBL is an employer of equal opportunity irrespective of gender equality. The total manpower of the Bank as on 31 December, 2011 is 3,780 out of which 2,687 are officers and 1,093 are the supporting staffs. Efforts have been made to rationalize the use of manpower by improving their efficiency and productivity. The Bank’s own Training Institute is nicely decorated and equipped with the sophisticated instruments has been striving to bring about a qualitative change and improvement in human resources of the Bank by imparting continuous different raining throughout the whole year. Guest speakers specialized in Banking participate in each of the training program excluding highly educated faculty members of the bank. Besides, a number of executives and officers were sent to various Training Institutions including BIBM and abroad for higher training. In 2011, the training institute of the bank arranged 17 different training courses and 13 workshops for the officers and members of the staff of the Bank in which as many as 628 and 845 officers and members of the staff of the bank participated respectively. At the same time, 92 officers and members of the staff of the bank attended training courses arranged by BIBM, 44 officers received training from Bangladesh Bank, 22 officers received others and 2 executive received training from abroad.

“Animal Farm”: Compare and Contrast Essay

Napoleon and Snowball, from the book Animal Farm by George Orwell, share many similar and different character traits when compared together. While Napoleon maybe cheating at cards, Snowball is hard at work developing a plan for a windmill to minimize animal work. Snowball could be talking away with his many speeches while Napoleon is trying his very best at training the puppy dogs to the rank of guard dog. Snowball and Napoleon, having their own similarities and differences, both seem to fight an endless war of being the best. Napoleon and Snowball share their characteristics in many ways including intelligence, how convincing both pigs are, and leadership traits. First, Napoleon and Snowball both have similar intelligence traits. For example, both Napoleon and Snowball could read and write perfectly. Snowball had written all the windmill plans with careful thinking and use of time. Napoleon, however, had used his knowledge to write a fake letter said to be written by Snowball to have agreed to be a secret agent to the Foxwood Farm. Napoleon knew that the other animals could not read very well and so by making his letter, no one could prove the letter was false except for the pigs that knew very well what Napoleon did. In addition, both Napoleon and Snowball were the most active in the speeches and the planning. Both pigs wanted to establish a social and economic system and be the leader of the farm. Furthermore, both pigs were smart to confuse the animals the animals in order to get their way. They used the same excuse of † Do you want Jones and his men to come back?!?† The animals, however, were too stupid to think for themselves, thus letting the two pigs get what they wanted. Second, the two animals were very convincing to the other animals. To illustrate, Snowball said that if a windmill was built, electricity could be used. There would be heat and hot and cold water. Work would also be cut down to three days per week. This, obviously a great deal, convinced the animals very easily that they wanted a windmill. Also, Napoleon convinced the animals very easily when he blamed all the farms troubles on Snowball. Napoleon said Snowball was a traitor and was working for Foxwood farms.  Napoleon said he even had â€Å"proof† of secret documentations that Snowball was working for Foxwood. Moreover, both animals knew that convincing the animals would easy. The animals usually found themselves agreeing with the animal currently talking. Third, both Napoleon and Snowball had matching leadership traits. For instance, Snowball was in charge of educating the animals. All the animals got some kind of a degree although the hens and sheep only got to the letter A. † The reading and writing classes, however, were a great success. By autumn almost every animal on the farm was literate in some degree† pg. 49. Additionally, the two pigs fought for the leadership place. Snowball believed in animalism and tried to make all animals equal. Napoleon, however, didn’t want animalism. He wanted a dictatorship. Finally, both of the pigs were greedy in a way. It was Snowball who declared that all apples and milk was to be in with the mash of the pigs. Napoleon also ordered that the barley field for beer