Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 16~18

Chapter 16 Heartwarming and UL-Approved There was a bum sleeping on the sidewalk across the street from the loft when they returned. Tommy, full of fast food and the elation of being twice laid, wanted to give the guy a dollar. Jody stopped him and pushed him up the steps. â€Å"Go on up,† she said. â€Å"I'll be there in a minute.† She stood in the doorway watching the bum for movement. There was no heat signature around him and she assumed the worst. She waited for him to roll over and start laughing at her again. She was feeling strong and a little cocky from the infusion of Tommy's blood, so she had to fight the urge to confront the vampire, to get dead in his face and scream. Instead she just whispered, â€Å"Asshole,† and closed the door. If his hearing was as acute as her own, and she was sure it was, he had heard her. She found Tommy in bed, fast asleep. Poor guy, she thought, running all over town doing my business. He probably hasn't slept more than a couple of hours since we met. She pulled the covers over him, kissed him on the forehead, and went to the window in the front room to watch the bum across the street. Tommy was dreaming of bebop-driven sentences read by a naked redhead when he woke to find her sleeping next to him. He threw his arm over her and pulled her close, but there was no response, no pleasant groan or reciprocal snuggle. She was out. He pushed the light button on his watch and checked the time. It was almost noon. The room was so dark that the watch dial floated in his vision for a few seconds after he released the button. He went to the bathroom and fumbled around until he found the light switch. A single fluorescent tube clicked and sputtered and finally ignited, spilling a fuzzy green glow through the door into the bedroom. She looks dead, he thought. Peaceful, but dead. Then he looked at himself in the bathroom mirror. I look dead too. It took him a minute to realize that it was the fluorescent lighting that had sucked the life out of his face, not his vampire girlfriend. He affected a serious glare and thought about how they would describe him in a hundred years, when he was really famous and really dead. Like so many great writers before him, Flood was known for his troubled countenance and sickly pallor, especially under fluorescent lighting. Those who knew him said that even in those early years they could sense that this thin, serious young man would make his presence known as a great man of letters as well as a sexual dynamo. His legacy to the world was a trail of great books and broken hearts, and although it is well known that his love life was his downfall, he felt no regret, as illustrated in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech: â€Å"I have followed my penis into hell and returned with the story.† Tommy bowed deeply before the mirror, careful to keep the Nobel Prize medal from banging the sink, then began to interview himself, speaking clearly and slowly into his toothbrush. â€Å"I think it was shortly after my first successful bus transfer that I realized the City was mine. Here I would produce some of my greatest work, and here I would meet my first wife, the lovely but deeply disturbed Jody†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Tommy waved the microphone/toothbrush away as if the memories were too painful to recall, but actually he was trying to remember Jody's last name. I should know her maiden name, he thought, if just for historical purposes. He glanced into the bedroom where the lovely but deeply disturbed Jody was lying naked and half-covered on the bed. He thought, She won't mind if I wake her up. She doesn't have to be at work or anything. He approached the bed and touched her cheek. â€Å"Jody,† he whispered. She didn't stir. He shook her a bit. â€Å"Jody, honey.† Nothing. â€Å"Hey,† he said, taking her shoulders. â€Å"Hey, wake up.† She didn't respond. He pulled the covers off her as his father used to do to him on cold winter mornings when he wouldn't get up to go to school. â€Å"Up and at 'em, soldier – ass in the air and feet on the floor,† he said in his best drill-sergeant bark. She looked really great lying there naked in the half-light from the bathroom. He was getting a little turned on. How would I feel, he thought, if I woke up and she was making love to me? Why, I believe that I would be pleasantly surprised. I think that would be better than waking up to frying bacon and the Sunday funnies. Yes, I'm sure she'll be pleased. He crawled into bed with her and ventured a tentative kiss. She was a little cold and didn't move a muscle, but he was sure she liked it. He ran a finger down the valley between her breasts and over her stomach. What if she didn't wake up? What if we do it and she doesn't wake up at all? How would I feel if I woke up and she told me that we had done it while I slept? I'd be fine with it. A little sad that I missed things, but I wouldn't be mad. I'd just ask her if I had a good time. Women are different, though. He tickled her just to get a reaction. Again, she didn't move. She's so cold. With her not moving at all it might be a little morbid. Maybe I should wait. I'll tell her that I thought about it and decided that it wouldn't be courteous. She'll like that. He sighed deeply, got out of bed and pulled the covers over her. I should buy her something, he thought. Jody snapped into consciousness and bit down on something hard. She opened her eyes and saw Tommy sitting on the edge of the bed. She smiled. â€Å"Good morning,† he said. She reached for whatever was in her mouth. Tommy caught her hand. â€Å"Don't bite down. It's a thermometer.† He checked his watch, then pulled the thermometer out of her mouth and read it. â€Å"Ninety-five point two. You're on your way.† Jody sat up and looked at the thermometer. â€Å"On my way to what?† He smiled bashfully. â€Å"On your way to body temperature. I bought you an electric blanket. It's been on for like six hours.† She ran her hand over the blanket. â€Å"You've been warming me up?† â€Å"Pretty cool, huh?† Tommy said. â€Å"I went to the library and got books too. I've been reading all afternoon.† He picked up a stack of books and began to shuffle through them, reading the titles and handing each to her in turn. â€Å"A Reader's Guide to Vampirism; Vampire Myths and Legends; Those That Stalk the Night – kind of an ominous title, huh?† She held the books as if they were made of wormy fruit. The covers depicted monstrous creatures rising from coffins, attacking women in various states of undress, and hanging around castles perched on barren mountains. The letters in the titles dripped blood. â€Å"These are all about vampires?† â€Å"That's just the nonfiction that they had on hand. I ordered a bunch more through the library exchange. Check out some of the fiction.† He picked up another stack from the floor. â€Å"A Feast of Blood; Red Thirst; Fangs; Dracula; Dracula's Dream; Dracula's Legacy; Fevre Dream; The Vampire Lestat – there must have been a hundred novels.† Jody, a little overwhelmed, stared at the books. â€Å"There seems to be a theme here on the covers.† â€Å"Yeah,† Tommy said. â€Å"Vampires seem to have an affinity for lingerie. Do you have any particular craving for sexy nightgowns?† â€Å"Not really.† Jody had always thought it a little silly to spend a lot of money on something that you only put on long enough for someone to take it off you. Evidently, though, if you went by these book covers, vampires looked at lingerie as garnish. â€Å"Okay,† Tommy said, picking up a notebook from the floor and making a check mark. â€Å"No lingerie fetish. I've made a list of vampire traits with boxes to check either ‘fact' or ‘fiction. Since you missed the lecture, I guess we'll have to just test them.† â€Å"What lecture?† Tommy put down his pen and looked at her as if she'd gotten into the express lane with a cartful of groceries and a two-party check. â€Å"Everybody knows that there's always an orientation lecture in vampire books. Usually it comes from some old professor guy with an accent, but sometimes it's another vampire. You obviously missed the lecture.† â€Å"I guess so,† Jody said. â€Å"I must have been busy chasing women in lingerie.† â€Å"That's okay,† Tommy said, returning to the list. â€Å"Obviously you don't have to sleep in your native soil.† He checked it off. â€Å"And we know that everyone you bite doesn't necessarily turn into a vampire.† â€Å"No, a jerk, maybe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Whatever,† Tommy said, moving on in the list. â€Å"Okay, sunlight is bad for you.† He made a check mark. â€Å"You can enter a house without being invited. How about running water?† â€Å"What about it?† â€Å"Vampires aren't supposed to be able to cross running water. Have you tried crossing any running water?† â€Å"I've taken a couple of showers.† â€Å"Then that would be fiction. Let me smell your breath.† He bent close to her. She turned her head and shielded her mouth. â€Å"Tommy, I just woke up. Let me brush my teeth first.† â€Å"Vampires are supposed to have the ‘fetid breath of a predator, or, in some cases, ‘breath like the rotting smell of the charnel house. C'mon, give us a whiff.† Jody reluctantly breathed in his face. He sat up and considered the list. â€Å"Well? â€Å"she asked. â€Å"I'm thinking. I need to get the dictionary out of my suitcase.† â€Å"What for?† â€Å"I'm not sure what a charnel house is.† â€Å"Can I brush my teeth while you look?† â€Å"No, wait, I might need another whiff.† He went to his suitcase and dug out the dictionary. While he looked up â€Å"charnel house,† Jody cupped her hand and smelled her own breath. It was pretty foul. â€Å"Here it is,† he said, putting his finger on the word. â€Å"‘Noun. A mausoleum or morgue. A structure where corpses are buried or stored. See morning breath! I guess that we check ‘fact' on that one.† â€Å"Can I brush my teeth now?† â€Å"Sure. Are you going to shower?† â€Å"I'd like to. Why?† â€Å"Can I help? I mean, you're much more attractive when you're not room temperature.† She smiled. â€Å"You really know how to charm a girl.† She got out of bed and went into the bathroom. Tommy waited on the bed. â€Å"Well, come on,† she said as she turned on the water. â€Å"Sorry,† he said, leaping to his feet and wrestling out of his shirt. She stopped him at the bathroom door with a firm hand on the chest. â€Å"One second, mister. I have a question for you.† â€Å"Shoot.† â€Å"Men are pigs: fact or fiction?† â€Å"Fact!† Tommy shouted. â€Å"Correct! You win!† She leaped into his arms and kissed him. Chapter 17 This Month's Makeover: The Faces of Fear Simon McQueen had once climbed onto the back of a ton of pissed-off beef named Muffin and been promptly stomped into mush in front of an amazed rodeo crowd, and still managed to pinch the bottom of a female paramedic as he was carried away on a stretcher, singing a garbled version of â€Å"I've Got Friends in Low Places.† Simon McQueen had once picked a fight with a gang of skinheads and managed to render three of them unconscious before a knife in the stomach and a jackboot to the head rendered him helpless. Simon had jumped out of an airplane, fallen off the roof of a Lutheran church, run over a police car in his pickup truck, smuggled a thousand pounds of marijuana across the border from Mexico inside a stuffed cow, and swum halfway to Alcatraz Island on a dare before the Coast Guard fished him out of the bay and revived him. Simon had done all these things without the slightest tic of fear. But tonight, laid out across register 3 in his skintight Wranglers and his endanger ed-species Tony Lama boots with the silver spurs, his black Stetson pulled down over his face, Simon McQueen was frightened. Frightened that one of his two great secrets was about to become known. The other Animals were sharing tales of their weekend adventures, exaggerating aspects of binges and babes, while Glint professed to God that they knew not what they did. Simon sat up, pushed back his Stetson, and said, â€Å"Y'all wouldn't know a piece of ass if it sloshed upside your head.† The Animals fell silent, each trying to formulate a new and exciting way to tell Simon to fuck off, when Tommy came through the door. â€Å"Fearless Leader!† Lash exclaimed. Tommy grinned and faked a tap-dance step. â€Å"Gentlemen,† he said. â€Å"I have reached out and touched the face of God – film at eleven.† Simon was wildly irritated by this added distraction from his worrying. â€Å"What happened, you go down to Castro Street and get converted?† Tommy waved the comment away. â€Å"No, Sime – I can call you Sime, can't I? You see, last night, about this time† – he checked his watch – â€Å"there was a naked redhead hanging from the ceiling of my new loft, reading Kerouac aloud to me. If I die now, it was not all in vain. I'm ready to throw stock. How's the truck?