Butlers Chocolate Company Essay Example

Stewards Chocolate Company Paper Stewards Chocolates was built up in 1932 by Mrs Bailey Butler. In 1959 the organization was bought and has been claimed by Mr. Seamus Sorensen since that time. The Butlers Irish Chocolates brand was conceived in 1984. It was named in memory of Ms Marion Bailey Butler. Head servants Chocolates is found is Clonshaugh, Dublin 17 since 2003. It is a private assembling restricted organization. The organization is the main extravagance chocolate maker in Ireland and works from a uniquely fabricated creation office in North Dublin. The beginning stage was, when in 1932, Mrs. Bailey-Butler started to create a scope of high quality chocolates from her home in Dublins Fitzwilliam Square. The organization creates a wide scope of flavorful candy store items including chocolate arrangements, for example, truffles, fudge, toffee, chocolate bars and occasional oddities. In November 1998 the principal Butlers Chocolate Cafe opened its entryways on Wicklow St, Dublin. From that point forward, a large number of clients have visited the shops. Notwithstanding a loosening up bistro feeling, Butlers Chocolate Cafes likewise offer a top quality retail outlet. This novel mix is presently fruitful. It is a one of a kind idea that has gotten colossally well known with voyagers and local people the same. Head servants have additionally presented numerous different advancements including: We will compose a custom exposition test on Butlers Chocolate Company explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now We will compose a custom exposition test on Butlers Chocolate Company explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer We will compose a custom exposition test on Butlers Chocolate Company explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer * mail request endowments * web promoting * club participation * rebate plans. These days Butlers Chocolate Cafe has a major market. In 1998 because of new site www.butlerschocolates.com went live, fourteen Butlers Chocolate Cafes have opened, remembering 2 establishments for New Zealand. Retail shops have just opened up all over Ireland. The organization has made an effective idea Butlers Chocolate Cafes of which there are currently 8. There is a lead bistro at Dublin Airport and another at Dundrum Town Center. The latest bistro opening has been in Oliver Plunkett Street in Cork last December. Stewards have likewise ventured into the U.K advertise and their chocolates are presently broadly accessible in most significant air terminals all through the UK and at Waitrose stores. From 2006 to the current day Butlers have grown new items, propelling their first natural chocolate go, dim chocolate choice, 200g Chocolate 3D square range, Butlers Chocolate Cafe frozen yogurt just as Take Home Ice Cream among others. Likewise in coordinated effort, Butlers Chocolates propelled a scope of chocolates with Irish Fashion planner, Orla Kiely.1 The Cafes are an extraordinary idea and offer the buyer a definitive chocolate treat. This treat is conveyed by method of chocolate drinks, chocolate cakes and baked goods and hot refreshments, including the honor winning Butlers Hot Chocolate. Their Hot chocolate Sauce has won a gold decoration at the London Great Taste Awards. The organization has won various honors as of late including the Bord Bia Brand Marketing Award and the Crest Retail Excellence Award for Butlers Chocolate Cafe, Henry Street. What make Butlers chocolates so extraordinary is the mix of the best chocolate with new Irish cream, spread, eggs and mystery plans. Head servants Irish Handmade Chocolates are as yet situated in Dublin and Mrs. Bailey-Butlers unique plans and strategies have been passed on to the current age. They have stood the trial of time, winning many top honors, in Ireland and abroad. The Irish Chocolate Company supplies three unmistakable markets. Initial one is a global obligation free market which was opened in Irelands primary air terminals, for example, Dublin, Shannon and Cork. Also, obligation free outlets were sourced on the ship courses among Ireland and the UK. Likewise the organization creates a scope of blessings that have been demonstrated effective in worldwide market including England, US, Russia and Dubai. It has increased a critical a dependable balance in the course of the most recent four years in the household advertise also. The organization has strived to pick stores that are coordinate with the Butlers brand, searching for eminence, eliteness and extravagance.

Monetary and fiscal policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial and monetary arrangement - Essay Example Through tax reductions, my firm will spare a lot of employments that already would have been lost. At the point when used, tax reductions spare numerous employments and this consequently helps in sparing the economy from making significant efforts. Since a firm like mine is certifiably not a well known choice at the time tax reductions were accessible, when the conveyance of tax breaks are reasonable for meriting organizations, history demonstrates that they wind up being the best (Shiller, 2008). I am certain on this one and I need to concede. Truly, tax breaks have impacts with the significant one being sparing occupations. In any case, the inquiry that continues going ahead my psyche is do such firms like mine get fat checks with just those in high positions getting rich while the individual with a low position in the evolved way of life keeps on battling. This makes me imagine that the administration should require some serious energy and take a gander at the financials of organi zations it intends to rescue for the motivations behind looking and seeing whether it may eliminate the excess. This doesn't appear to have an effect and impact yet as a proprietor of my firm, I know well the impacts that overwhelming tax breaks on all family products can have. This in short is rescuing an organization and the impacts start from inside where workers can even get a salary raise (Shiller, 2008). 2 In the previous hardly any years, the legislature has had a significant job in rescuing certain businesses. This is a kind of government spending. This legislature bailout influenced my firm straightforwardly since the guarantees that the codes offer are to maintain the guidelines of organizations, to act with straightforward realities, without malignance, and with sensible consideration that will experience the ill effects of any weight originating from outsiders. Business opportunity showed to the second party evaluators that are autonomous is the thing that the partnershi p loves (Shiller, 2008). Except if slowly approved, the bailout codes of morals unite the workers tight to keep up the corporation’s classification, which is imperative. Another guarantee is guaranteeing all workers have outstanding quality correspondence stream and routinely to refresh the legislature on any budgetary issue that surfaces in the business. It clings to all that it says and tails it to the letter.In the ongoing past, market analysts don't have trust in government bailouts as far as the nation’s prosperity. They have been proposing for elective estimates like the benefits giving reasons why bailouts are sufficiently bad. The following are their delineated reasons (Shiller, 2008). A bailout forgets about numerous merchandise by just tallying cash exchanges. There are many dismissed significant pieces of the economy. For instance, most family unit undertakings like thinking about the youngsters and the old, cleaning and general home upkeep, readiness of foo d and willful administrations don't get into account. During the counts, bailouts zero rates every one of these exercises accepting they do contribute anything to the economy. This by itself contributes a great deal to twisted approaches of the general population. In situations where family act gets analysis of bailouts decrease, the denigrations are unjustifiable in light of the fact that it doesn't mirror the augmentations in numerous economies of the family unit started by the demonstration (Shiller, 2008). A bailout deals with all dealings as positive. Government bailouts

Wild Parties, Vaginas and Suburbia

Wild Parties, Vaginas and Suburbia Ive recently had the opportunity to see three MIT productions I know, I know, three plays AND five elections and/or speakers, how does she do it? Last week I saw Musical Theater Guilds Wild Party, which Keri produced entirely during the Month of January/IAP. It was about a couple during the 1920s that decides to throw a party to make themselves feel better about their failed relationship, and the party turns out a lot more exciting than either of them expected. I really liked the music because it was jazzy and the show in general was pretty energetic and nice to watch. Like Ive said before, I am not a great photographer, but apparently Jax Kirtley is, and since their photos are on the Wild Party photo page, they hopefully wont mind if I use a couple. I never wrote about it, but I saw MTGs production of Cabaret early this year which I really enjoyed I believe it was their summer production. The pictures are taken from the website. Again. So anyway, back to this semester, I saw Dramashops production of Suburbia. It was about some kids in a small town that hang out in a parking lot and their various issues, usually centered around Being Stuck In This Crummy Place, Not Caring That Youre Stuck In This Crummy Place, and Trying to Escape This Crummy Place. I cant find any pictures of the play, which is really sad because one of my friends pointed out that the set was AMAZING it was incredibly detailed, and especially considering it was just a parking lot and a 7-11, I was really really impressed. Last semester I also went to a Gilbert and Sullivan Players show called Cox and Box. It was quite a small affair only three or four characters, but I really enjoyed it. If you havent caught on by now, I really love all sorts of theater. Im not talented in any way in this department, unfortunately, but thats okay, Im busy with other things and am quite alright leaving it to the experts. I feel really bad about myself whenever I dont have pictures for you guys, or I do have pictures but theyre terrible. Seriously, when did it become an unstated prerequisite that you have to be a great photographer to be a blogger? Even my normal, non-artistic pictures turn out badly. Maybe I should take a class. Anyway, moving on. The most recent show I saw (last night) was the Vagina Monologues. Id never seen it, but its pretty famous so I was excited to do so. Apparently, on February 14th, or V-Day (for Valentines Day, Violence and Victory), thousands of Vagina Monologues productions are put on around the world to raise awareness and money for campaigns and charities that work to stop violence against women. MITs production of it It was held in the Stata Center in a large auditorium with soft red chairs, I might add, since people seem to care a lot about chairs nowadays. I was surprised to see the turnout: the 318-person auditiorium was full! Look at all the people that love to hear about vaginas! This is the only picture taken by me in the whole entry. Now you know why I rely on other people for photos.After discussing the (very entertaining and hilarious and sometimes sad) play with my guy friends,I noticed that they all believed that this was wild feminist propaganda that belittled men and encouraged women to keep to themselves. Id like to take this moment, with thousands of you listening, both guys and girls, to state that this is not what the play is about. Okay, so it is empowering towards women, it makes us feel good about being female and it makes us feel more comfortable with ourselves, and though there may be a few pokes taken at the opposite gender, in general, it is not an attack on men, nor is it counter-productive towards making society equal. Its hard to explain without you actually seeing it, but it is two simple things: a feel-good production, and just as importantly, an awareness campaign. Thats not to say that each production is not unique and that some may turn it into something else which is fine just dont make assumptions about something you havent actually seen. Funnily enough, I think I ended my last entry on a similar note. I dont mean for this to be uber-serious or anything. Just something to keep in mind. Any questions about theater at MIT will probably not be answered by me, because Im just a groupie ;) Someone from ARTalk can probably help you out :)

