Second Foundation 21. The Answer That Satisfied

Turbor laughed suddenly – laughed in huge, windy gusts that bounced ringingly off the walls and died in gasps. He shook his head, weakly, and said, â€Å"Great Galaxy, this goes on all night. One after another, we put up our straw men to be knocked down. We have fun, but we don't get anywhere. Space! Maybe all planets are the Second Foundation. Maybe they have no planet, just key men spread on all the planets. And what does it matter, since Darell says we have the perfect defense?† Darell smiled without humor. â€Å"The perfect defense is not enough, Turbor. Even my Mental Static device is only something that keeps us in the same place. We cannot remain forever with our fists doubled, frantically staring in all directions for the unknown enemy. We must know not only how to win, but whom to defeat. And there is a specific world on which the enemy exists.† â€Å"Get to the point,† said Anthor, wearily. â€Å"What's your information?† â€Å"Arcadia,† said Darell, â€Å"sent me a message, and until I got it, I never saw the obvious. I probably would never have seen the obvious. Yet it was a simple message that went: ‘A circle has no end.' Do you see?† â€Å"No,† said Anthor, stubbornly, and he spoke, quite obviously, for the others. â€Å"A circle has no end,† repeated Munn, thoughtfully, and his forehead furrowed. â€Å"Well,† said Darell, impatiently, â€Å"it was clear to me- What is the one absolute fact we know about the Second Foundation, eh? I'll tell you! We know that Hari Seldon located it at the opposite end of the Galaxy. Homir Munn theorized that Seldon lied about the existence of the Foundation. Pelleas Anthor theorized that Seldon had told the truth that far, but lied about the location of the Foundation. But I tell you that Hari Seldon lied in no particular; that he told the absolute truth. â€Å"But, what is the other end? The Galaxy is a flat, lens-shaped object. A cross section along the flatness of it is a circle, and a circle had no end – as Arcadia realized. We – we, the First Foundation – are located on Terminus at the rim of that circle. We are at an end of the Galaxy, by definition. Now follow the rim of that circle and find the other end. Follow it, follow it, follow it, and you will find no other end. You will merely come back to your starting point- â€Å"And there you will find the Second Foundation.† â€Å"There?† repeated Anthor. â€Å"Do you mean here?† â€Å"Yes, I mean here!† cried Darell, energetically. â€Å"Why, where else could it possibly be? You said yourself that if the Second Foundationers were the guardians of the Seldon Plan, it was unlikely that they could be located at the so-called other end of the Galaxy, where they would be as isolated as they could conceivably be. You thought that fifty parsecs distance was more sensible. I tell you that that is also too far. That no distance at all is more sensible. And where would they be safest? Who would look for them here? Oh, it's the old principle of the most obvious place being the least suspicious. â€Å"Why was poor Ebling Mis so surprised and unmanned by his discovery of the location of the Second Foundation? There he was, looking for it desperately in order to warn it of the coming of the Mule, only to find that the Mule had already captured both Foundations at a stroke. And why did the Mule himself fail. in his search? Why not? If one is searching for an unconquerable menace, one would scarcely look among the enemies already conquered. So the Mind-masters, in their own leisurely time, could lay their plans to stop the Mule, and succeeded in stopping him. â€Å"Oh, it is maddeningly simple. For here we are with our plots and our schemes, thinking that we are keeping our secrecy – when all the time we are in the very heart and core of our enemy's stronghold. It's humorous.† Anthor did not remove the skepticism from his face, â€Å"You honestly believe this theory, Dr. Darell?† â€Å"I honestly believe it.† â€Å"Then any of our neighbors, any man we pass in the street might be a Second Foundation superman, with his mind watching yours and feeling the pulse of its thoughts.† â€Å"Exactly.† â€Å"And we have been permitted to proceed all this time, without molestation?† â€Å"Without molestation? Who told you we were not molested? You, yourself, showed that Munn has been tampered with. What makes you think that we sent him to Kalgan in the first place entirely of our own volition – or that Arcadia overheard us and followed him on her own volition? Hah! We have been molested without pause, probably. And after all, why should they do more than they have? It is far more to their benefit to mislead us, than merely to stop us.† Anthor buried himself in meditation and emerged therefrom with a dissatisfied expression. â€Å"Well, then, I don't like it. Your Mental Static isn't worth a thought. We can't stay in the house forever and as soon as we leave, we're lost, with what we now think we know. Unless you can build a little machine for every inhabitant in the Galaxy.† â€Å"Yes, but we're not quite helpless, Anthor. These men of the Second Foundation have a special sense which we lack. It is their strength and also their weakness. For instance, is there any weapon of attack that will be effective against a normal, sighted man which is useless against a blind man?† â€Å"Sure,† said Munn, promptly. â€Å"A light in the eyes.† â€Å"Exactly,† said Darell. â€Å"A good, strong blinding light.† â€Å"Well, what of it?† asked Turbor. â€Å"But the analogy is clear. I have a Mind Static device. It sets up an artificial electromagnetic pattern, which to the mind of a man of the Second Foundation would be like a beam of light to us. But the Mind Static device is kaleidoscopic. It shifts quickly and continuously, faster than the receiving mind can follow. All right then, consider it a flickering light; the kind that would give you a headache, if continued long enough. Now intensify that light or that electromagnetic field until it is blinding – and it will become a pain, an unendurable pain. But only to those with the proper sense; not to the unsensed.† â€Å"Really?† said Anthor, with the beginnings of enthusiasm. â€Å"Have you tried this?† â€Å"On whom? Of course, I haven't tried it. But it will work.† â€Å"Well, where do you have the controls for the Field that surrounds the house? I'd like to see this thing.† â€Å"Here.† Darell reached into his jacket pocket. It was a small thing, scarcely bulging his pocket. He tossed the black, knob-studded cylinder to the other. Anthor inspected it carefully and shrugged his shoulders. â€Å"It doesn't make me any smarter to look at it. Look Darell, what mustn't I touch? I don't want to turn off the house defense by accident, you know.† â€Å"You won't,† said Darell, indifferently. â€Å"That control is locked in place.† He flicked at a toggle switch that didn't move. â€Å"And what's this knob?† â€Å"That one varies rate of shift of pattern. Here – this one varies the intensity. It's that which I've been referring to.† â€Å"May I-† asked Anthor, with his finger on the intensity knob. The others were crowding close. â€Å"Why not?† shrugged DarelI. â€Å"It won't affect us.† Slowly, almost wincingly, Anthor turned the knob, first in one direction, then in another. Turbor was gritting his teeth, while Munn blinked his eyes rapidly. It was as though they were keening their inadequate sensory equipment to locate this impulse which could not affect them. Finally, Anthor shrugged and tossed the control box back into Darell's lap. â€Å"Well, I suppose we can take your word for it. But it's certainly hard to imagine that anything was happening when I turned the knob.† â€Å"But naturally, Pelleas Anthor,† said Darell, with a tight smile. â€Å"The one I gave you was a dummy. You see I have another.† He tossed his jacket aside and seized a duplicate of the control box that Anthor had been investigating, which swung from his belt. â€Å"You see,† said Darell, and in one gesture turned the intensity knob to maximum. And with an unearthly shriek, Pelleas Anthor sank to the floor. He rolled in his agony; whitened, gripping fingers clutching and tearing futilely at his hair. Munn lifted his feet hastily to prevent contact with the squirming body, and his eyes were twin depths of horror. Semic and Turbor were a pair of plaster casts; stiff and white. Darell, somber, turned the knob back once more. And Anthor twitched feebly once or twice and lay still. He was alive, his breath racking his body. â€Å"Lift him on to the couch,† said Darell, grasping the young man's head. â€Å"Help me here.† Turbor reached for the feet. They might have been lifting a sack of flour. Then, after long minutes, the breathing grew quieter, and Anthor's eyelids fluttered and lifted. His face was a horrid yellow; his hair and body was soaked in perspiration, and his voice, when he spoke, was cracked and unrecognizable. â€Å"Don't,† he muttered, â€Å"don't! Don't do that again! You don't know- You don't know- Oh-h-h.† It was a long, trembling moan. â€Å"We won't do it again,† said Darell, â€Å"if you will tell us the truth. You are a member of the Second Foundation?† â€Å"Let me have some water,† pleaded Anthor. â€Å"Get some, Turbor,† said Darell, â€Å"and bring the whiskey bottle.† He repeated the question after pouring a jigger of whiskey and two glasses of water into Anthor. Something seemed to relax in the young man- â€Å"Yes,† he said, wearily. â€Å"I am a member of the Second Foundation.† â€Å"Which,† continued Darell, â€Å"is located on Terminus – here?† â€Å"Yes, yes. You are right in every particular, Dr. Darell.† â€Å"Good! Now explain what's been happening this past half year. Tell us!† â€Å"I would like to sleep,† whispered Anthor. â€Å"Later! Speak now!† A tremulous sigh. Then words, low and hurried. The others bent over him to catch the sound, â€Å"The situation was growing dangerous. We knew that Terminus and its physical scientists were becoming interested in brain-wave patterns and that the times were ripe for the development of something like the Mind Static device. And there was growing enmity toward the Second Foundation. We had to stop it without ruining SeIdon's Plan. â€Å"We†¦ we tried to control the movement. We tried to join it. It would turn suspicion and efforts away from us. We saw to it that Kalgan declared war as a further distraction. That's why I sent Munn to Kalgan. Stettin's supposed mistress was one of us. She saw to it that Munn made the proper moves-â€Å" â€Å"Callia is-† cried Munn, but Darell waved him silent. Anthor continued, unaware of any interruption, â€Å"Arcadia followed. We hadn't counted on that – can't foresee everything – so Callia maneuvered her to Trantor to prevent interference. That's all. Except that we lost.† â€Å"You tried to get me to go to Trantor, didn't you?† asked Darell. Anthor nodded, â€Å"Had to get you out of the way. The growing triumph in your mind was clear enough. You were solving the problems of the Mind Static device.† â€Å"Why didn't you put me under control?† â€Å"Couldn't†¦ couldn't. Had my orders. We were working according to a Plan. If I improvised, I would have thrown everything off. Plan only predicts probabilities†¦ you know that†¦ like Seldon's Plan.† He was talking in anguished pants, and almost incoherently. His head twisted from side to side in a restless fever. â€Å"We worked with individuals†¦ not groups†¦ very low probabilities involved†¦ lost out. Besides†¦ if control you†¦ someone else invent device†¦ no use†¦ had to control times†¦ more subtle†¦ First Speaker's own plan†¦ don't know all angles†¦ except†¦ didn't work a-a-a-† He ran down. Darell shook him roughly, â€Å"You can't sleep yet. How many of you are there?† â€Å"Huh? Whatjasay†¦ oh†¦ not many†¦ be surprised fifty†¦ don't need more.† â€Å"All here on Terminus?† â€Å"Five†¦ six out in Space†¦ like Callia†¦ got to sleep.† He stirred himself suddenly as though to one giant effort, and his expressions gained in clarity. It was a last attempt at self-justification, at moderating his defeat. â€Å"Almost got you at the end. Would have turned off defenses and seized you. Would have seen who was master. But you gave me dummy controls†¦ suspected me all along-â€Å" And finally he was asleep. Turbor said, in awed tones, â€Å"How long did you suspect him, Darell?† â€Å"Ever since he first came here,† was the quiet response. â€Å"He came from Kleise, he said. But I knew Kleise; and I knew on what terms we parted. He was a fanatic on the subject of the Second Foundation and I had deserted him. My own purposes were reasonable, since I thought it best and safest to pursue my own notions by myself. But I couldn't tell Kleise that; and he wouldn't have listened if I had. To him, I was a coward and a traitor, perhaps even an agent of the Second Foundation. He was an unforgiving man and from that time almost to the day of his death he had no dealings with me. Then, suddenly, in his last few weeks of life, he writes me – as an old friend – to greet his best and most promising pupil as a co-worker and begin again the old investigation. â€Å"It was out of character. How could he possibly do such a thing without being under outside influence, and I began to wonder if the only purpose might not be to introduce into my confidence a real agent of the Second Foundation. Well, it was so-â€Å" He sighed and closed his own eyes for a moment. Semic put in hesitantly, â€Å"What will we do with all of them†¦ these Second Foundation fellas?† â€Å"I don't know,† said Darell, sadly. â€Å"We could exile them, I suppose. There's Zoranel, for instance. They can be placed there and the planet saturated with Mind Static. The sexes can be separated, or, better still, they can be sterilized – and in fifty years, the Second Foundation will be a thing of the past. Or perhaps a quiet death for all of them would be kinder.† â€Å"Do you suppose,† said Turbor, â€Å"we could learn the use of this sense of theirs. Or are they born with it, like the Mule.† â€Å"I don't know. I think it is developed through long training, since there are indications from encephalography that the potentialities of it are latent in the human mind. But what do you want that sense for? It hasn't helped them.† He frowned. Though he said nothing, his thoughts were shouting. It had been too easy – too easy. They had fallen, these invincibles, fallen like book-villains, and he didn't like it. Galaxy! When can a man know he is not a puppet? How can a man know he is not a puppet? Arcadia was coming home, and his thoughts shuddered away from that which he must face in the end. She was home for a week, then two, and he could not loose the tight check upon those thoughts. How could he? She had changed from child to young woman in her absence, by some strange alchemy. She was his link to life; his link to a bittersweet marriage that scarcely outlasted his honeymoon. And then, late one evening, he said as casually as he could, â€Å"Arcadia, what made you decide that Terminus contained both Foundations?† They had been to the theater; in the best seats with private trimensional viewers for each; her dress was new for the occasion, and she was happy. She stared at him for a moment, then tossed it off. â€Å"Oh, I Don't know, Father. It just came to me.† A layer of ice thickened about Dr. Darell's heart. â€Å"Think,† he said, intensely. â€Å"This is important. What made you decide both Foundations were on Terminus.† She frowned slightly. â€Å"Well, there was Lady Callia. I knew she was a Second Foundationer. Anthor said so, too.† â€Å"But she was on Kalgan,† insisted Darell. â€Å"What made you decide on Terminus?† And now Arcadia waited for several minutes before she answered. What had made her decide? What had made her decide? She had the horrible sensation of something slipping just beyond her grasp. She said, â€Å"She knew about things – Lady Callia did – and must have had her information from Terminus. Doesn't that sound right, Father? But he just shook his head at her. â€Å"Father,† she cried, â€Å"I knew. The more I thought, the surer I was. It just made sense.† There was that lost look in her father's eyes, â€Å"It's no good, Arcadia. Its no good. Intuition is suspicious when concerned with the Second Foundation. You see that, don't you? It might have been intuition – and it might have been control!† â€Å"Control! You mean they changed me? Oh, no. No, they couldn't.† She was backing away from him. â€Å"But didn't Anthor say I was right? He admitted it. He admitted everything. And you've found the whole bunch right here on Trantor. Didn't you? Didn't you?† She was breathing quickly. â€Å"I know, but- Arcadia, will you let me make an encephalographic analysis of your brain?' She shook her head violently, â€Å"No, no! I'm too scared.† â€Å"Of me, Arcadia? There's nothing to be afraid of. But we must know. You see that, don't you?† She interrupted him only once, after that. She clutched at his arm just before the last switch was thrown. â€Å"What if I am different, Father? What will you have to do?† â€Å"I won't have to do anything, Arcadia. If you're different, we'll leave. Well go back to Trantor, you and I, and†¦ and we won't care about anything else in the Galaxy.† Never in Darell's life had an analysis proceeded so slowly, cost him so much, and when it was over, Arcadia huddled down and dared not look. Then she heard him laugh and that was information enough. She jumped up and threw herself into his opened arms. He was babbling wildly as they squeezed one another, â€Å"The house is under maximum Mind Static and your brain-waves are normal. We really have trapped them, Arcadia, and we can go back to living.† â€Å"Father,† she gasped, â€Å"can we let them give us medals now?† â€Å"How did you know I'd asked to be left out of it?† He held her at arm's mind; you know everything. All right, you can have your medal on a platform, with speeches.† â€Å"And Father?† â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"Can you call me Arkady from now on.† â€Å"But- Very well, Arkady.† Slowly the magnitude of the victory was soaking into him and saturating him. The Foundation – the First Foundation – now the only Foundation – was absolute master of the Galaxy. No further barrier stood between themselves and the Second Empire – the final fulfillment of Seldon's Plan. They had only to reach for it- Thanks to-