† â€Å"A big one,† Troy Lee answered. â€Å"Three thousand cases. But the bitch is, the scanner is broken. We have to use the order books.† Troy's comment jabbed Simon like bad gas pain. He considered going home sick, but without his help the Animals would never be able to finish the truck before morning. A lump of fear rose in his throat. He couldn't use the order books. Simon McQueen couldn't read. â€Å"Let's get to it then,† Tommy said. The Animals threw themselves into their work with an abandon they usually reserved for partying. Razor box-cutters whizzed, price guns clicked, and cardboard piled up in shoulder-high drifts at the ends of the aisles. In addition to throwing the extra-large load, they had to allow an extra hour to write their stock orders. Normally the orders were done with a bar-code scanner, but with the scanner down, each man would have to go through a huge loose-leaf order book, writing in items by hand. By 5 A.M. they had most of the stock on the shelves and Simon McQueen was considering letting his box-cutter slip and cutting his leg so he could escape to the emergency room. But that might reveal a secret worse than illiteracy. Tommy came into Simon's aisle carrying the order book. â€Å"You better get started, Sime.† He held out the book and a pencil. â€Å"I still got a hundred cases to throw,† Simon said, not looking up. â€Å"Let someone else start.† â€Å"No, you've got the biggest section. Go ahead.† Tommy bumped Simon on the shoulder with the book. Simon looked up, then dropped his cutter and slowly took the book from Tommy. He opened the book and stared at the page, then at the shelf, then at the book. Tommy said, â€Å"Order light on the juices, we've got a lot of stock in the back room.† Simon nodded and looked at the book, then at the shelf of vegetables before him. Tommy said, â€Å"You're on the wrong page, Simon.† â€Å"I know,† Simon snapped. â€Å"I'm just finding my place.† He flipped through the pages, then stopped on a page of cake mixes and began looking at the shelf of vegetables. He could feel Tommy's gaze on him and wished that the skinny-little-faggot-book-reading-prick-bastard would just go away and leave him alone. â€Å"Simon.† Simon looked up, his eyes pleading. â€Å"Give me the book,† Tommy said. â€Å"I think I'm going to order everybody's section tonight. It'll give you guys more time to throw stock and I need to get more familiar with the store anyway.† â€Å"I can do it,† Simon said. â€Å"I know,† Tommy said, taking the book. â€Å"But why waste your talent on this bullshit?† As Tommy walked away, Simon took his first deep breath of the night. â€Å"Flood,† he called, â€Å"I'm buying the beers after shift.† Tommy didn't look back. â€Å"I know,† he said. Jody stood by the window in the dark loft watching the sleeping bum who lay on the sidewalk across the street and cursing under her breath. Go away, you bastard, she thought. Even as she thought it, she felt a measure of security in knowing exactly where her enemy was. As long as he lay on the sidewalk, Tommy was safe at the grocery store. She had never felt the need to protect someone before. She had always been the one looking for protection, for a strong arm to lean on. Now she was the strong arm, at least when the sun was down. She had walked Tommy down the steps and waited with him until the cab arrived to take him to work. As she watched the cab pull away, she thought, This must be how my mother felt when she put me on the school bus that first time – except that Tommy doesn't have a Barbie lunch box. She kept an eye on the vampire lying on the sidewalk across the street. Hours passed at the window and she asked the same questions over and over again, coming up with no solution to her problem, and no logic to the vampire's behavior. What did he want? Why had he killed the old woman and left her in the dumpster? Was he trying to frighten her, threaten her, or was there some kind of message to it all? â€Å"You're not immortal. You can still be killed.† If he was going to kill her, why didn't he just do it? Why pretend to be a sleeping bum, watching her, waiting? He has to find shelter before daylight. If I can just outlast him, maybe†¦ Maybe what? I can't follow him or I'll be caught in the sunlight too. She went to the bedroom and dug the almanac Tommy had given her out of her backpack. The sun would rise at 6:12 A.M. She checked her watch. She had an hour. She waited at the window until six o'clock, then headed out of the loft to confront the vampire. As she went through the door she instinctively reached out to click off the lights, only to realize that she hadn't turned any on. If I live through this, she thought, I'm going to save a fortune on utilities. She left the door at the top of the stairs unlocked, then went down the steps and propped the big fire door open with a soda can she found on the landing. She might have to get back in fast, and she didn't want to be slowed down by keys and locks. Her muscles buzzed as she approached the vampire, the fight-or-flee instinct running through her like liquid lightning. A few feet away she picked up a foul smell, a rotting smell coming from the vampire. She stopped and swallowed hard. â€Å"What exactly is it that you want?† she asked. The vampire didn't move. His face was covered by the high collar of his overcoat. She took another step forward. â€Å"What am I supposed to be doing?† The smell was stronger now. She concentrated on the vampire's hands, trying to sense some movement that would warn her of an attack. There was none. â€Å"Answer me!† she demanded. She stepped up and pulled the collar away from his face. She saw the glazed eyes and a bone jutting from the neck just as a hand clamped across her face and jerked her back off her feet. She tried to reach behind her to claw her attacker's face but he jerked her to the side. She opened her mouth to scream and two of his fingers slipped into her mouth. She bit down hard. There was a scream and she was free. She wheeled on her attacker, ready to fight, his severed fingers still in her mouth. The vampire stood before her, cradling his bloody hand. â€Å"Bitch,† he said. Then he grinned. Jody swallowed his fingers and hissed at him. â€Å"Fuck you, asshole. Come on.† She fell into a crouch and waved him on. The vampire was still grinning. â€Å"The taste of vampire blood has made you brave, fledgling. Don't take it too far.† His hand had stopped spurting blood and was scabbing over as she watched. â€Å"What do you want?† The vampire looked at the sky, which was turning pink, threatening dawn. â€Å"Right now I want to find a place to sleep,† he said too calmly. He ripped the scab from his fingers and slung a spray of blood in her face. â€Å"Until we meet again, my love.† He wheeled and ran across the street into an alley. Jody stood watching and shaking with the need for a fight. She turned and looked at the dead bum: the decoy. She couldn't leave him here to attract police – not this close to the loft. She glanced at the lightening sky, then hoisted the dead bum onto her back and headed back to the loft. Tommy ran up the stairs and burst into the loft eager to share his discovery about Simon's illiteracy, but once through the door, he was knocked back by a stinging rotten odor like bloated roadkill. What's she done now? he thought. He opened the windows to air the place out and went to the bedroom, careful to open the door just wide enough to slip through without spilling sunlight on the bed. The smell was much stronger here and he gagged as he turned on the light. Jody was lying on the bed with the electric blanket pulled up to her neck. Dried blood was crusted over her face. A wiggling wave of the willies ran up Tommy's spine, stronger than any he had felt since his father had first told him the secret of ball-park hot dogs. (â€Å"Snouts and butt holes,† Dad had said, during the seventh-inning stretch. â€Å"I've got the willies,† said Tommy.) There was a note on the pillow by Jody's head. Tommy crept forward and snatched it off the pillow, then backpedaled to the door to read it. Tommy, Sorry I'm such a mess. It's almost dawn and I don't want to get stuck in the shower. I'll explain tonight. Call Sears and have them deliver the largest chest freezer that they have. There's money in my backpack. I missed you last night. Love, Jody Tommy backed out of the room. Chapter 18 Bugeater of the Barbary Coast Tommy woke up on the futon feeling as if he had been through a two-day battle. The loft was dark but for the streetlights spilling through the windows and he could hear Jody running the shower in the other room. The new freezer was humming away in the kitchen. He rolled off the futon and groaned. His muscles creaked like rusty hinges and his head felt as if it were stuffed with cotton – like a low-grade hangover – not from the few beers he had shared with the Animals after work, but from the verbal beating he had taken from the appliance salesman at Sears. The salesman, a round hypertensive named Lloyd, who wore the last extant leisure suit on the planet (powder blue with navy piping), had begun his assault with a five-minute lament on the disappearance of double knits (as if a concerted effort by a Greenpeace team in white vinyl shoes and gold chains might bring double knits back from the brink of extinction), then segued into a half-hour lecture on the tragedies visited on those poor souls who failed to purchase extended warranties on their Kenmore Freezemasters. â€Å"And so,† Lloyd concluded, â€Å"he not only lost his job, his home, and his family, but that frozen food that could have saved the children at the orphanage spoiled, all because he tried to save eighty-seven dollars.† â€Å"I'll take it,† Tommy said. â€Å"I'll take the longest warranty you have.† Lloyd laid a fatherly hand on Tommy's shoulder. â€Å"You won't regret this, son. I'm not one for high pressure myself, but the guys that sell these warranties after delivery are like the Mafia – they'll call you at all hours, they'll hound you, they'll find you wherever you go and they will ruin your life if you don't give in. I once sold a microwave to a man who woke up with a horse's head in his bed.† â€Å"Please,† Tommy begged, â€Å"I'll sign anything, but they have to deliver it right now. Okay?† Lloyd pumped Tommy's hand to start the flow of cash. â€Å"Welcome to better living through frozen food.† Tommy sat up on the futon and looked at the behemoth freezer that was humming in the half-light of the kitchen. Why? he thought. Why did I buy it? Why did she want it? I didn't even ask for an explanation from her, I just blindly followed her instructions. I'm a slave, like Renfield in Dracula. How long before I start eating bugs and howling at night? He got up and walked, in his underwear and one sock, into the bedroom; the smell of decay was strong enough to make him gag. It was the smell that had driven him to sleep on the futon in the living room rather than crawl into bed with Jody. He'd fallen asleep reading Bram Stoker's Dracula to get some perspective on the love of his life. She's the devil, he thought, staring at the steam creeping out from under the bathroom door. â€Å"Jody, is that you?† he asked the steam. The steam just crept. â€Å"I'm in the shower,† Jody said from the shower. â€Å"Come on in.† Tommy went to the bathroom and opened the door. â€Å"Jody, we need to talk.† The bathroom was thick with steam – he could barely make out the shower doors. â€Å"Close the door; it smells in there.† Tommy moved closer to the shower. â€Å"I'm worried about the way things are going,† he said. â€Å"Did you get the freezer?† â€Å"Yes, that's part of what I wanted to talk to you about.† â€Å"You got the biggest one they had, right?† â€Å"Yes, and a ten-year extended-service agreement.† â€Å"And it's a chest model, not an upright?† â€Å"Yes, dammit, but Jody, you didn't even tell me why I was buying it and I just did it. Since I met you, it's like I have no will of my own. I've been sleeping all day. I'm not doing any writing. I hardly even see daylight anymore.† â€Å"Tommy, you work midnight to eight. When do you think you would sleep?† â€Å"Don't twist my words. I will not eat bugs for you.† She's the devil, he thought. â€Å"Will you do my back?† She slid the shower door open and Tommy was transfixed by the water cascading between her breasts. â€Å"Well?† she said, cocking a hip. Tommy slipped out of his briefs, pulled off his sock, and stepped into the shower. â€Å"Okay, but I'm not eating any bugs.† After a mad naked dash through the bedroom they sat on the futon toweling off and looking at the new freezer. â€Å"It certainly is large,† Jody said. â€Å"I bought a dozen TV dinners so it wouldn't look so empty.† Jody said, â€Å"You'll have to take them out; put them in the regular fridge.