A Critique of the Short Story Say Goodbye

This paper is shows a critique of the Short Story Say Goodbye. This critique would concentrate on the writing style of the author. It would also provide some insights from the proponent of this paper on how the story can be related to the way a person live his life. The author of the story had appropriately given a title to the story that he had written. It captures the essence of the story and the emotional feel of it. Any reader who would read this story would be able to relate to it because the author had been able to show how people treat life. In the first part of the story, Eileen McCoy is a typical woman who takes everything for granted. She does not worry too much about her life because she knows that her best friend Liz is there to take care of her. Eileen did not also feel that there would be something wrong with her life because she had been with James for the past thirty-six years and from the story they had a happy life. Although Eileen loves her husband, she did not know that something was coming until they went to see the doctor. James McCoy, on the other hand, is a very good example of how the people behave when they feel something wrong with them. In real life, there are some people who evade the topic of having a check-up. Since James was putting off any check-ups from the doctor, he was not able to have his diagnosis early. As a result, it became too late for a treatment that could have prolonged his life. Regrets are always realized when it is too late and this is what the author had shared with the readers. It is well written and the reader can relate easily to how the story was written. The author ended the story in a very good way. The reader can really feel the emotion of the two characters at the end of the story. Although the characters did not actually say goodbye, the author did not show how Eileen would have said goodbye to James. This is an open ending where one would imagine James in his deathbed and how Eileen would make the most out of their lives. It is a good strategy to keep the readers think even after the reader had read the story. The theme of the story is given straight to the readers and even though the story is not long, any reader would remember it. This is because what the story provides the reader is a lesson that every person should know which is â€Å"Live life to the fullest and appreciate what you have. † The story could also change lives and open the eyes of the reader. Having a â€Å"James McCoy† as a friend or a family, the reader can actually tell someone they know to watch out for their health because you only have one life. A person’s life is always linked to someone and every life is important. If the person wants the people they know dearly to stay happy then he or she must always take care of how they are. A person can make another one’s life miserable by just being ill and when a person is gone, the one who suffers most are the one’s left behind. A well-written story deserves praise and what matters in a story is the content and not the length. It is good to read short stories such as this one because it is a story which could be happening right this moment. There are people out there who have just been learned things that could change their life forever right this moment. Sharing this story with other readers could help them change how they see life and appreciate it more.

Continous Comprehensive Evaluation Essay

It has been a couple of years now that the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) scheme has been in existence but the nitty-gritty of it continues to raise questions among CBSE schools across the country. On Saturday afternoon around 250 principals and teachers from 140 schools across the state gathered in Nagpur to attend a daylong seminar on CCE. Organized by the Nagpur Sahodaya Schools Complex, the seminar was conducted by senior educationist Priyadarshini Kelkar from Vadodara who tried to address concerns about CCE. â€Å"CCE is similar to treating a medical patient,† said Kelkar who is also the principal of New Era School in Vadodara. If my medical reports confirm I have high blood pressure and my doctor reads it but simply sends me home then it is not right. The correct method is to prescribe me some medicine and review my health after a week or fortnight. And this is exactly what CCE intends to do,† she said. Kelkar explained that CCE’s focus is on assessing a student, providing remedial feedback and following up at regular intervals. â€Å"With CCE the aim is to evaluate all areas of development and review the progress at regular intervals,† she said. Building up to her detailed talk on assessments in CCE, Kelkar talked about the need for CCE. Education in the 21st century requires a different approach. Teachers need to be dynamic learners themselves if they have to be the catalyst for change. We as teachers have to accept that students have different learning styles and different intelligence types,† said Kelkar. She hinted that part of the resistance to CCE from teachers is due the ‘resistance to change’ factor. â€Å"Nobody likes change and hence we question it. I cook a certain dish perfectly and when my husband wants me to experiment with the ingredients I refuse. My logic is that what I am cooking is perfect so what is the need to change. In a sense I am a conformist too just like numerous others, but we have to understand that change is necessary. If we don’t change then we will become obsolete and this will be a disaster for our country in the 21st century,† said Kelkar. Assessment plays a major role in CCE as it helps understand how the student is faring. â€Å"CBSE encourages the use of multidisciplinary projects so that students are able to express themselves better. We have to make students learn to think creatively and be inventive, hence questions must be open-ended,† she said. But many things are easier said than done, and the bane of CCE has been the increased paperwork it has brought upon teachers. Kelkar agreed by saying teachers are ‘submerged in paperwork’. She said, â€Å"It is common to see project works piling up in the staffroom and it is quite a task for teachers as they teach more than one section. Evaluating each one and entering data in more than one place increases the workload. One solution is for managements to provide their teachers with laptops or palmtops so that they can enter the data immediately. â€Å"

Explain How Groups Can Influence People in Positive and Negative Ways Essay

Being part of a group can give an individual a sense of security, a boost to their self-esteem and a feeling of belonging. They may see themselves as being part of an ‘in-group’. Being part of a group that is seen as being better than others (an ‘in-group’), can create a bond between the members. People of different races or religions, or rival gangs, would be seen as being the ‘out-group’. The sense of security and bonding with the other members can come from having people around you that are working with you, and knowing that you have somebody looking out for you if and when things go wrong. Having people depending on you in a leadership role can give boost an individual’s self esteem. There are many negatives that can come with being part of a group also. Peer pressure and the feeling of having to conform in ways in which may seem inappropriate, could cause members to go along with decisions and behaviour made, so that they fit in even though they know the outcomes won’t possibly be the best ones. The pressure to conform in front of other members of a group was apparent in an experiment carried out by Solomon Asch in the 1950s. It showed how members of a group will go along with decisions that others make even though they know that it’s not necessarily the correct choice. A small group were shown a picture of a line and then asked out of three other lines, which one was the same length. Several members of the group deliberately gave the wrong answer. They had been influenced by the experimenters. The results showed that the level of conformity grew when the answers were said out loud. The level of conformity decreased when the participants were asked to write down their answers in private. The members (not in on the experiment) clearly felt that they needed to conform with the rest of the group, whether it was because they didn’t want to seem stupid or they just felt pressured into agreeing a nd not being the odd one out. During the 1950s and 1960s an experiment carried out by Muzafer Sherif et al (1961) took a group of boys from a summer camp and divided them into two groups. The boys interacted well at first, working together and behaving in ways that would be expected, until they set up a tournament type competition. The behaviour between the groups very quickly turned negative with name calling, hostility and aggression. Within the groups though, the level of solidarity was extremely high between the boys. Once the experimenters intervened and introduced activities that encouraged the groups to work together again, the boys were able to cooperate well and any bad feelings were forgotten. This experiment shows how peer pressure clearly had quite an influence on the boys’ behaviour as the aggression felt towards the other group clearly wasn’t personal as the negative behaviour was quickly forgotten once the experimenters took control. It seems more so that one member, possibly the boy seen as the ‘leader’, made a move, quickly the rest of the group’s behaviour changed one by one escalating to such hostilities. The members of the individual groups would have felt as though they were the à ¢â‚¬Ëœin-groups’ and probably felt a sense of security in that they had others working with them and the self esteem of the ‘leader’ would have risen significantly. Another example of how being part of a group can have it’s negatives and positives is the story of Dorinne Kondo (1990). She was a Japanese American woman who, having lived all her life in America, goes to Japan to study. There, she stays with a Japanese family, the Sakamotos. Kondo finds it hard to conform from the start of her visit and she feels she is being judged for looking Japanese but not acting in the correct manner or being able to properly communicate as she didn’t speak the language. After spending time and helping out with the family she is staying with, Kondo gradually learns the way to do things to suit the Japanese culture. After she gets praise from Mr Sakamoto himself for greeting him with a bow in the traditional manner and when her teacher praises her flawless performance at the tea ceremony, Kondo will no doubt have had a boost to her self esteem and possibly a bonding with the Japanese women. The negatives seem to out-weigh the positives during Kon do’s time in Japan though as she struggled with the fact that women are seen as being below the males and having to bow down (literally) to them. She felt obliged to take on the ‘daughter’ role during her stay and a feeling of peer pressure to perform as a Japanese woman, even though it wasn’t necessarily the way she would act in her life in America. In conclusion being in a social group (the boys from the Robbers Cave experiment) there seemed to be more positives as the boys felt they had others on their side and lots of back up when things turned bad. Their self esteem would have been pretty high and the bond between them all would of grown as the time went on. Kondos story, which showed more of a cultural group, had more negatives as she really felt the pressure to conform to suit her cultural group and setting.

Motorola Inc. Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Motorola Inc. - Research Paper Example Of significance to the situation is considering the external opportunities and threats that Motorola Inc. has to take into account. Furthermore, Motorola Inc. also needs to be aware of its internal strengths and weaknesses. The SWOT analysis is a method that companies use to assess and analyze internal and external factors so that they can use them to make further judgments for the future. Internal and external factors are divided into a two by two matrix. The four quadrants are allocated to strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, hence the name SWOT. When assessing the strengths, the company may look at numerous factors including the company’s capabilities unique selling point and competitive advantage, its knowledge and experience base, innovative aspects and price and quality etcetera. For Motorola Inc. its strengths include the fact that it has a lot of knowledge and experience in the field, having dominated it for such a long time. It is also in the process of i nnovating, to keep pace with the modern times and is investing heavily in WiMax technology. The weakness part of this analysis usually includes aspects like disadvantages, gaps in capabilities and lack of competitive advantage, it also encompasses the company’s vulnerability and pressures and problems of reliability, predictability etcetera. Motorola Inc.’s weaknesses have cost the company dearly in terms of revenue, profits and market share. It has failed to keep its pace as fast as some of its competitors and has duly lost to them some of its market share and profit levels. Also, it has been having financial difficulty and hasn’t been able to streamline costs with a deflated economy and falling profits. The opportunities quadrant includes aspects like market developments, technological innovation, new or niche markets, new USPs or tactics, product or brand development, investment in research and any other external factors that might positively affect the busin ess. Opportunities for Motorola Inc. seem few in these economically and financially hard times. The market has developed into a much more technologically savvy one; Motorola Inc. has tried using this to its advantage by innovating using WiMax technology. With the help of this, it will develop and restructure its products to streamline them with market demand while keeping costs low. Threats include aspects like, adverse political, legislative or environmental effects; it also includes factors like competitors’ competitiveness, market demand, economy, and etcetera. Threats that are causing the most damage to Motorola Inc. over the recent years include the condition of the economy for one. The economy has been in a slump, which means that peoples’ consumption has gone down; this has lead to a significant drop in the demand of mobile technology. Consequently, this has caused Motorola Inc.’s profits to decrease and costs to increase, creating recent fiscal losses fo r the company. Moreover, competitors like Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Apple Inc. and RIM have really stepped up their game recently and in some cases found very profitable niche markets that they are quite comfortably exploiting. As a result they are enjoying a good profit level and growing market shares, even in these depressed economic conditions. Motorola Inc. is considering some strategic options to effectively combat the bad times. Their main aim is to cut down the losses and return the firm to

Reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Reflection paper - Essay Example For instance, both parents collaboratively decided on the school where we are to be enrolled and the means to support us. The goal was for us to finish our studies and to provide the direction to eventually become self-sustaining and self-reliant. As a leader, he also assumed the roles of a coach, a mentor, a guidance counselor and a disciplinarian. He was both an authoritarian leader and at the same time, a democratic leader where he encouraged us to voice out our opinions and to participate in decision-making processes that would be beneficial for the whole family. When I started school, my teachers became my leaders in the academic setting. Again, teachers from various grade levels have identified course objectives and designed various instructional approaches with the use of instructional materials that would assist in achieving the define goals. As leaders, my teachers became my mentors, coach, guidance counselors in terms of academic performance, and provider of knowledge, and a developer of skills. Especially in higher education, as I pursued the Police Leadership Program, my professors in the course provided opportunities for learning advanced modules in areas where I need to focus on. As leaders, my professors provided the direction and guidance through course modules, lessons, concrete examples, and by giving home works and scenarios that would develop my cognitive and analytical skills, as well as the leadership skills needed for law enforcement officers. My professors have prepared personal and professional development programs that would enable us to become future leaders. Finally, in the work setting, as a police officer in Saudi Arabia, I was able to get a first-hand experience of leadership from my supervisors. They are the true leaders in a law enforcement agency where functions expected from leaders were observed. These functions included planning, organizing, directing,

The Meaning of Manifest Destiny Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Meaning of Manifest Destiny - Coursework Example Polk occupied the controversial Texas land that was under dispute. Polk was not right in his actions in the sense that it meant the annexation of the Texas region would mean imposition of the American law to other territories. Polks actions brought about the famous American-Mexican civil war. The Mexican government responded to the annexation of Texas by confronting America through diplomatic means to the extent that it led to a civil war. Abraham Lincoln disagreed with the Polks position that Texas was to be annexed and put under the United States (Tindall and David 214). Abraham Lincoln, in his opposition to the annexation of Texas, introduced the spot resolution. In the resolution, Licoln demanded that president Polk indicate how the Americans had been affected to warrant annexation. The Manifest destiny had both positive and negative consequences. The positive issue is that the US won in its expansion process, however, it brought unprecedented bad blood between Mexico and America. The Aftermath of the civil war raised immense suspicion between the two

Autism Symptoms and Early Signs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Autism Symptoms and Early Signs - Essay Example DSM-IV criteria describes the ASDs in children aged 3 years and older however, the emphasis is now given on characterizing the symptoms before three years as developmental abnormalities occur at a very young age and early intervention can also provide a good prognosis for ASD children. ASD leads to impairments in three functional spheres of influence: communication skills, both verbal and non-verbal, socialization and a deficiency of behavioral flexibility, making the child rely on routines. Autism is considered as the most prevalent among the severe developmental disorders. Classic autism was first described by Leo Lanner in 1943 and according to a 2007 report, it is estimated to occur in approximately 1 in 1000 individuals and ASD occurs in 1 in 150 individuals. Prevalence in Canada is estimated to be two per 1000 for autism and six per 1000 for the whole of the ASDs (Bryson et al 2004; Benson & Haith 2009). As mentioned earlier, the developmental abnormalities start manifesting at a very young age even before 3 years of age. Furthermore studies have provided evidence that early intervention can optimize the outcomes for the children affected with autism. Hence, early diagnosis by detecting the early signs and symptoms in the autistic children can aid early intervention and good prognosis. Before proceeding towards the symptoms and early signs of autism, it would be resourceful to overview the etiology of ASD. No singular cause can be pointed out however; the most common and popularly accepted cause is brain abnormalities and genetic etiology. Moreover, it should be made clear over here that autism is not a psychological disorder brought about by poor parenting or childhood years. One important etiological factor is the hereditary origin of autism. Cluster of unstable genes leading to brain abnormalities is also another explanation for the etiology of autism. Some other current theories which are under investigation include toxin ingestion during pregnancy an d environmental factors such as viruses (Evans & Daniels 2006). A male predomination is observed at a ratio of four to one. In monozygotic twins there is a high concordance rate around 90%. In children with pre-existing genetic disorders such as Fragile X syndrome, phenylketonuria, tuberous sclerosis, Angleman’s syndrome and Cornelia de Lange syndrome, autistic symptoms can be manifested (Benson & Haith 2009). The overview of ASD etiology exhibits genetic causes and hereditary co-relation as the main factors leading to the developmental abnormalities in the children. The core symptoms that manifest during the first two years of life represent the abnormalities in the social, communicative and cognitive developmental skills of the child. Any abnormality in the normal development of one functional domain also leads to negative outcome on the others as well. The social abnormalities of the autistic child exhibit themselves in categories of attachment, social imitation, joint att ention, orientation to social stimuli, face perception, emotion perception and expression and symbolic play. Children with autism exhibit disoriented relationships with their mothers. In autistic children the social behavior of looking at faces develops late at 12 months as compared to normal development at birth. Social behaviors such as following person’

Role of financial analysts in banking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Role of financial analysts in banking - Essay Example Many recent financial reporting scandals (e.g. the Enron Scandal) have been attributed to poor corporate governance oversight, understatement of the role of financial analyst and poor financial reporting process (Weintrop, Li & Byard 2006). As a response to these financial reporting scandals, regulators and major stock exchanges have implemented new rules designed to improve the quality of corporate governance, strengthen the role of financial analyst (e.g., by requiring audit committees to be fully independent, role of financial analyst to include both financial and non financial information). Implicit in these regulatory changes is a belief that such measures will eventually improve the quality of information available to the users of financial reports (e.g., financial analysts) (Baker 1988, Covrig & Low 2005, Weintrop, Li & Byard). Baker (1988) studies the important role of sell-side financial analysts on capital markets and by means of his analysis earnings forecasts and recommendations, financial analysts have a significant influence on the investment community (Lybaert & ORens 2007). Lybaert & ORens (2007) study how the use of non-financial information influences financial analyst forecast. ... such measures will eventually improve the quality of information available to the users of financial reports (e.g., financial analysts) (Baker 1988, Covrig & Low 2005, Weintrop, Li & Byard). These researchers however, have focused their studies on the importance of financial analyst to the economy. Baker (1988) studies the important role of sell-side financial analysts on capital markets and by means of his analysis earnings forecasts and recommendations, financial analysts have a significant influence on the investment community (Lybaert & ORens 2007). Lybaert & ORens (2007) study how the use of non-financial information influences financial analyst forecast. The researchers came to the conclusion that financial analyst who use more forward-looking information and more internal-structure information offer more accurate forecasts for investors and the organisation in which they work for. The same idea was supported by Vanstraelen, Zarzeski, and Robb (2003) when they find out that disclosure of non-financial forward-looking information was directly related to the accuracy of the analysts' earnings forecasts. Weintrop, Li & Byard (2006) examine the association between corporate governance and the quality of information available to financial analyst. They test this assertion by studying the association between corporate governance and the quality of financial analysts' information 1.2Problem Statement and Research questions Much prior research on financial analyst has tended to describe and focus on how investors react to financial analyst information in general (e.g. Baker 1988, Paperman, and O'Hara & Easley 1998). Today, attention is gradually being shifted to the importance of their role in the economy, their use of financial and non-financial measures

Analyzing a research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyzing a research - Essay Example The article displays the research techniques used in the study in various ways. First, it describes the process of the literature review, which is essential in determining the direction of the current study regarding the formation of the research question (Kington, Sammons, Day & Regan, 2011). Moreover, the article reflects the weaknesses of the existing studies about the topic under research in order to establish an effective and sufficient research on the topic. In addition, the authors describe how they integrated both qualitative and quantitative research methods to identify the factors that contribute to effective teaching practice in primary and secondary contexts. The article under review attempts to establish the factors that contribute to effective teaching practice at primary and secondary levels of study. The data analysis techniques used in the articles includes qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. The qualitative technique involves various processes such as recording, transcribing and saving the post- and pre-observation interviews. In addition, a coding application was developed to establish the themes of organizational for analysis. The article also highlights that the research team developed the application using NVivo software package in order to enhance qualitative approach of analysing the results. In addition, the qualitative approach was used to analyse the interviews in order to identify various aspects of the teachers and students (Kington, Sammons, Day & Regan, 2011). The research uses the quantitative technique to evaluate the teachers and students questionnaires data. The questionnaires are mainly utilised in the qualitative approach in order to determine the demographic aspects of the research participants. In this case, the questioners’ data regarding the teachers is fed into the SPSS program in order to generate the teachers’ population descriptive information. According to the article, the information on the

Managing a Diversity Training Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Managing a Diversity Training Program - Essay Example In US workplace, discrimination is a common phenomenon added by the theory, similarity-attraction which explains â€Å"people are more likely to be attracted to others who are similar to themselves than to others who are different from themselves (Paludi, 2012, Ch.1). As the leader of an insurance company in Baltimore, there are also other theories to be considered before developing a diversity training program like the social categorization theory and the social identity theory. According to the social categorization theory people in workplace tend to classify themselves and others who have common social elements like age, gender, religion and class. According to the social identity theory people tend to take pride in their own characteristics like specific age group or religious affiliations. As such these people form in-groups with others who they consider as their kin and feel separated from out-groups which contain groups other than the in-groups. In this way discrimination bec omes rampant in workplace (Paludi, 2012, Ch.1). For proper diversity management several things need to be considered. A workforce being culturally diverse there is potential of multiple talents and skills. Therefore, for a leader of an insurance company it is necessary that every individual be given proper opportunities to exhibit their talents and skills for the benefit of the company. This will create an overall inclusive working environment that can develop in spite of differences within workforce with no person feeling rejected. Thus, the key lies in creating an inclusive environment that will maximize the potential of all individuals in a workforce within a cultural context that will be advantageous for all (Rosado, 2006, p.4). However, there can be challenges in implementing diversity training program. In spite of the overall advantages of this program, it can be opposed by some members as they may be reluctant to adapt to

Analysis of questionnarie Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of questionnarie - Research Paper Example Questionnaire was used to collect the data. The analysis focuses on investigating if students who did not take fruits do not like them and if preference for the fruit is an indicator of number of fruits taken. The following set hypothesis is investigated. Validity and reliability of a quantitative study plays an important role in determining the study’s significance and applicability for an intended purpose. A study that lacks reliability threshold cannot be applied for the study’s sample, for lack of consistency; neither can it be applied in a population because of external validity concerns (Blaikie 185). The study however incorporates a large proportion of the population, 330 out of 521 students who were willing to participate in the study, and this establishes its internal reliability. A significant proportion of the population was further sampled, 124, with a 100 percent response rate and this reinforce reliability of the study’s results and associated conclusions. Consequently, developed knowledge from the data analysis can be relied upon to inform on preference for fruit and fruits taken in the studied week. The analysis can further be relied upon for a model for a relationship between the two variables an d the results can be forecasted to periods beyond the studied week. Of the interviewed students, 116 (93 percent) had visited the cafeteria within the previous 4 or five weeks and this, and assuming external validity, means that majority of the institution’s students visit the cafeteria. The high proportion of students who visited the cafeteria therefore identifies a potential market for a product that is placed in the cafeteria because of the strategic location that many students can access. Strategies could however be necessary for ensuring that all students visit the cafeteria for a wider market. One hundred and one students (81 percent), out of the sampled,

