Highlight the impact of containerisation on an international supply Essay

Highlight the impact of containerisation on an international supply chain - Essay Example This staggering figure constitutes of 15 percent of the global vehicle markets. The company generated net income of $2.8 billion on over $193 billion in revenues (Alden et al, 2006). General Motors procurement strategy General motors’ (GM’s) business operations are based on a sound procurement practice and basic business integrity. Officials responsible for procurement and supply chain make their procurement decisions solely on the basis of the credibility of the suppliers that offer GM the best value for goods and services that they require. They primarily avoid any actions that indicate that their purchasing decisions are improper or irrelevant consideration whether illegal, such as bribe or kickback, or technically legal such as favours, free entertainment, personal friendship or gifts. The global purchasing and supply chain of GM holds the responsibility of procuring all goods and services that are required by the company and its joint venture and alliance partners spread over all four business regions of the world. This operation involves the procurement of parts used in the production and manufacturing of vehicles as well as products and services that are utilised for the purpose of providing support to the development and production of those vehicles. Following this strategy has not only helped boost GM’s production all over the world, but has also helped their suppliers to do business in unprecedented volumes thereby providing them with an opportunity to expand their own operations across the world (GM, 2010). The new system of procurement and supply chain management in GM has been termed as â€Å"Centralized Decentralization† by the vice president. The basic idea behind this system as has been explained by the vice president is to centralize the procurement of individual components and materials in order to leverage the company’s buying power and scale (Supply chain digest, 2008). According to Ageshin (2001), General Motors has various characteristics that make it an ideal example of an e-procurement strategy following company and a great example of how e-procurement is reshaping U.S. manufacturing. The company has the ability to increase the volume of its sales through its e-procurement system up to $300billion-$500billion per year. This has always been a primary strategy adopted by the company in order to generate further cost savings associated with purchasing across the whole supply chain. The fact that, GM was very familiar with the advantages of electronic data interchanges with its suppliers and because of its dominant position in the supply chain industry, the company adopted e-procurement system very early. GM started pursuing the idea of e-procurement as early as 1999 with the help of its technology partners i2 Technologies and Commerce One who created a B2B trading community called TradeXchange. This e-procurement system that the company adopted led to quicker information flows and ex tensive information sharing across the supply chain. This has resulted in the significant improvement in the quality of planning and forecasting for the company and its suppliers thereby boosting their businesses. The Web-based form of e-procurement has increased product customization and developed build to-order capabilities at GM. General Motors’

