An Overview of the Life of John Kennedy

John F. Kennedy was one of the most liked and dedicated presidents of the United States of America. His presidency ran The second of nine children, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born in a three story wooden house on May 29, 1917; in Brooklyn, Massachusetts. His parents were Joseph P. Kennedy and Rose Joseph Kennedy intended for his sons to receive the finest private school education possible. Johns education started at a private Dexter school in Brookline. During fourth, fifth, and sixth grades John enrolled at Riverdale Country Day School. At the age of thirteen, John entered the Canterbury School in Milford, Connecticut. The spring of 1931, John suffered an attack of appendicitis. He had to stay home and rest for the remainder of the school year. Kennedy†s† parents decided to hire a tutor to help him catch-up during the summer. John passed Math, English, and Latin. When he finally recovered completely, he entered Choate, a fine prep school in Wallingford, Connecticut. When John graduated from Choate, in 1935, he planned to study for a year at Londons School of Economics. Then at eighteen years old, John came down with an illness called Jaundice. In the fall, John joined his friends, Lem Billings and Rip Horton at Princeton University. He later had another attack of Jaundice that forced him to miss school for one semester. Johns father then encouraged his son to enter Harvard University in the fall of 1936. John graduated from Harvard in 1940, with a degree in Political Science. He then entered Stanford University in California. While there he studied Economics and tried his hand at writing. During this time, the war was raging in Europe. John decided to enlist in the Navy on September 22, 1941. He served four years and was ischarged when the war ended in 1945. At 28 years of age, he was heading for a successful career as a newspaperman. His father began pushing him towards another career— Politics — He believed that since Johns older brother was dead, that it was his responsibility to run On January 3, 1947, John took the oath of office as a US Congressman. Later, in 1952, Kennedy decided to run for United States Senate. In 1953†¦. Kennedy decided to marry and wed Jacqueline Lee Bouvier. He was 36 and she was just 24 when they were married in a Roman Catholic ceremony. Later that year, John began suffering terrible back pain. In 1955, he underwent surgery to repair a spinal injury. While recuperating, he wrote a book called, Profile in Courage The book was about American Political leaders who defied the publics opinion to vote according to their consciences. For this work, he received the Pulitzer Prize. He then returned to his political career. Although John barely lost the Democratic Vice-presidential nomination in 1956, his overwhelming re-election as Senator in 1958 helped him towards his goal of becoming a Presidential Candidate. In 1960 John Fitzgerald Kennedy became President of the United States. At 43 years of age, he was the youngest man to ever hold this title. On November 22, 1963 John was 46 years old and just ending his third year as President. He was just planning his campaign to run for a second term as President. On this date, John and his wife, Jackie, flew to Texas to take part in his political tour. After there arrival, they got into the back of an open limousine with Texas Governor, John B. Connally and his wife. About 12:30 Mrs. Connally remarked, â€Å"you certainly can†t say that the people f Dallas haven†t given you a nice welcome,† as people lined up everywhere. Before Kennedy could respond, a shot was fired. From a sixth-floor window. a sudden rifle shot rang out, fatally wounding the president, a second shot hit the Governor, and a third shot struck Kennedy in the back of the head, causing his death. At one p. m. , that same day, reporters rushed from the hospital to spread the horrible news. As a victim of assassination— the President of the United States was dead. The whole country mourned the death of J. F. K. Those who knew him or knew of him will forever remember this wonderful man.

The Role of the Economy in Presidential Elections

There are many factors that can influence a presidential election in the United States. One of the most important factors is the economy. It is always one of the top debate topics which candidates must pay close attention to. What makes it such an important issue is that it does not matter what state the economy is. Whether it is in good shape or bad shape, it is still going to play a major role. However, if the economy is suffering than is going to be an even bigger talking point.When the economy is not doing well, voters become more concerned about it, which means that the candidates need to have a good plan on how to fix it. Otherwise, they will lose a lot of support. People are always concerned with money, which is why the state of the economy always plays a role in presidential elections. Although, how big of a role it plays does vary. Even though it does vary, it is always going to be an important issue in presidential elections. Money and our economy are things that voters are always going to be concerned with.That is why in this paper I am going to discuss the role of the economy in presidential elections by comparing and contrasting its role in the 2008, 2004, and 2000 elections. In doing so I will show that the economy plays a major role in presidential elections, but that that role does vary depending on the state of the economy. The 2008 United States presidential election was a very exciting and ground breaking one. There were many issues that played an important role in this election, but one of the biggest was the economy. It played the biggest role in this election compared to the 2004 and 2000 presidential elections.It was considered one of the central issues of the election. The reason why it was such a big issue is the fact that the economy is in the worst shape it has been in since the Great Depression. This caused it to be a central issue which meant that each candidate was going to have to make sure that they had a solid economic plan. Bot h of their plans needed to appeal to the voters. Each candidates plan on how to help out the economy was one of the first things that people would look at. The United States has the biggest deficit that it has ever had. This played into what plan each candidate came up with.It caused the candidates to change their stance on some issues. For example, Obama has plans to create a national healthcare system for those who cannot afford it (Skarda 2008 1). However, due to the fact that the deficit is so great, this plan would call for increased spending which would only add to the deficit. He then said that he would wait for the market to begin to stabilize before he would implement his plan. During a time of economic crisis like this, it is important for candidates to not have any plans to raise taxes. This would result in making them unpopular.It is something that they need to pay close attention to. Many people become unsure in times of such economic crisis and are going to look to the candidate who they believe has the best plan and seem the most confident in carrying out that plan. The candidates needed to make this a top priority because the country is in tough times economically it becomes a major issue. Under these circumstances, people continue to grow unsure of the economy and their own future. They do not know whether or not they are going to lose their job, be able to pay their bills, or even support their family.So when it comes to deciding which candidate to vote for, they are going to look at what each candidate’s plan to fix the economy is. They are going to want to vote for the candidate who seems most concerned about fixing the economy. As a result of all this, the economy played a very big role in the 2008 presidential election as it was one of the top, if not the top issue in the election. Also it played a much bigger role when compared to the 2004 and 2000 elections. Like during the 2008 presidential election, the economy also played a ma jor role in the 2004 election.Although it was not as major as in the 2008 election, it was still very important and not too far behind. And it played a bigger role in this election, than it did in the 2000 election. It was not as big of an issue due to the fact that the economy was not in as bad of shape as it was in 2008. However, it was still a central issue in the election. Also, it was over shadowed by the events that occurred on September 11, 2001. After the terrorist attacks, people became very concerned with issues of national security, so that became a big issue in the 2004 election.But like always, voters were still very interested in the candidates’ plans to help the economy. The Republicans believed that the improving economy would help President Bush win reelection, while the Democrats believed that there was no economic recovery due to the number of jobs that were lost. Also they argued that President Bush was leaving a growing national debt for future generation s because of his tax cuts. The Bush administration argued back claiming that the tax cuts have spurred the economy and will help boost the government’s income (O’Sullivan 2004 1).As a result, the candidates’ plans for the economy became an important issue. In addition, the candidates needed to have a good plan for how to handle the economy when the â€Å"baby boomers† reach retirement age (O’Sullivan 2). That was an important issue to many voters and each candidate needed to be aware of that and have a good plan. But the biggest economic issue was the loss of jobs in recent years. But in the end, economic issues along with all the other issues were trumped by national security issues. Voters were concerned with the war and the protection against future terrorist attacks first and foremost.As a result, the role of the economy was downsized and was not able to have as big of an impact. So despite not being the main issue of the 2004 election, it was still a major issue, but was not able to play as big of a role due to the war. During the 2000 presidential election the economy played the smallest role when compared to the 2004 and 2008 elections. The reason for this is that during this time the economy was booming and there was low unemployment. Due to the fact that there were few economic problems, issues on the economy were on the back of people’s minds.Also, there was not much either party had to do with economic issues. The Democrats were just able to point out how good of shape they got the economy in. Since the economy was doing so well, the Republicans could not attack it or come up with any plans to improve it that voters would really care about. Although the economy was in good shape, it still could have been used as a major tool in getting elected for the Democrats. Al Gore did not utilize the good economy in gaining support to its full potential (Cain 2001 2). Had he done this, perhaps it would have helped him gain enough votes to win.While at the same time, this allowed George W. Bush to have one less issue to worry about since people really were no concerned with it. He was able to focus on other issues and promote his ideas on those issues more than he would have been able to if the economy had played a bigger role. Unlike the other elections, Bush had a better chance of winning election by not talking about the economy. This is opposite of the 2008 election were one of the first issues that voters wanted to know the candidates’ plans for was the economy.And had they not talked about the economy as one of the top issues, they would have had no chance of winning election. The 2004 election is similar to the 2008 election in this aspect. This is one of the few elections where the economy was not one of the top issues at the forefront of the election. While compared to the 2008 and 2004 elections, the economy during the 2000 election had the least important role. In summation, the economy played the biggest role in the 2008 presidential election. It played the second biggest role in the 2004 election and the smallest in the 2000 election.Even though it played a different sized role in each of these elections, it was a major issue when compared to other issues. The economy always plays a major role in presidential elections. But as I have just shown, it plays a much bigger role when the economy is suffering compared to when it is doing well. By comparing the different roles the economy has played in recent elections, it becomes clear that the economy has played a major role in presidential elections and will continue to in future elections.

