Final project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Role of Compensation for Compensation and Benefit -myassignmenthelp

Question: Examine about the Role of Compensation for Compensation and Benefit. Answer: Presentation Pay and prize are the critical and worldwide pieces of the administration system in each endeavor. So as to accomplish their targets, missions and to boosting their arrival on venture, an association gives remuneration or prizes to their representatives or laborers. The organization utilizes the prizes to inspire their workers and increment their profitability. The association ought to think about the prerequisite and need of its workers before executing a prize methodology. This report will talk about with respect to the job of remunerations in present day association of the United Arab Emirates. Viable Compensation Strategy A viable prize framework isn't simply expanding the pay rates of representatives; rather, the organization ought to receive a remuneration approach dependent on their remarkable work culture. Different variables impact a pay system, for example, rewards, benefits, non-money related favorable circumstances, learning opportunity and vocation security. A successful prize framework can upgrade the exhibition of an association. Numerous organizations accept that money related prizes are sufficient for the fulfillment of workers, yet those prizes don't give work fulfillment; rather, they are successful in accomplishing short destinations. Abraham Maslow is known for his chain of importance of necessities hypothesis in brain research. The hypothesis helps learns the different phases of human inspiration. Money related remuneration just fulfills the two essential wants of Maslows Hierarchy hypothesis which are physiological and security. Other three needs of workers, including adoration, regard, and self-completion, must be accomplished by a viable pay and prize strategy. Present day associations all through the United Arab Emirates have received this methodology in their association, so as to give pay to their workers (Abraham 2012). Job of Reward System Prizes are utilized by the administration so as to propel their workers. There are two kinds of remunerations, first is Extrinsic and second is Intrinsic. The extraneous prizes incorporate compensation raise, reward and other fiscal prizes. The inherent prizes incorporate non-financial pay, for example, open examination or self-esteem (Reddy 2016). It causes in inspiring workers to perform better increment their productivity, so they can convey wanted outcomes. The organization can upgrade the efficiency or fulfillment of their workers by giving them remunerations or prizes. A successful prize framework expands the unwaveringness of representatives towards their association. The characteristic prizes advantage workers by upgrading their confidence. The commitment of workers could be accomplished by embracing a successful remuneration approach. The association maintenance or enrollment process relies intensely upon their remuneration approaches. The prize framework ought to be reasonable towards all the laborers. An association ought to embrace their pay plan subsequent to exploring their workers prerequisites (Barhem, Younis 2010). UAE Compensation Policies The advanced association of the United Arab Emirates, utilize their pay strategies to build the profitability and productivity of their workers. The mammoth organizations, for example, GASCO, a gas organization from Abu Dhabi, have actualized a particular prize framework for their representatives in the wake of examining their prerequisites. The organization utilizes CAMS technique to assess their representatives by asking them inquiries with respect to their activity, cases occurred at the working environment and their exhibition aptitudes, to make self-awareness plans for representatives (Shatat, El-Baz Hariga 2010). Different strategies utilized by the cutting edge association incorporate remuneration dependent on the exhibition of laborers. Numerous organizations screen the advancement of their representatives and prize them for their accomplishments. The Emirates bunch direct a review on their laborers, toward the year's end, to think about the degree of employment fulfillment, quarries, and thoughts with respect to the occupations. The organization frames their pay plan dependent on their representatives prerequisites and wants. A cutting edge association concentrated on characteristic prize ways to deal with spur their representatives so as to accomplish generally development and employment fulfillment. An examination led by Ahmed (2015), on the organizations of Malaysia and UAE demonstrated that the representatives of UAE associations lean toward characteristic prizes, for example, power in the work environment, authentication or further preparing and instruction openings. Etisalat Company gives a few advantages to their representatives, for example, wellbeing, life, unintentional and retirement protection. Different advantages incorporate decent variety programs, self-improvements, legitimate help and free lunch or tidbits. The advantages increment the trust and fulfillment of the representatives of Etisalat. These approaches help organizations in increasing an upper hand over its rivals too (Etisalat Employees Benefits and Perks 2017). End From the above report, it tends to be presumed that various current association of the United Arab Emirates utilizes pay and prize arrangement to upgrade the profitability and fulfillment of their workers. The prize arrangement ought to be readied dependent on explicit necessity of the workers. These frameworks help in companys development and give them an upper hand over its rivals. References Abraham, S. (2012). Advancement of worker commitment program based on representative fulfillment survey.Journal of Economic Development, Management, IT, Finance, and Marketing,4(1), 27. Ahmed, S. (2015). Worker Perceptions on Reward/Recognition and Motivating Factors: A Comparison among Malaysia and UAE. American Journal of Economics, 5(2), 200-207. Barhem, B., Younies, H., Younis, M. (2010). Worker fulfillment in the human services division: A near investigation of private and general medicinal services associations in the UAE.Journal of Health Management,12(1), 19-38. Etisalat Employee Benefits and Perks. (2017).Glassdoor. Recovered 15 August 2017, from https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Benefits/Etisalat-US-Benefits-EI_IE15014.0,8_IL.9,11_IN1.htm Reddy, C. (2016).Advantages and Disadvantages of Employee Benefits - WiseStep. [PDF file].WiseStep. Recovered on 15 August 2017, from https://content.wisestep.com/favorable circumstances detriments representative advantages/ Shatat, An., El-Baz, H., Hariga, M. (2010, March). Worker desires: Perception of Generation-Y builds in the UAE. InEngineering Systems Management and Its Applications (ICESMA), 2010 Second International Conference on(pp. 1-6). IEEE.

Stem Cell Essay Topics - Find the Top Essential Topics That Teach You About Your Students

Stem Cell Essay Topics - Find the Top Essential Topics That Teach You About Your StudentsThe world of science is a big place and so is the world of education; the best way to provide your students with the most up to date information possible is to research and write about any relevant topic that you can think of. It's a nice way to connect with your students' minds and help them to understand the concepts that they are being taught. It's just as important, if not more so, for teachers to know all that they can about any topic that is relevant to their profession so that they can better help their students succeed.For this very reason, it is important for any teacher to learn the techniques that they need to use in order to make sure that they're doing the most important part of their job, their research, properly. If you don't learn what you need to know, you could wind up feeling frustrated and disillusioned with your students' understanding of the subject matter. In a competitive globalized market, it is vital for the education sector to stay on top of the competition, at all times. Otherwise, a lot of competition will never benefit our industry and hinder the development of the information age.This means that every teacher needs to be aware of some excellent article writing resources that can help them build their resume. Unfortunately, in this day and age of technological advancements, teachers are constantly called upon to write articles or essays in order to market themselves and their profession. The first thing that you need to understand is that you should never rush this process. You need to look around for article writing resources that are well researched and that have been vetted by other experts. This way, you can rest assured that you are getting the most comprehensive and up to date information available to you.There are many different sources that you can use to get your information. Whether you want to use the internet or some printed sources , you need to ensure that you are taking the time to research each source thoroughly before you start your work. It's important to take your time because it takes time to put together your content, so don't expect to find an amazing essay in a few hours' time.Even though there are several different tools that you can use to write about the topics that you know, you will find that the best tool is still going to be research. Don't be afraid to invest some time and money into it. It's important that you understand that it will take a little bit of effort and research to produce a quality essay. That's why you need to look for the most complete resource that is up to date.However, you do not need to use your personal search to find this information. With a little bit of time and money, you can do some research and find out what is out there in terms of articles, essays, and blog posts that have been written by professionals and expert educators. Just remember that the more current and accurate information that you can find, the better.In order to make sure that you can choose the correct essay topics, you will need to do some research into the history of the topic that you would like to cover. What did past teachers teach? What were their top topics? What do current teachers currently teach?By finding a list of essay topics, you can find out what topics people are interested in writing about. This is a great way to ensure that you're covering all of the most up to date topics that are relevant to the subject matter that you're teaching.