Argumentative Essay on Unemployment - 829 Words

Thesis: â€Å"People are Unemployed because they want to be†, should not be used as a rationale for the overall level of unemployment currently being experienced. Presented by: Kevin Henry Northern Caribbean University College of Business and Hospitality Management Department of Professional and Continuing Education Presented in partial fulfillment of the course ENGL120: Freshman Composition 2 Presented to: Ozette Waugh-Fagan (Mrs.) Date: November 18, 2010 In a country characterized by job losses due to the recession, companies downsizing, and the ever changing climatic conditions we experience, how can we generalize and say that people choose not to be employed? The statement, â€Å"People are unemployed because they want to†¦show more content†¦Many people also become unemployed involuntarily because of their company downsizing the operation. The downsizing strategies of many firms for whatever reason, has led to increased unemployment levels whereby, the company can no longer afford to produce at the optimal level they once were able to, and would no longer require the services of some of their employees.Show MoreRelatedPuerto Rico the 51st State884 Words   |  4 PagesJonathan R. Martinez English 215 Draft of Argumentative Essay/ 01 July 7, 2011 Should Puerto Rico Become the 51st State? Should Puerto Rico become the union’s 51st state? Puerto Rico has been under US sovereignty since the Spanish American War in 1898, where United States gained territorial control of Puerto Rico, along with Philippines and Guam. Since this time, United States and Puerto Rico have engaged in a very peculiar relationship; and to this date, Puerto Rico remains a territoryRead MoreArgumentative Essay: Educational Reform703 Words   |  3 PagesArgumentative Essay: Educational Reform Since the early 1980s, the issue of Americas faltering public school system has become a serious concern. The crisis in K-12 education is one of the biggest challenges facing the nation. There is a great deal of evidence to show this problem. The pathetically low results of American students through international test scores is one obvious fault. Another is the failure of many students to demonstrate their knowledge of basic skills and literacy. ItRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of College IsnT For Everyone729 Words   |  3 Pagesand involvement with open-enrollment institutions. Ethos is the sense of knowledge held by the author because he has experience. â€Å"The test-takers were college graduates from every state and from countries around the world. Fully two-thirds of the essays I scored would not have passed my freshman composition class, yet I was expected to give a score of 4 (Passing) to such writing and, apparently, the graduate schools of business accepted such students† (Reeves pg.4). Throughout the article, ReeveRead MorePsychology Research Paper744 Words   |  3 Pagesdepth about the course, students will be practicing how to apply their understanding of human thought, development, learning, social structures, and interactions to difficult social issues and environments. Drug abuse, violence in schools, racism, unemployment, and hun ger are examples of social issues in the United States. Those topics could be something that a professor talk about when referring mainly to Social Science, because you can get more detail out of it. Usually students will have to   do lotsRead MoreThe Misuse of Welfare in America1317 Words   |  6 PagesFranklin Delano Roosevelt, under whose administration gave life to the welfare system in the first place, seemed to understand the potentially harmful effects of government aid. When worst comes to worst and families stricken by the effects of unemployment and debt are on their knees, many of them end up kneeling at the feet of the government seeking aid in the form of Welfare. There is not a single thing wrong with that. In a perfect world, Welfare would be a system that the government uses to helpRead MoreArgumentative Essay : Failing The Fathers1291 Words   |  6 PagesIsaac Salinas English 1A Mr. Gejeian July 7, 2015 Argumentative essay Failing Our Fathers This nation was founded on the belief that all men and women have the chance to achieve what they set out to accomplish. Our founding fathers fought for these beliefs yet they would turn in their graves if they could see how this nation has changed for the worse. Once a land where any humble underprivileged man or woman could earn a better life through perseverance and hard work has ceased to exist. IncreasinglyRead MoreWhat Makes A Degree If You Can Not Get A Job?1494 Words   |  6 PagesArgumentative Essay What Use Is A Degree If You Cannot Get A Job? This Question can be answered in many ways. Why it is not such a great idea for people to achieve a college degree. There are advantages to this and of course disadvantages. The main focus on getting a degree in college is to gain knowledge of the area of study or of which career a person wants to achieve a job in or a life hobby. Going to school and learning is not only a great thing, it broadens ones areas of lifeRead MoreOil Companies And Economic Power1380 Words   |  6 PagesArgumentative Essay: Oil Companies and Economic Power Introduction In the modern world energy has become very important since it helps drive most industrial as well as home based activities. For more than a hundred years, oil has been used to provide to this vast energy requirements. Oil companies around the world have facilitated the exploration, drilling, refinery and distribution of oil in their defined regions. The industrial part that oil companies play can be considered to be much greater thanRead MoreArgumentative Essay : Illegal Immigration2523 Words   |  11 PagesArgumentative Essay on Immigration Illegal immigration has been a problem for the United States for a long time. This phenomena is not new and thousands of illegal immigrants have come into US through either the Mexico border, the Pacific Ocean, or through many other ways. Some people have entered the country legally through a visit visa, but then have stayed illegally and are working in various places. Illegal immigration is a double edged sword; on the one hand it provide the local economy withRead MoreArgumentative Essay - Foreign Language2587 Words   |  11 PagesKatie Rudnik Instructor McClary English 102:027 20 November 2014 Researched Argumentative Essay – Foreign Language in the United States With the development of technology, improvement of transportation, and expansion of social media, globalization is occurring faster than ever. Now more than ever, companies are looking to expand internationally and employers are looking to hire multilingual employees. Because of this, the study of foreign language plays a critical role in the ever-expanding global

Brief History of the US Federal Income Tax

Money raised through income tax is used to pay for the programs, benefits, and services provided by the US government for the benefit of the people. Essential services such as national defense, food safety inspections, and federal benefit programs including Social Security and Medicare could not exist without the money raised by the federal income tax. While the federal income tax did not become permanent until 1913, taxes, in some form, have been a part of American history since our earliest days as a nation. Evolution of Income Tax in America While taxes paid by American colonists to Great Britain were one of the main reasons for the Declaration of Independence and ultimately the Revolutionary War, Americas Founding Fathers knew that our young country would need taxes for essential items such as roads and especially defense. Providing the framework for taxation, they included procedures for the enactment of tax law legislation in the Constitution. Under Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution, all bills dealing with revenue and taxation must originate in the House of Representatives. Otherwise, they follow the same legislative process as other bills. Before the Constitution   Before final ratification of the Constitution in 1788, the federal government lacked the direct power to raise revenue. Under the Articles of Confederation, money to pay the national debt was paid by the states in proportions to their wealth and at their discretion. One of the goals of the Constitutional Convention was to ensure that the federal government had the power to levy taxes. Since Ratification of the Constitution Even after the ratification of the Constitution, most federal government revenues were generated through tariffs -- taxes on imported products -- and excise taxes -- taxes on the sale or use of specific products or transactions. Excise taxes were considered regressive taxes because people with lower incomes had to pay a higher percentage of their income than did people with higher incomes. The most recognized federal excise taxes still in existence today include those added to the sales of motor fuels, tobacco, and alcohol. There are also excise taxes on activities, such as gambling, tanning or the use of highways by commercial trucks.​ As true with the modern income tax, those early taxes were far from popular among the people.But with the spirit of the American Revolution and independence still running high, some of the people took their dislike of taxes to far higher level. Between 1786 and 1799, three organized rebellions—all protesting various taxes—challenged the authority of the state and federal governments to generate needed revenue. Shays Rebellion from 1786 to 1787 was raised by a group of farmers in objection to what they considered the unfair methods used by state and local tax collectors. The Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 in western Pennsylvania came in protest to what President George Washingtons Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton wrongly considered an innocuous excise tax â€Å"upon spirits distilled within the United States, and for appropriating the same.† Finally, Fries’ Rebellion of 1799 was led by a group of Pennsylvania Dutch farmers opposed to a new federal government tax on houses, land, and slaves. While the farmers owned lots of land and houses, they were far from keen on paying taxes on slaves none of  them owned. Early Income Taxes Came and Went During the Civil War from 1861 to 1865, the government realized that tariffs and excise taxes alone could not generate enough revenue to both run the government and conduct the war against the Confederacy. In 1862, Congress established a limited income tax only on people who made more than $600 but abolished it in 1872 in favor of higher excise taxes on tobacco and alcohol. Congress re-established an income tax in 1894, only to have the Supreme Court declare it unconstitutional in 1895. 16th Amendment Forward In 1913, with the costs of  Ã‚  World War I looming, ratification of the 16th Amendment permanently established the income tax. The 16th  Amendment states: â€Å"The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.† The 16th Amendment gave Congress the power to tax the incomes of all individuals and the profits of all businesses. The income tax enables the federal government to maintain the military, construct roads and bridges, enforce the laws and federal regulations, and carry out other duties and programs.   By 1918, government revenue generated from the income tax exceeded $1 billion for the first time and topped $5 billion by 1920. The introduction of the mandatory withholding tax on employee wages in 1943 increased tax revenue to almost $45 billion by 1945. In 2010, the IRS collected nearly $1.2 trillion through income tax on individuals and another $226 billion from corporations. The Role of Congress in Taxation According to the US Treasury Department, the goal of Congress in enacting tax-related legislation is to balance the need to raise revenue, the desire to be fair to taxpayers, and the desire to influence the way taxpayers save and spend their money. Income Tax Today, Reality and Controversy As envisioned in 1913, the modern United States income tax is designed to be a â€Å"progressive† tax system, meaning that higher-income earners should pay a larger percentage of their income in taxes than lower-income earners. For example, according to the IRS, the top 1% of income earners in 2008 paid 38% of all U.S. income tax revenue collected, while earning 20% of the total income reported. On the other end of the income scale, the bottom 50% of income earners paid only 3% of all taxes collected, while earning 13% of the total reported income. Despite its progressive payment design, the modern income tax system is often accused of increasing income inequality, the uneven distribution of wealth among the American population. While Congressional Budget Office (CBO) confirms that U.S. federal tax policies substantially reduce income inequality measured after taxes, the unequal distribution of wealth—the gap between rich and poor—remains far wider than in most other developed countries. According to a 2017 report from economist Edward Woolf based on the federal Survey of Consumer Finances, the wealthiest 1% of Americans now own 40% of the country’s wealth, the highest share in the last 50 years. Woolf’s report further shows that the wealth gap between the top 1% of income earners and the bottom 90% has been widening steadily over the past few decades. Without a doubt, income inequality and the social and moral questions involved in closing the wealth gap will remain a hot topic in U.S. politics for years to come.