Laws and Regulations Essay

Introduction British Petroleum is the US’s largest corporation. One of the largest oil producers, BP services globally for billions of dollars each year. BP distributes oil and natural gas all over the world. British Petroleum has run into several problems with federal regulations over many years. Because of safety issues against the communities OSHA had to investigate many times for oil spills and natural gas leaks. Coca Cola is also one of the largest company beverage companies on the world. Coca Cola was used at first to cure addicts but the n it was revamped and used for making drinks for everyone. Like BP, Coca Cola had its issues with the law as well. They have been accused of violating human rights, pesticides in the groundwater, and finding cancer causing chemicals in the soft drinks. In 2008 it was concluded that Coca Cola was in direct violation FDA for health risk. We will compare and contrast the risks of safety regulations, OSHA violation, product safety and liability, workers compensation, and workplace data security and property protection from Coca Cola and British Petroleum. OSHA The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) of 1970 is a federal regulation that establishes and enforces health and safety policy in the workplace (Goetsch, 2008). It covers private sector employers and employees and encourages states to participate in health and safety programs. States that participate receive half of its funding from the federal government (OSHA.gov, 2011). In the advent of increasing awareness and training of health and safety, company safety representatives must be up-to-date on laws, regulations and liability. The OSH Act requires employers to maintain statistical health and safety records and to report occupational illnesses and injuries under certain conditions at each company location. The reporting conditions are the following: â€Å"Death of one or more workers, one or more days away from work, restricted motion or restrictions to the work that an employee can do, loss of consciousness of one or more workers, transfer of an employee to another job, medical treatment beyond in-house first aid (if it is not on the first-aid list, it is considered medical treatment), and any other condition listed in Appendix B of the rule† (Goetsch, 2008, p. 121). Employers are responsible for informing employees about health and safety practices, laws, and regulations. OSHA regulations apply to BP and Coca-Cola with some deviation because of the nature of the business. OSHA regulations include general industry standards and it provides health and safety training programs for employees and employers. In the last few years, BP has been under much scrutiny. OSHA fined BP $87.4m for safety violations that led up to the 2005 Texas City refinery explosion (Walter, 2009). In 2010, BP’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill is still under investigation by the government. Insiders blame the spill on BP’s decision to shortcut procedures and skip a quality test (Casselman & Gold, 2010). Unlike BP, Coca-Cola received OSHA recognition in 2009 for having the highest employee safety and health standards at its Milesburg, PA site (OSHA.gov, 2009). Worker’s Compensation According to Goetsch (2008) â€Å" the concept of worker’s compensation developed as a way to allow injured employees to be compensated appropriately without having to take their employer to court† (Overview of Worker’s Compensation, p. 174). British Petroleum (BP) and Coca-Cola are large organization with locations around the world. Both organization have over 90,000 workers worldwide and have worker compensation plans to make sure injured employees are cared for. According to Ramos Law (2011), â€Å"workers at Coke suffer injuries similar to that of other factory employees. These workers suffer shoulder injuries from repetitive jobs such as mixing formula; knew injuries from loading product; or back pain from general warehouse jobs† (Hurt While Working at Coca-Cola or in the Beverage Industry?, para. 1). Coke needs to do a risk analysis and provide training to reduce the amount of workers’ compensation claims. British Petroleum (BP) had a massive oil spill in April of 2010 off the Gulf of Mexico in which BP hired over 20,000 people to help clean up the disaster. The care, training and protective gear for the cleanup crews was below safety standards. Training and protective gear could be the cause of the worker’s compensation claims that BP has will continue to receive. According to Johnston Moore & Thompson Attorneys at Law (2011), â€Å"seven oil spill workers were hospitalized on May 26 after experiencing nausea, dizziness and headaches. Four more were hospitalized on May 28, two of whom were admitted for chest pains† (First Workers’ Compensation Cases Building for Oil Spill Cleanup, para. 4). The fumes from the oil and the touching of the hazardous material to try and reduce the damage caused many to become sick. The safety standards of BP are being questioned for both the workers and the surrounding areas that were hit by this devastating oil spill. Product Safety and Liability Product safety and liability is a law that was created to hold distributors, retailers, manufacturers, and suppliers responsible for injuries caused from the product (Goetsch, 2008). This law was designed so that in the event injury occurs the consumer is protected. There are a number of different concepts that have laid the groundwork for the product liability law. The four major reasons that the laws were created were from, negligent manufacture, breach of warranty, strict liability in tort, and negligent design (Goetsch, 2008). Companies must take the time to ensure that the products that have been designed meet the safety standards to prevent potential instances from occurring. Coca Cola ensures that the product safety and liability is met by measuring the product and package requirements against the company standards. The company uses â€Å"The Coca-Cola Management Systems† which is a quality management system that maintains the company’s operations worldwide, maintain the Coca-Cola standards (thecoca-colacompany.com, 2011). BP has been under the analysis for quite some time since the oil spill occurred that caused millions of dollars in damage to the Gulf of Mexico. Since that time BP has created new ideas to monitor the waters that hold different oil rigs, these have been created to ensure quality monitoring. BP has created an observation program that will support constant monitoring. (BP.com, 2011) This will allow for the creation of quality monitoring preventing additional instances of the oil spill occurring in the future. This is important part of the product liability and safety program to ensure that the company follows the guidelines required to prevent future liability’s from occurring. This new quality monitoring will be able to â€Å"detect changes within the water quality, marine mammal vocalizations and weather and water temperature† (BP.com, 2011). Workplace Data and Property Protection In the workplace the most important option to the company is security and protection. Companies spend millions of dollars creating systems to protect all the assets and data that passed through a system. At BP, system security over their data tying global partnerships each refinery is a goal amongst the company. British Petroleum train each employee to keep information confidential and away from media if there is a minor incident. The risk of an employee breaking that code of silence about vital information is likely to happen. They have contracts to state employees cannot talk to media or there will be consequences that could ultimately lead to termination. Environmental Protection Agency protects the property and materials produced by BP. EPA keeps the regulation on what products are safe for BP to use to drill oil. Coke Cola has similar issues of security, but they are interested in keeping new products under the table so they can have the advantage over their competition once they launch a product. Their data protection requires a secure system as well. Both IT departments make sure systems do not get hacked by putting up server walls on the system. The security side of the results of companywide is an enterprise-level record of reference that becomes the official record for a given employee, customer, supplier, facility or other entity. Records of reference are the gold standard against which all other records in the system must be validated. These bind together the mass of company data and are at the core of the master data management approach to enterprise-wide integration (Goetsch, 2008). Although other large corporations are developing their own information frameworks, BP’s design is unique in that it specifically complements BP’s decentralized business structure. Casselman and Gold (2010) describes a situation in which a BP employee might have multiple records in one or more human resource databases, making it time-consuming to weed out the duplicate data. Conclusion There are many risks and contrasting information between the Coca Cola and British Petroleum. Both must follow rules and regulations of OSHA and federal laws in order to stay in business. Both companies had their share of setbacks when it came to employees and safety issues that made the public eye. Both companies continue to make billions of dollars and each year as the rules change they are learning to change with it. References BP.com. (2011) BP Deploying Advance Unmanned Water Quality Monitoring Vehicles in Gulf of Mexico. Retrieved from http://www.bp.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=2012968&contentId=7064711 Casselman, B. and Gold, R. (2010). BP decisions set stage for disaster. Current, 524,14-16. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete. Goetsch, L. (2008). Occupational safety and health for technologists, engineers, and managers (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Johnston Moore & Thompson Attorneys at Law. (2011). Hunysvills Pearsonal Injusry Law. Retrieved from http://www.huntsvillepersonalinjurylaw.com. OSHA.gov. (2009). U.S. Department of Labor’s OSHA recognizes Coca-Cola Danone Waters LLC for workplace safety and health success. Retrieved from http://www.osha.gov/ pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=18137. OSHA.gov. (2011). United States Department of Labor. Occupational Safety & Health Administration. Retrieved from http://www.osha.gov/OSHA_FAQs.html. Ramos Law. (2011). Ramos Law Firm Workers’ Comp Blog. Retrieved from http://www.ramoslawblog.com. Thecoca-colacompany.com. (2011) Product Quality: Coca-Cola Quality. Retrieved from http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/citizenship/quality.html Walter, P. (2009). BP handed 87.4m fines. Chemistry & Industry, 22, 7. Retrieved from Business Source Complete.

Assignment - Responses to Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assignment - Responses to Art - Essay Example Among the forerunning artists who established a society of impressionists known as â€Å"Cooperative and Anonymous Association of Painters, Sculptors, and Engravers† (in English) were Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, and Alfred Sisley all of whom further defied traditions by setting up independent art exhibitions of their own. The term ‘Impressionism’ given for such style or method of artwork actually originated from the thought of Monet’s painting in 1872 entitled â€Å"Impression, Soleil Levant.† In its progress as a revolution in the field of art, Impressionism was technologically aided through the invention of malleable-lead paint tubes in the 1840s. Similarly, a broader range of colors had been introduced upon the scientific discovery of new dyes which enabled the impressionist painters to become more flexible and consider a number of perspectives on depicting light or the spectral aspect of the image being produced. Moreov er, the development of photography as well as new printing techniques enhanced the quality of creating and reproducing impressionist pieces (Denvir). Eventually, these technologies appeared in numerous works, marking an innovation which can be widely perceived in the designs of other prominent impressionist painters such as Paul Cezanne and Vance Kirkland. Though a portion of Cezanne’s endeavor in â€Å"The Card Players† reflects transient impact of light and color, the balanced weight allocated between its concrete and abstract visuals and the overall vividness, necessarily reducing the work’s ephemeral effect, altogether contribute to a ‘Post Impressionist’ identity. Instead of using a conventional illusion, Cezanne characterizes his structure to the optimum within the space of ambiguity where he can flexibly seek or locate potential natural order. As such, the symmetry exhibited by the bottle situated between the card players depicts fair distrib ution of order among significant objects in space. The two men who face each other over the table in equivalent positions and some degree of shade contrasts appear to provide a general countenance under equilibrium. Their solid forms which defy the painting’s abstract content to the point of direct recognition have been applied following a post impressionistic concept on color gradations in creative association to human element. On the other hand, in the abstract impressionist composition of â€Å"Explosions on a Sun 70 Billion Light Years from Earth†, Kirkland exhibits his craftsmanship on utilizing â€Å"dot style† by combining the similar principles of Australian aboriginal dot art and Pointillism. His work vivifies the general theme ‘explosion’ through brush strokes that are worked to generate circle splashes and dots in relative sizes whose significantly bright contrast against the rest of the deeper or less lighter shades is spread at the pain ting’s center to project the emergence of a bursting action. Kirkland’s art piece depicts dynamism as well in the manner by which irregular lines and curves are rendered to flow in several directions attributing how ‘explosion’ at the face of the sun may be imagined with intensity and violent motion. A mix of red, orange, blue, yellow, and green in varying degree throughout the piece understandably indicates the

Identification of managerial, financial, legal and ethical Essay

Identification of managerial, financial, legal and ethical implications - Essay Example Ethical Implications: Nurses all over the world are taught ways to minimize the chances of errors, however these errors still occur. Such errors also carry ethical implications and they should be answered properly in order to choose the best course of action. These errors include harm to the patient, whether to disclose important but unnecessary information to the customers and whether or not the healthcare personnel should accept their mistakes. One good solution to this problem is that everything in the healthcare system should be based on patient welfare. Information should only be disclosed to the patient if it is considered that it will benefit the patient, otherwise information should be kept with the healthcare institution and doctors and nurses who have treated the patient. (Nguyen et al. 2010) Financial Implications: Medication errors carry some financial risk and costs also. There are two types of financial costs associated with medication errors. First type of costs is dir ect costs and these are the cost of treatment. The second type of costs is indirect costs. These costs occur to reverse an error or money spent in eliminating the medication errors.

