The Vampire Diaries: The Fury Chapter Seven

â€Å"To cooperate at what?† Meredith asked. â€Å"I'll explain about that later. But first I want to know what's been going on in town since I-left.† â€Å"Well, hysteria mostly,† Meredith said, raising an eyebrow. â€Å"Your Aunt Judith's been pretty badly off. She hallucinated that she saw you-only it wasn't a hallucination, was it? And she and Robert have sort of broken up.† â€Å"I know,† Elena said grimly. â€Å"Go on.† â€Å"Everybody at school is upset. I wanted to talk to Stefan, especially when I began to suspect you weren't really dead, but he hasn't been at school. Matt has been, but there's something wrong with him. He looks like a zombie, and he won't talk to anyone. I wanted to explain to him that there was a chance you might not be gone forever; I thought that would cheer him up. But he wouldn't listen. He was acting totally out of character, and at one point I thought he was going to hit me. He wouldn't listen to a word.† â€Å"Oh, God-Matt.† Something terrible was stirring at the bottom of Elena's mind, some memory too disturbing to be let loose. She couldn't cope with anything more just now, she couldn't, she thought, and slam dunked the memory back down. Meredith was going on. â€Å"It's clear, though, that some other people are suspicious about your ‘death.' That's why I said what I did in the memorial service; I was afraid if I said the real day and place that Alaric Saltzman would end up ambushing you outside the house. He's been asking all sorts of questions, and it's a good thing Bonnie didn't know anything she could blab.† â€Å"That isn't fair,† Bonnie protested. â€Å"Alaric's just interested, that's all, and he wants to help us through the trauma, like before. He's an Aquarius-â€Å" â€Å"He's a spy,† said Elena, â€Å"and maybe more than that. But we'll talk about that later. What about Tyler Smallwood? I didn't see him at the service.† Meredith looked nonplussed. â€Å"You mean you don't know?† â€Å"I don't know anything; I've been asleep for four days in an attic.† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Meredith paused uneasily. â€Å"Tyler just got back from the hospital. Same with Dick Carter and those four tough guys they had along with them on Founders' Day. They were attacked in the Quonset hut that evening and they lost a lot of blood.† â€Å"Oh.† The mystery of why Stefan's Powers had been so much stronger that night was explained. And why they'd been getting weaker ever since. He probably hadn't eaten since then. â€Å"Meredith, is Stefan a suspect?† â€Å"Well, Tyler's father tried to make him one, but the police couldn't make the times work out. They know approximately when Tyler was attacked because he was supposed to meet Mr. Smallwood, and he didn't show up. And Bonnie and I can alibi Stefan for that time because we'd just left him by the river with your body. So he couldn't have gotten back to the Quonset hut to attack Tyler-at least no normal human could. And so far the police aren't thinking about anything supernatural.† supposed to meet Mr. Smallwood, and he didn't show up. And Bonnie and I can alibi Stefan for that time because we'd just left him by the river with your body. So he couldn't have gotten back to the Quonset hut to attack Tyler-at least no normal human could. And so far the police aren't thinking about anything supernatural.† â€Å"Tyler and those guys can't identify the attacker because they can't remember a thing about that afternoon,† Meredith added. â€Å"Neither can Caroline.† â€Å"Caroline was in there?† â€Å"Yes, but she wasn't bitten. Just in shock. In spite of everything she's done, I almost feel sorry for her.† Meredith shrugged and added, â€Å"She looks pretty pathetic these days.† â€Å"And I don't think anyone will ever suspect Stefan after what happened with those dogs at church today,† Bonnie put in. â€Å"My dad says that a big dog could have broken the window in the Quonset hut, and the wounds in Tyler's throat looked sort of like animal wounds. I think a lot of people believe it was a dog or a pack of dogs that did it.† â€Å"It's a convenient explanation,† Meredith said dryly. â€Å"It means they don't have to think any more about it.† â€Å"But that's ridiculous,† said Elena. â€Å"Normal dogs don't behave that way. Aren't people wondering about why their dogs would suddenly go mad and turn on them?† â€Å"Lots of people are just getting rid of them. Oh, and I heard someone talk about mandatory rabies testing,† Meredith said. â€Å"But it's not just rabies, is it, Elena?† â€Å"No, I don't think so. And neither do Stefan or Damon. And that's what I came over to talk to you about.† Elena explained, as clearly as she could, what she had been thinking about the Other Power in Fell's Church. She told about the force that had chased her off the bridge and about the feeling she'd had with the dogs and about everything she and Stefan and Damon had discussed. She finished with, â€Å"And Bonnie said it herself in church today: ‘Something evil.' I think that's what's here in Fell's Church, something nobody knows about, something completely evil. I don't suppose you know what you meant by that, Bonnie.† But Bonnie's mind was running on another track. â€Å"So Damon didn't necessarily do all those awful things you said he did,† she said shrewdly. â€Å"Like killing Yangtze and hurting Vickie and murdering Mr. Tanner, and all. I told you nobody that gorgeous could be a psycho killer.† â€Å"I think,† said Meredith with a glance at Elena, â€Å"that you had better forget about Damon as a love interest.† â€Å"Yes,† said Elena emphatically. â€Å"He did kill Mr. Tanner, Bonnie. And it stands to reason he did the other attacks, too; I'll ask him about that. And I'm having enough trouble dealing with him myself. You don't want to mess with him, Bonnie, believe me.† â€Å"I'm supposed to leave Damon alone; I'm supposed to leave Alaric alone†¦ Are there any guys I'm not supposed to leave alone? And meanwhile Elena gets them all. It's not fair.† â€Å"I don't know. Something tremendously strong-but it could be shielding itself so that we can't sense it. It could look like an ordinary person. And that's why I came for your help, because it could be anybody in Fell's Church. It's like what Bonnie said during the service today: ‘Nobody is what they seem.' â€Å" Bonnie looked forlorn. â€Å"I don't remember saying that.† â€Å"You said it, all right. ‘Nobody is what they seem,' † Elena quoted again weightily. â€Å"Nobody.† She glanced at Meredith, but the dark eyes under the elegantly arched eyebrows were calm and distant. â€Å"Well, that would seem to make everybody a suspect,† Meredith said in her most unruffled voice. â€Å"Right?† â€Å"Right,† said Elena. â€Å"But we'd better get a note pad and pencil and make a list of the most important ones. Damon and Stefan have already agreed to help investigate, and if you'll help, too, we'll stand an even better chance of finding it.† She was hitting her stride with this; she'd always been good at organizing things, from schemes to get boys to fundraising events. This was just a more serious version of the old plan A and plan B. Meredith gave the pencil and paper to Bonnie, who looked at it. and then at Meredith, and then at Elena. â€Å"Fine,† she said, â€Å"but who goes on the list?† â€Å"Well, anyone we have reason to suspect of being the Other Power. Anyone who might have done the things we know it did: seal Stefan in the well, chase me, set those dogs on people. Anyone we've noticed behaving oddly.† â€Å"Matt,† said Bonnie, writing busily. â€Å"And Vickie. And Robert.† â€Å"Bonnie!† exclaimed Elena and Meredith simultaneously. Bonnie looked up. â€Å"Well, Matt has been acting oddly, and so has Vickie, for months now. And Robert was hanging around outside the church before the service, but he never came in-â€Å" â€Å"Oh, Bonnie, honestly,† Meredith said. â€Å"Vickie's a victim, not a suspect. And if Matt's an evil Power, I'm the hunchback of Notre Dame. And as for Robert-â€Å" â€Å"Fine, I've crossed it all out,† said Bonnie coldly. â€Å"Now let's hear your ideas.† â€Å"No, wait,† Elena said. â€Å"Bonnie, wait a moment.† She was thinking about something, something that had been nagging at her for quite a while, ever since- â€Å"Ever since the church,† she said aloud, remembering it. â€Å"Do you know, I saw Robert outside the church, too, when I was hidden in the choir loft. It was just before the dogs attacked, and he was sort of backing away like he knew what was going to happen.† â€Å"Oh, but Elena-â€Å" Soberly, after a moment's hesitation, Bonnie did. â€Å"Who else?† she said. â€Å"Well, Alaric, I'm afraid,† Elena said. â€Å"I'm sorry, Bonnie, but he's practically number one.† She told what she had overheard that morning between Alaric and the principal. â€Å"He isn't a normal history teacher; they called him here for some reason. He knows I'm a vampire, and he's looking for me. And today, while the dogs were attacking, he was standing there on the sidelines making some kind of weird gestures. He's definitely not what he seems, and the only question is: what is he? Are you listening, Meredith?† â€Å"Yes. You know, I think you should put Mrs. Flowers on that list. Remember the way she stood at the window of the boarding-house when we were bringing Stefan back from the well? But she wouldn't come downstairs to open the door for us? That's odd behavior.† Elena nodded. â€Å"Yes, and how she kept hanging up on me when I called him. And she certainly keeps to herself in that old house. She may just be a dotty old lady, but put her down anyway, Bonnie.† She ran a hand through her hair, lifting it off the back of her neck. She was hot. Or-not hot exactly, but uncomfortable in some way that was similar to being overheated. She felt parched. â€Å"All right, we'll go by the boardinghouse tomorrow before school,† Meredith said. â€Å"Meanwhile, what else can we be doing? Let's have a look at that list, Bonnie.† Bonnie held the list out so they could see it, and Elena and Meredith leaned forward and read: Matt Honeycutt Vickie Bennett Robert Maxwell-What was he doing at the church when the dogs attacked? And what was going on that night with Elena's aunt? Alaric Saltzman-Why does he ask so many questions? What was he called to Fell's Church to do? Mrs. Flowers-Why does she act so strange? Why didn't she let us in the night Stefan was wounded? â€Å"Good,† Elena said. â€Å"I guess we could also find out whose dogs were at the church today. And you can watch Alaric at school tomorrow.† â€Å"I'll watch Alaric,† Bonnie said firmly. â€Å"And I'll get him cleared of suspicion; you see if I don't.† â€Å"Fine, you do that. You can be assigned to him. And Meredith can investigate Mrs. Flowers, and I can take Robert. And as for Stefan and Damon-well, they can be assigned to everyone, because they can use their Powers to probe people's minds. Besides, that list is by no means complete. I'm going to ask them to scout around town searching for any signs of Power, or anything else weird going on. They're more likely than I am to recognize it.† â€Å"Fine, you do that. You can be assigned to him. And Meredith can investigate Mrs. Flowers, and I can take Robert. And as for Stefan and Damon-well, they can be assigned to everyone, because they can use their Powers to probe people's minds. Besides, that list is by no means complete. I'm going to ask them to scout around town searching for any signs of Power, or anything else weird going on. They're more likely than I am to recognize it.† â€Å"Elena. Elena!† Startled, Elena looked up, to see Meredith's wary dark eyes and Bonnie's alarmed expression. It was only then that she realized she was crouched close to Bonnie's wrist, rubbing the biggest vein with her finger. â€Å"Sorry,† she murmured, sitting back. But she could feel the extra length and sharpness of her canine teeth. It was something like wearing braces; she could clearly feel the difference in weight. She realized her reassuring smile at Bonnie was not having the desired effect. Bonnie was looking scared, which was silly. Bonnie ought to know that Elena would never hurt her. And Elena wasn't very hungry tonight; Elena had always been a light eater. She could get all she needed from this tiny vein here in the wrist†¦ Elena jumped to her feet and spun toward the window, leaning against the casing, feeling the cool night air blowing on her skin. She felt dizzy, and she couldn't seem to get her breath. What had she been doing? She turned around to see Bonnie huddled close to Meredith, both of them looking sick with fear. She hated having them look at her that way. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she said. â€Å"I didn't mean to, Bonnie. Look, I'm not coming any closer. I should have eaten before I came here. Damon said I'd get hungry later.† Bonnie swallowed, looking even sicker. â€Å"Eaten?† â€Å"Yes, of course,† Elena said tartly. Her veins were burning; that was what this feeling was. Stefan had described it before, but she'd never really understood; she'd never realized what he was going through when the need for blood was on him. It was terrible, irresistible. â€Å"What do you think I eat these days, air?† she added defiantly. â€Å"I'm a hunter now, and I'd better go out hunting.† Bonnie and Meredith were trying to cope; she could tell they were, but she could also see the revulsion in their eyes. She concentrated on using her new senses, in opening herself to the night and searching for Stefan's or Damon's presence. It was difficult, because neither of them was projecting with his mind as he had been the night they'd been fighting in the woods, but she thought she could sense a glimmer of Power out there in the town. When the bulb was finally screwed back in, it revealed Damon sitting casually but precariously on the sill of the open window, one knee up. He was smiling one of his wildest smiles. â€Å"Do you mind?† he said. â€Å"This is uncomfortable.† Elena glanced back at Bonnie and Meredith, who were braced against the closet, looking horrified and hypnotized at once. She herself shook her head, exasperated. â€Å"And I thought I liked to make a dramatic entrance,† she said. â€Å"Very funny, Damon. Now let's go.† â€Å"With two such beautiful friends of yours right here?† Damon smiled again at Bonnie and Meredith. â€Å"Besides, I only just got here. Won't somebody be polite and ask me in?† Bonnie's brown eyes, fixed helplessly on his face, softened a bit. Her lips, which had been parted in horror, parted further. Elena recognized the signs of imminent meltdown. â€Å"No, they won't,† she said. She put herself directly between Damon and the other girls. â€Å"Nobody here is for you, Damon-not now, not ever.† Seeing the flare of challenge in his eyes, she added archly, â€Å"And anyway, I'm leaving. I don't know about you, but I'm going hunting.† She was reassured to sense Stefan's presence nearby, on the roof probably, and to hear his instant amendment: We're going hunting, Damon. You can sit there all night if you want. Damon gave in with good grace, shooting one last amused glance toward Bonnie before disappearing from the window. Bonnie and Meredith both started forward in alarm as he did, obviously concerned that he had just fallen to his death. â€Å"He's fine,† said Elena, shaking her head again. â€Å"And don't worry, I won't let him come back. I'll meet you at the same time tomorrow. Good-bye.† â€Å"But-Elena-† Meredith stopped. â€Å"I mean, I was going to ask you if you wanted to change your clothes.† Elena regarded herself. The nineteenth-century heirloom dress was tattered and bedraggled, the thin white muslin shredded in some places. But there was no time to change it; she had to feed now. â€Å"It'll have to wait,† she said. â€Å"See you tomorrow.† And she boosted herself out of the window the way Damon had. The last she saw of them, Meredith and Bonnie were staring after her dazedly. â€Å"Your cloak,† she said, pleased. For a moment they smiled at each other, remembering the first time he had given her the cloak, after he'd saved her from Tyler in the graveyard and taken her back to his room to clean up. He'd been afraid to touch her then. But, Elena thought, smiling up into his eyes, she had taken care of that fear rather quickly. â€Å"I thought we were hunting,† Damon said. Elena turned the smile on him, without unlinking her hand from Stefan's. â€Å"We are,† she said. â€Å"Where should we go?† â€Å"Any house on this street,† Damon suggested. â€Å"The woods,† Stefan said. â€Å"The woods,† Elena decided. â€Å"We don't touch humans, and we don't kill. Isn't that how it goes, Stefan?† He returned the pressure of her fingers. â€Å"That's how it goes,† he said quietly. Damon's lip curled fastidiously. â€Å"And just what are we looking for in the woods, or don't I want to know? Muskrat? Skunk? Termites?† His eyes moved to Elena and his voice dropped. â€Å"Come with me, and I'll show you some real hunting.† â€Å"We can go through the graveyard,† Elena said, ignoring him. â€Å"White-tailed deer feed all night in the open areas,† Stefan told her, â€Å"but we'll have to be careful stalking them; they can hear almost as well as we can.† Another time, then, Damon's voice said in Elena's mind.