Learning Disabilities Are True - 2718 Words

Learning disabilities are true. They affect regions in the brain that become dysfunctional, resulting in difficulties in communicating, storing, and processing information. It is a common situation that affects 1-2.5% of the overall population in the Western world (Gillberg Soderstrom, 2003). Children with learning disabilities are not different than others. However, their intelligence in average and they have difficulties acquiring new skills for a better performance within the society. Moreover, these are lifelong situations. Therefore, the sooner they are recognized, the better assisted and analyzed. These children like others have the right to be treated and educated fairly. Their situation doesn’t make them inferior. Medical, social, and technological services are now available to support them. Are children with learning disabilities treated humanely in Western societies? Burden to Society Raising children with special needs isn’t something easy. It requires patience, care, and understanding. Some people view them as a burden to the societies. Theses kids from an early age need assistance from an early age in many ways. Some parents are unable to handle this burden, because they see it very demanding and tough. In addition, Seidman (2012, para. 1) says that the expense for taking care of kids with special needs is very high. People actually can’t perceive them as normal human beings. Seidman (2009, para. 6) uncovers the fact that they simply stare at theseShow MoreRelatedEducation Is A Fundamental System Essay1713 Words   |  7 Pagessuccesses due to the misfortunes of being diagnosed with a learning disability.Learning disabilities have been a controversial issue in America for as long as we know. Due to these factors, many individuals are shunned from their communities and are treated as social outcasts. In 1975, the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) was brought to light in America. This insured equality in the educational needs of all children with disabilities. Despite the reform actions being stressed upon the concernRead MoreStandardized tests decide who gets into college nowadays. Standardized tests have more emphasis now800 Words   |  4 Pagestesting because it does not evaluate true knowledge, the tests cannot predict college readiness, and students with test anxiety will not perform at their best. Standardized testing does not truly evaluate a student’s knowledge. â€Å"High schools are turning into ‘giant test-prep centers’, effectively closing off intellectual inquiry and undermining enthusiasm of learning (and teaching)† (Wallace 4). Students are now being taught in such a fashion that all of the learning is aimed at standardized tests,Read MoreEssay about The Struggles Facing LD Students1306 Words   |  6 PagesThe Struggles Facing LD Students Students with learning disabilities are a part of the educational system and they always will be. 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Most teachers recommendRead MoreUnderstand The Context Of Supporting Individuals With Learning Disabilities1394 Words   |  6 Pagesindividuals with learning disabilities. Identify legislation and policies that are designed to promote the human rights, inclusion, equality and citizenship of individuals with learning disabilities. I can identify the polices and legislation designed to promote inclusion, human rights of individuals with learning disabilities and of their citizenship and equal life chances i.e. National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990; Disability Discrimination Act 2005; Equality Act 2010; Disability EqualityRead MoreEssay on Learning Disabilities785 Words   |  4 Pages quot;Im just starting my sophomore year in college.... I first knew I had a learning disability when I was in first grade. A learning disability is like any other disability, but in this case its the learning process that is disturbed. There is something thats stopping me from learning in the average way. I know its not that I cant learn. I can, but I learn differently and its often much harder for me.... This in turn means that I have difficulty with reading and spelling, and also withRead MoreEssay On Indicators Of Content Knowledge And Achievement990 Words   |  4 Pages If the problem is not content but the language, then how are these tests providing accurate knowledge from the students whose only limiting factor is a language barrier? Students that are struggling with this certain disability are not given a fair chance to demonstrate their true intelligence level. The accommodations given to SWD have not had a significant improvement in scores which leaves students, parents and administrators one question; Do accommodations need to be improved if they are not

Democracy and Education - 750 Words

â€Å"Democracy and Education† The most interesting argument of Booker T. Washington’s speech, â€Å"Democracy and Education† is that instead of hating the white men, Washington not only forgives them, but sympathizes with them. In his speech, Washington says, â€Å"I thank God that I have grown to the point where I can sympathize with a white man as much as I can sympathize with a black man. I have grown to the point where I can sympathize with a Southern white man as much as I can sympathize with a Northern white man.† He points out that white men in the South are still suffering the consequences of slavery. Their homes are destitute from years of fighting in the war, their moral is low, their industrial system is ruined, and they are†¦show more content†¦It takes an extreme amount of maturity to stop and think how the ones responsible for slavery have been hurt by it. I liked how Washington did not choose to focus on how hard it is to be a black person in a predominantly white society, or how black people have been wronged over the years. Instead of being negative he chooses to be positive.Show MoreRelatedDemocracy, Education, And Legitimacy Essay1209 Words   |  5 PagesUnited State than other reputable democracies, attempts to improve the system and increase public participation, political reformist have channeled their efforts to on the fundamental principles of US politics and other republic nations with who share the same values that are prevalent in a democracy. Throughout the semester, several of these values have been discussed however, the most important values fell under the following three categories: democracy, education,  and legitimacy. When asked to explainRead MoreJohn Dewey s Democracy And Education907 Words   |  4 Pagesvoiced his concerns about the education system in his book â€Å"Democracy and Education.† This book talked about how the education system was based around a very social type of education; an informal type of education. However, with the increase in complexity that comes with the passage of time, a need for a more structured and formal education was present. More recently, Kenneth Bernstein, a former high school teacher, has talked about some of the effects the education system experienced as a resultRead MoreDoes Education Enable Western Democracies?2947 Words   |  12 PagesDoes education enable Western democracies to be meritocratic? Investment in the brain is much more rewarding than investment in property. (Young, 1958.) This statement shows the ever growing possibilities and realms which can be achieved and explored just by the use and engagement of our brain. Are these possibilities equal across the education system and amongst all students? Many people in today’s society believe that we live in a world of meritocracy, that the brightest students will ultimatelyRead MoreWorkforce Education : The Nexus Between Capitalism And Democracy780 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction Gilpin discusses the conundrums brought about by the topic of workforce education in her article, Workforce Education: the Nexus between Capitalism and Democracy. She discusses how democracy and capitalism are at odds on the subject. Her article surmises key players in the debate including Thurow, Prosser and Dewey. While summarizing the varying views, she concludes that democracy and capitalism have managed to survive and even flourish together for many years and that humanRead MoreAnalysis Of John Dewey s Democracy And Education1969 Words   |  8 PagesJohn Dewey in Democracy and Education, stresses the importance of formal education and how the mass media has manipulated the uneducated in our society. However, Dewey explains how manipulation is prevented through formal education. Not only will society become intelligent, they will be better-educated, informed citizens with knowledge about serving others. Therefore, creating citizens that want to help each other and make a successful democracy. Dewey is still speaking to us today, about the massRead MoreAnalysis Of John Dewey s Democracy And Education1819 Words   |  8 Pages John Dewey in Democracy and Education, stresses the importance of formal education and how the mass media has manipulated the uneducated in our society. However, Dewey explains how manipulation is prevented through formal education. Not only will society become intelligent, they will be better-educated citizens with knowledge about serving others. Therefore, creating citizens that want to help each other and make a successful democracy. Dewey is still speaking to us today, about the mass media andRead MoreEssay Education and Democracy: How We Need Both739 Words   |  3 PagesEducation is an important part in sustaining a Democracy. Without an educated citizenry we would fall apart as a free nation. All aspects of our political and economic system rely on a literate and able group to carry out the necessary processes and dut ies of our country. In sustaining itself our nation has imparted itself on creating and sustaining systems that maintain Democracy. One of the biggest systems that must be devised is one that transfers knowledge across generations, therefore it comesRead MoreEssay about Philosophy and Education: From Elitism to Democracy1999 Words   |  8 PagesPhilosophy and Education: From Elitism to Democracy ABSTRACT: From its first appearance in western culture, philosophy has been considered able to build up reality, to educate people, and to disclose truth. Plato proposed philosophers as governors in life-long pursuit of philosophical learning. Socrates was the ideal paradigm of an educating philosopher: he tried to wake up human minds so that they could be aware of themselves and of the world, criticizing tradition and prejudices in a logicallyRead MoreEducation And Social Thought Of Americans1538 Words   |  7 PagesEducation and democracy are related through the practice and social thought of Americans. Education is a vast subject and the opportunities to learn are endless, but the general point of education is to improve one’s ability to understand certain concepts and put them to use in the real world. If people were left uneducated, they would never know that a better life could be in their future. The point of a democracy is to have a structured way of life where every one can speak for himself or herselfRead MoreThe Importance Of Education On Education827 Words   |  4 PagesWhat does a democratic society expect of its schools? The definition of a democracy is â€Å"a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.† (Merriam-Webster) To have an effective democracy, everyone must take part equally. If everyone is involved in government you would want to educate citizens as much as you can, so their participation is educationally based. The article also talks about how the government is not for