Womens participation levels in sport and physical activity and how it Literature review

Womens participation levels in sport and physical activity and how it is affected - Literature review Example This paper intends to discuss the participation of women in sports and physical activities. Reasons for why it is affected will also be provided (Alexander 2006, p 24). Recent studies and statistics have proven that the number of women participating in sports and physical activities is low as compared to that of men. Participation is the process of being involved physically in an activity, or being a person who takes part in an activity physically. In a study done, in Australia, on women and men to see the level of their participation in sports and physical activities, the results showed that out of the total population, only 38.7% of the women participated in sports, while 65% of the men participated in sports. However, studies show that today, as compared to the previous years more women are participating in sports (Festle 2007, p 32). There are various reasons why women did not participate in sports in the previous years, for example, lack of time. Women were expected to remain home and take care of their children and home (Festle 2007, 16). For example, a woman would wake up in the morning, prepare her husband for work and start taking care of house chores and the children. These activities denied the women time to spare to do things they enjoy, like sports. Another reason why women did not participate in sports or physical activities was because of the expectations the society had put on them. Women did not take part in sports since it was seen as an activity that only men should participate in, but not women. A woman seen taking part in these activities was seen as a disgrace to the family and society at large, since it was considered masculine (Sportsscotland 2008, p 29). Lack of income was another excuse given for women not participating in sports. Women were not allowed to go out and work; men were expected to work and provide for their families; thus, it was rare for a woman to have money to spend (Joli,

Life of Moses and Effectiveness in the Ministry Assignment

Life of Moses and Effectiveness in the Ministry - Assignment Example This paper is divided into three parts, according to the key components of the life and work of any minister of God who must be constantly guided throughout life by faith, love, and hope. The first part covers the life of faith and prayer, the central point and the soul of my life, ministry, and apostolate. As a minister, my role is to know God’s will, carry it out, and share it with others. This is why a life of faith and prayer is crucial for my ministry to be performed with rectitude of intention and a spirit of service and humility. The second part considers the active life, best described as the life of love or charity, which highlights my calling to occupy a special place as the mediator between God and his people. A life of love for all needs to be, balanced with the life of prayer, because every minister is called by God to perform a special mission in wor, d, among men and women, amidst good and evil, with the special task to help in the transformation of the world an d to confirm everything and everyone to God’s image and likeness. The third part is on my life of hope, a reflection on the challenges I will face in the world as God’s minister, and how Gregory’s reflections on Moses struck me as inspirational and appropriate. Learning from Moses, the man but at the same time called by God, with weaknesses and defects, is made by Gregory into a deep, human and supernatural experience. The trials of Moses parallel the ordinary trials facing me, and from which I could learn key lessons for life. The conclusion ties up the practical lessons from the Life of Moses into a summary that would guide me in the performance of my ministry. This also functions as a memory aid that could help ensure a fruitful life of prayer, faith, love, and hope not only for me but for anyone who wishes to serve God in any way. Called to a Life of Prayer and Faith Like a light that attracts, such as the call to the ministry; as God in the burning bush dre w Moses in the first of a series of intimate encounters, after which unfolds the panorama of Moses’ divine calling (II, 1-116). Gregory reveals in detail the meaning behind key events in the life of Moses, linking each experience to the significance of that encounter with God in the burning bush (II, 10-12; II, 13-18; II, 39-40).

What are the causes and effects of obesity Essay

What are the causes and effects of obesity - Essay Example This essay "What are the causes and effects of obesity?" outlines the major reasons for obesity and its impact on the health of the person who suffers from this health condition. It is surprising that many regions that registered high poverty rates in the past are now making headlines with the alarming obesity rates. Evidently, unhealthy eating habits are a leading contributor to the increasing rates of obesity. Notably, many people living in the developed and developing world consume unhealthy foods. There is a remarkable high preference for food products that have high sugar content instead of whole food (Gustafson 2015, n.p). The increased consumption of soft drinks and high-fat content food has also contributed to the development of obesity in many parts of the globe. According to the Word Obesity Federation, unhealthy eating habits have contributed to an energy imbalance in the body. The globe registers a higher level of food consumption. For this reason, the intake of calories is higher than the body requires (Abc.net.au 2015, n.p). People are slowly becoming used to large food portions without considering the recommended calorie intake required for their body and age. The preference for high-energy food serves to increase the energy imbalance in the body. Lack of physical exercise is an additional cause of the increasing rates of obesity. Many people are adopting a sedentary lifestyle with little or no exercise at all. The world has moved into a new technology level, eliminating the value of physical labour.

Business Strategy Report for H&M Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Strategy Report for H&M - Essay Example the UK fashion market in 1976, and eventually became one of the leaders in the UK fashion-apparel retailing market, with 234 stores across the country, and the second-biggest apparel retailer in the world. (H&M’s Annual Report, 2013) The fashion industry is one of the most vibrant and creative business sectors in the UK. It directly contributes nearly  £21 billion to the UK economy. (British Fashion Council, 2014) H&M is currently ranked as the second-biggest apparel retailer in the world, following the Inditex, the parent company of Zara. H&M states that it vision is that all its operations are run in a way that is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. (H&M, 2014) The company is helping to meet the needs of both present and future generations by supporting fundraising program, ensuring the working condition in its supply chain and continuously developing new and green materials in production. The main mission of H&M is to offer quality fashion at the best price. In its company report, H&M states numerous of times that quality is more than making sure that products meet or exceed consumers’ expectation. H&M is constantly working towards its vision and mission. And this is the key for its profit and growth. It is not rare to find high quality clothing or clothes at a low price within the fashionindustry. Therefore, by utilizingresources and depending on strong design team, H&M is combing the core competencies of quality, fashiondesign with a best price strategy, to ensure its competitiveness. The idea of the fashion industry is to spot the right trends on catwalks and have the items on shelves before your competitors do. This makes the rivalry level is high since there are a large number of similar retailers including both large and small firms. The rapid change in the industry leads firms constantly renewing their product to appeal to fickle customer bases as well. In addition, the loss of consuming interest on apparel caused by

Leading and Building Effective Teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leading and Building Effective Teams - Essay Example are many issues such as ethnicity, race, age, work experience, aptitude, and values that hugely interfere with the team’s capabilities hence making it hard for them to get things done implying that the qualities that that trigger success also undermines success. The objective of this article is to examine the importance of leading and building effective teams in a diverse range of organizational settings as well as exploring team diversity and team performance. â€Å"Managing the diversified team: challenges and strategies for improving performance,† by Agrawal highlights some of the significant factors that require close attention for successful management of a diversified team. The author aims at providing business managers and executives with an elaborate framework of how to ensure utilization and implementation of teams in the organizations in a manner that leads to maximization of both internal and external variety of skills. Agrawal believes that there are essential diversified skills present amongst team members that should be tapped to achieve the best out of a team. The author has dwelt on the existing literature to collect and synthesize the views of other authors on the issue of managing a diversified team. Agrawal carried out SWOT analysis in evaluating and analyzing diversified team as well as strong inclusion of both primary and secondary research to strengthen his views and opinions on the issue of diversified team. I n conclusion, the author’s findings indicated that teamwork requires that members view themselves as a unit with common objectives for better results. This article has highlighted some of the vital information that leaders and managers may use in ensuring that diversity of team members is fully utilized to produce positive results. â€Å"Motivating and demotivating forces in teams: Cross-level influences of empowering leadership and relationship conflict,† by Chen et al., addresses team-level stimuli that include motivating

Salem Witch Trials (US HISTORY) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Salem Witch Trials (US HISTORY) - Research Paper Example 17th century North America was characterized by beliefs in supernatural powers. People believed that supernatural beings played a role in everyday life. There was also strong believes that Satan was active on earth. The concept of supernatural beings emerged from Europe and quickly spread to North America during the period of colonization. It was believed that peasants practiced witchcraft by invoking charms for agriculture and farming. The principles of white magic moved to dark magic. This was associated with evil spirits and demons. Witchcraft persecutions became a common event in Massachusetts because people associated witchcraft with the devil. Most women and men in Salem believed that the misfortunes experienced in the society were related to the work of Satan and his agents on earth (Fradin and Dennis 51). The agents were believed to be witches and were accused of overseeing occurrences such as the death of an infant, crop failure and disasters. King James II placed Sir Edmund Andros as the governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony after the Royal Charter was vacated in 1684. In 1689, the new governor was overthrown following a revolution called the Glorious Revolution. The revolution ousted King James II and replaced him with a protestant ruler. The new ruler lacked the constitutional power or authority to rule. After the king was overthrown, disputes emerged between the colonial settlers in North America. The tensions led to a war in which a number of English settlers were repeatedly attacked (Goss 18). The war forced the settlers to leave their settlements and seek refuge in Essex County. Later, a charter for a bigger Province in Massachusetts was given. In the absence of a valid charter to rule the colony, the colonialists and their administrators did not have a legitimate government that could handle capital cases. Massachusetts had a village called Salem Village that was known for internal disputes. The