The Effect Of Gender Partiality On Employees Efficiency Business Essay

The Effect Of Gender Partiality On Employees Efficiency Business Essay The swerve of gender partiality is deep rooted in the past; however, it has become a veering trend in present day organizations. Consequently, employees across the globe are experiencing pronounced victimization of sexual partiality in one way or the other. The large scale precarious implications of the menace also entail the need for studying its repercussions in Pakistani organizational culture. Hence, this study is intended to explore and colligate various constituents and attributes of gender partiality, responsible for affecting the workforce efficiency. Primarily, two lineaments of sexual partiality are delineated in this research i.e. bias in recruitment, and rewards and promotions discrimination (independent variables). The study demonstrates the association between gender partiality and employees efficiency / productivity (dependent variable) in Pakistani telecommunication sector, narrowed down to Mobilink GSM (Islamabad and Peshawar regions as unit of analysis). The quantit ative results portray inauspicious effects of sexual bias on efficiency / productivity of the employees. The study has also been incorporated with several indicators of gender partiality and employees performance / productivity. The indicators of employees performance / productivity are perceived to neutralize the gender bias, subject to the existence of organizational justice. The study in hand encourages further exploration with regard to instituting and implementing the concept of organizational justice, so as to safeguard the endangered species of human Resource from inequalities like gender partiality. Key Words Sexual partiality, Glass ceiling, Organizational justice, Employee efficiency, Organizational productivity Type Research paper Introduction Morgan (2006) condignly observes employees as valuable assets that can lend cachet to the organizational image, provided they are given equal and appropriate grounds to contribute in the activities of organization (p. 36). Organizational productivity thus, undoubtedly entails the need for induction of quality workforce. Subsequently, to ensure sustenance of the human resource and to align their capabilities with the organizational goals, effective tanning, and conducive working environment, equilibrate grant of privileges / rewards, creation of opportunities for future growth, and equality on the basis of performance and capability are the inevitable essentials. This is possible only if equality prevails in organizations; free of all sorts of biasness and discrimination, gender partiality in particular. Gender discrimination exists in various dimensions and magnitudes, subjected to the organizational culture and managerial antecedences. Besides other aspects, sexual partiality at wor k place may comprise of recruitment discrimination, biasness in remuneration and rewards, partiality in promotions, and facilitation ascribed to gender based discrimination. Employee, being the pivot of organizational activities, if affected by gender partiality, may experience occupationalism displacing selflessness and altruism. Resultantly, big question mark appears when it comes to Organizational Justice. Injustice makes it difficult for employees to obtain valued outcomes at work. In fact, it signals to employees that they are not valued by their organization. Resultantly, important social norms are jeopardized. Thus it seems likely that organizational justice perceptions may mediate the effects of workplace discrimination on well-being and job satisfaction (Stephan, Johan, Karen, 2012). Purpose of the study The study in hand will inquire into factors resulting gender discrimination and the precarious implications of gender bias on employees productivity. This study is an attempt to establish a nexus with the past researches and reveal the vital factor of gender partiality which is significantly liable for reducing the workforce productivity. Thus providing a food for thought to different tiers of management so as to address the issue efficaciously. This study has been extended to Pakistani organizational culture to test and ascertain the effects of gender partiality. Employees (both genders) of Mobilink GSM (Islamabad and Peshawar regions) constitute the population sample for this study. The purpose of including both men and women in the sample is to eliminate the possible gender distinction in attributions to sexual partiality. From the targets viewpoint, majority of scholars and researchers centering upon gender partiality account for female as the target, and focus on women participa nts alone. Thus, in contributing to research concentrating upon gender studies, it is inevitable to examine mens attributions to sexism and that how mens and womens ascription to sexual partiality can be compared to each other. Literature Review Researchers have identified several forms of sexual partiality in organizations originating from unjust practices of the employer. In literature pertaining to organizational research, notwithstanding the fact that gender related problems were initially exposed in 1950s, but the issues relating sexual partiality were later more pronounced in organizational and management studies during 1980s 1990s. Sexism or sexual partiality World Health Organization (1998) defines sexism as a distinction, exclusion, or restriction which is made primarily on the foundation of socially built gender functions and norms. The terminology of sexual identity holds several illustrations and connections, only few of which transpire within an intergroup structure. Traditional concepts of sexual identity ordinarily refer to an early consciousness of a person as man or women. More recently, an additional notion of gender identity has emerged, one that emphasizes gender as a social / collective identity or gender-derived social identity (Sharon, Hang, Raymond, 2006). Victims of gender partiality Sexism or gender discrimination is often attributed to women; however if practically observed, the phenomenon can be seen imputed to both genders. The intrinsically prejudiced practice of sexual discrimination has affected the global markets precariously. Jennifer (2002) argues that male models of strength and authority within organizations do not have room for the meliorations female bring into the workplace, managerial level in particular. In addition, stereotyping of the female as different to male further encourages marginalizing and undermining their dominance and authority. On the contrary, several researchers grade the feminine gender more dominating when it comes to recruitment and subsequent career progressions. Similar notion has been made by James, Charles and Catherine (1998). They maintain that women have the ability to be considered more likeable than men; though this is a feature which is generally distributed among both men and women. Many of the profession progressing strategies demand for developing relationships with others. Regardless of the sexuality, an individual who is not graded high on the personality measure of likeability would have comparatively lesser likelihood of developing and maintaining relationships with the others. Contrarily, individuals with likeable personalities would have more opportunities to pursue career progressing strategies, entailing relationship building and socializing. Gender discrimination frequently can be seen in different organizations. Most of the organizations are suffering from such problem of discrimination related to gender. Though there are different laws and polices developed by different countries about gender discrimination. But there is no implication of these laws in real context. Women perceived that they are not rated in a justified manner related to training, appraisals, and career development opportunities as compare to men (Blau, 1998; Blau, Ferber, Winkler, 1998). Societal trends Gretchen Courtney (2009) are more concerned with the source of discrimination. They maintain that the responses of men and women for inquiries pertaining to sexual partiality may differ. Their responses will be subjected to whether the source of biasness is an individual or a policy decision / rule. Researchers have established that victims of gender partiality are mostly compulsive or reluctant to highlight the sexual inequality they experience at workplace. This elucidates that one of the prime reason for presence of gender discrimination is the tendency of individuals not to surface the practice of sexual discrimination. Consequently, the individuals inability to report this kind of discrimination is more pronounced in countries like Pakistan; whereby, human resource (females in particular) is comparatively less vocal. Furthermore, sexual favoritism at workplace may give birth to gender discrimination, affecting the workforce in terms of career (progression) opportunities. Antecolet. (2009) is of the point of view that both men and women are dissatisfied with their jobs who experience gender discrimination at workplace. Though according to the results, employment status of male employees is significantly connected to their marital status. On the other hand, employment status of the female is significantly subjected to their performance and productivity. Females are not discriminated on the basis of conscious decision of the management but most of the time management have some precautions about hiring of females for highly responsible posts because it is a general assumption about women that they are to fulfill their family obligations, so they are not suitable for vital designation of organizations (Crompton Birkelund, 2000; Glass, 2000; Waldfogel, 1998). Gender discrimination is not specific for female but often males are also victims of gender discrimination. It depends on the marital status, married males have more chances of getting jobs rather than females. On the other hand, unmarried females have more chances of being selected by the organization than unmarried males (Petersen Togstad, 2006). Sexual favoritism and gender partiality Sexual favoritism and gender partiality / discrimination are often similarly perceived. However, Glenn, James M., James F (2006) have befittingly differentiated the two. They delineate that sexual favoritism entangles the discerning grant of a gain or opportunity at the workplace; in contrast, sexual partiality / discrimination usually involves the restraining of benefits or opportunities dependent upon an individuals gender. At the workplace, when romance involves sexual favoritism, it is important to comprehend the cause and extent of the presence of such favoritism i.e. whether this favoritism can give way to other employees (who are not directly involved in the illicit relationship) for claiming themselves as the victims of sexual harassment. This concludes that sexual favoritism and gender partiality bear both direct and indirect implications for employees. Whether favoritism on the basis of sex remains a legitimate shape of discrimination, or whether sexual favoritism stretche s to the extent of a restricted form of sexual partiality, is an important question which can only be answered through comprehending the definition of sexual harassment. Glass ceiling during recruitment Gender discrimination is also termed as glass ceiling. Most of the time sexual partiality begins with the entry of employees (recruitment) in any organization. At the time of recruitment, men are preferred for strategic posts or decision making hierarchal levels while females are mostly preferred for support roles or for selling jobs because organizations have intent to in cash the appearance of female for enhancement of sales (McDowell, 1997). Gender bias during career progression In broader concept, gender segregation does not mean segregation in terms of gender but it means segregation in terms of incentive for performance. For instance, males and females are hired for the same post they are segregated in terms of salary and other incentives (Petersen Saporta, 2004). The connotation is that sexual discrimination is not associated to the recruitment process alone; in fact, it continues across the entire professional careers of individuals. Effects of sexual biasness Stephan, Johan, Karen (2012) have explained discrimination as the prejudicial handling of individuals. Generally, it is based on association with a certain division or group. Because of discrimination, there is a likelihood of negative effects on the employees productivity, well-being and health. They have also mentioned various grounds of workplace discrimination by calling it a systematic refusal of employees rights based upon their ethnic affiliation, religion, age, sexual preferences, gender, or other criteria. These bases for sexual partiality may consequently lead to more colloquial verbal maltreatment, making reference to the mentioned attributes. Bà ¶ckerman Ilmakunnas (2006) have effectively illustrated the adverse effects of gender partiality on the performance of employees. Clegg (1983) has also highlighted the negative impacts which gender inequality brings to the employees performance. These researchers specifically consider it critical to determine the effects of sexual partiality on the employees turnover, job satisfaction, and absenteeism, vis-à  -vis the firms performance and productivity. Generally, women are less motivated towards their jobs because of gender discrimination. They have less decision making-power, receive less training sessions and are promoted fewer than men. Sharon, Hang, Raymond (2006) befittingly sketch the precarious repercussions of sexual discrimination, whereby, employees become discontented and demotivated. They believe that when employees consider themselves as victims of sexual discrimination, their commitment to the organization would be significantly reduced. Resultantly, such individuals would be keen to leave the organization in the pursuit of jobs, where organizations can treat them with more respect and equality. Organizational justice Hilary, (2012) makes a firm argument with reference to sexual partiality by calling it differences in human capital investment and stresses upon the need for organizational justice to overcome the peril of glass ceiling / sexual partiality. Debate continues to swirl, not only around the size of the gap, but around whether the gap is unfair or fair: whether it reflects discrimination visited on women or simply differences in human capital investments that women and men bring to the workplace. In this debate, there is a concern, implicitly grounded in the tenets of an equity-based approach to distributive justice, with finding the correct, gender-neutral way to measure equal units of input from women and men so we can fairly assess whether their outcomes (in terms of pay) are equivalent. With reference to other literature available on the subject, similar notions are proposed in addressing the issues related to effective tanning, conducive working environment, equilibrate grant of privileges / rewards, creation of opportunities for future growth, and equality on the basis of performance and capability. HYPOTHESIS Following hypothesis is proposed for this study: H1: Sexism is directly associated with employees efficiency / productivity. H2: Gender partiality during induction is adversely related to the employees productivity. H3: Sexual partiality in promotion is adversely proportional to efficiency / productivity of the employee. H4: Personality and age of the employee, and societal tendency have negative influence on employees efficiency through gender discrimination. H5: Employees productivity is positively affected by his / her professional ability and motivation. Proposed Model The model illustrated below proposes relationship between independent variable (gender discrimination) and dependent variable (performance and productivity) . Gender Discrimination in Hiring Gender Bias in Rewards and Promotion Employee Performance Employee Productivity Professional ability Motivation Personality Age Societal trend Independent variables Dependent variable Indicators Methodology The study is based upon analysis of data acquired through quantitative technique of data collection; i.e. acquisition of data through questionnaires. The selection of variables is influenced by the past research studies. The analysis are applied on both independent and dependent types of variables; gender discrimination being the independent variable, whereas, Productivity is the dependent variable. Employees of the organization (Mobilink GSM) serve as the unit of analysis. Data Collection Method: In order to execute a more austere test of the proposed model, data has been acquired from diversified respondents through questionnaire. A personally supervised questionnaire has been employed for data collection. Sample: The questionnaire has been personally administered through the concerned people. Out of a total of 360 distributed questionnaires, 300 questionnaires have been received back, resulting into a response rate of 83%. The prime reason for engaging both men and women as respondents is to ensure elimination of biased responses. The varied responses received from the population sample are summarized below:- Characteristics of sample S No Items Items Frequency 1 Gender Female 163 Male 137 45.6 2 Age 21-30 31-40 260 86.7 41-50 28 9.3 51-60 1 0.3 3 Income 25001-50,000 50,001-75000 80 above 75000 212 4 Qualification Graduate Postgraduate 152 Measures: In this study, standardized instruments have been instituted to measure different variables. Multiple scales have been used to gauge the variables i.e. five likert scale, nominal scale, and ratio. All the items have been measured on a 5-point Likert scale as mentioned below: (a) Strongly Disagree (b) Disagree (c) Neutral (d) Agree (e) Strongly Agree Data Analysis: Quantitative method of data collection has been used for subsequent analysis of the research findings. SPSS Version 20 has been used for analysis of the data. Correlation: Kendalls tau correlation has been applied on the data. The Kendall rank correlation coefficient, commonly termed as Kendalls tau (à Ã¢â‚¬Å¾) coefficient, is a statistic for gauging the relationship between two measured quantities. It is a measure of rank correlation, i.e. the commonality of the data orderings when ranked. tau = frac{(text{number of concordant pairs}) (text{number of discordant pairs})}{frac{1}{2} n (n-1) } . The denominator is the total number pair combinations, so the coefficient must be in the range à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1  Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤Ã‚  Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚  Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤Ã‚  1. If the relationship between two gradings is perfect (i.e. the two rankings are similar) the coefficient has value 1. However, if the disagreement amongst two rankings is perfect (i.e. one ranking is reversed to the other one) the coefficient possesses value à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1. If X and Y are independent, then the coefficient should be approximately zero. Regression: Least squares method is most commonly used for fitting of a regression line. This method measures the best-fitting line for the acquired data by reducing the total of the squares of vertical deviations from individual data point to the line (if a point falls exactly on the fitted line, then its vertical deviation is zero). Since the deviations are initially squared and then summed, there are no chances of cancellations between positive and negative figures. Therefore, the proposed research model with control / dummy variables is depicted as following:- Y = ÃŽÂ ²0+ ÃŽÂ ² 1X1+ ÃŽÂ ² 2X2+ µ Y= Dependent Variable = Employee performance and productivity X1 = Independent Variable = Gender discrimination in hiring X2 = Independent Variable = Gender bias in rewards and promotion B0, B1, B2 = Parameters  µ = Error Term Results of the Study The quantitative tools instituted for data evaluation are correlation and regression analysis through SPSS. Descriptive analysis has been performed to present various impression of the respondents i.e., how they respond to the questions. Correlation co-efficient illustrates the firmness of relationship between the variables. The results of this study establish a linear relationship between efficiency / productivity and gender partiality. Regression analysis has been used to ascertain the cause affect relationship between the employees efficiency / productivity and gender discrimination. Correlation: Correlation statistics depicts the association between the variables. It ascertains whether the variables move in similar or opposing directions. It is observed that the employees performance and productivity (dependent variable) is highly significant but negatively associated with gender partiality in hiring and gender bias in rewards and promotion. Collinearity statistics portrays possibility c of multicollinearity of the data; however, variance inflation factor (VIF) which testifies the multicollinearity, establishes the absence of multicollinearity for the reason that all the values of VIF are less than 10 and tolerance values are below one. Bivariate Kendalls tau Correlations coefficient matrix Gen_discr_hiring Gen_bias_rew_pro Gen_discr_hiring 1.000 Gen_bias_rew_pro .383** 1.000 Emp_perf_prod -.667** -.613** * p Gen_discr_hiring = Gender discrimination in hiring Gen_bias_rew_pro = Gender bias in reward and promotion Emp_perf_prod = Employee performance and promotion Regression: The relationship between dependent and independent variables is established through the Regression test. Regression results illustrate the significance of regression model and its informative power. Three step mediation and moderation techniques have been used for data analysis. Model Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients t B Std. Error Beta (Constant) .163 .099 1.645 Gen_discr_hiring -.525 .029 -.608 17.895 Gen_bias_rew_pro -.504 .046 -.375 11.014 Dependent Variable: Emp_perf_prod Y = 0.163-0.362X1-0.341X2+ µ Results suggest that one unit change in gender partiality in hiring is changing (0.163-0.525=0.362) units of employees performance and productivity on average. One unit increase in gender bias in rewards and promotion is decreasing the employees performance and productivity (0.163-0.504=0.341) units on average. Model R R Square Adjusted R Square F Std. Error of the Estimate 1 .932a .869 .868 984.338 .18682 The regression analysis depicts that the value of R Square is 0.869. Thus, 86.1 % variation in employees performance and productivity is explained by the variables in this research; whereas, 14.9 % variation is ascribed to the factors not incorporated in this model. The value of F is 984.338 and is considerably significant, establishing the fitness of the model. The results of the study present significant impact of the variables on employees performance and productivity. Findings of the study The results of the study justify the tested hypothesis. They establish that gender partiality is directly associated with employees efficiency / productivity (H1). Besides, gender biasness during induction and promotion adversely affects the employees efficiency and productivity (H2 and H3). The research also identifies personality and age of the employee as vital indicators of sexism (H4). However, qualification, professional ability, and motivation are suggested as the significant indicators of employees efficiency, subjected to the organizational justice (H5). Limitations of the study The quantitative method of data acquisition is considered as one of the limitations of this research since it eliminates the element of subjectivity, which is essential to cover diversified aspects and varied off-shoots through detailed responses. Therefore, future researches are encouraged to simultaneously employ both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection for ensuring improved results with reference to this vast domain of gender discrimination vis-à  -vis employees productivity. Secondly, the study targeted employees of Mobilink GSM deployed at Islamabad and Peshawar regions as the unit of analysis. Thus, restricting the responses to comparatively non-diversified target population. This was because of the inaccessibility to locations like Karachi and Islamabad. For improved results, future work may incorporate responses from such demographically diversified locations. Conclusions The term Employee does not contain illustration of the gender (male / female). Therefore, partiality on the basis of gender must be considered as an illicit practice at all levels. Besides other factors, organizational output is primarily ascribed to the efficiency and productivity of the workforce. The study in hand clearly portrays the decline in altruistic trends and reclines in selfless behavior of the employees, if dealt with sexism / gender partiality. Therefore, it is of paramount importance for all tears of management to ensure gender equality in recruitment, rewards and promotions, and facilitations. This will surely help them acquiring and retaining the best available human resource to ensure enhanced organizational productivity. It will however, be subjected to the presence of organizational justice and equality. The study, culminating on establishing the dire need for implementation and execution of organizational justice, hence promotes further exploration pertaining to the concept of organizational justice.