CO 2520 Prejudice Quiz Essay Example for Free

CO 2520 Prejudice Quiz Essay 1. Punishing those who behave in prejudiced ways is: A- the quickest solution to ending the problems of prejudiced behavior. B a response that is impossible since most prejudiced behavior is difficult to observe or prove. C unlikely to make a major difference since those who are the most prejudiced tend to have already received more punishment than most of us have received. D Both B and C. 2. If one thinks prejudiced thoughts, one should suppress them or avoid thinking them. A Yes, Thoughts are very close to actions and one should avoid thinking negative thoughts about other groups of people. B No. One should not suppress the thoughts, but should actively replace them with more positive images of the group members. C No. Prejudiced thoughts are normal and harmless; they are part of being in a group. D Yes. If we dont start on a personal level to reduce prejudiced thinking, then the problems simply grow. 3. Prejudices dont cost our society and therefore are really only a problem to those who are the victims of prejudiced behavior. A To discuss the monetary cost of prejudiced behavior is impossible. B The cost of prejudiced behavior is a human cost and is not a national economic issue. C The cost of sexism and racism alone have been estimated at over one-half trillion dollars per year. D Both A and B are true. 4. Most people are not prejudiced. A Surveys show that well over 75 percent of people in the U. S. do not consider themselves to be racist. B Those who discriminate represent a very small proportion of the U. S. population. C Research has shown that those who identify themselves as low in prejudiced beliefs still discriminate. D Both A and C are true. 5. There are no inexpensive methods of managing prejudiced behavior. A This is true because prejudiced behavior is so widespread, but we still need to try. B There are ways of managing prejudiced behavior that cost next to nothing. C While the training might be expensive the long term savings are worth the investment. 6. Those who risked their own lives to save Jewish people in Western Europe during the period that the Nazis were practicing genocide were more religious than those who did not try to save Jewish people. A True. B – False 7. Those who saved Jewish people from Hitlers genocide had more resources than those who did not. A – True, they had larger attics or larger basements. B False, they had no more resources. 8. Those who are in positions of authority can do a great deal to manage prejudice within the ranks of an organization. A True B – False 9. Being strongly prejudiced has little to do with a persons intellectual functioning or ability to make other types of judgments. A True B – False 10. The motivation of a strongly prejudiced person who is committing an overtly prejudiced act is basically the same as that of a person with lower levels of prejudiced behavior who is functioning out of a stereotyped perception. A True B – False 11. When a person who does not hold prejudiced beliefs behaves in a prejudiced way he or she often feels a personal sense of discomfort. A True B – False 12. Those who are most strongly prejudiced toward a target group generally know no more negative stereotypes about those they are prejudiced toward than those who are low in prejudiced behavior toward the same group. A True. B – False 13. When the leading scientists of the world look at the issues that threaten our future they look at environmental concerns not prejudiced behavior. A Scientists have little agreement about the things that threaten our future and there is nothing that even looks like a consensus. B There is clear consensus among the majority of leading scientists in the world about what threatens our future and it includes concerns about prejudiced behavior. C There is clear consensus among the majority of the leading scientists in the world about what threatens our future and it includes concerns about prejudiced behavior, specifically sexism. 14. Sexism, racism, ageism, xenophobia, homophobia and prejudices toward those with disabilities all have basically the same dynamics. A They are all basically the same except for homophobia which functions very differently from the others. B Each is different and has its own set of dynamics. C They are all basically the same except for prejudices toward those with disabilities, which function very differently from the others. D They are all basically the same.

The Role of Technology In HSBC

The Role of Technology In HSBC HSBC is known as one of the largest financial and banking services industries in the global background. Background HSBC know largest industries in the global financial and banking services as a. The company is headquartered in London and has an international networks which composes of over 10, 000 offices in more than 82 states and territories within Asia-Pacific Region, Europe, United States of America, Africa and Middle East. HSBC Holdings Plc are regarded to have around 200,000 shareholders in over 100 nations as noted in listings in countries like New York, Bermuda, Paris and Hong Kong. HSBC Holdings Plc, the company is located in east London and an international network which composes the mid 10, 000 offices and more than 82 African states and regions within Asia Pacific region, Europe, United States of America are , counting the 100 countries around 200,000 shareholders in countries such as New York as mentioned in the listing, Bermuda, Paris and Hong Kong. Because of the globa l network connects by the implementation of advances technology like the internet and information communication technology, the company has been able to provide an intensive range and reach of financial services which includes commercial banking, investment banking and market personal financial services, and other banking and financial products and services. The business philosophy of HSBC gives important to values and principles in all aspects of everyday living. Because of the global network communications and information technology like the Internet by following links to technology development, corporate and other, has been to provide services worth an extensive range financial and personal financial services to reach including commercial banking, investment banking and markets, banks and financial products and services. HSBCs business philosophy in all aspects of everyday life and gives the principles of values is necessary. INTRODUCTION OF HSBC: HSBC Introduction: HSBC is one of the largest banking groups in the world today. HSBC todays worlds biggest banking group is one. It has been ranked fifth largest company in Forbes Global 2000 and the third largest banking company as well. Forbes Global, the company in 2000 was ranked fifth largest and third largest banking company as. HSBC head office is located in the HSBC Tower in Londons Canary Wharf. HSBCs head office tower in Canary wharf London, HSBC is located. The HSBC group is named after its founding member, the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, a bank established by, a Scot, to finance British trade in the Far East in 1865. Member HSBC Group is named after its founder, Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, a bank founded by a Scot, in the 1865 Far East Finance business in the UK. HSBC has about 10,000 offices worldwide with 232,000 employees in 76 countries and territories. HSBC regions and 76 countries with 232,000 employees worldwide with about 10,000 offices. With its 110 million customers worldwide, a total of 16.5 million are e-based. 110 million from its worldwide customers, a total of 16.5 million is based on E. HSBC has really proven that it is The worlds local bank. HSBC has proved that it really the worlds local bank. The bank is the second largest corporation in the world in terms of assets. Bank assets in the world of words is the second largest corporation. It reports its results in US Dollars since 80% of its earnings come from outside the UK. This revenue comes from outside the UK in the U.S. results reported 80% of the dollar. Nearly 22% of its earnings comes from operations in Hong Kong. Before moving the headquarters to London in1991, it was headquartered in Hong Kong. Approximately 22% of the revenue operations in London, Hong Kong Kong headquarters before arrival. in1991, was located in Hong. Has the organization restructured recently? Recently reorganized company? If yes, why? 1) If yes, why? If no, why not? 2) If not, why not? What have been the consequences? 3) What results have been? Would most complex, large organizations have several functional grouping approaches? Does this matter? 4) is the most complex, large organizations view is planning several work groups? What? HSBC is a public limited company incorporated in England and Wales. HSBC Wales, a public limited company incorporated in England. Headquartered in London, the HSBC group operates in five regions: Europe; Hong Kong; the rest of Asia Pacific; including the Middle East and Africa; North America; and South America. Located in London, HSBC in five working groups in the region: Europe, Hong Kong, the rest of Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East including, North America and South America. The entities in which form the HSBC Group provide a comprehensive range of financial services to personal, commercial, corporate, institutional and investment, and private banking client. To more easily promote the Group as a whole, HSBC launched a campaign to differentiate its brand from those of its competitors by describing the unique characteristics which distinguish HSBC, summarized by the words The worlds local bank. A wide range of financial services for private corporation, as, commercial group s and investment institutions, and private banking clients. Promoting more easily provided in the institutions which form HSBC Group, HSBC brand difference between the start of the campaign for HSBC prominent features unique compared to those defined by, Proceedings of the words from The worlds local bank. Through the years since 2004, HSBC has gone through a lot of changes. Years since 2004, HSBC has gone a lot of changes. In 2004, the Bank of Bermuda joined the Group and minority stakes were acquired in Indias UTI Bank and Chinas Bank of Communications Ltd. In the UK, HSBC bought the retail financial services arm of the Marks and Spencer Group. In 2004, Bank of Bermuda joined the group and a minority stake in UTI Bank was acquired by India and China Bank of Communications UK Limited, HSBC group brought signs and Spencer retail financial services arm. The HSBC brand was adopted by its Mexican subsidiary, GF Bital, early in the year and in September the majority of the banks North American businesses, including Household International, were united under the name HSBC North America. HSBC North American brand business September of the majority of banks was adopted by Mexico, equipment and years GF, Bital skin, including Household International was the United Nations under the name HSBC N orth America. ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY HSBC: HSBC role of technology: Modern information technology (IT) is understood to be the result of a meeting between modern digital computing and communication technologies. Modern information technology (IT) and computing the modern digital communication technologies between the outcome of this meeting is to be understood. The significance of IT is as the core of an Information System which consists of a series of interactions between people, data, hardware and software, organizations and their social environment. The importance of this , is a foundation of information system which the social environment and their organization consisting of a series of conversations between people, data, hardware and software. Information and its connected technologies are now so vital to business success that information is regularly regarded as an independent issue of invention on a same level with capital, land and labor. Information and technology vital to business success now that information with the investors and workers, the level of invention on a routine matter as an independent count. In the twenty-first century every business manager must understand the role which information technology plays, not only in their organization but also in the wider society, within which their organization must compete. Competition, the twenty first century will be all business on their organization and understand the manager role should not information technology plays in society is widespread, organized them. A full understanding of information technology is impossible without considering its communication with the social world in which it has developed. A complete understanding of information technology has developed the world it is impossible without considering the social communication with him. Computer professionals who are ignorant of the social, political, and economic political aspect of their work are fated to be the put up of decision-makers who are. Computer professionals who work with them are ignorant, political, economic and political factor is social tolerance are lucky by which decision makers. In the real world a frequent cause of the failure of IT projects is an overlook of the human (including managerial and organizational) factors at work. No business or computing professional can, therefore, ignore the softer elements in Information Systems, which paradoxically, often prove the hardest to get right! Failure in the real world because of her projects is a continuous work in an organization), including the management of human factors and pass, any business or computing system, therefore, ignored information about business, can elements in Medium which, unlike, most of the right to prove the most difficult to achieve! THE COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT: computing environment: Linking together definitions of information and technology from the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, information technology means the systematic study of the industrial arts relating to the communication of instructive knowledge. Adding information with praise and English Dictionary Oxford technology from small, information knowledge of technology communication education means related art industrial training conducted. This definition includes studying printing, or, for that matter, smoke signals. Included in this definition, studied printing or, for that matter, smoke signals. However the general usage today, is more like the definition employed by (1988,) the application of computers and telecommunications to the collection, processing, storage, and dissemination of voice, graphics, text, and numerical information. However, general use today, storage is much appreciated by this work (1988, applied for) of telecommunications and computer storage, processing, and dissemination of s ound,, text, graphics, and numerical information . One famous development in recent years has been the convergence of communications and computer technology, with both becoming intensive users of data embodied in binary digital form and processed by microprocessors on silicon chips. Popular in recent years on developing a silicon processed by microprocessors and chips is in binary form with digital technology, computer and communications convergence was embodied both figures to be intense users. Therefore IT is normally used in the broad modern sense to encompass both computing and telecommunications technologies. In some books, IT is used more narrowly to refer principally to computing and ICTs to refer to information and communication technologies more generally. So this is the sense commonly used in modern comprehensive coverage of both computing and telecommunications technologies. Some books, usually it is used more narrowly refer technology and communications and for basic computing and information refer to the ICTs. If we consider the industrial and commercial implications of the employment of the new information technologies then we must take on board that the computer is a general purpose machine which mechanizes human brain-powered operations just as the Industrial Revolution mechanized human and animal muscle-powered operations . If we then consider the implications of new information technology jobs industrial trade and we must take on board power operation is a general purpose computer machine machine revolution muscular man and animals mechanizes the human brain only industrial strength operation. The impact of such a broadly applicable technology is inevitably widespread and far-reaching. Broadly applicable technology and its effect on reaching such a broad and excesses, yet. Computers have become a pervasive technology applied in all sectors of life, including industry, commerce, government, education and leisure activities. Computers have become leisure activities, and education, trad e, expanded a government, technology apply to all areas of life, including industry. For businesses, information technology is only a means to an end which is the use of knowledge to make and implement commercial decisions. For business, information technology, only a means to an end which is used in the decision to apply knowledge and trade. Efficient organizations require established systems to enable them to make the best possible decisions in the situations they are likely to meet. Organizations need to establish efficient and meet the systems potential to make the best decision possible situations are worthy of them. Thus an organizational information system should collect data, analyze, and present this as useful information that can be retrieved as the basis of expert knowledge at the point of decision. Thus, an organization information system should sum data analysis, and present it as a benefit that information can then decide based on expert knowledge. Once decisions are made they must be passed on to those who implement them, carried out, and the success or failure of the operation monitored. Decisions are carried by them for what they passed on, and success or failure of the surveillance operation outside a bar. Increasingly decisions can be automatically implemented using the technology, thus enabling organizational objectives to be achieved with maximum efficiency. Increase can be determined using techniques applied automatically, thus enabling organizational objectives with maximum efficiency can be achieved. DAY TO DAY BUSINESS: Business Day Day: Achieving Competitive Advantage to gain competitive Four alternative strategies for achieving competitive advantage: doing it better, marketing it better, doing it differently and making yourself indispensable. Better marketing, better four alternative strategies to achieve competitive advantage for doing, (it, are different and need to make yourself. Doing it better. First, the customer may be brought to think that your firm is doing the same thing better in some way than others either the product or service is better than others, or it is as good as others and produced more cheaply, or perhaps it is delivered more conveniently to the consumer. To do it better than before. , Customers may take more than cheap products that your firm is better at talking about what others some way either service or product is better than others or that, is as good as others, Or maybe it was more for the convenience of users is. The obvious way to do this is to deliver a better, cheaper or more convenient product. A higher specification product (eg a more durable one) can be produced to higher quality standards (eg fewer defective goods sold), with better production methods or cheaper sources of supply than competitors can find. Clear that the way to deliver more products feature a better, or cheaper.) A durable high specification products (eg goods at a cheap multiple, for example) can be produced (sold cheaper or higher quality standards, better production methods with more than competing sources of supply can find. The same product or service can be delivered to the door of consumers on demand rather than forcing them to wait for or collect the product. the product or products and services together to force them to wait to but the door may be asked to deliver users. Thus more sales and / or greater profits can be achieved. thus more sales and / or can benefit from. Marketing it better. On a suspicious note it must be sharp out that an other is to prove to your customers that they are getting some or all of these advantages without necessarily delivering them. Note that better marketing should be a quick one out of another dilemma that required them to prove the benefits without doing it all, or that your customer. A large sales or marketing effort may, to a degree, be a alternate for lead in the actual product. In the long term, though, it is probable that consumers in most markets cannot be fooled indefinitely. A big, try a degree in marketing or sales can, in fact led to product an alternative indefinitely long. In the term, though, is a fools also possible that users can not market the most. But, in any case, it must be said that many excellent products have failed to sell because the consumers did not know about them. But, no matter, they should be said about that many users did not know that the best selling product due to failed. In many cases effective brand management of a good product or service can effectively create a demand for, say, Coca-Cola which is different from the demand for soft drinks. In many cases very effective product or service brand management for a soft drink can effectively create a demand for, say, Coca application is different from the cola. Producers can create a sort of monopoly by establishing a difference between their version of the product and other versions. Manufacturers of other products and prescription versions of the difference between them established by a kind of monopoly can be. Doing it differently. An other strategy to achieve competitive advantage is to innovate, as we touched upon under the heading of intellectual property. Different from doing so. Another strategy to achieve competitive advantage to innovate, as we are touched upon the intellectual property under. If your product really is different in kind to the competition then a substantial competitive advantage may well result. If your product is different and in fact, how much competition competitive advantage may well result. Your new product will certainly be protected from competition by a time-lag before your competitors can invest in the necessary plant or skilled personnel to produce the new product. Will your new product to compete with a lag time necessary to secure required before products can your competitors or efficient investment in new staff ready to plant. You will probably generate a marketing advantage through being first in the field including free publicity in the media and per haps identification of the product with your brand name. You may benefit by creating a marketing area is being the first including the independent media and media in the name of their products with brand identity might. Additional protection may be available under patent law, design right and copyright. Additional security can be copyrighted and available right under design patent law. Making yourself indispensable. A more delicate strategy is to attempt to engineer a situation in which your service or product is taken for granted. Must make your own. A more delicate strategy is taken for granted is to engineer products or service status for what you. The customer does not stop to make comparisons but automatically re-orders your product or service. Customer service or product comparisons do not stop automatically re-order your. An example might be book or record clubs automatically delivering the current choice of the month. For example, maybe a month book club or record supply current selection automatically. At one stage IBM were happy to accept the myth that no one ever got fired for buying IBM. Corporate clients employees were trained in IBM technology, their managers were offered upgrades on existing equipment on favourable terms, and the effort required to move out of an assumption that the next generation of equipment would also come from the Big Blue was c onsiderable. An IBM platform for buying IBM was happy to accept the analogy is true that nobody ever got fired needs. Corporate clients employees were trained to IBM technology, according to upgrade their existing equipment manager had been offered terms, and was enough Blue moved to think that a big next generation equipment is coming too. SOCIAL ASPECT: social aspects: HSBC is being affected by the situation of the society in which they are operating. Along with this, HSBC tries harder to make sure that each society is given equal chances to take advantage of the resources given by the organisation. Work that is being affected social situation, with the HSBC HSBC tries hard to ensure that the organization provide to take advantage of every resource for society is given equal chances. The company hold fast to having good reputation and relations in the society that they belong. They hold fast to the companys good reputation and relationship that society. As you approach retirement you have hopefully created a retirement plan sufficient to maintain your lifestyle. Alternatively, you might look to start easing your way into retirement by working part time. As you near retirement, your life you hope to maintain adequate to create a retirement plan. Alternatively, you from working part time retirement easy way to start your can see. Your pension will pr obably be your main priority. Its important to think about whether it will be enough to provide income for a comfortable retirement at your desired retirement age. Your pension retirement age is perhaps his main desire. You prefer for a comfortable retirement, provided that income will be important enough to think about it. TECHNOLOGICAL ASPECT: Technical aspects: The appearance of information technology and internet affects how HSBC has been operating in the past years. Information Technology appearance and how the Internet affects HSBC has been operating in the past year. The company adopts different IT / IS systems and used internet to reach their customer all over the world and to know the latest trends in the global business. Different control company T / systems and Internet access in the world to reach their customers and businesses worldwide know the latest trends. Aside from these, the company also uses facilities which helps them improved their productions and operations.