Macbeth Analysis Essay Example for Free

Macbeth Analysis Essay How is one able to control his or her emotions when the surrounding environment is influencing one personally? Lady Macbeth finds the answer to this simple; impossible. Lady Macbeth continues to be controlled by others subconsciously whether it is through her own control, other actions or pure guilt. The actions of characters and events that occur in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth affect the life and mental wellness of Lady Macbeth directly and cause her to digress from dominant to voyeur, and then finally to victim, causing the play to be more enticing. To start, Lady Macbeth is a dominant, deceiving and determined woman. For example, Lady Macbeth’s dominance and control are shown when she and Macbeth are discussing the plan for King Duncan’s murder. Lady Macbeth says, â€Å"Your hand, your tongue; look like th’innocent flower,/ But be the serpent under’t.† (1.5.64-65). Lady Macbeth’s control is revealed when she says this because she is openly manipulating Macbeth and telling him how to act and what to do. Also, Lady Macbeth’s dominance is shown while she and Macbeth discuss the murder of Duncan. Lady Macbeth says, â€Å"We fail?/ But screw your courage to the sticking-place† (1.7.59-60). When Lady Macbeth says this she shows the audience that she is able to overpower her husband’s courage with her own. Another example of Lady Macbeth’s persona is when she uses her ability to deceive while talking with Duncan upon his arrival to her castle. Lady Macbeth says to Duncan, â€Å"All our service,/ In every point twice done then done double† (1.6.16-17). Her deception is proved when she says this because she is acting like a pleasant host to Duncan’s face but her motives are much less than pleasant. The deception Lady Macbeth shows while talking to Duncan is successful when Duncan falls for it with no suspicion. This is proved when Duncan says, â€Å"Give me your hand;/ Conduct me to mine host: we love him highly/ and shall continue our graces towards him./ By your leave hostess.† Duncan allowing Lady Macbeth to hold his hand indicates that he has a trust in her and does not have a doubt upon the person he see Lady Macbeth as and has no idea about the motives of his host and hostess. Lady Macbeth is able to use her deceptive abilities after the murder of Duncan is committed. Lady Macbeth says, â€Å"[Her] hands are of [his] colour, but [she] shame[s] to wear a heart so white.† (2.2.62-68). This quotation means that Lady Macbeth still bares the innocence she had before the deed to the eye of others, hence, having a heart so white. This proven to be true because everyone looks at Lady Macbeth as innocent and pure, as if she could do no harm, but the truth is the total opposite. Also, Lady Macbeth’s determination shows through when she calls upon the dark spirits to give her the courage and strength of a male figure and to relieve her of the womanly kindness she possesses. Lady Macbeth asks for this by saying, â€Å"Come you spirits/ That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here/ And fill me from the crown to the toe topfull/ Of direst cruelty; make thick my blood† (1.5.39-42). The determination of Lady Macbeth is shown in this quote because she is doing something as drastic as calling upon the dark spirits to assist her in committing murder. As a result, Lady Macbeth’s dominating personality is able to pursue to her plan of murdering King Duncan successfully, without resistance from her husband. Secondly, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s roles switch, leaving Lady Macbeth standing off, with less control and becoming more of a voyeur to the plans of Macbeth. To start, Lady Macbeth is first being stripped of her control right after Duncan’s death is discovered and Macbeth has killed the guard in order to remove suspicion from him. The audience is aware of this deed when Macbeth says, â€Å"O, yet I do repent me of my fury/ That I did kill them.† (2.3.102-103). Lady Macbeth begins to lose control over this because she had no idea or warning of Macbeth’s killing of the guards. This act also takes a toll on Lady Macbeth’s physical state when it causes her to faint. Lady Macbeth fainting is a sure sign of her losing the control she had earlier because not only are other characters leaving her out but also, her own body is causing her to be in that state as well. Next, Macbeth kills Banquo upon his intuition that Banquo has suspicion towards him in the case of Duncan’s murder. Lady Macbeth was ill-informed on this matter which is yet another sign that she is losing control over the characters that she had control over previously and is now watching the action happen. Also, at a dinner, which Lady Macbeth and Macbeth were hosting together, Lady Macbeth first could not get Macbeth the welcome his guests. This is proved when Lady Macbeth says to Macbeth, â€Å"My royal lord,/ You do not give the cheer; the feast is sold/ That is not often vouch’d while ‘tis a-making ,/ ‘Tis given with welcome. (3.4.33-36). She (Lady Macbeth) als o loses more control over Macbeth at this dinner when she is unable to calm him down when he sees the ghosts of Banquo and Duncan. In this situation Lady Macbeth attempts to gain some control by saying to him, â€Å"You have displac’d the mirth, broke the good meeting/ With most admir’d disorder.† (3.4.109-110). The acting-out of Macbeth leaves Lady Macbeth both astonished and over powered. These two instances especially show Lady Macbeth losing control over, not only situations but other characters themselves. Lastly, Macbeth kills Macduff’s wife and children upon suspicion without Lady Macbeth’s push or permission and neglects to inform her of the deed directly and chooses just to imply it during conversation with her. As the two (Macbeth and Lady Macbeth) are talking Macbeth says, â€Å"Come, we’ll to sleep. My strange and self-abuse/ Is the initiate fear that wants hard use;/ We are yet but young in deed.†(3.4.143-144). When Macbeth says this it has the implication of the commitment of another foul deed which Lady Macbeth is only aware of at this point. Macbeth’s drastic actions cause Lady Macbeth to fall uncontrollably uninformed and into the background. Finally, Lady Macbeth ends the play being dominated by her feelings of guilt and the consequences of Duncan’s murder and ultimately becomes a victim to it. To start, Lady Macbeth begins to sleep walk and admits her affiliation in Duncan’s murder. Proof of Lady Macbeth’s sleep walking is proved when the Gentlewoman (a spectator of the situation) says, â€Å"Ay, but their senses are shut.† (5.1.23). She says this after the doctor (the second spectator of the situation) mentions that Lady Macbeth has her eyes open. The Gentlewoman’s line lets the audience know she is indeed sleep walking for her eyes may be open but there sense is disabled. Also in this scene Lady Macbeth’s self control is shown to have weakened further, when she speaks of Duncan’s murder. Lady Macbeth says, â€Å"Out, dammed spot! Out, I say! One, two. Why then ‘tis/ time to do’t. Hell is murky, Fie, my lord, fie, a soldier,/ and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when/ none can call our power to account? Yet who would/ have thought the man to have had so much blood/ in him?† (5.1.31-36) and also when she says, â€Å"The Thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now? What,/ will these hands ne’re be clean?† (5.1.38-39). These quotes both prove that she knew and was involved in the murders of Duncan and Macduff’s family and shows that these events are the reason for her stress, guilt and sleep walking, hence being dominated/ being victim to these emotions. Next, Lady Macbeth is being dominated by her feelings of guilt when she is seen washing her hand continuously during her sleep walking. While she is doing this she says, â€Å"Here’s the smell of the blood still; all the perfumes of/ Arabia will not sweeten this litt le hand. O, O, O.† (5.1.44-45). This quote shows that Lady Macbeth is overcome by her guilt because she mentally imagines the blood still being there, following her, her mind lets her believe she is still covered in the blood when in reality the blood is just representing the guilt she is feeling. A second example of Lady Macbeth being dominated by her guilt symbolically is when she is dreaming of/ replaying the scene in while sleep walking. Lady Macbeth says, â€Å"To bed, to bed; there’s knocking at the gate. Come,/ come, come, come, give me your hand; what’s done/ cannot be undone. To bed, to bed, to bed.† (5.1.58-60). This quote directly shows the audience that it is indeed the murder of Duncan which Lady Macbeth is stressing over as it is a deed which â€Å"cannot be undone†. Lastly, Lady Macbeth shows that she is becoming victim to the outcome of events, and more directly herself when she commits suicide. The audience discovers her death when Seyton (another Thane) informs Macbeth of the incident. Seyton says, â€Å"The queen, my lord, is dead.† (5.5.16). Lady Macbeth becomes victim to herself in the way that she sees the only option to relieve her of her painful emotions is to kill herself. Therefore, Lady Macbeth is ultimately dominated and falls victim to the guilt she feels caused by the actions of herself and others. To conclude, the mental state and physical well-being of Lady Macbeth is influenced by the dominance and control of both herself and other characters in the play. Lady Macbeth went from being dominant, deceiving, and determined to being uninformed during the murders Macbeth commits to being over some by her emotions that had built up inside her during all of this. Therefore, Lady Macbeth’s life as the audience knows it is dependable on the outcome of events that Lady Macbeth herself is involved in and/ or witnesses. Temptation was the base of all Lady Macbeths problems; it is said â€Å"temptation is the Devil.† What would you risk to get what you want?