† â€Å"Why? I don't think they'll fit.† â€Å"I know, but I have something to put in there and I don't think you'll want your TV dinners in there with it.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Well, you know that bad smell in the bedroom?† â€Å"I was going to mention that. What is it?† â€Å"It's a body.† â€Å"You killed someone?† Tommy slid away from her on the futon. â€Å"No, I didn't kill anyone. Let me explain.† She told him about the bum, about creeping up on him thinking he was the vampire, and of the battle that ensued. Tommy said, â€Å"Do you think he was trying to kill you?† â€Å"I don't think so. It's as if he wants to show me how superior he is or something. Like he's testing me.† â€Å"So you bit off his fingers?† â€Å"I didn't know what else to do.† â€Å"What was it like?† â€Å"Honestly?† â€Å"Of course?† â€Å"It was a rush. It was an incredible rush.† â€Å"Better than drinking my blood?† â€Å"Different.† Tommy turned his back on her and began to pout. Jody moved to him and kissed his ear. â€Å"It was a fight, Tommy. I didn't come or anything, but I swear, I felt stronger after I†¦ after I swallowed.† â€Å"So that's why you were all crusty with blood when I got home?† â€Å"Yes, it was almost dawn when I got the body upstairs.† â€Å"That's another thing,† Tommy said. â€Å"Why did you bring that stinky thing up here?† â€Å"The police already found one body at the motel, and they have my name. Now they find another that was killed in the same way right next to where we live. I don't think they'd understand.† â€Å"So we're going to keep it in the freezer?† â€Å"Just until I figure out what to do with him.† â€Å"I'm not comfortable with you calling it ‘him. ; â€Å"Just until I figure out what to do with it, then.† â€Å"There's a big bay out there.† â€Å"And how would you suggest that we get it down there without being seen?† â€Å"I'll think about it.† Jody stood, wrapped a towel around herself, and walked back to the bedroom. â€Å"I'm going to put it in now; you might want to transfer your TV dinners.† She paused at the door. â€Å"And I'm out of clean clothes. You're going to need to go to the Laundromat.† â€Å"Why don't you go?† Jody regarded him gravely. â€Å"Tommy, you know I can't go out during the day.† â€Å"Oh no,† Tommy said. â€Å"Don't pull that. I don't know of a single Laundromat that's not open all night. Besides, I can't be your slave full-time. I have to have some time to get some writing done. And I might be taking on a student.† â€Å"What kind of student?† â€Å"A guy at work – Simon – he can't read. I'm going to offer to teach him.† â€Å"That's sweet of you,† Jody said. She shook her hair out, let her towel fall to the floor, and struck a centerfold pose. â€Å"Are you sure you don't want to do the laundry?† â€Å"No way. You have no power over me.† â€Å"Are you sure?† She licked her lips sensually. â€Å"That's not what you said in the shower.† I will resist her evil, Tommy thought. I will not give in. He stood and started gathering his clothes. â€Å"Don't you have a body to move?† â€Å"All right then,† Jody snapped. â€Å"I'll do the laundry while you're at work tonight.† She turned and went into the bedroom. â€Å"Good. I'll be out here looking for some tasty bugs,† Tommy whispered to himself. Midnight found Jody trudging down the steps with a trash bag full of laundry slung across her back. As she stepped onto the sidewalk and turned to lock the door she realized that she hadn't the slightest idea where to find a Laundromat in this neighborhood. The rolling steel door to the foundry was open and the two burly sculptors were working inside, bracing a man-sized plaster mold for pouring. She considered asking them for directions, but thought it might be better to wait and meet them when she was with Tommy. The interior of the foundry was glowing red with the heat from the molten bronze in the crucible, making it appear to her heat-sensitive vision like hell's own studio. She stood for a moment watching waves of heat spill out the top of the door, to swirl and dissipate in the night sky like dying paisley ghosts. She wanted to turn to someone and share the experience, but of course there was no one, and if there had been, they wouldn't have been able to see what she saw. She thought, In the kingdom of the blind, a one-eyed man can get pretty lonely. She sighed heavily and was starting toward Market Street when she heard a sharp staccato tapping of toenails at her heels. She dropped the laundry and wheeled around. A Boston terrier growled and snorted at her, then backed away a few feet and fell into a yapping fit that bordered on canine apoplexy, his bug eyes threatening to pop out of his head. â€Å"Bummer, stop that!† came a shout from the corner. Jody looked up to see a grizzled old man in an overcoat coming toward her wearing a saucepan on his head and carrying a wickedly pointed wooden sword. A golden retriever trotted along beside him, a smaller saucepan strapped to his head and two garbage-can lids strapped to his sides, giving the impression of a compact furry Viking ship. â€Å"Bummer, come back here.† The little dog backed away a few more steps, then turned and ran back to the man. Jody noticed that the little dog had a miniature pie pan strapped over his ears with a rubber band. The old man picked up the terrier in his free hand and trotted up to Jody. â€Å"I'm very sorry,† he said. â€Å"The troops are girded for battle, but I fear they are a bit too eager to engage. Are you all right?† Jody smiled. â€Å"I'm fine. Just a little startled.† The old man bowed. â€Å"Allow me to introduce myself†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You're the Emperor, aren't you?† Jody had been in the City for five years. She'd heard about the Emperor, but she'd only seen him from a distance. â€Å"At your service,† said the Emperor. The terrier growled suspiciously and the Emperor shoved the little dog, head first, into the oversized pocket of his overcoat, then buttoned the flap. Muffled growls emanated from the pocket. â€Å"I apologize for my charge. He's long on courage, but rather short on manners. This is Lazarus.† Jody nodded to the retriever, who let out a slight growl and backed away a step. The garbage-can lids rattled on the sidewalk. â€Å"Hi. I'm Jody. Pleased to meet you.† â€Å"I hope you will forgive my presumption,† the Emperor said, â€Å"but I don't think it's safe for a young woman to be out on the street at night. Particularly in this neighborhood.† â€Å"Why this neighborhood?† The Emperor moved closer and whispered. â€Å"I'm sure that you've noticed that the men and I are dressed for battle. We are hunting a vicious, murdering fiend that has been stalking the City. I don't mean to alarm you, but we last saw him on this very street. In fact, he killed a friend of mine right across the street not two nights ago.† â€Å"You saw him?† Jody asked. â€Å"Did you call the police?† â€Å"The police will be of no help,† the Emperor said. â€Å"This is not the run-of-the-mill scoundrel that we are used to in the City. He's a vampire.† The Emperor lifted his wooden sword and tested the point against the tip of his finger. Jody was shaken. She tried to calm herself, but the fear showed on her face. â€Å"I've frightened you,† the Emperor said. â€Å"No – no, I'm fine. It's just†¦ Your Majesty, there are no such things as vampires.† â€Å"As you wish,† the Emperor said. â€Å"But I think it would be prudent for you to wait until daylight to do your business.† â€Å"I need to do my laundry or I won't have any clean clothes for tomorrow.† â€Å"Then allow us to escort you.† â€Å"No, really, Your Majesty, I'll be fine. By the way, where is the nearest Laundromat?† â€Å"There is one not far from here, but it's in the Tenderloin. Even during the day you wouldn't be safe alone. I really must insist that you wait, my dear. Perhaps by then we will have exterminated the fiend.† â€Å"Well,† Jody said, â€Å"if you insist. This is my apartment, right here.† She dug the key out of her jeans and opened the door. She turned back to the Emperor. â€Å"Thank you.† â€Å"Safety first,† the Emperor said. â€Å"Sleep well.† The little dog growled in his pocket. Jody went inside and closed the door, then waited until she heard the Emperor walk away. She waited another five minutes and went back onto the street. She shouldered the laundry and headed toward the Tenderloin, thinking, This is great. How long before the police actually listen to the Emperor? Tommy and I are going to have to move and we haven't even decorated yet. And I hate doing laundry. I hate it. I'm sending our laundry out if Tommy won't do it. And we're going to have a cleaning lady – some nice, dependable woman who will come in after dark. And I'm not buying toilet paper. I don't use it and I'm not going to buy it. And something has to be done about this asshole vampire. God, I hate doing laundry. She had gone two blocks when a man stepped out of a doorway in front of her. â€Å"Hey momma, you need some help.† She jumped in his face and shouted, â€Å"Fuck off, horndog!† with such viciousness that he screamed and leaped back into the doorway, then meekly called  «Sorry » after her as she passed. She thought, I'm not sorting. It all goes in warm. I don't care if the whites do go gray; I'm not sorting. And how do I know how to get out bloodstains? Who am I? Miss Household Hints? God, I hate laundry. The clothes jumped and played and dived over each other like fabric dolphins. Jody sat on a folding table across from the dryer watching the show and thinking about the Emperor's warning. He'd said, â€Å"I don't think it's safe for a young woman to be out on the street at night.† Jody agreed. Not long ago she would have been terrified if she'd found herself in the Tenderloin at night. She couldn't even remember coming down here during the day. Where had that fear gone? What had happened to her that she could face off with a vampire, bite off his fingers, and carry a dead body up a flight of stairs and shove it under the bed without even a flinch? Where was the fear and loathing? She didn't miss it, she just wondered what had happened to it. It wasn't as if she were without fear. She was afraid of daylight, afraid of the police discovering her, and of Tommy rejecting her and leaving her alone. New fears and familiar fears, but there was nothing in the dark that frightened her, not the future, not even the old vampire – and she knew now, having tasted his blood, that he was old, very old. She saw him as an enemy, and her mind casted for strategies to defeat him, but she was not really afraid of him anymore: curious, but not afraid. The dryer stopped-fabric dolphins dropped and died as if caught in tuna nets. Jody jumped off the table, opened the dryer, and was feeling the clothes for dampness when she heard footsteps on the sidewalk outside the Laundromat. She turned to see the tall black man she had chased into the doorway coming into the Laundromat, followed by two shorter men. All three wore silver L.A. Raiders jackets, high-top shoes, and evil grins. Jody turned back to the dryer and started stuffing her clothes into the trash bag. She thought, I should be folding these. â€Å"Yo, bitch,† the tall man said. Jody looked to the back of the Laundromat. The only door was in the front, behind the three men. She turned and looked up at them. â€Å"How about those Raiders?† she said with a smile. She felt a pressure in the roof of her mouth: the fangs extending. The three men split up and moved around the folding table to surround her. In another life, this had been her worst nightmare. In this life she just smiled as two of them grabbed her arms from behind. She saw a bead of sweat on the tall man's temple as he approached her and reached out to tear the front of her shirt. She ripped her right arm loose and caught the tall man's wrist as the sweat bead began to drip. She snapped his forearm and bones splintered though skin and muscle as she swung him, headfirst, through the glass door of the dryer. She reached over her shoulder and grabbed one of the Raider fans by the hair and smashed his face into the floor, then wheeled on her last attacker and shoved him back into the edge of the folding table, snapping his spine just above the hips and sending him spinning backward over a deck of washing machines. The bead of sweat hit the floor near the man with the smashed face. Amid the hum of fluorescent lights and the moans of the man with the broken back, Jody loaded the rest of her laundry into the trash bag. She thought, This stuff is going to be nothing but wrinkles by the time I get home. Tommy's doing the laundry next time. As she reached the door she ran her tongue over her teeth and was relieved to find her fangs had retracted. She looked over her shoulder at the carnage and shouted, â€Å"Forty-fucking-Niners!† The man with the broken back moaned.