Traumas Apologize and Healing of the Colonized and Radicalized Essay

Throughout the twentieth century, the trauma inflicted upon people of color as a by-product of colonization, racialization, and assimilation has left a lasting imprint not on only the lives of the oppressed, but on the lives of the generations that follow them as well. Years after these subjective events have passed and been recognized as unjust and immoral and formal apologies from the U.S. government have been made, the trauma remains ever present in the minds of individual victims as well as the affected community as a whole, and traumatic healing does not actualize. Racial oppression has been an overtly prevalent issue; from the unjust treatment in WWII Japanese relocation camps and Cambodian refugee camps, to the colonization of land, compromised reservation sovereignty, and physical abuse of Native Americans. Although not as pronounced, racial injustice still continues today in a more discretely structuralized manner that is purposely designed to allow forms of oppression to co ntinue yet have them over looked or passed off as lawful under U.S. regulation. The most prevalent forms of trauma that were experienced during these occasions include but are not limited to, post traumatic stress, intergenerational trauma, and soul wounds. The end of these oppressive events does not mean that repression is over, nor does it erase the scars it as left on the victims; the traumatic wounds still linger within individuals, the affected community, and through future generations. Attempts to remedy the harm done through apologizes, and in some instances compensation, address the error, and attempt to restore financial balance; however, they neglect to change the underlying inequality issues that were set in place that for the injustices to ... ...Loss in First Person Plural, Bontoc Eulogy, and History and Memory." Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Korean Adoption Studies. By Nelson Kim. Park, Tobias Hu%u0308binette, Eleana Kim, and Petersen Lene. Myong. S.l.: S.n., 2010. 129-45. Print. Duran, Bonnie, and Eduardo Duran. "Native Americans and the Trauma of History." Studying Native America: Problems and Prospects. By Russell Thornton. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin, 1998. 60-72. Print. Smith, Andrea. "Sexual Violence as a Tool of Genocide." Conquest: Sexual Violence and American Indian Genocide. Cambridge, MA: South End, 2005. 7-31. Print. Um, Khatharya. "Refractions of Home Exile, Memory, and Diasporic Longing." Expressions of Cambodia: The Politics of Tradition, Identity, and Change. By Leakthina Chan-Pech Ollier and Tim Winter. London: Routledge, 2006. 86-100. Print.