Cost Information and Decision Making Free Essays

string(54) " construction and fabrication of units of production\." Q 1: 10 marks For what decisions would estimated cost information be useful if you were a hospital administrator? The Director of a Cinema hall? The Marketing vice president of a bank? Cost information is the information about the different costs that are incurred in the operation of the organization or a business process. Here the cost includes all cost like material cost, labor costs, and all other overhead costs that are incurred depending on the type of business they operates. The main objectives of cost information are: 1)To ascertain the cost per unit for different products. We will write a custom essay sample on Cost Information and Decision Making or any similar topic only for you Order Now 2)To have correct analysis about the cost incurred. 3)To disclose source of wastage whether material, time or expenses. 4)To provide requisite data and serve as a guide to price fixing. 5)To reveal the source of economy. 6)To help in preparation of budget. 7)To organize internal audit system to ensure effective working. HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR: In hospital, different costs are involved such as on purchase of different kinds of medicines, equipments, antibiotics, etc and for employing different people where they are needed to pay salaries and wages etc. they should also incur transportation cost and other overhead costs for the operation of day to day operations. They should ascertain the cost incurred on the medicines, salaries and wages to the staff and employees, and to know total units consumed during certain period of time, how many people are employed and their effectiveness in their work. So by having cost information, it helps the hospital administrator in making decisions like: a)How much quantity of what medicine should be ordered within the specific time period? b)How many people to be employed and at what wages or salaries? c)What are needed and what not? d)Helps in ascertaining different amount of budget for different activities, materials†¦. Etc. e)It also helps in on what field the training and developments are needed. DIRECTOR OF CINEMA HALL: Being a director of a cinema hall it is very important to have cost information about the total cost and per unit cost incurred while building the hall or the hiring cost, monthly or per unit electric charges, per unit cost of furniture, screen cost, projector and any other cost involved while installing the infrastructure in the hall. So the estimated cost is useful for the Director of cinema hall to: 1. To fixed the rent for the movie screener. 2. Helps in determining the most profitable pricing. 3. Helps to control the cost involved, since the cost information helps in figuring out the unnecessary cost incurred. . To decide the further investment is worthwhile or not. 5. If he screens movie, then it helps in deciding and ascertaining per ticket cost. MARKETING VICE PRESIDENT OF BANK: Here the marketing vice president of the banks deals with the process of giving loan and receiving the deposits from the public, while doing so they have to employ people, they needs stationeries like pen, paper, books, register, desktop, ATM services, fund transfer etc. where it involves costs. So the cost information is very important for: 1. Fixing the interest rates for savings and loans. 2. Helps in budgeting for further development. 3. Helps in deciding whether a particular market should be tapped or not. 4. Whether to invest in new technology or not. 5. Whether to expand the business or not. Q2: 10 marks â€Å"Costs may be classified in a variety of ways according to their nature and the information needs of management. † Explain this statement giving examples of classification required for different purposes. Cost is the amount of resources, expressed in monetary terms, given up in exchange for some goods and resources. Cost classification is the process of grouping cost according to their common attributes. Careful classification of cost is of vital importance in order to identify the cost with cost center and cost units. With respect to their purpose the same cost is classified in different ways as follows: 1. By Nature or Elements, or analytical classification: According to this classification the cost are divided into three categories such as materials, labor, and expenses. A)Materials cost: are those cost involved for the materials that are used for the production of the particular products. It can be further classified into direct material cost and indirect material cost. Direct material costs are those cost involved for those materials which can be identified in the product and can conveniently measure and directly charge to the product. Example: timber used in manufacturing furniture. Indirect material cost are those cost involved on those materials that do not physically becomes the part of finished product and are generally inexpensive items which may or may not become a part of the finished product. Example: threads used in stitching ghos. B)Labor costs: are those cost involved for the human efforts by which raw materials are converted into finished products. It can be further classified into direct labor cost and indirect labor costs. Direct labor costs are those cost that are paid to those workers who are directly engaged in converting raw materials into finished products. Example: wages paid to the machine operators. Indirect labor costs are those cost that are paid to those people that are not directly engaged in the production operations but only assist in the production process. Example: wages for store keepers. C)Expenses: are those cost other than the material costs and labor costs. It can be also classified further as direct expenses and indirect expenses. Direct expenses are those costs other than direct material cost and direct labor cost. Example: cost of patent right. Indirect expenses are those expenses other than indirect material cost and indirect labor cost. Example: rents and rates. 2. Functional classification: Here the costs are classified according to the different aspects of basic managerial activities involved in the operation of business under taking. A)Production or manufacturing cost: this is the total cost involved in manufacture, construction and fabrication of units of production. You read "Cost Information and Decision Making" in category "Essay examples" Example: wages, raw material cost etc. B)Administrative cost: this is the cost involved in administering the process of production. Example: salaries, office rent and lighting cost etc. C)Selling and distribution cost: this is the cost involved in the process of taking finished products for sale to the final consumers. Example: carriage outward, salesman’s salary etc. So any cost involved in administration and selling and distribution are also termed as commercial cost. 3. By degree of traceability to the product: In this case the costs are classified with their degree of traceability, such as direct and indirect cost. A)Direct cost: are those costs which are incurred for and may be conveniently identified with a particular cost center or cost unit. Example: materials used and labor employed in manufacturing furniture. B)Indirect cost: are those cost which are incurred for the benefit of a number of cost centers or cost units and cannot be conveniently identified with particular cost center or cost unit. Example: rent for the building, machinery depreciation etc. 4. By changes in activity or volume: Here the costs are classified according to their behavior in relation to changes in the level of activity or volume of production. A)Fixed cost: are those cost which commonly remains fixed in total amount with increase or decrease in the volume of output or productive activity for a given period of time. With increase in production the per unit fixed cost decreases and vice versa. Fixed cost can be further classified as follows: i)Committed cost: are those cost that are the result of inevitable consequences of commitments previously made or are incurred to maintain certain facilities and cannot be quickly eliminated. Example: rent, insurance etc. ii)Policy cost: are those cost incurred for implementing some management policies as executive development, housing etc. and are often discretionary. iii)Managed cost: are those cost that are incurred to insure the operating existence of the company. Example: staff service etc. iv)Discretionary cost: are those cost which are not related to the operation but can be controlled by the management. These costs usually arises due to some policy decision and new researches etc. and can be eliminated or reduced to desirable level at the discretion of the manufacturer. )Step cost: are those cost which are constant for given level of output and then increases by a fixed amount at a higher level of output. B)Variable cost: are those cost which vary in total in direct proportion to the volume of output. These costs per unit remain relatively constant with changes in production. Example: direct labor cost, material cost etc. such cost are also known as product cost b ecause they depends on the quantum of product rather than on time. C)Semi-variable cost: are those cost which are partly fixed and partly variable. Example: telephone expenses, depreciation etc. 5. By controllability: cost are classified according to whether or not they are influenced by the action of given member of the under taking. A)Controllable costs: are those cost which can be influenced by the action of specified member of an undertaking. It is the costs which are within the control of the management. Examples: materials cost, labor cost etc. B)Uncontrollable cost: are those cost which cannot be influenced by the action of a specific member of an undertaking. It is the costs which are not within the control of the management. Example: rent of the building, managerial salaries etc. . By normality: Here the costs are classified according to whether these costs are normally incurred at a given level of output in the conditions in which that level of activity is normally attained. A)Normal cost: it is the cost which is normally incurred at a given level of output in the conditions in which that level of output is normally attained. It is the par of cost of production. B) Ab normal cost: it is the cost which is not normally incurred at a given level of output in the conditions in which that level of output is normally attained. It is not the part of cost of production and is charged to costing profit and loss account. 7. By relation with accounting period: It is the cost which is incurred in purchasing or maintaining an asset either to earn income or increasing the earning capacity. A)Capital cost: cost incurred in purchasing an assets or increasing the earning capacity of the business is called capital cost. Example: the cost of rolling machine in case of steel plant. B)Revenue cost: it is the cost involved in order to maintain the earning capacity of the concern such as cost of maintaining an assets or running a business. Example: cost of materials used in production, labor charges paid etc. 8. By time: As per the period or the time the cost is incurred the cost is classified in to historical cost and predetermined cost. A)Historical cost: are those cost which are ascertained after being incurrence. It is based on recorded facts, can be verified being supported by evidences and are objective. B)Predetermined cost: are estimated costs, since they are computed in advance of production taking consideration the previous records of cost. 9. According to planning to control: planning and control are two important functions of management. Cost accounting furnishes information to the management which is helpful in the due discharge of these two functions. A)Budgeted cost: it represent an estimate of expenditure for different phases of business operations such as manufacturing, administration, sales, research and development etc. coordinated in a well conceived framework for a period of time in future which subsequently becomes the written expression of managerial targets to be achieved. Example: raw material cost budget, labor cost budget etc. B)Standard cost: it is the cost where the budgeted costs are translated into actual operation through the instrument of standard cost. It is defined as the predetermined cost based on a technical estimate of for materials, labor and overhead for a selected period of time and for a prescribed set of working conditions. So the standard cost is determination, in advance of production of what should be the cost. 10. By association with the product: A) Product cost: are those costs which are traceable to the product and are included in inventory evaluation. It comprises direct materials, direct labor and manufacturing overheads in case of manufacturing concerns. These are used for valuation of inventory and are shown in the balance sheet till they are sold. B)Period costs: are those cost incurred on the basis of time such as rent, salaries etc. These may relate to administration and selling costs essential to keep the business running. Though these are not associated with production and are necessary to generate revenue but cannot be assigned to a product. These are charged to the period in which these are incurred and treated as expenses. 11. For managerial decision: are those cost that are classified according to their usage in the managerial decision making. A)Marginal cost: it is the total of the variable cost i. e. , prime cost plus variable overheads. It is the distinction between fixed and variable costs. Here the fixed costs are ignored and only variable costs are taken into consideration for determining the cost of products and value of work-in-progress and finished goods. B)Out of pocket cost or explicit cost: are those cost which involves payment to the outsiders and thereby gives rise to the cash expenditure as opposed to such costs as depreciation, which do not involve any cash expenditure. Such costs are relevant for price fixation during recession or when make or buy decision is to be made. C)Differential cost: are those cost that the change in cost due to change in the level of activity or pattern or method of production is known as differential cost. If the change increases the cost then it is known as incremental cost. If there is decrease in cost resulting from decrease in output, the differences is known as decremental cost. D)Sunk cost: are those cost which are irrecoverable cost and is caused by complete abandonment of a plant. It is the written down value of the abandoned plant less its salvage value. E)Imputed and notional cost: are those cost which are notional and does not involve any cash outlay. It is the value of a benefit where no actual cost is incurred. Examples: notional rent charged on the premises owned by the proprietor, interest on capital for which no interest is paid etc. F)Opportunity cost: it is the maximum possible alternative earning that might have been earned if the productive capacity or services had been put to some alternative use. G)Replacement cost: it is the cost at which there could be purchase of an asset or material identical to that which is being replaced or revalued. It is the replacement cost at the current market price. H)Avoidable and unavoidable cost: avoidable costs are those cost which can be eliminated if a particular product or department with which they are directly related, is discontinued. Unavoidable costs are those cost which will not be eliminated with the discontinuation of product or department. I)Explicit cost: are those cost which involves immediate payment of cash. They can be easily measured. Example: salaries, wages, etc. J)Implicit cost: are those costs that do not involve immediate payment of cash and are known as economic cost. Example: depreciation etc. QUESTION 3. COST SHEET FOR 2, 00,000 cases PARTICULARSUNITSCOST PER UNITTOTAL COST direct material cost2,00,00061,200,000 Direct labor cost2,00,00091,800,000 Direct expenses2,00,0004800,000 PRIME COST2,00,000193,800,000 FACTORY OVERHEAD Factory expenses2,00,0003600,000 WORK COST2,00,000224,400,000 OFFICE/ADMINISTRATIVE OVERHEAD Administrative cost2,00,00061,200,000 COST OF PRODUCTION/COST OF GOODS SOLD2,00,000285,600,000 SELLING AND DISTRIBUTION OVERHEAD Marketing cost2,00,0001200,000 COST OF SALE2,00,000295,800,000 PROFIT2,00,0005. 81,160,000 SALES2,00,00034. 86,960,000 ? COST SHEET SHOWING COST INVOLVED FOR 5,000cases PARTICULARSUNITSCOST PER UNITTOTAL COST direct material cost5,000630,000 Direct labor cost5,000945,000 Direct expenses5,000420,000 PRIME COST5,0001995,000 FACTORY OVERHEAD Factory expenses5,000315,000 WORK COST5,000221,10,000 OFFICE/ADMINISTRATIVE OVERHEAD Administrative cost5,000630,000 COST OF PRODUCTION/COST OF GOODS SOLD5,000281,40,000 SELLING AND DISTRIBUTION OVERHEAD Marketing cost5,00015,000 COST OF SALE5,000291,45,000 PROFIT5,0005. 829,000 SALES5,00034. 81,74,000 Here the cost involved in production of 1unit of screwdriver amounts to Nu. 29 and when we add the profit of cost plus 20percent, per unit cost sums up to Nu. 34. 8. But here the army representative ignored the price fixed by the company saying that the company bypassed the using selling channel and the army representative wants to pay only Nu. 22. 80 Per unit. So in this case I recommend that the price should be Nu. 33. (28*120%) per unit, since the company bypassed the contract of usual selling channel but they had incurred both administrative and factory overheads for the production of the screwdrivers and on the other hand both the administrative overhead and factory overhead are fixed cost that it doesn’t change with the volume of products produced. On the other hand the company had charged only the fixed factory and administrative overhead cost and they excluded all variable factory and administrative overhead cost, so the price per unit should be Nu. 33. 6 per unit. How to cite Cost Information and Decision Making, Essay examples

Human genome project Essay Paper Example For Students

Human genome project Essay Paper A genome is defined as the complete collection of an organisms genetic material. The human genome is composed of about 50,000 to 100,000 genes located on 23 pairs of chromosomes in a human cell. It is said that a single human chromosome may contain more than 250 million DNA base pairs, and it is estimated that the entire human genome consists of about 3 billion base pairs. The DNA is gathered through blood samples taken from many different people. Though each person has a unique set of DNA the difference in a given pair of samples is less than 1 percent making the differences pale in The Human Genome Project is an international collaboration of scientists whos goal is to gain a basic understanding of the genetic blueprint of a human being. This information is found in each cell of the body, encoded in the DNA. The intent of this project is to identify all genes in the nucleus of a human cell, to map where those genes are on the chromosomes of the nucleus, and to determine the seqeunc ing or the order of The idea to undertake such a project was came about through a series of scientific conferences held between 1985 and 1987. The actual project ,however, did not begin until 1990 with the expansion of funding from the NIH and DOE. There are many nations involved with this project as part of an informal pact including France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and many other european nations. Also in an effort to speed up the mapping and sequencing process several private companies have been enlisted to help Today there is a lot of research being done under the umbrella of the Human Genome Project. For instince gene therapy is being developed as a very real cure for such hereditary diseases as Cystic Fibrosis and Parkinsons where somewhere in the genetic make up of the body there is a glich tht alows the nervous tissue of the brain to deteriorate at a slow but steady rate. With gene therapy we will be able to replace the tissue in the brain with correctly funtionin g tissue from an animal such as a pig. As of early 1999 the Human Genome Project was ahead of schedule. There is said to be nearly 10 percent of the genome sequenced already or about 7,600 genes have been mapped to particular chromosomes. Also, researchers have sequenced the complete genomes of several other organisms such as E. Coli . This should help scientists to find parallels between our genes and the genes of other organisms. When completed this project will reap great rewards for the time and effort put in. Biologists will be able to look at detailed DNA information that will help in understanding the structure, organization, and function of DNA in chromosomes. Genome maps of other creatures will provide a way for scientists to learn more about more complex biological systems such as our own. In other words this information will revolutionize the future biological studies. There are however some controversial issues raised by the findings of this study. One worry is that soon we will be able to clone humans for body parts in order to save lives. On the surface this seems like a good idea however if put in the wrong hands this information could be used to make clones of armies for unstable countries or it could be used to clone those people who had bad influences on history such as hitler. Besides this issue there is a religious question that is raised. Should we as humans be able to play god and create life or should we let sleeping dogs lie and leave this project alone. Though there seems to be many scary implications to the continuation of this project there is little After doing the research for this project and learning about the implications of this project I feel that we should continue in good faith and hope that the technology is never used for non-medicinal purposes. My grandmother suffers from parkinsons disease and there is nothing I would l ike more than to see a cure developed through gene therepy for her disease and others like it. In my opinion this project should continue full steaam Bibliography:

Family Communication free essay sample

Final Paper Introduction In today’s society many families communication has become a burning issue. Families spend most of their time in communicating, for the execution of routine activities everyone needs assistance and support from others. Then communication process starts, no one can communicate alone. There‘s always a sender and one or more receivers. Communication is a source of delivering messages from one to another. Through communication people share their ideas, feelings, thoughts and emotions. Communication plays a vital role in the working in families.Family Systems theory attempts to explain a way of explaining family interactions. It’s also a way of analyzing the way families communicates with one another. Family systems have many different systems properties. These properties include wholeness, Interdependence, Non- Summaitry, Openness/closeness, homeostasis, morphogenesis and Equifinality. Social Construction Theory is a theoretical perspective that centers upon the importance of meanings from human behavior. (Turner West, 2006 pg. We will write a custom essay sample on Family Communication or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 26). This theory contributes a focus on the meaning-making function of communication that is lacking in the systems explanation.Relational Dialectics Theory refers to the book titled A Handbook of Personal Relationships, edited by Steve Duck. The title A Dialectical Perspective on Communication Strategies in Relationship Development, written by Lesile Baxter, presents the basic strategies for an ideal relationship. The theories in which Baxter discusses describe the communication actions that a couple must use to establish, maintain, and dissolve their personal relationships. In this paper it will explain the different perspectives on family communication. Relationship:Family Systems attempt to explain a way of explaining family interactions. It’s also a way of analyzing the way families communicates with one another. Family systems have many different systems properties. These properties include wholeness, Interdependence, Non- Summaitry, Openness/closeness, homeostasis, morphogenesis and Equifinality. Out of the six properties I will only discuss wholeness and interdependence. These are the ones fit my family well. In this paper I will discuss the different systems and boundaries that relate to my family. Next I will discuss suprasystems and â€Å"Who’s in† and â€Å"Who’s out† approach. First, wholeness is defined as when a family is not simply of its members added together. It also can be referred as to the idea that a system cannot be fully comphrended by a study of its individual’s parts in isolation from one another. When I talk about the wholeness system within my family many other families think we are a very close family, but I reality we are very distant with each other. For example, when others see my family in public the will consider us as being family- oriented, caring and supportive of each other. In reality we are very distant; everyone in my family is not supportive of anyone’s goals or achievements.Each person in my family has their own personalities on life and how they want others to perceive them in public. Most of my family members love to be around people who are negative instead of positive. For as myself, I would personally say that I always hung around positive people. I have to keep my reputation, being in college has helped me to understand the value of your own reputation. Interdependence is defined as systems thinking holding that the behaviors of systems members’ co-construct the system and all members are affected by shifts and changes. The interdependence system is where my family is the strongest.For example, in 2010 while I was working at Dollar General as assistant manager. A life threatening situation occurred; I thought February 07, 2010 was the last day of my life. I was held at gunpoint and was demanded to give the robber all the money out of the safe. After giving the robber all the money, he still had the gun point to my head. I’m so blessed to be living today. Leaving work on this particular day. I called my family; I told them what had happen to me. There whole attitudes and behaviors shifted quickly. I felt like this is the type of family; I need every day in my life.Not when something tragic happens. I need their support as well as they need my support. This is where the interdependence system plays a major part with my family. They are very concerned when someone in my family has been through a tragic situation or even when someone gets a promotion on their job, they are happy. Secondly, I will discuss who’s in and who out approach of boundaries of my family. Boundaries are defined as mark limits in the family. It can also be internal or external. An external boundary decides family membership, delineating who is a part of the family and who is not part of he family. An internal boundary is defined as the way family members communicate within their families. The family members, I would consider who’s out of our family would be my brother and uncle. They both have a drug addiction, although some of my family does not agree with their addition. There is a boundary ambiguity with respect of the two membership of the family. I still believe we they are a part of my family. No matter what condition they are in, as a family we should be able to help them seek help to an AAA program. Internal boundaries are dominant in my family rather than external. My family likes to keep secrets. We keep a closed circle when it comes down to family business. Everyone else in my family is considering as being â€Å"who’s in†. Lastly, I will discuss the suprasystems. Suprasystems are under the hierarchy systems. For as my family we are under the personal subsystem which refers to the fact that each individual represent his or her own separate system. Each person in my family is his or her own separate person, but also separate and interdependent as a whole. It is not possible to control everything that goes in and out of your family.My mother and aunts will not follow the preamble boundary; they are the type of family members who will tell every secret they hear. Not only will they tell other family members but it has come down to a point where they will tell people who are not a part of our family. I find it be amusing because they do not like other people in their business. On the other hand, many of my family members will abide by the impermeable boundary, simply because we know how to keep things in our family that we do not want to be told. The information that is not shared outside my family is if someone goes to prison or if a person has an illness.In conclusion, there are many families who do not coincide with different boundaries or even by following the systems theory. I found this paper to interesting to learn about the different people who I consider as my family. We all have different personalities, goals and each of us has a different view on life. Family Meaning Social Construction Theory is a theoretical perspective that centers upon the importance of meanings from human behavior. (Turner West, 2006 pg. 26). This theory contributes a focus on the meaning-making function of communication that is lacking in the systems explanation.

The Real Shape of Raindrops

The Real Shape of Raindrops Much like the snowflake symbolizes all things winter, a teardrop is a symbol of water and rain. We see them in illustrations and even on weather maps on TV. The truth is, a raindrop assumes several shapes as it falls from a cloud- none of which resemble teardrops. What is the true shape of a raindrop? Lets follow it along its journey from cloud to ground and find out! Droplets Raindrops, which are collections of millions of tiny cloud droplets, start out as small and round spheres. But as raindrops fall, they lose their rounded shape thanks to the tug-of-war between two forces: surface tension (the waters outer surface film which acts to hold the drop together) and the air flow which pushes up against the raindrops bottom as it falls.   Sphere to Hamburger Bun When the drop is small (under 1 mm across), surface tension wins out and pulls it into a spherical shape. But as the drop falls, colliding with other drops as it does so, it grows in size and it falls faster which increases the pressure on its bottom. This added pressure causes the raindrop to flatten on the bottom. Since the air flow on the bottom of the water drop is greater than the airflow at its top, the raindrop  remains curved on top, the raindrop resembles a hamburger bun. Thats right, raindrops have more in common with hamburger buns than falling on them and ruining your cookout- they are shaped like  them! Jelly Bean to Umbrella As the raindrop grows even bigger, the pressure along its bottom increases further and presses a dimple into it, making the raindrop look jelly-bean-shaped. When the raindrop grows to a large size (around 4 mm across or larger) the air flow has pressed so deeply into the water drop that it now resembles a parachute or an  umbrella. Soon after, the air flow presses through the raindrops top and breaks it apart into smaller drops.       To help visualize this process, watch the video, Anatomy of a Raindrop, courtesy of NASA.    Visualizing the Shape Due to the high speeds at which water droplets fall through the atmosphere, it is very difficult to see the variety of shapes it takes in nature without the use of high-speed photography. However, there is a way to model this in the lab, the classroom, or at home. An experiment you can do at home represents an analysis of raindrop shape through experimentation. Now that you know about raindrop shape and size, continue your raindrop exploration by learning why some rainshowers feel warm and others are cool to the touch.   SourcesAre Raindrops Tear-Shaped?  The USGS Water Science School

Sustainable Agriculture and Ecology Research Paper

Sustainable Agriculture and Ecology - Research Paper Example When an ecosystem is able to maintain and retain productivity for a long period of time, it can be classified as sustainable. There are numerous defects in the methods by which humans conduct their agricultural activity. They often consider their needs and neglect those of other living organisms. This in turn results in destruction of these organisms which can have an effect on the ecological cycle and result in undesirable outputs from farming. The prolonged effects of such destructive methods of farming also include diminishing of biodiversity. The essence of agriculture is to create products for humans which they can use for food, or for recreational uses in cases of tobacco. Some individuals and countries also depend on agriculture for economic purposes; however this raises the question, if farming is intended to be beneficial and humans rely on the lands for numerous purposes, what is the essence of damaging land that brings a vast amount of benefits to society? While food produ ction in the past century has risen gradually over time, it has adversely affected soil productivity, which will have affects on food availability in the near future. Even though agriculture is a basis for humans well being by providing food, it also resulting in consequences on a wide scale to soil indiscreetly and must be changed to maintain needs of present without compromising food production for future generations. For this reason agricultural scientists have strategized methods by which humans can farm and benefit both themselves and the environment. The term sustainable agriculture was first used by Gordon McClymont, an Australian agricultural scientist. This paper will analyze the biological methods which have been used in sustainable agriculture and illustrate the mechanisms by which they are used. It will also analyze the reasons why implementing such policies is beneficial to society. One major benefit of sustainable agriculture is that it helps preserve and maintain the ecosystem, which despite ignorance of most individuals, has an essential part in many aspects of human life. Some of the major energy sources used by humans have been predicted to run out in the next few decades. Hence, the country will require ecosystems as an energy source and to some extent a financial resource (Day et al., 2009). Ecosystems as an energy source are also beneficial to the quality of air in the environment as they produce less harmful byproducts. The biodiversity in different nations will determine the amount of energy sources, which can in turn result in an improvement the nation’s economy. This situation requires ecologists to further studies into functioning of ecosystems and find ways in which they can be preserved and used as energy sources (Day et al., 2009). Other strategies such as implementing Participatory Learning and Action Research and Systems Ecology for improvement of approaches taken in research have been suggested. This in turn will enable t he formulation of strategies that allow a smooth transition of current agricultural methods into approaches that are more sustainable. The two procedures have similar foundations and hence can be merged and utilized to obtain sustainable agricultural transitions (Eksvard & Rydberg, 2010). The methods can be used to improve the decision making as they analyze human activity from a broader perspective and offer a large scale upon which patterns of human activity are compared. These two

A reflection on your personal development over the first month of Assignment

A reflection on your personal development over the first month of university - Assignment Example I also found out that I can easily adapt to different kinds of people and environment. I can easily work in team which is an asset because there are some school works that needs group effort. These strengths pose an opportunity for me to get better grades and because I am genuinely interested in my lessons and that I may have a bigger social network after I graduate college. My weakness is that I tend to procrastinate school works especially if they are challenging. Getting started is a challenge for me albeit I work harder once I get started. I am aware that this is a common challenges among student but I do not want to make that as an excuse to justify procrastination. I have to correct this because procrastinating threatens my performance in school and ultimately my grade because procrastination makes me cram during exams. Attainable – I believe that my 85% grade goal is attainable because it is within the 100% grading. I just need to work hard for it and if I need help, I would ask assistance for tutorial to reach that grade. Moreover, the goal of graduating my course in the university is also attainable as most students who studied and work hard for their lessons graduated. Realistic – Considering my aptitude, interest for school and ability to work hard, getting an 85% percentile grade is very realistic. I also do not see any reason or impediment why will I not graduate college eventually knowing that I have the capacity just like the others who have graduated. Time bound – the 85% percentile grade goal is only for this semester. At the end of the semester, I will do another personal reflection on my performance and then set another SMART goals. In principle, I will increase my grade objective in the succeeding semesters once I have achieved my initial objective. I am driven to achieve my goal to prepare myself for the future, make my family proud and also to become a learned person. The only factor that I