be reserved to the pigs only. On the other hand, Napoleon and Snowball both had differences too. The two characters from Animal Farm had differences in the way both characters wanted to rule, how Napoleon and Snowball worked, and how both characters enforced the â€Å"law†. First, the way Napoleon and Snowball wanted to rule was very different. For example, Napoleon wanted a dictatorship government where he could rule the entire farm for his own greedy self. Napoleon wanted to control the farm so that his needs were met but as for the other animals, Napoleon didn’t care for them. Napoleon had also abolished the song Beasts of England because it symbolized freedom and democracy (in this case animalism) and was the exact opposite of what Napoleon wanted. The song that replaced it, however, was a new song called Comrade Napoleon. In addition, Snowball was for Animalism, which was freedom and equally treated animals. Snowball was more into Old Major’s dream. Old Major was an old boar who had dreamed of a time where all animals would be free and treated equally. Snowball wished to achieve Old Major’s dream. Furthermore, Snowball ruled the farm by inspiring the other animals to do work. He made speeches convincing animals to do the work on the farm. Napoleon, however, did not make speeches or try to convince the animals a lot. Napoleon had a secret  Ã¢â‚¬Å"police† force consisting of seven fierce dogs. Napoleon had used these dogs to chase away Snowball from the farm and kill any animal that opposed his rule. Second, Napoleon and Snowball worked differently too. To illustrate, Napoleon was a rather lazy person. Napoleon had Squealer, another pig, to do all his speeches for him. Squealer worked to spread propaganda around the farm (pigeons were used to spread propaganda and news outside of farm territory) about deaths and how Snowball terrorized the farm. â€Å"Bravery is not enough'† said Squealer. â€Å"loyalty and obedience are more important. And as to the Battle of the Cowshed, I believe the time will come when we shall find that Snowball’s part in it was much exaggerated†¦Ã¢â‚¬  pg. 70. Napoleon took credit for every good idea and claims he thought of it first. Whenever something unfortunate happens, Napoleon always blamed Snowball. Also, Snowball planned much more than Napoleon. Snowball originally designed the windmill plans and made convincing speeches. Snowball never did blame anything that went wrong on some other animal unlike Napoleon. Moreover, both Napoleon and Snowball tried to disagree on each other’s ideas. Both of them wanted to be the top but only in a different way. Third, Both Napoleon and Snowball have differences on how they enforced the â€Å"law†. For instance, Snowball convinced animals to do work while Napoleon stopped all rations to any of the animals that opposed any order. Additionally, Napoleon had a secret â€Å"police† or dog force. All traitors got their necks ripped off by the dogs. Finally, Napoleon wanted to rule all but with Snowball, Napoleon could not achieve full power. So Napoleon chased Snowball away used the seven dogs and then went on to become leader. In conclusion, whether Snowball is working away on the windmill or Napoleon is killing animals that opposed him, the two characters compare and contrast very well. Both characters work very hard†¦ in different ways that is. And finally soon and late the day is coming, tyrant man shall be o’erthrown, and the fruitful fields of England shall be trod by beasts alone†¦

Drink-at-Home, Inc Essay

CASE 2: DRINK-AT-HOME, INC. Drink-At-Home, Inc. (DAH, Inc. ), develops, processes, and markets mixes to be used in nonalcoholic cocktails and mixed drinks for home consumption. Mrs. Lee, who is in charge of research and development at DAH, Inc. , this morning notified Mr. Dick Jones, the president, that exciting developments in the research and development section indicate that a new beverage, an instant pina colada, should be possible because of a new way to process and preserve coconut. Mrs. Lee is recommending a major program to develop the pina colada. She estimates that expenditure on the development may be as much as $100,000 and that as much as a year’s work may be required. In the discussion with Mr. Jones, she indicated that she thought the possibility of her outstanding people successfully developing such a drink now that she’d done all the really important work was in the neighborhood of 90 percent. She also felt that the likelihood of a competing company developing a similar product in 12 months was 80 percent. Mr. Jones is strictly a bottom line guy and is concerned