Who doesn t know Louis Vuitton

Globalization is the process of development in politics, economy and culture all around the world. National economies becomes increasingly integrated through globalization. Although globalization brings positive effect on economy, it also affects the world in a negative way. To start with, globalization has improved interdependence of national economies. Globalization involved free trade, greater competition, and increased investment. Globalization allows companies to enter wider markets and consumers have more options of goods and services.Free trade is a trade between countries without governmental intervention. Globalization lows greater trade and competition in the market that leads to lower prices, higher economic growth and it also increases level of investment. Since companies open wider markets, they need more people to work for them. Globalization enables a larger job opportunity that leads to decreasing of unemployment. Globalization allows us to move from one to another co untry. Free movement of labor gives advantages to both sender and recipient countries.If a nation experiences high unemployment, there are large opportunities to look for jobs somewhere else. Globalization increases Gross Domestic Product (GAP) of a country. GAP is the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time. Production of foreign companies in a country is counted as a part of country's GAP. A massive increase in education is also result of the globalization process. However, globalization brings negative impacts on a nation. Developing countries have difficulties to compete with developed countries.Globalization drives migration. So many people with different background move in and out Of a Country. They tend to follow the foreign culture and forget their own culture, this can lead to cultural conflicts. Opening doors to international trade has increased intense competition. Local products often struggle to compete with impor ted products because imported products are usually cheaper and better. Globalization has increased standard of living. People in recent times tend to buy branded products more than local products. Thereby the local companies suffer huge losses.Globalization allows workers to move freely. Hence, it is difficult for some countries to hold onto their best skilled workers who are attracted by higher salaries in other countries. Economic bloc or trade bloc is an agreement between countries, to acclimate trade between participants. For example, The European Union (SEC)). The E has 28 members (Austria, Germany, Norway, Belgium, Greece, Poland, Bulgaria, Ireland, Portugal, Cyprus, Italy, Romania, Croatia, Latvia, Spain, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Slovenia, Denmark, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Estonia, Malta, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, UK and France).The aim is to promote free trade between countries. Multinational Corporation also knows as transnational corporation, is a corporation that has i ts assets in several countries but managed from one country such as Coca Cola. Multinational Corporation is beneficial because it creates jobs and improves technology. Business cycle refers to the change of economic activity. Economy experiences ups and downs caused by the changes of supply and demand. The changes of economic growth in the global economy over time are known as international business cycle.In labor markets, employers compete to hire the best skilled workers, while workers compete to get the best satisfying job. In recent time, more people are moving to different countries to get a better quality of life and standard of living. High skilled workers are attracted to rich Mounties such as the United States because of the higher wages and better opportunities. Small countries often struggle to hold onto their most talented and skilled workers, who are attracted to other countries by greater rewards (Australia in the Global Economy, 2004).The globalization of labor market has been increasing, however there are still significant difficulties on working in other countries such as language, immigration restrictions, cultural factors, and incompatible educational and professional qualifications. For example, people from Mexico who move to America. 10,000 people cross the Mexican order every week. People usually move to find a job, to avoid war, to find a better quality of life or to be closer to their friends or family.Those migrants often struggle to live in rural Mexico because they have to survive with very little money; most of the population is living in poverty. The lack of resources makes they live harder to gain money. They believe by moving to America they can get a better life. Rural Mexico doesn't have minimum wage like in America; what they make in a whole day at Mexico would be few hour work in the USA. Migrants are usually fathers Of big families that have to cross the border, then end home bunches of money or return to their homes.Some of them move to America in a legal way and some with an illegal way. Those who don't have valid passport and visa are willing to cross the desert that separates Mexico and America. Many people suffer dehydration when they are crossing and the border patrol may catch them. These migrants bring impacts on both Mexico and America. The impacts on America are local businesses have benefited as they have a source of cheap labor, Mexicans are willing to do anything, and Mexicans have brought their culture and food with them that makes Mexican DOD very popular in the LISA.However, The LISA government has to spend millions of dollars for border patrols and prisons due to illegal migrants (recently it has been a concern that there may be terrorists crossing the border. ) Mexicans also cause social problems due cultural and racial issues and also many Americans feel that Mexicans are taking their jobs. On the other side, Mexico has less of economically active people; young people tend to migrate and leave the old and the very young. In the final analysis, globalization can benefit people but it can cost people too.Indonesia been terrorized recently, more jobs are provided so people become wealthier. Quality of life in Indonesia is increasing; the government now has more money to spend because people can afford to buy more expensive things. Globalization is at its peak and it is clear that globalization cannot be stopped.