Uganda Pipeline Project Management

Uganda Pipeline Project Management International oil and gas management INTRODUCTION Energy is a key component of all economic activities in any country. It not only improves the quality of life but is fundamental for sustainable social and economic development in both the developed and developing countries. A secure adequate, affordable and reliable supply of energy is thus a necessary precondition for sustainable development[1]. Energy security is therefore a major concern of most governments and thus remains a top agenda. To ensure energy security, its mandatory to have a well balanced supply and demand[2]. Fossil fuel (Crude Oil) still remains the main energy source in most countries both in the developed and developing economies. High oil prices and supply disruptions therefore have significant negative impacts on all social and economic activities especially to countries that are net oil importers. Such countries are faced with the challenge of always having enough stock of oil or oil products to avoid any ultimate shocks due to supply disruptions or price ch anges. Like many developing countries, the main sources of energy in Kenya and Uganda are biomass and commercial energy sources. Biomass is used mainly in the rural areas and accounts for up to 80% of the overall energy mix in the region. Commercial energy sources on the other hand are used mainly in the urban areas. The figure below shows the energy sources consumption patterns in the region. Kenya and Uganda are heavily dependent on oil especially in the transport sector and partially for electricity generation and commercial purposes. The lack of a commercially viable substitute fuel remains the main reason behind the over dependence on oil in the transport sector. These two countries are net oil importers faced with the challenge of ensuring there is enough supply of oil products to meet the demand of the various sectors of the economy. This over reliance on imported oil has constantly exposed these two countries to externalities of market power by the powerful suppliers[4]. Kenya and Uganda import crude oil and finished products from the Gulf region through the Indian Ocean to Mombasa Port. There is a fully functional Oil refinery at Kenyas Mombasa Port where the imported crude is received, refined and later on pumped to the major towns through a petroleum pipeline in the country[5]. Uganda being a land locked country relies to a greater extent on Kenya (some of the i mports come through Dar es Salaam in Tanzania) for its oil import which is first refined at the Kenya Petroleum Refineries before being pumped through the Kenya Oil pipeline to the Eldoret fuel depot[6]. The products are then transported by road or rail from the depot to Uganda. This process has proved quite inefficient causing supply disruptions that finally impact all the socio economic sectors in Uganda negatively. This inefficiency made the two governments draw a game plan to ensure efficient transportation of petroleum products to Uganda. These developments facilitated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Kenya and Uganda that led to the establishment of a Joint Coordinating Commission (JCC) in 1995[7]. The JCC was charged with the responsibility of coordinating a feasibility study for constructing an oil pipeline from the Eldoret Depot in Kenya, an extension of the already existing Kenya pipeline, to a terminal to be constructed in Kampala, U ganda. In 1998 a feasibility study funded by the European Investment Bank (EIB) was conducted by JCCs consultants, Penspen Limited of UK. The report by the consultants presented in May 1999 concluded that the project was feasible and viable[8]. JCC was later on given the mandate in 2000 to implement the project. However due to time lapse between the feasibility study and the decision to go ahead with the project implementation, taking the dynamic nature of the oil and gas industry in these two countries, a second feasibility study was conducted funded by the two governments[9]. The report from the consultant, like in the first study, concluded that the project was still viable and could be taken to the next phase. JCC therefore made a decision to proceed with the project implementation on Public Private Partnership with the two governments having a share of 24.5% each and 51% for the private investor[10] An invitation to Tender was floated inviting interested bidders internationally to bid for the execution of the project on BOOT basis for a period of 20 years. Tamoil East Africa Ltd (TEAL) won the bid in 2006 to finance and construct an 8 inch pipeline at a cost of US$78.2 million[11]. An agreement, The Heads of Agreement, between the two governments and TEAL was then signed in January 2007 to enable the investor to start the development phase of the project[12]. A number of developmental phase activities had to be completed before commencing the construction activities. These included the preparation of all the legal agreements affecting the Project, the pipeline Route Survey to determine the right of way, the Environmental Impact Assessment Study in compliance with the environmental laws in the two counties, updates of the Market Study and revised product demand forecast leading to optimum sizing of the pipeline and finally carrying out the Front End Engineering Design (FEED)[13]. The successful completion of the above phase was the main determinant of the project costs upon which the developer was expected to make a final investment decision to proceed with the construction phase of the project[14]. TEAL had finished all the tasks at the development phase by 2008 when large Oil discoveries were made in Uganda in commercial quantities[15]. This therefore meant the initial 8 inch pipeline design, having considered only one way flow from Kenya to Uganda, could only serve Uganda in the initial years before production begins and would be rendered inactive thereafter as the there will be need to transport oil from Uganda to the Neighboring countries and to the other international. With these new developments, JCC therefore considered a redesign of the pipeline to accommodate reverse pumping from either direction. This would satisfy Ugandas petroleum needs in the short run, importing fuel through Kenya, and finally in exporting its refined oil products to the other markets through the Kenyan Port of Mombasa. A new financial analysis of the project based on the redesigned pipeline diameter was therefore necessary to capture the new CAPEX and projected throughput as this would have an impact on the project cash flow when product will be pumped from Uganda side. TEAL through its consultant, Matt MacDonald UK, finished the new design earlier this year and came up with the new project cost as shown in Table 1 in Annex 1( the table also shows the cost breakdown of the initial design)[16]. TEAL also carried out additional economic analysis to come up with a new tariff based on the new developments. TEAL was therefore faced with the challenge of carrying out a more detailed financial and project analysis to justify the viability of the project to its shareholders and to present the same to JCC for review and approval. It is at this stage that I joined the company as an intern to assist the project team on various tasks but more specifically on the financial analysis of the project based on the new project developments and to analyze the effect of scope creep on the projects viability. This report aims at elaborating more on the tasks undertaken during the internship period. However the main task undertaken was working with the financial consultant of the company in carrying out the financial analysis of the project and finally discussing with the project team the impact of the changes in scope (scope creep) on project cost. A report of the analysis was presented to the project team with a summary of the model assumptions and results. The final investment decision was to be taken based on the findings and the results presented in the report[17]. This report gives a brief description of the project from inception to the status during the internship period in its first and second chapters. The third chapter focuses on the financial analysis carried in fulfillment of the allocated task. A brief of other tasks undertaken during the internship is given in the fourth chapter. The final chapter focuses on the conclusions and recommendations of the whole exercise highlighting the benefits of the internship both to the intern and the company. The conclusions details the key challenges of scope creep in effective project management. The report will be based on the information collected from the Project Information Memorandum (document available in TEALs project office), earlier study reports in the project office, skills gained from different modules taken up during my training at CEPMLP and various text books. CHAPTER 1 1. Overview of the Project The need for adequate and reliable supply of oil products to Uganda at affordable cost was the key driver of the Kenya Uganda Pipeline project. However this was also in line with the policies of the Kenyan government ensuring the country also benefits from the project. The key issues of the project are briefly mentioned in the following subsections. These include the main project drivers, the justification for the choice of having a public / private partnership, the economic policies in the two countries and the benefits of the project to the two countries. 1.1 Project Drivers A reliability, efficiency and cost effective means of transportation of oil products to Uganda was the main project driver as already mentioned. In addition to that, there was a need to have a safe and an environmentally acceptable means of transportation of the products in line with the environmental laws in both countries[18]. Various transportation options discussed in the following chapters were considered and the pipeline emerged as the most cost effective option that satisfies the requirements above for both the current and future oil demand. 1.2 Economic Policies of Kenya and Uganda in relation to the Project Both the GoK and GoU look forward to the successful completion of the pipeline project albeit their different economic policy drivers. Ugandas main policy behind the project is to ensure adequate, reliable and affordable supply of energy to the various sectors within its economy. On the other hand Kenyas main driver is the need to create more wealth and employment to its people. The economic policies of the two countries are highlighted below; Uganda Economic Policies The overall policy of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development Uganda is to â€Å"To ensure an adequate, reliable and affordable supply of quality petroleum products for all sectors of the economy at internationally competitive and fair prices within appropriate health, safety and environmental standards†[19]. The responsibilities of the MEMD Uganda include; Establishing the available energy resources within the country; Carrying out energy demand forecasting for the various sectors of the economy; To contribute to poverty eradication by increasing access to modern, affordable and reliable energy services to its people; Improving energy governance and administration; Stimulating economic development; Managing energy-related environmental impacts. Kenya Economic Policies Kenya has already established its petroleum pipeline network within the country managed by the Kenya Pipeline Corporation. Kenya economic policy supporting the project as mentioned above unlike in Uganda was based on the countrys Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation (ERSWEC) launched in 2003[20]. According to the laid down strategy, the state is expected to facilitate private sector growth and investment. The pipeline project will create a number of jobs from the construction phase through to operation. The KPC has also laid an additional pipeline to ensure there is sufficient product for export to Uganda and the neighboring countries[21]. This expansion leads to an increment in the Countries revenue hence satisfying the policy of wealth creation. On the other hand, one of the key objectives of the Kenya Ministry of Energy is to ensure petroleum products transported within the country and for export purposes is done in the most efficient way with minimal loss es while maintaining the countrys environmental and safety standard, a criteria satisfied by the project[22]. 1.3 Public/Private Partnership Public Private Partnership (PPP) is where a public service is provided through a partnership of the public sector with one or more private companies. The private sector in most cases assumes financial, technical and operational obligations. However accountability remains with the public sector for the provision of that public service. PPP therefore enables most governments to improve on the delivery of public services and proper management of public facilities by sharing the financial obligations with other private investors. The private investor on the other hand gains from the partnership by earning a return on capital employed. The procurement of public services is greatly improved on PPP ventures. However, long term political commitment is mandatory for the success of PPP. Most infrastructure projects are capital intensive but the involvement of the private sector has enabled most countries world over to implement such projects. Figure 1.1 below shows the number and value of priv ate participation in infrastructure projects by region between 1996 and 2006. From the figure it can be seen that other regions of the world have put up many infrastructure projects with private participation well ahead of Africa. Some of the projects implemented under public private partnership in the region include the Songa Processing plant in Tanzania, Maputo port in Zimbabwe and Skida Desalination Plant in Algeria[24]. Energy sector projects are usually capital intensive and the returns take a relatively longer time to be realised. Most developing countries face financial challenges and can only rely on donors or investors for the funding and implementation of projects of this nature. This is the main reason behind the choice of Public/ Private Partnership for the Kenya Uganda Petroleum Products Pipeline Project implementation. The JCC came up with a mechanism to partner with a private investor for the implementation of the pipeline project. The investors responsibility is to finance and operate the project on BOOT basis. The private investor on completion of the project will be expected to manage and operate the pipeline for a period of 20 years before finally transferring ownership and operations of the facility to the two governments. The two governments agreed to have a 49% equity shared equally between them leaving the investor with a 51% share[25]. This was aimed at facilitating the private investors growth for faster economic development in line with the economic policies in the two countries. TEAL therefore partnered with the two governments having come up with the most competitive bid for the financing, construction and operation of the proposed pipeline project. The financial plan of the project is discussed in chapter three of this report. The cost of using the facility will be borne by the users and not the tax payers. 