Prohibition and Gangsters Essay

Cheap labour force due to continuous immigration pre WWI, including unskilled labour   Onset of WWI and America’s late entry Reaction to WWI & After:   Set up the League of Nations, but did not join and chose to follow an isolationist policy   Entered late into the war so therefore had a plentiful supply of goods, and no physical damage on American soil Availability of natural resources e. g. oil, coal, wood, iron Sold supplies to fighting countries during the war, as well as loans   Economies in Europe were struggling to rebuild, allowing America to take over as the world’s largest producer of products such as fertilisers. Technological advances made: mechanisation, creation of plastic Economic Management:   Limited government intervention ‘laissez-faire’, with low taxes & few regulations encouraged economic growth in businesses   ‘Rugged individualism’, belief that people succeeded with their own hard work   Tariffs introduced to protect the US economy: import duties on goods to the USA, along with a reduction in income tax rates to allow people to spend more on American goods   Introduction of new production methods: the conveyor belt, which sped up production rates and increased profits. New materials introduced such as plastics and glass, helping create buildings such as skyscrapers   Wages increased along with profits, more people could spend more on consumer luxuries   Electrical power made widespread, usage of oil doubled   People were confident and now prepared to buy American goods and invest in the American economy   Prosperity was a right, not a privilege: people encouraged to spend Return to isolationism:   The US economy was increasingly protected by government intervention in the forms of tariffs   Quota system for immigration, closing the ‘Open Doors’ policy. The Boom & Industries that benefited: Motor industry, building works, stock market   Advertising increased massively to fuel consumerism Low inflation, low unemployment, low interest rates meant that people could afford to buy luxuries   Hire purchase introduced to allow average earners to spend on luxuries   Stock market share prices rose steadily during the 1920s, until in 1928 where it suddenly rocketed   Beginning of speculation, people willing to buy shares using loans Motor industry: Car production relied on other industries such as steel, petrol, glass and rubber. Techniques such as the assembly line lowered costs of production, making cars more affordable Increase in purchase of cars led to more roads being built, as well as hotels/restaurants which were now reachable   Construction industry similarly benefited from the introduction of new materials, as well as greater demand for factories, buildings etc.   Transport services as more was invested into infrastructure such as roads, allowing buses to become common, as well as commercial flights Introduction of department stores, where people helped themselves to goods. Suffering industries: Coal, Railway, Textiles (Cotton/wool), Agriculture ‘Old industries’ such as coal mining began to be in competition with oil * Cars began to take over the railway transport system, lessening the need for coal   Advancement in technology meant less workers were needed for mining -> unemployment begins   Mines began to close down Textiles industries began to face competition when tariffs were lowered New materials such as rayon meant that old textiles fell out of favour in terms of cost and efficiency in production Changes in fashion (short dresses etc.) meant less textiles were needed   WWI led to farmers choosing to produce more, and this rate of production continued into the 1920. While they benefited during WWI, consumption began to decrease as Europe began to recover and stopped relying on American produce, but there was already excess production Technologies such as tractors helped to increase production rates   Farmers were therefore forced to sell their goods at a lower cost, and they refused to lower their production rates as they were unsure that other farmers would do the same. Many farmers became the poorest paid workers in the US and many had to borrow money to pay their mortgages, or face eviction and unemployment Society in the 1920s: Women: Position of women pre 1917 included limited unemployment, limited social positions (accompanied by chaperones), no role in politics as well as being expected to adhere to dress standards After 1917 as the US entered WWI, women were employed to work in the heavy industry and for the first time went out by themselves, smoked and drank in public   Vote given in 1920. Consumer luxuries such as vacuums led to more women having leisure time Introduction of the Flappers: women who challenged traditional attitudes, and were mainly middle and upper class Leisure:   Newspapers & magazines fuelled consumption, as more people wanted to read about the latest issues and famous people   Sport also took over, becoming a focus of newspapers, magazines as well as radio shows. Sporting figures such as Babe Ruth also challenged traditional society, where he was seen smoking and drinking in public. Cinema: visiting the cinema became popular as part of family life, especially with the introduction of ‘talkies’, and sex became a popular focus for movies. Cinemas were refurbished and several film studios were founded Radio: First radio station started in 1920 (KDKA), with many more soon to come. Radio enabled people to listen to sporting events, music, advertisements and entertainment.   Jazz: ‘the jazz age’, when jazz became popular, especially with the flappers despite its African American origins Prohibition and Gangsters: Drinking was largely believed to be hindering work efficiency, as well as being the cause of trouble, including in religion, leading to a ban on alcohol   People were driven to the black market to consume alcohol, including speakeasies which relied on corruption by paying off law enforcement officers   Smuggling of alcohol also became common (rum running), and some doctors provided ‘medicinal whiskey’   Some of the illegally brewed alcohol was not checked and this led to poisoned alcohol   This led to the rise in organised crime, or ‘gangsterism’, with one notable figure being Al Capone: Chicago’s speakeasies, bookmakers, nightclubs etc.