Busang – a River of Gold

Challenges for Bre-X Minerals in Indonesia Bre-X Minerals Ltd. faced numerous challenges in 1996, largest among them being the potential loss of the majority stake in property that could yield upwards of 100 million ounces of gold. The Indonesian government was threatening to redistribute ownership of Busang, the mining region in which Bre-X had property rights, due to its fear that Bre-X was a short-term player not serious about extracting the gold or a long term commitment in Indonesia. These fears were justified given Bre-X’s small size (it had a net loss of $Cdn. 66,677 in 1995 compared to a net income of $Cdn. 218 million from Barrick Gold Corp. , a potential government-corporate partner) and limited connections within the country (established only in 1993 by exploring in the East Kalimantan rainforest). Another critical challenge faced by Bre-X was the public outcry over a foreign firm taking advantage of Indonesia’s wealth of natural resources. This mineral explo itation resulted in cries for public action to seize the land and deny Bre-X any compensation. Prominent public figures Dr. Amin Rais and Mr. Hartojo Wignjowinoto were most vocal in these demands. This is a classic example of the risk an unprepared company takes on when operating in a country that is transitioning both politically and economically. Over the first half of 1996, analysts predicted increasing success at Busang and as a result, Bre-X’s stock value rose. Indonesia, however, is a mixed economy where the government uses public action to manipulate and influence the private sector with ease. Bre-X’s failure to collaborate with an influential local company from the beginning of its venture led it to the current crisis. The company’s developmental and operational stagnation resulted in increased pressure from the world’s largest mining firms, Barrick included, and the Indonesian government. The Sudjana Proposal: Bre-X Minerals & Barrick Gold Due to the corruption and public action of the Indonesian government and the potential for continued bureaucratic challenges to extracting the gold, Bre-X should accept Minister Sudjana’s proposal to partner with Barrick. The Indonesian government has shown, through its interactions with Bre-X, that it is easily influenced by the demands of President Suharto’s family and by pressures from respected individuals. For example, the Barrick proposal received endorsement from the government only after Barrick hired Suharto’s daughter (Tutut) and encouragement from former U. S. President George Bush and former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Despite making an alliance with PT Panutan Duta in late October, Bre-X was late in recognizing the importance of relationship building in conducting business in Indonesia. With only eight days to negotiate the deal with Barrick, Bre-X does not have time to develop the necessary connections to succeed in Indonesia without a competent partner. Strong property rights are an essential component in any successful market economy. Although Indonesia has regulations regarding mineral exploration and extraction, the government has found ways to manipulate the regulations to best serve its interests. Making it through the various stages of mining approval requires complex paperwork and numerous negotiations with various government offices. Bre-X had navigated this system and received a Contract of Work (CoW) to mine the Southeast Zone. However, after Kuntoro Mangkusubroto declined to revoke Bre-X’s CoW, Sudjana had transferred the processing of CoWs out of Mangkusubroto’s office. This move suggested that Sudjana could manipulate the regulatory structure to revoke Bre-X’s CoW and make it much more difficult for the company to continue exploration or begin mining. Rejecting the Barrick deal proposed by Sudjana would expose Bre-X to future challenges that may prevent them from ever capitalizing on its Busang II claim. However in accepting the Barrick deal, Bre-X stands to lose a large portion of their claim to the future profits from Busang. Bre-X has made large investments to purchase and explore the properties in Borneo and needs to make sufficient earnings to recoup its costs and satisfy its investors. Therefore, Bre-X should use the eight days that they have to reach an agreement with Barrick in which they receive a greater than 22. 5% stake in Busang. Beyond Barrick: Other Roads to Busang One alternative Bre-X could pursue is a different joint venture with either Placer Dome or Tech Corps, which would align Bre-X with a large enough company to develop and operate in Busang. At the same time, Bre-X needs to cultivate their existing relationship with Suharto’s son to give the company an inside track in navigating the corrupt regime. This alternative is attractive for all parties involved because it increases investor confidence and Bre-X’s stake in Busang, allows Placer Dome or Tech Corps to get involved in the project, and increases the government’s claim through Suharto’s inner circle. Another alternative for Bre-X would be a total buy-out by Barrick. This option would result in a substantial capital inflow for the company to pursue its core business model; exploration and partnership. Throughout the company’s history, Walsh has constantly had to seek out investment from a number of sources to successfully operate his business due to its small size. The operations thus far in Busang have been reminiscent of the Australian speculators in the 1980s, and the Indonesian people are again faced with a situation where estimates of total gold reserves are skyrocketing, while little infrastructure development or mining activity has taken place. The national sentiment towards Bre-X and its inability to carry out mining operations on its own, makes a buy-out proposal an attractive alternative whereby Bre-X can pursue new exploration in a friendlier environment.

The influence , the importance of time management and Cooperative Essay

The influence , the importance of time management and Cooperative learning upon me as a teacher to be and the learners of EFL (Learning through group, pair work in classrooms) - Essay Example A teacher can manage time efficiently in a classroom by planning, reducing paperwork, preparation of routines, schedules and time table that eliminate waste of time and confusion, allocate independent assignment, use learning centers, prepare seatwork that allows the teacher to work in small groups and maintain an environment in classroom that enables student to have a smooth transition from one activity to another. Beginners and veteran teachers can increase their teaching time with efficient use of time by assessing factors that consume time and thereby teachers can increase their teaching time. A teacher can be a good classroom manager by delegating work to volunteers, aides and students and save the extra time for other valuable student related work (Time Management 2009). Time management enables a teacher to recognize the amount of time required to complete important tasks on a regular basis. Prioritization of activities is made simple and allocation of time for optional activities can be made through effective time management. This gives an opportunity to avoid unimportant tasks of lesser significance that consume more time and engage the teacher fruitlessly. Effective time management simplifies the schedules of the teacher and gives more freedom to accomplish the objectives of teaching with reduced stress. Well planned teaching schedule rescues the students from a poorly organized day at school. A teacher can keep the daily teaching routine under control by discussing time management issues with colleagues (Making time for success). Further, teachers are responsible for the success of students. The effective utilization of class time reduces the anxiety of teachers and enhances the performance of students. Teachers will have some extra time at the end of the class to reflect and review the topic learned during the class on a well organized day (Time Management 2008). The significance of a teacher’s lesson time management should not be

Technology with Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Technology with Business - Essay Example It is used to automate the payroll functions. As a result of this automation, Microcel has been able to reduce the level of paperwork to a substantial level. Another module is attendance which in combination with biometrics automatically tracks employee attendance records. These software modules are tested in-house and therefore the HR processes which are standardized are automated. This saves a considerable level of costs. The company operates in a highly competitive industry and the use of cost-saving technology enables it to develop a competitive advantage. Technology in sales and marketing Because the software development industry is characterized by high competition, Microcel must attempt to provide solutions which deliver a high level of value. By employing information technology, the company improves operational efficiency and therefore is able to provide great customer service. According to the sales manager, the implementation of information technology enables his sales forc e to stay in constant touch with the customers, thus creating an efficient communications system. Because the company is in the business of providing IT services, it has the infrastructure which can incorporate the latest IT technology. This also serves as a unique selling proposition. The clients can see the software technology function at Microcel and thus make their purchase decisions. Therefore the use of IT enables Microcel not only to improve the efficiency of operational processes within the company but also to demonstrate the products to the clients. In this manner the software products not only generate revenue but also save costs. As mentioned before, the company operates in a competitive industry. There are quite a number of other companies which are developing human resource software. Other companies such as Trinet and Administaff are also developing human resource software. Therefore Microcel has to develop the best products in the industry so that it can continue to wi n market share away from other competitors. Because competitors like Trinet and Administaff are already well entrenched in the market, it may not be possible for a smaller company like Microcel to compete with them. Therefore the strategic focus of the company has been to focus upon those segments of the market which have not been using software products up to this time. These smaller companies do not have the resources to make massive cash outlays for purchasing software products. For this reason Microcel has focused upon minimizing product development costs. This allows the company to offer products at a relatively lower cost, thus making them affordable to the smaller companies which have not considered installing human resource information systems. Technology in human resource management At Microcel , the employees are considered to be the most important assets. Therefore the management focuses upon maintaining a motivated work force. Since the company operates in a competitive environment, it has to create a sustainable competitive advantage. According to Porter’s framework for competitive strategies, a company can implement the strategies of cost minimization, differentiation and focus to create a competitive advantage. However the competing organizations can also implement these same strategies and therefore none of the companies has a competitive edge any longer. On the other hand, if the organizational culture serves as the source of the competitive edge, then it becomes sustainable

Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Justice - Essay Example Therefore, all through the Bible, the nature of God remains constant (Comereason.com, 2010). Gods essential nature is the foundation of his justice or righteousness. Nevertheless, just as with man, it is not something conceptual but it is seen in his relation to the world – it is his kingship founding and preserving the right. This appears as retributive justice, meaning that response of His holy will, as grounded in His eternal being against wickedness wherever found. God himself cannot fail to be concerned about good and evil. All the Major Prophets maintain on Gods demand for righteousness. However, this is not the major feature of Gods justice. Theology has attempted to portray Gods justice as the basic fact in His nature with which we must reconcile His mercy the best way possible. Actually, the Scriptures most frequently regard Gods justice, or righteousness, as the act of His mercy. Justice imply the relief of the afflicted and needy, thus Gods justice is His kingly authority engaged on behalf of men, and justice and mercy are continually joined (Bibleencyclop edia.com, 2010). Many people mistakenly deem and wrongly charge that God in the Old Testament was a brutal and angry God, fast to judge and punish, whereas God in the New Testament is loving and full of grace. This certainly does not recognize that the God of the Old Testament is the same God of the New Testament. In addition, there are those who allege that the writers of the Old Testament were too primal to comprehend God and they therefore misinterpreted His nature and recorded those misinterpretations in the Bible (City-data.com, 2010). Primarily, justice had to do with behavior concerning others, particularly with regard to the rights of others. Businesses apply justice where there is demand for just measures and weights. It is also required in courts, where the rights of the poor and the rich, sojourner and Israelite, are regarded equally. In general, this justice is