Pinkerton’s Detective Agenc Essay

Pinkerton (A) Late one afternoon in November 1987, Tom Wathen, sole owner and CEO of California Plant Protection (CPP), sat in his office staring at two financing plans. Wathen was trying to decide whether or not he should increase his $85 million bid to purchase Pinkerton’s—the legendary security guard firm—from its current owner, American Brands. On the previous day, Wathen had been told by Morgan Stanley, American Brands’ investment banker, that his bid of $85 million had been rejected and that nothing less than $100 million would be accepted. While Wathen was elated at still being in the deal, he had a problem. CPP’s board of directors had reluctantly approved the earlier $85 million bid and were sure to balk at a $100 million bid. Wathen desperately wanted to buy Pinkerton’s, but was not sure how much it was worth or how to finance it. Wathen knew he had to act now or miss this unprecedented growth opportunity and probably his last chance to be one of the industry’s biggest players. The Security Guard Industry The security guard industry had two segments: (1) proprietary guards and (2) contract guards. While both types of guards performed similar services, a proprietary guard was an employee on the payroll of a nonsecurity firm. Contract guards were â€Å"rented† from specialist suppliers like Pinkerton’s, CPP, Wackenhut, and Baker Industries. The historical growth of the contract guard segment of the industry was due in part to companies concluding that they gained operating flexibility by contracting out their security needs as opposed to managing their own security operations. By late 1987, security guard services was a $10 billion industry growing at 6% a year. But the industry was also mature, fragmented, and price-competitive. As a result there was an ongoing trend toward consolidation at the expense of smaller, local guard companies whose employees were often imperfectly screened and  poorly trained. Pinkerton’s The security guard industry began in 1850 when Allan Pinkerton founded the Pinkerton’s Detective Agency. The firm gained fame in the nineteenth century with its pursuit of such outlaws as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. In the film portrait of that pair, Paul Newman repeatedly asks Robert Redford, â€Å"Who are those guys?† Those â€Å"guys† were Pinkerton’s men and women. Pinkerton ran his firm until he died in 1884. The company was then headed by four generations of Pinkertons until the family’s reign ended in 1967 with the death of Robert Pinkerton. Adam S. Berger (MBA ’91), prepared this case under the supervision of Professor Scott P. Mason as the basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation. American Brands, the $5 billion consumer goods company—with brand names such as Lucky Strike cigarettes, Jim Beam bourbon, Master locks, and Titleist golf balls—purchased Pinkerton’s for $162 million in 1982. American Brands made the acquisition in order to expand the service side of its business and because it saw the Pinkerton’s brand name as a great addition to â€Å"a company  of great brand names.† The Pinkerton family sold the company to American Brands because they felt the industry was becoming extremely price-competitive and therefore the company needed a strong parent to compete and grow. In 1987 Pinkerton’s was among the largest security guard firms in the United States, with sales over $400 million, 150 offices in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, and a particular strength in the eastern United States. Exhibit 1 gives selected financial data for Pinkerton’s. California Plant Protection When Wathen bought CPP in 1963, the firm had 18 employees and revenues of $163,000. By 1987, Wathen had built CPP into a $250 million security guard company with 20,000 employees and 125 offices in 38 states and Canada. Exhibit 2 gives selected financial data for CPP. Wathen built CPP with his consummate marketing skills and the strategy of differentiating the firm with employee screening and continual training. CPP’s expansion was aided by the explosive growth of California’s economy and because the bigger, more established East Coast security guard firms had ignored the West Coast. While Wathen was the sole owner of CPP, he had a board of directors that he used as advisors. The board had three members: Albert Berger, James Hall, and Gerald Murphy. Berger was an entrepreneur, COO of an electrical connector firm and a CPP director since 1975. Hall was an attorney, a former vice president of MCA, the former California Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, and a CPP director since 1976. Murphy was president of ERLY Industries, a director of several companies, and a CPP director since 1975. CPP’s Acquisition of Pinkerton’s Wathen wanted to buy Pinkerton’s for several reasons. First, he had always had the goal of creating the largest firm in the security guard industry, and the acquisition of Pinkerton’s would put him in a virtual tie with Baker Industries—a subsidiary of Borg Warner and the largest provider of contract guard services. Secondly, Wathen had been convinced for some time that American Brands was mismanaging Pinkerton’s and destroying a great brand name with its pricing strategy. In October 1987, American Brands announced  it had decided to sell Pinkerton’s because the security guard firm no longer fit into Brands’s long-range business strategy. Upon this  announcement, Jerry Brown, CPP’s secretary and general counsel, recalls, â€Å"Tom [Wathen] called me in and from that moment I knew he was going to do whatever it took to buy Pinkerton’s. Tom was always hung up on being the largest, and on Pinkerton’s name.† Morgan Stanley, an investment bank, was to represent American Brands in the sale and the bidding promised to be hotly contested. A task force of senior managers was quickly formed to prepare CPP’s bid which they knew, given the time pressures of the sale, would not have the benefit of adequate preparation. The task force believed there were three ways CPP could create value by acquiring Pinkerton’s. The most obvious source of value would come from consolidating the operations of CPP and Pinkerton’s by eliminating common overhead expenses such as corporate headquarters, support staff, and redundant offices. Second, the task force believed that significant improvements could be made in the management of Pinkerton’s net working capital. The third source of value, and possibly a unique insight by Wathen and the CPP task force, was the Pinkerton’s name. They believed that, while the industry was highly price-competitive, the services of both Pinkerton’s and CPP could be successfully marketed under the Pinkerton’s name at a premium price. Specifically, the task force felt that even though higher prices could lead to reduced revenue, the resulting improvement in gross profit margins, due to the marketability of the Pinkerton’s name, would be su fficient to result in greater gross profits. For example, the  task force believed that a premium price strategy would definitely reduce Pinkerton’s revenues since that firm had acquired a significant amount of business since 1985 using a low-price/high market-share strategy. The new pricing strategy would result in Pinkerton’s revenues shrinking, in a smooth fashion, to 70% of their 1987 level by the end of 1990 and then growing at 5% a year thereafter. But the task force was uncertain in its estimate of the impact of the new strategy on profitability. They expected that the new pricing strategy would improve Pinkerton’s gross profit margins from 8.5% in 1988 to 9.0% in 1989, 9.5% in 1990, and 10.25% thereafter. The task force further expected the new strategy to produce higher margins for CPP, increasing the projected operating profit from CPP’s own business by $1.2 million in 1989, $1.5 million in 1990, $2.0 million in 1991, and $3 million in 1992. This increase in CPP’s projected operating profit would be over and above that level that would otherwise have been anticipated in those years, and was expected to grow at 5% a year, in line with sales, beyond 1992. (Exhibit 3 gives a five-year forecast of CPP’s net income and cash flow assuming Pinkerton’s is not acquired). However, the task force realized there was a distinct possibility that the new pricing strategy would have no impact on CPP’s projected operating profits, and Pinkerton’s gross margins would improve to only 8.5% in 1988, 8.75% in 1989, 9.0% in 1990, and 9.5% thereafter. The task force was confident that, as a result of eliminating common overhead, Pinkerton’s operating expenses, as a percentage of sales, could be reduced to 6% in 1988, 5.9% in 1989, and 5.8% in 1990 and beyond. The task force was also confident that Pinkerton’s net plant and equipment could be reduced to 4% of sales and maintained at that percentag e relationship for the foreseeable future. The task force was somewhat less confident in its estimate of improvements to the management of Pinkerton’s net working capital. This was due to concerns over the ability of CPP’s accounting department to handle a much larger and more geographically diverse operation. The task force expected that Pinkerton’s net working capital, as a percentage of sales, could be reduced to 8.6% in 1988, 7.4% in 1989, and 6.2% thereafter. However, if CPP’s accounting department experienced difficulties in integrating the two firms’ operations, then Pinkerton’s net working capital would remain at 9.5% of sales. The idea of CPP acquiring Pinkerton’s was not universally popular. Most of the investment banks and lenders contacted by CPP expressed negative feelings about the potential acquisition, citing inadequate cash flow and weak market conditions following the dramatic dislocation of the stock market in the previous month. However, a representative of Sutro & Co., a prominent West Coast investment bank, indicated he was â€Å"highly confident† he could get financing for the acquisition from either Manufacturers Hanover Trust Corporation or General Electric Credit Corporation. In addition, Wathen had some problems with CPP’s board of directors. For example, Berger thought there would be obvious synergies in merging the two businesses, but that there was not enough management depth at CPP capable of running the combined firms. According to Berger, there was no COO, no CFO, no marketing manager, and nobody to handle the day-to-day details of operating a $650 million firm. The last thing CPP needed was growth, Berger argued. He felt the field people could handle a larger firm, but the corporate management could not. Nonetheless, the task force pressed on with their analysis of Pinkerton’s. In addition to current financial market conditions, the analysis took special notice of Wackenhut, the only publicly traded security guard firm. (See Exhibits 4 and 5.) Only 12 days after receiving the details of the sale  from Morgan Stanley, and with the reluctant approval of his board, Wathen bid $85 million for Pinkerton’s. Wathen did not receive a response to his bid for two weeks. Through his own network, Wathen knew another firm had bid more than CPP and that Morgan  Stanley was negotiating with that firm. Wathen was disappointed that he might miss his last opportunity to be one of the biggest in the business. When Morgan Stanley finally called and told Wathen his $85 million bid was too low, and that nothing less than $100 million would be accepted, Wathen was elated that he had another chance to buy Pinkerton’s. But he suspected the reason Morgan Stanley had finally called him was that the other buyer had been unable to finance their higher bid. Financing a $100 Million Bid In a last ditch effort to improve his bid for Pinkerton’s, Wathen asked his investment banker to determine the options for financing a $100 million bid. The banker responded with only two alternatives. The first alternative came from an investment firm who would provide both debt and equity financing. The debt, in the amount of $75 million, would have a seven-year maturity and an 11.5% interest rate. The loan principal would not be amortized prior to maturity, at which time the entire $75 million would come due. Finally, this debt would be a senior obligation and be backed by all the assets of the new combined firm. The equity, in the amount of $25 million, would be provided in exchange for 45% of the equity in the new combined firm. The second alternative was a 100% debt financing offered by a bank. The bank would lend $100 million at the rate of 13.5% a year. The loan principal would be amortized at the rate of $5 million a year for six years, with a final payment of $70 million at the end of the seventh year. Again, this loan was collateralized by all of the assets of the new combined firm. Under either financing alternative, Wathen was very concerned about the required debt service. The new combined firm’s nonpublic, as well as high-leverage, status could make any cash flow problems over the next five years highly problematic. The task force also reminded Wathen that a $100 million purchase price would result in the creation of good will on his balance sheet which would have to be amortized at the rate of $5 million per year for the next 10 years.1 Wathen sat in his office and prepared to make the biggest decision of his career. As an entrepreneur and an experienced security guard executive, Wathen was sure Pinkerton’s was a good buy. However, he had routinely relied on his board and other advisers for  financial advice. His board had reluctantly approved his earlier bid of $85 million and was sure to balk at a $100 million bid. How could he justify a $100 million bid for Pinkerton, particularly in light of his earlier bid of $85 million? And if he was successful in convincing the board, how was he going to finance the acquisition?