Marijuana should not be legalized Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marijuana should not be legalized - Essay Example It has been reported that the increasing number of children are experimenting with the recreational drugs such as Marijuana. Further, studies on the arrested criminal serving their sentences in different jails suggested that they were involved in using drugs like Marijuana at least once in a week before they were arrested. (DuPont, 2010). These statistics suggest that the society as a whole can actually bear a lot of cost for the unrestricted and unrestrained used of drugs like Marijuana and therefore should not be legalized. This argumentative essay will present a case for not legalizing the Marijuana and will present different reasons along with practical examples as to how the legalization of Marijuana can actually be detrimental to the society and the individuals. Marijuana should not be legalized Probably one of the biggest arguments against the legalization of the marijuana is based upon the principles of morality. The use of the drugs in general is considered as immoral in any given society due to the overall impact of the same on the society. ... Religion therefore in this sense suggests that the use of drugs generally should not be allowed because it will diminish the humanistic characteristics of the individuals. Historically the use of drugs such as Marijuana remained banned due to the adverse social impacts of their use on the individuals. Since the use of the Marijuana often result into the intoxication therefore can seriously cause the personal injury. It is also important to note that the marijuana is considered as the stepping stone drug which can lead to the use of other drugs such as cocaine and other more severe drugs. This is because of the fact that the Marijuana is often considered as easy to obtain and use and the relative effects of the drug can often lead to the so called experimentation with other hard and soft drugs. Such tendencies therefore can further led to the excessive use of other drugs and therefore the overall cost of rehabilitation of all those engaged into the use of harder drugs can be high. (Me sserli, 2010) It is also important that the Marijuana is considered as a socially addictive drug therefore and has really capability to induce abuse. Such capacity of the drug therefore can further led to the domestic as well as the social disturbance giving the fact that the drug is of addictive nature. This is also because of the fact that due to overall nature of Marijuana people who actually use this drug become what is called potheads and Marijuana start to dominate most parts of their lives. Such domination therefore creates further social alienation as well as the marginalization of the drug addicts. The use of Marijuana is therefore not only

Allied strategy in WWII for campaign on mainland Italy Essay

Allied strategy in WWII for campaign on mainland Italy - Essay Example We are raising a generation of young people who are historically illiterate to a large degree. Everything we have--our institutions, our material advantages, our laws, our freedom, not to say our poetry...music and...architecture--all comes to us from people who went before us. And to not know anything about them, to be indifferent to them, which is even worse than being ignorant...is...really...mass ingratitude1. The allied invasion of mainland Italy began in September 1943. General Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group was responsible for starting this invasion. The first step was invasion of Sicily. This was completed successfully during the campaign. How did it all start After the defeat in North Africa, the differences between the axis powers began to grow. The next strategic step of the allied forces was now not clear. Winston Churchill said the next step should be to invade Italy. He wanted to remove the influence of Regia Marina on Italy. The invasion of Italy would open the routes for the allied forces to enter the Mediterranean. The entrance in the Mediterranean was important as later on it could give way to the allied forces to enter Middle East and Far East. Another important reason for this was the increase in supply from America and Britain. This invasion would also help stop Germans who were planning to execute operation Overload. Operation overload was about invading Normandy. General George Marshall was against this operation. He did not want to delay the operation overload in any circumstances. However, when no solution could be made and differences started to grow, it was planned that first Sicily should be invaded . Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ planned out all of this operation. They ordered the invasion of Sicily and the Italian mainland. Operation Husky, or in other words the invasion of Sicily began in July 1943. It was a very successful operation. Many of the allied forces escaped to the mainland Italy. Benito Mussolini was overthrown by a rebellion. He was the head of the Italian government. The actions were quick and swift. They thought that Italy would surrender if a quick invasion is done. However, they did not know that Italians and Germans together will be very strong. Even after Berlin was invaded, the Italians put up really good. The allied forces were now in a difficult position. They now had to provide food and other supplies to the troops in Italy. Germany was putting up resistance too. In fact it was because of the Germans that the Italians felt so strong. Even though Germans whole economy was at war too, they were putting up a lot of resistance. According to Milward "here was little that was new and less that was orderly in the New Order"3.Solely in economic terms, the new German Empire in Europe would have been a large-scale structure organized for, and run on the principles of, a colonialism of the crudest kind. Germany's economic policy toward occupied countries can in essence be summed up in two terms: exploitation and colonization. "Anti-Semitism as a political movement neither can nor should be based on fleeting emotions, but on the acceptance of

Electronic Communication Technology Research Paper

Electronic Communication Technology - Research Paper Example Signal frequency spectrum down-conversion is achieved by multiplying the radio-frequency signal by a local oscillator signal in a circuit known as a mixer. This multiplication produces two signals whose frequency content lies about the sum and difference frequencies of the center frequency of the original signal and the oscillator frequency. Two signals at frequencies f1 and f2 are applied to a mixer, and it produces new signals at the sum f1 + f2 and difference f1 - f2 of the original frequencies. A simple technique which uses a diode can be is employed for the purpose of obtaining multiplication. A diode is a non-linear (or non-ohmic) device/element, which means its response (current) is not proportional to its input (voltage). The diode therefore does not reproduce the frequencies of its driving voltage in the current through it, which allows the desired frequency manipulation. The current 'I' through an ideal diode as a function of the voltage 'V' across it is given by And can be approximated for small x (that is, small voltages) by the first few terms of that series. Suppose that the sum of the two input signals v1 + v2 is applied to a diode, and that an output voltage is generated that is proportional to the current through the diode (perhaps by providing the voltage that is present across a resistor in series with the diode). Then, disregarding the constants in the diode equation, the output voltage will have the form The first term on the right is the original two signals followed by the square of the sum, which can be rewritten as . The multiplied signal is present as the above equation shows. It represents all the higher powers of the sum which we assume to be negligible for small signals. As every multiplication produces sum and difference frequencies, from the quadratic term of the series we expect to find signals at frequencies 2f1 and 2f2 from and , and f1 + f2 and f1 f2 from the v1v2 term. Often, so the difference signal has a much lower frequency than the others; extracting this distinct signal is often the principal purpose of using a mixer in such devices as radio receivers. Filter: - The other terms of the above series give rise to other weaker signals at various frequencies which act as noise for the desired signal. They may be filtered out. The filter shown in the block diagram performs this purpose. IF amplifier: - It is an amplifying circuit in a (RF) receiver that processes and enhances a down-converted or modulated signal. A variable local oscillator is used in the receiver to hold the difference-signal center frequency constant as the receiver is tuned. The constant frequency of the down-converted signal is called the

The Tragedy that Shook America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Tragedy that Shook America - Essay Example The terrorist attack involved nineteen hijackers of Arab descent, who concurrently took control of four US domestic commercial airliners. According to intelligence report, these men enrolled in US aviation schools to undergo training as pilots months before the hijacking incident (Solomon). These terrorists facilitated the crash of an airliner carrying about 10,000 gallons of jet fuel into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, New York. Shortly after this, a second airliner plowed into the South Tower of the same establishment. These buildings, dubbed as the "Twin Towers," collapsed in less than 90 minutes after the crash. ("The 9/11 Commission Report") That same morning, a third airliner, Flight 77 smashed into the western wing of the Pentagon. After half an hour, a fourth airliner slammed into a field of Southern Pennsylvania, after being diverted from its main target, The White House, by heroic passengers who fought the hijackers. ("Wikipedia") The devastation brought about by the terrorists is considered worse that the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941 (Hirsh, Kett & Trefil). All in all, the total death toll reached about 3,000 for these separate incidents. Apart from this, properties worth billions of dollars were also destroyed during the attack ("The 9/11 Commission Report"). According to investigations and t... Flight 77 and the Pentagon One of the airliners hijacked is the American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757-223 that flew routinely in the morning from Washington Dulles International Airport in Fairfax, Virginia to Los Angeles International Airport. Based on reports, the five hijackers, who were aboard the flight, failed the metal detector test before boarding. However, they were still allowed to enter the plan ("Wikipedia"). Findings of the investigation show that the hijackers were able to gain entry to the cockpit armed with knives and box-cutters. During the hijacking, some passengers were said to have made phone calls to their loved ones to alert them regarding incident. At 9:37 A.M. EDT, Flight 77 crashed into the western side of the Pentagon. All of the 58 passengers along with the crewmembers died. Meanwhile, 125 people in the Pentagon perished as the jet fuel exploded upon impact ("The 9/11 Commission Report"). The thick limestone walls and durability of the building materials being utilized in the renovations at the time were cited as the primary reasons why the ill-fated Flight 77 only penetrated the outer three rings out of the five concentric rings of the Pentagon ("Wikipedia"). Conspiracy Theories There are some people who question the truth behind the crashing of Flight 77 into the Pentagon. They believe that the attack was orchestrated by a select group of top-ranked people to serve their personal interest. Based on evidences collected, these people assert that the Pentagon was not hit by a Boeing 757. In line with this, others claim that a missile rather than an aircraft hit the Pentagon. Given

