Saturday, August 31, 2019

7 Eleven or also known as 7-1 Essay

1.0 Introduction 7 Eleven or also known as 7-11, is part of an international chain of convenience stores. 7 Eleven is the world’s largest operator, franchisor, and licensor of convenience stores with more than 50,000 outlets. 1.1 Objective and Scope The purpose of this report is to analyze and evaluate 7 Eleven’s marketing strategies and practices to demonstrate that 7 Eleven is â€Å"marketing-oriented†. The scope of the report includes PESTEL analysis and Porter’s 5 Forces analysis to confirm its threats and chances to improve it. This report also include SWOT analysis and the 7 P’s and marketing strategies that are applied for 7 Eleven. 1.2 Background of 7 Eleven The 7-Eleven stores in Malaysia first opened in 9 October 1984 and achieved a milestone with its 1000th store opening in 2008. The store originally opens from 7 am to 11 pm and operates 7 days a weeks. The stores hold around 1,800 of products, including its own propriety brands such as Big Gulp and Slurpee. 7 Eleven introduced new complimentary products and services, differentiating the brand by allowing bill payment service, selling frozen food, ready-to-eat food and fresh food. Other services that are available in 7-Eleven include Touch N Go reload, soft pins, ink cartridge, refill and photocopying, fax, ATM and internet games’ starter packs. 2.0 Environmental Analysis Environmental analysis is a basic marketing function used to help marketers identify trends or outside forces that may impact upon the success or failure of a particular product. 7 Eleven has analyzed the environment which is its macro environment before starting out the launching of the products by making sure that the products have meets all of its expectations and respects the specifications that are needed to abide by the law. 7 Eleven does its research by observing and getting feedback forms their customers. The marketing intelligence that 7 Eleven applied are internal database by getting information of their customer’s average age, income, education and what they typically spend per visit. This allows 7 Eleven to create profiles of typical customers, characteristics they use to target other noncustomer  consumers. 2.1 Macro Environment PESTEL are used on human resource and introductory marketing courses in most studies. PESTEL are also known as Politic, Economy, Social, Technology, Environment and Legal. It has been used for quite a long time and the history is so far still unknown. PESTEL analysis is applied because it helps a company to make decisions for future which enables them to understand wider about the environment in which they operate. PESTEL analysis is also applied to take advantages to maximize the opportunities and minimize the threats to an organization by conducting strategic analysis. As can be seen on table 2.1-2, 7 Eleven have a huge amount of threats and this are and will be affecting 7 Eleven’s sales. Firstly, 7 Eleven have a large number of threats in the current situation unlike last time. The threats are high not only in new entrants but also on the substitutes that are currently existed around the world. 7 Eleven may be a booming store last time but not anymore due to a massive amount of new entrà ©e that are almost similar to 7 Eleven from products to services. In order to compete with these competitors, 7 Eleven have formulate effective strategies and marketing mix strategies. 2.3 SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is used for identifying and determining the internal and external factors that can have an impact on the capability of a project. SWOT analysis are applied in this project is to make sure that the project or goal is worth conducting and what is the requirement to make it profitable. SWOT stands for Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats. As can be seen in Table 2.3-1, 7 Eleven has been using its strength by offering a variety of goods in a low price and operates 24 hours in 7 days. So far, 7 Eleven is the only store that supply a cold drink known as Slurpee which makes a number of difference than other stores. 7 Eleven’s weakness is that not every store can provide what other stores can because some stores are smaller which makes it hard to supply. 7 Eleven are well known because of their strategic locations and these attract customers, this makes the store a higher chance of being franchise due to its popularity. However, there are a large number of competitors that provide almost the same stuff that 7 Eleven provide. This makes the products and services sold to have a wide variety of substitutes. 3.0 Marketing Strategies Marketing strategy is the base of marketing layout like market segmentation, market positioning and market targeting. Marketing segmentation is used to categorize the marketplace into divisions on which are accessible and have marketing potential, while market positioning is used to change the consumer’s perception of a brand or product connected to the idea of other competing products. Last but not least, market targeting is function to sell its products and services to, and to whom it directs its marketing efforts. 3.1 Market Segmentation 7-Eleven applied an effective market segmentation strategy by dividing its segments into four categories for example geographic and demographic strategy. These two strategies can be seen in the diagram below. 3.2 Market Targeting Market targeting strategy are applied by 7 Eleven after performing a market research like collecting information on the frequency of target customers that may come to purchase the products. In this scenario, 7-Eleven is mostly likely to target the customers from age of 30 and above as working adults and certain adults that have families will most probably come to buy convenient products for the needs of their families. In addition, women and men’s needs are fulfilled as items for both genders are available at 7-Eleven stores. Besides, 7-Eleven stores are located near residential and commercial areas, thus attracting the selected target customers to come and buy products in a quick manner. 3.3 Market Positioning 7 Eleven applies demographic- related positioning to position their products by using various demographics such as age and gender. Brands of products available 10 7-Eleven 1Product wide range 0 10 -10 Based on the diagram above, the brands and wide range of products available are at a high level indicating that ages and genders differences of customers are being covered as in their needs and wants. Product positioning objectives must be supported by the overall marketing mix. Although positioning shows the target market perception of the product, it cannot be completed with the promotional mix only. All marketing mix particles, especially the product mix, required to be continually stressed at the final positioning mission. 4.0 Marketing Mix Strategies Marketing mix strategies is a framework applied in marketing by marketers. It is an important during releasing a product or brand’s offer, and is often related with the four P’s which are price, place, promotion, and product. While in service marketing, the four Ps are further added into seven P’s which are process, physical evidence people and are used to describe the characteristics of services. 4.1 Product 7 Eleven’s product includes fresh food with hot drinks, treats, refreshments, convenient items and personal care products.7 Eleven are a recognized brand due to its ability of creating effective changes that determines the local market needs which makes it famous. 7 Eleven is able to meet a high demand in convenience retail through its facilities, everyday fresh products and good quality customer service. 7 Eleven guarantees that the products and services are in good quality. As an example, 7 Eleven provides recharge cards, chargers, batteries and handsets to help their customers to stay connected. 4.2 Price Pricing strategy is used in business to sell a certain product or services. It can be used to protect an existing market from new competitors, expand market share in a market or to penetrate to bigger market. The type of pricing strategy used by 7 Eleven is the competition pricing which defines setting a price in comparison with competitors. 7 Eleven has three main options which are to lower the price, exact price or price higher than the competitor’s products. The benefit of applying this strategy is that it will offer a price matching service which set a price limit for items available at 7 Eleven stores to maintain the price like other stores, which prevents regular customers of 7 Eleven to purchase at other stores. 4.3 Place Distribution strategy is a way to grab the product or service in any distribution mediums to the end-user in other words, how and where the consumer purchases the product or service. Strategy applied by 7 Eleven is its multi-channel distribution strategy where it covers purchases from a  store, website, telephone ordering, catalog ordering and comparison shopping sites. For example, 7 Eleven does not only provides purchasing of items in their stores but also deliver the products to homes such as confectionary items, snacks, beverages, perishable items, tobacco and mobile phone top-up . The location of 7 Eleven is commonly situated at high-traffic and easily accessible areas such as along peak roads, highway rest stops, petrol stations that are operates 24-7. This makes it simple and convenient for customers to shop. 4.4 Promotion Promotional tools are applied to differentiate the delivery of both paid and unpaid promotional methods. Each tool contributes in a unique way to connect customers and achieve communication goals. Example of tools is sales promotion, advertisement, personal selling and public relation. Promotional tools are used effectively by 7 Eleven stores as it provides good coverage of advertisement and sales promotion on their products. Under advertisement section, 7 Eleven gives clear advertisement message about their products by stating out their selected products to offer, discounted price of the item, ways to reach them and dates before the promotion ends. Message is advertised through short video playbacks on internet and online advertisement on social network as these channels and medium are the latest and effective method for advertising media today. Besides that, 7 Eleven also uses sales promotion method as their strongest platform to find customers as it can gradually increase sales. Examples of sales promotion used are promoting their products through online websites, lucky draw competitions, contests and gift cards. 4.5 People Employees in 7 Eleven stores are efficient and effective as it recruits creative and qualified salespersons that are capable in overseeing day to day operations and are willing to work diligently while fostering a good shopping environment for their customers. The employees are trained by attending four to eight weeks of training before begin to work. Interactive classroom tuition is provided to train employees and computer-based training modules to teach staffs about customer service standards. In addition, employees at 7 Eleven are taught and trained to have good communication  skills with customers to keep their good impression on 7 Eleven reputation. Apart from that, they monitor their customer’s satisfaction by requesting feedbacks and comments from their customers through social network or questionnaires given to them. 4.6 Process Process is effective as customers are retained as other services and products are expanded and indicated to them. It is used to meet the needs of different individuals by experiencing a similar service at the same time as well as balancing the demands of customers with the supply provided. The balance of demand and supply can be explained using two situations. Firstly, if the demand is high, 7 Eleven will hires more staffs and part time employees to serve the customers and to monitor the stores. Secondly, if the demand is low, the price of the products is lower than normal to keep their customers from buying from other retailers. 