Women and Society in Porphyrias Lover and A Dolls House

Women and Society in Porphyrias Lover and A Dolls House The composers, Henrik Ibsen and Robert Browning both challenge the values of their society by examining the relationship between the women in their literature and their respective societies. In the poem Porphyrias Lover by Browning and Ibsens play A Dolls House, the women challenge the 19th century notions of how women were expected to remain as passive and subservient figures. The Duchess in My Last Duchess by Browning and Nora in A Dolls House resist mainstream attitudes and perspectives that accustomed males to value their honour and reputation above all, which victimised women to attain the expectations of the ideal household and marriage. Brownings poem Porphyrias Lover explores the tension between the individual and social convention of the 19th century by subverting the social expectation of women to be passive and docile. The patriarchal society of Victorian England suppressed the outward manifestation of female identity and sexuality, by objectifying women and treating them as inferior. The shift in narrator voice in Porphyria worshipped me That moment she was mine, mine, fair reflects the patriarchal nature of Victorian society, with the repetition of the possessive pronoun mine revealing that males would ultimately assert dominance over females. In murmuring how she loved me and give herself to me forever suggests that Porphyria is entrapped in the passive role in which society expects her to remain. Porphyrias sexually forward behaviour is demonstrated in the vivid imagery, her smooth white shoulder bare which challenges the preordained ideas that women were to inhibit their sexuality and establish their value on their chastity. The churchs role in instilling and consolidating values of female submissiveness is demonstrated in the biblical allusions, And yet God has not yet said a word! further emphasising the societys expectation of women. Hence, Porphyrias Lover challenges traditional ways of thinking in 19th century England in which the societys perception of female behaviour and gender interactions were in place. Henrik Ibsens play A Dolls House also encapsulates how the values placed within female submissiveness and subordination transcend time. In 19th century Europe, a woman who stepped out of her domesticated role in the home and entered the outside world of the labour force was censured. Torvalds condescending manner when addressing Nora as squirrelkin or songbird ostensibly gives off the impression of being affectionate, however has paternalistic undertones which fix Noras inferior status in the relationship. Torvalds displeasure at Noras agitated dancing of the tarantella commenting, Not so violently, It isnt right reflects how the patriarchal society of 19th century Europe suppressed a womans desire to fulfil her need for self-expression and lead a full and satisfying life. Nora questions the possessive attitude of men in It pleased you, thats all- the idea of loving me which demonstrates how she challenges the social conventions that a woman must remain subordinate to men. Noras ass ertive exit at the end of the play undermines the role of women staying faithful to their husbands, challenging the norm that women will eventually submit to the male suppression of their independence and identity. Through Noras transformation from a woman, belittled and undermined by the males in her life, into a strong-willed and independent being, Ibsens A Dolls House explores the tension between the individual and the society with set the behavioural standards. Browning seeks to challenge the conservative Victorian mindset in his portrayal of tyrannical and rabid power, highlighting the materialism and commodification of life within his society. The ruthless and despotic power portrayed in Brownings My Last Duchess elucidates the moral inadeqacy of the patriarchal Victorian era, where social stratification encouraged obsession with power, in which women were characterised as either the Madonna or the whore. Motivated by wealth, privilege and punctilious pride of rank, ‘I choose never to stoop’, the Duke is a complex figure of artistic cultivation and consuming acquisitiveness. His aristocratic need for absolute control is disguised by his indifferent, almost affable tone, highlighted through the tension between the enjambment and the consistent rhyming couplets . Nevertheless, he ironically damns himself while attempting to discredit his naà ¯ve and unsophisticated wife who did not appreciation the ‘gift of a nine hundre d year old name’, revealing his chillingly casual and unmerited cruelty manufactured by his jealousy. Browning challenges societal expectations as he articulates the fallibility of humankind through the desire of material comforts as equalled signs of achievement and power. A Dolls House also challenges the 19th century way of thinking about how womens identities were determined by predefined roles within households resulting in feelings of suppression. The bourgeoisie men of 19th century Europe were socially conditioned to place obligations on their wives to uphold their reputation of their family and assume responsibility for all domestic affairs and difficulties. The emotive language when Torvald says â€Å"Almost always when people go bad young in life, the cause is a deceitful mother† reveals how women were expected to bear all responsibility for the children and familial affairs, which contrasts with Nora’s later decision to abandon this domestic life. Noras confrontation of social norms by prioritising her own self-respect and need to express her identity is revealed in the motif of clothing during her final conversation with her husband, Changing. No more fancy dress. This contrasts with Torvalds patronising tone in But no man sacr ifices his honour for the lone he loves, which implies that society has conditioned men to regard their reputation as more important than human emotions or interpersonal relationships. During her final conversation with Torvald, Noras assertion in But Im going to find out which of us is right, society or me, further reinforces how she defies the social norm that a woman should dedicate herself to maintaining the public image of the household and marriage so as not to threaten the values of the male. Thus, A Doll’s House presents ideas reluctant to mainstream attitudes as Ibsen explores the need for resistance against society, especially the expectations of women, in order to move forward. The individuals in Robert Browning’s poems ‘Porphyria’s Lover’ and ‘My Last Duchess’, as well as Nora in Henrik Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House behave in a radical and confronting manner as viewed by 19th century society, overcoming the constraints placed by the world they live in. They challenge society’s ideals regarding the accepted behaviour for women as passive figures whose identity and sexuality are suppressed, and as wives and mothers who must place their obligations to their husband and social reputation before their need to express themselves respectively.

Sex, Power and Money Contributing to Immorality in Our Society

The term immorality refers to an act or practice that is immoral or indecent. Money, sex and power are the threefold alliances of immorality in our society. There a quite a lot of these immoral practices that are plaguing our society. Due to the high rate of immorality that is caused by money in our society there is widespread corruption. Have you ever been a victim of corruption? If not, I am almost certain you have suffered the effects of corruption. Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. It hurts everyone whose life, livelihood or happiness depends on the integrity of people in a position of authority.According to Transparency International‘s (TI) 2011 Corruption Perception Index â€Å"the vast majority of the 183 countries and territories assessed scores below on a scale of 0(highly corrupt) to 10 (very clean). â€Å" Two years earlier, TI acknowledged that its 2009 annual report exposed the pervasive reality of corruption†: It is clear that no region of the world is immune to the perils of corruption. In some cases, the consequences of corruption lead to a very high level of immorality and can be very disastrous. For example, Irie FM’s news reported that â€Å"a man was killed in the Kemps Hill area of Clarendon†.This man was a part of a trio that went to a remote area to sell other men cocaine. On arrival with the cocaine, it was tested and found to be flour instead of cocaine. A dispute developed and the other two accomplices fled leaving one behind. He was set upon and stabbed to death by the men who were supposed to purchase it. These forms of immorality in our society are very high and these are caused by the need and greed for money. Why immortality does persist? â€Å"Man has dominated man to his injury. † Ecclesiastes 8:9. That statement aptly describes the history of human rulership.It has been responsible for untold suffering and misery. In all ages, well-intentioned people who have tried t o establish a more just society were constantly foiled by greed and immoral behaviour. Why is that so? Basically, because of the following three unwholesome influences: the influence of sin, the influence of the wicked world we live in and the influence of Satan the Devil. The influence of sin- the Bible plainly states that we â€Å"we are all under sin†. (Romans3:9) Like an incurable hereditary disease, sin† resides† or is â€Å"dwelling,† within us.For thousands of years, sin has ruled over mankind like a king. Its law is continually at work in us. Sinful inclination leads many to put their own interests first or to center their lives on gaining material possessions or authority at other’s expense. Romans 5:21; 7:17; 20, 23, 25. The influence of the wicked world we live in- our world is characterized by greed and selfishness. In such an environment, some people find it difficult to be different. Driven by selfish desires and ambitions they become p ower hungry. They also develop a strong desire for more money and possessions, more than they really need.Sadly, they are willing to behave in a dishonest way to achieve those goals. Rather than resisting immoral and unwholesome influences, such people â€Å"follow after the crowd for evil ends. † Exodus23:2 The influence of Satan the Devil, a rebellious spirit creature, is â€Å"misleading the entire inhabited earth. †(Revelation12:9). He may craftily exploit a person’s natural desire for material comfort and financial well-being to the point that the person acts deceitfully. Is it possible to be honest in a corrupt world? Although we live in a sinful world and the devil can exert great pressure on us, we can resist their influence.This can be achieved by drawing close to God and applying principles from His word to our lives. Money has certainly caused a lot of immoral behaviours in our society. This is not just a situation that started in contemporary society but has been happening from as far back as in biblical times. Look at the situation in Acts5:1-10, with Ananias and Sapphire. These two persons sold a possession and kept back a part of the money for themselves. Instead of talking the truth they hid it and the outcome was death. This is all because of the love and greed that mankind has for money.Another biblical example is that of Judas where he betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver (Genesis37:18). Greed is one of the main causes why people are led to act so cruel and inhumane. Can you imagine that Judas was one of Jesus’ disciples and yet still he made greed overcome him? He did not even care about the after effects but probably was looking on the amount of money he would receive. Situations such as these are not just happening nowadays but were there from ancient times. Recently aired on TVJ via a program- ‘Religious Hardtalk’ was a bishop (Bishop Clayton). He talked about his life as a pastor in church.He w as a womanizer and someone who was very wealthy. He said that because of his money he thought that he did not need anything from God. His main focus was on women and his possessions. This led him to commit immoral and unjust acts. He said the more money he had, the more he wanted it. Therefore, this causes him to turn a blind eye to certain principles and values and thus go after money (the thing he had so much pleasure in). Lottery scamming is indeed another terrible ‘disaster’ that is wreaking havoc in our society. People are actually stealing from others to fulfill their cruel desires.Can you imagine! Elderly people are the main targets. These people have worked so hard for their entire lives and are now living in fear and poverty because of these criminals. Some of the major players in these criminal acts are young people. Superintendent Fit Bailey, head of the Organized Crime Investigation Division, (OCID) confirmed that students are dropping out of school because they do not see the need to continue in acquiring an education. Reason for this is merely because they are able to purchase car, houses, and land and other valuables based on the money they received from lottery scamming.Lottery scamming contributes significantly to the crime rate in terms of murders. Superintendent Bailey also disclosed that students are using school compounds to make their links and carry out their plans and telephone calls. They are even introducing this method to their friends, telling them it is a good way to make money. Human trafficking is also a cause for concern. The price that are being paid to adults for these young people are tremendous. Recently the media reported that a lady from the Kingston area was nabbed. She is believed to be the mastermind behind the disappearance of a large number of children.Can you imagine that people’s children are being sold for money without their knowledge? This is downright inhumane and immoral. Our society is pack ed with a lot of people who are craving for money and will do anything to make this a reality. Sex should be an act that is performed by married people. People are not thinking about the immoral acts that they are performing. They are only thinking about the pleasure that they would receive from such act and also the benefits. People commit such acts to benefit both financially and also to get pleasure.There are numerous amount of people (both male and female) in the society who are selling their bodies. These prostitutes can be found all over the society, example, in clubs, motels and street corners. Even in some uptown community. At one point there would be only females who do these things but men are now doing it. The love of money makes people do almost any and everything. The Bible also talked about a prostitute who sold her body for monetary gains. A vast majority of women (even men too) are being viciously raped in our society. Recently an eight year old girl was raped along with four other females in St.James. This act was so cruel. The little girl had to go through some major surgeries. Even parts of her internal system were damaged due to this wicked act which was carried out on her. The RJR news stated that â€Å"reports are that the men who carried out this act were on a housetop nearby. They actually watched from this view because they had the intention to perform this act. Our society in which we live today is very scary. The recent vicious rapes that are occurring in our society causes alarm, panic, fright and anguish to citizens. What difference does it make if we are sexually immoral?The Bible tells us not to engage in sexual immorality. The Bible gives us abundant evidence that sexual sin leads to disaster and this is stated clearly. We are supposed to avoid sexual immorality. But, we are not very good at this. Surveys indicate that between 17% and 35% of pastors in the USA have had, as married men, sexual relations with other women other th an their wives. The politicians who have been supporting family values keep on falling down as it is revealed that they have had or are having sexual relationships with mistresses and prostitutes.Pastors continue to fall as they preach on Sundays and Saturdays about moral purity and then live a double life of sexual immorality during the week. The problem is not just pastors and politicians, but citizens on a whole who participate in these moral acts. Citizens who are in positions of power and authority are also partakers of immoral behaviour in our society. Some examples are: employers and CEO’s in institutions that disregard the rights of the workers. They abuse and treat them inhumanely. Sometimes they are worked overtime and never get a pay for the time that they worked.Some of them also use indecent language to their employees. These are immoral behaviour that is being displayed in our society. Some persons who have power such as policemen are also involved in immoral be haviour. Some policemen issue guns to citizens and this result in the death of innocent persons, the abuse of power and also lottery scamming. Recently, Operation Kingfish stated that several police personnel are involved in the deadly lottery scam operating out of Montego Bay, St. James. Also, the two persons who were nabbed in that parish for lottery scamming.These persons are from the St. James parish council. They were held in a pre- dawn operation at their homes by members of the security force. These are persons that one would look up to and expect to be role models. But instead they are involved in deeds that are downright immoral. Entertainers are persons who people in our society look up to so therefore if they bring across positive ideas it would certainly help the nation because people tend to follow what they say. The message some of them of them bring about is outrageous and immoral.Their songs contain vulgar and indecent language which is impacting seriously on the min ds of young Jamaicans. Sex, money and power are the three alliances that cause the majority of immoral deeds in our society. But, money is the major influence. Remember, the Bible states that â€Å"the love of money is the root of all evil. (1Timothy6:10). People perform sexual acts for money which is downright immoral. People try to gain some form of power and authority for the sake of money. The love of money on a whole lead people to act immoral, indecent and corrupt.