Night World : Huntress Chapter 13

The kiss was warm and sweet. Not frightening. Jez felt herself relax in Morgead's arms before she knew what she was doing. His heart was beating so fast against hers. She felt dizzy, but safe, too; a wonderful feeling. But the approach of his mind was another thing. It was just like the first time: that terrible, irresistible pull trying to suck her soul out and mix it with Morgead's until they were both one person. Until he knew her every secret and she had no place to hide. And the worst thing Was that she knew it wasn't Morgead doing it. It was that outside force doing it to both of them, carrying them along helplessly. Whether we want it or not. And we don't want it, Jez told herself desperately. We both hate it. Neither of us wants to share our souls†¦. But then why was he still holding her, still kissing her? And why was she letting him? At that instant she felt his mind touch hers, reaching through the smoke-screen of protection she'd thrown around herself to brush her thoughts as lightly as a moth's wing. She recognized Morgead's essence in it; she could feel his soul, dark and bright and full of fierce emotion for her. He was opening himself to her; not trying to fight this or even holding back. He was going farther than the pull forced him to, giving himself to her freely†¦. It was a gift that sent her reeling. And she couldn't resist it. Her mind flowed out of its own accord to touch his, tendrils of thought wrapping around his gratefully. The shock of pleasure when she let it happen was frightening-except that she couldn't be frightened anymore, not now. And then she felt him respond, felt his happiness, felt his thoughts enfolding hers, holding her mind as gently as his arms held her body. And white light exploded behind her eyes†¦. Jez! Morgead! What's wrong with you two? The thought was foreign, cold, and unwanted. It broke into Jez's warm little world and rattled around annoyingly. Jez tried to push it away. Hey, look; I'm just trying to help. If you guys are alive, then, like give us a sign, okay? Morgead made a sound like a mental groan. It's Vol. I have to kill him. I'm going to help, Jez told him. Then something occurred to her. Oh-wait. Where are we†¦ ? It was a good question. A weird but necessary question. It took them a moment to untangle their thoughts from each other and rise back to the real world. Where they seemed to be sitting under the ruins of a redbud tree, arms around each other, Jez's head on Morgead's shoulder, Morgead's face pressed into Jez's hair. At least we weren't still kissing, Jez thought abstractedly. She could feel herself flushing scarlet. The rest of the gang was standing around them, looking down with worried expressions. â€Å"What do you guys want?† Morgead said brusquely. â€Å"What do we want?† Raven leaned forward, dark hair swinging. Jez actually saw both her midnight blue eyes underneath. â€Å"You three jumped off the roof just as the fire got out of control. We put it out and came down to see if you were still alive- and then we find you here hanging on to each other and totally out of it. And you want to know what we want? We want to know if you're okay.† â€Å"We're fine,† Morgead said. He didn't say anything more, and Jez understood. Neither of them had any desire to talk about it in front of other people. That could wait until they were alone, until it was the right time. They didn't need to express this to each other. Jez simply knew, and knew that he knew. â€Å"What about her?† Thistle pointed to Iona, still asleep on the sidewalk. Jez was already moving to the child. She checked the little body over, noted the even breathing and the peaceful expression. â€Å"She's fine, too,† she said, settling back. She held Thistle's gaze. â€Å"No thanks to you.† Thistle's cheeks were pink. She looked angry, embarrassed, and defensive. â€Å"She's just a human.† â€Å"She's a kid!† Morgead yelled, shooting up to his feet. He towered over Thistle, who suddenly looked very small. â€Å"Which you're not,† he went on unsym-pathetically. â€Å"You're just a-a sixteen-year-old Shirley Temple-wannabe.† â€Å"All right, both of you!† Jez said sharply. She waited until they shut up and looked at her before continuing. â€Å"You-be quiet and let me take care of things,† she said to Morgead. â€Å"And you-if you ever try to hurt a kid again, I'll knock your head off.† This to Thistle, who opened her mouth, but then shut it again without speaking. Jez nodded. â€Å"Okay, that's settled. Now we've got to get this girl home.† Val stared at her. â€Å"Home?† â€Å"Yeah, Val.† Jez picked the child up. â€Å"In case you missed something, she's not the Wild Power.† â€Å"But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Val wriggled his broad shoulders uncomfortably and looked at Morgead. â€Å"You mean you were wrong?† â€Å"There's a first time for everything, right?† Morgead glared at him. â€Å"But, then-who is the Wild Power?† Raven put in quietly. â€Å"Who knows?† It was the first time Pierce had spoken, and his voice was low and distantly amused. Jez glanced at him. His blond hair glinted in the red light of the sunset, and his dark eyes were mocking. I really don't think I like you much, she thought. But of course he was right â€Å"If this kid isn't the one-well, I guess it could have been anybody at the scene,† she said slowly. â€Å"Anybody worried enough to want to save her. One of the firefighters, a neighbor-anybody.† â€Å"Assuming the blue flash on the tape really was evidence of a Wild Power,† Pierce said. â€Å"I think it was.† Jez glanced at Morgead. â€Å"It sure looked like blue fire. And it certainly was some kind of Power.† â€Å"And Grandma Harman dreamed about the Wild Power being in San Francisco,† Morgead added. ‘It all fits too well.† He looked at Jez slyly. â€Å"But it couldn't have been anybody at the scene, you know.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"Because of what you said about that line in the prophecy. ‘Born in the year of the blind Maiden's vision.' That means it has to be somebody born less than eighteen years ago. Before that, Aradia couldn't have visions because she wasn't alive.† Goddess, I'm slow today, Jez thought. I should have thought of that. She gave him a wry nod of respect and he returned it with a grin. Not maliciously. â€Å"It's still not much to go on,† Raven said in her pragmatic way. â€Å"But don't you think we should go back inside to discuss it? Somebody's going to come along eventually and see us with an unconscious kid.† â€Å"Good point,† Jez said. â€Å"But I'm not going up with you. I'm taking the kid home.† â€Å"Me, too,† Morgead said. Jez glanced at him; he had his stubborn expression on. â€Å"Okay, but just us. Two motorcycles are going to be conspicuous enough.† She turned to Raven. â€Å"The rest of you can do what you want tonight; try to figure out who the Wild Power is or whatever. Well meet again tomorrow and see what we've come up with.† â€Å"Why wait?† Val said. â€Å"It's only dusk. We could meet tonight-â€Å" Tm tired,† Jez cut in. ‘It's enough for the day.† And Goddess knows how I'm going to explain being gone this long to Aunt Nan, she thought wearily. Not to mention missing school. Pierce was watching her with an odd expression. â€Å"So you'll have to report to Hunter that we failed,† he said, and there was a probing tone in his voice that Jez didn't like. â€Å"Yeah, I'll tell him you screwed up,† she said heavily. â€Å"But that we still have some options. Unless you'd rather I just tell him that you're all idiots and not worth giving a second chance.† She kept looking at Pierce until he looked away. When she turned to Morgead he was scowling, but he didn't say anything. He silently started toward their bikes. They couldn't talk while they were riding. Jez was too full of her own thoughts anyway. She was finally free to consider those last minutes with Morgead. It had been†¦ amazing. Electrifying. But also enlightening. She knew now what had happened to them, what was happening. He had been right. It was the soul-mate principle. So we're soulmates. Morgead and I. After all our fighting and challenging each other and everything. It's so strange, but in a way it makes sense, too†¦. And it's really a pity that even if we both survive the next week or so, we're never going to see each other again. The thought came from some deep part of her that was utterly heartless and practical and saw everything in the cold light of truth. Because unfortunately the universe had picked the wrong person for Jez to be soulmates with. It had picked one that would hate her and want to kill her once he realized what she really was. Bad mistake, universe, Jez thought, biting down on a laugh. She realized, dimly, that she was verging on being hysterical. It had been such a long day, and she was so tired, and so hurt, and she'd failed in her mission, and now Morgead was in love with her, but there was just no hope. Small wonder she was punchy and an emotional wreck. She was lucky not to be railing off her bike. There really was no hope. Even in that last encounter, even when Morgead had been revealing his soul to her, Jez had managed to keep her own secrets buried. He didn't know. He had no idea that the girl he was in love with was vermin. Was working with Circle Daybreak. Was lying to him to steal the Wild Power out from under his nose and end the hopes of the vampires for a world without humans. He was ambitious, she had always known that. All he'd ever cared about was climbing higher and getting more power. She'd promised him a position in the new world order-while all the time she was working as hard as she could to make sure that the new world order never came. He would never forgive that deception. He would never even be able to understand why she had done it. So you have to forget about him, the cold-and-practical part of her mind said quietly. And there was nothing inside Jez that even tried to argue. It was dark by the time they reached the Marina district. As they approached the housing project, Jez saw flashing lights ahead. Police car lights. Well, that wasn't unexpected. Iona's mother would have notified them by now. Jez just hoped she wasn't too worried†¦. Idiot! her mind said sarcastically. How worried do you expect her to be, with it getting dark and her eight-year-old missing? She turned into an alley and Morgead followed her. â€Å"Well have to do a drive-by,† she said over the thrum of the engines. â€Å"Drop her by the police cars and then shoot out of there. They'll probably chase us. Are you up for it?† He nodded. â€Å"We should go separate ways. That'll make it harder for them to catch us.† â€Å"Right. You go on home once you lose them. So will I.† She couldn't see his features clearly in the dark alley, but she knew he was looking at her. â€Å"So will you? Go home?† â€Å"I mean I'll go to the place where I'm staying.† She expected him to ask about that, try to find out where it was, what she was doing. He didn't Instead he said, â€Å"Do you have to?† She bunked at him, startled. Then she frowned. â€Å"Yes, I have to. I want to. I'm tired, Morgead, and anyway I'm not ready to be spending the night with a guy.† â€Å"I didn't mean that-â€Å" Jez waved a hand. â€Å"I know. I'm sorry. But I'm still tired, and-† And I've got other responsibilities that you don't understand. And if I stick around you any longer, while I'm this tired, I'm afraid that you're going to find out what they are. â€Å"And you're still mad,† he said bleakly. Tm not mad-â€Å" â€Å"Or disgusted or whatever.† What was he talking about? Tm just tired,† she said firmly. â€Å"Now let's drop the kid off, and I'll see you tomorrow.† â€Å"I-† He let out his breath violently. â€Å"All right.† Jez didn't waste any more time. She unzipped her jacket, which had been holding Iona firmly against her. Then she sped out into the street. One block, two blocks. And now she was right beside the dark and deserted playground, and now she was almost level with the police cars. There were several officers standing around talking, and several other bystanders who might be neighbors. Jez targeted one of the neighbors. She swooped in toward the woman, who was on the outside edge of the sidewalk. She came up fast, then hit the brakes. â€Å"Hey,† she said. â€Å"Here.† The woman turned around and her jaw dropped. Jez didn't hesitate, just bundled Iona into her arms. The woman grabbed the child's weight automatically. â€Å"Give her to her mom, okay?† And then Jez was roaring out and away. She could hear Morgead behind her, and shouts from the housing project. Then a police siren. She glanced back. Morgead was just turning on a side street. He waved once at her, and then he was speeding off. Jez could hear more sirens now. She twisted the throttle and headed for the Bay Bridge. At least a pursuit was something she could enjoy. When she finally shook the police cars tailing her, she turned toward Clayton. She would have been worried about what her aunt and uncle were going to say if she hadn't already been too worried about Iona. She'll be all right, she told herself. She shouldn't remember anything, and her mom will take care of her. But Jez couldn't help but feel guilty†¦ and just plain sad. There was some sort of bond between her and the child. She felt-responsible for her, and not just because she'd kidnapped and terrorized her. Nobody should have to grow up in that kind of place. I may have run around on the streets when I was little, but at least I had Uncle Bracken, and a nice home to go to if I wanted. Iona-she doesn't even have a safe playground. I should do something for her, but what can I do that would matter? I don't know; maybe I can visit her sometime. Maybe I can buy her a plant†¦. There weren't any easy answers, and she was drawing up to a neat yellow frame house. Home. Time, Jez thought, to face the music. Uncle Jim and Aunt Nan and nasty little Claire. She just hoped they left enough of her alive so that she could call Hugh afterward. She pulled her motorcycle into the garage, climbed off, and went inside. â€Å"†¦ at all is bad enough, But to do it the day after you make us a promise-well, what are we supposed to think? How are we supposed to trust you again?† Jez was sitting on the blue floral couch in the living room. The Goddard living room didn't get used much, only for very formal occasions. This was one of them. It was a court martial. And there wasn't really a thing that Jez could say to the humans she lived with. She certainly couldn't give them any excuse that would make sense. â€Å"First, ditching Claire even though you swore to us that you'd let her drive you to school.† Aunt Nanami was ticking items off on her fingers. â€Å"Second, ditching school after you swore to us you weren't going to skip again. Third, going off some place you won't even tell us about. Fourth, not even calling to let us know you were still alive. Fifth, getting home at almost ten o'clock at night-â€Å" Uncle Jim cleared his throat. â€Å"Nan, I think we've been over this already.† A couple of times, Jez thought. Oh, well, at least Claire is enjoying it. Her cousin was standing at the entrance to the living room, openly listening. When she happened to catch Jez's eye she smiled brilliantly, her small face actually glowing with smug satisfaction. Aunt Nan was shaking her head. ‘I just want to make sure she understands, Jim. I thought she understood last night, but obviously†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She threw her hands up. â€Å"Well, the thing is-† Uncle Jim cleared his throat again and looked at Jez. He looked uncomfortable; he wasn't very good at discipline, but Jez could see that he'd reached his limit. â€Å"The thing is that we can't just keep yelling at you. We have to do something, Jez. So we've decided to lock up your motorcycle. You can't ride it anymore, not until you learn to be more responsible.† Jez sat stunned. Not her bike. They couldn't take her bike from her. How would she get anywhere? She had to be mobile. She had to get to Morgead tomorrow-she had to get to Hugh sometime. She had to be able to track down the Wild Power. And she couldn't do any of that without transportation. But she could see from Uncle Jim's face that he was serious. He'd finally decided to put his foot down, and Jez had gotten caught underneath it. She let out her breath. Part of her wanted to yell and storm and rage about this, to lose control and make a big noisy fuss. But it wouldn't do any good. Besides, she'd managed to keep her temper for almost a year with these people, to live her double life as a student and vampire hunter and make it all work. To blow that now would be stupid. And another part of her was scared that she was even verging on losing control. That was what even a day with Morgead did to her. It cut through all her careful discipline and changed her back into a raving barbarian. Morgead†¦ she couldn't think about him now. â€Å"Okay, Uncle Jim,† she said out loud. â€Å"I understand. You do what you have to.† â€Å"If you can just show us that you're learning to be responsible, then you can have the bike back. You have to learn to take life more seriously, Jez.† That forced a tired snort out of her. She was laughing before she knew it, and her aunt and uncle were looking shocked and displeased. I'm sorry,† she said. ‘I'll try harder.† And I'll just have to take public transportation tomorrow, she thought when the lecture was over and she was free to go to her room. Even though that's a lot more dangerous. I could get hunted down so easily. . . . â€Å"You messed with the wrong person, you know?† Claire said as Jez reached her door. â€Å"You shouldn't have dumped me like that. You shouldn't make me mad.† â€Å"Yeah, Claire; well, now I know better. I'm terrified.† â€Å"You're still not taking things seriously, are you?† â€Å"Claire-† Jez rounded on the smaller girl. Then she stopped dead. â€Å"I don't have time for this,† she muttered. â€Å"I have to make a call. You just run along and harass somebody else.† She shut the bedroom door in Claire's face. Which, she realized later, was a mistake. At the time, though, she was too tired to think about it. She was too tired to think properly at all. Tired and distraught, with the feeling that everything was closing in and happening too fast. And so when she picked up the phone to dial Hugh she hardly noticed the little click on the line, and she didn't stop for even a second to consider what it meant.