4.7 Physical evidence 7 Eleven is excellent as the signage around the building is strategic and is clear to grab the attention of customers. The logo design of the building is attractive and catchy enough for customers to come and shop at the stores. 7 Eleven’s website is well maintained and is updated regularly to inform their customers about 7 Eleven’s latest offers of the products. Uniforms of the employees are neatly worn to show good image of their brand, 7 Eleven. The interior designs of the stores are in good condition and the air-conditioning is working perfectly at all time. The facilities provided such as vending machines are in good state. 5.0 Conclusion 7 Eleven has applied appropriate marketing strategies and marketing mix strategies by utilizing its opportunities and strengths such as operating 24 hours a day, 7 times a week to serve their customers and promote products and services through various social media. In addition, multi-channel distribution strategy is strongly applied to support their product sales in various kinds of mediums. Threat and weaknesses are reduced as suitable marketing strategies and mix strategies are used to counter it. Besides that, online ordering is available in 7-Eleven stores to help customers to purchase products in an easier manner. 5.1 Recommendations for improvement  of marketing strategies and marketing mix strategies 7 Eleven can be improved by upgrading their stores as 7 Eleven in Malaysia are usually small and doesn’t have most of products and services that are available in other country like Japan and Singapore. They should also advertise their Slurpee more often as most kids nowadays do not realize that such product existed, this means that by increasing their advertising method, they are able to attract more customers.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Prelude to Foundation Chapter 10 Book

HAND-ON-THIGH STORY-†¦ An occasion cited by Hari Seldon as the first turning point in his search for a method to develop psychohistory. Unfortunately, his published writings give no indication as to what that â€Å"story† was and speculations concerning it (there have been many) are futile. It remains one of the many intriguing mysteries concerning Seldon's career. Encyclopedia Galactica 45. Raindrop Forty-Three stared at Seldon, wild-eyed and breathing heavily. â€Å"I can't stay here,† she said. Seldon looked about. â€Å"No one is bothering us. Even the Brother from whom we got the dainties said nothing about us. He seemed to take us as a perfectly normal pair.† â€Å"That's because there is nothing unusual about us-when the light is dim, when you keep your voice low so the tribesman accent is less noticeable, and when I seem calm. But now-† Her voice was growing hoarse. â€Å"What of now?† â€Å"I am nervous and tense. I am†¦ in a perspiration.† â€Å"Who is to notice? Relax. Calm down.† â€Å"I can't relax here. I can't calm down while I may be noticed.† â€Å"Where are we to go, then?† â€Å"There are little sheds for resting. I have worked here. I know about them.† She was walking rapidly now and Seldon followed. Up a small ramp, which he would not have noticed in the twilight without her, there was a line of doors, well spread apart. â€Å"The one at the end,† she muttered. â€Å"If it's free.† It was unoccupied. A small glowing rectangle said NOT IN USE and the door was ajar. Raindrop Forty-Three looked about rapidly, motioned Seldon in, then stepped inside herself. She closed the door and, as she did so, a small ceiling light brightened the interior. Seldon said, â€Å"Is there any way the sign on the door can indicate this shed is in use?† â€Å"That happened automatically when the door closed and the light went on,† said the Sister. Seldon could feel air softly circulating with a small sighing sound, but where on Trantor was that ever-present sound and feel not apparent? The room was not large, but it had a cot with a firm, efficient mattress, and what were obviously clean sheets. There was a chair and table, a small refrigerator, and something that looked like an enclosed hot plate, probably a tiny food-heater. Raindrop Forty-Three sat down on the chair, sitting stiffly upright, visibly attempting to force herself into relaxation. Seldon, uncertain as to what he ought to do, remained standing till she gestured-a bit impatiently-for him to sit on the cot. He did so. Raindrop Forty-Three said softly, as though talking to herself, â€Å"If it is ever known that I have been here with a man-even if only a tribesman-I shall indeed be an outcast.† Seldon rose quickly. â€Å"Then let's not stay here.† â€Å"Sit down. I can't go out when I'm in this mood. You've been asking about religion. What are you after?† It seemed to Seldon that she had changed completely. Gone was the passivity, the subservience. There was none of the shyness, the backwardness in the presence of a male. She was glaring at him through narrowed eyes. â€Å"I told you. Knowledge. I'm a scholar. It is my profession and my desire to know, I want to understand people in particular, so I want to learn history. For many worlds, the ancient historical records-the truly ancient historical records-have decayed into myths and legends, often becoming part of a set of religious beliefs or of supernaturalism. But if Mycogen does not have a religion, then-â€Å" â€Å"I said we have history.† Seldon said, â€Å"Twice you've said you have history. How old?† â€Å"It goes back twenty thousand years.† â€Å"Truly? Let us speak frankly. Is it real history or is it something that has degenerated into legend?† â€Å"It is real history, of course.† Seldon was on the point of asking how she could tell, but thought better of it. Was there really a chance that history might reach back twenty thousand years and be authentic? He was not a historian himself, so he would have to check with Dors. But it seemed so likely to him that on every world the earliest histories were medleys of self-serving heroisms and minidramas that were meant as morality plays and were not to be taken literally. It was surely true of Helicon, yet you would find scarcely a Heliconian who would not swear by all the tales told and insist it was all true history. They would support, as such, even that perfectly ridiculous tale of the first exploration of Helicon and the encounters with large and dangerous flying reptiles-even though nothing like flying reptiles had been found to be native to any world explored and settled by human beings. He said instead, â€Å"How does this history begin?† There was a faraway look in the Sister's eyes, a look that did not focus on Seldon or on anything in the room. She said, â€Å"It begins with a world-our world. One world.† â€Å"One world?† (Seldon remembered that Hummin had spoken of legends of a single, original world of humanity.) â€Å"One world. There were others later, but ours was the first. One world, with space, with open air, with room for everyone, with fertile fields, with friendly homes, with warm people. For thousands of years we lived there and then we had to leave and skulk in one place or another until some of us found a corner of Trantor where we learned to grow food that brought us a little freedom. And here in Mycogen, we now have our own ways-and our own dreams.† â€Å"And your histories give the full details concerning the original world? The one world?† â€Å"Oh yes, it is all in a book and we all have it. Every one of us. We carry it at all times so that there is never a moment when any one of us cannot open it and read it and remember who we are and who we were and resolve that someday we will have our world back.† â€Å"Do you know where this world is and who lives on it now?† Raindrop Forty-Three hesitated, then shook her head fiercely. â€Å"We do not, but someday we will find it.† â€Å"And you have this book in your possession now?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"May I see that book?† Now a slow smile crossed the face of the Sister. She said, â€Å"So that's what you want. I knew you wanted something when you asked to be guided through the microfarms by me alone.† She seemed a little embarrassed. â€Å"I didn't think it was the Book.† â€Å"It is all I want,† said Seldon earnestly. â€Å"I really did not have my mind on anything else. If you brought me here because you thought-â€Å" She did not allow him to finish. â€Å"But here we are. Do you or don't you want the Book?† â€Å"Are you offering to let me see it?† â€Å"On one condition.† Seldon paused, weighing the possibility of serious trouble if he had overcome the Sister's inhibitions to a greater extent than he had ever intended. â€Å"What condition?† he said. Raindrop Forty-Three's tongue emerged lightly and licked quickly at her lips. Then she said with a distinct tremor in her voice, â€Å"That you remove your skincap.† 46. Hari Seldon stared blankly at Raindrop Forty-Three. There was a perceptible moment in which he did not know what she was talking about. He had forgotten he was wearing a skincap. Then he put his hand to his head and, for the first time, consciously felt the skincap he was wearing. It was smooth, but he felt the tiny resilience of the hair beneath. Not much. His hair, after all, was fine and without much body. He said, still feeling it, â€Å"Why?† She said, â€Å"Because I want you to. Because that's the condition if you want to see the Book.† He said, â€Å"Well, if you really want me to.† His hand probed for the edge, so that he could peel it off. But she said, â€Å"No, let me do it. I'll do it.† She was looking at him hungrily. Seldon dropped his hands to his lap. â€Å"Go ahead, then.† The Sister rose quickly and sat down next to him on the cot. Slowly, carefully, she detached the skincap from his head just in front of his ear. Again she licked her lips and she was panting as she loosened the skincap about his forehead and turned it up. Then it came away and was gone and Seldon's hair, released, seemed to stir a bit in glad freedom. He said, troubled, â€Å"Keeping my hair under the skincap has probably made my scalp sweat. If so, my hair will be rather damp.† He raised his hand, as though to check the matter, but she caught it and held it back. â€Å"I want to do that,† she said. â€Å"Its part of the condition.† Her fingers, slowly and hesitantly, touched his hair and then withdrew. She touched it again and, very gently, stroked it. â€Å"It's dry,† she said. â€Å"It feels†¦ good.† â€Å"Have you ever felt cephalic hair before?† â€Å"Only on children sometimes. This†¦ is different.† She was stroking again. â€Å"In what way?† Seldon, even amid his embarrassment, found it possible to be curious. â€Å"I can't say. Its just†¦ different.† After a while he said, â€Å"Have you had enough?† â€Å"No. Don't rush me. Can you make it lie anyway you want it to?† â€Å"Not really. It has a natural way of falling, but I need a comb for that and I don't have one with me.† â€Å"A comb?† â€Å"An object with prongs†¦ uh, like a fork†¦ but the prongs are more numerous and somewhat softer.† â€Å"Can you use your fingers?† She was running hers through his hair. He said, â€Å"After a fashion. It doesn't work very well.† â€Å"Its bristly behind.† â€Å"The hair is shorter there.† Raindrop Forty-Three seemed to recall something. â€Å"The eyebrows,† she said. â€Å"Isn't that what they're called?† She stripped off the shields, then ran her fingers through the gentle arc of hair, against the grain. â€Å"That's nice,† she said, then laughed in a high-pitched way that was almost like her younger sister's giggle. â€Å"They're cute.† Seldon said a little impatiently, â€Å"Is there anything else that's part of the condition?† In the rather dim light, Raindrop Forty-Three looked as though she might be considering an affirmative, but said nothing. Instead, she suddenly withdrew her hands and lifted them to her nose. Seldon wondered what she might be smelling. â€Å"How odd,† she said. â€Å"May I†¦ may I do it again another time?† Seldon said uneasily, â€Å"If you will let me have the Book long enough to study it, then perhaps.