A world without advertising free essay sample

How hard can it be to imagine and describe a world without any advertisements? It turns out that it is quite difficult to completely retrieve advertising from the Earth, even hypothetically, because besides the numerous negative aspects that advertising has, there are also some positive ones. The world without any advertising simply cannot exist, even though some types of advertisements are very annoying and many people wish to get rid of them, yet a majority of advertisements are helpful and timesaving as they provide us with essential information which we don’t have to seek out on our own. One of many reasons why advertising was even invented was the need to inform people and it has made our lives simpler, in a way. We live in a world where everything is sped up and because the time is precious, people have learned to appreciate simplicity. The advertising in television or in a form of leaflets creates opportunities for customers to compare and choose the best alternative, when shopping. Imagining an alternative world without advertising is hard because it is a crucial part of every business and helps firms to be distinguished from their competitors. Without any advertising in the world, there ´d probably have to be a monopoly for every type of business which would decrease diversity and leave so many people unemployed. Every company employs someone responsible for their advertising, after all. Apart from retailers and entrepreneurs who mainly use marketing and advertising to increase sales of a certain product, there are others who make a living directly from advertising, creating campaigns for their clients in advertising agencies. Some job positions such as copywriters or art directors would disappear completely and millions of people would have nothing to do, nowhere to work and  creativity would have a very limited space where it could be applied. In all honestly, advertising is everything. It is everywhere happening at any time. It is just a different name for communication which has been used in many different forms for decades. Communication is the main vehicle of advertising and people have communicated since before they had learned to talk. In the past, when people needed to exchange or sell goods, the only way to advertise their product was to use the word of mouth. It was and still is the easiest and cheapest form of advertising that a company can use. If we wanted to ban all advertisements, the word of mouth would still survive, because it isn’t something that governments or companies can directly influence or something that can be simply banned. The word of mouth happens only if someone ´s product is so great that people feel the need to recommend it to others. Advertisements inform, persuade and often manipulate. Customers might feel that their free will is suppressed, if adverts intentionally influence their purchase behaviour and make them buy something on an emotional impulse. People like their freedom of deciding for themselves whereas companies like to increase the sales as much as possible. Therefore, in an alternative universe without advertising, some companies would struggle to survive on the market yet people would feel satisfied that no one is pushing them to buy anything they don’t want to buy. The creation of media is behind the advertising as we know it today. We encounter it everywhere, while reading newspapers, watching films in television or listening to a radio, all these activities are accompanied by advertising so excessive, that ads now repeat every few minutes. From the psychological point of view, people living in the world without the commercials in television would have much more time on their hands and everyone would be less angry, because their favourite programs would always begin on time and they could enjoy watching films without any interruptions. However, without money from advertising, it might be difficult to finance any production of these programs or buying film rights. Also, people would probably have healthier lifestyles because they ´d have to walk around the town to find out about any new product since there would be no commercials to inform them about any innovations on the market or discounts. Advertisements fill the majority of newspaper space, if they didn’t exist, the newspapers would cease to exist as well. These days, the newspapers  basically live out of their advertising, no wonder that printed newspapers tend to complain about the new era of online journalism because it provides little profits. Ad-free newspapers would have to be financed by people with money but I doubt that anyone would want to finance it on their own because of how unprofitable it would be for them. Subscription would be another possibility to pay for the content but there might not be enough subscribers or a fee not high enough to cover the expenses associated with the creation of newspapers. The internet is now such an environment that can be entered freely so people don’t have to make any payments for the contents. However, if we were to ban the advertising that finances digital contents, every person would be then obliged to subscribe for anything they ´d like to read or watch on the internet. Nowadays, the ads are positioned in such a way that they block the viewers from their desired content, they pop up from nowhere or their choice of colours is so unpleasant that they are able to cause an epileptic seizure. These ads should be reduced if not banned, whatsoever. We live in times when everyone is talking about social and environmental responsibility, but there are still hundreds of thousands leaflets printed daily. People generally hate the direct mail because it is too pushy, those who had put a sign on their post boxes saying that they didn’t want any leaflets and got them anyway, even more. The only advantage that the direct mail has is that for a retailer it is the most certain way to reach the wide target of customers. But what customers do with so much paper? They collect it so they can later exchange it for some toilet paper. The same leaflets can be easily found on the internet, we don’t need them. Also, desertification surely would slow down, if no leaflets were printed every week. In my opinion, there are no advantages regarding outdoor advertising and it should be banned everywhere. It creates visual pollution, it is as repetitive and annoying as the television commercials and what more, it disturbs drivers from driving safely. Outdoor advertisements belong to a very special category because steps have actually been done to ban it, for example in Sao Paulo in 2007. Bans on billboards exist in other parts of the  world, too. Vermont, Alaska, Hawaii, and Maine in the US, Bergen in Norway, together with hundreds of smaller towns around Europe have made restrictions on billboards or declared no-billboard zones within cities. In Sao Paulo, such a radical change could have buried the economy but hasn ´t, instead the inhabitants are now very satisfied with the city ´s new look and many people think that the ban has created a better identity for the city. However, putting a ban on one kind of advertisement is something different than a world where no advertisin g has ever existed. In Sao Paulo, people still get commercials in television or the internet so they aren’t short of information and news as it would be in a ad-free world. Although thousands are spent on advertising, economic growth is not so tightly connected with advertising and one can exist without the other. Such large amounts of money which are now invested in building new billboards or advertising in the television could be spent on helping the third-world countries or the environment. If there was no such a thing as advertising, companies would hardly expand to international markets unless they spent even more. Many companies which are now global, would only operate locally. To conclude, there are so many reasons which make us perceive advertising as helpful, advertising sector creates many job positions, contributes to the world economy, ensures the existence of newspapers and TVs, helps us distinguish between firms with similar products and when it is creative and witty, it makes us love it and buy. There are, however, negative aspects of advertising, too. It manipulates, sometimes unreasonable money is wasted on commercials that a few people watch, some forms of advertisements exploit the environmental resources. Also, advertising often displays children to sex and nudity. It is almost impossible to completely ban it, because everything is advertising and a world without it couldn’t exist. However, steps are being made to reduce ads that are absolutely useless, such as billboards, and it turns out that the world can happily exist without them. These are steps towards a better future.