Automated Library System and Integration of Automated Library System Essay

For the past century, change occurred rapidly in professional industry and has posed significant challenges to those who always tries to be the leader in the professional field. The information waves or some called the information revolution triggered by the rising of networking technologies and personal computers has also impacted to an institution that is quite unknown to some but essential to the community, the library institution. Libraries, as we know of as buildings with stacks of books, magazine, news, files, periodicals and signs of ‘silence’ all around, may face its extinction someday. One may not run to the library or a librarian for information, but to one’s own computer which is the basic of automation. The uprising of globalization, marketization, and privatization had bring significant changes the long-held political and economic beliefs. Governments and social sponsors have been propagating that social institutions—be they hospitals, schools, colleges, and libraries—become self-sufficient if they are to purposefully work and demonstrate their relevance and competence to their clients. Institutional excellence will now have to be achieved through the arm race of technologies rather than through rules, regulations and controls.. Librarians and information managers, therefore, are being asked to generate revenue to become self-sustaining as much as possible. In Malaysia, libraries and information centers have begun to realize that marketing of information products and services is an integral part of administration, especially as a means for improving user satisfaction and promoting the use of services by current and potential users. The main arsenal for libraries in Malaysia can utilize would be the automated library system and integration of automated library system. These systems has proven that it can improve substantially the services that a common library can offer. An integrated library system (ILS), also known as a library management system is a system for a library, used to track, orders made, items owned bills paid, and patrons who have borrowed. An Integrated Library System usually consist of a type of relational database, software to interact with that database. Then there’s user interface that would interact with user and also patrons of the library. There are also modules which include acquisition, circulation, cataloguing, serials, OPAC (public interface for users). These features ease the user of library in their research or other tasks. However these systems are strangers to most library institution in Malaysia. It has been implement in only a handful of institutions such as UiTM , UM ,UTM and few more private institution. This scenario happened not because Malaysia don’t have such capabilities to grab these technologies but lack of marketing strategies to in promoting the use of such systems. Three main factors, namely the information explosion, the technology revolution, and escalating library costs are responsible for encouraging the library profession in Malaysia to develop a marketing approach in its operations and services. Some information service managers feel that marketing is inimical to the nature of their activities. But with steep competition from other institution in the country, marketing is a factor for survival. There are some radical marketing strategies in order to market information systems library in Malaysia that can be apply. These strategies can be interpreted by the market the market targeted , extraordinary plans that could raise attention and also drastic measures from the national bodies and major institution and organizations. Market or target users for information systems library in Malaysia must be thoroughly defined first in order for the technologies to grow in our soil. In Malaysia, the target public and audience would be mostly students which consist of various layer of education level. Their needs and demands in library services such as navigation, guides in their research can be fulfill through the systems. By studying their likes would help in plans of promoting the system and also could meet the target audience easier Introduction of the system or better yet the education of the systems’ use and functions to the public is prior in marketing the information system. Malaysia has various kind of media channel such as the radio, television, satellite channels and vast amount of printed materials. Advertising the information systems in libraries by making a short clip with a twist of a little drama and education in the system’s role assisting users to their needs. The education should also be consistent and updated periodically to refresh audience’s knowledge and awareness from time to time. Integration of information system through networking can also be a good marketing strategies for institution in Malaysia since the distance is no more a factor and a mutual bond already existed between education institution in Malaysia. This could help a wide spread of information system network which applies the same system and processes wherever its located in the country. This could ultimately be far more efficient for the users ( mainly the students) in using the system anywhere they want since it would incorporated the same user interface , functions, database . Technologies has also developed a new kind of attraction for the users nowadays. It offers applications and software that allows users to interact with each other , socialize through wire, gain information and keep updated through high speed network. Information system in libraries and integrated system can absorb and assimilate this application in its chain of function which would be more interactive and give the users more experience of the cyber networking via an information system in a library. Also, some more value add to the systems could attract more library user such as networking andweb browsing which would help the customer expand their search wider. There are also marketing strategies that could be implemented throughout government assistance is standardizing all the library institution by ensuring that every library in the country must be equipped with the automated information and integrated system. Although it is a quite a risky and costly for some , but the services would surely improved and would extend the image of libraries in Malaysia as a benchmark for other institution in the country. The government could also help promoting and marketing this system by introducing it to the primary and secondary level education in form of a mini automated system that can easily be used by those ages of kids in their own school library which would familiarize and make them easier to adapt to the real system in the future. Another strategies in extending the information system is through the enhancement of library personnel ‘s professional knowledge and skills for marketing the information system and services that a library offer. Library personnel should enhance their professional skills with technical knowledge and diverse skillset. This would drastically changed the user perception thus promoting the system in a way of its own. Conclusion is that these automated library system and integration of automated library system in Malaysia will succeed if the campaign focus on some important aspect of the process such as increasing the clientele and reaching out to them. Unless the information is used , it is major waste to the resources. Other than that, always ensure that product innovation and flexibility always evolve throughout the period and the financial viability for the whole process maintained at a safe level. There should also some kind of awareness and cooperation in between major organization , government ,institution and the user itself . With all that , it would not be impossible for library institution in Malaysia can also change and compete with other international institution that has long exceed us in information technologies and libraries management.

Australian Social and cultural change essays

Australian Social and cultural change essays Since 1901 Australia has witnessed a lot of social and cultural changes, after all a lot can happen in one hundred years. The more advanced technology, the working conditions, and family lifestyle are some of the different features, which have influenced these changes. The most obvious change is the more advanced technology. This has hinder and helped in many areas such as transport, communication, and health. One hundred years ago, receiving information was slow, getting place to place was time consuming and living daily life was plain hard work. With no air travel, ships the only way of going overseas, sixty cars existing and the main way of transport been by horse drawn carriages, you could imagine the slow pace of the everything in 1901. Now in 2001 there are about 11,737,900 cars, air travel is at its best, and travelling by horses is basically non exsistinant. This has helped in many ways, such as, with over seas ties, which was once was hard because of Australians geographical position. Because of air travel we get more tourists into Australia and as a result we receive a higher profit every year. Another major way in which technology has helped is in communication. One hundred years ago the way to communicate with friends and family was to post a letter or to send a telegraph message. This could take weeks or even months to receive because of the transport systems being so slow. They depended on horse drawn coaches and cars, which were in their early development stages. Also with the absence of air transport they depended on ships. Now our information can be delivered almost instantaneous with the use of the telephone, fax machines, mobile phones, use of media, Internet services and the use of air travel. Computers have help communication a great deal. With the use of computers and the Internet we are now able to write to people on the other side of the world and that person could receive at the press of a button. The n ...