Cultural analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cultural analysis - Essay Example The usage declines as the age moves closer to forty. Psychographic: The attitude in the society is highly consumer oriented. People use credit to try and buy things that they cannot even afford. The high part culture makes the country a ready market for cosmetics items. Moreover highly nuclear families ensure that people like spending money on themselves. Women use cosmetics regularly and try to buy the most expensive items possible. The drive for organic products is increasing rapidly in United States. The purchases of organic products however are more common in women above the ages of 30 years (Advanstar, 2010). The females below 30 years are more focused on purchasing items which satisfy their aesthetic needs. Behavior: The organic nail polish according to the interviewed person is mostly used by the mature women belonging to rich families. This is because the prices of organic products are much high as compared to normal ones (Schiffman & Kanuk, 2002). Purchases are made usually from shops rather than online as women prefer to test items before making

Short Literature Review and Project Specification Essay

Short Literature Review and Project Specification - Essay Example However, as yet no study has been conducted to verify the above claims of kiosk vendors. Using a kiosk system, the customers are relieved from standing in the queue for getting a product or service (Whitech Solutions, n.d.); rather they can use the self service feature that is provided by the kiosk system at POS sites to reduce the response time that is otherwise on a higher side in traditional systems. A company needs to adopt an organized approach for implementing a kiosk system at its POS sites. This strategic IT decision should be taken after careful analysis of costs and the perceived expected benefits of the implementation. The site, technology, type of kiosk to implement, the hardware and software requirements, the vendors and strategic partners for the implementation are needed to be identified well before the actual implementation gets underway. As with any strategic IT implementation, the Return On Investment (ROI) must be calculated for this decision as well. However, since a number of qualitative factors are involved in this scenario, it is relatively a bit difficult to do a quantitative analysis to determine the degree of effectiveness and efficiency that a kiosk will provide to the business. This inherent limitation requires the organization to apply a focused effort to carefully examine and evaluate different criteria that it believes will have an impact on the overa ll implementation. 1.3 Managing the Change Although it is believes that kiosks add value to the business, yet the implementation needs to be monitored and supervised. A great technology with great potential in a great market will be useless if there is lack of support for it by employees and customers (Mitra, 2007). The project should be appropriately managed taking the employees into confidence that there jobs will not be at stake once the new system gets implemented. In addition, they need to be assured that the new system will actually assist them in improving their performance; for instance, installing a self service kiosk at a retail store will reduce the queue at the till, thus allowing the customer service personnel to give more time to each customer, and improve the quality of customer service; which will ultimately be reflected in his/her appraisal. 1.4 Benefits of Kiosk Implementations Kiosks have been implemented in organizations of all sizes, forms and belonging to various industries (Harris, 2006, p.1). The goal of any kiosk implementation can range from more sales, improved services to customers, controlling human resource related cost overheads, and create customer loyalty by offering an attractive, fast and responsive self service technique. 1.5 Issues with Kiosk Implementat

General motors company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

General motors company - Research Paper Example The company is a South Korea conglomerate company with its headquarters in Seoul. Chung Ju-Yung founded the group in 1998 after the purchase of the second largest car company; Kia Motors, Hyundei purchased 51% of the company thus leading to the growth in the company’s operations and its market share. The acquisition of stake in Kia Motors saw the company’s reestablishment, thus leading to its growth. Hyundei Company deals in production of cars, minivans, trucks, buses and other commercial vehicles. In 2000, the company establishes a fuel task force in Yongin, which acted as the company’s research and development center. In the same year, the Hyundei saw its success after disclosing its first prototype fuel cell vehicle (FCV), which was regarded as the Sante Fe Sports Utility Vehicle just a few months signing an agreement with International Fuel Cells with an effort of supplying fuel cell power plant. The sales made by the company have over the years increased sig nificantly, for example, it made sales of over 3.6 million for its vehicles worldwide. The company is known for its operation of the world largest integrated automobile manufacturing facility, which is based in Ulsan, giving it an ability of annually producing up to 1.6 million units. Hyundai Company has been significant in the provision of employment opportunities; it has employed 75,000 persons worldwide. The company sells its vehicles to 193 countries; this is achieved by use of 6,000 dealerships and showrooms (Chung 22). The major achievement of the company was witnessed in 1986, when he sell its products in the internationally it began to sell cars to the United states, where its product Excel got nomination of being the best product this was because of its cheap prices hence affordability. This was a stepping-stone to the company and from then it began producing model using the available technology. The aggregate production of in 1990 was estimated to be over four million; the company has seen its success in development of gasoline engine and its own transmission. These developments have given the company an opportunity to become technologically independent. In 1998, the company in an effort of establishing the company as an excellent brand, management and leadership was transferred to Chung Mong Koo the son of Chung Ju-Yung. This marked the beginning of heavy investment, invention of various designs, manufacturing and effectiveness in research of the company’s vehicles. Hyundai motors have maintained its position in the region and the world its products are known for the profound performance it has portrayed; it has become the top most valuable brands worldwide (Chung). Situation Analysis The company has been ranked as the fastest growing car manufacturer in South Korea. Currently, the company is involved in marketing of 20 variants of passenger cars in six segments. The continued performance of the company of being the fastest and leading passen ger car manufacturer has lead to the company registering high sales of up to 299, 513 vehicles in 2006, and these amounts to 18.5% increase from over the previous year. The company’s growth rate in the domestic market is an increase of 19.1% in 2006 compared to 17.4% in 2005. The company’s subsidiaries like Hyundai Motor India Limited contain a fully integrated state-of-the-art manufacturing plant has assists in boosting of quality

Convenience Store and Causeway Bay Essay Example for Free

Convenience Store and Causeway Bay Essay My favourite shopping centre is Times Square. It’s in Causeway Bay. I usually go there with my family on the weekends. I like to go with my family because I like to spend time with them, so we can know each other even better, make our love and care deeper too. Weekends are the best time to go because we don’t have to go to school and neither does our father need to go to work. It has a lot of facilities like a cinema, 4 floors of restaurants and photo sticker machines to remember that beautiful moment!! It also has shops with the newest and trendy brands like clothes, jeans, mobile phones and even toys. The also have some jewellery and bag shops which I like to buy. They have some convenience stores, like 7-eleven and circle k. Where we can find snacks after shopping because you do get tired holding those bags. I usually take the 8P bus because it’s convenient and cheap. They also hold some concerts or parties for special occasions like: Halloween, Christmas or Easter. I think it opens around 8 or 9 in the morning and closes at about 12 or 1 at night. I like it because it’s fun to shop although it could be expensive! Or just come to watch the movies and have dinner with your family or friends. I remember I was around 3 years old when I first went there, because at that time I lived in Causeway Bay, just next to the Times Square!