† Raindrop Forty-Three reached into her kirtle through a slit that Seldon had not noticed before and, from some hidden inner pocket, removed a book bound in some tough, flexible material. He took it, trying to control his excitement. While Seldon readjusted his skincap to cover his hair, Raindrop Forty-Three raised her hands to her nose again and then, gently and quickly, licked one finger. 47. â€Å"Felt your hair?† said Dors Venabili. She looked at Seldon's hair as though she was of a mind to feel it herself. Seldon moved away slightly. â€Å"Please don't. The woman made it seem like a perversion.† â€Å"I suppose it was-from her standpoint. Did you derive no pleasure from it yourself?† â€Å"Pleasure? It gave me gooseflesh. When she finally stopped, I was able to breathe again. I kept thinking: What other conditions will she make?† Dors laughed. â€Å"Were you afraid that she would force sex upon you? Or hopeful?† â€Å"I assure you I didn't dare think. I just wanted the Book.† They were in their room now and Dors turned on her field distorter to make sure they would not be overheard. The Mycogenian night was about to begin. Seldon had removed his skincap and kirtle and had bathed, paying particular attention to his hair, which he had foamed and rinsed twice. He was now sitting on his cot, wearing a light nightgown that had been hanging in the closet. Dors said, eyes dancing, â€Å"Did she know you have hair on your chest?† â€Å"I was hoping earnestly she wouldn't think of that.† â€Å"Poor Hari. It was all perfectly natural, you know. I would probably have had similar trouble if I was alone with a Brother. Worse, I'm sure, since he would believe-Mycogenian society being what it is-that as a woman I would be bound to obey his orders without delay or demur.† â€Å"No, Dors. You may think it was perfectly natural, but you didn't experience it. The poor woman was in a high state of sexual excitement. She engaged all her senses†¦ smelled her fingers, licked them. If she could have heard hair grow, she would have listened avidly.† â€Å"But that's what I mean by ‘natural.' Anything you make forbidden gains sexual attractiveness. Would you be particularly interested in women's breasts if you lived in a society in which they were displayed at all times?† â€Å"I think I might.† â€Å"Wouldn't you be more interested if they were always hidden, as in most societies they are?- Listen, let me tell you something that happened to me. I was at a lake resort back home on Cinna†¦ I presume you have resorts on Helicon, beaches, that sort of thing?† â€Å"Of course,† said Seldon, slightly annoyed. â€Å"What do you think Helicon is, a world of rocks and mountains, with only well water to drink?† â€Å"No offense, Hari. I just want to make sure you'll get the point of the story. On our beaches at Cinna, we're pretty lighthearted about what we wear†¦ or don't wear.† â€Å"Nude beaches?† â€Å"Not actually, though I suppose if someone removed all of his or her clothing it wouldn't be much remarked on. The custom is to wear a decent minimum, but I must admit that what we consider decent leaves very little to the imagination.† Seldon said, â€Å"We have somewhat higher standards of decency on Helicon.† â€Å"Yes, I could tell that by your careful treatment of me, but to each its own. In any case, I was sitting at the small beach by the lake and a young man approached to whom I had spoken earlier in the day. He was a decent fellow I found nothing particularly wrong with. He sat on the arm of my chair and placed his right hand on my left thigh, which was bare, of course, in order to steady himself. â€Å"After we had spoken for a minute and a half or so, he said, impishly. ‘Here I am. You know me hardly at all and yet it seems perfectly natural to me that I place my hand on your thigh. What's more, it seems perfectly natural to you, since you don't seem to mind that it remains there.' â€Å"It was only then that I actually noticed that his hand was on my thigh. Bare skin in public somehow loses some of its sexual quality. As I said, its the hiding from view that is crucial. â€Å"And the young man felt this too, for he went on to say, ‘Yet if I were to meet you under more formal conditions and you were wearing a gown, you wouldn't dream of letting me lift your gown and place my hand on your thigh on the precise spot it now occupies.' â€Å"I laughed and we continued to talk of this and that. Of course, the young man, now that my attention had been called to the position of his hand, felt it no longer appropriate to keep it there and removed it. â€Å"That night I dressed for dinner with more than usual care and appeared in clothing that was considerably more formal than was required or than other women in the dining room were wearing. I found the young man in question. He was sitting at one of the tables. I approached, greeted him, and said, ‘Here I am in a gown, but under it my left thigh is bare. I give you permission. Just lift the gown and place your hand on my left thigh where you had it earlier.' â€Å"He tried. I'll give him credit for that, but everyone was staring. I wouldn't have stopped him and I'm sure no one else would have stopped him either, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. It was no more public then than it had been earlier and the same people were present in both cases. It was clear that I had taken the initiative and that I had no objections, but he could not bring himself to violate the proprieties. The conditions, which had been hand-on-thigh in the afternoon, were not hand-on-thigh in the evening and that meant more than anything logic could say.† Seldon said, â€Å"I would have put my hand on your thigh.† â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"Positive.† â€Å"Even though your standards of decency on the beach are higher than ours are?† â€Å"Yes.† Dors sat down on her own cot, then lay down with her hands behind her head. â€Å"So that you're not particularly disturbed that I'm wearing a nightgown with very little underneath it.† â€Å"I'm not particularly shocked. As for being disturbed, that depends on the definition of the word. I'm certainly aware of how you're dressed.† â€Å"Well, if we're going to be cooped up here for a period of time, we'll have to learn to ignore such things.† â€Å"Or take advantage of them,† said Seldon, grinning. â€Å"And I like your hair. After seeing you bald all day, I like your hair.† â€Å"Well, don't touch it. I haven't washed it yet.† She half-closed her eyes. â€Å"It's interesting. You've detached the informal and formal level of respectability. What you're saying is that Helicon is more respectable at the informal level than Cinna is and less respectable at the formal level. Is that right?† â€Å"Actually, I'm just talking about the young man who placed his hand on your thigh and myself. How representative we are as Cinnians and Heliconians, respectively, I can't say. I can easily imagine some perfectly proper individuals on both worlds-and some madcaps too.† â€Å"We're talking about social pressures. I'm not exactly a Galactic traveler, but I've had to involve myself in a great deal of social history. On the planet of Derowd, there was a time when premarital sex was absolutely free. Multiple sex was allowed for the unmarried and public sex was frowned upon only when traffic was blocked: And yet, after marriage, monogamy was absolute and unbroken. The theory was that by working off all one's fantasies first, one could settle down to the serious business of life.† â€Å"Did it work?† â€Å"About three hundred years ago that stopped, but some of my colleagues say it stopped through external pressure from other worlds who were losing too much tourist business to Derowd. There is such a thing as overall Galactic social pressure too.† â€Å"Or perhaps economic pressure, in this case.† â€Å"Perhaps. And being at the University, by the way, I get a chance to study social pressures, even without being a Galactic traveler. I meet people from scores of places inside and outside of Trantor and one of the pet amusements in the social science departments is the comparison of social pressures. â€Å"Here in Mycogen, for instance, I have the impression that sex is strictly controlled and is permitted under only the most stringent rules, all the more tightly enforced because it is never discussed. In the Streeling Sector, sex is never discussed either, but it isn't condemned. In the Jennat Sector, where I spent a week once doing research, sex is discussed endlessly, but only for the purpose of condemning it. I don't suppose there are any two sectors in Trantor-or any two worlds outside Trantor-in which attitudes toward sex are completely duplicated.† Seldon said, â€Å"You know what you make it sound like? It would appear-â€Å" Dors said, â€Å"I'll tell you how it appears. All this talk of sex makes one thing clear to me. I'm simply not going to let you out of my sight anymore.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Twice I let you go, the first time through my own misjudgment and the second because you bullied me into it. Both times it was clearly a mistake. You know what happened to you the first time.† Seldon said indignantly, â€Å"Yes, but nothing happened to me the second time.† â€Å"You nearly got into a lot of trouble. Suppose you had been caught indulging in sexual escapades with a Sister?† â€Å"It wasn't a sexual-â€Å" â€Å"You yourself said she was in a high state of sexual excitement.† â€Å"But-â€Å" â€Å"It was wrong. Please get it through your head, Hari. From now on, you go nowhere without me.† â€Å"Look,† said Seldon freezingly, â€Å"my object was to find out about Mycogenian history and as a result of the so-called sexual escapade with a Sister, I have a book-the Book.† â€Å"The Book! True, there's the Book. Let's see it.† Seldon produced it and Dors thoughtfully hefted it. She said, â€Å"It might not do us any good, Hari. This doesn't look as though it will fit any projector I've ever encountered. That means you'll have to get a Mycogenian projector and they'll want to know why you want it. They'll then find out you have this Book and they'll take it away from you.† Seldon smiled. â€Å"If your assumptions were correct, Dors, your conclusions would be inescapable, but it happens that this is not the kind of book you think it is. It's not meant to be projected. The material is printed on various pages and the pages are turned. Raindrop Forty-Three explained that much to me.† â€Å"A print-book!† It was hard to tell whether Dors was shocked or amused. â€Å"That's from the Stone Age.† â€Å"It's certainly pre-Empire,† said Seldon, â€Å"but not entirely so. Have you ever seen a print-book?† â€Å"Considering that I'm a historian? Of course, Hari.† â€Å"Ah, but like this one?† He handed over the Book and Dors, smiling, opened it-then turned to another page-then flipped the pages. â€Å"Its blank,† she said. â€Å"It appears to be blank. The Mycogenians are stubbornly primitivistic, but not entirely so. They will keep to the essence of the primitive, but have no objection to using modern technology to modify it for convenience's sake. Who knows?† â€Å"Maybe so, Hari, but I don't understand what you're saying.† â€Å"The pages aren't blank, they're covered with microprint. Here, give it back. If I press this little nubbin on the inner edge of the cover- Look!† The page to which the book lay open was suddenly covered with lines of print that rolled slowly upward. Seldon said, â€Å"You can adjust the rate of upward movement to match your reading speed by slightly twisting the nubbin one way or the other. When the lines of print reach their upward limit when you reach the bottom line, that is-they snap downward and turn off. You turn to the next page and continue.† â€Å"Where does the energy come from that does all this?† â€Å"It has an enclosed microfusion battery that lasts the life of the book.† â€Å"Then when it runs down-â€Å" â€Å"You discard the book, which you may be required to do even before it runs down, given wear and tear, and get another copy. You never replace the battery.† Dors took the Book a second time and looked at it from all sides. She said, â€Å"I must admit I never heard of a book like this.† â€Å"Nor I. The Galaxy, generally, has moved into visual technology so rapidly, it skipped over this possibility.