World War I Campaigns of 1917

World War I Campaigns of 1917 In November 1916, Allied leaders again met at Chantilly to devise plans for the coming year. In their discussions, they determined to renew the fighting on the 1916 Somme battlefield as well as mount an offensive in Flanders designed to clear the Germans from the Belgian coast. These plans were quickly altered when General Robert Nivelle replaced General Joseph Joffre as commander-in-chief of the French Army. One of the heroes of Verdun, Nivelle was an artillery officer who believed that saturation bombardment coupled with creeping barrages could destroy the enemys defenses creating rupture and allowing Allied troops to break through to the open ground in the German rear. As the shattered landscape of the Somme did not offer suitable ground for these tactics, the Allied plan for 1917 came to resemble that of 1915, with offensives planned for Arras in the north and the Aisne in the south. While the Allies debated strategy, the Germans were planning to change their position. Arriving in the West in August 1916, General Paul von Hindenburg and his chief lieutenant, General Erich Ludendorff, began construction of a new set of entrenchments behind the Somme. Formidable in scale and depth, this new Hindenburg Line reduced the length of the German position in France, freeing ten divisions for service elsewhere. Completed in January 1917, German troops began shifting back to the new line in March. Watching the Germans withdraw, Allied troops followed in their wake and constructed a new set of trenches opposite the Hindenburg Line. Fortunately for Nivelle, this movement did not affect the areas targeted for offensive operations (Map). America Enters the Fray In the wake of the Lusitania sinking in 1915, President Woodrow Wilson had demanded that Germany cease its policy of unrestricted submarine warfare. Though the Germans had complied with this, Wilson began efforts to bring the combatants to the negotiating table in 1916. Working through his emissary Colonel Edward House, Wilson even offered the Allies American military intervention if they would accept his conditions for a peace conference before the Germans. Despite this, the United States remained decidedly isolationist at the beginning of 1917 and its citizens were not eager to join what was seen as a European war. Two events in January 1917 set in motion a series of events which brought the nation into the conflict. The first of these was the Zimmermann Telegram which was made public in the United States on March 1. Transmitted in January, the telegram was a message from German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann to the government of Mexico seeking a military alliance in event of war with the United States. In return for attacking the United States, Mexico was promised the return of territory lost during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), including Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, as well as substantial financial assistance. Intercepted by British naval intelligence and the US State Department, the contents of the message caused widespread outrage among the American people. On December 22, 1916, the Chief of Staff of the Kaiserliche Marine, Admiral Henning von Holtzendorff issued a memorandum calling for the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare. Arguing that victory could only be achieved by attacking Britains maritime supply lines, he was quickly supported by von Hindenburg and Ludendorff. In January 1917, they convinced Kaiser Wilhelm II that the approach was worth the risk of a break with the United States and submarine attacks resumed on February 1. The American reaction was swift and more severe than anticipated in Berlin. On February 26, Wilson asked Congress for permission to arm American merchant ships. In mid-March, three American ships were sunk by German submarines. A direct challenge, Wilson went before a special session of Congress on April 2 declaring that the submarine campaign was a war against all nations and asked that war be declared with Germany. This request was granted on April 6 and subsequent declarations of war were issu ed against Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria. Mobilizing for War Though the United States had joined the fight, it would be some time before American troops could be fielded in large numbers. Numbering only 108,000 men in April 1917, the US Army began a rapid expansion as volunteers enlisted in large numbers and a selective draft instituted. Despite this, it was decided to immediately dispatch an American Expeditionary Force composed of one division and two Marine brigades to France. Command of the new AEF was given to General John J. Pershing. Possessing the second-largest battle fleet in the world, the American naval contribution was more immediate as US battleships joined the British Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow, giving the Allies a decisive and permanent numerical advantage at sea. The U-boat War As the United States mobilized for war, Germany began its U-boat campaign in earnest. In lobbying for unrestricted submarine warfare, Holtzendorff had estimated that sinking 600,000 tons per month for five months would cripple Britain. Rampaging across the Atlantic, his submarines crossed the threshold in April when they sunk 860,334 tons. Desperately seeking to avert disaster, the British Admiralty tried a variety of approaches to stem the losses, including Q ships which were warships disguised as merchantmen. Though initially resisted by the Admiralty, a system of convoys was implemented in late April. The expansion of this system led to reduced losses as the year progressed. While not eliminated, convoys, the expansion of air operations, and mine barriers worked to mitigate the U-boat threat for the remainder of the war. The Battle of Arras On April 9, the commander of the British Expeditionary Force, Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, opened the  offensive at Arras. Beginning a week earlier than Nivelles push to the south, it was hoped that Haigs attack would draw German troops away from the French front. Having conducted extensive planning and preparation, the British troops achieved great success on the first day of the offensive. Most notable was the swift capture of Vimy Ridge by General Julian Byngs Canadian Corps. Though advances were achieved, planned pauses in the attack hampered the exploitation of successful assaults. The next day, German reserves appeared on the battlefield and fighting intensified. By April 23, the battle had devolved into the type of attritional stalemate that had become typical of the Western Front. Under pressure to support Nivelles efforts, Haig pressed the offensive as casualties mounted. Finally, on May 23, the battle was brought to an end. Though Vimy Ridge had been taken, the strateg ic situation had not changed dramatically. The Nivelle Offensive To the south, the Germans faired better against Nivelle. Aware that an offensive was coming due to captured documents and loose French talk, the Germans had shifted additional reserves to the area behind the Chemin des Dames ridge in Aisne. In addition, they employed a system of flexible defense which removed the bulk of the defensive troops from the front lines. Having promised victory within forty-eight hours, Nivelle sent his men forward through rain and sleet on April 16. Pressing up the wooded ridge, his men were not able to keep up with the creeping barrage that was intended to protect them. Meeting increasingly heavy resistance, the advance slowed as heavy casualties were sustained. Advancing no more than 600 yards on the first day, the offensive soon became a bloody disaster (Map). By the end of the fifth day, 130,000 casualties (29,000 dead) had been sustained and Nivelle abandoned the attack having advanced around four miles on a sixteen-mile front. For his failure, he was relieved on April 29 and replaced by  General Philippe Pà ©tain. Discontent in the French Ranks In the wake of the failed Nivelle Offensive, a series of mutinies broke out in the French ranks. Though more along the lines of military strikes than traditional mutinies, the unrest manifested itself when fifty-four French divisions (nearly half the army) refused to the return to the front. In those divisions which were affected, there was no violence between the officers and men, simply unwillingness on the part of the rank and file to maintain the status quo. Demands from the mutineers generally were characterized by requests for more leave, better food, better treatment for their families, and a halt to offensive operations. Though known for his abrupt personality, Pà ©tain recognized the severity of the crisis and took a soft hand. Though unable to openly state that offensive operations would be halted, he implied that this would be the case. In addition, he promised more regular and frequent leave, as well as implementing a defense in depth system which required fewer troops in the front lines. While his officers worked to win back the mens obedience, efforts were made to round up the ringleaders. All told, 3,427 men were court-martialed for their roles in the mutinies with forty-nine executed for their crimes. Much to Pà ©tains fortune, the Germans never detected the crisis and remained quiet along the French front. By August, Pà ©tain felt confident enough to conduct minor offensive operations near Verdun, but much to the mens pleasure, no major French offensive occurred prior to July 1918. The British Carry the Load With French forces effectively incapacitated, the British were forced to bear the responsibility for keeping the pressure on the Germans. In the days after the Chemin des Dames debacle, Haig began seeking a way to relieve pressure on the French. He found his answer in plans that General Sir Herbert Plumer had been developing for capturing Messines Ridge near Ypres. Calling for extensive mining under the ridge, the plan was approved and Plumer opened the  Battle of Messines  on June 7. Following a preliminary bombardment, explosives in the mines were detonated vaporizing part of the German front. Swarming forward, Plumers men took the ridge and rapidly achieved the operations objectives. Repelling German counterattacks, British forces built new defensive lines to hold their gains. Concluding on June 14, Messines was one of the few clear-cut victories achieved by either side on the Western Front (Map). The Third Battle of Ypres (Battle of Passchendaele) With the success at Messines, Haig sought to revive his plan for an offensive through the center of the Ypres salient. Intended to first capture the village of Passchendaele,  the offensive  was to break through the German lines and clear them from the coast. In planning the operation, Haig was opposed Prime Minister David Lloyd George who increasingly wished to husband British resources and await the arrival of large numbers of American troops before launching any major offensives on the Western Front. With the support of Georges principal military advisor, General Sir William Robertson, Haig was finally able to secure approval. Opening the battle on July 31, British troops attempted to secure the Gheluvelt Plateau. Subsequent attacks were mounted against Pilckem Ridge and Langemarck. The battlefield, which was largely reclaimed land, soon degenerated into a vast sea of mud as seasonal rains moved through the area. Though the advance was slow, new bite and hold tactics allowed the British to gain ground. These called for short advances supported by massive amounts of artillery. Employment of these tactics secured objectives such as the Menin Road, Polygon Wood, and Broodseinde. Pressing on despite heavy losses and criticism from London, Haig secured Passchendaele on November 6. Fighting subsided four days later (Map). The Third Battle of Ypres became a symbol of the conflicts grinding, attritional warfare and many have debated the need for the offensive. In the fighting, the British had made a maximum effort, sustained over 240,000 casualties, and failed to breach the German defenses. While these losses coul d not be replaced, the Germans had forces in the East to make good their losses. The Battle of Cambrai With the fighting for Passchendaele devolving into a bloody stalemate, Haig approved a plan presented by General Sir Julian Byng for a  combined attack against Cambrai  by the Third Army and the Tank Corps. A new weapon, tanks have not previously been massed in large numbers for an assault. Utilizing a new artillery scheme, Third Army achieved surprise over the Germans on November 20 and made quick gains. Though achieving their initial objectives, Byngs men had difficulty exploiting the success as reinforcements had trouble reaching the front. By the next day, German reserves began arriving and fighting intensified. British troops fought a bitter battle to take control of Bourlon Ridge and by November 28 began digging in to defend their gains. Two days later, German troops, utilizing stormtrooper infiltration tactics, launched a massive counterattack. While the British fought hard to defend the ridge in the north, the Germans made gains in the south. When the fighting ended on De cember 6, the battle had become a draw with each side gaining and losing about the same amount of territory. The fighting at Cambrai effectively brought operations on the Western Front to a close for the winter (Map). In Italy To the south in Italy, the forces of General Luigi Cadorna continued attacks in the Isonzo Valley. Fought in May-June 1917, the Tenth Battle of the Isonzo and gained little ground. Not to be dissuaded, he opened the Eleventh Battle on August 19. Focusing on the Bainsizza Plateau, Italian forces made some gains but could not dislodge the Austro-Hungarian defenders. Suffering 160,000 casualties, the battle badly depleted Austrian forces on the Italian front (Map). Seeking help, Emperor Karl sought reinforcements from Germany. These were forthcoming and soon a total of thirty-five divisions opposed Cadorna. Through years of fighting, the Italians had taken much of the valley, but the Austrians still held two bridgeheads across the river. Utilizing these crossings, German General Otto von Below attacked on October 24, with his troops employing stormtrooper tactics and poison gas. Known as the  Battle of Caporetto, von Belows forces broke into the rear of the Italian Second Army and cau sed Cadornas entire position to collapse. Forced into headlong retreat, the Italians attempted to make a stand at the Tagliamento River but were forced back when the Germans bridged it on November 2. Continuing the retreat, the Italians finally halted behind the Piave River. In achieving his victory, von Below advanced eighty miles and had taken 275,000 prisoners. Revolution in Russia The beginning of 1917 saw troops in the Russian ranks expressing many of the same complaints offered by the French later that year. In the rear, the Russian economy had reached a full war footing, but the boom that resulted brought about rapid inflation and led to the break down of the economy and infrastructure. As food supplies in Petrograd dwindled, unrest increased leading to mass demonstrations and a revolt by the Tsars Guards. At his headquarters in Mogilev, Tsar Nicholas II was initially unconcerned by events in the capital. Beginning on March 8, the February Revolution (Russia still used the Julian calendar) saw the rise of a Provisional Government in Petrograd. Ultimately convinced to abdicate, he stepped down on March 15 and nominated his brother Grand Duke Michael to succeed him. This offer was refused and the Provisional Government took power. Willing to continue the war, this government, in conjunction with the local Soviets, soon appointed Alexander Kerensky Minister of War. Naming General Aleksei Brusilov Chief of Staff, Kerensky worked to restore the spirit of the army. On June 18, the Kerensky Offensive began with Russian troops striking the Austrians with the goal of reaching Lemberg. For the first two days, the Russians advanced before the lead units, believing they had done their part, halted. Reserve units refused to move forward to take their place and mass desertions began (Map). As the Provisional Government faltered at the front, it came under attack from the rear from returning extremists such as Vladimir Lenin. Aided by the Germans, Lenin had arrived back in Russia on April 3. Lenin immediately began speaking at Bolshevik meetings and preaching a program of non-cooperation with the Provisional Government, nationalization, and an end to the war. As the Russian army began to melt away at the front, the Germans took advantage and conducted offensive operations in the north which culminated in the capture of Riga. Becoming prime minister in July, Kerensky sacked Brusilov and replaced him with anti-German General Lavr Kornilov. On August 25, Kornilov ordered troops to occupy Petrograd and disperse the Soviet. Calling for military reforms, including the abolition of Soldiers Soviets and political regiments, Kornilov grew in popularity with Russian moderates. Ultimately maneuvered into attempting a coup, he was removed after its failure. With Kornilovs defeat, Kerensky and the Provisional Government effectively lost their power as Lenin and the Bolsheviks were in the ascent. On November 7, the October Revolution began which saw the Bolsheviks seize power. Taking control, Lenin formed a new government and immediately called for a three-month armistice. Peace in the East Initially wary of dealing with the revolutionaries, the Germans and Austrians finally agreed to meet with Lenins representatives in December. Opening peace negotiations at Brest-Litovsk, the Germans demanded independence for Poland and Lithuania, while the Bolsheviks wished for peace without annexations or indemnities. Though in a weak position, the Bolsheviks continued to stall. Frustrated, the Germans announced in February that they would suspend the armistice unless their terms were accepted and take as much of Russia as they desired. On February 18, German forces began advancing. Meeting no resistance, they seized much of the Baltic countries, Ukraine, and Belarus. Panic-struck, Bolshevik leaders ordered their delegation to accept Germanys terms immediately. While the  Treaty of Brest-Litovsk  took Russia out of the war, it cost the nation 290,000 square miles of territory, as well as a quarter of its population and industrial resources.