HP Distribution Centre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HP Distribution Centre - Essay Example 2. It is misleading to think that the advantages accrued from specialization are lost or diminished when a team is created from specialists in different fields. On the contrary, cross-functional team is an environment where the benefits of specialization can be realized to the greater extent. Members of such a team approach the problem from different perspectives. As a result, working together they can see "big picture" and work out a better solution. Diversity is not a limitation; it is a success factor for a team. 3. In my opinion, Loretta Wilson's team was successful in achieving its objectives. Consolidation, automation of sorting, packing and crating activities, redesign of work stations, and use of modern technologies were "smarter and simpler ways to handle parts fewer times at several points in the distribution channel". Rethinking the way distribution was done allowed the team to fulfill the self-formulated goal and at the same time achieve the initial requirement of four-hour limit for parts delivery. 4. Wilson's team has demonstrated the characteristics of the high performing teams, and text contains explicit and implicit proofs of it. The team had clear goals - "to find smarter and simpler ways to handle parts" and started working quickly and with passion, which requires unified commitment.

The Effects of Budget Shifts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Effects of Budget Shifts - Essay Example None of us at that point imagined the far reaching effects of that day. The concrete and twisted metal may be gone now from Ground Zero, but we are still left to clean up the remainder of the rubble that was left in its wake. We are faced with too few dollars and too much to do. 9/11 and its aftermath has forced us to shift from concentrating on routine law enforcement functions to that of developing and sustaining expensive anti-terrorism programs. The already strained California budget needs to address both funding for anti-terrorism and meeting the needs of its citizens. The question becomes how do we balance both and how has this shift impacted the people of California. At the onset of researching this topic it was necessary to understand the current climate of the California residents and how they view the impact the increased anti-terrorism initiatives have had on their lives. I have found numerous articles addressing the current budget crisis as it relates to anti-terrorism program expenditures. Following are several examples representing the climate since the initiatives have been launched. September 5, 2004 an article appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle. It stated that "officials have used federal anti-terrorism money to purchase equipment and cover police work not directly related to the war on terror. As a result, nearly half of California's security funding through the last fiscal year, about $128 million, went to areas outside the five counties with the state's top 10 terrorist targets. Almost $8 million flowed to counties with no targets whatsoever." (Newspapers: California, n.p.) The article went on to say that there were no policies in place to direct local agencies on how appropriated money should be spent. Even more frightening the articled continued "Although federal spending for homeland security is expected to climb over the next five years to $27 billion, emergency first responders could require as much as four times that amount, experts say. But Congress may not make that available if it determines that state and local officials have spent the fundin g on needs other than protecting against terrorism." (Newspapers: California, 2004, n.p.) With spiraling costs and a lack of direction by federal government on what they consider appropriate, expenditures could force California further into financial crisis. It appears that there is a severe lack of coordination in the dispensing of federal aid to states in support of anti-terrorism programs. It was reported in The Daily Californian October 6, 2004 that "The Department of Homeland Security has made more than $175 million in grants available to California in 2004. But some local emergency response officials said red tape attached to the department's grants has needlessly hindered their work." (Wohlsen, n.p.) To make matters worse the article said that often agencies must first pay for the anti-terrorism programs or equiptment out of their own budget and then wait for reimbursement from the federal government. This often creates additional problems as the amount of money needed often exceeds the funds that these agencies

Critical Incidents Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Critical Incidents - Essay Example Tutors are trained to handle the student population regardless of the high demands in the field (Tripp, 2012). Over the years, theories and case studies have been created to understand the challenges faced by tutors in the field. Some cases and incidences have been regarded as critical depending on the seriousness of the case. A critical teaching incidence is referred to incidences that significantly affect the teaching practice and influences a large population of the teaching practice (Oatey, 2002). Thesis This paper will analyze three different critical incidences. The paper will first include a case study that would explain each of the three critical incidences. The case study will include the reaction of both the tutors and the students. Additionally, the paper will analyze each case study with theories relating to the particular incidence. Critical incidence I: Trust between a teacher and a student based on student behaviour I have a student, student J, who constantly lies abou t what other children are doing. She spies on them all the time, almost most of the time I can tell she is bending the truth. I know brush of what she is saying and if other children complain about her lying, I usually just expect her to be telling a lie, I don’t usually take her word for anything without a witness. In this particular case, the tutor has a judgmental personality toward the student. In a normal scenario a tutor is not supposed to create an assumption on a student based on their past behaviour. In this case, the student has a weakness where they have to tell a lie about other students. This is a normal student weakness in an institution setting. In an argument by Gremler (2004) a student in an academic institution has at least a 5% probability of lying. This is a normal occurrence and characteristic in students that a teacher should focus on eliminating rather than creating judgment based on the behaviour. In this case, student J has a weakness of creating nega tive perceptions

MGM626-0902A-03 Economics for Decision-Making - Phase 2 Individual Essay

MGM626-0902A-03 Economics for Decision-Making - Phase 2 Individual Project - Essay Example The products are also identical and there is complete freedom of entry to the market. Moreover the information about the products and prices from various firms are also available to the customers at no cost. Hence, in a perfect competition, the price is purely set by the market and the firms adhere to the price (Salvatore, 2006). In the case of CPI, if it decides to raise the prices of the toothpaste unilaterally, the demand for the firm’s toothpaste will be completely reduced and the firm will lose its market share. Customers will prefer to buy the products which are priced at the market rate. This will eventually lead to the shutdown of the product totally. In this case, the market price of the toothpaste is increased to $ 54 per case. As discussed earlier, it is evident that the profit is maximized when the marginal cost (MC) equals the marginal revenue (MR). The marginal cost function remains unchanged as MC = 0.006 Q, as the costs are unaffected due to raise in prices. Also, the marginal revenue will equal price, as the sale of an additional case results in a revenue equal to the price per case. In a perfect competition, the market price rises only when the demand rises from the current level. In such a case, the supply also has to rise to meet the demand. The point where the supply meets the demand is set as the market price. Hence it is very clear that the demand in the market has risen (Sloman and Sutcliffe, 2004). This will lead to the profit maximizing level of the firms to increase, as the firms now have the opportunity to exploit a higher demand than usual with increased prices. It is important to note that the products of all the firms are homogenous and are not differentiated in a perfect market. Moreover the customers already have all the information about the products available in the market. Hence it is very difficult to create an impact by advertising the product. The main theme of advertising is to provide information