Capital Budgeting Techniques in Asset Investments

Capital Budgeting Techniques in Asset Investments Title: In practice asset investments are determined by using capital budgeting techniques – discuss using examples in real organisations Capital budgeting decisions are important because they affect the future earnings and growth of a company. Large amount of academic research has been devoted to establishing methods in asset investments. Most of these relate to Capital Asset Pricing Model, Net Present Value and Internal Rate of Return. But the question still remains how closely the above prescribed methods are followed in the real world. This paper looks at the financial methods used by small and large organisations in investment decision making and analyses whether there is any difference due to firm size. It also looks at whether there is any difference in the methods used during stable and unstable business environment. Net present value and Capital Asset Pricing Model are the two most common methods prescribed by academics for investment valuation. Over the years the above methods have become more common, yet various surveys find that the large companies use these methods more frequently than smaller firms. Small firms rely more on payback method for investment decision making. They also rely on their past experiences to decide which projects to take. During uncertain and crisis times, managements rely more on their qualitative analysis than on quantitative analysis to make investment judgments even though they carry out more financial analysis. A) Comparison of small and large business practices in relation to investment decisions Discounted cash flow methods are most common financial techniques mentioned in academic literature for investment decision making. Graham and Harvey (2001) carried out a survey of 392 CFOs in USA on capital budgeting techniques. They reported that the asset investment decision making relied heavily on the net present value technique in large firms. On the other hand, smaller firms were more likely to rely on payback method. Their survey and analysis clearly showed that firm-size was a major factor in deciding the corporate finance practices employed in investment decisions. Larger firms were more inclined to use Capital Asset Pricing Model than smaller firms. In case of smaller firms, CFOs used payback period method as frequently as NPV or IRR methods. They also noted that the dividend paying firms are more likely to use NPV and IRR methods as compared to non-dividend paying companies. Since dividend paying companies are on average larger than non-dividend paying companies, it shows that larger companies rely more on NPV and IRR for asset investment decision making. While Graham and Harvey (2001) study showed the growing importance of NPV as an asset investment decision tool, it also showed that the payback method is the third most likely used method in asset investment decision making process. Because of no time value of money in payback method, academics don’t use it for capital budget method. Buts its prevalence and third ranking shows that the companies still rely on relatively incorrect method for investment decision making. Brounen, Jong and Koedijk (2004) extended Graham and Harvey (2001) study to Europe. They surveyed 313 firms in UK, the Netherlands, Germany and France to analyse the practical applicability of the net present value and capital asset pricing models in the business world. Like results in Graham and Harvey (2001) study, their main observation was that the financial management practices are determined mainly by the size of a firm. But they found some differences in financial practices between companies based in USA and Europe. On capital budgeting, Brounen, Jong and Koedijk (2004) found that European firms are more likely to rely on payback method for investment decision making. While the payback method was third preference in the US, it was number one preference among European firms. Brounen, Jong and Koedijk (2004) noted that smaller firms use cost of capital as told by their investors. They don’t have robust resources in place neither internally nor resources to procure external services for cost of capital calculation. Absence of proper cost of capital measurement results in higher use of payback method. While in case of US companies, the use of NPV and payback method was equally distributed in the small firm segment, the use of payback was more prevalent in European smaller firms. This difference could be due to the difference in sample size of American and European firms. 51% of American firms in Graham and Harvey (2001) survey had sales of more than $500 million US dollars. The corresponding figure in Brounen, Jong and Koedijk (2004) survey is less than 25%. As the average size of European firms in Brounen, Jong and Koedijk (2004) survey was smaller than average size of American firms in Graham and Harvey (2001) survey, it is more likely that smaller firms use payback more than NPV in asset investment decision making. Ekanem (2005) surveyed 8 small enterprises in the printing and clothing sectors in UK to analyse their investment decision making process. His results showed that owner-managers of small firms rely more on their previous experience than formal evaluation to make investment decisions. He also lists the barriers faced by the small firms in investment decision making that result in owners’ reliance more on their experiences rather than formal evaluation. He cites absence of resources, both financial and managerial, to carry out proper financial evaluation and concentration of decision making in hands of one or two people as the major reasons behind their focus on past experiences. Ekanem (2005) also mentions the uncertain and risky nature of small enterprises as one of the reasons for relying more on experience. Small firms may run out of cash quickly due to sudden change in environment before they could see positive cash inflows from a project and hence many times ignore project s with higher payback periods. Sole trader A sole trader is most likely to employ his past experiences in evaluating an investment decision. If he had any past experiences which brought his current business or past businesses very close to bankruptcy due to high amount of debts, he would not like to take up projects which are not cash positive in short term even though they might have a positive net cash flow over their life. Most of the sole traders even don’t understand their true cost of capital. If they fund an internal project from internal accruals they don’t associate any cost with it. Very seldom they think about an opportunity cost of capital. Another reason for not associating costs to internal funds is the absence of difference between business and personal finances. Sole traders don’t have an external majority shareholder to report to and are not accountable to outsiders. They keep on drawing and adding back money to the business based on their personal requirements. Under such circumstances, it becomes very difficult for a sole trader to keep track of all cash flows associated with a project and hence is unable to do the asset investment decision making on the discounted cash flow model. As an example, we look at the independent pharmacies, i.e., those pharmacies not owned by a group or corporate houses and they normally have 1 to 5 pharmacy outlets in UK. Many of these are limited companies and owned and managed by a qualified pharmacist. Due to increasing regulatory requirements and competition, pharmacies are undergoing refurbishment to offer additional services and increase foot fall and over the counter sales. Over the counter sales have higher margins than NHS prescriptions. Most of the owners of the independent pharmacies are qualified pharmacists who have professionally managed their pharmacies but don’t have the financial expertise to properly evaluate an asset investment decision based on capital budgeting. When independent pharmacy owners spend money on refurbishment, they don’t take into account the cash flows associated specifically with the refurbishment over its project period. Most of them don’t have the financial expertise to build a full-scale discounted cash flow model to find out the net present value of the refurbishment project. Nor they like to spend money on external resources to do a financial evaluation. If they see that their peers in the pharmacy industry have managed to do well with refurbishment projects, they undertake similar projects. B) Comparison of investment decisions in stable and unstable business environments When companies have time to plan in advance, they do account for different risks when planning investment decisions. Cooper et. al. (2002) surveyed companies on the method of handling risk in the capital budgeting process. 87% of the respondents replied that they use subjective techniques and 65% affirmed that they used quantitative techniques. On the methods used to quantify risk, 33% of the respondents replied that they increase the required rate of return or cost of capital to compensate for risk considerations. But planning for risk in stable times and then taking decisions in unstable times are different things due to dynamics of things during unstable times. The major difference between stable and unstable environment is the increase in risk during unstable environment. Companies face two different kind of unstable business environments – company specific and economic-wide unstable business environment. Company specific unstable environment relate to company only and occur mostly due to rapid changes in that industry and/or the financial state of that company. The additional major risks facing a company under economic-wide unstable times are political risks and foreign exchange risks. Even though companies plan for political risks by adjusting rate of capital, when they actually face such a scenario, the investment decision making is more than just calculating net present value. Alessandri (2003) found that managers rely on their personal judgment and experience more than on quantitative decision tools as uncertainty increases. The use of qualitative tools more at the times of higher uncertainty deviates from the reliance of academic literature on quantitative tools only. Consider the example of firms planning to invest in Bolivia. Bolivia’s new president has nationalised mining industry. Any firm planning to invest in Bolivia will reassess the risk involved in investing there as its assets could be nationalised in future. It can use the net present value models and adjust political risk factor to incorporate future nationalising in Bolivia. But even after obtaining a positive net present value, most of the companies would not like to invest at current times. They would like to wait and watch to see further actions of the Bolivian government before making any investment decision. If the firm has external shareholders, the management would not like to invest in Bolivia now because if anything goes wrong in future, the management will find it very difficult to justify their action. They would rather play it safe and let the investment opportunity pass by if not invest later rather than facing a situation where their decisions could be severely cr iticised. The other major risk that could happen in unstable times is the foreign exchange risk. During 1997-98 the currencies of South East Asian countries plummeted. The drop was so sudden and so sharp that all financial modelling about risk incorporation couldn’t take full effects into consideration. Foreign investment in South East Asian countries in late 1997 and 1998 dropped significantly. Most of the companies waited for the government to take action and economy to stabilise before channelling in their investments. Because of the sharp drop in their currencies, it was widely expected that South East Asian countries would impose some ban on foreign capital repayment to prevent further out flow of foreign exchange. When countries did implement such ban, multinational companies were not sure when such a ban would be lifted and did not invest in South East Asian economies till the situation became normal. The rapid change in business environment during crisis times makes it very difficult for companies to assign value to various risk factors used in capital asset pricing model and net present value. This also results in managements relying more on qualitative analysis for investment decision making. Companies also face unstable business environment or crisis times which are specific to them only. This normally occurs when a company is perceived to be unable to meet its debt requirements and there are chances of it going into administration. At such times even though the company may come across a positive net present value project, it would be unable to invest money into the project because of high debt level concerns. Stagecoach is a UK listed firm in transportation sector. Prior to 2001, it had diversified in UK, Hong Kong and New Zealand. Sep 11, 2001 events severely impacted its tour operations because of reduced travel. Because of high fixed cost in establishing travel business, sudden drop in revenues raised doubts about the loan serviceability[1]. This was reflected in the sudden drop of Stagecoach’s share price which lost more than 3/4th of its value in the year 2002[2]. Even though Stagecoach’s Hong Kong operations were profitable, the management sold Hong Kong operations to reduce debt levels to meet market expectations[3]. The management also sold other operations in non-UK countries and its share of a joint venture with Virgin Rail to reduce debt levels. Investment decision making in crisis times involves more than just quantitative analysis and managements make decisions based on their past experiences and likely outcome of different scenarios. Many times during company-specific crisis of high debt, managements take investment decisions to meet market expectations rather than decisions based on net present value. CONCLUSION Capital budgeting decisions play a very important role in deciding future growth of a company. Academics rely on use of financial models like net present value, capital asset pricing model and internal rate of return to evaluate investment decisions. Over the years, the use of above methods has become more common. Large companies mostly use the above methods in asset investments. But in case of smaller companies, the use of other methods like payback period is still prevalent. Though over the years the gap between theory and practice has narrowed down, the use of payback period method shows that smaller companies either don’t have the expertise or resources to do proper financial evaluation. The owner-managers of smaller companies and sole traders also rely heavily on their past experiences to decide about investments. During uncertain and crisis times, managements rely more on their qualitative analysis than on quantitative analysis to make investment judgments even though they carry out more financial analysis. Managements would not like to take decisions just on the basis of net present value to invest during crisis times. BIBLIOGRAPHY Alessandri, T. (2003). â€Å"The impact of risk and uncertainty on rationality: Evidence from capital investment decision processes†. Working paper presented at the Academy of Management Conference, Seattle, WA. Brounen, D., A. de Jong and K. Koedijk (2004). â€Å"Corporate finance in Europe: Confronting theory with practice†. Financial Management, Tampa. Winter 2004. Vol. 33, Iss. 4; Pg. 71 Cooper, W.D., R.G. Morgan, A. Redman and M. Smith (2002). â€Å"Capital budgeting models: theory versus practice†, Business Forum, Los Angeles, 2002, Vol. 26, Iss. 1/2, Pg.15 Ekanem, I. (2005). â€Å"‘Bootstrapping’: The investment decision-making process in small firms†. The British Accounting Review, Kidlington. Sep 2005, Vol. 37, Iss. 3, Pg. 299 Graham, J.R. and Harvey, C.R. (2001). â€Å"The theory and practice of corporate finance: Evidence from the field†. Journal of Financial Economics, Amsterdam. May/Jun 2001. Vol. 60, Iss. 2,3; Pg. 187 [1] Stagecoach trading update (http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=200204290701312056V) [2] Stagecoach share price chart (http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=SGC.Lt=5y Date 21 Jan 2007) [3] Stagecoach’s sale of Hong Kong operations (http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=200401190817013617U)