Majoring in Finance in College or Business School

Majoring in Finance in College or Business School Why Major in Finance? Majoring in finance is a good option for students who want to have numerous job opportunities after graduation. Finance is the management of money, and since nearly every business seeks to make money, you could say that finance is the backbone of any business. The annual PayScale College Salary Report  often ranks finance as one of the most lucrative majors, particularly at the MBA level.   Educational Requirements for the Finance Field Some entry-level positions, such as bank teller at a small bank, may only require a high school diploma or the equivalent, but most jobs in the finance field will require you to hold a finance degree. An associate degree is the minimum requirement, but a bachelors degree is more common. If you would prefer to work in a more advanced positions, such as management positions, a specialized masters degree or MBA degree will help you achieve that goal. These graduate-level programs allow you to delve deeply into the topic of finance and acquire advanced experience in the finance field. The highest degree that finance majors can earn is a doctorate degree. This degree is best suited for individuals who want to work in research or education at the postsecondary level.   Programs for Finance Majors Almost every business school, as well as many colleges and universities, offer finance programs. If you have a career path mapped out, your best bet will be to search out finance programs that churn out the type of graduates your desired employers look for. You may also want to compare some of the different finance programs that are out there. For example, you could earn a general finance degree or a finances of finance-related degrees include: Accounting Degree  - Accounting is the study of financial reporting and analysis.  Actuarial Science Degree  - Actuarial science is the study of how math and science can be applied to risk assessment.Economics Degree  - Economics is the study of production, consumption, and wealth distribution.  Risk Management  Degree - Risk management is the study of risk identification, assessment, and management.Taxation Degree - Taxation is the study of tax assessment and preparation.   Coursework for Finance Majors Business majors  who specialize in finance will study many different things over the course of their academic career. Exact courses will depend on the school and the students area of focus as well as the level of study. For example, a general finance program at the graduate level will touch on many different finance-related topics, while an accounting program at the undergraduate level will focus more heavily on accounting. Most  finance programs are designed to develop and improve  critical thinking  and  problem solving skills. Some of the courses that nearly all finance students take at some point in a degree program include: Mathematics - Basic math and more advanced math.Statistical Analysis - Statistics, probability, and data analysis.Financial Regulation - Finance regulation at the local, state, federal, and international level.Valuation - Evaluation and appraisal of worth.Risk and Return - Trade-off in investment decisions.Ethics - Principles that should guide and govern behavior in the finance sector. Careers in Finance After graduating from a quality finance program, business majors should be able to secure at least entry-level employment with banks, brokerage firms, insurance companies, corporations, and a variety of other organizations. Possible job titles include: BankerFinance OfficerFinancial AdvisorFinancial AnalystFinancial ControllerFinancial PlannerInsurance Underwriter

Financial analysis of Community Health Systems and HCA, Inc Assignment

Financial analysis of Community Health Systems and HCA, Inc - Assignment Example There are many reasons for someone to explore a firm’s financial statements. Investors use it to explore potential returns on their capital investment, managers explore to assess performance, and the government reviews them for legal compliance. The final analysis for HCA & CHS will be presented from the prospective of the investor. In order for the investor to understand the return on an investment, he/she must examine the firm’s quality earnings. Quality earnings are different from profit. Profit could mean the firm is just breaking the even point that enables the firm from incurring losses. Maybe the profits are being absorbed by debt. Many firms hide debt in the financial statement notes. Consequently, investors willing to invest in a given organization should not evaluate the viability of the investment from the face value of the financial statements. Assessing a firm’s worth involves a deeper understanding of the firm and its industry. Ratio analyses are ve ry useful in that understanding. In the next few pages, you will find a vertical ratio and horizontal analysis for subject firms. HCA’s financial data was easy to comprehend due to the concise and clear presentation of the consolidated statements. In addition, the accompanying financial notes helped in understanding the origin of the figures in the financial statements. Most of its financial data are easily translated into terminology used in the Excel template. The financial data of HCA was presented in the millions while Community Health Services was listed in the thousands. To make the two firms’ financial statements more comparable, Community Health Services numbers were divided by 1000 to convert it to millions. Cost of goods sold for the firms is actually labeled â€Å"Revenues before the provision for doubtful†. The healthcare industry has a large provision for doubtful

Financial Management Foundations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial Management Foundations - Essay Example (Garcia-Terul and Martinez-Solano, 2000: p. 164). Investments in working capital constitute a tradeoff between risk and profitability because decisions that increase profitability also increase risk and vice versa. This is obvious even in capital markets where a tradeoff exists between risk and profitability. For example, investments in equities tend to be riskier than investments in savings accounts and bonds but equities tend to pay higher returns that savings accounts and bonds. (Bodie et al, 2005). A company that has a negative net working capital therefore faces higher risks than a company that has a positive net working capital irrespective of the profitability of the company. This is so because, the company with higher current liabilities may have high levels of debts that may be uncollectible, but which must have been included in the sales figure used in calculating profit. Debtors may default on the payment of debt and inventories may go obsolete. Finance literature has long recognized that market imperfection and information asymmetry affect finance. Thus, corporations must choose from the various financing options appropriate for them. These include, warrants issuance, derivatives instruments, common stocks and Preferred stocks etc. (Ambarish, John &Williams 1987). The purpose of this paper is to differentiate between the various financing securities and derivatives instruments. The remainder of the paper is organized as follows. Section 2 describes the various financial securities. In Section 3, differences e different financing securities are highlighted. Section 4 comments on the result and presents te conclusion. 2.0 Forms of Financing Securities Securities are often referred to as fungible, negotiable instrument representing financial values (Bodie, Kane, Marcus 2005). These instruments are broadly classified into debts securities (e.g., banknotes, bonds and debentures), and equity securities for example common stocks (Ross,Westerfield & Jaffe 1999). According to DeAngelo DeAngelo & Stulzb (2006) company or other entity issuing the security is called the issuer. What specifically qualifies as a security is dependent on the regulatory structure in a country. For example private investment pools may have some features of securities, but they may not be registered or regulated as such if they meet various restrictions (Ross, Westerfield & Jaffe 1999). Issuers include individuals, commercial banks, mortgage institutions and other international institution like the World bank. 2.1 Common stocks A common stock is an example of equity security. It represents the principal capital stock of a company. In most cases, Brealey & Myers (2005) state that a common stock security is a share in the capital stock of