The Scope Of The E Business

The Scope Of The E Business The electronic business, and talks about like; electronic Business; or; e-business; can be defined as information and communication technologies (ICT) to support all the economic activities. The commerce is the interchange of products and services between the companies and you can see the groups and the individuals, like one of the basic activities in any business. Electronic business and centers in the use of the ICT to allow the external activities, and labor relations with the individuals, the groups and other companies. The internet: It creates or no, and the creation of the later part of the way of the Internet in 1969, during the cold war of the military of the United States. It was supposed to be communications network of the nuclear-test; Today, the Internet is separating by everybody, and consists of networks and the countless computers, allowing that million people interchange the information. It is the transference of the data transmitted on long distances in the Internet in the big lines known collectively as the spine the Internet. And now the Internet of suppliers of important services of the Internet such as WorldCom and MCI, Sprint is maintained and, GTE, American National Standard, and UUNET. Because these suppliers do enormous amounts of yield of the Internet, and are motivated to maintain constant and fast the communication, that will benefit to the users from the daily Internet like you and me. World Wide Web: A system for Internet that supports the coordination of special documents. Formatted documents in an increase in the price language have been called HTML (Hypertext Mark up Language) the language of the increase in the price of the hypertext that connections to other documents, as well as supports graph, audio and video files. This means we jump of one document to another simply by on hot spotting to click. Not all web servers A part of the World Wide forms web. There its different applications to have called browsers of the web which it easy turning access into the World Wide Web; two of most popular Firefox and Microsoft Internet Explorer are. World Wide Web is not synonymous with Internet Extranet: Uses networks and Internet-protocols are the extranet private link network. Be possible on company are found intranet as part of external network that is extended to users outside the company, and usually by means of Internet. Such as other companies (between companies and matter, B2B) described at treating a selected group, in heat insulation of already other Internet the users examined Internet as a means. On the one hand, the communication with users is known by the consumer and has been known the company sector and (B2C) the models of the consumer involving servers and one or more of the companies. E-business and e-commerce: in 1997 IBM (www.ibm.com/e-business) to use the term to promote its services was one of the first suppliers: E-business (ebizNis) -through the use of Internet technologies the transformation of key business processes . E-commerce (electronic commerce or EC) is the buying and selling of goods and services on the Internet. Some Differences between B2B and B2C E-Commerce: o B2C for each of the goods sold flat rate retail price it offer spot sourcing contract management. o B2B transaction to establish the price based it involves negotiation terms on which other factors for example carrier, warranty coverage, logistics preferences and volume-based pricing etc. will be decided. o B2C the business to spend on expensive, extensive infrastructure it does not require. o B2B requires in integrating the systems of the organization huge amounts to be involved in spent the process as well as those of its business partners that made time consuming, raising many questions about security and expensive etc. o B2C e-commerce used defined profiles and email promotions just involves. o B2B e-commerce studying order history data it needs the involvement of complex issues, for example locations, the preferences of trading partners, payment records etc. Between B2B and business-to-consumer e-commerce these are just some of the main differences. There are companies that offer services as well as products to help run business successfully. 1.2. Benefits: When we access internet we find so many sites on it. When we open it we also get some useful information about the topic. Through website we can do shopping, marketing, sales, advertise, business, etc. the list is endless. For giving and getting information on a large scale just make a website and a reliable hosting company for our self. Sometimes it is expensive but sometimes it is not so, this is because if we get a good host that offers us good services and keep our website updated according to its and market need, is not a venture of loss. Knowledge of Products: We can now increase our business not only determining the local market but the international market too for improving the growth of your business with no difficulty. By following this website business we can definitely change the way and nature of your business. We can also stretch or make more elastic diversity of your products to millions of our unknown site users. We can allow our products to be in view for all the time on net. Through website we can extend our business hours for selling and purchasing of goods. Freedom of having Website: We can put any information on our site at any time of the day in order to be viewed by the internet surfers and your website users. We can change or add the information according to our numbers of time in a day. Through internet we can browse any business site and can expand our business to those you do not know. Through increased internet users our business can develop and attain growth on net. On net you face even more challenging market and companies with hundred million of customers at this new market place without making us worried. Low cost Advantage: Being on net we have to be more aware for the growth of your business by applying new challenging tactics that can be useful for us to remain in competition. We can increase our business by advertising our products and services without spending a large amount and time loss activities on printing and distribution. We get a higher value added cost for our product as the market is international and expanded one as compared to the local city market with only handful of customers. We can also add the facility of ecommerce for our site users and customers. Through this facility our old customer and our prospective customer can place order and purchase our products with the services we offer them online. We can reduce the expenses like telephone calls, distribution costs, printing etc and also by increasing some hi-tech facilities like emails, promotion of your product through website, with extended business hours without our presence and we can send out your less promotional product with a small cost plan. Nature of e-business: In e-business again on the subject of trust, Daughtrey (2001) refers to the conditions of consumers expect purchasing from the Internet or when conducting business with: Generalised perception of supplier or reputation. Confidentiality and privacy, security for Customer expectations. Supplier provided by Assurances for example guarantees. Other customers reports. For example a history of prior transactions If the customer has, additional factors may be: Order fulfilment accuracy. Order fulfilment Timeliness. With customer relations Nature of any interactions. Any disputes Resolution. From the supplier Subsequent communications. With whom customer information was shared any communications from other suppliers. 1.3. Nature of e-business communication: MassMass communicationcommunicationcommunication refers to the process of transferring or transmitting a message to a large group of people. Typically, this requires the use of some form of the media, including newspapers, television and the internet. Personal communication begins when two people are aware of each other. You dont need to know each others name, even dont need to talk. When two persons eyes meet, and two people realize there is a person right there. The communication has just begun. internet communication Purely internal or intranet mail systems, where the information never leaves the corporate or organizations network, are much more secure, although in any organization there will be IT and other personnel whose job may involve monitoring, and occasionally accessing, the e-mail of other employees not addressed to them. 2. How the internet works: 2.1. How messages are transferred across the Internet: Internet technology The transfer encoding scheme that is used to transfer messages comprising strings of 8-bit bytes. With the aid of a time sequence diagram, use the list of FTP command and reply messages to show a typical exchange of messages to carry out the transfer of a named file from the file system on a server to the file system on a client. 2.2. Introduction to HTML: HTML is a language for describing web pages. HTML stands for Hyper Text Mark-up Language. HTML is not a programming language; it is a mark-up language. A mark-up language is a set of mark-up tags. HTML uses mark-up tags to describe web pages. Clients, servers and browsers: Client-server model of the customer of fact processing is the structure of the application of the distribution of tasks which the sections or the workload between service providers, frequently communicate serve called servers, and the student, and called customers and the customers and the servers concerning a computer network on separate hardware, but both the customer has a server who in the system himself it is established. The machine of the server is the host who puts one or more of the server software in functioning these resources with customers shares. The customer must share none of their resources, but the functionality of the service requests the server for the contents or. And beginning then with meetings with customers connects servers who (listening) the received registrations wait. Supplies, and expresses it to win web browser and the application of information resources on the World Wide. 2.3. Intranets and extranets: The intranet is an information portal that specific for small and internal communication means or large ventures, companies and governments, the industries, financial institutions is devised of any size or complexity Extranets, slightly same as the intranet. External networks are devised the state specifically, and limited entrance to some files of the computer systems to give which we have had: Some large customers or privileges, Specific the industry partners, Suppliers and subcontractorsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Etc. E-business models The five business models: the different ways in which the internet may be used to generate revenue by supporting the sale of a product, or service for example CDs, flights; supplying electronic information, or media services for example reports or music; charging per transaction for the provision of a service for example airline booking; charging a subscription for an information service for example news; advertising revenue, from an attractive website the internet can be used for selling a product, or service: 1. To a good place start is in the auction site on Internet. There are a lot of sales by auction which on Internet are specialised and unspecialised auctions that examine on Internet can be found. 2. A lot of service providers of Internet and web folders of research engines the property of Classifieds which can be used to solicit to other agencies on Internet to sell. 3. Found on the bulletin Council and the newsgroups which specialise themselves in this point (s) that you tries it reported sell and from to spread out to include your advertisement. 4. If we maintain an Internet site of the private sector or the homepage, and our point (s) at our place advertises. 5. Taking photos everything wants sell you, raises it very the chances of selling them. Differentiate between other business models for generating revenue from the internet: Distinction between the other company models to produce turnover of Internet. There five business models: 1. To enter 2. Supplying electronic information 3. Charge for each operation 4. The levy of prices 5. Declaration of income We can continue to the shares by means of Internet or for matter Internet Or If we or you have any cooperation. Then we can be advertised Or We can treat complete control of our work and have during the fact search All thanks to the turnovers of Internet.. Revenue from Internet! Identify other uses of the internet which may not generate revenue Several disadvantages can be obtained due to inadequate planning of the e-business strategy. For instance, it could lead to productivity losses, including loss of both existing and new staff and economic loss. The absence of an e-business plan may also lead to false starts and personal losses, which can occur as stakeholders become frustrated and disappointed over the general mission (2002). On the bright side, these losses are avoidable. In support of the creation of an e-business plan. Website design 4.1. Elements of a web page that may be used by search engines How Search Engines Work Crawler-based search engine of the strap linked on the basis of the evidence that human-drove both they to describe the term of the Search Engine; it is of frequent use generally. In radically diverse collection of the ways of listings in both types of motors of the search. Crawler-Based Search Engines Crawler-based search on the basis of the strap linked by an example for example of Google create their own lists automatically. They spider or crawl in the Internet, then the search finds people. The Strap-based motors of the search look for these changes in the end of the day if we had to change to Web pages, and how it is mentioned that can affect to us. The body copy, the titles of the page and other elements all play a role. Human-Powered Directories Evidence of human-powered for an example of the Open Directory, of the lists, depends on humans. We offer to the directory and a brief description of the entire site, or editors to review sites that you write one. The sponsor of the descriptions of research looks for games only. Hybrid Search Engines It used to be in the days on the Internet early on that the search engine lists presented either human-powered or on the basis of the results Crawler. This will be quite common today for both types of results. Typically, one kind of lists on another search engine hybrid will fit. For example, the look of a smart MSN Search is more likely to submit lists of human energy. However, it also displays the results on the basis of creeping, and also for more obscure queries. 4.2. What makes a website easy for the visitor to use: Always let the visitor know where they are located in the website. When building a website dont make the user learn the navigation or absorb significant new ways of doing things in order to access the content. Navigation choices should be available. Visual feedback such as subtle rollovers is often a good idea to improve the website to make it easier to the consumer. 4.3. Consideration should be taken to make a web page attractive to the visitor: consideration should be taken to make a web page attractive to the visitor through Easy navigation, Originality Creativity, Harmony of colours images. (1) Content, Grammatical Spelling Errors. (2)HTML: Reasonable loading time, Screen resolution compatibility, (3) Big No Nos: No distracting backgrounds, No saturation of advertisements, No poor quality animations, NO HYPE! No Background Music, Dont Over-do the Extras. Capital One does not provide financial education system and the abundance of information. The only qualm we have with their system is the lack of interactive features and financial instruments. We would like to see something more than just publishing articles cardholder can be made through the face. Education systems of financial tools are very useful because it allows the cardholder additional information about credit and money management. We can access your monthly statement, schedule payments online, and check our balance from any internet access around the globe. If we have trouble remembering to pay your bill on time, go to the website and set up an automatic withdrawal from our checking account so that we never miss another payment and never have to worry about late fees accumulating on our card and accruing interest. We did not hassle offered 24 / 7 account access and account alerts for free on the Internet. Each of these features makes banking easier and less expensive. It would be access 24 / 7 account holder allows manage their accounts online from any computer with an Internet connection. Alerts free account is a great tool, which amount to the cardholder if they are approaching the credit limit or if the bill is paid off. By using this feature, you can avoid a lot of fees is not necessary. This is why in my view; capital one site is better than this site MBNA. Conclusion: the widespread adoption of the internet and the web means that all business can now operate globally, expand the customer base, compete effectively, process orders, payments and deliveries. References: Apte, Chindanand, Bing Liu, Edwin P.D. Pednault and Padhraic Smyth (2002) Business Application of Data Mining, Communication of the ACM, 45 August Brahm Canzer, 2006, E-business: strategic thinking and practice, p-176, published by Charles Hartford. Ravi Kalakota, Marcia Robinson, 2001, E-business 2.0: roadmap for success, pp-44, 47,2nd Ed, published by Pearson education corporate. Retrieved on 10th may 2010 http://ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2009/08/internet-and-e-business.html Retrieved on 15th may 2010 www.guardian.co.uk/online website of The Guardian newspaper

Confederacy of Dunces Essays: Last Encounter :: A Confederacy of Dunces

A Confederacy of Dunces - Last Encounter In his last encounter in the novel, Ignatius returns to the ill-reputed Night of Joy. He is still employed by Paradise Vendors and wears the ridiculous costume of a pirate that is mistaken for a Mardi Gras costume. Ignatius attends Dorian Greene's strange party and the distance between the "bodily" dunce and "intellectual" genius is extended. He tries to speak at the party but no one will listen and he cannot handle being rejected for his ideas so he leaves. Throughout the rest of the novel, Ignatius exhibits characteristics of a dunce according to the rest of the characters. At the point when Ignatius disrupts Darlene's Harlett O' Hara act, he follows a series of unfortunate events. The bird attacks him for his novelty earring and Ignatius runs around like a "big crazyman"(285). He bounces out of the bar and runs out into the street, only to come face to face with the headlights of the Desire bus. As Ignatius faints from shock, he shows the reader how awkward and clumsy he is. He ha s the chance to avoid everything that happens but his dunce tendencies take control. He is ridiculed by everyone at the scene for his possession of Lana Lee's naked pictures and ends up being the comedian and clown for the hour. Ignatius looks like a "dead cow lying in the street" according to the newspaper photograph and the reader sees the reactions to the incident from every character(289). Mr. Clyde sees Ignatius as "a big ape" and only wishes that he can retrieve his costume from him(293). Dr. Talc needs to find Ignatius to clear his name but decides against it when he sees the paper. He realizes that Ignatius is the dunce but that he also has a way of turning things around which may be detrimental to Dr. Talc. Miss Annie reads the paper and vows to run Ignatius and Irene out of the neighborhood. She is only worried about the reputation of the neighborhood. Patrolman Mancuso is grateful for his luck in stopping the chain of pornography sales along with the incarceration of the three brute women who had attacked him once before. Santa Battaglia talks to the picture of her mother and comments on how awful Irene must be feeling and has no remorse for Ignatius. Claude is only worried that he will not be able to handle such a disgrace as a stepson.