Observing the Live Earthworm free essay sample

Observing the Live Earthworm Kingdom Animalia is a diverse kingdom that contains many types of worms. The phylum Annelida includes segmented worms such as Earthworms, Clamworms, and Leeches. Earthworms play a huge role in the environment. They have two openings, a mouth and an anus. They feed through the mouthpharynxesophagus crop (stores food)gizzard (grinds food)intestineanus (excretion of waste). The hypothesis predicted for this lab is that Earthworms will respond differently when came in contact with water and vinegar. To test this hypothesis, the following materials are needed for an experiment: paper towels, live earthworms, dissecting pans, a container filled with vinegar, a container filled with water, cotton swabs, and a dropper. To start the experiment, obtain a live earthworm from the lab instructor and place it on a moist paper towel. Observe the movements of the worm. We will write a custom essay sample on Observing the Live Earthworm or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Using the index finger, touch the posterior end of the worm, and then touch the anterior side of the worm. Observe the reactions by the worm. Next, using the dropper, moisten the earthworm slightly with water and observe the reactions. Then, soak a cotton swab with water and hold about one centimeter away from the posterior side of the worm for thirty seconds. Record the response on the lab sheet. Then, soak a cotton swab with vinegar and hold it one centimeter away from the posterior side of the worm for thirty seconds. Record the response on the lab sheet. The results were that when the worm was touched at the anterior end, there was no response and when it was touched at the posterior side, the body contracted. When a cotton swab was soaked with water and was held at the posterior side, the worm stopped moving. When a cotton swab was soaked with vinegar and was held at the posterior side, the worm tried to escape the smell of the vinegar and also tried not to make contact with it. The hypothesis, worms will respond differently when came in contact with water and vinegar was accepted. It was accepted because the worms did respond differently. A lesson learned is that different organisms respond to stimuli in various ways when it comes to different situations. The possible errors that could have occurred are that the worm could have been killed accidently by a strong reaction to vinegar.

Woolworths Financial Perfomance Essays

Woolworths Financial Perfomance Essays Woolworths Financial Perfomance Essay Woolworths Financial Perfomance Essay An analysis of Woolworth financial performance over the last two financial years show that the firm are improving their figures by raising or keeping their Liquidity, Gearing, Profitability or Efficiency consistent. This analysis can help provide insights on whether it is a smart choice to buy shares in Woolworth. Looking into the firms financial performance and proposed financial strategy an interpretation can be made on the risk and reliability of investing in Woolworth. Liquidity matches with the capability of companies to deal with short-term cash acquirement. The risk involved in investing into a company with low liquidity levels is that the business may experience cash flow problems. The inability for e. G. Woolworth not being able to pay their short-term liabilities could then later result in Woolworth becoming insolvent, meaning they are unable to pay debts altogether when they fall due. If Woolworth were unable to pay these debts, this would mean they would have to borrow money, which would affect (deteriorate) their profitability levels. With lower revenue, the WOW share price will not give their investors as much turn meaning not as many people will invest in Woolworth. Based on the financial report of Woolworth, It can be seen that Woolworth liquidity levels have risen consistently made sure they avoid the problems listed above through their Multiple Earnings Streams meaning they always have a consistent cash flow. Although firmly based in the retail sectors, Woolworth has multiple income streams that allow the company overall to continue to perform. In the worst of times, people always have to eat, so combined with Woolworth discounting business model, this earnings stream should perform reasonably well no matter what happens. Woolworth also operates discount department stores, consumer electronics outlets, as well as home improvement and hardware outlets such as Big W, Dan Murphys (directors report 2013). The retail nature of the business also means mainly cash sales so they business always have a source of cash flow coming into company. Woolworth have a steady rate of liquidity meaning they shouldnt have to deal with a cash flow problem allowing their profitability levels to reach their potential and also allowing their share price to continue rising. This share is definitely reliable because the company have cured ways to avoid any liquidity problems so that shareholders can receive maximum dividends. The profitability of the business is essential in deciding whether or not to invest in shares in the business. The company has a responsibility to provide maximum profits to shareholders. Woolworth have financial priorities such as acting on their portfolio to maximize shareholder value, maintaining their track record of building new growth businesses and putting in place the enablers for a new era of growth. They focus heavily on satisfying their shareholders. The chief executive of Woolworth Grant OBrien has proposed a new financial strategy. According to his statements, Woolworth plans to open 39 new supermarkets, seven new BIG Was and 15 new Masters Home Improvement stores before the end of the financial year. (http:// growth-strategy. HTML) This means more sources of income and profits. Growth is essential because the more the business is growing, the more the value of the share will rise because of capital gains which then leads to profit for the shareholders that had the shares before the growth period that sees share prices rise. Then the business must distribute the dividends to its shareholders. From there the shareholder must assess the stability of the share to hold its high price and it becomes a case of return vs Risk. The continuous growth of the Woolworth is clearly evident. This is extremely beneficial for investors as growth is the biggest driver of stock price. From analyzing Woolworth financial performance it is evident that they have kept a steady profitability rate of 26% over the past two financial years. An additional 1. Million customers on average every week came through our doors in the quarter. This drove increases in market share and basket size in our Australian Food and Liquor business, which recorded a 4. 5 per cent increase in sales, (Chief executive Grant OBrien GM). Through the evidence of satisfactory and consistent growth Woolworth achieve, buying shares in Woolworth at the right price would be a good choice because their continuous growth always ends up in more profit for the shareholders because their share value will continue rising. Teens those funds that have been supplied by the owners (equity) and those, which have been, borrowed debt. The higher the gearing levels of a business level are meaning the more risk an investor makes when buying shares but also a greater hence of making larger amounts of profits. When observing Woolworth balance sheet statistics from 2012 to 2013 it can be seen that there has been 0. 1% deterioration in their gearing levels from 1. 6 down to 1. 5 percent (Woolworth balance sheet 12-13). These gearing levels are relatively manageable meaning that there is low risk in investing in their shares because the company maintains a steady level of growth and profits meaning there share value cannot fluctuate too much because their financial performance is almost predictable so there isnt a high level of risk when investing in their company. If Woolworth choose to raise the leverage levels they can use equity to generate funds so that the business can distribute shares amongst its shareholders (new issues, rights issues, placements, share purchase price), which will result to a constant cash flow into the business. They may choose to do this so that the company can resolve liquidity problems as the business is constantly receiving capital to pay debts as they fall due to. This can then go on to resolve profitability problems. Investing in shares with Woolworth would not be overall a major risk but you wont be making as much profit as fast. These shares are definitely good for a slow and steady profit so I would invest in Woolworth shares. In conclusion, through the analysis of Woolworth financial performance over two financial years and examining their financial strategies, I think Woolworth have definitely found ways to achieve their objective of maximizing shareholder profits because they have kept consistent and keep improving in their yearly balance sheets and income statements. They also have financial strategies in place that will always support and help the share prices to reach their full potential so that investors will chive a steady and good amount of dividends from the company so I would definitely buy shares in Woolworth.