Security project planning Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Security project planning - Research Paper Example el in order to analyze the information security plan as well as its existing situation of the information security attempts with respect to a number of stages presented in the bull eye model. Basically, the bull eye model allows project teams especially the project planners to find out the status of their progress with respect to their information security efforts. It tells them in which areas they need to pay more attention and expand their information security efforts and potential. Additionally, the bull eye model depends on a process of determining the project plans in a series in the context of four layers, which include policies, networks, systems, and applications. These layers are illustrated in figure1. The figure1 shows how these layers are connected with each other (CQUniversity, 2009; Joshi, 2013). Systems: This layer deals with all kinds of systems that can be used by the people. In this scenario, these systems can comprise computers used as servers, systems employed for process control and manufacturing systems and desktop computers. In addition, the bull’s eye model can be utilized to assess the series of actions that need to be performed to put together elements of the information security plan into a project plan. There is a close relationship between all the layers and these layers can be associated with each other in the following ways (CQUniversity, 2009; Joshi, 2013): Until an organization does not develop, communicate and implement an effective and useable information technology and information security policy, it should not spend further resources on additional controls. Once it is ensured that there is an effective policy is prepared, systems are safe, networks are secure, an organization should pay attention to the evaluation and cure of the security of the firm’s applications installed on systems (CQUniversity, 2009; Joshi,

A Focus on the Case of Sole Remaining supplier Essay

A Focus on the Case of Sole Remaining supplier - Essay Example In some cases, the subject of upholding ethics has only resulted in dilemmas with far reaching implications. Such is a situation of the case ‘Sole Remaining Supplier’. The case describes a heart pacemaker technology; though it is a marvelous device, it also raises ethical questions. The device has the capability of making automatic adjustments depending on the deviations from normal heartbeats. The device has the ability of stimulating heartbeats in the cases of abnormal pulse rates. However, during its developmental course, the device was marred by certain limitations. Despite the fact that the incidences occurred several decades back, the device is subject to relevant ethical questions. This paper considers a scenario where the pacemaker technology is gaining momentum despite its inherent weaknesses and regular failures that cause death. Later, the technology raises concerns and prompts reconsideration. Additionally, the device also consists of delicate transistors, th e delicacy of which increases the probability of the device becoming faulty. If the processes of supplying the transistors are halted, people are likely to miss the devices. On the other hand, if the supply process continues, people are likely to be victims of the failed devices. A decision has to be made eventually. The crucial question then is what course of action a transistor supplier should take. Utilitarian issues in the case Utilitarianism refers to the ethical theory which postulates that taking an appropriate course of action increases the chances of perfection. Its moral worthiness is based on the consequences of actions (Rawls, 2011). Proponents of this theory are J.S. Mill and Jeremy Bentham. Utilitarianism may be considered as an ethical approach that is quantitative and reductionistic. It considerably differs from other ethical theories such as deontological ethics, virtue ethics, pragmatic ethics and other consequantialist approaches. While deontological ethics differ from utilitarianism in their disregard for consequantialism, pragmatic, virtue and other consequantialist ethics differ from utilitarianism through their considerable regard of character as an aspect that determines the achievement of pleasurable ethical results. Utilitarianism is arguably the greatest principle that allows achieving happiness and felicity. Even so, the practicability of utilitarianism has not been without shortcomings, such as not accounting adequately for moral concepts such as promise and justice. This had prompted some changes in the theory to iron out the shortcomings. When an individual encounters a situation which requires him or her to make a choice, he or she should first hold back, weigh the situation in terms of appropriate choices, considering the consequences of each choice. On determining the choice that will yield the pleasurable outcomes, one can then proceed to take the course of action, and this could be applicable to the Sole Supplier case. Utili tarian elements that are presented in the case concern obligations, ethics for common good, action consequences, moral good and conflicting interests. For a business rising from scratches, some models of corporate social responsibility emphasize the primacy of the corporation’s economic responsibility to stick to survival while making profits. Other responsibilities, such as abiding by ethical activities that are discretionary, are not a priority (Sun, 2010). Other approaches hold that ethics should come first, so corporations should consider conforming to ethical and legal standards as the most important aspect. In this case, it does not matter whether a business is competitive or not; businesses could still maintain competitiveness or become competitive even while

Consulting report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Consulting report - Assignment Example Using this equation a web portal can be created where the same loyal customers can enter details of their shopping and the same staff can pick it out for them and pack it up to save time. This will not only save time for both and affect inventory and logistics positively, but also increase sales. In a research (Park, 1998) it was concluded that hi-tech baby boomers and older/physically challenged people were more prone to shop online. Another research (Hiser, 1999) confirmed that consumers other than those having dual incomes were a viable market segment. On a general basis buying groceries online was not dependent on the number of people in the house or incomes or gender. On the other hand buying behavior is more likely to be linked to the penetration of Internet and its usability among the shoppers (Ward, 2000). In today’s age where there is an application for every website the company would be making more sales if people in the community are given the option of selecting their groceries on the go. Instead of traditional inventory management system, using the warehouse as the Master Organization and transferring all stocks from there on when stocks are out anywhere, RCE proposes to use a flexible and manageable system. Maintain a fixed stock at all stores for all or some inventories, while keeping all suppliers connected with the Master Organization. This helps put the customer in focus and also helps increase sales as projected to 1%. On an organizational level, if Bradford chooses to bring in revenue through a web portal, a managed inventory at all stores will speed up the process of picking and bagging the orders. For staff to be effective in managing the store of inventory on-site at each business unit(store), effective trainings can be given and management can be done with simple bar-code readers. Staff that has been stocking the locations and managing

Race-Based Jury Nullification Essay Example for Free

Race-Based Jury Nullification Essay Internet research clearly showed a long history for jury nullification in the US. An explanation of jury nullification, and in particular race based jury nullification, is that it is a method whereby juries nullify unfair laws by declaring guilty defendants not guilty. Race based nullification is where a jury acquits and individual based on their race. This is commonly found in homogenous juries where there is little jury diversity. Past cases such as runaway slave laws and current cases such as police shootings show that race-based nullification is still an issue in modern courtrooms. The conclusion being that jury nullification is an important power necessary for the checks and balances of the judicial system Jury nullification is a right enjoyed, but not understood, by all jurors in the US. This right gives jurors the ability to interpret laws for themselves and return not-guilty verdicts for guilty defendants allowing them to nullify laws. (Emal, 1995) The most common admonishment by judges is that jurors must decide the case based on facts, and that they are not in fact interpreting the fairness of laws. The fear is that if jurors knew or understood this power, it could undermine the authority of the US judicial system. Allowing juries to interpret laws is in fact a right given as a foil against a too powerful central government. Historically there is a tremendous precedent for jury nullification much of it involving race. In the North pre-civil war era juries commonly refused to convict runaway slaves because they felt that the law was unfair. This was an example of jury nullification, where the jury was aware that the defendant was guilty, but refused to return a guilty verdict, in effect nullifying the law. (Emal, 1995) More recently in the 1930s many courts refused conviction for minor alcohol infractions because they felt the law was unfair. Another example of this trend were the civil rights trials of white supremacists in the south in the 50s and 60s; in these cases all white juries would refuse to convict white defendants of the murder of black  people or civil rights workers. (Emal, 1995) These cases clearly show that there have been many examples of jury nullification in the past in our country. Since a return of a not guilty verdict allows the jury to effectively end prosecution with no appeal allowed by the state it means that juries actually have final say about when and if a law is utilized. This allows juries the power to actually use their conscience when voting to convict or release a defendant. One possible outcome of jury nullification is the possibility of a major increase in hung juries. Race has figured in many instances of jury nullification so there is a clear precedent for race based jury nullification. (Emal, 1995) Recently all white juries have refused to convict white police officers in wrongful shooting trials where the victim was black. Also black juries have refused to convict clearly guilty defendants of crimes on the grounds that there are too many black people in prison already. (Butler, 1995) Another possible reason for jury nullification is to punish prosecutors and police for tactics, which the jurors find unpalatable. Many people recently felt that the O.J. Simpson trial was race based jury nullification; similarly the Rodney King trial would be an example. In both of these cases many people felt that the individual was guilty but that they were released because of their race. Some states have proposed that juries should have racial quotas in order to avoid possible race based nullification. In this system jurors who should be excused could be kept even if they were unsatisfactory if they fit some particular racial need. These attempts to eliminate jury nullification point to the seriousness with which this power is viewed. Some black lawmakers have said that since a jury is representative of a community then jurors should have the right to decide which people they will allow to live among them. (Butler, 1995) This basically means that jurors exercise their power based on conscience and not based on the facts of the case. This means that black juries would acquit non-violent black defendants even in cases where they were clearly guilty to nullify the effects of a predominantly white judicial system. The belief here is that the laws are  inherently unfair because they were created by and for white people. (Butler, 1995) Clearly there is a place for jury nullification in the US. There has been a long history of unfair laws and practices in the country and allowing the jury the power to overturn or nullify them is a good way to keep the government in check. (Jones, 2004) The real question is more about race-based nullification. Should race be a factor when juries consider nullification as an option? The answer to this is complicated if a jury really feels that a defendant was targeted unfairly based on race shouldnt they have some power to affect the trial. (Butler, 1995) Also without a complete revamping of the legal system (scary thought) how would one go about fixing the problem? Can nullification be eliminated with our current system? The idea is to really re-examine the selection process. With nullification as a real possibility then prosecutors can act to eliminate it by paying more attention to homogeneity during the selection process. Any prosecutor who allows a homogenous jury runs a real risk of losing the case based on nullification. Also race based jury nullification has been a useful tool in the past. (Jones, 2004) If not for northern juries how many runaway slaves would have been returned to torture and beatings in the south. In this case we had a manifestly unfair law which juries exercised a legitimate nullification against. Overall race based jury nullification is a scary prospect when taken to the extreme but it is a prospect that bears some consideration. Since it has been used righteously in the past it is a hard decision to contemplate getting rid of it. If there was no jury nullification of any kind then the country would have missed out on juries taking a stand against poorly thought out laws. The answer is that jury nullification has played a dual roll in our history. At times it is a useful tool as in the cases involving slavery or differential prosecution, at times allowing racists to go free. So having weighed the merits of the situation it is best left as is currently. There is a real risk for overuse if everyone were aware of the  power but in its absence the government would exercise too much power unbalanced by the power of the people. The conclusion would have to be that there is too much risk in eliminating jury nullification as a whole. Race based nullification is probably not necessary and would be nice to eliminate but there is no effective way to combat this. One possibility mentioned earlier is for prosecutors to consider nullification during the selection process to help combat this problem. References Butler, Paul. (1998). Racially Based Jury Nullification: Black Power in the Criminal Justice System. Yale Law Review, 105, 677-725. Emal, Russ. (1995). Jury Nullification: Why You Should Know What It Is. Retrieved on 11/21/04 from http://www.greenmac.com/eagle/ISSUES/ISSUE23- /07JuryNullification.html Jones Iloilo Marguerità ©. (2004). American Juror. Retrieved on 11/21/04 from http://www.fffija.org