Coyote Blue Chapter 25~26

CHAPTER 25 Wheels, Deals, and the Persistance of Visions Las Vegas Calliope sat in her car shivering and watching. She was parked up the street from a Vegas Harley-Davidson shop where she had once gone with Lonnie on a delivery for the Guild. The street was deserted, and dark except for the odd glow of neon in the window of a closed pawnshop. Litter danced in dust devils of desert wind that had grown cold through the night. Calliope curled up in the driver's seat and tried to cover herself with one of Grubb's blankets. The smell that came off the blanket, a mix of sour milk and sweet baby, made her sad, and even though she had stopped breastfeeding months ago, her breasts ached for her son. She caught some motion out of the corner of her eye: two figures coming out of an alley onto the sidewalk: men. They were walking toward the car. Calliope slid down in the driver's seat. The mother instinct, the feeling of righteous invincibility that had filled her when she had come here, was leaking away. Right now she was not protecting her child; she was afraid for herself. As the men approached she saw that they were young toughs, swaggering with their own willingness to violence, even as they staggered from the effect of some drink or drug. She slid farther down in the seat, and when their shadows fell across the car's hood she twisted down and covered herself with Grubb's blanket. She heard their footsteps scrape and stop at the car, heard their voices above her. â€Å"Check out this motherfucker.† â€Å"Some tall dollars here – there's a grand in tires on this thing.† â€Å"Pop the hood.† Calliope heard someone trying to open the door. â€Å"Locked.† â€Å"Hang on a minute, I saw a brick back a ways.† Footsteps away. The car rocked with the continued yanking at the door handle. Calliope could hear the keys swinging in the ignition. The second man was coming back. Her breath caught. She waited for the crash. Sweat trickled down her forehead and dripped onto the gearshift knob. â€Å"No man, not the windshield. You can't drive it with a broken windshield.† â€Å"Oh, right.† Calliope braced herself for the impact of the brick, then something in her mind screamed NO! Her feet were still on the pedals. She pushed the clutch and gas to the floor, reached out from under the blanket, and turned the key. The Z roared to life, thundered, then screamed as she kept the gas to the floor. She sat up and glanced at the two startled men, who were cowering a few feet away. Instantly their surprise turned to anger and the taller of the two raised the brick. Calliope popped the clutch and fought to keep the car straight as the tires burned off on the asphalt. She heard a loud crack behind her and felt splinters of glass hit her from behind. She power-shifted through three gears, turning over the tires and kicking the car sideways with each slam of the shifter. By the time she backed off the gas the speedometer was threatening 110. There was a thumping coming from the engine and a high-pitched wailing coming from somewhere. She looked into the rearview mirror to see the hole in the back window and, behind it, flashing red and blue police lights. She hesitated only long enough to throw Grubb's blanket off her shoulders, then slammed the Z into third, floored it, and said a quick prayer to Kali the Destroyer. -=*=- If Lonnie Ray Inman had ever made the connection that whenever he read the words American Standard, spelled out in cornflower blue against white porcelain, he felt a sudden urge to urinate, he might have understood why Grubb, upon seeing white plastic bundles piled haphazardly on the motel-room floor, crawled doggedly to, and whizzed gleefully on, twenty thousand dollars' worth of methamphetamine. To Grubb, the bundles looked like Pampers, a fine and private place to pee. â€Å"Jesus Christ, Cheryl,† Lonnie yelled. â€Å"He crawled out of his diaper. Can't you keep an eye on him for a fucking minute?† â€Å"Fuck you. You watch him, stud. He's your kid.† Cheryl threw a pillow at Lonnie as she stormed naked into the bathroom. â€Å"You were the one that said you'd make a good mother. Throw me a towel.† Cheryl stood in front of the mirror working her jaw back and forth. â€Å"Get your own towel. I think you fucked up my jaw.† â€Å"I did? I didn't do shit.† â€Å"That's the problem, isn't it?† Cheryl had been lolling Lonnie's limpness around in her mouth for an hour, trying to get a reaction out of him, when she heard a sharp crack in her right ear and felt a painful grating in the back of her jaw. Lonnie grabbed a towel off the rack and went to where Grubb was happily splashing away on the drugs. Lonnie picked up the baby and put him on the bed, then went back to clean off the packages. â€Å"Oh, Christ. Cheryl, clean up the kid, will you?† â€Å"Fuck off.† Lonnie stormed into the bathroom and grabbed her by the hair, yanking her head back until she was staring up at him. He spoke to her through gritted teeth. â€Å"You clean up the kid now or I'll snap your fucking neck. You understand?† He yanked her head back further. â€Å"I've got to turn this shit early in the morning and then ride to South Dakota, and I need to get some fucking sleep. If I have to kill you to get it I will. You understand?† He relaxed his grip on her hair and she nodded. Tears welled up in her eyes. He dragged her out of the bathroom and threw her on the bed with Grubb, then threw the towel in her face. â€Å"Now clean up the kid.† Lonnie took another towel and wiped each of the packages before packing them into Grubb's diaper bag. Cheryl rolled Grubb over and dried his bottom. â€Å"Last time I take a vacation with you,† she said. â€Å"No gambling, no shows, no fucking. I said†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She looked at him. â€Å"No fu-† The word caught in her throat. He was aiming his pistol at her head. -=*=- Until he saw the orange 280Z rocket by him, the cop thought that the worst thing he was going to have to deal with on this shift was not smoking. He was wearing a patch on his left shoulder that was supposed to feed nicotine into his blood to keep him from craving cigarettes, but the urge to smoke was still there, so he fought it by eating donuts. He'd gained ten pounds in a week, and he was musing over the idea of inventing a donut patch when the sports car roared by him. Out of habit, he butted a half-eaten cruller in the ashtray, hit the lights and siren, and pulled out in pursuit. The Z already had about eight blocks on him and he estimated it was doing about a hundred. He was reaching for the radio to call ahead for help when a black Mercedes pulled out from a side street in front of him. He slammed on the brakes and threw the cruiser sideways, bringing it to a stop not ten feet from impact. The Mercedes was at a dead stop, blocking both lanes. The cop watched the Z's taillights fade in the distance on the other side. He killed the siren and switched the radio to the public address system. â€Å"Get out of the car, now!† He waited but no one got out of the car. In fact, he couldn't see a driver at all, yet the Mercedes was still running. He considered calling for backup, then decided to handle it himself. He stepped out of the cruiser with his gun drawn, careful to stay behind the car door. â€Å"You, in the Mercedes, get out slowly.† He saw something move in the car, but it didn't look like a person. Holding his revolver at ready, he shined his flashlight at the car. Movement, but no driver. He saw three possibilities. The driver was unconscious, or was waiting to peel away when he moved away from the cruiser, or was lying in wait with a shotgun to blow his head off. He decided it would be safest to assume the last, and without further warning he crept to a spot just under the open driver's-side window. He heard a scratching sound just above his head and came up, gun first, to catch a glimpse of the back end of the skunk just as it sprayed him in the face. As he wiped his eyes he heard laughing and the Mercedes pulling away. -=*=- Clyde, owner of Clyde's Cash for Your Car, said, â€Å"No offense, chief, but you don't see many Indians in Mercedes.† He kicked a tire and bent down to look at the lines of the paint job for signs of bodywork, keeping a hand on his head to steady his toupee. â€Å"Looks clean.† â€Å"It's a good car,† Coyote said. Clyde narrowed his eyes and smiled. Clyde had seen a little too much sun in his sixty years and this sly smile, what he used to call his ;gotcha; look, made him look like an old Chinese woman. â€Å"And you have the title, right, chief?† â€Å"Title?† â€Å"That's what I thought.† Clyde stepped up to Coyote, his head about level with the trickster's sternum. â€Å"Are you a policeman, or are you working in the service of any law-enforcement agency?† â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"Well then, let's do some business.† Clyde grinned. â€Å"Now, you and I know that we could fry eggs on this car, am I right? Of course I am. And you're not from around here, or you'd have your own connections and wouldn't be here, am I right? Of course I am. And you don't want to take this car out on the interstate where the state patrol would spot it as hot in a second? No, you don't.† He paused for effect, just to make sure everyone knew he was in control. â€Å"I'll give you five thousand dollars for it.† â€Å"Not enough,† said Coyote. â€Å"Look, this car has a machine that tells you where you are.† Clyde glanced inside the Mercedes at the navigation system, then shrugged. â€Å"Chief, you see all these cars?† Clyde gestured to a dozen cars on his lot. Coyote looked around and nodded. â€Å"Well, all these cars got something that'll tell you where you're at. I call them windows. You look out of 'em. Now, do you want to sell a car?† â€Å"Six thousand,† Coyote said. Clyde crossed his arms and waited, tapped his foot, smiled into the night sky. â€Å"Five,† Coyote said. â€Å"I'll be right back with your money, chief. Can I have my boy give you a lift somewhere?† â€Å"Sure,† Coyote said. Clyde went into his office, a mobile home whose entire side functioned as Clyde's sign. In a moment he returned with a stack of hundreds. He counted them into Coyote's hand. A greasy teenager pulled up in an old Chevy. â€Å"This is Clyde junior,† Clyde said. â€Å"He'll take you wherever you need to go.† â€Å"It's a good car,† Coyote said. He handed the keys to Clyde and climbed into the Chevy. As they pulled away Coyote dug into his medicine pouch and pulled out a small plastic box that had once been on Sam's key ring. He pushed the red button once, and a chirping sound came from under the hood of the Mercedes to signal that the alarm was armed. -=*=- Kiro Yashamoto stood in the corner of the treatment room watching two doctors battle for a man's life. One doctor was young, white, and wore a stethoscope around his neck. He was fighting death with electronic monitors, oxygen, a battery of injected drugs, and a degree from Michigan State. The other doctor was an old Indian man, as wrinkled and weathered as the patient, who fought with prayers, songs, and by blowing on the patient through a mouthful of charcoal. He held no degree, but had been called to healing by the trumpeting of a white elk in the Spirit World. Despite the difference in their methods, the two worked as a team. Kiro could see that they respected each other, and he wished that his children were here to see these two cultures working together not for profit, but out of a common compassion. Alas, he had left them outside in the clinic's small waiting room, and neither of the doctors would allow more people in here. A tall, lanky Indian man dressed in denim stood in the corner opposite Kiro. His hair was cut short and shot with gray. Kiro guessed he was in his sixties, but it was hard to tell with these people. He saw Kiro watching and quietly crossed the room. â€Å"My name is Harlan Hunts Alone,† he said, extending his hand. â€Å"How do you do,† Kiro said. He took Harlan's hand and bowed slightly, then caught himself in the inappropriate gesture and felt embarrassed. Harlan patted Kiro's shoulder. â€Å"Pokey is my brother. I wanted to thank you for bringing him here. The doctor said he would have died without your help.