about the sales volume of such a beverage. Consequently, Mr. Jones talked to Mr. Besnette, his market research manager, whose specialty is new product evaluation, and was advised that a market existed for an instant pina colada, but was some-what dependent on acceptance by both grocery stores and retail liquor stores. Mr. Besnette also indicated that the sales reports indicate that other firms are considering a line of tropical drinks. If other firms should develop a competing beverage the market would, of course, be split among them. Mr. Jones pressed Mr. Besnette to make future sales estimates for various possibilities and to indicate the present (discounted value of future profits) value. Mr. Besnette provided Table 1. Mr. Besnette’s figures did not include (1) cost of research and development, (2) cost of new production equipment, or (3) cost of introducing the pina colada. The cost of the new production equipment is expected to be $ 100,000 because of the special way the coconut needs to be handled, and the cost of introducing the new product is expected to be about $150,000 because of the point-of purchase displays that would be necessary to introduce the new product. Mrs. Lee has indicated that she does have alternative development proposals, which are: 1. A reduced research program to see someone else comes out with the product first and if not, then proceed with a crash program. The reduced program for the first eight months would cost $10,000 per month. One advantage of this is that if the effort was unsuccessful, then development costs would be held to the eight-month figure (8 months ? $ 10,000 = $80,000). The likelihood of success under this approach is the same as the more orderly development. (The likelihood of a competing company developing a product in 8 months is 60 percent.) The crash development program would take place in months 9 through 12 and would cost an additional $60,000. It would proceed only if the eight-month study guaranteed a success. 2. Use a reduced research program and maintain an awareness of industry developments to see if someone else develops a product. If someone else has developed a product at the end of six months, it would cost only an additional $30,000 to analyze their product and duplicate it. The reduced development program would cost $10,000 per month. Mr. Besnette, being the great marketer that he is, is of course reluctant to be second on the market with a new product. He says that the first product on the market will usually obtain a greater share of the market, and it will be difficult to win those customers back. Consequently, he indicates that only about 50 percent of the sales that he indicated in Table 1 could be expected if Drink-at-Home waited until competing brands were already on the market. Moreover, he suspects that there is only a 50/50 chance that the competitor will be out with a product within the next six months. There are four options: (1) orderly development of the pina colada, (2) modest development effort followed by the crash program, (3) a modest development effort for the first six months to see if a competitive product comes on the market, and (4) do nothing. TABLE 1. Sales and Profit Potentials Consumer Acceptance Substantial Moderate Low (Sales Potential) Probability Present Values 0. 10 0. 60 0. 30 (Discounted Value of Future Profits) $800,000 $600,000 $500,000 What would you recommend? Show all supporting solutions/computations. Source: http://wps. pearsoned. co. uk/ema_ge_render_qam_11/202/51952/13299854. cw/content/index. html.

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Seven

Bonnie was on the dance floor, eyes shut, letting the music flow through her. When she opened her eyes for an instant, Meredith was beckoning from the sidelines. Bonnie thrust her chin out mutinously, but as the gestures became more insistent she rolled her eyes up at Raymond and obeyed. Raymond followed. Matt and Ed were behind Meredith. Matt was scowling. Ed was looking uncomfortable. â€Å"Elena just left,† said Meredith. â€Å"It's a free country,† said Bonnie. â€Å"She went with Tyler Smallwood,† said Meredith. â€Å"Matt, are you sure you didn't hear where they were going?† Matt shook his head. â€Å"I'd say she deserves whatever happens-but it's my fault, too, in a way,† he said bleakly. â€Å"I guess we ought to go after her.† â€Å"Leave thedance ?† Bonnie said. She looked at Meredith, who mouthed the wordsyou promised . â€Å"I don't believe this,† she muttered savagely. â€Å"I don't know how we'll find her,† said Meredith, â€Å"but we've got to try.