Austria Essays - Habsburg Bohemia, States Of Austria, Free Essays

Austria Austria, a small country in Central Europe famous for its gorgeous mountain scenery. The towering Alps, and the foothills stretch across the western, southern and central parts of the country. Broad green valleys, lovely mirror lakes and thick forest cover a good portion of the land. Austria with no coastline shares its surrounded borders with Liechtenstein and Switzerland to the west; Germany and the Czech Republic to the north; Hungary and Slovakia to the east; and to the south Italy and Slovenia. North-East is Vienna, Austria's capital and largest city, where about a fifth of the people live. Population Austria has a population of about 7" million. Most Austrian's choose to live in the lower east areas of the country and just south of the Danube River. Also the capital and largest city, more than one and a half-million of the Austrian population lives in Vienna. Other cities with more than 100,000 people living in them consist of Graz, Innsbruck, Linz, and Scuzburg. Culture Austrians do not like being classified as Germans, Austria is basically Germanic in language and ethnic association. Some minorities include 40,000 Croats, 70,000 Solvenes, and a small group of Hungarians (11,000) and Czechs (5,000). Most Austrian's live south of the Danube River. Austrians enjoy an array of fine foods such as a Viennese Clich otherwise known as a Wiener Schnitzel, and many fine cakes and pastries. The average life expectancy for males is 72 and females 78. Traditions In May and June Vienna hosts the Vienna Festival. This festival is a celebration of music, arts, and theater. Austrians have a great love for music, many of the greatest composers were born and played there, many like Beethoven and other popular composers. Operas are also very popular, and The Vienna State Opera House is the most popular for such an activity. Festivals play an important part of Austria. One festival takes place throughout the province of Tyrol, in the beginning of spring. People dress up and pretend to chase the evil spirits of winter away. Way of Life Most Austrians living in the cities live in four and five story apartments. Others live in single story homes, or high rises. Clothing is very much like the style here in the U.S. but Austrians tend to dress up more often. On special occasions Austrian's dress in the national dress, a green trimmed, gray wool suit with a coat and knickers for men, the women's dress consists of a dirndl; a peasant coat, a blouse, a wide Girdle, and a bright full apron. Austrians eat elegant foods and many exquisite desserts. Beer or wine is usually served with meals. Austrians love the outdoors, and the many different physical features of Austria allow the people to enjoy many different types of sports. In winter Austrians enjoy ice skating, skiing, tobogganing, bobsledding, ice hockey, ski jumping, and curling, a game in which the players slide heavy stones along the ice toward a circular target. Summer sports include boating, fishing, hiking, mountain climbing, swimming, and water skiing. The people also enjoy biking, camping, picnics, and soccer. Vegetation and Animal Life Deciduous trees, including beech, birch, and oak, are very populated in the lower altitudes. In Alpine areas conifers extend all over. Bare rocks and grass slops continue to the snow line. The boar, bear, wolf, and lynx have disappeared, but red deer, chamois, marmot, and grouse still live in the protected Alpine reserves. In the grassy flats gray goose, white tailed, and spotted eagles, and great white herons breed. In the village of Rust, white storks return annually to their chimney nests. History Around 400 B.C. Celtic tribes occupied Austria. Around 15 B.C. Rome took control from the Celtic tribes. After the collapse of the Roman Empire many different empires took control of Austria. In 955 the king of Germany, Otto I, took control of Austria, this empire later came to be know as the Holy Roman Empire. In 1806 the empire ended. The Babenberg family controlled north-eastern Austria from 976 until 1246, when the last Bebenberg duke died without an heir and the king of Bohemia seized the region. The Hapsburgs lost the Holy Roman crown in the 1300's, but a Habsburg was once again elected emperor in 1438. From

Californias anti terrorism laws after september 911 Essay

Californias anti terrorism laws after september 911 - Essay Example To safeguard people’s interests, new strategies and plans were required to be developed and enforced. Laws needed to be framed to make Americans feel safe emotionally, physically and politically. Therefore, the US Patriotic Act was amended and renamed ‘USA Patriot and Terrorism Prevention Reauthorization Act’. It was made more stringent and extra statutes included with wide ranging terrorists relating offences like deliberate and destructive activity against the state or its people resulting in loss of life or property, money laundering, surveillance and detention of people under suspect of terrorist activities etc. with capital punishment introduced. a new department known as Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security was opened which was headed by Secretary of the department who in turn was directly appointed by the Governor. The department has four divisions: the Highway Patrol, Law Enforcement, Fire Protection and Emergency Management and Division of Victims services. Special center called ‘California Anti terrorism Information Center’ (CATIC) was launched with an initial budget of $1.85 million to support anti-terrorism law enforcement activities with a state level criminal intelligence database which would coordinate with the federal agency. After 9/11, California government has made serious efforts to reinstate public confidence by providing continued support to the families of 9/11 and implementing a series of legal and administrative measures to combat any future terrorist acts in the

Globalization and Neoliberalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Globalization and Neoliberalism - Essay Example Neoliberalism refers to a number of factors that have occurred in today’s modern society such as deregulation, free trade, open markets and economic liberalism that have led to a more active role of the private sector in economic and business matters.2 Globalization refers to the process whereby societies of the world integrate with one another through a number of various processes such as communication and interaction leading to the exchange of ideas, cultures and views as a result. 3From the definition of both terms, it is clear to see that globalization and neoliberalism have similar aspects that relate to one another and thus it can be said that one would not exist without the other. However, to prove this fact one can use aspects of one to determine if they have a relation. In this case a few aspects of neoliberalism, namely open markets, free trade and economic liberalism will be used to determine whether these issues have a relation with globalization. Open Markets An o pen market is an economic term referring to a type of market that is accessible by all economic players as they are not tied down by various factors such as monopolization or a set of requirements that have been put in place for those who would like to enter in the form of legalities such as policies by the government. This means that in an open market, anyone who is able and has the means to, is able to enter into the market without the worry of any sort of constraints interfering in their business. The open market is an aspect of neoliberalism which supports less involvement of outside factors in matters involving business and trade.4 However, it can be said that the open market is only made possible through the existence of globalization otherwise it would have no reason to exist. This is because the open market has been created in order to allow investors from across the borders to enter a market unencumbered and without the worry of interference as most of the regulations that would be put in place to bring about the demise of this type of market would be related to would-be external investors and not local business men who do not face a lot of opposition except maybe in the case of monopolization of an industry.5 If globalization did not exist, they would be no need for an open market but on the other hand it should also be considered that if the open market did not exist without the open market, it would make it harder for globalization to take place as investors would remain within the realms of their countries and thus there would be less global interaction taking place in the business sense. Free Trade Free trade has to do with the imports and exports of a country in reference to the interference of the government in these activities. According to free trade, a government is not allowed to play a role in affecting the amount of goods that are imported or exported out of a country through their various methods such as placing tariffs or subsidies on t he above mentioned and thus as a result allows the partners involved in the trade to both benefit from the transaction without one having it easier than the other. 6There are a number of reasons that the government may want to interfere in such activities such as boosting their number of imports which would lead to an economic benefit for the country but in the view of

Changing Cultures in the book North and South :: essays research papers

The way of life in England was quite different depending weather a person was in the north or the south. From the types of houses to living standards, working conditions to types of jobs, who you talked too to they way you buried the dead, the north and south had completely different ideas about how a person should live. The book North and South depicts the changing cultures of the north and south of England through the industrial revolution in the mid eighteen hundreds. In the town of Milton, which is in the northern part of England Strikes have aroused throughout the factories. The strikes were the immediate cause of the social unrest. The people in Milton are dissatisfied with the working conditions of the factories. They work long hours in bad breathing conditions, children and women work, and they are paid extremely poorly. These factors created a causal chain which led to the strikes. The class distinctions are the remote effect of the North and south. In the South the predominant class is the middle to upper class. It is the people who can afford to have servants. The minority in the south is the servants. In the North the predominant class is the factory workers. They are the lower class. They have a hard time making enough money to buy enough food to put on their families tables, even Edwards 2 though normally in a family the father, mother and most children work. Class distinctions are more then just working conditions they are also how the people conduct themselves. For example in the higher class when someone dies, the women do not generally attend the funeral because they are stereotyped as being too emotional to attend. Also in the higher class they do not observe the body after it has died. In the lower class everyone attends a person’s funeral. It is almost rude not too attend a person’s funeral, they celebrating the person who has just died not morn over them. The lower class also has a viewing of the body for friends and family. The Industrial Revolution played a major role in the creation of the North and of the South. Until factories started being built everything was rural. Once factory town started being built ways of life changed and class standards changed.