L.L. Bean Essay -- essays research papers

L.L.Bean started from making a hundred pair of boots, to becoming one of America largest mail order retailer of high quality outdoor goods and apparel for men, women and children. Leon Leonwood Bean founded L.L. Bean in 1912; the company headquarters is in Freeport, Maine. Leon Leonwood Bean founded his business on a belief in honesty, commitment to quality, customer satisfaction and a passion for the outdoors. Leon Leonwood Bean was an avid outdoorsman that decided that he could improve on the typical hunting boots. He had a local shoemaker stitch a pair of waterproof shoe rubber to leather tops. Then he field-tested them himself to see first hand if they was any good. In 1912 he sold 100 pairs of the boots and â€Å"attached a tag guaranteeing 100% satisfaction. Within a matter of weeks, the shoes began coming back. Ninety pairs were returned, the rubber bottoms separated from the tops† (L.L.Bean.com). Leon Leonwood Bean make good on his promise of 100% satisfaction guaranteed by replacing all boots that was returned and established a business with his customers that is still going strong today. That value lives on today at L.L.Bean. They still measure success by the customer’s satisfaction and the guarantee upon which the company was founded that says â€Å"Our products are guaranteed to give 100% satisfaction in every way. Return anything purchased from us at any time if it proves otherwise. We will replace it, refund your purchase price or credit your credit card. We do not want you to have anything from L.L. Bean that is not completely satisfactory† (L.L.Bean.com). L.L.Bean 3 L.L.Bean doesn’t just say this, but really lives by it. My dad had a pair of the Maine hunting boots for years. He told me one day that the boots started leaking at the seams and I told him to send them back to L.L.Bean with a note telling them what was wrong and that you would like a new pair. In about three weeks from sending them back he got a new pair of the Maine hunting boots in the mail with no questions asked. So L.L.Bean really does live by the 100% satisfaction guarantee even if you have the stuff for years before you become dissatisfied with it. How many retail store will give its customers 100% satisfaction guarantee no questions asked? I can’t think of one other company in the outdoors goods and clothing business that will do that. L.L. Bean started with one store in Freepo... ...r. Customer service is the heart of L.L.Bean mail order, retail stores and web site. During the peak holidays season L.L.Bean has over 3 thousands customer service representatives working for them, to handle over 100 thousands calls on busiest days and more then 15 million calls a year. About 2 thousands of L.L.Bean customer service representatives come back to work the holiday season year after year. â€Å"L.L.Bean also does not evaluate customer service representatives based on the average length of their calls, unlike many other companies, or on the revenue they generate† (Tedeschi, 2000, p4). Customer service representatives can spend as much time as needed with a customer, which has translated to a loyal customer base for L.L.Bean. Customer service is why L.L.Bean has L.L.’s Golden Rule â€Å"Sell good merchandise at a reasonable profit, treat your customers like human beings, and they will always come back for more† (L.L.Bean.com). With L.L.Bean 100% satisfaction guarantee and L.L.’s Golden Rule value lives on at L.L.Bean today and will for a long time. They want to build a relationship that will last a lifetime. That is why L.L.Bean is one of the best-managed companies in America.

city history :: essays research papers

The Roman Empire had started at Anatolia. Byzantine Empire had lived between 330 and 1453. The Seljuk Empire had started with having most of Anatolia in the early part of 11th century. The Roman Empire, Byzantine and The Seljuk Empire, all of them have a special place in history. Also there are some similarities and differences among them in terms of their political and administrative structures, socio economic organization, daily life and regional hierarchy. A-) Roman Empire consisted of kings, magistrates, and senators. The king had a big power. He could accept, reject, or overrule senatotors’ decions because he was sen as a God of the earth. In Roman cities, councils transformed city states to central government officals. So urban councils’ functions were seperated two parts. These were civil and military authorities because of centralization. Value of political power and situation of city councilmen diminished with the transformation of authority. The consuls were not the only kings in Roma. Also Roman Empire gave importance to army. They had very organised army, military and farmer soldiers. The farmer soldiers were given grain and they made it such as porridge and wheat. Because of centralization urban councils in cities of Roman Empire. Central government had to divided to seperate civil and military authority. The Roman Empire, political organization was higly centralized and administration structure of the The Roman Emp ire had an ecclesiastic property so that the emperor was accepted as the representative of God. The church had a close relationship with the emperor of The Roman Empire because of this belief. Also christianity became state religion in the beginning period of The Roman Empire. For instace, one of the criterias to be citizen of Roman Empire was belonging to the christian church.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Roman Empire had continued with the Byzantine so major of characteristics of both empires were similar. The Byzantine Empire had city-satates as a heritage from The Roman Empire. The main changes between The Roman Empire and The Byzantine Empire were establishment of the political center and tendency to growing cetralization and reletive compactness of Byzantines’ borders that contrasted with the basic pattern of The Roman Empire. In The Byzantine Empire, church had a big importance at the political instution of senate, the court, and bureacracy. Also political organization was very centralized and the major pivotal forces of the centrality was the emperor, thebureacracy, the army and the church in Byzantine.

Comparing the Hero in Fall of the House of Usher, Rip Van Winkle, and M

The Romantic Hero in Fall of the House of Usher, Rip Van Winkle, and May-Pole of Merry Mount Hero n. a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. Though this is the definition of hero according to Random House Webster’s Dictionary, the Romantic interpretation of hero is quite different. A Romantic hero is usually somewhat innocent and carefree, separate from the masses, and is almost always on some type of journey. This hero is idealistic, non-conforming, and rarely lives in the â€Å"here and now,† but, on the contrary, is well rounded, skilled in some fashion, and able to communicate with all walks of life. Romantic heroes are found in the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allen Poe, and Washington Irving. Edith and Edgar are the hero and heroine of â€Å"The May-Pole of Merry Mount† by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Though the people of Merry Mount are themselves romantic, these two characters typify authentic Romantic qualities. In this short story, May is a time for renewal, merriment, and celebration. This season is full of color, laughter, and animal-like costumes. â€Å"Within the ring of the monsters, appeared the two airiest forms†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (624). Edith and Edgar, the focus of the festivities, are getting married and are adorned with vibrant garments; therefore, are the most beautiful and admired of the Merry Mount group. They are both young and innocent, which is also an attribute of Romantic heroes. While waiting for the ceremony to begin, Edgar glances at Edith and is surprised by her disposition. He questions her â€Å"pensive† look and explains to her â€Å"that nothing of futurity will be brighter than the mere remembrance of what is now passingâ⠂¬ (625). Edith then acknow... ... In conclusion, not all definitions of hero can be found in the dictionary. Washington Irving, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgar Allen Poe offer three contrasting portraits of a Romantic hero. Rip, Edith and Edgar, and Roderick may not fill Webster’s shoes of criteria, but their wardrobe is truly Romantic.    Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. â€Å"The May-Pole of Merry Mount.† The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Bayn. New York: Norton & Company, 1999. 623-630. Irving, Washington. â€Å"Rip Van Winkle.† The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Bayn. New York: Norton & Company, 1999. 429-439. Poe, Edgar Allen. â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher.† The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Bayn. New York: Norton & Company, 1999. 717-730.