Healthcare Professional Understanding and Response to Alarms

Healthcare Professional Understanding and Response to Alarms Obstacles and Solutions for Healthcare Professionals (HP)’s understanding and response to monitor alarms: A literature Review Image(1) Abstract: The alarm systems employed in the intensive care unit (ICU) are vital for patient care and safety. They give readings for heart rate, oximetry and the cut-offs for the alarms are set by the individual or the manufacturer. There have been adverse events associated with alarms systems and recently, it has become a serious health hazard. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature for healthcare professionals’ (HP) understanding and response to monitor alarms in the hospital and any solutions proposed. Mohammad Omar Aziz 112120367 University College Cork 24/11/2014 INTRODUCTION: The alarm systems give readings of many physiological variables including heart rate, respiratory rate, oximetry and the cut-offs for the alarms are set by the individual or the manufacturer(2). These alarms can also be silenced. The machine employed in NICU in CUMH contains a Stop and Pause function(2). The Pause function silences all alarm parameters for 2 minutes, whereas the stop function silences only one particular alarm parameter for 1 minute. There is also a setting known as ‘Extreme alarm’, which alerts the HP when the particular physiological variable has gotten worse (eg oxygen saturation has been gotten less than 80% for neonates in CUMH). The reason for such functions (ie stop and pause) is that an alarm may not be deemed serious by the HP and the HP may decide to ‘wait and see’ if this is just an isolated incident. Also, alarms may not be as serious and the HP may deem it to be a ‘false positive (FP)’. This is because the alarms ar e just one input of information for the HP and he/she takes into account other inputs, such as clinical context(3). Also, the patient population itself in the ICU is to be considered. For example, it is common for neonates to have episodes of tachycardia and as such, isolated incidents would not cause the HP to be worried about patient. Rather, the alarms become worrisome if the variables are not coming back to normal limits (i.e. assessing if the alarms are continuing to sound as opposed to being an isolated incident)(2). The alarms are aimed to have a high specificity so that a true event is not missed. However, this can be burdensome. In a day in the ICU, this could translate to 187 alarms/bed, of which majority are false positive alarms(4). Another study found that for a cardiac surgery, roughly 1 alarm would go off every minute and approximately 80% of the alarms had no practical benefit (i.e. no clinical action could be taken)(5). Alarm systems can lead to adverse events and in 2010, alarm hazards was amongst the top 10 technology health hazards and in 2012, it had surpassed the others to become the leading technology health hazard(6, 7). The potential consequences of adverse events can be fatal as one of the databases for the FDA had reported that in a span of 3 years, from 2005 to 2008, there were 566 deaths related to monitor device alarms(8). In Ireland (NICU in CUMH), a neonate could have been hypoxic after a prolonged period due to misunderstanding of alarms, highlighting the global scale of such a problem(2). OBJECTIVE: This literature review was aimed to see if there are any papers dealing with HP’s understanding and response to monitor alarms in critical care setting and ways in which it is affected. Response and understanding in this paper refers to whether the staff: (i) responded/became aware of the alarm and (ii) carried out the correct response based on the alarm that sounded. These specifically are: Factors affect their response and understanding Effects of in-adequate response and understanding Solution(s) proposed to improve response and understanding Difference in understanding after stratification: between doctors and nurses, between specialties of ICU (e.g. CCU vs NICU) The conclusions drawn from the review will give insight into audits carried out in CUH regarding monitor alarms and solutions to ‘close the audit loop’. It will also allow for comparison of HP’s understanding in CUH to others hospitals. METHODS: Inclusion Criteria: Papers that dealt with the following: HP’s understanding/interaction with monitor alarms Alarms employed in Hospital (as opposed to ambulatory care) The following databases were searched: PubMed, Cochrane Collaboration. Preference was given to most recent articles as well as review articles. Abstracts were reviewed and if they met inclusion criteria, they were read. Filters applied: ‘English’, ‘Full Text available’, ‘Human’ Search terms entered included: ‘Monitor Alarms’, ‘Monitor alarms + Understanding’, ‘Monitor Alarms + Fatigue’, ‘Alarms’. Cochrane database yielded no articles with any of the search terms, except ‘alarms’( which yielded articles, but they had no relevance to topic). RESULTS: Alarm fatigue and its effect on HP’s understanding Alarms, by their nature, are in place to alert the staff that the patient needs attending to and have limits set in place such that a true event is not missed. As a result, they have a tendency to stuffer from a high false positive rate (FP) and thus, poor positive predictive value (PPV)(9). Clinically insignificant and/or FP alarms range from 80-99%(9, 10). Another study done showed the PPV to be as low as 27%(11). This contributes to staff not being aware of the alarms (desensitization), mistrust in the alarms and not responding to them(3, 9). As stated earlier, 566 alarm related deaths were reported to FDA from 2005 to 2008(8). Alarms can be induced by patient motion, which further contributes to false alarms(12). These cases can be avoided by staff silencing the alarms for a set period of time prior to moving the patient(11). Due to the high FP rate of alarms, the more reliable the alarm is (i.e. how well it predicts true alarm), the higher the response will be from staff(9). Also, the factors that determine response can be divided into: intrinsic to the alarm itself and extrinsic. Internal factors are whether alarm continues to sound or it ceases to sound soon (i.e. alarm duration). Also, the more ‘rare’ or unlikely for an alarm to go off, the more it would warrant a response. The limits set by the staff for the alarm may not be appropriate for the given patient resulting in having too many alarms that are not actionable(5). Extrinsic factors to an alarm are: work load, task complexity, patient condition. The higher the workload or task complexity, HP’s have a lower tendency to react to it. The opposite is true for the more severe the patient’s condition is(3, 9). Solutions proposed to improve response and understanding: To reduce the high FP rate, and ultimately, improve alarm response, different solutions have been proposed in the literature. Since alarms often self-correct, by adding a delay time to the alarms before they sound can reduce the number of alarms themselves(11). ‘Smart Alarms’ can be introduced that have algorithms in place that will alert only if it is a true alarm(9). These systems take trends into account as opposed to raw data itself. Increasing the ‘volume’ of alarms higher than environment was recommended (as opposed to having a fixed dB level for an alarm sound)(13). This is supported by the fact that sound may not be heard due to: room doors closed, events such as noise produced by machines that clean the floors(14). It is further supported by the fact that most hospitals have exceeded the noise levels recommended by WHO, and as such, the volume of the alarm should be customized to the environment to ensure it is heard(15). However, other literature f avours different modalities of alarms (i.e. visual or vibrating), since the noise contributes to symptoms in staff such as fatigue and concentration problems(16). Standardization of alarm sounds would decrease the number of alarm sounds the HP’s have to ‘learn’(17). Another solution proposed has been to have a central notification centre as opposed to a staff monitoring patient(s)when their alarms go off, which was reported to be advantageous. Alarm limits should be changed to levels by HP’s taking into account: if the alarm goes off, it will require some sort of clinical action, and the patient’s specific condition(s)(9). This is in contrast to when HP’s do not change limits and keep to default levels set by manufacturer, which are set to different values depending on the country (18). Customizing limits will decrease the alarm load and increase sensitivity to alarms by healthcare staff(18). Ongoing training should be provided to the staff with an aim to have the training environment as closely simulating the real clinical environment as possible(9). Training in the form of showing staff how to troubleshoot alarms should also be implemented. Alarms that have built in ‘intelligent system’ to assist in troubleshooting have shown to be beneficial. In a simulated environment, intelligent alarms helped the anaesthetists solve various breathing circuit faults 62% faster (45 sec to 17 sec)(19). DISCUSSION: Pros and Cons of Literature: There is evidence in the literature on the potential adverse events of alarms and reasons for such events and the severity of this problem. Solutions to improve understanding were also given. There was no study found that dealt with whether staff understood how to operate the alarms properly and to what extent did this problem exist. Information related to the severity of the problem only indicated a problem in understanding and response. However, there was no mention of whether any of the deaths were due to the HP’s not knowing what buttons to press once the alarm came on (eg did they silence the alarm for too long without knowing). This could be a potential barrier in improving understanding since solutions such as ongoing teaching can not be customized effectively. The review of the literature has only taken data from nurses or doctors, but not both. Therefore, comparisons in understanding between doctors and nurses could not be made. Majority of data and studies was done on nurses. However, this is expected since nurses would’ve interacted with the alarms more frequently than doctors since they are more frequently at the bedside of the patient and are the first to react to any alarms of the patient. Also, no studies have been found to compare understanding between HP’s of different specialties. It would be expected that any critical unit, regardless of specialty, would’ve had the same obstacles to monitor alarm understanding since the reasons for alarm fatigue are the same across the specialties. However, knowing of such studies would yield information about which alarm(s) specifically do the staff understand better or worse? Also, there is a possibility that the understanding diminishes when certain machine alarms are simultaneously on (e.g. ventilator machine as well as monitor alarm). As a result, training could be tailored to each specialty and emphasis placed on areas where their understanding is not sufficient. CONCLUSION: The literature review suggests that the level of monitor alarm understanding and response is not sufficient. Also, this problem of monitor alarm response and understanding is serious and not to be taken lightly. In terms of barriers in response and understanding, they include: too many alarms as well as types, low PPV of alarms, inappropriate limits. Also, no studies have been found that stratify this understanding based on staff (ie doctors or nurses) or specialty (e.g. CCU vs NICU). Moreover, the reasons identified for barriers in understanding of alarms did not appear to be different between doctors and nurses. No studies have been found that assess, specifically, whether the HP knew difference in operating the alarm system itself (ie did they press correct button to silence an alarm). The studies looked at whether they reacted to the alarms and if they did, did they carry out the correct response. Solutions proposed include: incorporating delays, having smart alarms, using different modalities for alarms as well as having continuous teaching. HP’s use alarms as one of the inputs in their decision making process. While alarms are there to alert of any physiological variable crossing a limit (in order to not miss a true event), this leads to the PPV being compromised and as such, the confidence and response to such an alarm decreases. Thus, moving forward, it is essential that strategies are aimed to increase the PPV of alarms, decrease the number of alarms themselves, and incorporate continuous teaching to ensure that the input alarms give holds more weight for the HP in the decision making process. Word Count: 1973 (Excluding abstract and methods) REFERENCES: 1.Insights A. [Online]. 2014 [Nov. 21, 2014]. Available from: http://www.anesthesiainsights.com/news/. 2.Aziz MO. Monitor Alarms (CUMH) discussion with Brian (Biomed) and Prof. C. Ryan (Neonatologist). Monitor Alarms in CUMH ed2014. 3.Bitan Y, Meyer J, Shinar D, Zmora E. Nurses’ reactions to alarms in a neonatal intensive care unit. Cogn Tech Work. 2004 2004/11/01;6(4):239-46. English. 4.Drew BJ, Harris P, Zegre-Hemsey JK, Mammone T, Schindler D, Salas-Boni R, et al. Insights into the problem of alarm fatigue with physiologic monitor devices: a comprehensive observational study of consecutive intensive care unit patients. PloS one. 2014;9(10):e110274. PubMed PMID: 25338067. Pubmed Central PMCID: Pmc4206416. Epub 2014/10/23. eng. 5.Schmid F, Goepfert MS, Kuhnt D, Eichhorn V, Diedrichs S, Reichenspurner H, et al. The wolf is crying in the operating room: patient monitor and anesthesia workstation alarming patterns during cardiac surgery. Anesthesia and analgesia. 2011 Jan;112(1):78-83. PubMed PMID: 20966440. Epub 2010/10/23. eng. 6.Institute E. Health Devices: 2010 TOP 10 TECHNOLOGY HAZARDS. US. 7.Institute E. Health Devices: TOP 10 HEALTH TECHNOLOGY HAZARDS FOR 2014. US: ECRI Institute, 2013. 8.(FDA) FaDA. FDA Patient Safety News: Show #106, January 2011: Alarming Monitor Problems. January 2011. Report No. 9.Cvach M. Monitor alarm fatigue: an integrative review. Biomedical instrumentation technology / Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation. 2012 Jul-Aug;46(4):268-77. PubMed PMID: 22839984. Epub 2012/07/31. eng. 10.Lawless ST. Crying wolf: false alarms in a pediatric intensive care unit. Critical care medicine. 1994 Jun;22(6):981-5. PubMed PMID: 8205831. Epub 1994/06/01. eng. 11.Gorges M, Markewitz BA, Westenskow DR. Improving alarm performance in the medical intensive care unit using delays and clinical context. Anesthesia and analgesia. 2009 May;108(5):1546-52. PubMed PMID: 19372334. Epub 2009/04/18. eng. 12.Chambrin MC, Ravaux P, Calvelo-Aros D, Jaborska A, Chopin C, Boniface B. Multicentric study of monitoring alarms in the adult intensive care unit (ICU): a descriptive analysis. Intensive care medicine. 1999 Dec;25(12):1360-6. PubMed PMID: 10660842. Epub 2000/02/08. eng. 13.Minoru H, Eiji S, Mototake T, Kenichi K, Hirosuke K, Satoshi W. Characteristics of Auditory Alarms for Medical Equipment and Future Issues. Journal of Clinical Engineering. 2005;30(4):208-. 14.Sobieraj J, Ortega C, West I, Voepel L, Battle S, Robinson D. Audibility of patient clinical alarms to hospital nursing personnel. Military medicine. 2006 Apr;171(4):306-10. PubMed PMID: 16673744. Epub 2006/05/06. eng. 15.McLaren E, Maxwell-Armstrong C. Noise pollution on an acute surgical ward. Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. 2008 Mar;90(2):136-9. PubMed PMID: 18325214. Pubmed Central PMCID: Pmc2443309. Epub 2008/03/08. eng. 16.Ryherd EE, Waye KP, Ljungkvist L. Characterizing noise and perceived work environment in a neurological intensive care unit. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. 2008 Feb;123(2):747-56. PubMed PMID: 18247879. Epub 2008/02/06. eng. 17.Phillips J, Barnsteiner JH. Clinical alarms: improving efficiency and effectiveness. Critical care nursing quarterly. 2005 Oct-Dec;28(4):317-23. PubMed PMID: 16239820. Epub 2005/10/22. eng. 18.Block FE, Jr., Nuutinen L, Ballast B. Optimization of alarms: a study on alarm limits, alarm sounds, and false alarms, intended to reduce annoyance. Journal of clinical monitoring and computing. 1999 Feb;15(2):75-83. PubMed PMID: 12578080. Epub 2003/02/13. eng. 19.Westenskow DR, Orr JA, Simon FH, Bender HJ, Frankenberger H. Intelligent alarms reduce anesthesiologists response time to critical faults. Anesthesiology. 1992 Dec;77(6):1074-9. PubMed PMID: 1466459. Epub 1992/12/01. eng.