1.4 Benefits of the Project Alternative options of transporting petroleum products to Uganda have been considered in the next chapter. These range from transportation by road tankers, rail wagons, marine ships or ferries and finally pipeline transport. A number of benefits of the pipeline project that were the key drivers have been outlined below[26]; Secure and environmentally acceptable means of transportation of Petroleum products to the Uganda market; Provision of secure and easy access to supply of petroleum products to the other neighboring countries to Uganda; Reduction of road maintenance costs and reduction in the number of road accidents i.e. decongesting the roads; With a reliable supply of petroleum products, the oil marketers in Uganda will be able to maintain low stocks and reduce their costs resulting in low cost passed on to the consumers; The overall reduction in transportation cost will also lead to a reduction in the final market prices of the oil products; The pipeline will lead to a reduction in illegal product movement across the Kenya-Uganda border and ultimately prevent product adulteration which is common when products are transported by road tankers and finally, The pipeline will lead to a reduction on HIV prevalence among truck driver a situation that has become a national pandemic in the two countries. CHAPTER 2 2. Market analysis A number of market studies have been done in line with the Kenya Uganda Petroleum Products Pipeline Project. The most recent study was done in 2007 by TEAL through their consultant, Nexant Limited. The main objective of the study was to carryout petroleum products demand analysis and forecasting. The study was a development of the earlier studies carried out in 1999 and 2001. With an optimistic commencement of works by end of this year (2008) , the consultant focused on the prevailing Market data and carried out a demand forecasting up until 2028 (End of BOOT period). There has been a considerable growth rate in the demand of white products in Uganda and the Neighboring countries. 2.1 Oil Transportation System in Kenya and Uganda As earlier mentioned, Kenya has an already functional oil products pipeline to the major cities operated by KPC. In addition to the pipeline, the country relies on rail and road transportation for distribution of the products to the remaining towns. Uganda on the other hand relies mainly on road transportation from Kenya and distribution within the country. 2.2 Market Opportunities for the Pipeline The main driver of the project was to ensure efficient distribution of petroleum products to Uganda. However there are a number of neighboring countries, relying on road transportation of their petroleum products supply through Uganda that would also benefit from the pipeline. These include Rwanda, Burundi, North Western Tanzania and Eastern Congo. The delays caused by long distance hauling add to the final fuel costs. The pipeline will therefore serve a bigger market beyond Uganda. With the new discoveries, depending on the quantities of crude discovered in Uganda, the pipeline will be used later on in transporting white Oil products from Uganda refineries to the Kenya Port of Mombasa for distribution to the wider international market[28]. 2.3 Competitors to the Pipeline Despite the benefits of the pipeline outlined, it is still subjected to stiff competition largely based on the final tariff charged to the shippers. This will ultimately affect the final cost of fuel passed on to the consumers. If the tariff charged for utilizing the pipeline is relatively high in comparison to the cost of using road or rail modes of transport (that are largely being used currently), then the oil marketers may not use up the facility instead they will maintain the current alternatives[29]. The three main competitors, road, rail and marine transport are discussed below. Road Transportation Uganda is currently relying heavily on road transportation, using oil tankers, for its oil imports through Kenya. There are two alternative routes to Uganda, through the Malaba border from Eldoret depot or Busia border from the Kisumu Depot. The shortest route to Uganda is however through the Eldoret Depot. In addition to the relatively shorter distance is its larger capacity, relative to the Kisumu Depot, to handle the extra transit oil products to Uganda. There have been massive delays in product delivery caused by road transportation of petroleum product. However there are a number of factors that have contributed to this delay the main factor being customs clearance for transit oil at the Kenya/ Uganda border where the trucks are expected to move in regulated convoys to avoid tax fraud. The other disadvantages of road transportation are the safety and environmental problems associated with spillage of products and road accidents. The high unit labor costs make road transport more expensive as compared to rail or pipeline over long distances. Despite the shortcomings of road transportation, it is still considered as the fastest way of transportation in relation to the other existing means in the absence of a pipeline. On the other hand it also provides employment to different groups at different levels, the drivers, mechanics etc. as compared to the other modes. Rail Transportation Uganda has two options of transporting oil products by rail. This can be through the Kenyan railway system managed by Rift Valley Railways Company or the Tanzanian railway system. There are three alternative routes by rail to Uganda, two from the Kenyan Side (direct routes from Mombasa and from Kisumu) and one from Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania. The routes through Kisumu and Dar-es-Salaam involve lake ferries through Lake Victoria. The preferred route by rail is through the Mombasa route, this is about 100km longer than the Kisumu route, as it takes relatively shorter transit duration than the other routes[30]. The railway systems use roll on ferries for moving across the lake. Railway transportation has the advantage of low marginal costs for incremental freight traffic after the initial capital investment is fully paid up. The major concern on the railway system in the East African region is poor maintenance in addition to the operational problems. The networks are not well developed causing delays. It however has environmental and safety advantages over road transportation. Marine Transport Lake Victoria connects the three East African Countries. Uganda therefore has the option of using either route through Kenya or Tanzania. The routes are however a subsidiary to the railway systems through the ferries. The infrastructure is not well developed and the systems are not so actively used. The oil jetty in Kisumu on the Kenyan side has not been in use since mid nineties when the existing pipeline was commissioned. Plans are however underway in looking at the possibility of constructing a loading Jetty in Kisumu but no work or studies have been carried out so far to this effect. Mwanza port in Tanzania is partially in use, the oil exports currently utilize the existing ferries discussed above. Movement via inland waters is a low cost option due to low maintenance costs. The cost of putting up terminal facilities is relatively low compared to other modes of transport. The main disadvantage of marine transport is the inflexibility due to delivery times and environmental concerns due to oil spillage that can negatively affect the fishing industry. 2.4 Risk analysis of the market and other project risks Risk management involves using past occurrences to forecast future events. By extrapolating from the past occurrences, risk analyst can forecast the probability that a particular risk might occur or not[31]. A good understanding of the project phases is important in risk analysis and finally managing the identified risks. The Capital intensive nature of energy ventures calls for a detailed risk analysis before making the final investment decision. Risk analysis starts with risk identification followed by an assessment of the probability of occurrence of the risk and finally an evaluation of the cost estimates of each risk identified. Quantifying the risks enables the Project management team to make decisions on what measures to take to avoid the risks or mitigate and manage them. Adequate analysis of various risks was carried out at the development phase of the project. Changes cannot be fully avoided in such big projects. A good understanding of risk management principals can theref ore help the project team in managing the ever recurring changes. The benefits of risk analysis and risk management are summarized below; [32] A good clarification of project issues right from project inception to completion, A good support of decision making based on a detailed analysis, Continuous monitoring of project definition and specification, A good understanding of project risks hence finding various options of management at a relatively lower cost, The historical data can be used in future risk management procedures. There are a number of risks associated with the Kenya Uganda Petroleum Products Pipeline Project. These have been briefly discussed below based on the market studies that were carried out by the company consultants. Market Risk Analysis Market risks are risks that results from changes in the market environment. There are a number of external and internal forces at work that all firms need to address in order to remain competitive in any business environment. According to Michael Porter, there are five competitive forces in any market environment[33]. It is rare to find more than one petroleum products pipeline in the developing countries because of the capital expenditure involved. Most pipelines in the developing countries therefore enjoy natural monopoly and are hardly threatened by new entrants. From the discussion in the last section, the pipeline will offer the lowest oil products transportation tariff in comparison to the other modes of transportation in addition to the other benefits. It will therefore have a competitive advantage over the other competing modes of transportation. The customers (oil marketer) will therefore be forced â€Å"naturally† to use the pipeline in transporting their products to Uganda. The only threat left would therefore be oil products substitutes. Oil products are currently used mainly for electricity generation and in the transport sector, the largest consumer being the transport industry. The lack of a commercially viable substitute in the transportation sector leaves oil products as the only option. No market risks are therefore envisaged in the 20 year period that TEAL will operate the pipeline and the following years until the region develops any commercially viable substitute. There are however other project risks associated with the pipeline discussed in the following chapters. Other Project Risks Financing Risk Financial risks are risks associated with changes in the financial value of the portfolio. They are therefore risks that lead to reduction of the investments cash flow. Changes in the interest rates, stock market values etc are but some of the major causes of financial risks. The projects Request for Proposal specified a Debt Equity Ratio of 70:30 financing for the pipeline project. The equity contribution by all the parties is an indication of how much risk they are willing to take on the project. The initial bid by TEAL to finance the project was based on the return on investment from the CAPEX and OPEX assumed at the time of contract award. This has however changed significantly posing great risks to the investor. There have been a number of variations that have come up having significant cost impact on the CAPEX. Some of the variations that were not foreseen during project inception have negatively impacted the projects CAPEX leading to reductions in the project returns. A new fi nancial model has however been developed (discussed in the next chapter) to look at the viability of the project. The time delay in the commencement of construction works has also had an impact on the project revenues that were initially forecasted to start in 2008. Discussions are however underway between the JCC and TEAL on eliminating or sharing any loses that may accrue to the developer (TEAL) for the successful completion of the project. Technical Risk Technical risks in engineering projects are exposures to losses that occur mainly due to technological changes or design failures. In order to avoid any negative impact on the project during construction through to the operation phase due to technical failures, it is mandatory to do a thorough analysis of all the design parameters and ensure they are closely monitored and implemented during all the phases of the project. Its also important that provisions are made for any future technological changes during the design stage. Technical failures can also cause losses of revenue due to lack of operation of the facility constructed. It is therefore mandatory that stringent checks are made during design through to construction and finally during the commissioning of the facility and operation. TEAL have put in place all the necessary checks and ensured the design meet internationally accepted standards. The pipeline design was carried out by qualified consultants to TEAL and reviewed by d iscipline engineers in the project team[34]. To avoid any design incompatibility with the already existing pipeline on the Kenyan side, TEAL held several design review meetings with the KPC engineers. An agreement was signed between KPC and TEAL (Interconnection Agreement) to avoid any technical failures of the pipeline networks in the future[35]. Detailed manuals have been put in place for future maintenance and operation of the facility to further eliminate any technical risks. Political Risk Political risks are risks that occur due to changes in the political arena in a particular country. These are mainly changes in governance, policy, civil unrest etc and can have significant impacts on an investments returns. The risk increases where an investment involves two countries like in the case of Kenya Uganda Petroleum Products Pipeline Project because of the differences in governing systems and policies in socio-economic environments. The 2008 post election violence in Kenya had a significant effect on the economic activities in the whole Eastern Africa region. During this period, it was impossible to transport petroleum products to Uganda as the roads were impassable due to civil unrest causing serious impacts on Ugandas socio economic activities. Most investors always opt for taking a Political risk insurance to address this risk but the project team opted on forming a commission representing all the involved parties. The JCC was therefore formed to address political ris k issues in addition to the other tasks discussed in the report already. One of the responsibilities of JCC was therefore to address any potential difficulties that would result from political and national differences between the two countries. The JCC therefore put into place the Legal frameworks through which tendering for investors were managed. On completion of the construction works, a Joint Venture Company will take over the operations of the pipeline. The directors of the JVC will come from the two governments and TEAL. The ownership of the pipeline system is established through the Shareholders Agreement, and the Legal frameworks created by the Host Governments Agreements and the Intergovernmental Agreement[36]. It is however important to note that the two countries have a history of good relations but this should not be an indication of lack of any disagreements between the two governments in the future. The JVC will therefore be a neutral ground where all the pipeline oper ational issues will be discussed. CHAPTER 3 3. Finance Structure of the Pipeline The principal objective of any firms directors is to maximize the shareholders value by undertaking investments with positive returns. Shareholders of a firm can earn returns on their capital from taking up investment decisions themselves and investing in other ventures outside the firm but if they ge