† â€Å"This is visual.† â€Å"Yes, but not with the orthodox effects. This type of book has its advantages. It holds far more than an ordinary visual book does.† Dors said, â€Å"Where's the turn-on?-Ah, let me see if I can work it.† She had opened to a page at random and set the lines of print marching upward. Then she said, â€Å"I'm afraid this won't do you any good, Hari. It's pre-Galactic. I don't mean the book. I mean the print†¦ the language.† â€Å"Can you read it, Dors? As a historian-â€Å" â€Å"As a historian, I'm used to dealing with archaic language-but within limits. This is far too ancient for me. I can make out a few words here and there, but not enough to be useful.† â€Å"Good,† said Seldon. â€Å"If it's really ancient, it will be useful.† â€Å"Not if you can't read it.† â€Å"I can read it,† said Seldon. â€Å"It's bilingual. You don't suppose that Raindrop Forty-Three can read the ancient script, do you?† â€Å"If she's educated properly, why not?† â€Å"Because I suspect that women in Mycogen are not educated past household duties. Some of the more learned men can read this, but everyone else would need a translation to Galactic.† He pushed another nubbin. â€Å"And this supplies it.† The lines of print changed to Galactic Standard. â€Å"Delightful,† said Dors in admiration. â€Å"We could learn from these Mycogenians, but we don't.† â€Å"We haven't known about it.† â€Å"I can't believe that. I know about it now. And you know about it. There must be outsiders coming into Mycogen now and then, for commercial or political reasons, or there wouldn't be skincaps so ready for use. So every once in a while someone must have caught a glimpse of this sort of print-book and seen how it works, but it's probably dismissed as something curious but not worth further study, simply because it's Mycogenian.† â€Å"But is it worth study?† â€Å"Of course. Everything is. Or should be. Hummin would probably point to this lack of concern about these books as a sign of degeneration in the Empire.† He lifted the Book and said with a gush of excitement, â€Å"But I am curious and I will read this and it may push me in the direction of psychohistory.† â€Å"I hope so,† said Dors, â€Å"but if you take my advice, you'll sleep first and approach it fresh in the morning. You won't learn much if you nod over it.† Seldon hesitated, then said, â€Å"How maternal you are!† â€Å"I'm watching over you.† â€Å"But I have a mother alive on Helicon. I would rather you were my friend.† â€Å"As for that, I have been your friend since first I met you.† She smiled at him and Seldon hesitated as though he were not certain as to the appropriate rejoinder. Finally he said, â€Å"Then I'll take your advice-as a friend-and sleep before reading.† He made as though to put the Book on a small table between the two cots, hesitated, turned, and put it under his pillow. Dors Venabili laughed softly. â€Å"I think you're afraid I will wake during the night and read parts of the Book before you have a chance to. Is that it?† â€Å"Well,† said Seldon, trying not to look ashamed, â€Å"that may be it. Even friendship only goes so far and this is my book and it's my psychohistory.† â€Å"I agree,† said Dors, â€Å"and I promise you that we won't quarrel over that. By the way, you were about to say something earlier when I interrupted you. Remember?† Seldon thought briefly. â€Å"No.† In the dark, he thought only of the Book. He gave no thought to the hand-on-thigh story. In fact, he had already quite forgotten it, consciously at least. 48. Venabili woke up and could tell by her timeband that the night period was only half over. Not hearing Hari's snore, she could tell that his cot was empty. If he had not left the apartment, then he was in the bathroom. She tapped lightly on the door and said softly, â€Å"Hari?† He said, â€Å"Come in,† in an abstracted way and she did. The toilet lid was down and Seldon, seated upon it, held the Book open on his lap. He said, quite unnecessarily, â€Å"I'm reading.† â€Å"Yes, I see that. But why?† â€Å"I couldn't sleep. I'm sorry.† â€Å"But why read in here?† â€Å"If I had turned on the room light, I would have woken you up.† â€Å"Are you sure the Book can't be illuminated?† â€Å"Pretty sure. When Raindrop Forty-Three described its workings, she never mentioned illumination. Besides, I suppose that would use up so much energy that the battery wouldn't last the life of the Book.† He sounded dissatisfied. Dors said, â€Å"You can step out, then. I want to use this place, as long as I'm here.† When she emerged, she found him sitting cross-legged on his cot, still reading, with the room well lighted. She said, â€Å"You don't look happy. Does the Book disappoint you?† He looked up at her, blinking. â€Å"Yes, it does. I've sampled it here and there. It's all I've had time to do. The thing is a virtual encyclopedia and the index is almost entirely a listing of people and places that are of little use for my purposes. It has nothing to do with the Galactic Empire or the pre-Imperial Kingdoms either. It deals almost entirely with a single world and, as nearly as I can make out from what I have read, it is an endless dissertation on internal politics.† â€Å"Perhaps you underestimate its age. It may deal with a period when there was indeed only one world†¦ one inhabited world.† â€Å"Yes, I know,† said Seldon a little impatiently. â€Å"That's actually what I want-provided I can be sure its history, not legend. I wonder. I don't want to believe it just because I want to believe it.† Dors said, â€Å"Well, this matter of a single-world origin is much in the air these days. Human beings are a single species spread all over the Galaxy, so they must have originated somewhere. At least that's the popular view at present. You can't have independent origins producing the same species on different worlds.† â€Å"But I've never seen the inevitability of that argument,† said Seldon. â€Å"If human beings arose on a number of worlds as a number of different species, why couldn't they have interbred into some single intermediate species?† â€Å"Because species can't interbreed. That's what makes them species.† Seldon thought about it a moment, then dismissed it with a shrug. â€Å"Well, I'll leave it to the biologists.† â€Å"They're precisely the ones who are keenest on the Earth hypothesis.† â€Å"Earth? Is that what they call the supposed world of origin?† â€Å"That's a popular name for it, though there's no way of telling what it was called, assuming there was one. And no one has any clue to what its location might be.† â€Å"Earth!† said Seldon, curling his lips. â€Å"It sounds like a belch to me. In any case, if the book deals with the original world, I didn't come across it. How do you spell the word?† She told him and he checked the Book quickly. â€Å"There you are. The name is not listed in the index, either by that spelling or any reasonable alternative.† â€Å"Really?† â€Å"And they do mention other worlds in passing. Names aren't given and there seems no interest in those other worlds except insofar as they directly impinge on the local world they speak of†¦ at least as far as I can see from what I've read. In one place, they talked about ‘The Fifty.' I don't know what they meant. Fifty leaders? Fifty cities? It seemed to me to be fifty worlds.† â€Å"Did they give a name to their own world, this world that seems to preoccupy them entirely?† asked Dors. â€Å"If they don't call it Earth, what do they call it?† â€Å"As you'd expect, they call it ‘the world' or ‘the planet.' Sometimes they call it ‘the Oldest' or ‘the World of the Dawn,' which has a poetic significance, I presume, that isn't clear to me. I suppose one ought to read the Book entirely through and some matters will then grow to make more sense.† He looked down at the Book in his hand with some distaste. â€Å"It would take a very long time, though, and I'm not sure that I'd end up any the wiser.† Dors sighed. â€Å"I'm sorry, Hari. You sound so disappointed.† â€Å"That's because I am disappointed. It's my fault, though. I should not have allowed myself to expect too much.-At one point, come to think of it, they referred to their world as ‘Aurora.' â€Å" â€Å"Aurora?† said Dors, lifting her eyebrows. â€Å"It sounds like a proper name. It doesn't make any sense otherwise, as far as I can see. Does it mean anything to you, Dors?† â€Å"Aurora.† Dors thought about it with a slight frown on her face. â€Å"I can't say I've ever heard of a planet with that name in the course of the history of the Galactic Empire or during the period of its growth, for that matter, but I won't pretend to know the name of every one of the twenty-five million worlds. We could look it up in the University library-if we ever get back to Streeling. There's no use trying to find a library here in Mycogen. Somehow I have a feeling that all their knowledge is in the Book. If anything isn't there, they aren't interested.† Seldon yawned and said, â€Å"I think you're right. In any case, there's no use reading any more and I doubt that I can keep my eyes open any longer. Is it all right if I put out the light?† â€Å"I would welcome it, Hari. And let's sleep a little later in the morning.† Then, in the dark, Seldon said softly, â€Å"Of course, some of what they say is ridiculous. For instance, they refer to a life expectancy on their world of between three and four centuries.† â€Å"Centuries?† â€Å"Yes, they count their ages by decades rather than by years. It gives you a queer feeling, because so much of what they say is perfectly matter-of-fact that when they come out with something that odd, you almost find yourself trapped into believing it.† â€Å"If you feel yourself beginning to believe that, then you should realize that many legends of primitive origins assume extended life spans for early leaders. If they're pictured as unbelievably heroic, you see, it seems natural that they have life spans to suit.† â€Å"Is that so?† said Seldon, yawning again. â€Å"It is. And the cure for advanced gullibility is to go to sleep and consider matters again the next day.† And Seldon, pausing only long enough to think that an extended life span might well be a simple necessity for anyone trying to understand a Galaxy of people, slept. 49. The next morning, feeling relaxed and refreshed and eager to begin his study of the Book again, Hari asked Dors, â€Å"How old would you say the Raindrop sisters are?† â€Å"I don't know. Twenty†¦ twenty-two?† â€Å"Well, suppose they do live three or four centuries.† â€Å"Hari. That's ridiculous.† â€Å"I'm saying suppose. In mathematics, we say ‘suppose' all the time and see if we can end up with something patently untrue or self-contradictory. An extended life span would almost surely mean an extended period of development. They might seem in their early twenties and actually be in their sixties.† â€Å"You can try asking them how old they are.† â€Å"We can assume they'd lie.† â€Å"Look up their birth certificates.† Seldon smiled wryly. â€Å"I'll bet you anything you like-a roll in the hay, if you're willing-that they'll claim they don't keep records or that, if they do, they will insist those records are closed to tribespeople.† â€Å"No bet,† said Dors. â€Å"And if that's true, then it's useless trying to suppose anything about their age.† â€Å"Oh no. Think of it this way. If the Mycogenians are living extended life spans that are four or five times that of ordinary human beings, they can't very well give birth to very many children without expanding their population tremendously. You remember that Sunmaster said something about not having the population expand and bit off his remarks angrily at that time.† Dors said, â€Å"What are you getting at?† â€Å"When I was with Raindrop Forty-Three, I saw no children.† â€Å"On the microfarms?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Did you expect children there? I was with Raindrop Forty-Five in the shops and on the residential levels and I assure you I saw a number of children of all ages, including infants. Quite a few of them.† â€Å"Ah.† Seldon looked chagrined. â€Å"Then that would mean they can't be enjoying extended life spans.† Dors said, â€Å"By your line of argument, I should say definitely not. Did you really think they did?