† Then she added, in a strangely hesitant voice, â€Å"Bonnie,you don't happen to know where she is, do you?† â€Å"What? No, of course not; I've been dancing. You've heard of that, haven't you: what you go to a dance for?† â€Å"You and Ray stay here,† Matt said to Ed. â€Å"If she comes back, tell her we're out looking.† â€Å"And if we're going, we'd better go now,† Bonnie put in ungraciously. She turned and promptly ran into a dark blazer. â€Å"Well, excuse me,† she snapped, looking up and seeing Stefan Salvatore. He said nothing as she and Meredith and Matt headed for the door, leaving an unhappy-looking Raymond and Ed behind. The stars were distant and ice-bright in the cloudless sky. Elena felt just like them. Part of her was laughing and shouting with Dick and Vickie and Tyler over the roar of the wind, but part of her was watching from far away. Tyler parked halfway up the hill to the ruined church, leaving his headlights on as they all got out. Although there had been several cars behind them when they left the school, they appeared to be the only ones who'd made it all the way to the cemetery. Tyler opened the trunk and pulled out a six-pack. â€Å"All the more for us.† He offered a beer to Elena, who shook her head, trying to ignore the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She felt all wrong being here-but there was no way she was going to admit that now. They climbed the flagstone path, the girls staggering in their high heels and leaning on the boys. When they reached the top, Elena gasped and Vickie gave a little scream. Something huge and red was hovering just above the horizon. It took Elena a moment to realize it was actually the moon. It was as large and unrealistic as a prop in a science-fiction movie, and its bloated mass glowed dully with an unwholesome light. â€Å"Like a big rotten pumpkin,† said Tyler, and lobbed a stone at it. Elena made herself smile brilliantly up at him. â€Å"Why don't we go inside?† Vickie said, pointing a white hand at the empty hole of the church doorway. Most of the roof had fallen in, although the belfry was still intact, a tower stretching up high above them. Three of the walls were standing; the fourth was only knee-high. There were piles of rubble everywhere. A light flared by Elena's cheek, and she turned, startled, to see Tyler holding a lighter. He grinned, showing strong white teeth, and said, â€Å"Want to flick my Bic?† Elena's laughter was the loudest, to cover her uneasiness. She took the lighter, using it to illuminate the tomb in the side of the church. It was like no other tomb in the cemetery, although her father said he'd seen similar things in England. It looked like a large stone box, big enough for two people, with two marble statues lying in repose on the lid. â€Å"Thomas Keeping Fell and Honoria Fell,† said Tyler with a grand gesture, as if introducing them. â€Å"Old Thomas allegedly founded Fell's Church. Although actually the Smallwoods were also there at the time. My great-grandfather's great-great-grandfather lived in the valley by Drowning Creek-† â€Å"-until he got eaten by wolves,† said Dick, and he threw back his head in a wolf imitation. Then he belched. Vickie giggled. Annoyance crossed Tyler's handsome features, but he forced a smile. â€Å"Thomas and Honoria are looking kind of pale,† said Vickie, still giggling. â€Å"I think what they need is a little color.† She produced a lipstick from her purse and began to coat the white marble mouth of the woman's statue with waxy scarlet. Elena felt another sick twinge. As a child, she'd always been awed by the pale lady and the grave man who lay with their eyes closed, hands folded on their breasts. And, after her parents died, she'd thought of them as lying side by side like this down in the cemetery. But she held the lighter while the other girl put a lipstick mustache and clown's nose on Thomas Fell. Tyler was watching them. â€Å"Hey, they're all dressed up with no place to go.† He put his hands on the edge of the stone lid and leaned on it, trying to shift it sideways. â€Å"What do you say, Dick-want to give them a night out on the town? Like maybe right in the center of town?† No, thought Elena, appalled, as Dick guffawed and Vickie shrieked with laughter. But Dick was already beside Tyler, getting braced and ready, the heels of his hands on the stone lid. â€Å"On three,† said Tyler, and counted, â€Å"One, two,three .