Annotations Heart of Darkness

Passage 1 â€Å"I left in a French steamer: The French Steam Ship and she called in every blamed port they have out there, for, as far as I could see, the sole purpose of landing soldiers and custom-house officers. I watched the coast. Watching a coast as it slips by the ship is like thinking about an enigma. Analogy comparing the coast slipping by the ship to a mystery. There it is before you — smiling, frowning, inviting, grand, mean, insipid, or savage, and always mute with an air of whispering, Personification: Giving humanlike features to the coast. ‘Come and find out. This one was almost featureless, as if still in the making, with an aspect of monotonous grimness. Suggesting that the coast invites us to uncover its secrets. The edge of a colossal jungle, so dark-green as to be almost black by using these two words is the author purposely trying to imply racial discrimination†¦.? , fringed with white surf, ran straight, like a ruled line, far, far away along a blue sea whose glitter was blurred by a creeping mist. The sun was fierce, the land seemed to glisten and drip with steam. Here and there grayish-whitish specks showed up clustered inside the white surf, with a flag flying above them perhaps. Whitish specks† symbolize the white settlements. Settlements some centuries old, and still no bigger than pinheads on the untouched expanse of their background. They looked so small in the huge jungle. We pounded along, stopped, landed Parallelism soldiers; went on, landed Parallelism custom-house clerks to levy toll in what looked like a God-forsaken wilderness, with a tin shed and a flag-pole lost in it; landed Parallelism more soldiers — to take care of the custom-house clerks, presumably. Some, I heard, got drowned in the surf; but whether they did or not, nobody seemed particularly to care.They were just flung out there, and on we went. Every day the coast looked the same, as though we had not moved; but we passed various pl aces — trading places — with names like Gran' Bassam, Little Popo; names that seemed to belong to some sordid farce acted in front of a sinister back-cloth. The idleness of a passenger, my isolation amongst all these men with whom I had no point of contact, the oily and languid sea, the uniform somberness of the coast, Using descriptive language to describe the calm motionless sea†¦ seemed to keep me away from the truth of things, within the toil of a mournful and senseless delusion.The voice of the surf heard now and then was a positive pleasure, like the speech of a brother. The sound of the waves was a calm sound for him and he compares it to the voice of a brother using a simile. It was something natural that had its reason that had a meaning. Now and then a boat from the shore gave one a momentary contact with reality. Sometimes the boat on the shore reminded him of reality†¦this quote touches the theme of the story, It was paddled by black fellows. â₠¬Å"Black fellows† Discriminatory language-(You could see from afar the white of their eyeballs glistening.They shouted, sang; their bodies streamed with perspiration; they had faces like grotesque masks Is this a caricature, its describing the features of the â€Å"blacks† as a grotesque mask which to me sounds exaggerated and inaccurate. How can you say that about someone? Isn’t that a bit condescending, comparing their faces to an ugly mask (simile) these chaps; but they had bone, muscle, a wild vitality, an intense energy of movement, descriptive language describing their sharp features. that was as natural and true as the surf along their coast.They wanted no excuse for being there. They were a great comfort to look at. For a time I would feel I belonged still to a world of straightforward facts. What are the straight forward facts and who defines them? ; But the feeling would not last long. Something would turn up to scare it away. Once, I remember, we came upon a man-of-war anchored off the coast. There wasn't even a shed there, and she was shelling the bush. It appears the French had one of their wars going on thereabouts.Her ensign dropped limp like a rag; the muzzles of the long six-inch guns stuck out all over the low hull; the greasy, slimy swell swung her up lazily and let her down, swaying her thin masts. In the empty immensity of earth, sky, and water, there she was, incomprehensible, firing into a continent. Onomatopoeia(Pop, would go one of the six-inch guns; a small flame would dart and vanish, a little white smoke would disappear, a tiny projectile would give a feeble screech — and nothing happened. Nothing could happen.There was a touch of insanity in the proceeding ‘Touch of Insanity† is no t the lateral meaning of the word, in this case it can be used as a figure of speech, a sense of lugubrious drollery in the sight; and it was not dissipated by somebody on board assuring me earnestly there was a cam p of natives — he called them enemies! — hidden out of sight somewhere. Passage 2: We penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness. It has a literal and figurative meaning. Literal in that the river shrunk as they continued on with their journey and opened up from the front.It’s figurative in that the heart of darkness symbolizes the things unknown and the things which represent or hold a larger importance. It was very quiet there. At night sometimes the roll of drums behind the curtain of trees would run up the river and remain sustained faintly, as if hovering in the air high over our heads, till the first break of day. Whether it meant war, peace, or prayer we could not tell. †¦ We were wanderers on prehistoric earth, on an earth that wore the aspect of an unknown planet.They had gone so far off, that they went able to recognize anything and thus they felt like they were born again as they went further down into the heart of darkness. We could have fancied ourselves the first of men taking possession of an accursed inheritance, to be subdued at the cost of profound anguish and of excessive toil. But suddenly, as we struggled round a bend, there would be a glimpse of rush walls, of peaked grass hoofs, a burst of yells, a whirl of black limbs, a mass of hands clapping, of feet stamping, of bodies swaying, of eyes rolling, Parallelism(‘†¦of†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢) under the droop of heavy and motionless foliage. .. The prehistoric man was cursing us, praying to us, welcoming us-who Parallelism (‘†¦was’) could tell. Who is to judge whether they were welcoming them or abusing them. This passage shows uncertainty in that nothing seems understandable. ? We were cut off from the comprehension of our surroundings; we glided past like phantoms, Simile in that as the glided past no one noticed them and like a ghost it almost wasn’t real. Nothing seemed real, and their presence was insignificant. They wer e invisible. ondering and secretly appalled, as sane men would be before an enthusiastic outbreak in a madhouse. Analogy: As they tried to discover the unknown just like men from a mad house released and waiting to get out and notice everything. could not understand because we were too far and could not remember, because we were traveling in the night of first ages, of those ages that are gone, leaving hardly a sign-and no memories. The earth seemed unearthly. Paradox We are accustomed to 1ook upon the shackled form of a conquered monster, but there – there you could look at a thing monstrous and free.It was unearthly, and the men were–No, they were not inhuman. Well, you know, that was the worst of it-this suspicion of their not being inhuman. I would come slowly to one. They howled and leaped, and spun, and made horrid faces; but what thrilled you was just the thought of their humanity-like yours-the thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar . Ugly. Yes, it was ugly enough; They were horrified and unable to recognize there surroundings. They felt like they had been born again into a world waiting to be re discovered. ut if you were man enough you would admit to yourself that there was in you just the faintest trace of a response to the terrible frankness of that noise, a dim suspicion of there being a meaning in it which you -you so remote from tile night of the first ages–could comprehend. And why not? The mind of man is capable of anything-because everything is in it, all the past as well as the future. What was there after all? Joy, fear, sorrow, devotion, valor, rage-who can tell? -but truth-truth stripped of its cloak of time. Let the fool gape and shudder-the man knows, and can look on without a wink.But he must at least be as much of a man as these on the shore. He must meet that truth with his own true stuff-with his inborn strength. They were searching for the truth†¦but what was really the ‘t ruth’? Principles won't do. Acquisitions, clothes, pretty rags–rags that would fly off at the first good shake. No; you want a deliberate belief. An appeal to me in this fiendish row-is there? Very well; I hear; I admit, but I have a voice, Parallelism (‘†¦I†¦ ’) too, and for good or evil mine is the speech that cannot be silenced. Of course, a fool, what with sheer fright and fine sentiments, is always safe.

Importance of Understanding Cultural, Ethnic, and Gender Differences Essay

The United States is and will continue to be a very diverse place. More than 8 million legal immigrants came to the U. S. between 1981 and 1990, and an undetermined number of undocumented immigrants enter the United States each year. In addition, the United States includes people of many religions, languages, economic groups, and other cultural groups. In order to be a successful manager in today’s very diverse society a manager needs to be open and understanding of cultural differences, different ethnicities, and gender differences among employees. Diversity is the presence of people from a wide range of backgrounds all possessing different traits. Some possible contributors to diversity include but are not limited to differences in age, race, ethnic origin, culture, physical abilities, religion and sexual orientation. As the text book states, ‘bringing diverse workers into an organization is seldom a seamless transition. ’ People tend to prejudge and place stereotypes or generalized beliefs that all members of a group possess the same characteristics from different cultures, race, or sex; this must be overcome. To be effective, managers and employees need to recognize, respect, and capitalize on each other’s differences. By being diverse in its employees, a business has a better opportunity for new ideas and growth potential. As discussed this week in class, when the department head turned down the Jamaican friend for the position, even though he seemed better qualified, it showed stereotyping and prejudices can have a negative effect in the workplace. The situation made for an uncomfortable, even negative environment in the workplace. By the department head’s negative behavior it caused a barrier for productivity and potentially harmed working relationships. It is essential in today’s business world for managers and professionals to understand the importance of cultural, ethnical and gender differences to make a positive work environment possible. While performing the ball and sock experiment, I was put outside of my comfort zone and was forced to see what it was like in someone else’s shoes. I found the lefty experiment to be awkward and difficult. I started in the early morning as I was getting ready for work. The seemingly thoughtless tasks that I completed every morning such as showering, brushing my teeth and hair, and eating breakfast now became hard and tedious. I continued the experiment when I returned home from work. Preparing dinner as a lefty was virtually impossible and almost dangerous. Most tasks as a lefty were manageable after some time and practice, but operating a knife was not. I am sure that with a little time and patience these tasks could have become easier to me. I can see how it could be frustrating living as a lefty in a right handed world. This is the same concept as being from a different culture, ethnicity, and gender then those in your workplace. Although the transition into a new company can be difficult, with time and some adjustment it is possible. I can relate the ball in the sock experiment to the importance of understanding cultural, ethnic, and gender differences in the work place because adjusting to something that we are not accustomed to can be challenging. It is important to understand that people we come into contact with everyday come from a background that we may not know much about. It can be difficult to adjust when meeting new people or entering a new work environment. I believe an organizations success can be attributed to its ability to embrace diversity and appreciate the benefits. A workplace who supports diversity can supply an assortment of solutions to problems. A diverse workplace can facilitate a broader service range. It can allow a company to provide their service to those all around the world. I think the most significant benefit to supporting diversity in the workplace is the inspiration it gives to all of its employees to perform to their greatest capacity. Diversity allows employees to come together to accomplish a common goal as a team. Employees will feel comfortable to share their viewpoints and ideas to execute a goal or solve a problem. I believe diversity opens the door for workplaces to achieve higher productivity, result in higher profits, and benefit the community. Diversity may not be something that people are familiar with and may even have a difficult time adjusting to, which is similar to trying to using your opposite hand in daily tasks. I believe understanding diversity will show employees the importance of it in the workplace and how it can enhance the quality of work.