Fantomina by Eliza Haywood | Analysis

Fantomina by Eliza Haywood | Analysis The actions the young lady in Eliza Haywoods Fantomina in her desire to find a sexually and emotionally stimulating relationship demonstrates the difficulty of relationships between men and woman in the eighteen century. My lady such- a-one, as she is referred to by Haywood takes the roles of many different women to repeatedly seduce a man named Beauplasir. For the most part of her new identities, Fantominas creative ideas resemble her increased desire for Beauplasir and her initial curiosity becomes reflected upon her need to change her identity in order to recapture Beauplasirs attention. Fantomina enjoys the fact that her disguises allow her do anything that she wishes, although, she seems to not think of the idea that a relationship between an upper class man and a low class woman is not very lasting and that her actions will eventually make herself the author of her own story. Fantomina is a high quality mistress in the eighteenth century and because of her social position she has many restrictions placed upon her. She is not allowed to carry out a conversation of any type with a person of the opposite sex, nor is she allowed to pursue them. These behaviors were unacceptable in Fantominas society; therefore, women were supposed to have chaperones who were to protect them from men and also to make sure women behaved appropriately. Fantominas recognition of a familiar face down below the balcony where she is sitting at reawakens her interest for Beauplasir whom she she has before seen, but because of society she has been unable to pursue him. However, because men were different from women and had the freedom to do anything they wanted to, Beauplasir is allowed to leave the balcony and pursue women. Fantomina is fascinated by the dalliance between respectable gentlemen and loose women of the town. This excited a curiosity in her to know in what manner these c reatures were addressed. (Haywood, 2739- 2740). Although, Fantominass actions seem intentional her new identity originates all from curiosity in her pursuit to sustain Beauplasirs interest. Fed up with her restrictions, Fantomina decides to change her clothes to hide her real identity. It is here where Haywood reveals the restrictions on women of high social standing and the decisions of who belongs to what social position. In this case, clothing puts Fantomina in a lower social standing, even more, her new identity is that of a prostitute. Now as a prostitute, Fantomina is able to pursue Beauplasir without any restrictions as he is unable to recognize her new identity. In preparation to her encounter with Beauplasir, Fontamina puts on her new identity and while with Beauplasir she resists him at first because she is worried about her reputation. At this point, Fantomina is concerned about her moral actions, but her desires can do more now because that is what she has been looking for. This of course, confuses Beauplasir because thats what prostitutes are expected to do and in the end a prostitute gets paid in return. Fantominas first disguise as a prostitute is all out of curiosity, but her imagination was so much talented that she had the power to change her appearance as she pleased. As Fantomina changes character, she modifies her behaviors to align with his expectations. ( Anderson 2005). The quote describes Fantominas admirable skills in manipulating the situation for her own benefit. As expected, Beauplasir grows tired of Fantomina and this is where she takes on her new identity to continue to follow him. Now as Celia, a low class woman she becomes Beauplasirs maid, a new identity that becomes a bit more important than the one before because of social status .As her seduction continues she feels that she has become attached to Beauplasir and she cant let go of him she spends much of her time coming up with new ideas to seduce him. Her actions become a little emotional, but at the same time she intelligent as she is willing to go even further to maintain her sexual relationship with Beauplasir. It seems that what had started from curiosity has now turned into a passion that reflects her deepest emotions. Her consistent ability to perform means that she repeatedly creates a space in which she may express her emotions. (Anderson 2005). In a sense, Fantomina feels that she belongs to Beauplasir since he has taken her virginity and she attaches this to the fact that she now struggles to maintain her honor from being publicly exposed. Fantominas now passion for Beauplasir leads her to go even further in her seduction attempt. This time, as the widow bloomer she becomes a little more vulnerable and portrays herself as weak. At one point, the widow fakes a sudden faint and allows Beauplasir to carry her off to bed. This proves that Fantomina is very calculating and her actions are being consistent with the character she assumes to be. In doing so, Fantomina believes her different roles are a source of power and freedom, but also her ability to succeed in her new role taking. Although, the role that she takes on for the most part is powerless because she gains nothing from it, she has quite effectively succeeded in making Beauplasir believe that he has been sleeping with different personas. In her last disguise as Incognita, the significant thing they have in common is class and as the encounters continue, it seems that Fantominas actions are driven by pure lust. Incognita its Fantominas last attempt to seduce Beauplasir and it ultimately fails just as her other disguises. Despie Beuaplasir being desperately curious to know who she really is he never shows real interest in maintaining a relationship with Incognita because in the end he has nothing to gain from a woman who demands that her identity never be revealed. This culminates with Fantominas realization that Beauplasirs real interest for her has been to satisfy his own sexual needs as he never remained faithful to her for the simple fact that he slept with the same person thinking he had been with four different women. Croskery describes that, the heroine of Fantomina experiences one of her deepest moment of internalization at the precise moment when she becomes conscious of herself as an object of someone elses d esire. ( Croskery 2007). Through Beauplasir, the reader realizes that women are nothing but trophies and toys that are to be played with. Ultimately, Fantominas various identities accomplish nothing; they do serve to reveal how lustful Beauplasir is as well as Fantomina whether she acted on curiosity her real intentions remain ambiguous. Unfortunately, Fantominas creative disguises only satisfy her sexual desires, but never create a long- lasting relationship with Beauplasir which results in her own betrayal. Fantominas pregnancy becomes her true story in which she has lost everything including her reputation. Sources Cited Anderson, Emily Horgdson. Performing the passions in Eliza Haywoods Fantomina and Miss Betsy Thoughtless. Eighteenth Century: Theory and Interpretation 46.1 (Spring 2005):1. Literary Resource center. Web. 1 December 2012. Croskery, Margaret Case. Who is Afraid of Eliza Haywood. Literary Critiscism from 1400- 1800 4.4 (2007): 967-980. Literary Resourse Center. Web. 1 December 2012. Eliza, Haywood. Fantomina: or Love in A maze. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt and M.H. Abrams. 9th ed. Volume C. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. 2739-2758. Print. Potter, Tiffani. The Language of Feminised Sexuality: Gendered Voice in Eliza Haywoods Love in Excess and Fantomina. Womens Writing 10.1(March 2003): 169-18. Academic Search Complete. Web. 26 November 2012. Thompson, Helen. Plotting Materialism: Eliza Haywoods Fantomina and Feminine Consistency. Eighteen Century Studies 35.2(Winter 2002): 195-20. Academic Search Complete. Web. 26 November 2012.

Tangled: The Intersection of Commerce, Gender, and Genre Essay

In the 2010 film Tangled, a modern retelling of the Grimm Brothers’ story Rapunzel, Rapunzel pursues her dream of seeing the floating lights away from her hidden tower and escaping from her â€Å"evil mother† Gothel with the help of a young thief named Flynn Ryder. The film manages to navigate the tension between the traditional fairy-tale storytelling archetypes of the early Disney princess movie-musicals and a modern reinvention of these stereotypes in order to create a harmonious blend between the two. However, both â€Å"When Will my Life Begin?† and â€Å"I Have a Dream,† with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater, employ diverse musical references and techniques that nevertheless starkly challenge the construction of the typical Disney animated musical genre, and that mold musical conventions to be more marketable to a far-reaching audience. Does this movie actually mock the imperfections of its Disney princess predecessors, and if so, how does it commoditize this musical â€Å"affectionate parody† by appealing to the â€Å"younger, hipper† and even male crowd? I argue that â€Å"When will my life begin?† and â€Å"I’ve got a Dream† serve as examples of how Disney made Tangled into a hybrid of the earlier princess movie-musicals of the â€Å"Golden Age of Animation†(Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs [1937], Sleeping Beauty [1959]), the â€Å"Disney Renaissance† (The Little Mermaid [1989], Beauty and the Beast [1991]), and what it hoped to be a new, modern spin on the genre with its new leadership, its music, and its treatment of gender in order to be commercially successful. One thing that Tangled did demonstrate was the need for a modern reboot not only for Disney animated films, but to the â€Å"musical† genre as well. Some argue that as Disney enters into a ... ...table to boys, it still relied on its commonalities to other films to secure its place within the Disney legacy. Whether or not in Disney’s quest to be commercially successful, if the film was really able to be a storytelling and musical success. able to satirize the shortcomings of the princess movie-musical genre sound abandon Broadway style for tween-age pop song. Both songs establish roots in the formula derived from the earlier Walt Disney films and later Alan Menken musicals, yet neither are without their surprises, their own definitive appeal to a larger, updated audience. Works Cited 1. http://insidemovies.ew.com/2010/11/24/alan-menken-tangled/ 2. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/movies/21tangled.html?pagewanted=all 3. http://earnthis.net/2010/07/golden-age-1/ 4. http://screencrave.com/2010-02-12/disneys-rapunzel-is-renamed-tangled/

The Ramist Logic of Edward Taylors Upon a Spider Catching a Fly Essay

The Ramist Logic of Edward Taylor's Upon a Spider Catching a Fly Like other Puritanical writers of his generation, Edward Taylor looked to nature and utilized it as an example of a belief system that he had already deemed factual. The use Ramist logic here may seem irrational to many. The very essence of logic commands that we must first look toward nature and then draw conclusions from it. In his work, "Upon a Spider Catching a Fly", Taylor applies his doctrine in advance by using the interaction between an arachnid and a certain contrasting insect as an example of the Calvinist theory of predestination; the belief that one's fate cannot be influenced by one's works or earthly deeds. It is also part of his belief system, however, that a person's prosperity on the earthly plain could be a testament that that individual is already a member of 'the elect'. Taylor interprets a natural situation with a personal hermeneutics with which he selectively reads situations that serve to enforce his beliefs. Upon introducing the central character of the spider in the first stanza, Taylor immediately questions the driving force that causes the spider to behave in the way it does. "To spin a web out of thyself /To catch a Fly?/ For Why?" Such a beginning immediately petitions the reader to question the nature of things. In the first line, Taylor refers to the spider as the "venomous elf" in order to plant the idea that the spider is an evil entity. The spider then becomes representative of the Christian devil, Satan, who instinctively casts his web amidst any of the unfortunate beings who would enter into his sphere. This devil image is further enforced in the seventh stanza when he refers to the predator as "Hell's spider". The spider ca... ...bility to do so, while the fly has been created defenseless; with no option but to fall victim to the spider. These two insects serve as a metaphor for the two differing castes of humans within the Calvinist school of thought. The wasp is representative of 'the elect'; those who are predestined to enter into the kingdom of heaven while the fly is representative of those who are doomed for damnation from the point of their incarnation. Within the life of the wasp, it is evident that it surpasses the fly, just as the Calvinists believed that 'the elect' were more successful in life than other humans. This idea of predestination did not come from the observation of the trials and tribulations between two insects and an arachnid. It was just the opposite. The situation was sited only after it fulfilled the requirements to serving as an example of Taylor's belief system.