The Theme Of Death In Othello and A Dolls House Essays -- compare cont

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The theme of death is present in many works of literature. It is given metaphors and cloaked with different meanings, yet it always represents an end. Every end signifies a new beginning, and every death gives rise to a new birth. Physical death â€Å"...is mere transformation, not destruction,† writes Ding Ming-Dao. â€Å"What dies is merely the identity, the identification of a collection of parts that we called a person. What dies is only our human meaning† (49). Figuratively speaking, death symbolizes a change, an interruption or cessation of regular routine. In this sense, death can be viewed as a more positive occurrence, because change leads to new experience, which, in turn, leads to knowledge and a better understanding of life. The plays Othello and A Doll House both encompass the theme of death. While the former deals with physical death, the latter depicts a change, a transformation of a period of time and a way of life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shakespeare’s Othello is a tragedy. The villain gains trust by appearing honest and, taking advantage of being undoubted, implants false ideas into Othello’s mind, causing him to believe in an illusion that portrays the opposite of reality. Shakespeare shows, by setting his plays in either antiquity or modernity, the evolution of human thought. His characters in antiquity acquire things through war and conquest, and are hasty in action and judgement. In modernity, however, the characters live in a regime that practices acquisition through trade and commerce. Logically, the characters in modernity are superior to the ones in antiquity. They prefer trade to war, and display logic through their actions. Because Shakespeare set his modern plays in Italy or England, Othello can be classified as a modern play. However, there are some elements of antiquity present in it, such as Othello’s murderous act. Not being logical, Othello looks at the imposed circumstances only through Iago’s perspective, and is completely overtaken by the lies. Emilia’s opinion on the matter doesn’t make any difference, because his mind is already made up by the time he speaks to her. Thus, Othello’s ability to reason is not very well-developed. How strong was he really, when his faith in groundless implications created such a rift in his character during the temptation scene, that he ended up murdering his... ...d fallen in love with her image of him. With this realization, Nora â€Å"dies† in the sense that she is reborn with a new understanding of herself. Death is symbolized through the end of her ignorant days, her marriage to Torvald, and the life she had known. She is reborn through enlightenment, with a desire to discover and understand herself, before anything else.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Whether physical or figurative, death adds a new dimension to Othello and A Doll House. Its presence gives the reader an eerie feeling and intensifies the depth of the plays. As readers, we wonder about the significance of death, and muse over what went on in the heads of Nora and, especially, Othello during the moment of truth. Nora believed in the illusion, whereas Othello was fooled into believing in it. They both went through a transformation, a step higher in consciousness, to a new beginning. Death is a link in the chain of life. Death as change or demise is often feared, because one doesn’t know what to expect. It is said that the best way to banish an enemy is to make it a friend. The concept of death, if understood, will unleash immortality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Defying Male Power in John Websters The Duchess of Malfi Essay

  Ã‚   John Webster's play The Duchess of Malfi is an illustration of the unequal power relations between the sexes during the sixteenth century. In the play the brothers Ferdinand and the Cardinal are shown as men who want to control their sister the Duchess by not letting her remarry. Out of this situation emerges the Duchess who, in spite of her promise not to marry again (p. 1298), will do the complete opposite, thus defying male power. Her conversation with Antonio (lines 317-61, pp. 1292-3) is an example of this because in her speech the Duchess intends to make Antonio realize that she is against both the conventions of marriage codes and men's assumptions of women's sexuality. The Duchess, after she puts her wedding-ring upon Antonio's finger, sets out to convince him that they have the right to become husband and wife. She tells him that his lower status should not stop her from marrying him. Being a Duchess, she argues, she has the power to "raise [him] higher" (line 319). When Antonio objects to such an "ambition" she even offers him her riches. Thus the Duc... Defying Male Power in John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi Essay   Ã‚   John Webster's play The Duchess of Malfi is an illustration of the unequal power relations between the sexes during the sixteenth century. In the play the brothers Ferdinand and the Cardinal are shown as men who want to control their sister the Duchess by not letting her remarry. Out of this situation emerges the Duchess who, in spite of her promise not to marry again (p. 1298), will do the complete opposite, thus defying male power. Her conversation with Antonio (lines 317-61, pp. 1292-3) is an example of this because in her speech the Duchess intends to make Antonio realize that she is against both the conventions of marriage codes and men's assumptions of women's sexuality. The Duchess, after she puts her wedding-ring upon Antonio's finger, sets out to convince him that they have the right to become husband and wife. She tells him that his lower status should not stop her from marrying him. Being a Duchess, she argues, she has the power to "raise [him] higher" (line 319). When Antonio objects to such an "ambition" she even offers him her riches. Thus the Duc...