Digitalized New Yorker Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Digitalized New Yorker - Research Paper Example developed artistic taste and established new standards of magazine literature with its skillfully written stories, brilliant essays, intelligent humor, self-sufficient caricatures, reviews of uncommon books, performances, movies. Mr. Ross wanted to create the magazine of a subtle humor. Having taken in partners the businessman Raul Fleyshmann Ross founded F-R Publishing Company, and remained the editor of the magazine till the death in 1951. Though the magazine did not lose sense of humor, it soon won reputation in the serious journalistic environment with its cartoons and unexpected reviews of uncommon books, performances, and movies. Speaking about New York`s cultural life The New Yorker was meant to become a visit card of Big Apple, however, it is highly demanded throughout America generally (The New Yorker history 2). The New Yorker has published the stories of many popular writers, and some stories from the magazine were transformed into the film scenarios. Among The New Yorker`s writers there were Vladimir Nabokov, Roland Dahl, Haruki Murakami, J.D. Salinger, John Updake. Such films as Adaptaion by Charlie Cauffman or The hours by Michael Cunnigham have appeared after the stories were adapted to the screen (The New Yorker history 2). The edition uses specific spelling with application of diaresis marks over repeating vowels in words where they are said separately is allocated, without forming a digraph as in the word â€Å" reelected†. The New Yorker along with Technology Review published by MIT, are one of the few editions keeping this practice. Besides, record of numbers by a copy-book, including rather long ("for the-seven thousand" instead of "47000") is accepted. The New Yorker, as a rule, does not use italics tracing for record of names of books, movies, and other works. Instead they are quoted. Though italics are used at the mention of other printing editions, it is used only for the name of the edition while the name of the city is typed by a usual

Discuss the role of repetition and habit in Proust's 'Combray' in Essay

Discuss the role of repetition and habit in Proust's 'Combray' in relation to another novel - Essay Example The early twentieth century saw a determined effort, on the part of the European intelligentsia, to exclude the masses from culture. In England this movement has become known as modernism.’ In this era the modernist writers initiated the trend of depicting the darker or the true picture of life i.e. the brutality and harshness of life. Some of the major thematic concerns of modernist literature include self identity, the relationship of an individual with his history or past and projection of an individual’s inner conflict i.e. the tug of war between the conscious and the sub-conscious mind. In order to be able to do justice to these themes modernist writers makes use of various aspects of human nature such as habit and repetition to highlight these themes in their works. 2. Combray by Proust The novel is in first person narrative. This first section of the novel ‘The Way by Swann's’ is a walk down the memory lane where the protagonist tells the readers abo ut his childhood days in Combray and the people that surrounded him and the manner in which the absence or presence affected him and made him the man he has become. A lot of major themes and characters are introduced to the readers in this first part of the novel. This part of the novel basically focuses on the people surrounding the protagonist and the manner in which those people influence him and ultimately result in making him the man or individual that he becomes. 2.1. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce   This novel is also depicted in first person narrative and just like the former novel it is also a journey of self discovery where the protagonist states the story of his life and the circumstances of his life that made him an individual rather than a replica of his father. The novel is about a boy named Stephen who is surrounded by the people of the modern world who are struggling to bring about a change however they are still unable to do so as their bon ds with their heritage and old norms are very strong. However through this novel Joyce reiterates his point of view that in order to bring about a change one has to start struggling on an individual level first. Moreover a human being has the capacity to make impossible possible. 3. Repetition and Habit Repetition and habit are two aspects of human psychology that project monotony of human life. similarly in modern literature the writers use these themes not only to reflect on the inner turmoil of human mind where it is trying to free itself from the shackles of the stereotypical norms but also help in explaining the role of stream of consciousness and its impact on human life in the modern novels. Writers like Proust and James Joyce are observed to be using repetition and habit in their individual unique manner of depiction. In both the novels In Search of Lost Time the Way by Swann's by Proust and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce  it is observed that writer s use repetition and habit as a tool to reflect upon the confused state of human mind where human existence is like a pendulum and he oscillates between the old norms of the society which are drilled in him since the day he was born and the new trends which he desire to follow to become a modern man. 4. Proust’s writing Technique In Combray Proust’s depiction of habit and repetition is evident in the manner he

Painter Francisco de Goya Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Painter Francisco de Goya - Essay Example Francisco de Goya then moved to paint cartoon design for the royal tapestry factory in Madrid from 1775 to 1792, which was considered as the most important phase in de Goya’s artistic development. This exposure as a tapestry designer provided the experience for de Goya to paint genre paintings or paintings derived from everyday life. It made him a keen observer of everyday behaviour of people which served as the technical foundation for him to paint his later renowned works such as First of May which was a social commentary about peasant’s uprising against French occupation in Spain (www.franciscodegoya.net, 2014). He was also an avid follower of the works of Velazquez that influenced his looser and more spontaneous painting technique. Later, Francisco de Goya explored his method by learning neoclassicism which was gaining popularity over the rococo style during his time. He then became a established portrait painter to the Spanish monarchy where he was elected to the Royal Academy of San Fernando in 1780, named as painter of the king 1786 and a court painter in 1789 (www.franciscodegoya.net, 2014). As a court painter, Goya was fashionable painter and high society portraitist. During the height of his success, De Goya was not only a fashionable court painter but also an advocate of justice and a staunch supporter for ending the war. He is considered as a social recorder of his countrymen’s struggle and travails whose style was associated with â€Å"anciens regimes† or the â€Å"first of the moderns† (Web Gallery of Art, nd). Francisco de Goya’s The Third of May 1808 is his most known artwork. It featured a peasant being shot by a soldier in the middle of a night. It was intentionally painted with the face of the executioner kept to be anonymous to highlight the drama of innocent civilian that was about to be executed. In this particular work, the artistry was

Globalization and Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Globalization and Entrepreneurship - Essay Example As a highly diverse company, 3M Optical's basic strength has been the core values that its has inherited from its mother company. These have served it in good times as well as bad. The sheer diversity of the company as it has traced its journey from mining to manufacturing of various products. The image of a company is a reputable one. It has a high degree of quality owing to its state of the art testing and development lab. Also, it has been known since its founding days, for bringing together the best technicians in the field under one roof. (Bartlett et al, 1999) Further, the company has at its disposable a huge resource base owing to the fact that it is an old company that has been acquiring these resources for the longest time. Other than that, it has a high capacity for production as well as the best brains working on it. The company also works along the principles of creativity - whether in its labs or outside of it. This has been one of the major reasons that have contributed to diversity in its product profile. (Bartlett et al, 1999) 3M is a company that is in strong need of a new image. The lack of the same has taken away from its core marketing values. The company has been so engrossed in founding and establishing new technologies that it has almost let marketing and branding take a backseat. Further, this has led to stagnation as far as growth and sales figures are concerned in the commercial sense. (Bartlett et al, 1999) The company's weaknesses lie in the fact that it needs to match it expansion with appropriate handling of the human capital within the company. This has led to a point where there is no freshness or motivation within the company and among its employees. (Bartlett et al, 1999) There needs to be more focus on the industrial relations practices that are followed within the organization. Owing to the type of products being produced, there is a certain monotonous tone to the activities within the organization. Further, managing corporate entrepreneurship has been an activity that has not been carried out very well in lieu of the expansion that the company is surging towards. This is due to the fact that there are no well structured lines of interaction and communication within the organization to match the growth in activities. (Achrol, 1997) Entrepreneurial Strategy There is a lot that can be done as far as this company is concerned. The CEO has already set the ball rolling with a new focus on shifting the focus towards gaining a competitive foothold in the global marketplace. This has been apparent in the new policies now followed by the company. In addition, a focus on creating a brand identity is a key measure that will

Small Business (Entrepreneurship) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Small Business (Entrepreneurship) - Essay Example Citroen has the experience of working in a large organisation. He understands the business of cooking and recipes well. But he is still a novice in handling business operations. He may not have accosted those costs of a business that come to fore better in a small environment. The figures on which he is Citroen bases his decisions are not exhaustive and the actual running cost of the restaurant could be higher. Some of the fixed and non-fixed expenditures like overheads like electricity, water; establishment costs, telephone bills, software, internet and computer costs, insurance, dilapidation costs, maintenance costs and sales promotion are not included in his analysis. A business always needs to be in growth, expansion, improvement or development mode in order to stay in competition. A salary of $85000 and a profit margin of $ 90000 are not comparable figures. He needs to generate enough money that is over and above the amount he needs to look after himself. According to Citroen, each meal leaves him with a margin of $22. The costs for sales promotion. He needs to make forecasts of the occupancy of 40-seater restaurant especially the peak occupancy and its time period. In case it exceeds the available seating capacity of 40, for such time period that may lead to substantial business loss, he will have to provide additional seats. This needs a workload and capacity management planning. His decision to close shop on the weekend is also flawed as restaurants generate highest turnovers on the weekends. Cost should be defined as what the customer pays to obtain certain goods or services and to derive full utility from them. It is important for Citroen to realise that he will not be able to encash his rapport with clientele of La Gauloise in entirety, for as much he may have done to increase restaurant’s popularity, big businesses carry their brand loyalty that does not change with change of employees. He needs to conduct a thorough financial analysis