† â€Å"No, not really. But then you can't close your mind either and make assumptions without testing them one way or another.† â€Å"You can waste a lot of time that way too, if you stop to chew away at things that are ridiculous on the face of it.† â€Å"Some things that seem ridiculous on the face of it aren't. That's all. Which reminds me. You're the historian. In your work, have you ever come across objects or phenomena called ‘robots'?† â€Å"Ah! Now you're switching to another legend and a very popular one. There are any number of worlds that imagine the existence of machines in human form in prehistoric times. These are called ‘robots.' â€Å"The tales of robots probably originate from one master legend, for the general theme is the same. Robots were devised, then grew in numbers and abilities to the status of the almost superhuman. They threatened humanity and were destroyed. In every case, the destruction took place before the actual reliable historic records available to us today existed. The usual feeling is that the story is a symbolic picture of the risks and dangers of exploring the Galaxy, when human beings expanded outward from the world or worlds that were their original homes. There must always have been the fear of encountering other-and superior-intelligences.† â€Å"Perhaps they did at least once and that gave rise to the legend.† â€Å"Except that on no human-occupied world has there been any record or trace of any prehuman or nonhuman intelligence.† â€Å"But why ‘robots'? Does the word have meaning?† â€Å"Not that I know of, but it's the equivalent of the familiar ‘automata.' â€Å" â€Å"Automata! Well, why don't they say so?† â€Å"Because people do use archaic terms for flavor when they tell an ancient legend. Why do you ask all this, by the way?† â€Å"Because in this ancient Mycogenian book, they talk of robots. And very favorably, by the way.-Listen, Dors, aren't you going out with Raindrop Forty-Five again this afternoon?† â€Å"Supposedly-if she shows up.† â€Å"Would you ask her some questions and try to get the answers out of her?† â€Å"I can try. What are the questions?† â€Å"I would like to find out, as tactfully as possible, if there is some structure in Mycogen that is particularly significant, that is tied in with the past, that has a sort of mythic value, that can-â€Å" Dors interrupted, trying not to smile. â€Å"I think that what you are trying to ask is whether Mycogen has a temple.† And, inevitably, Seldon looked blank and said, â€Å"What's a temple?† â€Å"Another archaic term of uncertain origin. It means all the things you asked about-significance, past, myth. Very well, I'll ask. It's the sort of thing, however, that they might find difficult to speak of. To tribespeople, certainly.† â€Å"Nevertheless, do try.†

The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 23. MONSTER

WHEN I WOKE UP IN THE MORNING, IT WAS VERY bright – even inside the tent, the sunlight hurt my eyes. And I was sweating, as Jacob had predicted. Jacob was snoring lightly in my ear, his arms still wrapped around me. I pulled my head away from his feverishly warm chest and felt the sting of the cold morning on my clammy cheek. Jacob sighed in his sleep; his arms tightened unconsciously. I squirmed, unable to loosen his hold, struggling to lift my head enough to see. . . . Edward met my gaze evenly. His expression was calm, but the pain in his eyes was unconcealed. â€Å"Is it any warmer out there?† I whispered. â€Å"Yes. I don't think the space heater will be necessary today.† I tried to get to the zipper, but I couldn't free my arms. I strained, fighting against Jacob's inert strength. Jacob muttered, still fast asleep, his arms constricting again. â€Å"Some help?† I asked quietly. Edward smiled. â€Å"Did you want me to take his arms all the way off?† â€Å"No, thank you. Just get me free. I'm going to get heat stroke.† Edward unzipped the sleeping bag in a swift, abrupt movement. Jacob fell out, his bare back hitting the icy floor of the tent. â€Å"Hey!† he complained, his eyes flying open. Instinctively, he flinched away from the cold, rolling onto me. I gasped as his weight knocked the breath out of me. And then his weight was gone. I felt the impact as Jacob flew into one of the tent poles and the tent shuddered. The growling erupted from all around. Edward was crouching in front of me, and I couldn't see his face, but the snarls were ripping angrily out of his chest. Jacob was half-crouched, too, his whole body quivering, while growls rumbled through his clenched teeth. Outside the tent, Seth Clearwater's vicious snarls echoed off the rocks. â€Å"Stop it, stop it!† I yelled, scrambling awkwardly to put myself between them. The space was so small that I didn't have to stretch far to put one hand on each of their chests. Edward wrapped his hand around my waist, ready to yank me out of the way. â€Å"Stop it, now,† I warned him. Under my touch, Jacob began to calm himself. The shaking slowed, but his teeth were still bared, his eyes furiously focused on Edward. Seth continued to growl, a long unbroken sound, a violent background to the sudden silence in the tent. â€Å"Jacob?† I asked, waiting until he finally dropped his glare to look at me. â€Å"Are you hurt?† â€Å"Of course not!† he hissed. I turned to Edward. He was looking at me, his expression hard and angry. â€Å"That wasn't nice. You should say sorry.† His eyes widened in disgust. â€Å"You must be joking – he was crushing you!† â€Å"Because you dumped him on the floor! He didn't do it on purpose, and he didn't hurt me.† Edward groaned, revolted. Slowly, he looked up to glare at Jacob with hostile eyes. â€Å"My apologies, dog.† â€Å"No harm done,† Jacob said, a taunting edge to his voice. It was still cold, though not as cold as it had been. I curled my arms around my chest. â€Å"Here,† Edward said, calm again. He took the parka off the floor and wrapped it over the top of my coat. â€Å"That's Jacob's,† I objected. â€Å"Jacob has a fur coat,† Edward hinted. â€Å"I'll just use the sleeping bag again, if you don't mind.† Jacob ignored him, climbing around us and sliding into the down bag. â€Å"I wasn't quite ready to wake up. That wasn't the best night's sleep I ever had.† â€Å"It was your idea,† Edward said impassively. Jacob was curled up, his eyes already closed. He yawned. â€Å"I didn't say it wasn't the best night I've ever spent. Just that I didn't get a lot of sleep. I thought Bella was never going to shut up.† I winced, wondering what might have come out of my mouth in my sleep. The possibilities were horrifying. â€Å"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself,† Edward murmured. Jacob's dark eyes fluttered open. â€Å"Didn't you have a nice night, then?† he asked, smug. â€Å"It wasn't the worst night of my life.† â€Å"Did it make the top ten?† Jacob asked with perverse enjoyment. â€Å"Possibly.† Jacob smiled and closed his eyes. â€Å"But,† Edward went on, â€Å"if I had been able to take your place last night, it would not have made the top ten of the best nights of my life. Dream about that.† Jacob's eyes opened into a glare. He sat up stiffly, his shoulders tense. â€Å"You know what? I think it's too crowded in here.† â€Å"I couldn't agree more.† I elbowed Edward in the ribs – probably giving myself a bruise. â€Å"Guess I'll catch up on my sleep later, then.† Jacob made a face. â€Å"I need to talk to Sam anyway.† He rolled to his knees and grabbed the door's zipper. Pain crackled down my spine and lodged in my stomach as I abruptly realized that this could be the last time I would see him. He was going back to Sam, back to fight the horde of bloodthirsty newborn vampires. â€Å"Jake, wait -† I reached after him, my hand sliding down his arm. He jerked his arm away before my fingers could find purchase. â€Å"Please, Jake? Won't you stay?† â€Å"No.† The word was hard and cold. I knew my face gave away my pain, because he exhaled and half a smile softened his expression. â€Å"Don't worry about me, Bells. I'll be fine, just like I always am.† He forced a laugh. â€Å"‘Sides, you think I'm going to let Seth go in my place – have all the fun and steal all the glory? Right.† He snorted. â€Å"Be careful -â€Å" He shoved out of the tent before I could finish. â€Å"Give it a rest, Bella,† I heard him mutter as he re-zipped the door. I listened for the sound of his retreating footsteps, but it was perfectly still. No more wind. I could hear morning birdsong far away on the mountain, and nothing else. Jacob moved in silence now. I huddled in my coats, and leaned against Edward's shoulder. We were quiet for a long time. â€Å"How much longer?† I asked. â€Å"Alice told Sam it should be an hour or so,† Edward said, soft and bleak. â€Å"We stay together. No matter what.† â€Å"No matter what,† he agreed, his eyes tight. â€Å"I know,† I said. â€Å"I'm terrified for them, too.† â€Å"They know how to handle themselves,† Edward assured me, purposely making his voice light. â€Å"I just hate missing the fun.† Again with the fun. My nostrils flared. He put his arm around my shoulder. â€Å"Don't worry,† he urged, and then he kissed my forehead. As if there was any way to avoid that. â€Å"Sure, sure.† â€Å"Do you want me to distract you?† He breathed, running his cold fingers along my cheekbone. I shivered involuntarily; the morning was still frosty. â€Å"Maybe not right now,† he answered himself, pulling his hand away. â€Å"There are other ways to distract me.† â€Å"What would you like?† â€Å"You could tell me about your ten best nights,† I suggested. â€Å"I'm curious.† He laughed. â€Å"Try to guess.† I shook my head. â€Å"There're too many nights I don't know about. A century of them.† â€Å"I'll narrow it down for you. All of my best nights have happened since I met you.† â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Yes, really – and by quite a wide margin, too.† I thought for a minute. â€Å"I can only think of mine,† I admitted. â€Å"They might be the same,† he encouraged. â€Å"Well, there was the first night. The night you stayed.† â€Å"Yes, that's one of mine, too. Of course, you were unconscious for my favorite part.† â€Å"That's right,† I remembered. â€Å"I was talking that night, too.† â€Å"Yes,† he agreed. My face got hot as I wondered again what I might have said while sleeping in Jacob's arms. I couldn't remember what I'd dreamed about, or if I'd dreamed at all, so that was no help. â€Å"What did I say last night?† I whispered more quietly than before. He shrugged instead of answering, and I winced. â€Å"That bad?† â€Å"Nothing too horrible,† he sighed. â€Å"Please tell me.† â€Å"Mostly you said my name, the same as usual.† â€Å"That's not bad,† I agreed cautiously. â€Å"Near the end, though, you started mumbling some nonsense about ‘Jacob, my Jacob.'† I could hear the pain, even in the whisper. â€Å"Your Jacob enjoyed that quite a lot.† I stretched my neck up, straining to reach my lips to the edge of his jaw. I couldn't see into his eyes. He was staring up at the ceiling of the tent. â€Å"Sorry,† I murmured. â€Å"That's just the way I differentiate.† â€Å"Differentiate?† â€Å"Between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Between the Jacob I like and the one who annoys the hell out of me,† I explained. â€Å"That makes sense.† He sounded slightly mollified. â€Å"Tell me another favorite night.† â€Å"Flying home from Italy.† He frowned. â€Å"Is that not one of yours?† I wondered. â€Å"No, it is one of mine, actually, but I'm surprised it's on your list. Weren't you under the ludicrous impression I was just acting from a guilty conscience, and I was going to bolt as soon as the plane doors opened?† â€Å"Yes.† I smiled. â€Å"But, still, you were there.† He kissed my hair. â€Å"You love me more than I deserve.† I laughed at the impossibility of that idea. â€Å"Next would be the night after Italy,† I continued. â€Å"Yes, that's on the list. You were so funny.† â€Å"Funny?† I objected. â€Å"I had no idea your dreams were so vivid. It took me forever to convince you that you were awake.† â€Å"I'm still not sure,† I muttered. â€Å"You've always seemed more like a dream than reality. Tell me one of yours, now. Did I guess your first place?