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 28

Chapter 28 Joshua's ministry was three years of preaching, sometimes three times a day, and although there were some high and low points, I could never remember the sermons word for word, but here's the gist of almost every sermon I ever heard Joshua give. You should be nice to people, even creeps. And if you: a) believed that Joshua was the Son of God (and) b) he had come to save you from sin (and) c) acknowledged the Holy Spirit within you (became as a little child, he would say)(and) d) didn't blaspheme the Holy Ghost (see c), then you would: e) live forever f) someplace nice g) probably heaven. However, if you: h) sinned (and/or) i) were a hypocrite (and/or) j) valued things over people (and) k) didn't do a, b, c, and d, then you were: l) fucked Which is the message that Joshua's father had given him so many years ago, and which seemed, at the time, succinct to the point of rudeness, but made more sense after you listened to a few hundred sermons. That's what he taught, that's what we learned, that's what we passed on to the people in the towns of Galilee. Not everybody was good at it, however, and some seemed to miss the point altogether. One day Joshua, Maggie, and I returned from preaching in Cana to find Bartholomew sitting by the synagogue at Capernaum, preaching the Gospel to a semicircle of dogs that sat around him. The dogs seemed spellbound, but then, Bart was wearing a flank steak as a hat, so I'm not sure it was his speaking skills that held their attention. Joshua snatched the steak off of Bartholomew's head and tossed it into the street, where a dozen dogs suddenly found their faith. â€Å"Bart, Bart, Bart,† Josh said as he shook the big man by the shoulders, â€Å"don't give what's holy to dogs. Don't cast your pearls before swine. You're wasting the Word.† â€Å"I don't have any pearls. I am slave to no possessions.† â€Å"It's a metaphor, Bart,† Joshua said, deadpan. â€Å"It means don't give the Word to those who aren't ready to receive it.† â€Å"You mean like when you drowned the swine in Decapolis? They weren't ready for it?† Joshua looked at me for help. I shrugged. Maggie said, â€Å"That's exactly right, Bart. You got it.† â€Å"Oh, why didn't you say so?† Bart said. â€Å"Okay guys, we're off to preach the Word in Magdala.† He climbed to his feet and led his pack of disciples toward the lake. Joshua looked at Maggie. â€Å"That's not what I meant at all.† â€Å"Yes it is,† she said, then she took off to find Johanna and Susanna, two women who had joined us and were learning to preach the gospel. â€Å"That's not what I meant,† Joshua said to me. â€Å"Have you ever won an argument with her?† He shook his head. â€Å"Then say amen and let's go see what Peter's wife has cooked up.† The disciples were gathered around outside of Peter's house, sitting on the logs we had arranged in a circle around a fire pit. They were all looking down and seemed to be caught in some glum prayer. Even Matthew was there, when he should have been at his job collecting taxes in Magdala. â€Å"What's wrong?† asked Joshua. â€Å"John the Baptist is dead,† said Philip. â€Å"What?† Joshua sat down on the log next to Peter and leaned against him. â€Å"We just saw Bartholomew,† I said. â€Å"He didn't say anything about it.† â€Å"We just found out,† said Andrew. â€Å"Matthew just brought the news from Tiberius.† It was the first time since he'd joined us that I'd seen Matthew without the light of enthusiasm in his face. He might have aged ten years in the last few hours. â€Å"Herod had him beheaded,† he said. â€Å"I thought Herod was afraid of John,† I said. It was rumored that Herod had kept John alive because he actually believed him to be the Messiah and was afraid of the wrath of God should the holy man perish. â€Å"It was at the request of his stepdaughter,† said Matthew. â€Å"John was killed at the behest of a teenage slut.† â€Å"Well, jeez, if he wasn't dead already, the irony would have killed him,† I said. Joshua stared into the dirt before him, thinking or praying, I couldn't tell. Finally he said, â€Å"John's followers will be like babes in the wilderness.† â€Å"Thirsty?† guessed Nathaniel. â€Å"Hungry?† guessed Peter. â€Å"Horny?† guessed Thomas. â€Å"No, you dumbfucks, lost. They'll be lost!† I said. â€Å"Jeez.† Joshua stood. â€Å"Philip, Thaddeus, go to Judea, tell John's followers that they are welcome here. Tell them that John's work is not lost. Bring them here.† â€Å"But master,† Judas said, â€Å"John has thousands of followers. If they come here, how will we feed them?† â€Å"He's new,† I explained. The next day was the Sabbath, and in the morning as we all headed to the synagogue, an old man in fine clothes ran out of the bushes and threw himself at Joshua's feet. â€Å"Oh, Rabbi,† he wailed, â€Å"I am the mayor of Magdala. My youngest daughter has died. People say that you can heal the sick and raise the dead, will you help me?† Joshua looked around. A half-dozen local Pharisees watched us from different points around the village. Joshua turned to Peter. â€Å"Take the Word to the synagogue today. I am going to help this man.† â€Å"Thank you, Rabbi,† the rich man gushed. He hurried off and waved for us to follow. â€Å"Where are you taking us?† I asked. â€Å"Only as far as Magdala,† he said. To Joshua I said, â€Å"That's farther than a Sabbath's journey allows.† â€Å"I know,† Joshua said. As we passed through all of the small villages along the coast on the way to Magdala, people came out of their houses and followed us for as long as they dared on a Sabbath, but I could also see the elders, the Pharisees, watching as we went. The mayor's house was large for Magdala, and his daughter had her own sleeping room. He led Joshua into the bedchamber where the girl lay. â€Å"Please save her, Rabbi.† Joshua bent down and examined the girl. â€Å"Go out of here,† he said to the old man. â€Å"Out of the house.† When the mayor was gone Joshua looked at me. â€Å"She's not dead.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"This girl is sleeping. Maybe they've given her some strong wine, or some sleeping powder, but she is not dead.† â€Å"So this is a trap?† â€Å"I didn't see this one coming either,† Joshua said. â€Å"They expect me to claim that I raised her from the dead, healed her, when she's only sleeping. Blasphemy and healing on the Sabbath.† â€Å"Let me raise her from the dead, then. I mean, I can do this one if she's only sleeping.† â€Å"They'll blame me for whatever you do as well. You may be their target too. The local Pharisees didn't devise this themselves.† â€Å"Jakan?† Josh nodded. â€Å"Go get the old man, and gather as many witnesses as you can, Pharisees as well. Make a ruckus.† When I had about fifty people gathered in and around the house, Joshua announced, â€Å"This girl isn't dead, she's sleeping, you foolish old man.† Joshua shook the girl and she sat up rubbing her eyes. â€Å"Keep watch on your strong wine, old man. Rejoice that you have not lost your daughter, but grieve that you have broken the Sabbath for your ignorance.† Then Joshua stormed out and I followed him. When we were a ways down the street he said, â€Å"Do you think they bought it?† â€Å"Nope,† I said. â€Å"Me either,† Joshua said. In the morning a Roman soldier came to Peter's house with messages. I was still sleeping when I heard the shouting. â€Å"I can only speak to Joshua of Nazareth,† someone said in Latin. â€Å"You'll speak to me or you'll never speak again,† I heard someone else say. (Obviously someone who had no desire to live a long life.) I was up and running in an instant, my tunic waving unbelted behind me. I rounded the corner at Peter's house to see Judas facing down a legionnaire. The soldier had partially drawn his short sword. â€Å"Judas!† I barked. â€Å"Back down.† I put myself between them. I knew I could disarm the soldier easily, but not the legion that would follow him if I did. â€Å"Who sends you, soldier?† â€Å"I have a message from Gaius Justus Gallicus, commander of the Sixth Legion, for Joshua bar Joseph of Nazareth.† He glared at Judas over my shoulder. â€Å"But there is nothing in my orders to keep me from killing this dog while delivering it.† I turned to face Judas, whose face was on fire with anger. I knew he carried a dagger in his sash, although I hadn't told Joshua about it. â€Å"Justus is a friend, Judas.† â€Å"No Roman is the friend of a Jew,† said Judas, making no effort whatever to whisper. And at that point, realizing that Joshua hadn't reached our new Zealot recruit with the message of forgiveness for all men, and that he was going to get himself killed, I quickly reached up under Judas' tunic, clamped onto his scrotum, squeezed once, rapidly and extremely hard, and after he blasted a mouthful of slobber on my chest, his eyes rolled in his head and he slumped to his knees, unconscious. I caught him and lowered him to the ground so he didn't hit his head. Then I turned to the Roman. â€Å"Fainting spells,† I said. â€Å"Let's go find Joshua.† Justus had sent us three messages from Jerusalem: Jakan had indeed divorced Maggie; the Pharisees' full council had met and they were plotting to kill Joshua; and Herod Antipas had heard of Joshua's miracles and was afraid that he might be the reincarnation of John the Baptist. Justus' only personal note was one word: Careful. â€Å"Joshua, you need to hide,† said Maggie. â€Å"Leave Herod's territory until things settle down. Go to Decapolis, preach to the gentiles. Herod Philip has no love for his brother, his soldiers won't bother you.† Maggie had become a fiercely dedicated preacher herself. It was as if she had channeled her personal passion for Joshua into a passion for the Word. â€Å"Not yet,† said Joshua. â€Å"Not until Philip and Thaddeus return with John's followers. I will not leave them lost. I need a sermon, one that can serve as if it was my last, one that will sustain the lost while I'm gone. Once I deliver it to Galilee, I'll go to Philip's territory.† I looked at Maggie and she nodded, as if to say, Do what you have to, but protect him. â€Å"Let's write it then,† I said. Like any great speech, the Sermon on the Mount sounds as if it just happened spontaneously, but actually Joshua and I worked on it for over a week – Joshua dictating and me taking notes on parchment. (I had invented a way of sandwiching a thin piece of charcoal between two pieces of olive wood so that I could write without carrying a quill and inkwell.) We worked in front of Peter's house, out in the boat, even on the mountainside where he would deliver the sermon. Joshua wanted to devote a long section of the sermon to adultery, largely, I realize now, motivated by my relationship with Maggie. Even though Maggie had resolved to stay celibate and preach the Word, I think Joshua wanted to drive the point home. Joshua said, â€Å"Put in ‘If a man even looks at a woman with lust in his heart, he has committed adultery.'