† â€Å"It was nothing,† Kiro said. â€Å"Just the same,† Harlan smiled. The medicine man stopped singing and Harlan quickly turned to him. â€Å"He's gone,† the medicine man said. The white doctor looked at the monitor. A steady blip played across the screen. â€Å"He's fine. His blood pressure's coming up.† â€Å"Not dead,† said the medicine man. â€Å"Gone.† Pokey began mumbling, then speaking. Kiro could not hear what he was saying through the oxygen mask. â€Å"That's not Crow. What is that?† asked the white doctor. â€Å"Navaho,† said the medicine man. â€Å"He doesn't speak Navaho,† Harlan said. â€Å"He doesn't even speak Crow.† â€Å"He doesn't here,† the medicine man said. â€Å"He's not here.† On a stone wall: carvings of dead gods and the shadow of a man with the head of a dog. Pokey looks, but there is no figure casting the shadow. He turns to run. â€Å"Stop,† the shadow says. Pokey stops but does not look back. â€Å"Who are you?† â€Å"Tell him there is death where he goes.† â€Å"Tell who?† â€Å"The trickster. Tell him. And tell him I am coming back.† â€Å"Who are you?† The shade and the wall are gone. Ahead lie prairies. Pokey runs, calls, â€Å"Old Man Coyote!† â€Å"What? I'm busy. Twice in a few days is too much. Don't talk to me for another forty years.† â€Å"A shadow said to tell you that there is death where you are going.† â€Å"A shadow?† â€Å"A man with the head of a dog. I thought it was you playing a trick on me.† â€Å"Nope. So he said that there is death where I am going. He ought to know. Anything else?† â€Å"He said to tell you that he is coming back.† â€Å"Well, no shit. You have to go, old man. You're dying again.† â€Å"I am?† â€Å"Yeah. Didn't you drink that Kool-Aid I left you?† â€Å"There was no water. Who was-â€Å" â€Å"Go now.† -=*=- The green line went flat. The monitor screeched out an alarm. â€Å"We're losing him,† the doctor said. He grabbed a syringe, filled it with epinephrine, and drove it into Pokey's chest. The medicine man began to sing a death song. CHAPTER 26 Hang with a Horse Thief, Wake Up Walking Las Vegas Minty Fresh was staring at nothing and thinking ;Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah; when the girl behind the desk grabbed his arm, startling him. â€Å"Are you all right?† she said. â€Å"Fine, what is it?† â€Å"God, on the phone, for you.† â€Å"Thank you.† Minty picked up the phone and tried to drive ;Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah; out of his head. â€Å"M.F. here,† he said. â€Å"Your Indian is back in the building, main entrance. Keep an eye on him.† â€Å"Right.† Minty hung up. He checked his watch and realized that he must have been staring for ten minutes before the call. Why couldn't he shake that song? He hadn't heard it since his grandmother had taken him to see Song of the South when he was a child. Grandma had heard the Uncle Remus stories of Br'er Fox and Br'er Rabbit from her own grandmother, who had been a slave. She said that the stories came with the slaves from West Africa. There, Br'er Rabbit was known as Esau, the trickster. Maybe it was the Indian talking about tricking people that had set it off. Since the Indian had come into the casino, Minty had felt uneasy. It was as if the Indian could look into his soul and see secrets that he himself did not know. He looked up to see the Indian coming through the lobby. Minty smiled. â€Å"Mr. Coyote, you're back.† â€Å"How do you know my name?† Minty was spun by the question. He felt his shell of cool detachment cracking and dropping off like old paint. â€Å"I†¦ I don't know†¦.† â€Å"It's okay,† Coyote said. â€Å"I want everyone to know my name. Not like you. You carry your name like a man with a knife hidden in his boot. You should wear your name like a red bow tie.† â€Å"I'll try to remember that,† Minty said, trying to sound patronizing. If the casino knew his real name they'd have him greeting people in clown shoes and a purple wig within the hour. A red bow tie indeed. Coyote fanned a handful of hundreds and waved them under Minty's nose. â€Å"Did you save my place at the table?† â€Å"I'm sure we can find you a suitable place. Follow me.† Minty led Coyote to an out-of-the-way crap table where only a few players were gathered. One of them, a lanky middle-aged man in a cowboy hat and jeans, turned and looked Coyote up and down, then scoffed and turned to the stickman, shaking his head in disgust. â€Å"Prairie niggers,† he said under his breath. Minty moved up behind the cowboy and bent over until his mouth was even with the cowboy's ear. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† The cowboy spun around and stumbled back against the table, his eyes wide. â€Å"Nothin',† he said. Minty remained crouched over, his face almost touching the cowboy's. â€Å"Is there a problem, sir?† â€Å"No. No problem,† the cowboy said. He turned and scraped his chips off the table and quickly walked away. Minty stood slowly and caught the stickman glaring at him. A wave of embarrassment burned over him. That sort of direct intimidation was completely out of line: bad form, bad judgment. He imagined that there would be a call from God waiting for him when he returned to the desk. He turned to Coyote, who was staring down the front of a cocktail waitress's dress. Minty said, â€Å"Can we get you something to drink?† â€Å"Umbrellas and swords, lots of them.† â€Å"Very good.† Minty nodded to the cocktail waitress. â€Å"Mai tai, extra fruit.† Coyote handed his cash to the dealer. â€Å"Black ones.† The dealer counted the money and handed it to the supervisor. â€Å"Changing five thousand.† The other players looked up at Coyote, then Minty, then quickly looked down to avoid eye contact. A pair of fresh-faced newlyweds stood at the head of the table, exchanging kisses and whispers. The stickman pushed the dice to the woman, who giggled as she picked them up. â€Å"That's my lucky girl,† her husband said, kissing her ear. â€Å"New shooter coming out,† the stickman said. â€Å"Is she lucky?† Coyote asked. â€Å"She's made me the luckiest man in the world,† the young husband said. The girl blushed and buried her face in her husband's shoulder. Minty found that he was irritated by the couple's fawning and wondered why. He saw it ten times a day: newlyweds at the tables acting like they were the first to discover love, glued together for a few days of starry-eyed public foreplay between bouts in a hotel bed. And they'd be back in twenty years, separating when they hit the door, her locking onto a slot machine while he played blackjack and dreamed of sneaking off to a jiggle show. Minty wanted to warn them that time would make hypocrites of them. One day you'll wake up and find that you're married to a husband and a father, a wife and a mother, and you'll wonder whatever happened to the lover that you swapped spit and sweetness with over a crap table. But why did it matter? It never had before. It's this Indian, Minty thought. He's making me lose it. Coyote placed all his chips on the pass line. â€Å"Are you lucky?† he said to the bride. She smiled and nodded. Her husband placed a two-dollar chip on the pass line. â€Å"Go ahead, honey.† He held her shoulders, bracing her against the weight of the dice, and the girl let fly. â€Å"Two! Snake eyes! No pass!† The stickman raked in the bets. Coyote dove over the table and caught the woman by the throat, riding her to the floor. The husband stepped aside as the light of his life went down. â€Å"You are not lucky!† Coyote screeched. â€Å"You lost all my money! You are not lucky!† The girl clawed at his face with lace-gloved hands. Minty Fresh caught Coyote by the back of the neck and pulled him off the girl with one hand, waving away the security jesters who had appeared with the other. â€Å"I've got this handled.† He nodded to the girl on the floor and the jesters helped her to her feet. Minty dragged Coyote away from the table. â€Å"She lied. She lied.† â€Å"Perhaps you'd like to rest for a while,† Minty said, as if he was taking Coyote's hat rather than dragging him across the floor. â€Å"Can we get you something to eat? The dining room is closed, but our snack bar is open.† Minty was acutely aware that he was in the process of losing his job. He should have turned the Indian over to security. After years as the officer of order, he was falling apart. â€Å"I need to get more money,† Coyote said, calming down now. Minty set Coyote on his feet, keeping a restraining hand on the trickster's neck. â€Å"You're sharing a room with Mr. Hunter, aren't you? I'll have the bellman take you up to the room.† Coyote thought for a moment. â€Å"No, my money is at another hotel and I don't have a car.† â€Å"That's not a problem, sir. I'll call around a limo and drive you myself.† Minty steered Coyote out a side exit of the casino and walked him to the valet booth, where he ordered a limo from the attendant. In a moment a stretch Lincoln pulled up to the curb and an eager squire held the door while Coyote climbed in. Minty adjusted the seat before climbing in; still, his knees were up around the wheel. As he drove he tried to form some sort of rationalization for his mistakes – something to wash him clean with the management. Perhaps the Indian would lose enough money to justify the lapses of judgment. â€Å"Where are you staying, sir?† â€Å"The Frontier.† Minty nodded and pulled out onto the strip. â€Å"Call Camelot,† he said. A series of beeps sounded in the car and a woman's voice came on the speaker. â€Å"Camelot.† â€Å"Desk, please.† â€Å"Thank you.† A series of clicks and a different voice. â€Å"Camelot, reservations.† â€Å"This is M.F.,† Minty said. â€Å"I'm taking a customer to the Frontier. I'll return in a few minutes.† â€Å"Very good, sir. There's a message for you from upstairs. Do you want me to put you through?† â€Å"No. Thank you.† There was no sense in rushing to the mailbox if you knew there was a letter bomb waiting for you. â€Å"Off,† Minty said. There was a click. Coyote was hanging on the back of the seat, looking down at the cellular phone. â€Å"You can talk to machines?† â€Å"Just this one. Voice activated so you can keep your hands on the wheel.† â€Å"I can talk to animals. Can you take other forms?† Minty smiled. The Indian was a nut case, but at least he was an amusing nut case. â€Å"Actually,† he said. â€Å"This is another form. In real life I'm a short Jewish woman.† â€Å"I wouldn't have known,† Coyote said. â€Å"It must be the sunglasses.† He looked at the dashboard. â€Å"Does this car tell you where you are?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Ha! Mine is better.† â€Å"Pardon me?† â€Å"Follow that car,† Coyote said, pointing ahead to a 280Z with a shattered back window turning off the strip. For a second, Minty was tempted to follow the car, then he caught himself. â€Å"I can't do that, sir.† What was it about this Indian that he could twist the world? If he wasn't fired when he got back to the casino, Minty decided he would hire a hooker to rub his temples and tell him that everything was okay until he believed it or ran out of money, whichever came first. Maybe the Indian was right about people wanting to be tricked. â€Å"I need cigarettes,† Coyote said. â€Å"We have complimentary cigarettes at the casino, sir.† â€Å"No. I need some now. At that store.† Coyote pointed to a minimart across the strip. â€Å"As you wish,† Minty said. He pulled the limo into the minimart and turned off the engine. Coyote said, â€Å"I'm out of money until we go to my motel.† â€Å"Allow me, sir,† Minty opened the car door and unfolded himself onto the curb. â€Å"I'll pay you back.† â€Å"Not necessary, sir. Camelot will take care of it.† â€Å"Salems,† Coyote said. â€Å"A carton.† Minty closed the door and walked into the minimart. He found the cigarettes, then grabbed a package of Twinkies off the shelf for himself. He checked the date on the Twinkies: July 1956. Good. They had another thirty years of guaranteed freshness. He fell in line behind a drunk man who was waving a gas card at the clerk. â€Å"Look, man, it's this simple. You charge my card for forty bucks' worth of gas and give me twenty in cash. You get a hundred-percent profit.