Bloodlines Chapter Nineteen

IF I'D HAD TROUBLE SLEEPING BEFORE, Adrian's dream only made things worse. Even though I was safely back in my own bed, I couldn't shake the feeling of violation. I imagined that my skin was crawling with the taint of magic. I'd been so anxious to get out of the dream that I'd only half-realized what I'd been agreeing to. I respected Adrian's desire to go to college but now wondered if I should really be helping with that after my father's chastisement about â€Å"getting friendly† with vampires. I wasn't in the greatest of moods when I finally got up a few hours later. The tension in our room was thick as Jill and I prepared for school. Jill's defiance from yesterday was gone, and she kept watching me nervously when she thought I didn't notice. At first, I figured my outburst from last night had made her uneasy. But as we walked out of the room for breakfast, I knew there was more to it. â€Å"What?† I asked bluntly, breaking the silence at last. â€Å"What do you want to ask me?† Jill gave me another wary glance as we joined the rush of other girls heading downstairs. â€Å"Um, something happened yesterday.† A lot of things happened yesterday, I thought. That was my overtired, bitter self talking, and I knew that wasn't what she was leading up to. â€Å"Such as?† I asked. â€Å"Well†¦ I was starting to tell you about how Lee took me to that store. That clothing boutique where he knew the owner? Her name's Lia DiStefano. We talked, and she, uh, offered me a job. Kind of.† â€Å"The modeling job?† We reached the cafeteria's food line, though I had little appetite. I selected a yogurt, which looked sad and lonely in the middle of my otherwise empty tray. â€Å"We talked about that. It's not safe.† Still, it was ironic that a random visit could land Jill a job when three formal interviews had failed for Adrian. â€Å"This isn't for posed pictures that would be in a magazine or anything, though. It's a runway show of local designers. We told her this story that we're part of a religion that has rules about photos and identity. Lia said she'd actually been thinking of having her models wear half masks. Like the kind you wear at a masquerade? Between that and the lighting and the movement†¦ well, it'd be hard to identify me if any candid shots got out. It's just a onetime event, but I'd have to see her beforehand for fittings†¦ and to practice. She'd pay me too, but I'd need rides to get there and parental permission.† We sat down, and I spent an unnecessary amount of time stirring my yogurt as I mulled over her words. I could feel her gaze on me as I thought. â€Å"It's kind of silly, I guess,† she continued when I didn't answer. â€Å"I mean, I don't have any experience. And I don't even know why she'd want me. Maybe it's some gimmick she's going for. Weird models or something.† I finally ate a bite of yogurt and then looked up at her. â€Å"You're not weird, Jill. You really do have the ideal body type for modeling. It's hard to find. For humans, at least.† Once again, I tried not to think about how hard it was for us humans to live up to Moroi perfection. I tried not to think about how, years ago, my dad had criticized my figure and said, â€Å"If those monsters can do it, why not you?† â€Å"But you still think it's a terrible idea,† she said. I didn't respond. I knew what Jill wanted, but she couldn't bring herself to directly ask me for it. And I couldn't easily give it to her yet. I was still too upset about yesterday and not feeling kindly toward any favors. On the other hand, I couldn't tell her no either. Not yet. Despite how irresponsibly she'd behaved, her words about how miserable her life was here had hit me hard. This was something positive and good that would fill her time. It was also a muchneeded ego boost. Laurel had thrived on using Jill's unusual features against her; it would do Jill good to see that others viewed them positively. She needed to realize she was special and wonderful. I didn't know whether to curse or thank Lee for this opportunity. â€Å"I don't think we can decide anything until we go talk to Mrs. Weathers,† I told her at last. I glanced at a nearby clock. â€Å"In fact, we need to meet with her now.† I took a few more bites of my yogurt before throwing it away. Jill took a donut to go. When we returned to our lobby, we found out a delivery had arrived for Jill: a bouquet of perfect red roses and an apologetic note from Lee. Jill melted, her face filling with adoration at the gesture. Even I admired the romance of it, though a snarky part of me said maybe Lee should've sent flowers to Eddie and me instead. We were the ones he needed to apologize to. Regardless, the flowers were quickly forgotten when we sat down in Mrs. Weathers's office and learned the verdict on Jill. â€Å"I spoke to the principal. You aren't being suspended,† she told Jill. â€Å"But for the next month, you are restricted to your dorm when not in class. You are to report to me immediately after classes end so that I know you're here. You may go to the cafeteria for meals – but only your dorm's. Not the one on West Campus. The only exceptions to this policy are if an assignment or teacher requires you to go elsewhere outside of school hours, like the library.† We both nodded, and for a moment, I was simply relieved that Jill hadn't been expelled or anything like that. Then the real problem hit me like a slap in the face. I'd told Jill this meeting would impact any modeling decisions, but there was something much worse on the line. â€Å"If she's grounded to the dorm, then she can't leave the school,† I said. Mrs. Weathers gave me a wry smile. â€Å"Yes, Miss Melrose. That is what ‘grounded' generally means.† â€Å"She has to, ma'am,† I argued. â€Å"We have family gatherings twice a week.† Ideally, we had them more than that, but I was hoping a lowball number might buy us freedom. It was absolutely essential Jill get blood, and two days a week was about the minimum a vampire could survive on. â€Å"I'm sorry. Rules are rules, and in breaking them, your sister has lost the privilege of functions like that.† â€Å"They're religious,† I said. I hated to play the religion card, but that was something the school would have a hard time countering. And hey, it had apparently worked on the fashion designer. â€Å"We go to church as a family on those days – us and our brothers.† Mrs. Weathers's face showed me I had indeed gained ground. â€Å"We'd need a signed letter from your parents,† she said finally. Great. That had worked so well in PE. â€Å"What about our brother? He's our legal guardian here.† Surely even Keith couldn't drag his feet on this, not with blood on the line. She considered this. â€Å"Yes. That might be acceptable.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† I told Jill when we walked outside to catch the shuttle. â€Å"About the modeling. We're going to have a hard enough time getting you permission to leave for feedings.† Jill nodded, making no effort to hide her disappointment. â€Å"When's the show?† I asked, thinking maybe she could do it when her punishment was over. â€Å"In two weeks.† So much for that idea. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I repeated. To my surprise, Jill actually laughed. â€Å"You have no reason to be. Not after what I did. I'm the one who's sorry. And I'm sorry about Adrian too – about the interviews.† â€Å"That's something you have no reason to be sorry about.† It struck me again how easily everyone made excuses for him. She proved this with her next comment. â€Å"He can't help it. It's how he is.† He can help it, I thought. Instead, I said, â€Å"Just hang in there, okay? I'll get Keith to sign off on our religious experiences.† She smiled. â€Å"Thanks, Sydney.† We usually parted ways when the bus reached Central Campus, but she held back once we got off. I could see again that she wanted to tell me something but was having trouble getting the courage. â€Å"Yes?