† â€Å"Really, you want to go with that? And this ‘If a divorced woman remarries she commits adultery'?† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"Seems a little harsh. A little Pharisee-ish.† â€Å"I had some people in mind. What do you have?† â€Å"‘Verily I say unto you' – I know you like to say ‘verily' when you're talking about adultery – anyway, ‘Verily I say unto you, that should a man put oil upon a woman's naked body, and make her go upon all fours and bark like a dog, while knowing her, if you know what I mean, then he has committed adultery, and surely if a woman do the same thing right back, well she has jumped on the adultery donkey cart herownself. And if a woman should pretend to be a powerful queen, and a man a lowly slave boy, and if she should call him humiliating names and make him lick upon her body, then surely they have sinned like big dogs – and woe unto the man if he pretends to be a powerful queen, and – ‘† â€Å"That's enough, Biff.† â€Å"But you want to be specific, don't you. You don't want people to walk around wondering, ‘Hey, is this adultery, or what? Maybe you should roll over.'† â€Å"I'm not sure that being that specific is a good idea.† â€Å"Okay, how 'bout this: ‘Should a man or a woman have any goings-on with their mutual naughty bits, then it is more than likely they are committing adultery, or at least they should consider it.'† â€Å"Well, maybe more specific than that.† â€Å"Come on, Josh, this isn't an easy one like ‘Thou shalt not kill.' Basically, there you got a corpse, you got a sin, right?† â€Å"Yes, adultery can be sticky.† â€Å"Well, yes†¦Look, a seagull!† â€Å"Biff, I appreciate that you feel obliged to be an advocate for your favorite sins, but that's not what I need here. What I need is help writing this sermon. How we doing on the Beatitudes?† â€Å"Pardon me?† â€Å"The blesseds.† â€Å"We've got: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness; blessed are the poor in spirit, the pure in heart, the whiners, the meek, the – â€Å" â€Å"Wait, what are we giving the meek?† â€Å"Let's see, uh, here: Blessed are the meek, for to them we shall say, ‘attaboy.'† â€Å"A little weak.† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"Let's let the meek inherit the earth.† â€Å"Can't you give the earth to the whiners?† â€Å"Well then, cut the whiners and give the earth to the meek.† â€Å"Okay. Earth to the meek. Here we go. Blessed are the peacemakers, the mourners, and that's it.† â€Å"How many is that?† â€Å"Seven.† â€Å"Not enough. We need one more. How about the dumbfucks?† â€Å"No, Josh, not the dumbfucks. You've done enough for the dumbfucks. Nathaniel, Thomas – â€Å" â€Å"Blessed are the dumbfucks for they, uh – I don't know – they shall never be disappointed.† â€Å"No, I'm drawing the line at dumbfucks. Come on, Josh, why can't we have any powerful guys on our team? Why do we have to have the meek, and the poor, the oppressed, and the pissed on? Why can't we, for once, have blessed are the big powerful rich guys with swords?† â€Å"Because they don't need us.† â€Å"Okay, but no ‘Blessed are the dumbfucks.'† â€Å"Who then?† â€Å"Sluts?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"How about the wankers? I can think of five or six disciples that would be really blessed.† â€Å"No wankers. I've got it: Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake.† â€Å"Okay, better. What are you going to give them?† â€Å"A fruit basket.† â€Å"You can't give the meek the whole earth and these guys a fruit basket.† â€Å"Give them the kingdom of heaven.† â€Å"The poor in spirit got that.† â€Å"Everybody gets some.† â€Å"Okay then, ‘share the Kingdom of Heaven.'† I wrote it down. â€Å"We could give the fruit basket to the dumbfucks.† â€Å"NO DUMBFUCKS!† â€Å"Sorry, I just feel for them.† â€Å"You feel for everyone, Josh. It's your job.† â€Å"Oh yeah. I forgot.† We finished writing the sermon only a few hours before Philip and Thaddeus returned from Judea leading three thousand of John's followers. Joshua had them gather on a hillside above Capernaum, then sent the disciples into the crowd to find the sick and bring them to him. He performed miracles of healing all morning, then coming into the afternoon he gathered us together at the spring below the mountain. Peter said, â€Å"There's at least another thousand people from Galilee on the hill, Joshua, and they are hungry.† â€Å"How much food do we have?† Joshua asked. Judas came forward with a basket. â€Å"Five loaves and two fish.† â€Å"That will do, but you'll need more baskets. And about a hundred volunteers to help distribute the food. Nathaniel, you, Bartholomew, and Thomas go into the crowd and find me fifty to a hundred people who have their own baskets. Bring them here. By the time you get back we'll have the food for them.† Judas threw down his basket. â€Å"We have five loaves, how do you think – â€Å" Joshua held up his hand for silence and the Zealot clammed up. â€Å"Judas, today you've seen the lame walk, the blind see, and the deaf hear.† â€Å"Not to mention the blind hear and the deaf see,† I added. Joshua scowled at me. â€Å"It will take little more to feed a few of the faithful.† â€Å"There are but five loaves!† shouted Judas. â€Å"Judas, once there was a rich man, who built great barns and granaries so he could save all of the fruits of his wealth long into his old age. But on the very day his barns were finished, the Lord said, â€Å"Hey, we need you up here.† And the rich man did say, â€Å"Oh shit, I'm dead.† So what good did his stuff do him?† â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"Don't worry about what you're going to eat.† Nathaniel, Bart, and Thomas started off to their assigned duty, but Maggie grabbed Nathaniel and held him fast. â€Å"No,† she said. â€Å"No one does anything until you promise us that you'll go into hiding after this sermon.† Joshua smiled. â€Å"How can I hide, Maggie? Who will spread the Word? Who will heal the sick?† â€Å"We will,† Maggie continued. â€Å"Now promise. Go into the land of the gentiles, out of Herod's reach, just until things calm down. Promise or we don't move.† Peter and Andrew stepped up behind Maggie to show their support. John and James were nodding as she spoke. â€Å"So be it,† said Joshua. â€Å"But now we have hungry people to feed.† And we fed them. The loaves and the fish were multiplied, jars were brought in from the surrounding villages and filled with water, which was carried to the mountainside, and all the while the local Pharisees watched and growled and spied, but they hadn't missed the healings, and they didn't miss the Sermon on the Mount, and word of it went back to Jerusalem with their poison reports. Afterward, at the spring by the shore, I gathered up the last of the pieces of bread to take home with us. Joshua came down the shore with a basket over his head, then pulled it off when he got to me. â€Å"When we said we wanted you to hide we meant something a little less obvious, Joshua. Great sermon, by the way.† Joshua started helping me gather up the bread that was strewn around on the ground. â€Å"I wanted to talk to you and I couldn't get away from the crowd without hiding under the basket. I'm having a little trouble preaching humility.† â€Å"You're so good at that one. People line up to hear the humility sermon.† â€Å"How can I preach that the humble will be exalted and the exalted will be humbled at the same time I'm being exalted by four thousand people?† â€Å"Bodhisattva, Josh. Remember what Gaspar taught you about being a bodhisattva. You don't have to be humble, because you are denying your own ascension by bringing the good news to other people. You're out of the humility flow, so to speak.† â€Å"Oh yeah.† He smiled. â€Å"But now that you mention it,† I said, â€Å"it does seem a little hypocritical.† â€Å"I'm not proud of that.† â€Å"Then you're okay.† That evening, when we had all gathered again in Capernaum, Joshua called us to the fire ring in front of Peter's house and we watched the last gold of the sunlight reflecting on the lake as Joshua led us in a prayer of thanks. Then he made the call: â€Å"Okay, who wants to be an apostle?† â€Å"I do, I do,† said Nathaniel. â€Å"What's an apostle?† â€Å"That's a guy who makes drugs,† I said. â€Å"Me, me,† said Nathaniel. â€Å"I want to make drugs.† â€Å"I'll try that,† said John. â€Å"That's an apothecary,† said Matthew. â€Å"An apothecary mixes powders and makes drugs. Apostle means ‘to send off.'† â€Å"Is this kid a whiz, or what,† I said, pointing a thumb at Matthew. â€Å"That's right,† said Joshua, â€Å"messengers. You'll be sent off to spread the message that the kingdom has come.† â€Å"Isn't that what we're doing now?† asked Peter. â€Å"No, now you're disciples, but I want to appoint apostles who will take the Word into the land. There will be twelve, for the twelve tribes of Israel. I'll give you power to heal, and power over devils. You'll be like me, only in a different outfit. You'll take nothing with you except your clothes. You'll live only off the charity of those you preach to. You'll be on your own, like sheep among wolves. People will persecute you and spit on you, and maybe beat you, and if that happens, well, it happens. Shake off the dust and move on. Now, who's with me?† And there was a roaring silence among the disciples. â€Å"How about you, Maggie?† â€Å"I'm not much of a traveler, Josh. Makes me nauseous. Disciple's fine with me.† â€Å"How 'bout you, Biff?† â€Å"I'm good. Thanks.† Joshua stood up and just counted them off. â€Å"Nathaniel, Peter, Andrew, Philip, James, John, Thaddeus, Judas, Matthew, Thomas, Bartholomew, and Simon. You're the apostles. Now get out there and apostilize.† And they all looked at each other. â€Å"Spread the good news, the son of man is here! The kingdom is coming. Go! Go! Go!† They got up and sort of milled around. â€Å"Can we take our wives?† asked James. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Or one of the women disciples?† asked Matthew. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Can Thomas Two go too?† â€Å"Yes, Thomas Two can go.† Their questions answered, they milled around some more. â€Å"Biff,† Joshua said. â€Å"Will you assign territories for everybody and send them out?† â€Å"Okey-dokey,† I said. â€Å"Who wants Samaria? No one? Good. Peter, it's yours. Give 'em hell. Caesarea? Come on, you weenies, step up†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Thus were the twelve appointed to their sacred mission. The next morning seventy of the people who we'd recruited to help feed the multitude came to Joshua when they heard about the appointing of the apostles. â€Å"Why only twelve?