Plan Columbia Essay Example for Free

Plan Columbia Essay The term Plan Colombia is most often used to refer to U.S. legislation aimed at curbing drug smuggling and combating aleft-wing insurgency by supporting different activities in Colombia.[1] Plan Colombia can also refer to a wider aid initiative originally proposed by Colombian President Andrà ©s Pastrana Arango, which included U.S. military/counter-narcotics aid, but was not limited to it. The plan was conceived between 1998 and 1999 by the administration of Pastrana with the goals of ending the Colombian armed conflict and creating an anti-cocainestrategy. Critics of the initiative also claimed that elements within the Colombian security forces, which received aid and training from the U.S., were involved in supporting or tolerating abuses by right-wing paramilitary forces against left-wing guerrilla organizations and their sympathizers. Another controversial element of the anti-narcotic strategy is aerial fumigation toeradicate coca. This activity has come under fire because it damages legal crops and has adverse health effects upon those exposed to the herbicides. Original Plan Colombia The original version of Plan Colombia was officially unveiled by President Andres Pastrana in 1999. Pastrana had first proposed the idea of a possible Marshall Plan for Colombia during a speech at Bogotà ¡s Tequendama Hotel on June 8, 1998, nearly a week after the first round of that years presidential elections. Pastrana argued that: [Drug crops are] a social problem whose solution must pass through the solution to the armed conflictDeveloped countries should help us to implement some sort of Marshall Plan for Colombia, which will allow us to develop great investments in the social field, in order to offer our peasants different alternatives to the illicit crops.[2] After Pastrana was inaugurated, one of the names given to the initiative at this early stage was Plan for Colombias Peace, which President Pastrana defined as a set of alternative development projects which will channel the shared efforts of multilateral organizations and [foreign] governments towards Colombian society.[2] Pastranas Plan Colombia, as originally presented, did not focus on drug trafficking, military aid, or fumigation,[3] but instead emphasized the manual eradication of drug crops as a better alternative.[4] According to author Doug Stokes, one of the earlier versions of the plan called for an estimated 55 per cent military aid and 45 percent developmental aid.[5] During an August 3, 1998 meeting, President Pastrana and U.S. President Bill Clinton discussed the possibility of securing an increase in U.S. aid for counternarcotics projects, sustainable economic development, the protection of human rights, humanitarian aid, stimulating private investment, and joining other donors and international financial institutions to promote Colombias economic growth. Diplomatic contacts regarding this subject continued during the rest of the year and into 1999.[6] For President Pastrana, it became necessary to create an official document that specifically served to convene important U.S. aid, as well as that of other countries and international organizations by adequately addressing US concerns. The Colombian government also considered that it had to patch up a bilateral relationship that had heavily deteriorated during the previous administration of President Ernesto Samper (1994–1998). According to Pastrana, Under Secretary of State Thomas R. Pickering eventually suggested that, initially, the U.S. could be able to commit to providing aid over a three year period, as opposed to continuing with separate yearly packages.[7] As a result of these contacts, US input was extensive, and meant that Plan Colombias first formal draft was originally written in English, not Spanish, and a Spanish version was not available until months after a revised English version was already in place.[8] Critics and observers have referred to the differences between the earliest versions of Plan Colombia and later drafts. Originally, the focus was on achieving peace and ending violence, within the context of the ongoing peace talks that Pastranas government was then holding with the FARC guerrillas, following the principle that the countrys violence had deep roots in the economic exclusion andinequality and poverty. The final version of Plan Colombia was seen as considerably different, since its main focuses would deal with drug trafficking and strengthening the military.[8] When this final version was debated on the U.S. Senate floor, Joseph Biden spoke as a leading advocate of the more hardline strategy.[9] Ambassador Robert White stated: If you read the original Plan Colombia, not the one that was written in Washington but the original Plan Colombia, theres no mention of military drives against the FARC rebels. Quite the contrary. (President Pastrana) says the FARC is part of the history of Colombia and a historical phenomenon, he says, and they must be treated as Colombians[Colombians] come and ask for bread and you (America) give them stones.[10] In the final U.S. aid package, 78.12 percent of the funds for 2000 went to the Colombian military and police for counternarcotics and military operations. (See graph, below) President Pastrana admitted that most of the resulting US aid to Colombia was overwhelmingly focused on the military and on counternarcotics (68%), but argued that this was only some 17% of the total amount of estimated Plan Colombia aid. The rest, focusing mostly on social development, would be provided by international organizations, Europe, Japan, Canada, Latin America, and Colombia itself. In light of this, Pastrana considered that the Plan had been unfairly labeled as militarist by national and international critics that focused only on the US contribution.

Activity Based Costing (ABC) Advantages and Disadvantages

Activity Based Costing (ABC) Advantages and Disadvantages Activity Based Costing which is popularly known as ABC system has been considered as an economic map of an organizations expenses and profitability based on organizational activities according to Kaplan R; and Cooper R. An activity is an event, task or unit of work with a specified purpose, for instance, designing a product, setting up machines, operating machines, and distributing products; by Horngren, Foster, Datar. According to Kaplan R.S Cooper R; ABC system came in the mid-1980s to meet the need for accurate information required by managers about cost of resources demanded by individual products, services and customers. It emerged as competition moved from local to global and from the efficient use of direct labour and machines. Absorption Costing also known as full costing is a traditional costing system developed in the 1900s, by which overheads incurred within a period were absorbed into the products by Kilgour D. The traditional absorption costing was introduced at a time when technology was simpler, competition was local, products were standard and not customised products and services, speed, quality and performance were not measurement for success in reference to Kaplan R.S Cooper R. Importance of Absorption Costing System or Activity Based Costing: According to Horngren, Foster Datar, the importance of a costing system should depend on whether the company is producing one type of product and therefore could allocate all overhead costs using one cost pool and one cost rate or whether the company is producing different kind of products and therefore need a system which could enable it apportion the total cost of resources accurately according to their usage of those resources. As companies began to expand and delve into producing variety of products, they began to notice that some products place more demand on their resources than others. It became important to absorb overhead when products which are not the same but required different production processes or jobs which although the use the same facility but at a length of time according to Terry L. To ascertain how to apportion overheads to products or services, traditional absorption costing involves two stages; the first stage is the allocation and apportionment and the second stage is the use of absorption rate to absorb overheads into products. Overhead Allocation: Terry L; overhead allocation is the assignment of all cost incurred to a single cost unit, centre account or time period. Overhead Apportionment: This is a case where the costs incurred could not be identified with only one cost centre therefore the cost is shared between the cost centres using that service, for instance, lighting cost would be shared between all the cost centres using a suitable basis, Terry L. It is important that the basis upon which costs are apportioned are relevant, fair and equitable; Terry L. Overhead Absorption Rate: This is usually calculated at the beginning of a period therefore it is based on budgeted costs and production volumes, AAT units 89. The formula is as follows: Total overheads of cost centre Total number of units of absorption base applicable to cost centre According to Terry L; before calculating absorption rate, the absorption base chosen has to reflect the characteristics of the given cost centre. The basis most commonly used are direct labour hours for a labour intensive cost centre and the machine hour basis usually used where the cost centre is highly mechanised. With exception of the above two basis, other basis include; Direct wages, Direct material, Prime cost and Cost unit. ABC System: Activity Based Costing began in a manufacturing setting but has been more service -oriented than product oriented. Service Industries as much as manufacturing industries need ABC system to connect the cost resources they supply to the revenues earned by the individual products and customers serviced by these resources in reference to Horngren, Foster Datar. ABC System has three key features are: (1) With the system all costs used by a product whether variable or fixed in the short-run or overheads(indirect costs)in the long-run are identified by creating cost pools as ABC is focused on long-run variable costs for instance as Terry L; said, costs for supporting activities like stock handling, production scheduling and so on. Cost Pool: Classifying all related costs to a particular activity together according to Terry L. (2) The second feature of ABC system is; An amount of an activity performed in each cost pool is recognised as a basis of allocation for instance, set-up hours as a measure of set up activity. Horngren, Foster, Datar. (3) The third feature is that costs in a cost pool can sometimes be traced directly to products. Horngren, Foster, Datar. The Differences Between Traditional Absorption Costing and Activity Based Costing. The differences between the two costing system are easy to notice. Below are lists of some of them: The traditional absorption costing was introduced at the time when technology was simple, there was only local competition and not global, when products were standard not customised, from Kaplan S.R Cooper R. ABC system emerged at the time when competition had become global and fierce and had shifted from the efficient use of labour hours and machines, by Kaplan S.R Cooper R. The traditional costing uses mostly two allocation bases to allocate overheads to products; direct labour basis for a labour intensive company and the machine hour basis for a highly mechanised company. These two bases would not capture the demand of a particular product on the resources of the organisation. There are no cause and effect relationship to an allocation base with the use of this method, Horngren, Foster, Datar. With ABC system, costs of activities within the organisation are more accurately measured because the cost pools are properly structured with specific activity cost allocation bases which became cost drivers for the cost pool. Cost Driver: factor influencing the level of cost from Terry L. In the traditional absorption system, absorption rates are based on predetermined figures thereby giving rise to under and over absorption of overhead. Under absorption arises when the estimated overhead is less than the actual overhead. Over absorption of overhead arises when the overhead absorbed exceeds the actual overhead ; from AAT Study text units 89. The measurement required to implement ABC system are costly as the system demands that management should estimate costs of activity pool, identify and measure cost drivers for the cost pools to serve as allocation bases; from, Horngren, Foster, Datar. The use of ABC system will require its activity cost rates to be updated regularly and a detailed ABC system consumes time, is difficult to understand and operate, Horngren, Foster Datar. Illustration : As an illustration of the differences between traditional absorption costing and activity based costing,with attention to set up activity, the effect of allocating all overheads using direct labour hours as against an ABC emphasis on individual activities, the name of the company shall be called Z. Z produces two kinds of lenses for an automobile company. The first product is a simple lenses, the second product is called complex lenses. Set ups involves trial runs, fine tuning, adjustments, wrong set-ups cause quality problems such as scratches . Each set-up requires different resources depending on the complexity of the operation. Complex lenses are produced in small batches because the mold has to be cleaned more often. Horngren, Foster Datar. According to Horngren, Foster, Datar, set-up data for simple lens and complex lens are: Simple Complex S3 lens CL5 lens Total (1) Quantity produced 60,000 15,000 (2) Lens per batch 240 50 (3) No of batches (1/2) 250 300 (4) Set-up time per batch 2hours 5hours (5) Total set-up hours (3)*(4) 500hours 1500hours 2000hours Direct manufacturing labour hours 30000hrs 9750hrs 39750hrs Z recognises total cost of set-ups comprising of allocated costs of process engineers, supervisors, set-up equipment of  £300,000. Solution: The table below shows how the set-up costs have been allocated to simple and complex lenses using direct labour hours and setup hours: Setup cost per direct labour hours: (300,000/39750)= £7.54717 Setup cost per setup hours: (300,000/2000)=  £150 Simple Complex Total S3 lens CL5 lens Cost allocated using direct labour hrs:  £7.54717* 30000;  £7.54717*9750  £226,415  £73,585  £300,000 Cost allocated using setup hrs:  £150*500;  £150*1500  £75,000  £225,000  £300,000 Implementing the Activity Based Costing System: The choice of implementing Activity Based Costing depends on the managers after evaluating the advantages and disadvantages, controlling the amount of details required and cost. ABC system enables management to see their existing and predetermined cost of activities and business processes which then equips them with knowledge of the cost and profitability of the various products, services, customers and operating units according to Kaplan S.R, Cooper R. There are several steps the company could take to change the existing costing system. These are: Step 1: List all the activities of the company performed by indirect and support Resources, for instance, material handling, schedule production and so on. Step 2: Find out how much the company is spending on each activity in the company. Step 3: Indentify the companys products, services and customers, Kaplan S.R, Cooper R. Step 4: Charge support overheads by their usage of the activity with emphasis on the Cause-effect relationship. Recommendation: ABC system is recommended since it provides more accurate product Costs. The system has been used successfully in some service industries Such as the Cooperative Banks to identify profitability, product mixes, Improve efficiency and satisfy customers, Horngren, Foster Datar.