† I asked. â€Å"I†¦ just wanted to tell you I really am sorry for giving you so much grief. You do a lot for us. Really. And you being upset, it's because†¦ well, I know you care. Which is more than I can say for other people back at Court.† â€Å"That's not true,† I said. â€Å"They care. They went to a lot of trouble to get you here and keep you safe.† â€Å"I still feel like it was more for Lissa than for me,† she said sadly. â€Å"And my mom didn't put up much of a fight when they said they were going to send me away.† â€Å"They want you safe,† I told her. â€Å"That means making hard choices – hard for them too.† Jill nodded, but I don't know if she believed me. I gave Eddie the morning report when I reached history. His face displayed a range of emotions with each new development in the story. â€Å"You think Keith will write the note?† he asked in a low voice. â€Å"He has to. The whole point of us being here is to keep her alive. Starving her to death kind of defeats the purpose.† I didn't bother telling Eddie that I was in trouble with my father and the Alchemists and that in two weeks, there was a good chance I might not even be around. Eddie was clearly upset over Jill's situation already, and I didn't want him to have one more thing to worry about. When I met up with Ms. Terwilliger at the end of the day, I turned in the last of the notes I'd made for her on the old books. As I was settling myself at a desk, I noticed a folder of articles sitting on a table. Carlton College was printed on the folder in embossed gold letters. I remembered now why I'd thought the name was familiar when Adrian had mentioned it in the dream. â€Å"Ms. Terwilliger†¦ didn't you say you knew people at Carlton College?† She glanced up from her computer. â€Å"Hmm? Oh yes. I should think so. I play poker with half of the history faculty. I even teach there in the summers. History, that is. Not poker.† â€Å"I don't suppose you know anybody in admissions, do you?† I asked. â€Å"Not so much. I suppose I know people who know people there.† She turned her attention back to the screen. I said nothing, and after several moments, she looked back at me. â€Å"Why do you ask?† â€Å"No reason.† â€Å"Of course there's a reason. Are you interested in attending? Goodness knows you'd probably get more out of there than here. My class being the exception, of course.† â€Å"No, ma'am,† I said. â€Å"But my brother wants to attend. He heard classes haven't started yet but isn't sure if he can get in on such short notice.† â€Å"It's very short notice,† agreed Ms. Terwilliger. She scrutinized me carefully. â€Å"Would you like me to make some inquiries?† â€Å"Oh. Oh no, ma'am. I was just hoping to get some names I could contact. I'd never ask you to do something like that.† Her eyebrows rose. â€Å"Why ever not?† I was at a loss. She was so difficult to understand sometimes. â€Å"Because†¦ you have no reason to.† â€Å"I'd do it as a favor to you.† I couldn't muster a response for that and simply stared. She smiled and pushed her glasses up her nose. â€Å"That's impossible for you to believe, isn't it? That someone would do a favor for you.† â€Å"I†¦ well, that is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I trailed off, still unsure what to say. â€Å"You're my teacher. Your job is to, well, teach me. That's it.† â€Å"And your job,† she said, â€Å"is to report to this room during last period for whatever mundane tasks I have for you and then turn in a paper at the end of the semester. You are not in any way required to fetch me coffee, show up after hours, organize my life, or completely rearrange your own to meet my ridiculous requests.† â€Å"I†¦ I don't mind,† I said. â€Å"And it all needs doing.† She chuckled. â€Å"Yes. And you insist on going above and beyond in your tasks, don't you? No matter how inconvenient for you.† I shrugged. â€Å"I like to do a good job, ma'am.† â€Å"You do an excellent job. Far better than you need to. And you do it without complaint. Therefore, the least I can do is make a few phone calls on your behalf.† She laughed again. â€Å"That startles you most of all, doesn't it? Having someone praise you.† â€Å"Oh no,† I said lamely. â€Å"I mean, it happens.† She took off her glasses to look at me more intently. The laughter was gone. â€Å"No, I'm thinking it doesn't. I don't know your particular situation, but I have known a lot of students like you – ones whose parents ship them off like this. While I appreciate the concern for higher education, I find that more often than not, a bigger piece of students coming here is that their parents simply don't have the time or inclination to be involved with – or even pay attention to – their children's lives.† We were dealing with one of those interpersonal areas that made me uncomfortable, particularly because there was an unexpected element of truth in them. â€Å"It's more complicated than that, ma'am.† â€Å"I'm sure it is,† she replied. Her expression turned fierce, making her look far different from the scattered teacher I knew. â€Å"But listen to me when I say this. You are an exceptional, talented, and brilliant young woman. Do not ever let anyone make you feel like you're less. Do not ever let anyone make you feel invisible. Do not let anyone – not even a teacher who constantly sends you for coffee – push you around.† She put her glasses back on and began randomly lifting up pieces of papers. At last, she found a pen and grinned triumphantly. â€Å"Now, then. What is your brother's name?† â€Å"Adrian, ma'am.† â€Å"Right, then.† She took out a piece of paper and carefully wrote down the name. â€Å"Adrian Melbourne.† â€Å"Melrose, ma'am.† â€Å"Right. Of course.† She scribbled out her mistake and muttered to herself, â€Å"I'm just glad his first name's not Hobart.† When she was finished, she leaned back casually in her chair. â€Å"Now that you mention it, there is one thing I'd like you to do.† â€Å"Name it,† I said. â€Å"I want you to make one of the spells from that first book.† â€Å"I'm sorry. Did you say, make a spell?† Ms. Terwilliger waved a hand. â€Å"Oh, don't worry. I'm not asking you to wave a wand or do an animal sacrifice. But I'm terribly intrigued by how complex some of the formulas and steps of the spells were. I have to wonder, did people actually follow them in such painstaking detail? Some of these are quite complicated.† â€Å"I know,† I said dryly. â€Å"I typed them all out.† â€Å"Exactly. So, I want you to make one. Follow the steps. See how long it takes. See if half the measurements they ask for are even possible. Then write up the data in a report. That part, I know you excel at.† I didn't know what to say. Ms. Terwilliger wasn't actually asking me to use magic, certainly not in the same way vampires did. Such a thing wasn't even possible. Magic was not the province of humans. It was unnatural and went against the ways of the universe. What the Alchemists did was based on science and chemistry. The tattoos had magic, but it was us bending vampire magic to our wills – not using it ourselves. The closest we came to anything supernatural was the blessings we called down on our potions. She was only asking me to reenact a spell. It wasn't real. There was no harm. And yet†¦ why did I feel so uneasy? I felt like I was being asked to lie or steal. â€Å"What's the matter?† she asked. For a moment, I considered using religion again but then dismissed it. That excuse had come up too often today, though this time, it was actually semilegitimate. â€Å"Nothing, ma'am. It just seems weird.† She picked up the first leather book and flipped to the middle. â€Å"Here. Do this one – an incineration amulet. It's complicated, but at least you'll have an arts and crafts project when you're done. Most of these ingredients should be easy to come by, too.† I took the book from her and scanned it. â€Å"Where am I going to get nettle?† â€Å"Ask Mr. Carnes. He has a garden outside his classroom. I'm sure you can buy the rest. And you know, you can give me receipts. I'll pay you back whenever I send you out to get something. You must've spent a fortune on coffee.