† Minty listened to the clerk try to explain why this couldn't be done and smiled in sympathy, as if to say, â€Å"They lose their money, then they lose their minds.† The clerk rolled his eyes as if to say, â€Å"This might take a while.† Minty looked outside to check on his passenger and saw the limo backing away from the curb. He tossed the cigarettes and Twinkies on the counter and ran out, losing his glasses as he ducked to get through the doors. He reached the street as the limo accelerated out of reach, then stopped and stared down the strip, watching the Lincoln's taillights until they blended into a million other lights. Acid panic rose in his throat, then subsided, replaced by the resolved calm of the doomed. He turned and walked slowly back to the minimart to find his glasses. As he reached the door, the drunk, his gas card still in hand, stumbled through and Minty caught him by the shoulders to avoid a collision. The drunk looked up, then tore himself away and stepped back. â€Å"Jesus Christ, boy! What happened to your eyes? You been sittin' too close to the TV?† Minty raised his hand to cover his golden eyes, then dropped it and shrugged. â€Å"Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah,† he said with a grin. -=*=- Dawn was starting to break and the sky was turning from red to blue. Coyote sat in the limo, which was parked a block behind Calliope's orange Z, which was parked a block away from Nardonne's Harley-Davidson Shop. Lonnie's bike was parked outside. â€Å"Call Sam,† Coyote said. Nothing happened. He pounded on the car phone. â€Å"I said, call Sam.† Nothing happened. â€Å"Call Sam's room,† Coyote said to the phone. Nothing happened and the trickster yipped with anger. â€Å"Call Sam's room or I'll rip your cord off.† He picked up the receiver and beat it on the dashboard, then he saw a sticker with the casino's logo stuck to the receiver. â€Å"Call Camelot,† he said. The phone lit up and beeped through some numbers. The phone rang once and a woman answered. â€Å"Camelot.† â€Å"I want to talk to Sam.† â€Å"Do you have a last name, sir?† â€Å"No, just Coyote.† â€Å"I'm sorry, sir, we have no guest listed under Coyote.† â€Å"Not me, I'm here. His name is Hunter.† â€Å"We have no Coyote Hunter. There's a Samuel Hunter.† â€Å"That's him.† â€Å"One minute while I connect you.† â€Å"I'll bet you're ugly in person.† â€Å"What?† Sam's sleepy voice came over the phone. â€Å"Sam, I found the girl.† â€Å"Where? Where are you? What time is it? Who's ugly?† â€Å"Morning. You have to come here. I'm at a place called Nardonne's Harley-Davidson Shop. The girl is here, and the motorcycle with her picture on it is parked outside.† â€Å"Give me directions. I'll be there in a few minutes. Keep Calliope there. I have to check out and get the car.† â€Å"Take a cab.† â€Å"You didn't take my car?† â€Å"No, this car is better. You can talk to the phone. Your car is gone. I sold it.† â€Å"You what?† â€Å"Take a cab. I'm in a big black car. Off.† The phone clicked, cutting Sam off in the middle of a tirade. Coyote didn't know whether the girl had a phone in her car, but he decided to try. â€Å"Call the girl,† he said to the phone. The phone beeped through the numbers. â€Å"This is Carla,† a sexy woman's voice said. â€Å"Would you like this on your phone bill or your credit card?† â€Å"Phone bill,† Coyote said. â€Å"If you like leather, press one,† Carla said. â€Å"Twins, press two. For California blondes, press three. Big bottoms, press-† Coyote picked up the handset and pressed three. Another sexy voice came on, â€Å"Hi, I'm Brandy, who are you?† â€Å"Coyote.† â€Å"Would you like to know what I'm wearing, Coyote?† â€Å"No, I have to tell the girl to stay here until Sam comes.† â€Å"We'll take as long as Sam needs. Is Sam getting hard?† â€Å"No, he's pissed off about his car.† There was a pause and the sound of her lighting a cigarette. Brandy said, â€Å"Okay. Let's start over.† -=*=- Minty waited for the second limo at the pay phone outside the minimart. He flipped through his address book until he found the detective's number, then dialed. The phone rang twice, then there was the sound of the receiver rattling and falling. Finally a sleepy, hostile man's voice said, â€Å"What?† Minty said, â€Å"Jake, this is M.F., at Camelot.† â€Å"Fuck that. This is harassment. It's†¦ it's five thirty in the morning. You said I could have all the time I needed to pay.† â€Å"I'm not calling about that, Jake. I need a favor. One of the limos has been stolen.† â€Å"Why call me at home? You guys have Lo-Jack beacons in those limos, don't you? Call the station. They'll track it and have it back in half an hour.† â€Å"I can't call the station, Jake. This is delicate. I need to get it back without bringing the police into it.† â€Å"You're fucked. The Lo-Jack trackers are installed in the cruisers.† â€Å"Can you put one in one of our limos? Just until I find the stolen one.† â€Å"No way. The tracking system takes hours to install.† â€Å"Jake, I need a favor. Just a favor. I haven't mentioned what you owe us.† â€Å"This strong-arm shit isn't your style, M.F.† â€Å"But you can get use of a unit with the Lo-Jack tracker in it?† â€Å"Meet me at the station in a half hour.† â€Å"What's the range on the tracker?† â€Å"About a mile, depending on the terrain. Farther in the desert. You're not going to be able to cover much area with only one car.† â€Å"Then make it fifteen minutes. And Jake-â€Å" â€Å"What?† â€Å"Thank you.† Minty hung up. So much for the police, he thought. Now if I can get it back before the casino finds out. If not, I guess it's time to go shopping for a red bow tie. -=*=- Calliope was sure she could do it: if Grubb was trapped under a Chrysler she could lift the car and pull him out. You heard about it all the time: Hundred-Pound Mom Lifts Two-Ton Car to Save Trapped Tot. It seemed to happen often enough that it should be part of Lamaze training. â€Å"Okay, now breathe, focus, grab the bumper†¦ now lift!† Yep, she could do it – a Chrysler on each arm if she had to. She wasn't so sure about getting Grubb back from Lonnie. Maybe if that other woman wasn't with him, being so hostile and negative. She was feeling a little better now that the sun was coming up. She'd been shivering since the punks had broken her back window, from nerves and the cold. And she didn't have enough gas money to leave the Z running with the heater on while she waited for Lonnie to come out of the Harley shop. She might not have enough to make it home as it was. Besides, something was wrong with the car; she'd tached it too high while running from the police and something had given way in clatter and smoke. As she watched, Lonnie came through the front door of the shop carrying Grubb's diaper bag. Calliope swallowed hard, trying to push down her fear – fear of failure. She got out of the Z. The woman followed Lonnie holding Grubb in her arms. Calliope ran toward them, then stopped when she saw the woman's face. It was like one painful purple bruise with eyes. â€Å"Lonnie,† Calliope called. Lonnie and the woman turned. Grubb saw his mother and reached out. Lonnie pushed down Grubb's hand. â€Å"What are you doing here?† â€Å"I came to get Grubb. You shouldn't have taken him.† â€Å"Talk to the judge. He's mine half the time.† He was right. Calliope had gone to Social Services once before when Lonnie took Grubb on a road trip. Her caseworker told her that the law couldn't do anything to help. â€Å"You don't want him. You just want to hurt me.† Lonnie laughed, threw his head back, and shook with laughter. For all the times he had postured and threatened and screamed and pounded, he had never really scared her. She was scared now. â€Å"You shouldn't take him on a run like this, Lonnie. What if you get busted?† â€Å"Run? What run? We're just on a little family camping trip, aren't we, Cheryl?† The woman tucked her face behind Grubb. â€Å"Give him to me, please,† Calliope pleaded. Lonnie climbed onto his bike grinning and hit the starter. The bike fired up and Lonnie shouted over the engine, â€Å"Go home. I'll bring him back in a few days.† Cheryl climbed on behind him and he dropped the bike into gear. â€Å"No!† Calliope started to run after them. Lonnie gunned the bike and roared off. She shuffled to a stop and saw Grubb reaching out over Cheryl's shoulder. Her eyes blurred with tears. She turned and ran to her car, wiped her eyes, and saw the limo parked down the street. Someone was sitting in it, just watching her. â€Å"What are you looking at?† she screamed. -=*=- Sam made the chambermaid help him search the hotel room for his wallet for fifteen minutes before giving up and leaving her with a promise of a tip on the credit card. He was thinking This is like being stuck in some Kafkaesque Roadrunner cartoon when the taxi from the Acme Cab Company pulled up, the driver wearing a fez. Animated by Hieronymus Bosch, Sam thought. In the cab, he said, â€Å"Do you know a Harley-Davidson shop called Nardonne's?† â€Å"Bad part of town. Cost you double.† â€Å"It's broad daylight.† â€Å"Oh, it is. My shift is over. Sorry.† â€Å"Okay, double,† Sam said. Why quibble? He couldn't pay the guy anyway. When they pulled in behind the limo, Sam said, â€Å"Wait here, I'll get your money.† He got out and looked down the street to the Harley shop, then went up to the limo and pounded on the blacked-out window. The window whirred down. Coyote grinned. â€Å"Where is she?† â€Å"Took off. Just now.† â€Å"Why didn't you stop her?† â€Å"She didn't want to be stopped. We'll find her – she's following the biker, and we know where he's going.† The cabdriver beeped his horn. â€Å"Give me my wallet,† Sam said. Coyote handed the wallet out the window. Sam rifled through it and came up empty. â€Å"There's no money left.† â€Å"Nope,† Coyote said. The cabdriver leaned on the horn. Sam signaled for him to wait, ran around to the other side of the limo, and got in. â€Å"Go,† Sam said. â€Å"What about the cabdriver?† â€Å"Fuck him.† â€Å"That's the spirit.† Coyote started the limo and peeled away. He checked the rearview mirror. â€Å"He's not following.† â€Å"Good.† â€Å"He's talking to his radio. Got a smoke?† Sam dug a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket, tapped one out, and lit it. â€Å"Where's my car?† â€Å"I sold it.† â€Å"You can't sell it without the title.† â€Å"I got a good deal, five thousand.† â€Å"Are you nuts? Five thousand wouldn't buy the stereo.† â€Å"I needed to win my money back. I won a lot of money on the machine you put the cards in, but a shaman with a stick won it back from me.† Sam butted his cigarette in the ashtray and hung his head in his hands, trying to let it all sink in. â€Å"So you sold my car for five grand?† â€Å"Yep.† Coyote snatched the mashed cigarette and relit it. â€Å"And where is that money?† â€Å"The shaman had strong cheating medicine.† â€Å"That's the kind of thinking that got Manhattan sold for a box of beads.† â€Å"So they still tell that story? It was one of my best tricks. They gave us many beads for that island. They didn't know that you can't own land.† Sam sighed and slouched in his seat, thinking he should be angry, or worried about his car, but strangely he was more concerned with catching Calliope. They were on the highway now. Sam glanced at the speedometer. â€Å"Slow down to the speed limit. We don't need cop trouble. I'm assuming you stole this car.† â€Å"I counted coup: stealing a tethered horse.† â€Å"Tell me,† Sam said. Coyote told the story of Minty and the limo, turning it into a fable full of danger and magic, making himself the hero. He was coming to the part about the car phone when it rang. Sam reached for the answer button and pulled back his hand in disgust. â€Å"What's this gunk all over the phone? It looks like-â€Å" â€Å"I'm not to that part of the story yet.† â€Å"Then you answer it.† â€Å"Speak,† Coyote said, and the phone lit up and clicked. â€Å"Is that you, Brandy?† A very deep, calm voice came over the speakerphone, â€Å"I want the car back, now. Pull over and stop. I'm a couple of minutes behind you. The police are-â€Å" â€Å"Off,† Coyote said. The phone hung up. Coyote turned to Sam. â€Å"This is a good car. You can talk to the phone. Her name is Brandy. She's very friendly.† â€Å"Uh-huh,† Sam said. â€Å"That wasn't her.† â€Å"Pull off at the next exit.†