† â€Å"No – that would be two nights ago, when you finally agreed to marry me.† I made a face. â€Å"That doesn't make your list?† I thought about the way he'd kissed me, the concession I'd gained, and changed my mind. â€Å"Yes . . . it does. But with reservations. I don't understand why it's so important to you. You already had me forever.† â€Å"A hundred years from now, when you've gained enough perspective to really appreciate the answer, I will explain it to you.† â€Å"I'll remind you to explain – in a hundred years.† â€Å"Are you warm enough?† he asked suddenly. â€Å"I'm fine,† I assured him. â€Å"Why?† Before he could answer, the silence outside the tent was ripped apart by an earsplitting howl of pain. The sound ricocheted off the bare rock face of the mountain and filled the air so that it seared from every direction. The howl tore through my mind like a tornado, both strange and familiar. Strange because I'd never heard such a tortured cry before. Familiar because I knew the voice at once – I recognized the sound and understood the meaning as perfectly as if I'd uttered it myself. It made no difference that Jacob was not human when he cried out. I needed no translation. Jacob was close. Jacob had heard every word we'd said. Jacob was in agony. The howl choked off into a peculiar gurgled sob, and then it was quiet again. I did not hear his silent escape, but I could feel it – I could feel the absence I had wrongly assumed before, the empty space he left behind. â€Å"Because your space heater has reached his limit,† Edward answered quietly. â€Å"Truce over,† he added, so low I couldn't be sure that was really what he'd said. â€Å"Jacob was listening,† I whispered. It wasn't a question. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"You knew.† â€Å"Yes.† I stared at nothing, seeing nothing. â€Å"I never promised to fight fair,† he reminded me quietly. â€Å"And he deserves to know.† My head fell into my hands. â€Å"Are you angry with me?† he asked. â€Å"Not you,† I whispered. â€Å"I'm horrified at me.† â€Å"Don't torment yourself,† he pleaded. â€Å"Yes,† I agreed bitterly. â€Å"I should save my energy to torment Jacob some more. I wouldn't want to leave any part of him unharmed.† â€Å"He knew what he was doing.† â€Å"Do you think that matters?† I was blinking back tears, and this was easy to hear in my voice. â€Å"Do you think I care whether it's fair or whether he was adequately warned? I'm hurting him. Every time I turn around, I'm hurting him again.† My voice was getting louder, more hysterical. â€Å"I'm a hideous person.† He wrapped his arms tightly around me. â€Å"No, you're not.† â€Å"I am! What's wrong with me?† I struggled against his arms, and he let them drop. â€Å"I have to go find him.† â€Å"Bella, he's already miles away, and it's cold.† â€Å"I don't care. I can't just sit here.† I shrugged off Jacob's parka, shoved my feet into my boots, and crawled stiffly to the door; my legs felt numb. â€Å"I have to – I have to . . .† I didn't know how to finishthe sentence, didn't know what there was to do, but I unzipped the door anyway, and climbed out into the bright, icy morning. There was less snow than I would have thought after the fury of last night's storm. Probably it had blown away rather than melted in the sun that now shone low in the southeast, glancing off the snow that lingered and stabbing at my unadjusted eyes. The air still had a bite to it, but it was dead calm and slowly becoming more seasonable as the sun rose higher. Seth Clearwater was curled up on a patch of dry pine needles in the shadow of a thick spruce, his head on his paws. His sand-colored fur was almost invisible against the dead needles, but I could see the bright snow reflect off his open eyes. He was staring at me with what I imagined was an accusation. I knew Edward was following me as I stumbled toward the trees. I couldn't hear him, but the sun reflected off his skin in glittering rainbows that danced ahead of me. He didn't reach out to stop me until I was several paces into the forest shadows. His hand caught my left wrist. He ignored it when I tried to yank myself free. â€Å"You can't go after him. Not today. It's almost time. And getting yourself lost wouldn't help anyone, regardless.† I twisted my wrist, pulling uselessly. â€Å"I'm sorry, Bella,† he whispered. â€Å"I'm sorry I did that.† â€Å"You didn't do anything. It's my fault. I did this. I did everything wrong. I could have . . . When he . . . I shouldn't have . . . I . . . I . . .† I was sobbing. â€Å"Bella, Bella.† His arms folded around me, and my tears soaked into his shirt. â€Å"I should have – told him – I should – have said -† What? What could have made this right? â€Å"He shouldn't have – found out like this.† â€Å"Do you want me to see if I can bring him back, so that you can talk to him? There's still a little time,† Edward murmured, hushed agony in his voice. I nodded into his chest, afraid to see his face. â€Å"Stay by the tent. I'll be back soon.† His arms disappeared. He left so quickly that, in the second it took me to look up, he was already gone. I was alone. A new sob broke from my chest. I was hurting everyone today. Was there anything I touched that didn't get spoiled? I didn't know why it was hitting me so hard now. It wasn't like I hadn't known this was coming all along. But Jacob had never reacted so strongly – lost his bold overconfidence and shown the intensity of his pain. The sound of his agony still cut at me, somewhere deep in my chest. Right beside it was the other pain. Pain for feeling pain over Jacob. Pain for hurting Edward, too. For not being able to watch Jacob go with composure, knowing that it was the right thing, the only way. I was selfish, I was hurtful. I tortured the ones I loved. I was like Cathy, like Wuthering Heights, only my options were so much better than hers, neither one evil, neither one weak. And here I sat, crying about it, not doing anything productive to make it right. Just like Cathy. I couldn't allow what hurt me to influence my decisions anymore. It was too little, much too late, but I had to do what was right now. Maybe it was already done for me. Maybe Edward would not be able to bring him back. And then I would accept that and get on with my life. Edward would never see me shed another tear for Jacob Black. There would be no more tears. I wiped the last of them away with cold fingers now. But if Edward did return with Jacob, that was it. I had to tell him to go away and never come back. Why was that so hard? So very much more difficult than saying goodbye to my other friends, to Angela, to Mike? Why did that hurt? It wasn't right. That shouldn't be able to hurt me. I had what I wanted. I couldn't have them both, because Jacob could not be just my friend. It was time to give up wishing for that. How ridiculously greedy could any one person be? I had to get over this irrational feeling that Jacob belonged in my life. He couldn't belong with me, could not be my Jacob, when I belonged to someone else. I walked slowly back to the little clearing, my feet dragging. When I broke into the open space, blinking against the sharp light, I threw one quick glance toward Seth – he hadn't moved from his bed of pine needles – and then looked away, avoiding his eyes. I could feel that my hair was wild, twisted into clumps like Medusa's snakes. I yanked through it with my fingers, and then gave up quickly. Who cared what I looked like, anyway? I grabbed the canteen hanging beside the tent door and shook it. It sloshed wetly, so I unscrewed the lid and took a swig to rinse my mouth with the ice water. There was food somewhere nearby, but I didn't feel hungry enough to look for it. I started pacing across the bright little space, feeling Seth's eyes on me the whole time. Because I wouldn't look at him, in my head he became the boy again, rather than the gigantic wolf. So much like a younger Jacob. I wanted to ask Seth to bark or give some other sign if Jacob was coming back, but I stopped myself. It didn't matter if Jacob came back. It might be easier if he didn't. I wished I had some way to call Edward. Seth whined at that moment, and got to his feet. â€Å"What is it?† I asked him stupidly. He ignored me, trotting to the edge of the trees, and pointing his nose toward the west. He began whimpering. â€Å"Is it the others, Seth?† I demanded. â€Å"In the clearing?† He looked at me and yelped softly once, and then turned his nose alertly back to the west. His ears laid back and he whined again. Why was I such a fool? What was I thinking, sending Edward away? How was I supposed to know what was going on? I didn't speak wolf. A cold trickle of fear began to ooze down my spine. What if the time had run out? What if Jacob and Edward got too close? What if Edward decided to join in the fight? The icy fear pooled inmy stomach. What if Seth's distress had nothing to do with the clearing, and his yelp had been a denial? What if Jacob and Edward were fighting with each other, far away somewhere in the forest? They wouldn't do that, would they? With sudden, chilling certainty I realized that they would – if the wrong words were said. I thought of the tense standoff in the tent this morning, and I wondered if I'd underestimated how close it had come to a fight. It would be no more than I deserved if I somehow lost them both. The ice locked around my heart. Before I could collapse with fear, Seth grumbled slightly, deep in his chest, and then turned away from his watch and sauntered back toward his resting place. It calmed me, but irritated me. Couldn't he scratch a message in the dirt or something? The pacing was starting to make me sweat under all my layers. I threw my jacket into the tent, and then I went back to wearing a path across the center of the tiny break in the trees. Seth jumped to his feet again suddenly, the hackles on the back of his neck standing up stiffly. I looked around, but saw nothing. If Seth didn't cut it out, I was going to throw a pinecone at him. He growled, a low warning sound, slinking back toward the western rim, and I rethought my impatience. â€Å"It's just us, Seth,† Jacob called from a distance. I tried to explain to myself why my heart kicked into fourth gear when I heard him. It was just fear of what I was going to have to do now, that was all. I could not allow myself to be relieved that he'd come back. That would be the opposite of helpful. Edward walked into view first, his face blank and smooth. When he stepped out from the shadows, the sun shimmered on his skin like it did on the snow. Seth went to greet him, looking intently into his eyes. Edward nodded slowly, and worry creased his forehead. â€Å"Yes, that's all we need,† he muttered to himself before addressing the big wolf. â€Å"I suppose we shouldn't be surprised. But the timing is going to be very close. Please have Sam ask Alice to try to nail the schedule down better.† Seth dipped his head once, and I wished I was able to growl. Sure, he could nod now. I turned my head, annoyed, and realized that Jacob was there. He had his back to me, facing the way he'd come. I waited warily for him to turn around. â€Å"Bella,† Edward murmured, suddenly right beside me. He stared down at me with nothing but concern showing in his eyes. There was no end to his generosity. I deserved him now less than I ever had. â€Å"There's a bit of a complication,† he told me, his voice carefully unworried. â€Å"I'm going to take Seth a little ways away and try to straighten it out. I won't go far, but I won't listen, either. I know you don't want an audience, no matter which way you decide to go.† Only at the very end did the pain break into his voice. I had to never hurt him again. That would be my mission in life. Never again would I be the reason for this look to come into his eyes. I was too upset to even ask him what the new problem was. I didn't need anything else right now. â€Å"Hurry back,† I whispered. He kissed me lightly on the lips, and then disappeared into the forest with Seth at his side. Jacob was still in the shadow of the trees; I couldn't see his expression clearly. â€Å"I'm in a hurry, Bella,† he said in a dull voice. â€Å"Why don't you get it over with?