Ancient Egypt: Palaces and Pyramids

Palaces and Pyramids: A Deeper Look Pyramids have long been an image of ancient Egyptian lands and culture, being one of the most recognizable aspects of their life and culture. Huge man made buildings give tourists and many alike a view into the past the dedication these ancient people put-forth to their craft and cause. Not long before these great pyramids were raised, another people like the ancient Egyptians built huge complexes themselves.Great palace structures like that of Sargon II, discovered in Dur Sharrukin where present-day Khorsabad, Iraq is located, allow us to understand how these people of the Ancient Near East were vastly similar and respectfully different from the people of Ancient Egypt. The pyramids of Ancient Egypt help us journey into the past and help us gain an idea of what these huge structures meant to the people constructing them, and those who they were constructed for. These structures were built for the burial of kings, rulers, and people of the like.The y were raised high to the sky, thought to help these fallen leaders become closer to the gods and to allow an easy transition into the afterlife. They had slanted triangular walls which are thought to represent the slanting rays of the sun. The first of these burial chambers was a mastaba, which was low, solid, and rectangular in shape. These mastabas consisted of a chapel where the deceased person’s family and friends could pay tribute through the offering of gifts. A serdab was also inside the mastabas where the statue of ka (believed to be the soul of a person) was placed.An underground burial chamber completed the construction of the mastaba. These mastabas were originally built with mud brick, but as the culture progressed they were built with limestone. Eventually, the mastaba evolved into a much larger structure. This structure was a stacking of mastaba forms with a large mastaba at the base and decreasing in size as it extended vertically, like steps. The stepped pyra mid, as they were called, contained an original mastaba towards the center of this raised structure. It also contained an underground burial chamber just like the original mastabas.These huge pyramids were built with massive quantities of limestone making them very sturdy structures being able to withstand strong weather conditions. The pyramid structures that followed were slightly different in their structure and composition. They no longer contained the original mastaba like that of the stepped pyramids. Instead, they enclosed ascending and descending corridors leading to and from the underground burial chamber. There are also different in that they have small corridors that are believed to be air shafts. The most famous of these pyramid structures are the Great Pyramids of Giza in Giza.These pyramids were built by three successive kings Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure. Placed on the west side of the Nile, these pyramids were constructed as funerary temples for the three kings, each having his own built where he was to be place upon his death. These pyramids are of the regular pyramid variety, not displaying the steps like those of the stepped pyramids. The building of these pyramids was no ordinary task. Teams of workers transported stones averaging 2. 5 tons by muscle power, placing logs underneath as rollers, and sliding them across mud on sleds.When the kings died, they were embalmed and placed inside a coffin which was placed deep and underground within the pyramid inside the burial chamber. A large 50-ton stone block sealed off the burial chamber. These pyramids were used as a protection device as the kings’ souls each climbed to the sky to be amongst the gods. These pyramids of Giza also contained three false passage ways to further protect the kings from intruders entering the pyramid. Inscriptions of the deceased kings depict them climbing up rays of sun to join the sun god Ra.These inscriptions help tell us that the Egyptian people were highly invested in the afterlife and spent much time preparing for it. It also reinforces the structure and function of the pyramids as their slanting walls were thought to be built in accordance with the rays of the sun. The palace complexes of Assyria during the time period of the Ancient Near East were no slouch to the pyramids of ancient Egypt. These huge complexes were elaborate in design and structure as they were built for similar reasons to the pyramids of Egypt.These palace complexes were constructed in honor and tribute of kings just like the pyramids of Ancient Egypt. However, these palaces were built in honor of military victories and ruling success, unlike the reasons of the pyramids. Constructed with adobe brick, limestone, and marble the complexes were used with different kinds of material unlike the pyramids of Ancient Egypt. These complexes were lined with relief sculptures, paintings, and wall reliefs describing military victories of kings. These works helped show the pow er of the king to the people visiting and entering the complex.A famous palace complex was built by Sargon II and was located in Dur Sharrukin. Surrounding the castle complex was a protecting fortress. The palace complex was guarded by two towers and was only accessible by a wide ramp leading up to an open square around which government and religious officials were scattered about. The main courtyard was beyond this complex which housed service buildings on the right and temples to the left. The heart of the palace was just past the main courtyard where the king’s residence was located. A gate with large a pair of lamassu guarded the entrance to the king’s palace.Inside the palace was a large ziggurat made up of seven levels each painted a different color. This ziggurat was a symbol of the king’s claim to his empire. Both the pyramids of Ancient Egypt and the palace complexes of Assyria were massive architectural achievements of their respective time periods. Th ese huge structures help show the kind of religious and military commitment that the people of these two periods possessed. The palaces and pyramids were both built upon the idea of honoring the kings of the time, each through a different avenue.The pyramids of Ancient Egypt were used as a funerary complex to honor and ultimately assist their kings into the afterlife where they would live for eternity with the gods. The palace complexes were also built in tribute of their king but were used to honor military achievement and ruling success. Although we are uncertain of the exact meaning of everything to do with the two structures, they allow us to take a journey into the ancient world and better understand the culture and life of these interesting people.

Inflation of Singapore

Bachelor of Commerce (Bridging) Intake 17 Elements of Economics Contents Introduction3 CPI inflation4 MAS inflation5 Private road transport5 Accommodation6 Recommendation7 Conclusion8 References9 Inflation here up 5. 5% in December Introduction Last December, Singapore’s inflation, which is defined as a persistently rising price level, rose to 5. 5 per cent on a year-on-year basis. The author states that CPI inflation is due to the accommodation and private road transport higher contribution. Furthermore, the author also mention the MAS core inflation increased to 2. per cent year-on-year due to the ongoing pass-through of earlier increasing costs. The report from December’s MAS’s Recent Economic Developments in Singapore further supports the author’s article. In this discussion, it could be argued that consumer demand for housing and transport are the major factors, which Department of Statistic Singapore reported, contribute to the increment in inflation . In addressing the challenge of the governments to meet the consumer demand, the paper will mention a few discussions and a recommendation about the issue on inflation of Singapore.CPI and MAS Inflation CPI inflation CPI, or Consumer Price Index, measures the average of the prices paid by urban consumers for a â€Å"fixed† basket of consumer goods and service (Michael Parkin, 2011). In Singapore, the major contributing â€Å"fixed† baskets are Housing, Food and Transport. In total, these three factors are more than half of the entire CPI. Data extracted from the December 2011’s CPI report is using year 2009 as the base period, which is derived from a Household Expenditure Survey.As Singapore inflation rates are published monthly, the Singapore Government is preventing bad or fictional speculations of future inflation. [pic] Source: Department of Statistic Singapore, 2012 Below table showing partial data of Singapore CPI December 2011 |FOOD |2,205 | |HOUSING |2, 548 | |Accommodation |2,002 | |Fuel & utilities 357 | |Household durables |189 | |TRANSPORT |1,553 | |Private road transport |1,166 | |Public road transport |366 | |Other travel & transport |21 | |Source: Department of Statistic Singapore, 2012 |MAS inflation MAS’ core inflation is stated as a smaller amount than the CPI inflation in this article. This difference is due to MAS monitoring a core inflation measure that excludes components of â€Å"Accommodation† and â€Å"Private road transport†. Private road transport Data from Department of Statistic Singapore states that the overall inflation of transport increased 10% from last year’s December with a detailed 12. 2% increment for the sub category â€Å"Private road transport†. Singapore Government controls the number of vehicles on the island via placing a quota on COE.In mid October 2011, the Singapore Government announced that the annual growth rate will be decreased smoothly until end of 2014 as vehicles population is growing faster than the government’s vehicle growth rate (Tony Ng, 2011). With the sharp increase in COE premiums in June and July 2011 (MAS, 2012), car prices surged, therefore defining the 12. 2% increment in â€Å"Private road transport†. As COE supply is tight, private road transport costs will remain firm. Hence, contribution to the increased inflation is not entirely from private road transport, but from the other main â€Å"fixed† basket, Accommodation.Accommodation Singapore’s economy recovered fast unexpectedly, this is good news but with backlash as Singapore’s infrastructure programmes could not keep pace, causing shortage in the housing program (Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, 2011). Since property cooling measures were introduced by the government in year 2010, properties firms claimed that the number of deals closed have dropped by 30% compared to a year ago (PropertyWire, 2011). One of the new measures is th at home owners being required to sell off their flats first before qualifying to the higher bank loan of 80% of next purchasing flat’s value.Most sellers prefer buy first, then sell (Eugene Lim, 2011), causing them to disqualify from the higher loan and only facing with the maximum 60% loan from the banks. Now they have to produce 40% of purchasing flat value from their own cash. With such conditions, sellers are commanding higher cash premiums or cash over valuation (COV) resulting in more expensive or inflated resale flats. On the other hand, people who turn away from resale flats, with factor from the supplies of new flats that are slow in completion, are looking into rental accommodation.The other new cooling measurement the government has introduced is the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP). It is defined that flats can be only being rented out after five years, increased from the previous one to three years period. As more Singaporeans and other people in Singapore are loo king for completed dwellings, the inflation in accommodation is caused by high demand and low supply. Recommendation [pic] Supply and Demand Graph Source: Irena Asmundson, 2010. Demand and supply curves are charted as shown above.As prices rises, suppliers are willing to produce more and consumers buying less (Irena Asmendson, 2010). In addition, the demand for accommodation is high and the supply is low, Singapore accommodation’s price has inflated. To solve this increasing demand and shortage of accommodation, Singapore government has been producing more HDB apartments. From the key statistic from the Housing and Development Board, there are 43,030 apartments under construction in the fiscal year of 2010/2011, a 20. 8% increased from the previous fiscal year.A huge increase of 68. 6% apartments completed from the previous year further reinstate the government’s effort to lower the shortage of accommodation, but the total bookings for new flats are 17,419, less than h alf the number of apartments under construction. This difference can be defined as a huge number of unsold or surplus apartments as HDB in the market. If this is to be true, the huge number of unsold apartment will lower the prices, causing suppliers to produce less and consumers buying more. ConclusionSingapore CPI inflation rate in December is hugely contributed from the factor of accommodation and private road transport. In conclusion, the increased COE premiums and accommodation shortage can the detailed explanation. The Singapore government has been doing readjustment in the property market and private road transport. With introduction of new cooling measures and building of more new apartments, the government can curb or lowered the accommodation inflation rate. Inclusion with the huge surplus of unsold apartment, the accommodation inflation rate can be lowered to with the demand and supply law.Word count: 932 References Michael Parkin, 2009. Economics. 10th edition. Pearson A ddison Wesley Department of Statistic Singapore (2012, January 25). Singapore Consumer Price Index December 2011. Department of Statistic Singapore. Retrieved from http://www. singstat. gov. sg/news/news/cpidec2011. pdf [Accessed 6 February 2012] Matthew Bishop (2004, April). Economics A-Z. The Economist. Retrieved from http://www. economist. com/economics-a-to-z/i#node-21529397 [Accessed 6 February 2012] Monetary Authority of Singapore (2011, December 8).Recent Economic Developments in Singapore. Monetary Authority of Singapore. Retrieved from http://www. mas. gov. sg/resource/eco_research/eco_dev_ana/Recent_Economic_Developments. pdf [Accessed 7 February 2012] Tony Ng (2011, October 19). COE premiums hit record hit. AsiaOne Motoring. Retrieved from http://www. asiaone. com/Motoring/News/Story/A1Story20111019-305931. html [Accessed 8 February 2012] Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (2011, August 14). National Day Rally 2011. Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore. Retrieved from ht tp://www. pmo. gov. g/content/pmosite/mediacentre/speechesninterviews/primeminister/2011/August/Prime_Minister_Lee_Hsien_Loongs_National_Day_Rally_2011_Speech_in_English. html [Accessed 8 February 2012] Property Wire (2011, October 10). PropertyWire, Asia. Shortage or resale flats driving up prices in Singapore. Retrieved from http://www. propertywire. com/news/asia/singapore-real-estate-shortage-201110105661. html [Accessed 8 February 2012] Irena Asmundson (2010, June). Finance and Development. Back to Basic: Supply and Demand. Retieved from http://www. imf. org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2010/06/basics. htm [Accessed 9