Drug Use in Sports Essay example -- Athelets Drug Use Sports

Drugs in sports can cost a player his or her scholarship(s) and more seriously, their lives. Everyday athletes that you may not think are doing anabolic steroids or the human growth hormone are the athletes who are the big users. 1. There are three major performance enhancing drugs that are used by the super star athletes: anabolic steroids, amphetamine, and the human growth hormone pills. 2. These performance enhancing are found in just about all fifty states and the problem is rapidly growing. 3. In almost every type of sport there is one form or another of performance enhancing drugs. Some of the most common sports you will find them in are the power/strength sports and the endurance sports. 4. Athletes may come up with the strangest ways of using the drugs that can sometimes be a major threat to their lives. 5. Drug testing is a way for the sports officials to weed out the users and severally punish them by throwing them off the team and sometimes expelling them from school. Perf ormance enhancing drugs have a major impact on sports and athletes. The sports of today are experiencing more problems with performance enhancing drugs mainly because of the popularity of the three most common drugs: anabolic steroids, amphetamine, and the human growth hormone. Many of the so called jocks that play the rough and tough sports like football are the ones who are using anabolic steroids. There are different effects for men and women but all of the problems are very serious. Males are subject to hair loss, acne and liver cancer which can be a life threatening disease. Females are exposed to growth of body and facial hair and they are also liable to contract deepening of the voice. Gaining that little bit of competitiveness can lead to greater increases in performance. Steroids increase muscle mass and strength which helps athletes recover quicker from injuries. The most common sports where you would find the anabolic steroids are in body building, football, track & field power events and weightlifting. Another (1) performance enhancing drug is amphetamine. Amphetamine also has very serious side effects in the male and female body. Both males and females can experience feelings of anxiety and restlessness along with a rapid heartbeat and heavy breathing. Amphetamines, as with any other performance drug, can become addictive. Athletes use the drug amphetamine to boo... ...g for steroids on a random basis. Any player testing positive on the first offense is faced with suspension for a year and on the second (6) offense the player is handed a lifetime suspension from NCAA competition. At one time Stanford University was able to compete in sports with disregard to collegiate rules about the mandatory drug testing. Conrad Rushing a California judge said, "drug testing is invasion of the athletes privacy" (Worsnop, 528). I think that statement is very wrong because drug testing should be a mandatory event in every college whether or not it is an invasion of their privacy. It is a policy and every school should abide by the rules no matter what. Drugs in schools ruins the reputation of the school and if it continues, schools will have less kids applying and they will have no other options but to get rid of the problems of drugs. Sooner or later the drug problem will just keep growing and growing and all sports are going to lose attention. Most important , sports are going to lose the support of their fans which effect the finances of the players and organizations. Without enough financial support sports cannot survive and sports would be ruined forever.

Essay --

1. What controls the Nanowire diameter ? Seed particle size / volume can be considered as a major factor controlling the Nanowire growth in conjunction with super saturation which is considered as a major factor controlling the Nanowire growth. Seed particle in most of the cases is a catalyst, e.g. Au. Sung Keun Lim et al [3] related mathematically the Nanowire diameter with the volume of seed particle and parameter beta (ÃŽ ²) which is the Particle-Nanowire contact angle. These authors [3] made use of two different precursors (group III and group V) : one soluble in the seed and other insoluble in the seed particle which in this case is Au. They proposed a mechanics that controls the Nanowire diameter and this mechanism is based on the diffusion (or more precisely dissolution) of the soluble precursor in to the seed particle and further reaction with the insoluble precursor If we operate at the steady state in such case Nanowire diameter remains constant because the rate of injection of soluble precursor into the seed and rate of further reaction with insoluble precursor are exactly t...

Definition of Culture Essay example -- Papers Definition Cultural Desc

With a diverse population existing in the United States today, our country is a melting pot of different cultures, each one unique in its own respect. Culture, distinguishing one societal group from another, includes beliefs, behaviors, language, traditions, art, fashion styles, food, religion, politics, and economic systems. Through lifelong and ever changing processes of learning, creativity, and sharing, culture shapes our patterns of behavior and thinking. A culture?s significance is so profound that it touches almost every aspect of who and what we are. ?Culture becomes the lens through which we perceive and evaluate what is going on around us? (Henslin, 1993). Trying to define the complex term of culture with varying elements of distinguishable characteristics is a difficult task. Perhaps, a description of a culture would be easier to explain. For instance, an Iranian woman has just appeared in your office for services and it is immediately evident that her culture is very different than yours. First, her dark colored clothing covers her entire body from head to toe...

Propolis

Introduction : Propolis is a glue-like resinous material that collected and processed by the bees (honeybees) from various sources of flowers, leaves, and other plants. It is a heterogeneous mixture consist of many compounds which is taken and converted then utilized by bees in sealing their honeycombs holes, smoothing the internal parts of the combs, and providing protection to their residence against invaders. Recent studies which have been conducted on the propolis, showed that the propolis is a mixture of phenolic compounds (phenolic acid), polyphenols , flavonoids , Easters and various types of fatty acids, amino acids, alcohol, steroids, Caffeic acid, CAPE, quercitin , carbohydrates and many other substances that forms the propolis. Its composition may differ due to the difference of the source which is collected from. The differences in their chemical composition may affect the biological activities and may also cause some diversity although the properties are almost similar in all of it. Propolis has an interest according to its properties which make it unique. It might be used in therapeutic aspects such as anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, antiviral and antibacterial activities and also radioprotective properties. Propolis has anti-cancer or anti-tumor factors. It has been reported by many studies which noticed that propolis inhibits cancer cells growth and metastasis by stimulating the apoptosis and the immune system. Apoptosis is the mechanism of destroying and eliminating the Abnormal cells that includes cancer cells. This attribute may prevent the side effects caused by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are used in the treating cancer but in the same time they damage other organs and may cause other diseases or undesired effects. The only disadvantage of natural anti-cancer is the rate of activity which is faster in chemo and radiotherapy . Also, it has Anti-oxidant activity due to the presence of flavonoids which inhibits the lipid peroxidation and the oxidation of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and quercetin which is the most potent radical scavenger. Free radical scavengers may prevent the free radicals reactive species from being formed, or remove them before they can harmfully affect the components of the cell. In addition to these properties, it also has antibacterial, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-aggregatory, anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial effects that make propolis the focus of attention of many scientists. Cancer (malignant tumor) is an abnormal growth of cells due to either presence of mutation in DNA or inhibiting in the tumor suppressors ( one of the checkpoints on the cell cycle ) which leads to fast growth of cancer cells, invading the organs, and destroying the adjacent cells to get the nutrition. Cancer may occur in any part of the lungs and causes damage to the lung and may lead to death . Lung cancer may be hereditary or acquired by many factors, for example, smoking cigarettes, asbestos and breathing carcinogens chemicals. However, the main causes of other types of cancers are still unknown yet.