Night World : Daughters of Darkness Chapter 10

It felt like a jellyfish sting. Mary-Lynnette kept her eyes shut and her face turned away as Rowan bit into her neck. She was thinking of the way the deer had screamed. But thepain wasn't so bad. It went away almost immediately. She could feel warmth at her neck as the bloodflowed, and, after a minute, a slight dizziness. A weakness. But the most Interesting thing was that allat once she seemed to have a new sense. She could sense Rowan's mind.It was like seeing, but withouteyes-and using different wavelengths than visual light. Rowan's mind-her presence-was warmred, like glowing embers in a campfire. It was alsofuzzy and rounded like a ball of hot gas floatingIn space. Is this what psychics mean when they talk aboutpeople having an aura? Then Rowan pulled back, and it was over. The new sense disappeared. Mary-Lynnette's fingers went automatically to herneck. She felt wetness there. A little tenderness. â€Å"Don't fool with it,† Rowan said, brushing at herlips with her thumb. â€Å"It'll go away in just a minute.† Mary-Lynnette blinked, feeling languid. She lookedover at Mark, who was being released by Kestrel. He looked okay, if a little dazed. She smiled at him'and he raised his eyebrows and shook his head slightly. I wonder what his mind looks like, Mary-Lynnettethought. Then she said, startled, â€Å"What are you doing?† Rowan had picked up a twig and was testing itsend for sharpness. â€Å"Every species has some substance that's harmfulto it,† she said. â€Å"Silver for werewolves, iron for witches†¦and wood for vampires. It's the onlything out here that will cut our skin,† she added. â€Å"I didn't mean that. I meantwhy, † Mary-Lynnettesaid, but she knew why already. She watched rednessbead in the wake of the twig as Rowan drew it across her wrist. Exchange blood, Rowan had said. Mary-Lynnette gulped. She didn't look at markand Kestrel. I'll do it first and then he'll see it's not so bad, shetold herself. I can do this, I can do this†¦. It's so wecan stayalive. Rowan was looking at her, offering her wrist. Copperbloodfear, Mary-Lynnette thought, feeling queasy. She shut her eyes and put her mouth to Rowan'swrist. Warmth. Well-being. And a taste not like copper, but like something rich and strange. Later, she'd al ways grope for ways to describe it, but she could onlythink of things like: well, a little bit like the way vanilla bean smells, and a little bit like the way silk feels, and a little bit like the way a waterfall looks. It was faintly sweet. Afterward, she felt as if she could run up mountains. â€Å"Oh, boy,† Mark said, sounding giddy. â€Å"If you could bottle that stuff, you'd make millions.† â€Å"It's been thought of before,† Kestrel said coolly. â€Å"Humans hunting us for our blood.† â€Å"Talk later,† Rowan said firmly. â€Å"Blood-tie now.† Kestrel's mind was gold. With brilliant knifelikeedges sending glitters in every direction. â€Å"Okay, Jade,† Rowan said. â€Å"Mark. Enough, you guys. Let go of each other now.† Mary-Lynnette saw that she was physically pullingMark and Jade apart. Mark was wearing a silly smile, and Mary-Lynnette felt the tiniest stab of envy. What would it be like to see the mind of somebody you were in love with? Jade's mind was silver and lacy, an intricate filigreed sphere like a Christmas ornament. And by the time Mary-Lynnette sat back from drinking Jade's blood, she felt light-headed and sparkling. As if she had a mountain stream in her veins. â€Å"All right,† Rowan said. â€Å"Now we share the sameblood.† She held out a hand, and Jade and Kestrel did the same. Mary-Lynnette glanced at Mark, then they each reached out, all their hands meeting like spokes in a wheel. â€Å"We promise to be kin to you, to protect and defend you always,† Rowan said. She nodded to Mary-Lynnette. â€Å"We promise to be kin to you,† Mary-Lynnetterepeated slowly. â€Å"To protect and defend you always.† â€Å"That's it,† Rowan said simply. â€Å"We're family.† Jade said, â€Å"Let's go home.† They had to finish burying Aunt Opal first. MaryLynnette watched as Rowan scattered pine needles over the grave. â€Å"You inherit our blood feuds, too,† Kestrel told Mary-Lynnette pleasantly. â€Å"Meaning you have to help us find out who killed her.† â€Å"I've been trying to do that all along.† They left the deer where it was. Rowan said,†There are already lots of scavengers around here. It won't be wasted.† Yep, that's life, Mary-Lynnette thought as they leftthe clearing. She glanced behind her-and for justan instant she thought she saw a shadow there anda glint of greenish-orange eyes at her own eye level. It was much too big for a coyote. She opened her mouth to tell the others †¦ and the shadow was gone. Did I imagine that? I think my eyes are goingfunny. Everything seems too bright. All her senses seemed changed-sharpened. Itmade it easier to get out of the woods than it had been getting in. Mark and Jade didn't walk hand inhand-that would have been impractical-but Jade looked back at him frequently. And when they got to rough spots, they helped each other. â€Å"You're happy, aren't you?† Mary-Lynnette said softly when she found herself beside Mark. He gave a startled, sheepish grin, white in the moonlight. â€Å"Yeah. I guess I am.† After a minute hesaid, â€Å"It's like-I don't know how to describe it, butit's like I belong with Jade. She reallysees me. I mean, not the outside stuff. She sees me inside,andshe likes me. Nobody else has ever done that .. .except you.† â€Å"I'm happy for you.† â€Å"Listen,† he said. â€Å"I think we should start looking around for you. There are lots of guys around here-â€Å" Mary-Lynnette snorted. â€Å"Mark. If I want to meeta guy, I'll meet a guy. I don't need any help.† He gave the sheepish grin again. â€Å"Sorry.† But Mary-Lynnette was thinking. Ofcourseshe'd like to find somebody who would accept her completely, who would share everything with her. That was everybody's dream. But for how many people did it come true? And there weren'tlots of guys around here†¦.She found herself thinking of Jeremy Lovett again. His dear brown eyes †¦ But she couldn't hold the picture. It kept dissolving–.to her horror-into eyes that flashed blue andgold and gray, depending on the way they caught the light. Oh, God,no. Ash was the last person who would understand her. And she didn't want to share a bus seat with him, much less her life. â€Å"What I want to know is who madeyou guys vam pires,† Mark said. They were sitting on oversize, overstuffed Victorian furniture in the living room at Burdock Farm. Rowan had a fire going in the fireplace. â€Å"Was it the old lady? Your aunt?† â€Å"It wasn't anybody,† Jade said, looking affronted.†We're not made vampires. We're the lamia.† She pronounced it LAY-mee-uh. Mark looked at her sideways. â€Å"Uh-huh. Andwhat's that?† â€Å"It's us. It's vampires that can have babies, and eat,and drink, and get old if we let ourselves, and livein families.Thebest kind of vampires.† â€Å"It's a race of vampires, basically,† Kestrel said.†Look, there are two different kinds of vampires, okay? The kind who start out as humans and are changed when a vampire bites them, and the kindthat are bornvampires. That's the kind we are. Our line goes back-well, let's say a long way.† â€Å"The longest,† Jade broke in again. â€Å"We're Redferns; we go back to prehistoric times.† Mary-Lynnette blinked. â€Å"But you three don't go back that far, do you?† she said nervously. Rowan stifled a laugh. â€Å"I'm nineteen; Kestrel's seventeen; Jade is sixteen. We haven't stopped aging yet.† Kestrel was looking at Mary-Lynnette. â€Å"How olddid our aunt look to you?†Ã¢â‚¬ Um, around seventy, seventy-five, I guess.† â€Å"When we last saw her she looked maybe forty,† Kestrel said. â€Å"That was ten years ago, when she left our island.† â€Å"But she'd actually been alive for seventy-four years at that point,† Rowan said. â€Å"That's what happens to us-if we stop holding off the aging process, it all catches up at once.† â€Å"Which if you've been alive for five or six hundredyears can be quite interesting,† Kestrel said dryly. Mary-Lynnette said, â€Å"So this island where youcome from-is that the Night World?† Rowan looked startled. â€Å"Oh, no, it's just a safe town. You know, a place where our people all live without any humans. Hunter Redfern founded itback in the sixteenth century so we'd have some where safe to live.† â€Å"The only problem,† Kestrel said, golden eyesglinting, â€Å"is that people there are still doing thingsthe way they did in the sixteenth century. Andthey made a rule that nobody couldleave-exceptfor some of the men and boys that they trusted completely.† Like Ash, I guess, Mary-Lynnette thought. Shewas about to say this, but Rowan was speakingagain. â€Å"So that's why we ran away. We didn't want tohave to get married when our father told us to. Wewanted to see the human world. We wanted-â€Å" â€Å"To eat junk food,† Jade caroled. â€Å"And read magazines and wear pants and watch TV.† â€Å"When Aunt Opal left the island, she didn't tell anybody where she was going-except me,† Rowan said. â€Å"She told me she was going to this little town called Briar Creek where her husband's family had built a house a hundred and fifty years ago.,,, Mary-Lynnette ran her fingers through the silky tassels of a forest-green pillow. â€Å"Okay, but-whereis the Night World, then?† â€Å"Oh†¦ it's not a place†¦.† Rowan looked uncertain. â€Å"This is-it's kind of hard to tell you, actually,† she said. â€Å"You're not even supposed to know it exists. The two very first laws of the Night World are that you never let a human find out about it †¦and that you never fall in love with a human.† â€Å"And Jade's breaking both this minute,† Kestrel murmured. Jade just looked pleased. â€Å"And the penalty for both is death-for everybody involved,† Rowan said. â€Å"But . . . you're family. Here goes.† She took a steadying breath. â€Å"The Night World is a sort of secret society. Not just of vampires. Of witches and werewolves and shape shifters, too. All the different kinds of Night People. We're everywhere.† Everywhere?Mary-Lynnette thought. It was an unnerving idea-but an interesting one. So therewas a whole world out there she'd never knownabout-a place to explore, as alien as the Androm eda galaxy. Mark didn't seem too disturbed by the thought of vampires everywhere. He was grinning at Jade, leaning with one elbow on the arm of the dark green couch. â€Å"So, can you read minds? Can you read my mind right now?† cats who have heard something theirhumanscan't. An instant later, though. Mary-Lynnette heard it, too. The sound of feet on the front porch–tap, tap,tap-asquick as that. And then a thud. â€Å"Hey, somebody'sout there,† Jade said, and before Mark could stop her, she was up and heading for the door. â€Å"Soulmates can read each other's minds without even trying,† Jade told Mark firmly. Soulmates †¦ Mary-Lynnette wanted to get on toa different subject. She felt uncomfortable, tingly. â€Å"I wish you'd stop saying that. What you have ismuch better than being soulmates,† Rowan was tell ing Jade. â€Å"With love you get to find out about aperson first. Being soulmates is involuntary-youdon't even have tolikethe person when you meetthem. They may be completely wrong for you inevery way-wrong species, wrong temperament, wrong age. But you know you'll never be completely happy again without them.† More and more tingly. Mary-Lynnette had to say something. â€Å"And what if thathappenedto you-if you found somebody and you were soulmates with them and you didn't want to be?† she asked Rowan. She realized that her voice was strange–thick. â€Å"Isn'tthere any way you could-get rid of it?† There was a pause. Mary-Lynnette saw everyoneturn to look at her. â€Å"I've never heard of one,† Rowan said slowly. Her brown eyes were searching Mary-Lynnette's. â€Å"But I guess you could ask a witch †¦ if you had that problem.† Mary-Lynnette swallowed. Rowan's eyes weregentle and friendly-and Mary-Lynnette felt a very strong need to talk to someone, someone who would understand. â€Å"Rowan She didn't get any further. Rowan, Kestrel, and Jade all looked suddenly toward the front door-like.