† Elena's eyes were fixed on the horrible clown-like face of Thomas Fell as the boys strained forward and grunted, muscles bunching under cloth. They couldn't budge the lid an inch. â€Å"Damn thing must be attached somehow,† said Tyler angrily, turning away. Elena felt weak with relief. Trying to seem casual, she leaned against the stone lid of the tomb for support-and that was when it happened. She heard the grinding of stone and felt the lid shift under her left hand all at once. It was moving away from her, making her lose her balance. The lighter went flying, and she screamed and screamed again, trying to keep her feet. She was falling into the open tomb, and an icy wind roared all around her. Screams rang in her ears. And then she was outside and the moonlight was bright enough that she could see the others. Tyler had hold of her. She stared around her wildly. â€Å"Are you crazy? What happened?† Tyler was shaking her. â€Å"It moved! The lid moved! It slid open and-I don't know-I almost fell in. It was cold†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The boys were laughing. â€Å"Poor baby's got the jitters,† Tyler said. â€Å"C'mon, Dicky-boy, we'll check it out.† â€Å"Tyler, no-â€Å" But they went inside anyway. Vickie hung in the doorway, watching, while Elena shivered. Presently, Tyler beckoned her from the door. â€Å"Look,† he said when she reluctantly stepped back inside. He'd retrieved the lighter, and he held it above Thomas Fell's marble chest. â€Å"It still fits, snug as a bug in a rug. See?† Elena stared down at the perfect alignment of lid and tomb. â€Å"It did move. I nearly fell into it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Sure, whatever you say, baby.† Tyler wound his arms around her, clasping her to him backwards. She looked over to see Dick and Vickie in much the same position, except that Vickie, eyes shut, was looking as if she enjoyed it. Tyler rubbed a strong chin over her hair. â€Å"I'd like to go back to the dance now,† she said flatly. There was a pause in the rubbing. Then Tyler sighed and said, â€Å"Sure, baby.† He looked at Dick and Vickie. â€Å"What about you two?† Dick grinned. â€Å"We'll just stay here a while.† Vickie giggled, her eyes still shut. â€Å"Okay.† Elena wondered how they were going to get back, but she allowed Tyler to lead her out. Once outside, however, he paused. â€Å"I can't let you go without one look at my grandfather's headstone,† he said. â€Å"Aw, c'mon, Elena,† he said as she started to protest, â€Å"don't hurt my feelings. You've got to see it; it's the family pride and joy.† Elena made herself smile, although her stomach felt like ice. Maybe if she humored him, he would get her out of here. â€Å"All right,† she said, and started toward the cemetery. â€Å"Not that way. This way.† And the next moment, he was leading her down toward the old graveyard. â€Å"It's okay, honest, it's not far off the path. Look, there, you see?† He pointed to something that shone in the moonlight. Elena gasped, muscles tightening around her heart. It looked like a person standing there, a giant with a round hairless head. And she didn't like being here at all, among the worn and leaning granite stones of centuries past. The bright moonlight cast strange shadows, and there were pools of impenetrable darkness everywhere. â€Å"It's just the ball on top. Nothing to be scared of,† said Tyler, pulling her with him off the path and up to the shining headstone. It was made of red marble, and the huge ball that surmounted it reminded her of the bloated moon on the horizon. Now that same moon shone down on them, as white as Thomas Fell's white hands. Elena couldn't contain her shivering. â€Å"Poor baby, she's cold. Got to get her warned up,† said Tyler. Elena tried to push him away, but he was too strong, wrapping her in his arms, pulling her against him. â€Å"Tyler, I want to go; I want to go rightnow . †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Sure, baby, we'll go,† he said. â€Å"But we've got to get you warm first. Gosh, you're cold.† † Tyler, stop,† she said. His arms around her had merely been annoying, restricting, but now with a sense of shock she felt his hands on her body, groping for bare skin. Never in her life had Elena been in a situation like this, far away from any help. She aimed a spiked heel for his patent-leather instep, but he evaded her. â€Å"Tyler,take your hands off me .† â€Å"C'mon, Elena, don't be like that, I just want to warm you up all over†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Tyler, let go,† she choked out. She tried to wrench herself away from him. Tyler stumbled, and then his full weight was on her, crushing her into the tangle of ivy and weeds on the ground. Elena spoke desperately. â€Å"I'll kill you, Tyler. I mean it.Get off me .