† I swallowed, my throat suddenly so dry I wasn't sure if I could make sound come out. â€Å"Just say the words, and be done with it.† I took a deep breath. â€Å"I'm sorry I'm such a rotten person,† I whispered. â€Å"I'm sorry I've been so selfish. I wish I'd never met you, so I couldn't hurt you the way I have. I won't do it anymore, I promise. I'll stay far away from you. I'll move out of the state. You won't have to look at me ever again.† â€Å"That's not much of an apology,† he said bitterly. I couldn't make my voice louder than a whisper. â€Å"Tell me how to do it right.† â€Å"What if I don't want you to go away? What if I'd rather you stayed, selfish or not? Don't I get any say, if you're trying to make things up to me?† â€Å"That won't help anything, Jake. It was wrong to stay with you when we wanted such different things. It's not going to get better. I'll just keep hurting you. I don't want to hurt you anymore. I hate it.† My voice broke. He sighed. â€Å"Stop. You don't have to say anything else. I understand.† I wanted to tell him how much I would miss him, but I bit my tongue. That would not help anything, either. He stood quietly for a moment, staring at the ground, and I fought against the urge to go and put my arms around him. To comfort him. And then his head snapped up. â€Å"Well, you're not the only one capable of self-sacrifice,† he said, his voice stronger. â€Å"Two can play at that game.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"I've behaved pretty badly myself. I've made this much harder for you than I needed to. I could have given up with good grace in the beginning. But I hurt you, too.† â€Å"This is my fault.† â€Å"I won't let you claim all the blame here, Bella. Or all the glory either. I know how to redeem myself.† â€Å"What are you talking about?† I demanded. The sudden, frenzied light in his eyes frightened me. He glanced up at the sun and then smiled at me. â€Å"There's a pretty serious fight brewing down there. I don't think it will be that difficult to take myself out of the picture.† His words sank into my brain, slowly, one by one, and I couldn't breathe. Despite all my intentions to cut Jacob out of mylife completely, I didn't realize until that precise second exactly how deep the knife would have to go to do it. â€Å"Oh, no, Jake! No, no no no,† I choked out in horror. â€Å"No, Jake, no. Please, no.† My knees began to tremble. â€Å"What's the difference, Bella? This will only make it more convenient for everyone. You won't even have to move.† â€Å"No!† My voice got louder. â€Å"No, Jacob! I won't let you!† â€Å"How will you stop me?† he taunted lightly, smiling to take the sting out of his tone. â€Å"Jacob, I'm begging you. Stay with me.† I would have fallen to my knees, if I could have moved at all. â€Å"For fifteen minutes while I miss a good brawl? So that you can run away from me as soon as you think I'm safe again? You've got to be kidding.† â€Å"I won't run away. I've changed my mind. We'll work something out, Jacob. There's always a compromise. Don't go!† â€Å"You're lying.† â€Å"I'm not. You know what a terrible liar I am. Look in my eyes. I'll stay if you do.† His face hardened. â€Å"And I can be your best man at the wedding?† It was a moment before I could speak, and still the only answer I could give him was, â€Å"Please.† â€Å"That's what I thought,† he said, his face going calm again, but for the turbulent light in his eyes. â€Å"I love you, Bella,† he murmured. â€Å"I love you, Jacob,† I whispered brokenly. He smiled. â€Å"I know that better than you do.† He turned to walk away. â€Å"Anything,† I called after him in a strangled voice. â€Å"Anything you want, Jacob. Just don't do this!† He paused, turning slowly. â€Å"I don't really think you mean that.† â€Å"Stay,† I begged. He shook his head. â€Å"No, I'm going.† He paused, as if deciding something. â€Å"But I could leave it to fate.† â€Å"What do you mean?† I choked out. â€Å"I don't have to do anything deliberate – I could just do my best for my pack and let what happens happen.† He shrugged. â€Å"If you could convince me you really did want me to come back – more than you wanted to do the selfless thing.† â€Å"How?† I asked. â€Å"You could ask me,† he suggested. â€Å"Come back,† I whispered. How could he doubt that I meant it? He shook his head, smiling again. â€Å"That's not what I'm talking about.† It took me a second to grasp what he was saying, and all the while he was looking at me with this superior expression – so sure of my reaction. As soon as the realization hit, though, I blurted out the words without stopping to count the cost. â€Å"Will you kiss me, Jacob?† His eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed suspiciously. â€Å"You're bluffing.† â€Å"Kiss me, Jacob. Kiss me, and then come back.† He hesitated in the shadow, warring with himself. He half-turned again to the west, his torso twisting away from me while his feet stayed planted where they were. Still looking away, he took one uncertain step in my direction, and then another. He swung his face around to look at me, his eyes doubtful. I stared back. I had no idea what expression was on my face. Jacob rocked back on his heels, and then lurched forward, closing the distance between us in three long strides. I knew he would take advantage of the situation. I expected it. I held very still – my eyes closed, my fingers curled into fists at my sides – as his hands caught my face and his lips found mine with an eagerness that was not far from violence. I could feel his anger as his mouth discovered my passive resistance. One hand moved to the nape of my neck, twisting into a fist around the roots of my hair. The other hand grabbed roughly at my shoulder, shaking me, then dragging me to him. His hand continued down my arm, finding my wrist and pulling my arm up around his neck. I left it there, my hand still tightly balled up, unsure how far I could go in my desperation to keep him alive. All the while his lips, disconcertingly soft and warm, tried to force a response out of mine. As soon as he was sure I wouldn't drop my arm, he freed my wrist, his hand feeling its way down to my waist. His burning hand found the skin at the small of my back, and he yanked me forward, bowing my body against his. His lips gave up on mine for a moment, but I knew he was nowhere close to finished. His mouth followed the line of my jaw, and then explored the length of my neck. He freed my hair, reaching for my other arm to draw it around his neck like the first. Then both of his arms were constricted around my waist, and his lips found my ear. â€Å"You can do better than this, Bella,† he whispered huskily. â€Å"You're overthinking it.† I shivered as I felt his teeth graze my earlobe. â€Å"That's right,† he murmured. â€Å"For once, just let yourself feel what you feel.† I shook my head mechanically until one of his hands wound back into my hair and stopped me. His voice turned acidic. â€Å"Are you sure you want me to come back? Or did you really want me to die?† Anger rocked through me like the whiplash after a heavy punch. That was too much – he wasn't fighting fair. My arms were already around his neck, so I grabbed two fistfuls of his hair – ignoring the stabbing pain in my right hand – and fought back, struggling to pull my face away from his. And Jacob misunderstood. He was too strong to recognize that my hands, trying to yank his hair out by the roots, meant to cause him pain. Instead of anger, he imagined passion. He thought I was finally responding to him. With a wild gasp, he brought his mouth back to mine, his fingers clutching frantically against the skin at my waist. The jolt of anger unbalanced my tenuous hold on self-control; his unexpected, ecstatic response overthrew it entirely. If there had been only triumph, I might have been able to resist him. But the utter defenselessness of his sudden joy cracked my determination, disabled it. My brain disconnected from my body, and I was kissing him back. Against all reason, my lips were movingwith his in strange, confusing ways they'd never moved before – because I didn't have to be careful with Jacob, and he certainly wasn't being careful with me. My fingers tightened in his hair, but I was pulling him closer now. He was everywhere. The piercing sunlight turned my eyelids red, and the color fit, matched the heat. The heat was everywhere. I couldn't see or hear or feel anything that wasn't Jacob. The tiny piece of my brain that retained sanity screamed questions at me. Why wasn't I stopping this? Worse than that, why couldn't I find inmyself even the desire to want to stop? What did it mean that I didn't want him to stop? That my hands clung to his shoulders, and liked that they were wide and strong? That his hands pulled me too tight against his body, and yet it was not tight enough for me? The questions were stupid, because I knew the answer: I'd been lying to myself. Jacob was right. He'd been right all along. He was more than just my friend. That's why it was so impossible to tell him goodbye – because I was in love with him. Too. I loved him, much more than I should, and yet, still nowhere near enough. I was in love with him, but it was not enough to change anything; it was only enough to hurt us both more. To hurt him worse than I ever had. I didn't care about more than that – than his pain. I more than deserved whatever pain this caused me. I hoped it was bad. I hoped I would really suffer. In this moment, it felt as though we were the same person. His pain had always been and would always be my pain – now his joy was my joy. I felt joy, too, and yet his happiness was somehow also pain. Almost tangible – it burned against my skin like acid, a slow torture. For one brief, never-ending second, an entirely different path expanded behind the lids of my tear-wet eyes. As if I were looking through the filter of Jacob's thoughts, I could see exactly what I was going to give up, exactly what this new self-knowledge would not save me from losing. I could see Charlie and Rene mixed into a strange collage with Billy and Sam and La Push. I could see years passing, and meaning something as they passed, changing me. I could see the enormous red-brown wolf that I loved, always standing as protector if I needed him. For the tiniest fragment of that second, I saw the bobbing heads of two small, black-haired children, running away from me into the familiar forest. When they disappeared, they took the rest of the vision with them. And then, quite distinctly, I felt the splintering along the fissure line in my heart as the smaller part wrenched itself away from the whole. Jacob's lips were still before mine were. I opened my eyes and he was staring at me with wonder and elation. â€Å"I have to leave,† he whispered. â€Å"No.† He smiled, pleased by my response. â€Å"I won't be long,† he promised. â€Å"But one thing first . . .† He bent to kiss me again, and there was no reason to resist. What would be the point? This time was different. His hands were soft on my face and his warm lips were gentle, unexpectedly hesitant. It was brief, and very, very sweet. His arms curled around me, and he hugged me securely while he whispered in my ear. â€Å"That should have been our first kiss. Better late than never.† Against his chest, where he couldn't see, the tears welled up and spilled over.