Difference between Coasean and Pigouvian Solution to an environment problem

Difference between Coasean and Pigouvian Solution to an environment problem Explain in your own words the difference between a Coasean and a Pigouvian solution to an environmental problem? Which type of solution do you prefer, and why? The Explanation of the Difference between Coasean and Pigouvian Solution to an environmental problem. In a very simple way, Pigouvian solution prefer to use government intervention to solve externality while Coasean solution prefer to use market method to solve externality. In detail: Pigouvian theory is based on the method of modern economics especially based on welfare economics; and Pigouvian theory provides a perspective systematic study of the externality problems. According to Pigouvian theory the marginal private net output and marginal social net output has following relationships: Besides the increasing of marginal private benefits, if other people can still get benefit from the private activities, then the marginal social net benefit is greater than the marginal private net benefits; on the other hand, if other peoples benefit is decreasing due to the private activities, then the marginal social net output is less than the marginal private net output. In the first situation the society will get the Marginal social benefit; in the second situation the will face the Marginal social cost. Actually, Externality is caused by the inconsistency between marginal private cost and marginal social cost. .Without externality, the marginal private cost of production or consumption of an item is equal to the cost of itself. When there are negative externalities, there will cost to compensate these externalities. By adding marginal private cost with the marginal external cost we will get the marginal social cost. On the other hand, when there are positive externalities, the benefits which generated by business activities are not fully occupied by the company, but will also become some external social benefits. Through economic model, Pigou shows that because of the presence of external economic effects, the Pareto optimal allocation of social resource can not be achieved by purely individualistic mechanism. Since there is a deviation among the marginal private benefit and marginal social benefit, marginal private cost and marginal social cost; therefore the maximization of social welfare can not be achieved only through free competition. The Government should take appropriate economic policies to reduce this deviation as much as possible. The proper policy is that: when the marginal private cost is less than marginal social cost ( negative externality ), government should impose taxes; when the marginal private benefit is less than marginal social benefits (positive externality) then the government should provide incentives and subsidies. Pigou believes that by using such taxes and subsidies, the externality problem could be internalized. And such policy is known as Pigovian solution, and the tax is called Pigouvian tax. Pigovian solution has been widely used. In the field of infrastructure, the policy is who invest who benefits; in the environmental protection, the policy is who pollute who pay(a.k.a Polluter Pays Principle PPP). Over the years, the problem of how to internalizeof external effects is dominated by Pigouvian theory. To some extent, Coase theory is developed through the criticizing of Pigouvian theory. Coases critique of the Pigovian solution are focused on the following three aspects. First, the externality is very complex; it is not as simple as one side damages the other side. For example, in the case of chemical factory vs. residents, it is unfair to tax the factory without discussing whether the factory has the right to emission or not. Because, it maybe the case that the factory is established years before any resident areas was setup, and in this case, the factory may have the emission rights(The example of factory vs resident is from Ronald CoaseThe problem of Social Cost, Journal of Law and Economics Vol 3:1(1960)). In order to reduce the emission, perhaps the government should encourage residents purchase the redemption instead of just posing tax on the factory. Second, in the case of zero transaction costs, the Pigouvian tax is absolutely unnecessary. Because in this case, through voluntary negotiation of parties, the optimal allocation of resources can be reached. In th is case, with the help of clearly defined property rights, voluntary negotiation can also achieve the optimal level of allocation just as the same effect through the Pigovian solution, then why should the government intervene? Third, even in the case of non-zero transaction costs scenario, we still need to balance the cost of using government and using voluntary negotiation. Pigouvian solution may be an effective institutional arrangements, it also maybe an inefficient institutional arrangements. According to Coase theorem: If the transaction cost is zero, no matter how the initial definition of property rights is, optimal allocation of resources can be achieved through market; if there is non-zero transaction costs situation, then maybe the institutional arrangements and choice is important, however people still need to do a cost-benefit-analysis of about the government intervention. In order to solve the problem of externality, Coasians market solution could just be as useful as Pigovian solution. Coasian solution shows that even there is a market failure it doesnt automatically means we should use government intervention. Which type of solution do you prefer, and why? I dont prefer either one, I think a mix use of both solutions will be more helpful. ThePigovian theory/solution has some limitations. First, the Pigou theory presupposes there is a function of the existence of the so-called social welfare, and the government is the natural representative of public interest, and the government can perceive the public interest and then choose the right policy to reduce the externalities in economic activity through intervention. However, the fact is that public policy itself maybe flawed. Second, the use of Pigovian solution is based on the premise that the government knows the cause of externalities can calculate all marginal costs or benefits, however it is impossible for any government to obtain all information to make a Pareto optimal allocation of resources. In theory, Pigouvian solution is perfect, but the actual implementation maybe largely constrained. Third, government intervention also makes costs. If the cost of Government intervention is more than the losses caused by externalities, then there is no reason for use to use g overnment intervention .Fourth, the Pigovian solution may cause the rent-seeking activities, which will lead to waste of resources and distortions of resource allocation. On the other hand, the Coasian solution is also limited. The fist problem is that in order to make the Coasian solution work, the market should be developed, however, for many developing countries, the whole economy system is still in transforming, I dont think Coasian solution can work very well without a certain protection level toward property right. Second, the costs of voluntary negotiation transaction need to be considered. The feasibility of voluntary consultation is depending on the size of transaction costs. If the transaction costs are higher than the social benefits, then why should we have such negotiation. Third, the voluntary negotiation is based on the premise that property rights are clearly defined. In fact, some property rights of environmental resources such as property rights are often difficult to define or very costly to define. For the environmental pollution problems, policy makers should consider the characteristics of pollution sources, the different costs of regulatory management and institutional arrangement; they should also consider the degree of maturity of the market and many other conditions. Only through a comprehensive consideration can we achieve a better solution.

The Aztec Nation Essay -- essays research papers

The Aztec Nation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A distant sound is heard. It sounds like a deep drum being hit with a heavy instrument. You hear it again and strain your eyes in the direction of the sound. All around you is dense jungle. Snakes slither between your legs. You hear the sound once again. In front of you is a dense stand of ferns. You part them and look down into a wide open valley. The valley gets so wide and it is so green that it takes your breath away. But that is not what you are looking at. You are staring at a huge city with glittering buildings shining in the spring sunlight. Smoke rises up from some of the many houses. You can see and hear children playing in the wide open fields in front of the shining buildings. Lamas and chickens are being bough and sold. You see bags of gold jewelery being bought and sold. Beyond the market place you can watch a religious ceremony. You hear the scream of a person being sacrificed to one of the gods. Beyond the city there are roads made of stone and can als full of pedestrians and canoos. Who are these people and what are they doing here you wonder?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The above paragraph describes what an early explorer in Mexico might have seen between 1400 and 1500 AD. The Aztec nation is one of the largest and most advanced Indian nations to ever exist on earth. Just about every part of the Aztec life was advance to such a state that at that time of the world the people were living better than many European nations. The Aztec nation is unique in its history, economy, environment, and way of life then any other nation at that time. History   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perhaps fifteen to twenty-five thousand years ago, small bands of hunting-gathering peoples made their way across the land bridge that was the frozen Bering Strait, migrated southward through what is now Alaska, Canada, the United States, Central America, South America, and Mexico, settling along the way. One such hunting- gathering group settled in the Central Valley of what is now Mexico (Nicholson 1985). There is a long history of civilizations in the Central Valley of Mexico; as early as several centuries before Christ agricultural tribes had already settled, and by the birth of Christ had established as their great religious center Teotihuacà ¡n. The history of the Central Valley after circa the tenth century A.D. is o... ...;  Ã‚  Ã‚   1988. Hodge, Mary. and Michael E Smith. Economies and Polities in the Aztec Realm. Austin, Texas: University of  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Texas Press, 1994. Leà ³n-Portilla, Miguel. The Aztec Image of Self and Society. Ed. J. Jorge Klow de Alva. Salt Lake City: University  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   of Utah Press, 1992. Moctezuma, Eduardo Matos. The Great Temple of the Aztecs. Trans. Doris Heyden. New York: Thames and  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hudson, Ltd., 1988. Nicholson, H.B. â€Å"Aztec† World Book Encyclopaedia. 1985 ed. Shepperd, Donna Walsh. The Aztecs. New York: F. Watts, 1992. Stuart, Gene S. The Mighty Aztecs. Washington: National Geographic, 1981. Weaver, Muriel Porter. The Aztecs, Maya, and Their Predecessors Archeology of Mesoamerica. New York:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Seminar Press, 1972. Wolf, Leo. â€Å"The Axtecs: A tradition of Religious Human Sacrifice.† March 28, 1998. Available :  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www2.hmc.edu/~sbootn/aztec.htm