† Tyler tried to roll off, giggling suddenly, his limbs heavy and uncoordinated, almost useless. â€Å"Aw, c'mon, Elena, don' be mad. I was jus' warmin' you up. Elena the Ice Princess, warmin' up†¦ You're gettin' warm now, aren' you?† Then Elena felt his mouth hot andwet on her face. She was still pinned beneath him, and his sloppy kisses were moving down her throat. She heard cloth tear. â€Å"Oops,† Tyler mumbled. â€Å"Sorry 'bout that.† Elena twisted her head, and her mouth met Tyler's hand, clumsily caressing her cheek. She bit it, sinking her teeth into the fleshy palm. She bithard , tasting blood, hearing Tyler's agonized yowl. The hand jerked away. â€Å"Hey! I said I was sorry!† Tyler looked aggrievedly at his maimed hand. Then his face darkened, as, still staring at it, he clenched the hand into a fist. This is it, Elena thought with nightmare calmness. He's either going to knock me out or kill me. She braced herself for the blow. Stefan had resisted coming into the cemetery; everything within him had cried out against it. The last time he'd been here had been the night of the old man. Horror shifted through his gut again at the memory. He would have sworn that he had not drained the man under the bridge, that he had not taken enough blood to do harm. But everything that night after the surge of Power was muddled, confused. If therehad been a surge of Power at all. Perhaps that had been his own imagination, or even his own doing. Strange things could happen when the need got out of control. He shut his eyes. When he'd heard that the old man was hospitalized, near death, his shock had been beyond words. Howcould he have let himself get so far out of hand? To kill, almost, when he had not killed since†¦ He wouldn't let himself think about that. Now, standing in front of the cemetery gate in the midnight darkness, he wanted nothing so much as to turn around and go away. Go back to the dance where he'd left Caroline, that supple, sun-bronzed creature who was absolutely safe because she meant absolutely nothing to him. But he couldn't go back, because Elena was in the cemetery. He could sense her, and sense her rising distress. Elena was in the cemetery and in trouble, and he had to find her. He was halfway up the hill when the dizziness hit. It sent him reeling, struggling on toward the church because it was the only thing he could keep in focus. Gray waves of fog swept through his brain, and he fought to keep moving. Weak, he felt so weak. And helpless against the sheer power of this vertigo. He needed†¦ to go to Elena. But he was weak. He couldn't be†¦ weak†¦ if he were to help Elena. He needed†¦ to†¦ The church door yawned before him. Elena saw the moon over Tyler's left shoulder. It was strangely fitting that it would be the last thing she ever saw, she thought. The scream had caught in her throat, choked off by fear. And then something picked Tyler up and threw him against his grandfather's headstone. That was what it looked like to Elena. She rolled to the side, gasping, one hand clutching her torn dress, the other groping for a weapon. She didn't need one. Something moved in the darkness, and she saw the person who had plucked Tyler off her. Stefan Salvatore. But it was a Stefan she had never seen before: that fine-featured face was white and cold with fury, and there was a killing light in those green eyes. Without even moving, Stefan emanated such anger and menace that Elena found herself more frightened of him than she had been of Tyler. â€Å"When I first met you, I knew you'd never learned any manners,† said Stefan. His voice was soft and cold and light, and somehow it made Elena dizzy. She couldn't take her eyes off him as he moved toward Tyler, who was shaking his head dazedly and starting to get up. Stefan moved like a dancer, every movement easy and precisely controlled. â€Å"But I had no idea that your character was quite so underdeveloped.† He hit Tyler. The larger boy had been reaching out one beefy hand, and Stefan hit him almost negligently on the side of the face, before the hand made contact. Tyler flew against another headstone. He scrambled up and stood panting, his eyes showing white. Elena saw a trickle of blood from his nose. Then he charged. â€Å"A gentleman doesn't force his company on anyone,† said Stefan, and knocked him aside. Tyler went sprawling again, facedown in the weeds and briars. This time he was slower in getting up, and blood flowed from both nostrils and from his mouth. He was blowing like a frightened horse as he threw himself at Stefan. Stefan grabbed the front of Tyler's jacket, whirling them both around and absorbing the impact of the murderous rush. He shook Tyler twice, hard, while those big beefy fists windmilled around him, unable to connect. Then he let Tyler drop. â€Å"He doesn't insult a woman,† he said. Tyler's face was contorted, his eyes rolling, but he grabbed for Stefan's leg. Stefan jerked him to his feet and shook him again, and Tyler went limp as a rag doll, his eyes rolling up. Stefan went on speaking, holding the heavy body upright and punctuating every word with a bone-wrenching shake. â€Å"And, above all, he doesnot hurt her†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Stefan!