Economic Systems Essay

The world’s economic systems fall into one of four main categories: Traditional economy Capitalism economy Socialism economy Mixed economy However, there are unlimited variations of each type.  An economic system must define what to produce, how to produce it and for whom to produce it. Depending on the products produced and the environment, certain economic strategies will be more successful than others â€Å"Traditional† A traditional economic system is one in which each new generation retains the economic position of its parents and grandparents. Traditional economies rely on the historic success of social customs. South America, Asia and Africa support some traditional economies of thriving agricultural villages. Tradition decides what an individual does for his living, so industry, clothing and shelter are the same as in previous generations One of the few advantages existing in a traditional economy is that the roles of individuals are clearly defined. Every member of the society knows exactly what they are to do and most don’t have any complaints about it. There are also many disadvantages to this type of society. These societies are often very slow to change and when new technologies are introduced, these ideas and techniques are discouraged. â€Å"Capitalism† Market economies are based on consumers and their buying decisions rather than government control. Market trends and product popularity generate what businesses produce. The producers choose how to make products based on the most economically sound decision: that might mean machine labor to save costs or human labor for specific skills. The buyers decide who gets which products by what they are willing to pay for what they want. Complete market economies do not utilize price controls or subsidies and prefer less regulation of industry and production. Market decisions rely on supply and demand for pricing. Government’s role is to create a stable economy for the market to operate properly. The market system relies on many factors to ensure its success. The profit motive or incentive for a financial reward for enterprise stimulates production. Information regarding available products and services needs to be available to producers and consumers. Producers use the information to set accurate prices and procure supplies at the lowest cost. Price relates directly to the costs and benefits of product creation and use and required profit. In recent years, market economies have been coming more and more popular. Three major examples of market economies are The United States, Japan, and France. There are many advantages to a market economy: One major advantage is that market economies can adjust to change easily. If there is a demand for one thing, companies have the ability to change what they produce instead of having to go through too much government protocol first. Rational self inte rest in market economies are also encouraged. People have the ability to make as much money as they can and do what is in their best interest. Another positive to market economies is that the government tries to stay out of the way of businesses. Although the government sets certain standards businesses must follow, for the most part businesses can do as they please, allowing them to produce what they want, how they want. A fourth advantage to the market economy is that there is a great variety of goods and services for consumers. If there is a demand for a good or service, the demand will almost always be met in a market econom Although there are a lot of positives to market economies, there are also many negatives that go along with it too. One major problem with this type of economy is that it doesn’t always provide the basic needs to everyone in the society. The weak, sick, disabled, and old sometimes have trouble providing for themselves and often slip into poverty. Another problem is that it becomes hard for a government with so many private businesses to provide adequate defense, education, and health care to its people. A third disadvantage to this type of economy is that there is uncertainty in the business world. One company could easily be forced out of business causing all of its employees to become unemployed and lose their means of income. The final major disadvantage is that occasionally there are market failures. This can cause some companies to become way to powerful and become a  monopoly. If the government doesn’t step in, the monopoly can take advantage of the consumers and charge ridiculously high prices â€Å"Socialism† In a command economy, the government controls all economic activity. One example of a command economy is communism.  In a government-directed economy, the market plays little to no role in production decisions. Command economies are less flexible than market economies and react slower to changes in consumer purchasing patterns and fluctuations in supply and demand Command economies have many advantages: One advantage is that equality is focused on. The government tries to eliminate all private property and distribute its good equally. If done correctly no one is in poverty and no one is wealthier than another. Social services are also emphasized in this type of economy. The government will provide equal health care, education opportunities, and make sure all people are fed. A third advantage to this type of economy is that it is capable of rapid change for major problems. The government owns the companies, so if production needs need to be shifted into a different area, the governm ent is capable of doing it rather quickly. A final major advantage of command economies is that they are very stable. Command economies will never have sudden depressions. Although command economies may seem like a utopian form of economics, they also have many disadvantages. In command economies there is very little freedom. The individual usually doesn’t have the opportunity to decide what they want to do for a career, and they have no control over the goods they receive. Another major problem is that there is little reason for innovations, hard work, or quality of the work. Since no one makes more money than everyone else, the people feel like there is no reason to work hard. A third disadvantage is that there is little focus on consumer wants. Finally, when it comes to minor day-to-day changes, the government has a hard time cooping with them. â€Å"Mixed Economy† A mixed economy combines qualities of market, command, and/or traditional systems into one. In many countries where neither the government nor the business entities can maintain the economy alone, both sectors are integral  to economic success. Certain resources are allocated through the market and others through the state. Theoretically, this system should be able to combine the best policies of both systems, but in practice the proportion government controls and response to market forces varies.

Latin american woman from 1825

From 1810 to 1825 women were engaged effectively in different wars of independence against the Spanish.   The most recognized women were the Latin American women who were deeply involved in the struggles for independence especially in the struggle for women’s rights in the broadest sense of economic, political and legal.   The women were also credited for the great role they played in redemocratization and economic reconstruction. IMPACT OF SPANISH CONQUEST ON INCA AND AZTEC WOMEN Many Spaniards moved into America because of the reports of gold.   Many people were pressed into ritual slavery in search of gold. Consequently the local overlords grew rich and the natives remained poor.   The continued success of the local overlords led to Spanish conquest in America. Aztec rulers were ruling around 25 million people who were living in large cities administered by elaborate array of military leaders: priests and government officials. There were also village elders who were united through marriage arrangement between their families and other families. â€Å"Chief speaker† was a body of elected representative elders, and it developed into strong emperor figure and was having great powers.   The Aztec system was theoretically meant the empire enjoyed closer ties of divinity and the priest was to select sacrifices required to keep sun shinning and to see rains falling. The priest was also required to maintain order in the society and during the time the sacrifices were being made. (Tompkins, 2001) The Incas were however weakened in regime from factional fighting and diseases even before the sparkles armored.   Emperor Pizzarro’s forces were captured the empire leading to the destruction of the Incas and then the way was open to Spanish enconmediams to take over the Inca and Aztec empires which were found in the gulf of Mexico. The Spaniards persecuted the people in the two empires and their cities were destroyed and were to be replaced by Spaniard cities.   These people faced horrible time in the Spaniards hands because they were massacred purposely or accidentally by transmitting to them European diseases. The Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan was conquered destroyed and the Spaniards build their own capital: Mexico City (just on the site of destroyed Aztec capital). The Aztec and Inca empires were located in the present Gulf of Mexico and by the time they were conquered they were barely a century old.   Both empires were extending over large areas and were having millions of people.   The conquest of Aztecs by Spaniards was due to the epidemics that had affected them while the Incas were conquered through the impact of deliberate infection of European diseases though they were also weakened by internal conflicts. (D’Altroy, 2002) Aztec community is an ethnic group found in central Mexico particularly those who speak Nahuati language.   They achieved a political and military dominance in the parts of Mesoamerica.   While the Inca Empire was on the other hand the largest empire in the pre- Columbia America. (Michael, 1984) Before the invasion and occupation of Mexican Gulf by the Spaniards the Aztec and Inca women were considered to be lesser members of the society.   The Inca women were given the specific task of making the local brew while the Aztec women were empowered in textiles making.   However with colonialism the roles of women changed women were seen to be in the fore fronts to fight against the inhumaniterian activities that were being done by the Spaniards. During colonization the women were having very great levels of uncertainties because this was the time when sexual harassment on women was on the range of rising. They were also used as maids in the houses of the ruling elites.   These mistreatments generated the uprising of women to fight for colonial liberation which they needed more than the men. Colonialism also saw the abolition of indigenous ways of life for example the use of the indigenous trees and plants to cure some diseases and some agricultural seeds which they treasured were abolished. In their role as the primary protectors of the family the Aztec and Inca women saw this as a threat to their royalties they had valued for long time.   They also fought for land rights; globalization and clear cut cultural identity with no job description for males and females in the society. (Michael, 1984) ROLE OF INDIGENOUS TUPI WOMEN The Tupi women were generally described as indigenous women rooted to domestic domains and so they were not able to fulfill institutionalized political and economic roles.   However this was not easy to achieve because in the indigenous Tupi there were distinct gender regimes and gender symbolism were associated with masculinity, this lead to increased war in Tupi society. These women worked hard to see new complementary spaces opening up to them and most of them even fought for colonial liberation from Europe.   They also demonstrated strong desires and complain to survive the criticism and brutality; they also ensured that they adjusted to resist the myriad colonial changes.   Despite the numerous attempts by the colonial governments the Tupi women were able to negotiate for social and political rights for the society. (Miller, 1991) Traditionally Tupi women were restricted to aesthetics alone for instance, they were required to decorate the housed, and they also painted their men to look delightful all over their bodies like birds or waves of the sea.   The women also painted their own legs so that someone seeing them from a distance may think they are dressed in the black worsted stockings. Council of male elders ruled the Tupi tribes to mean that women had no leadership positions in this tribe.   The elders met almost daily and were only addressed by the chief on how to rule the society.   The Tupi also believed in the real supernatural power but they were not having formal organized form of religion.   They believed in spirits and deonoms making their tribes life to be a form of myth, legend spiritual and ceremonial web. The women were entitled to domestic chores and they also participated in agricultural activities with no voice in administration. They were greatly discriminated upon by the men and were not allowed to make any vital decisions but to listen to and follow orders from their men. (Monteiro, 2000) However after colonialism the roles these women changed greatly with leadership style taking different dimensions. The women participated actively in the fight for colonial liberation giving their cultural and indigenous practices new meaning and approach. The women formed different movements to fight for equal representation in the ruling class as well as liberalized roles for both genders. They wanted an end to the work specification according to gender that had been there in olden days and was also magnified by the Spaniards during colonialism. This is because during the fight for colonial liberation the Tupi women realized their potentials to rule and do other duties better than the men. Their roles eventually changed but they maintained one provision of domestic needs and services mostly decoration of their bodies and houses using traditional approaches. Bibliography D’Altroy, T. (2002), the Incas: peoples of America. Blackwell publishers. Michael, D. (1984). Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs (ancient people and places) Miller, F. (1991), American women and the search for social justice. Hanover university press. Monteiro, J. (2000), the heathen castes of sixteenth century. Duke university press. Tompkins C, Foster D W, (2001), Notable Twentieth Century Latin American women, Amazon, Green wood press.   