† I felt a little better when I saw how random the ingredients were. Nettle. Agate. A piece of silk. There wasn't really even anything flammable. This was nonsense. With a nod, I told her I'd start soon. In the meantime, I typed up an official letter to Amberwood on Keith's behalf. It explained that our religious beliefs required family church attendance twice a week and that Jill needed to be excused from her punishment during those times. It also promised that Jill would check in with Mrs. Weathers both before and after the family trips. When I finished, I was rather pleased with my work and felt that I'd made Keith sound far more eloquent than he deserved. I called him up when school ended and gave a brief rundown on what had happened with Jill. Naturally, I got the blame. â€Å"You're supposed to keep an eye on her, Sydney!† Keith exclaimed. â€Å"I'm also supposed to be undercover as a student here, and I can't be with her every second of the day.† It wasn't worth mentioning that I'd actually been out with Adrian when Jill had run away – not that Keith could do any more to me. He'd already done his damage. â€Å"And so I have to suffer the consequences,† he said in a world-weary voice. â€Å"I'm the one who gets put out for your incompetence.† â€Å"Put out? You don't have to do anything except sign the letter I wrote for you. Are you home right now? Or will you be? I'll drive it over to you.† I figured he'd jump all over the offer, seeing how annoyed he seemed to be by the matter. So, it was a surprise when he said, â€Å"No, you don't have to do that. I'll come to you.† â€Å"It's not a problem. I can be at your place in less than ten minutes.† I didn't want him to have any more reason than necessary to go on and on about how I was inconveniencing him – or complain to the Alchemists. â€Å"No,† said Keith, with surprising intensity. â€Å"I'll come to you. I'm leaving right now. Meet you at the main office?† â€Å"Okay,† I said, totally puzzled at this change of heart. Did he want to check up on me or something? Demand an inspection? â€Å"See you soon.† I was already on Central Campus, so it took no time at all to reach the main office. I sat outside on an ornate stone bench with a good view of the visitors parking lot and waited. It was hot out, as usual, but being in the shade actually made it pretty pleasant. The bench was situated in a little clearing filled with flowering plants and a sign that read The Kelly Hayes Memorial Garden. It looked new. â€Å"Hey, Sydney!† Kristin and Julia were walking out of the building and waved at me. They came and sat down beside me to ask what I was doing. â€Å"I'm waiting for my brother.† â€Å"Is he cute?† asked Kristin hopefully. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"Not at all.† â€Å"Yes, he is,† countered Julia. â€Å"I saw him in your dorm last weekend. When you all went out for lunch.† It took me a second to realize she meant Adrian. â€Å"Oh. Different brother. They don't have a lot in common.† â€Å"Is it true your sister's in big trouble?† asked Julia. I shrugged. â€Å"Only a little trouble. She can't leave campus, except for family stuff. It could be worse. Although†¦ it did cost her a modeling job, so she's sad about that.† â€Å"Modeling for who?† asked Kristin. I racked my brain. â€Å"Lia DiStefano. There's some show in two weeks, and she wanted Jill to walk in it. But Jill can't practice because she has to stay here.† Their eyes went wide. â€Å"Lia's clothes are amazing!† said Julia. â€Å"Jill has to do it. She might get free stuff.† â€Å"I told you. She can't.† Kristin tilted her head thoughtfully. â€Å"But what if it was for school? Like some kind of career or vocational thing?† She turned to Julia. â€Å"Is there still a sewing club?† â€Å"I think so,† said Julia, nodding eagerly. â€Å"That's a good idea. Does Jill have an activity?† Along with a sport, Amberwood also required its well-rounded students to participate in hobbies and activities outside of class. â€Å"There's a sewing club she could join†¦ and I bet she could get working with Lia counted as some kind of special research.† In attempting to fix a loose thread on her cardigan the other day, Jill had nearly unraveled the entire sweater. â€Å"I don't think that's really Jill's thing.† â€Å"Doesn't matter,† said Kristin. â€Å"Most of the people in it can't sew anyway. But every year, the club volunteers with local designers. Miss Yamani would totally let walking in the show count as volunteering. She loves Lia DiStefano.† â€Å"And they'd have to let her go,† said Julia, face full of triumph. â€Å"Because it'd be for school.† â€Å"Interesting,† I said, wondering if there was any chance of it working. â€Å"I'll tell Jill.† A familiar blue car pulled into the driveway, and I stood up. â€Å"There he is.† Keith parked and got out, scanning around for me. Kristin gave a small sound of approval. â€Å"He's not bad.† â€Å"Believe me,† I said, walking forward. â€Å"You want nothing to do with him.† Keith gave the girls what was probably supposed to be a charming smile and even winked at them. The instant they were gone, his smile dropped. Impatience radiated off of him, and it was a wonder he didn't tap his foot. â€Å"Let's make this fast,† he said. â€Å"If you're in such a rush, you should have just let me come by when you had more time.† I took out a binder containing the letter and handed it over with a pen. Keith signed without even looking at it and handed it back. â€Å"Need anything else?† he asked. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Don't mess up again,† he said, opening the car door. â€Å"I don't have time to keep covering for you.† â€Å"Does it matter?† I challenged him. â€Å"You've already done your best to get rid of me.† He gave me a cold smile. â€Å"You shouldn't have crossed me. Not now, not back then.† With a wink, he turned around and began to leave. I stared, unable to believe the audacity. It was the first time he'd directly referenced what went down years ago. â€Å"Well, that's the thing,† I shouted at his retreating figure. â€Å"I didn't cross you back then. You got off easy. It's not going to happen again. You think I'm worried about you? I'm the one you need to be scared of.† Keith came to a halt and then slowly turned around, his face awash with disbelief. I didn't blame him. I was kind of surprised myself. I couldn't ever remember a time I'd so openly countered someone in a higher position of authority, certainly not someone who had so much power to affect my situation. â€Å"Watch it,† he said at last. â€Å"I can make your life miserable.† I gave him an icy smile. â€Å"You already have, and that's why I've got the advantage. You've done your worst – but you haven't seen what I can do yet.† It was a big bluff on my part, especially since I was pretty sure he could still do worse. For all I knew, he could get Zoe out here tomorrow. He could get me sent to a re-education center in a heartbeat. But if I went down? So would he. He stared at me for a few moments, at a loss. I don't know if I actually scared him or if he decided not to dignify me with an answer, but he finally turned and left for good. Furious, I went inside to deliver the letter to the office. The front desk secretary, Mrs. Dawson, stamped it and then made a copy for me to give to Mrs. Weathers. As she handed it to me, I asked, â€Å"Who's Kelly Hayes?† Mrs. Dawson's usually dimpled face grew sad. â€Å"That poor girl. She was a student here a few years ago.† My memory clicked. â€Å"Is she the one Mrs. Weathers mentioned? Who went missing?† Mrs. Dawson nodded. â€Å"It was terrible. She was such a sweet girl too. So young. She didn't deserve to die like that. She didn't deserve to die at all.† I hated to ask but had to. â€Å"How did she die? I mean, I know she was murdered, but I never heard any details.† â€Å"Probably just as well. It's pretty gruesome.† Mrs. Dawson peered around, as though afraid she'd get in trouble for gossiping with a student. She leaned over the counter toward me, face grave. â€Å"The poor thing bled to death. She had her throat cut.†

Jane Austen - Facts and History