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Companies with low on diversity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Companies with low on diversity - Research Paper Example There is a realization that diversity can be a source of immense creativity and innovation. In the new light, American companies are doing their best to embrace and harness the value of diversity in all their aspects. This paper will explore ways in which these companies are embracing diversity. It will also highlight companies that are leading in embracing diversity as well those lagging behind. An understanding of the American diversity is crucial (Johnson 9). The workforce comprises Whites, African American, Hispanics, Latinos, Indians, Asians, and Africans. The Whites form the majority while the others are the minority groups. From a different angle, the minority group also includes women, and all disabled people. The American people are adherents of different religions (Wuthnow 130). The society has varying cultures and belief systems. The people grow up in different backgrounds and neighborhoods. The American society is greatly diverse. In addition, each individual has a unique personality and abilities. For companies, embracing diversity means more. Most of the companies are operating on a global front. Their markets are from different races and backgrounds. A good example is McDonalds that operates in many regions of the world (Harris 6). They realize the need to satisfy their clients. One of the strategies of survival has been to recruit a heterogeneous workforce. Such a workforce is a representation of the society. This workforce produces ideas that can address the needs of the market (Harris 58). In this sense, diversity results in innovation. Most of the companies who understand the need for diversity have a diversity officer in place. This officer ensures that the company maintains diversity and inclusion at all levels. Companies are working hard to ensure that there is inclusion in all offices and departments. Most of the companies are proving gender sensitive. A remarkable percentage of women sits in boards in many companies and indulges actively in decision-making and formulating practices at the workplace. Appreciating diversity in the American society has not been an easy venture. There are numerous challenges and the companies need to have a great deal of commitment. Such commitment drives the companies to lay down strategies that can help the company improve in appreciating diversity. Many of the companies have made remarkable progress in embracing diversity.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Strictly confidential Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strictly confidential - Essay Example The memory stick which consists of information on all the 84,000 prisoners in England and Wales is now entirely investigated. It includes some release dates as well as information about 43,000 most intricate and persistence offenders as described by the Deputy Information Commissioner (Sky News, 2008). Out of the most likely consequences is the one that the criminals will bring legal acts next to the government and the taxpayer would have to pay for the injuries to the people who appear to be a bit contemptible for the reason of the government's inability. The loss of the memory stick with the details of the prisoners was initially reported to the government, by a London-based consulting company called the PA Consulting Group, with a contract to track the movement of the offenders through the criminal justice system (Burns, 2008). Classified information about almost 130,000 prisoners as well as dangerous criminals has been lost ... According to the Home Office, an internal report is supposed to be carried out in to the data security arrangements between the Home Office and its contractor, PA Consulting. 2.2 Identification of Stake-Holders The individuals or groups which are affected by the outcome of a decision are construed as stake-holders. Amongst the primary stake-holders are the prisoners and criminals whose information has been lost. Home-Office was responsible for the loss of the personal information. Secondly, the tax-payers are another group of stake-holders affected by the outcome. The secondary stake holders are the police force which is responsible for of guaranteeing the personal information of the prisoners. The stake-holders were supposed to safe-guard the confidential details of the prisoners and criminals which they failed to do. The data had been misplaced by the PA consulting group, which was supposed to track and examine the critical offenders in the JTrack programme. 3. Professional Codes The professional conducts do not seem to construe to the case discussed above for the reason that the people responsible for the misplacing of information did not uphold the reputation and good standing of the British Computer Society, and also, their profession in general. Moreover, they did not seek to participate in the improvisation of the professional gradations through participation in their development, usage as well as implementation. The British Computer

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

No line sources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

No line sources - Essay Example God showed his blessings to humanity by choosing Abraham since the divine nature bestowed on him finally resulted in a huge clan, fastened by the twelve sons of Jacob, who considered the God of Abraham as their supporter and guardian. Jacob’s son hawked their young sibling, Joseph to dealers, who in turn hawked him as a slave in the Egyptian land. This was God’s work and plan since there came a time where there was famine in the land of Canaan and all the family was forced to go to Egypt to buy food. Unfortunately, Joseph rescued his family by providing them with food. This was a pure indicator of Good’s mercies to bless humanity. God promised Abraham that he will give him a son at his old age. The promises were finally fulfilled when he gave out his son at the old age. The son was Isaac and through his lineage, the world has turned to be a place of blessings. Through Abraham, God has made the world to turn to Him once more, despite the rejection and ignorance of mankind (Genesis 12:5-10). From the story of exodus, when God delivered his people from the land of suffering and misery to the Promised Land, it was an indicator that God was working to bless all humanity through the promises. This was also one of the promises that God gave to Abraham that He will give his people land to dwell in. this was a sign of blessings. The covenant also that God made to Moses, for example giving His people Ten Commandments to guide them through their life to avoid evils. The purification of his people on Mount Sinai was a significant indicator of God’s effort to bless his people (Exodus 5:3-12). God also showed blessing to the humanity through King David. David let known himself in the battle with the philistines at this period. When Saul and his son died, David was in position to assume leadership. He created an administrative center in Jerusalem that overextended from the boundary of Egypt

Monday, August 26, 2019

Environmental policies in USA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Environmental policies in USA - Research Paper Example The issues of environmental conservation have become so serious that they can no longer be ignored by the current generation unless we want to do it when the danger of a global disaster becomes inevitable. To this regard, a number of studies has been conducted regarding environmental issues to come up with various solutions so that to impend danger of humankind extinction. Different governments globally, including the government of the United States, have formulated various legislations with an aim of safeguarding the environment. The issues regarding environmental policy of the United States are to be regulated the federal government. Activities having environmental impact according to the United States environmental policy provisions should be acted upon by the federal government. The main purpose of formulation of environmental policy is to that the current generations protect the environment for future generations. The United States environmental policy also tries to interfere as little as possible with the efficiency of commerce and tries to limit inequity in who is burdened with environmental costs. The government of United States has instituted legislations that regulate the environment. These laws are administered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which was formulated in 1970 and has been bestowed with the power to control pollution and the environment at large since its inception. The United States is without doubt the number one country that’s spends a greater portion of its GNP in cleaning up the environment. The United States residents have in many occasions demonstrated a great deal of concern when it comes to environmental problems. As a result both local and national political leaders in the United States talk about environmental issues in their campaigns (Kraft & Vig, 1990). Each year millions of United States tax payer money and donations are spent in environmental policies plan and in management of resources. The United States has managed considerably, in recent decades to reduce many types of pollution, environmental disasters and improved the quality of waters in many places. But that being said, The Unites States just as many other countries faces and is still struggling to use its God given recourses in an efficient way and to preserve its ecosystem (Bass, Herson & Bogdan, 2001). When the United States started to develop an active environme ntal policy, it was a sovereign nation state which possessed all the constitutional, institutional, economic, and political requirements to conceive and implement a coherent and consistent environmental policy home and abroad (Holt & Winston, 2002). Various studies in the field explain that until the 1960s water and air issues were mainly dealt with at the level of individual states within the United States. This lead to an increased public concern, that ended up prompting the Congress to adopt federal air pollution legislation in 1965 and 1967 which later was reinforced by the Clean air Act Amendments of 1970. This didn’t stop here as a similar development occurred in the water sector of 1972 (Bass, Herson & Bogdan, 2001). As of the 1970s, Environmental policy in the United States started experiencing a strong centralization. This included the adoption of federal legislation concerning air and ware pollution, industrial permitting, nature protection and soil cleanup policies ; and powerful enforcement mechanisms, in particular via the EPA during 1970s, EPA and other federal agencies pursued a vigorous and robust policy

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Blood doniation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Blood doniation - Essay Example Blood donation is one of the noblest acts any person could do for another. A. Blood Donation: It is believed by the World Health Organization that safe access to blood is a basic human right. This is something that is yet to be achieved in developing countries. There has been a great concern about blood access from paid donors being very risky. This is why today we gather here to advocate for free unpaid blood donation. Blood donation is very crucial and especially the safe donation. Statistics show that out of eighty million blood donors, only a third is form developing countries. C. It is the aim of WHO to triple the number of blood donors who are unpaid. This is because it is both safe and cheap. There are procedures that are undertaken when voluntary blood donations are being taken. Blood testing is compulsory to ensure only safe blood is given to patients. There are many diseases that could be passed through blood donatio0n like HIV/AIDS. There is an unceasing scarcity of blood all through the year in several parts of the country. However, in toting up, heightened scarcity occurs during summer months and the holiday period. The rate at which blood is donated blood donation drops significantly. A number of patients are perishing because of a lack of blood for transfusion. The good news is that there are millions of people who are saved from blood donations each day most of which are women and children from poor and rural countries (Brown et al 29). The process of blood donation is very simple. A volunteer must be over the age of sixteen to donate blood. He or she must also be over a hundred and fifty pounds and must be physically fit. A patient simply lies on their back and blood is removed from the upper hand and pumped into a plastic bag which is sterilized. This blood is then taken to the laboratory for testing of any pathogens. It is then stored in the blood