Night World : Huntress Chapter 6

Me? Hugh nodded. â€Å"I'm supposed to stop the end of the world? How?† â€Å"First, I ought to tell you that it's not just me that believes all this about the millennium. It's not even Circle Daybreak that believes it. It's the Night World Council, Jez.† â€Å"The joint Council? Witches and vampires?† Hugh nodded again. â€Å"They had a big meeting about it this summer. And they dug up some old prophecies about what's going to happen this time.† â€Å"Like?† Hugh looked slightly self-conscious. â€Å"Here's one. It used to rhyme in the original, I think, but this is the translation.† He took a breath and quoted slowly: ‘In blue fire, the final darkness is banished. In blood, the final price is paid.† Great, Jez thought. Whose blood? But Hugh was going on. â€Å"Four to stand between the light and the shadow, Four of blue fire, power in their blood. Born in the year of the blind Maiden's vision; Four less one and darkness triumphs.† Jez blinked slowly. â€Å"What's blue fire?† â€Å"Nobody knows.† â€Å"‘Four to stand between the light and the shadow†¦' Meaning to hold off the end of the world?† â€Å"That's what the Council thinks. They think it means that four people have been born, four Wild Powers who're going to be instrumental in whatever's coming, whatever battle or disaster that's going to destroy us. Those four can stop the end of the world-but only if all of them fight together.† â€Å"‘Four less one and darkness triumphs,† Jez said. â€Å"Right. And that's where you come in.† â€Å"Sorry, I don't think I'm one of them.† Hugh smiled. â€Å"That's not what I meant. The fact is, somebody around here has already reported finding a Wild Power. Circle Daybreak intercepted a message from him to the Council saying that hell hand the Wild Power over to them if they make it worth his while. Otherwise hell just sit tight until they're desperate enough to agree to his terms.† Jez had a sinking feeling. She said one word. â€Å"Who?† Hugh's expression was knowing and regretful. It's one of your old gang, Jez. Morgead Blackthorn.† Jez shut her eyes. Yeah, that sounded like Morgead, trying to shake down the Night World Council. Only he was crazy and nervy enough to do that. He was stubborn, too-perfectly capable of letting disaster come if he didn't get his way. But of all the people in the world, why did it have to be him? And how had he found a Wild Power, anyway? Hugh was speaking again softly. â€Å"You can see why we need you. Somebody has to get to him and find out who the Wild Power is-and you're the only one who stands a chance of doing that.† Jez pushed hair off her face and breathed slowly, trying to think. â€Å"I don't need to tell you how dangerous it is,† Hugh said, looking into the distance again. â€Å"And I don't want to ask you to do it. In fact, if you're smart, you'll tell me to get lost right now.† Jez couldn't tell him to get lost â€Å"What I don't understand is why we can't just let the Council take care of it. They'll want the Wild Powers bad, and they have a lot more resources.† Hugh glanced back at her, startled. His gray eyes were wide with an expression that Jez had never seen before. Then he smiled, and it was an incredibly sad smile. â€Å"That's just what we can't do. You're right, the Council wants the Wild Powers. But not so they can fight the end of the world. Jez†¦ they only want them so they can kill them.† That was when Jez realized what his expression was. It was gentle regret for innocence-her innocence. She couldn't believe how stupid she had been. â€Å"Oh, Goddess,† she said slowly. Hugh nodded. â€Å"They want it to happen. At least the vampires do. If the human world ends-well, that's their chance, isn't it? For thousands of years the Night People have had to hide, to live in the shadows while the humans spread all over the world. But the Council wants that to change.† The reason Jez had been so slow was that it was hard for her to imagine anybody actually wanting to bring on the Apocalypse. But of course it made sense. â€Å"They're willing to risk being destroyed themselves,† she whispered. â€Å"They figure that whatever happens, it'll be worse on the humans, since the humans don't know it's coming. Hell, some of the Night People think they're what's coming. Hunter Redfern is saying that vampires are going to wipe out and enslave the humans and that after that the Night World is going to reign.† Jez felt a new chill. Hunter Redfern. Her ancestor, who was over five hundred years old but looked about thirty. He was bad, and he practically ran the Council. â€Å"Great,† she muttered. â€Å"So my family's going to destroy the world.† Hugh gave her a bleak smile. â€Å"Hunter says the Old Powers are rising to make vampires stronger so they can take over. And the scary thing is, he's right. Like I said before, the Night People are getting stronger, developing more powers. Nobody knows why. But most of the vampires on the Council seem to believe Hunter.† â€Å"So we don't have much time,† Jez said. â€Å"We have to get the Wild Power before Morgead makes a deal with the Night World.† â€Å"Right. Circle Daybreak is fixing up a safe place to keep the Wild Powers until we get all four. And the Council knows we're doing it-that's probably why that ghoul was following me. They're watching us. I'm just sorry I led it here,† he added absently, with a worried look around the room. â€Å"Doesn't matter. He's not telling anybody anything.† â€Å"No. Thanks to you. But we'll meet someplace different next time. I can't endanger your family.† He looked back at her. â€Å"Jez, if the Night World manages to kill even one of the Wild Powers-well, if you believe the prophecy, it's all over.† Jez understood now. She still had questions, but they could wait. One thing was clear in her mind. â€Å"I'll do it. I have to.† Hugh said very quietly, â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"Well, somebody has to. And you were right; I'm the only one who can handle Morgead.† The truth was that she thought nobody could handle Morgead-but she certainly had a better chance than any Circle Daybreaker. Of course, she wouldn't survive the assignment Even if she managed to steal the Wild Power out from under Morgead's nose, he'd hunt her down and kill her for it That was irrelevant â€Å"He hates me, and I hate him, but at least I know him,† she said out loud. There was a silence and she realized that Hugh was looking at her oddly. â€Å"You think he hates you?† â€Å"Of course. All we ever did was fight† Hugh smiled very faintly-an Old Soul look. I see.† â€Å"What's that supposed to mean?† ‘It means-I don't think he hates you, Jez. Maybe he has strong emotions for you, but from what I've heard I don't think hate is one of them.† Jez shook her head. â€Å"You don't understand. He was always gunning for me. And if he found out I'm half human-well, that would be the end. He hates humans worse than anything. But I think I can fool him for as long as it takes to get the Wild Power.† Hugh nodded, but he didn't look happy. His eyes were bruised and tired. If you can pull it off, you'll save a lot of lives.† He knows, too, Jez thought. That I'll die doing this. It was some comfort that he cared-and more comfort that he didn't understand why she was doing it. Sure, she wanted to save lives. But there was something else. The Council had tried to mess with Hugh. They'd sent a stinking ghoul after him. They would probably send something different tomorrow-certainly, they'd keep trying to kill him. And for that, Jez was going to wipe the floor with them. Hugh wasn't any kind of fighter. He couldn't defend himself. He shouldn't be a target. She realized that Hugh was still looking at her, with pain in his eyes. She smiled to show him that she wasn't afraid of dying. â€Å"It's a family affair,† she told him-and that was true, too. â€Å"Hunter's my great-great-great-great-great-grandfather. It's only right that I stop him. And if anything happens to me-well, one Redfern less is probably a blessing to the world.† And that was the last part of the truth. She came from a tainted family. No matter what she did, who she saved, or how hard she tried, there would always be vampire blood running in her veins. She was a potential danger to humanity by her very existence. But Hugh was looking horrified. â€Å"Don't you ever say that† He stared at her for another moment and then took her by the shoulders, squeezing. â€Å"Jez, you're one of the best people I know. What you did before last year is-â€Å" â€Å"Is part of me,† Jez said. She was trying not to feel his warm grip through her T-shirt, trying not to show that his little squeeze sent a shock through her entire body. â€Å"And nothing can change that. I know what I am.† Hugh shook her slightly. â€Å"Jez-â€Å" â€Å"And right now, I have to get rid of that ghoul. And you'd better be getting home.† For a moment she thought he was going to shake her again; then he slowly let go of her. ‘You're officially accepting the assignment?† The way he said it sounded as if he were giving her one last chance not to. â€Å"Yes.† He nodded. He didn't ask how she planned on getting back into a gang that she'd abandoned, or getting information from Morgead, who hated her. Jez knew why. He simply trusted that she could do it â€Å"When you know something, call this number.† He dug in a different pocket and handed her a square of paper like a business card. â€Å"I'll give you a location where I can meet you-someplace away from here. We shouldn't talk about anything on the phone.† Jez took the card. â€Å"Thanks.† â€Å"Please be careful, Jez.† â€Å"Yes. Can I keep the articles?† He snorted. â€Å"Sure.† Then he gave her one of those sad Old-Soul smiles. â€Å"You probably don't need them, though. Just look around. Watch the news. You can see it all happening out there.† â€Å"We're going to stop it,† Jez said. She reconsidered. â€Å"We're going to try.† Jez had a problem the next morning. The problem was Claire. They were supposed to drive to school together, to ensure that Jez didn't cut school. But Jez had to cut school to go find Morgead. She didn't want to imagine the kind of trouble that was going to get her in with Uncle Jim and Aunt Nanami-but it was crucial to get to Morgead as soon as possible. She couldn't afford to waste time. At the first major stoplight-and there weren't a lot of them in Clayton-she smacked her forehead with her palm. â€Å"I forgot my chemistry book!† She unfastened her seat belt and slid out of the Audi just as the light turned green. â€Å"You go ahead!† she shouted to Claire, slamming the door and leaning in the open window. â€Å"Ill catch up to you.† Claire's expression showed her temperature was reaching the boiling point. â€Å"Are you crazy? Get in; I'll drive back† â€Å"You'll be late. Go on without me.† She made a little fluttery encouraging motion with her fingers. One of the three cars behind Claire honked. Claire opened her mouth and shut it again. Her eyes were shooting sparks. â€Å"You did this on purpose! I know you're up to something, Jez, and I'm going to find out-â€Å" Honk. Honk. Jez stepped back and waved goodbye. And Claire drove off, as Jez had known she would. Claire couldn't stand the peer pressure of cars telling her to get moving. Jez turned and began to jog for home, in a smooth, steady, ground-eating lope. When she got there, she wasn't even breathing hard. She opened the garage and picked up a long, slim bundle that had been concealed in a corner. Then she turned to her bike. Besides Hugh, it was the love of her life. A Harley. An 883 Sportster hugger. Just twenty-seven inches tall and eighty-seven inches long, a lean, light, mean machine. She loved its classic simplicity, its cold clean lines, its spare body. She thought of it as her steel and chrome thoroughbred. Now she strapped the long bundle diagonally on her back, where it balanced nicely despite its odd size. She put on a dark full-face helmet and swung a leg over the motorcycle. A moment later she was roaring away, heading out of Clayton toward San Francisco. She enjoyed the ride, even though she knew it might be her last one. Maybe because of that. It was a dazzling end-of-summer day, with a sky of September blue and a pure-white sun. The air that parted for Jez was warm. How can people ride in cages? she thought, twisting the throttle to shoot past a station wagon. What good are cars? You're completely isolated from your surroundings. You can't hear or smell anything outside; you can't feel wind or Power or a slight change in the temperature. You can't jump out to fight at an instant's notice. You certainly can't stake somebody at high speed while leaning out of a car window. You could do it from a bike, though. If you were fast enough, you could skewer somebody as you roared by, like a knight with a lance. She and Morgead had fought that way once. And maybe will again, she thought, and flashed a grim smile into the wind. The sky remained blue as she continued west, instead of clouding up as she approached the ocean. It was so clear that from Oakland she could see the entire bay and the skyline of San Francisco. The tall buildings looked startlingly close. She was leaving her own world and entering Morgead's. It was something she didn't do often. San Francisco was an hour and fifteen minutes away from Clayton-assuming there was no traffic. It might as well have been in another state. Clayton was a tiny rural town, mostly cows, with a few decent houses and one pumpkin farm. As far as Jez knew, the Night World didn't know it existed. It wasn't the kind of place Night People cared about. Which was why she'd managed to hide there for so long. But now she was heading straight for the heart of the fire. As she crossed the Bay Bridge and reached the city, she was acutely aware of how vulnerable she was. A year ago Jez had broken the laws of the gang by disappearing. If any gang member saw her, they had the right to kill her. Idiot. Nobody can recognize you. That's why you wear the full-face helmet. That's why you keep your hair up. That's why you don't custom-paint the bike. She was still hyper-alert as she cruised the streets heading for one of the city's most unsavory districts. There. She felt a jolt at the sight of a familiar building. Tan, blocky, and unlovely, it rose to three stories plus an irregular roof. Jez squinted up at the roof without taking off her helmet. Then she went and stood casually against the rough concrete wall, near the rusty metal intercom. She waited until a couple of girls dressed like artists came up and got buzzed in by one of the tenants. Then she detached herself from the wall and calmly followed them. She couldn't let Morgead know she was coming. He'd kill her without waiting to ask questions if he got the jump on her. Her only chance was to jump him first, and then make him listen. The building was even uglier inside than it was outside, with empty echoing stairwells and faceless industrial-sized hallways. But Jez found her heart beating faster and something like longing twisting in her chest. This place might be hideous, but it was also freedom. Each one of the giant rooms behind the metal doors was rented by somebody who didn't care about carpets and windows, but wanted a big empty space where they could be alone and do exactly what they wanted. It was mostly starving artists here, people who needed large studios. Some of the doors were painted in gemlike colors and rough textures. Most had industrial-sized locks on them. I don't miss it, Jez told herself. But every corner brought a shock of memory. Morgead had lived here for years, ever since his mother ran off with some vampire from Europe. And Jez had practically lived here, too, because it had been gang headquarters. We had some good times†¦. No. She shook her head slightly to break off the thought and continued on her way, slipping silently through the corridors, going deeper and deeper into the building. At last she got to a place where there was no sound except the humming of the naked fluorescent lights on the ceiling. The walls were closer together here. There was a sense of isolation, of being far from the rest of the world. And one narrow staircase going up. Jez paused, listened a moment, then, keeping her eyes on the staircase, removed the long bundle from her back. She unwrapped it carefully, revealing a stick that was a work of art. It was just over four feet long and an inch in diameter. The wood was deep glossy red with irregular black markings that looked a little like tiger stripes or hieroglyphics. Snakewood. One of the hardest woods in the world, dense and strong, but with just the right amount of resilience for a fighting stick. It made a striking and individual weapon. There was one other unusual thing about it. Fighting sticks were usually blunt at either end, to allow the person holding it to get a grip. This one had one blunt end and one that tapered to an angled, narrow tip. Like a spear. The point was hard as iron and extremely sharp. It could punch right through clothing to penetrate a vampire heart. Jez held the stick in both hands for a moment, looking down at it. Then she straightened, and, holding it in a light grip ready for action, she began up the stairs. â€Å"Ready or not, Morgead, here I come.†