General Motors Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

General Motors - Term Paper Example For most of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, General Motors has been the world largest automobile manufacturer in the world. It is one of the largest assembly and distribution companies dealing with automobiles. It is an American multinational corporation founded in 1908 under the leadership of William C. Durant. The main aim was to bring together the different motorcar companies that were producing brands such as Cadillac, Oldsmobile and Buick together and streamline its production processes. It started in Flint Michigan with an aim of making it possible for more people to acquire automobiles across North America. At the turn of the 20th century, less than 8,000 automobiles were present in America, and Durant, under his Buick Company, was a successful manufacturer of horse-drawn vehicles.Between 1909 and 1929, the imagination that automobiles brought to the table was incredible and many more additions increased GM’s reach in the country. The addition of Vauxhall, Che vrolet and Opel diversified the company’s selection and production, making it easier to target different individuals across the divide. The Cadillac LaSalle of 1927 made people realize that cars were not only a source of transportation but also a statement of style for those conscious of such attributes and details in their possessions. Innovations that followed in the 1930s up to 1950s made it easier to provide more vehicles to suit individual needs as well as make production cheaper and costs lower to make it easier for everyone to own a car.

Strategy for growth for a student's society Coursework

Strategy for growth for a student's society - Coursework Example In the same perspective, the student organisations will always aim at facilitating ideas that influence a relatively large number of students (Collins, 2001). Student societies have come to gain great command since universities are the highest entities of learning, endorsed with a huge number of people from various parts of the world. The fact that any student, in a particular university, regardless of their age or current situation will always be in a position to join their preferred organisations, calls for a lot of members all the same. Nevertheless, the situation is getting even better as more and more university-based student organisations continue to incorporate members of non-university background (Goldsmith & Robertson, 2003). Such kinds of allowances have called for the development of various types of student organisations. This can be in the range of faculty societies that orient on a particular university faculty in the perspective of uniting current members. Aspects like taekwondo have come to amalgamate various students of similar ideologies with science fiction calling for the opportunity to unite students with interests on film and television. On the other hand, academic aspects like study organisation have also played an important role in bringing together various students of similar study years at a particular university. ... The equivalent can be related to the music and film societies that handle cheap film and music shows within the university. The students’ societies have widespread influence opportunities that affect almost every aspect related to students. For instance, the international student societies will always seek to unite various students from different backgrounds at a university. In the business perspective, students with similar ideas in production and commerce will come up with related groups, for instance the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE). This organization has amalgamated students with leadership quests in the business world, especially those seeking higher education (Shankman & Allen, 2010). Commonly known as Enactus, this organisation is among the few students’ societies that have come to foresee a lot of development. With reference to the global nature of business, almost every university around the globe has several faculties related to business and its aspects. Everything happening everywhere from rural areas to urban centers in any country happens to be business-based. Companies are developed with a quest of making profits. Governments gain their operational capital from taxation-based on business. The buying and selling of property around any retail and wholesale shops is an idea of business. The travelling of people from one place to another, be it by planes, vehicles or ships, involves the exchange of money. Business affects everyone, not only on the directly practical aspects mentioned above, but also in the virtual world of the Internet. Today, people are setting up companies and institutions online. The selling of products is today based on the Internet as people advertise the various products they possess, quoting their prices

Give a full summary of the movie Crash Assignment

Give a full summary of the movie Crash - Assignment Example Detective Waters, a black man, speaks of how people in Los Angeles almost assist upon getting into car accidents. Waters, who had been in the car involved in the accident, gets out of the car to inspect a crime scene in the immediate vicinity. Waters is told by a fellow police officer that a body had been discovered; however, what Waters sees at the crime scene is not immediately known to the audience, for the scene jumps to a lengthy montage of scenes that took place almost two days prior to the accident: Inside a gun shop, a Persian father, Farhad, and his daughter, Dorri, are purchasing a gun, but are hampered and hurried from the shop by the shop owner, who is against the two not speaking English; the defense attorney and his wife, Rick and Jean, are carjacked by two black men, Anthony and Peter; Jean is having the locks changed on her house, and the locksmith, Daniel, overhears himself being regarded as a gang member; in a diner where two Asians are conversing amongst themselves , a police officer, Ryan, is on the phone with a medical assistant, Shaniqua, who promptly hangs up when he makes a racist comment. After Ryan and his partner, Hansen, leave and begin their duties, they pull over a black vehicle on suspicions of sexual activity while driving. The black couple, Cameron and Christine, exit the vehicle when Ryan directs them to; Cameron is polite and cooperative, though Christine is drunk, which shows through her actions and speech. Ryan frisks Christine, though what he is essentially doing is sexually molesting her. After he finishes, he allows the couple to continue on their way. Another series of montages begins again, going off of the original scenes, continuing from the previous montages. Christine is beside herself with anger that Cameron did nothing to stop with Ryan had done to her, though Cameron firmly believes that he acted in the way that he was supposed to; Daniel is putting his daughter to bed

Turkey Foreign Policy and AK party Research Paper

Turkey Foreign Policy and AK party - Research Paper Example Turkey has changed its political dimension now as it is no longer a country which depended on Western compliance. Turkey as an independent country, has all the power and potentiality to rise as a strong nation , which is assertive on its rights and position in the global platform. Here the focus is on the Turkey’s foreign policy and its vibrancy in achieving new global dimension as self confident nation. Nevertheless, the arguable point here is whether the turkey’s foreign policy, under the control of AK party will proceed to establish a secure place in the European Union. As a matter of fact, establishment of human right freedom and secularism is the only way through which the country can get the status of European country. Since turkey is sharing boundaries with Middle East and Europe, its political responsibility is different from other countries. Here, the foreign affairs Minister Mr. Davutoglu has vested with the immense duty for empowering the nation. According to (Robinson,2012)â€Å" Mr. Davutoglu believes Turkey can play an important role in constructing this new political, economic and cultural system†. Event though, Turkey is struggling to establish its own political identity, its eligibility to come forward as a global power seems to be an achievable ambition.†. ... For the very same reason, it has a population comprised of Muslims, Christians and Jews. Before coming under the control of AK party, Turkey considered itself as a European country and missed out to recognize itself as an individual strong nation. The foreign policy of the country was fragile and offered less importance to social elements like cultural ethnicity and gender identity. Turkey was considered by world as a nation with a weak political foundation and vulnerable foreign policy agenda. Turkey in ancient times was more deep rooted in unrealistic political ideas and more complex democracy oriented principles .The country was more secluded and less visionary and globalization was a dormant political aspiration. If a country hesitates to open its door to its neighboring countries, then the economic and social interest of the country would lie in darkness. Due to the unpolished foreign policy strategy of Turkey, during 1990s, the co –operation of the country with Iran and Syria was dull. Before the arrival of AK party, the foreign policy of Turkey aimed at non –interference with neighboring countries and this made the country secluded from Middle Eastern countries. The global aspiration of Turkey In recent times, Turkey has gained a reputation of being an ambitious, independent and self confident country, with a foreign policy agenda to achieve a global status of being a pivotal country geographically and politically. Nowadays, Turkey is not seeing itself as a fragile and weak nation but wants to establish itself as a country with immense political authority and cultural heritage. According to the new foreign policy, the key element is the security and freedom of the citizens of the country. In recent times, it has been acknowledged

Give a full summary of the movie Crash Assignment

Give a full summary of the movie Crash - Assignment Example Detective Waters, a black man, speaks of how people in Los Angeles almost assist upon getting into car accidents. Waters, who had been in the car involved in the accident, gets out of the car to inspect a crime scene in the immediate vicinity. Waters is told by a fellow police officer that a body had been discovered; however, what Waters sees at the crime scene is not immediately known to the audience, for the scene jumps to a lengthy montage of scenes that took place almost two days prior to the accident: Inside a gun shop, a Persian father, Farhad, and his daughter, Dorri, are purchasing a gun, but are hampered and hurried from the shop by the shop owner, who is against the two not speaking English; the defense attorney and his wife, Rick and Jean, are carjacked by two black men, Anthony and Peter; Jean is having the locks changed on her house, and the locksmith, Daniel, overhears himself being regarded as a gang member; in a diner where two Asians are conversing amongst themselves , a police officer, Ryan, is on the phone with a medical assistant, Shaniqua, who promptly hangs up when he makes a racist comment. After Ryan and his partner, Hansen, leave and begin their duties, they pull over a black vehicle on suspicions of sexual activity while driving. The black couple, Cameron and Christine, exit the vehicle when Ryan directs them to; Cameron is polite and cooperative, though Christine is drunk, which shows through her actions and speech. Ryan frisks Christine, though what he is essentially doing is sexually molesting her. After he finishes, he allows the couple to continue on their way. Another series of montages begins again, going off of the original scenes, continuing from the previous montages. Christine is beside herself with anger that Cameron did nothing to stop with Ryan had done to her, though Cameron firmly believes that he acted in the way that he was supposed to; Daniel is putting his daughter to bed