† one man asked. â€Å"You all want to cast off what you own, leave your families, and risk persecution and death to spread the good news?† Joshua asked. â€Å"Yes,† they all shouted. Joshua looked at me as if he himself couldn't believe it. â€Å"It was a really good sermon,† I said. â€Å"So be it,† said Joshua. â€Å"Biff, you and Matthew assign territories. Send no one to his hometown. That doesn't seem to work very well.† And so the twelve and the seventy were sent out, and Joshua, Maggie, and I went into Decapolis, which was the territory of Herod's brother, Philip, and camped and fished and basically hid out. Joshua preached a little, but only to small groups, and although he did heal the sick, he asked them not to tell anyone about the miracles. After three months hiding in Philip's territory, word came by boat from across the lake that someone had intervened on Joshua's behalf with the Pharisees and that the death warrant, which had never really been formal, had been lifted. We went home to Capernaum and waited for the apostles to return. Their enthusiasm had waned some after months in the field. â€Å"It sucks.† â€Å"People are mean.† â€Å"Lepers are creepy.† Matthew came out of Judea with more news of Joshua's mysterious benefactor from Jerusalem. â€Å"His name is Joseph of Arimathea,† said Matthew. â€Å"He's a wealthy merchant, and he owns ships and vineyards and olive presses. He seems to have the ear of the Pharisees, but he is not one of them. His wealth has given him some influence with the Romans as well. They are considering making him a citizen, I hear.† â€Å"What makes him want to help us?† I asked. â€Å"I talked to him for a long time about the kingdom, and about the Holy Ghost and the rest of Joshua's message. He believes.† Matthew smiled broadly, obviously proud of his powerful convert. â€Å"He wants you to come to his house for dinner, Joshua. In Jerusalem.† â€Å"Are you sure it's safe for Joshua there?† asked Maggie. â€Å"Joseph has sent this letter guaranteeing Joshua's safety along with all who accompany him to Jerusalem.† Matthew held out the letter. Maggie took the scroll and unrolled it. â€Å"My name is on this too. And Biff's.† â€Å"Joseph knew you would be coming, and I told him that Biff sticks to Joshua like a leech.† â€Å"Excuse me?† â€Å"I mean, that you accompany the master wherever he travels,† Matthew added quickly. â€Å"But why me?† Maggie asked. â€Å"Your brother Simon who is called Lazarus, he is very sick. Dying. He's asked for you. Joseph wanted you to know that you would have safe passage.† Josh grabbed his satchel and started walking that moment. â€Å"Let's go,† he said. â€Å"Peter, you are in charge until I return. Biff, Maggie, we need to make Tiberius before dark. I'm going to see if I can borrow some camels there. Matthew, you come too, you know this Joseph. And Thomas, you come along, I want to talk to you.† So off we went, into what I was sure were the jaws of a trap. Along the way Joshua called Thomas to walk beside him. Maggie and I walked behind them only a few paces, so we could hear their conversation. Thomas kept stopping to make sure that Thomas Two could keep up with them. â€Å"They all think I'm mad,† Thomas said. â€Å"They laugh at me behind my back. Thomas Two has told me.† â€Å"Thomas, you know I can lay my hands upon you and you will be cured. Thomas Two will no longer speak to you. The others won't laugh at you.† Thomas walked along for a while without saying anything, but when he looked back at Joshua I could see tears streaking his cheeks. â€Å"If Thomas Two goes away, then I'll be alone.† â€Å"You won't be alone. You'll have me.† â€Å"Not for long. You don't have long with us.† â€Å"How do you know that?† â€Å"Thomas Two told me.† â€Å"We won't tell the others quite yet, all right, Thomas?† â€Å"Not if you don't want me to. But you won't cure me, will you? You won't make Thomas Two go away?† â€Å"No,† Joshua said. â€Å"We may both need an extra friend soon.† He patted Thomas on the shoulder, then turned to walk on ahead to catch up with Matthew. â€Å"Well, don't step on him!† Thomas shouted. â€Å"Sorry,† said Joshua. I looked at Maggie. â€Å"Did you hear that?† She nodded. â€Å"You can't let it happen, Biff. He doesn't seem to care about his own life, but I do, and you do, and if you let harm come to him I'll never forgive you.† â€Å"But Maggie, everyone is supposed to be forgiven.† â€Å"Not you. Not if something happens to Josh.† â€Å"So be it. So, hey, once Joshua heals your brother, you want to go do something, get some pomegranate juice, or a falafel, or get married or something?† She stopped in her tracks, so I stopped too. â€Å"Are you ever paying attention to anything that goes on around you?† â€Å"I'm sorry, I was overcome by faith there for a moment. What did you say?† When we got to Bethany, Martha was waiting for us in the street in front of Simon's house. She went right to Joshua and he held out his arms to embrace her, but when she got to him she pushed him away. â€Å"My brother is dead,† she said. â€Å"Where were you?† â€Å"I came as soon as I heard.† Maggie went to Martha and held her as they both cried. The rest of us stood around feeling awkward. The two old blind guys, Crustus and Abel, whom Joshua had once healed, came over from across the street. â€Å"Dead, dead and buried four days,† said Crustus. â€Å"He turned a sort of chartreuse at the end.† â€Å"Emerald, it was emerald, not chartreuse,† said Abel. â€Å"My friend Simon truly sleeps, then,† Joshua said. Thomas came up and put his hand on Joshua's shoulder. â€Å"No, master, he's dead. Thomas Two thinks it may have been a hairball. Simon was a leopard, you know?† I couldn't stand it. â€Å"He was a LEPER, you idiot! Not a leopard.† â€Å"Well, he IS dead!† shouted Thomas back. â€Å"Not sleeping.† â€Å"Joshua was being figurative, he knows he's dead.† â€Å"Do you guys think you could be just a little more insensitive?† said Matthew, pointing to the weeping sisters. â€Å"Look, tax collector, when I want your two shekels I'll ask – â€Å" â€Å"Where is he?† Joshua asked, his voice booming over the sobs and protests. Martha pushed out of her sister's embrace and looked at Joshua. â€Å"He bought a tomb in Kidron,† said Martha. â€Å"Take me there, I need to wake my friend.† â€Å"Dead,† said Thomas. â€Å"Dead, dead, dead.† There was a sparkle of hope amid the tears in Martha's eyes. â€Å"Wake him?† â€Å"Dead as a doornail. Dead as Moses. Mmmph†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Matthew clamped his hand over Thomas's mouth, which saved me having to render the twin unconscious with a brick. â€Å"You believe that Simon will rise from the dead, don't you?† asked Joshua. â€Å"In the end, when the kingdom comes, and everyone is raised, yes, I believe.† â€Å"Do you believe I am who I say I am?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"Then show me where my friend lies sleeping.† Martha moved like a sleepwalker, her exhaustion and grief driven back just enough for her to lead us up the road to the Mount of Olives and down into the Kidron Valley. Maggie had been deeply shaken by the news of her brother's death as well, so Thomas and Matthew helped her along while I walked with Joshua. â€Å"Four days dead, Josh. Four days. Divine Spark or not, the flesh is empty.† â€Å"Simon will walk again if he is but bone,† said Joshua. â€Å"Okey-dokey. But this has never been one of your better miracles.† When we got to the tomb there was a tall, thin, aristocratic man sitting outside eating a fig. He was clean-shaven and his gray hair was cut short like a Roman's. If he hadn't worn the two-striped tunic of a Jew I would have thought him a Roman citizen. â€Å"I thought you would come here,† he said. He knelt before Joshua. â€Å"Rabbi, I'm Joseph of Arimathea. I sent word through your disciple Matthew that I wanted to meet with you. How may I serve?† â€Å"Stand up, Joseph. Help roll away this stone.† As with many of the larger tombs carved into the side of the mountain, there was a large flat stone covering the doorway. Joshua put his arms around Maggie and Martha while the rest of us wrestled with the stone. As soon as the seal was broken I was hit with a stench that gagged me and Thomas actually lost his supper in the dirt. â€Å"He stinks,† said Matthew. â€Å"I thought he would smell more like a cat,† said Thomas. â€Å"Don't make me come over there, Thomas,† I said. We pushed the stone as far as it would go, then we ran away gasping for fresh air. Joshua held his arms out as if waiting to embrace his friend. â€Å"Come out, Simon Lazarus, come out into the light.† Nothing but stench came out of the tomb. â€Å"Come forth, Simon. Come out of that tomb,† Joshua commanded. And absolutely nothing happened. Joseph of Arimathea shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. â€Å"I wanted to talk to you about the dinner at my house before you got there, Joshua.† Joshua held up his hand for silence. â€Å"Simon, dammit, come out of there.† And ever so weakly, there came a voice from inside the tomb. â€Å"No.† â€Å"What do you mean, ‘no'? You have risen from the dead, now come forth. Show these unbelievers that you have risen.† â€Å"I believe,† I said. â€Å"Convinced me,† said Matthew. â€Å"A no is as good as a personal appearance, as far as I'm concerned,† said Joseph of Arimathea. I'm not sure any of us who had smelled the stench of rotting flesh really wanted to see the source. Even Maggie and Martha seemed a little dubious about their brother's coming out. â€Å"Simon, get your leprous ass out here,† Joshua commanded. â€Å"But I'm†¦I'm all icky.† â€Å"We've all seen icky before,† said Joshua. â€Å"Now come out into the light.† â€Å"My skin is all green, like an unripe olive.† â€Å"Olive green!† declared Crustus, who had followed us into Kidron. â€Å"I told you it wasn't chartreuse.† â€Å"What the hell does he know? He's dead,† said Abel. Finally Joshua lowered his arms and stormed into the tomb. â€Å"I can't believe that you bring a guy back from the dead and he doesn't even have the courtesy to come out – WHOA! HOLY MOLY!† Joshua came backing out of the tomb, stiff-legged. Very calmly and quietly, he said, â€Å"We need clean clothes, and some water to wash with, and bandages, lots of bandages. I can heal him, but we have to sort of get all of his parts stuck back together first.† â€Å"Hold on, Simon,† Joshua shouted to the tomb, â€Å"we're getting some supplies, then I'll come in and heal your affliction.† â€Å"What affliction?† asked Simon.