† Elena cried. Tyler's head was snapping back and forth with every shake. She was frightened of what she was seeing; frightened of what Stefan might do. And frightened above all else of Stefan's voice, that cold voice that was like a rapier dancing, beautiful and deadly and utterly merciless. â€Å"Stefan,stop .† His head jerked toward her, startled, as if he had forgotten her presence. For a moment he looked at her without recognition, his eyes black in the moonlight, and she thought of some predator, some great bird or sleek carnivore incapable of human emotion. Then understanding came to his face and some of the darkness faded from his gaze. He looked down at Tyler's lolling head, then set him gently against the red marble tombstone. Tyler's knees buckled and he slid down the face of it, but to Elena's relief his eyes opened-or at least the left one did. The right was swelling to a slit. â€Å"He'll be all right,† said Stefan emptily. As her fear ebbed, Elena felt empty herself. Shock, she thought. I'm in shock. I'll probably start screaming hysterically any minute now. â€Å"Is there someone to take you home?† said Stefan, still in that chillingly deadened voice. Elena thought of Dick and Vickie, doing God knew what beside Thomas Fell's statue. â€Å"No,† she said. Her mind was beginning to work again, to take notice of things around her. The violet dress was ripped all the way down the front; it was ruined. Mechanically, she pulled it together over her slip. â€Å"I'll drive you,† said Stefan. Even through the numbness, Elena felt a quick thrill of fear. She looked at him, a strangely elegant figure among the tombstones, his face pale in the moonlight. He had never looked so†¦ sobeautiful to her before, but that beauty was almost alien. Not just foreign, but inhuman, because no human could project that aura of power, or of distance. â€Å"Thank you. That would be very kind,† she said slowly. There was nothing else to do. They left Tyler painfully getting to his feet by his ancestor's headstone. Elena felt another chill as they reached the path and Stefan turned toward Wickery Bridge. â€Å"I left my car at the boarding house,† he said. â€Å"This is the fastest way for us to get back.† â€Å"Is this the way you came?† â€Å"No. I didn't cross the bridge. But it'll be safe.† Elena believed him. Pale and silent, he walked beside her without touching, except when he took off his blazer to put it around her bare shoulders. She felt oddly sure he would kill anything that tried to get at her. Wickery Bridge was white in the moonlight, and under it the icy waters swirled over ancient rocks. The whole world was still and beautiful and cold as they walked through the oak trees to the narrow country road. They passed fenced pastures and dark fields until they reached a long winding drive. The boarding house was a vast building of rust-red brick made from the native clay, and it was flanked with age-old cedars and maples. All but one of the windows were dark. Stefan unlocked one of the double doors and they stepped into a small hallway, with a flight of stairs directly in front of them. The banister, like the doors, was natural light oak so polished that it seemed to glow. They went up the stairs to a second-story landing that was poorly lit. To Elena's surprise, Stefan led her into one of the bedrooms and opened what looked like a closet door. Through it she could see a very steep, very narrow stairway. What a strange place, she thought. This hidden stairway buried deep in the heart of the house, where no sound from outside could penetrate. She reached the top of the stairs and stepped out into a large room that made up the whole third story of the house. It was almost as dimly lit as the stairway, but Elena could see the stained wood floor and the exposed beams in the slanting ceiling. There were tall windows on all sides, and many trunks scattered among a few pieces of massive furniture. She realized he was watching her. â€Å"Is there a bathroom where I-?† He nodded toward a door. She took off the blazer, held it toward him without looking at him, and went inside.