The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 1. ULTIMATUM

Bella, I don't know why you're making Charlie carry notes to Billy like we're in second grade if I wanted to talk to you I would answer the You made the choice here, okay? You can't have it both ways when What part of ‘mortal enemies' is too complicated for you to Look, I know I'm being a jerk, but there's just no way around We can't be friends when you're spending all your time with a bunch of It just makes it worse when I think about you too much, so don't write anymore Yeah, I miss you, too. A lot. Doesn't change anything. Sorry. Jacob I ran my fingers across the page, feeling the dents where he had pressed the pen to the paper so hard that it had nearly broken through. I could picture him writing this?scrawling the angry letters in his rough handwriting, slashing through line after line when the words came out wrong, maybe even snapping the pen in his too-big hand; that would explain the ink splatters. I could imagine the frustration pulling his black eyebrows together and crumpling his forehead. If it'd been there, I might have laughed. Don't give yourself a brain hemorrhage, Jacob, I would have told him. Just spit it out. Laughing was the last thing I felt like doing now as I reread the words I'd already memorized. His answer to my pleading note?passed from Charlie to Billy to him, just like second grade, as he'd pointed out?was no surprise. I'd known the essence of what it would say before I'd opened it. What was surprising was how much each crossed-out line wounded me?as if the points of the letters had cutting edges. More than that, behind each angry beginning lurked a vast pool of hurt; Jacob's pain cut me deeper than my own. While I was pondering this, I caught the unmistakable scent of a smoking burner rising from the kitchen. In another house, the fact that someone besides myself was cooking might not be a cause for panicking. I shoved the wrinkled paper into my back pocket and ran. I made it downstairs in the nick of time. The jar of spaghetti sauce Charlie'd stuck in the microwave was only on its first revolution when I yanked the door open and pulled it out. â€Å"What did I do wrong?† Charlie demanded. â€Å"You're supposed to take the lid off first, Dad. Metal's bad for microwaves.† I swiftly removed the lid as I spoke, poured half the sauce into a bowl, and then put the bowl inside the microwave and the jar back in the fridge; I fixed the time and pressed start. Charlie watched my adjustments with pursed lips. â€Å"Did I get the noodle's right?† I looked in the pan on the stove?the source of the smell that had alerted me. â€Å"Stirring helps,† I said mildly. I found a spoon and tried to de-clump the mushy hunk that was scalded at the bottom. Charlie sighed. â€Å"So what's all this about?† I asked him. He folded his arms across his chest and glared out the back windows into the sheeting rain. â€Å"Don't know what you're talking about,† he grumbled. I was mystified. Charlie cooking? And what was with the surly attitude? Edward wasn't here yet; usually my dad reserved this kind of behavior for my boyfriend's benefit, doing his best to illustrate the theme of â€Å"unwelcome† with every word and posture. Charlie's efforts were unnecessary?Edward knew exactly what my dad was thinking without the show. The word boyfriend had me chewing on the inside of my cheek with familiar tension while I stirred. It wasn't the right word, not at all. I needed something more expressive of eternal commitment?. But words like destiny and fate sounded hokey when you used them in casual conversation. Edward had another word in mind, and that word was the source of the tension I felt. It put my teeth on edge just to think it to myself. Fiance. Ugh. I shuddered away from the though. â€Å"Did you miss something? Since when do you make dinner?† I asked Charlie. The pasta lump bobbed in the boiling water as I poked it. â€Å"Or try to make dinner, I should say.† Charlie shrugged. â€Å"There's no law that says I can't cook in my own house.† â€Å"You would know,† I replied, grinning as I eyed the badge pinned to his leather jacket. â€Å"Ha. Good one.† He shrugged out of the jacket as if my glance had reminded him he still had it on, and hung it on the peg reserved for his gear. His gun belt was already slung in place?he hadn't felt the need to wear that to the station for a few weeks. There had been no more disturbing disappearances to trouble the small town of Forks, Washington, no more sighting of the giant, mysterious wolves in the ever-rainy woods?. I prodded the noodles in silence, guessing that Charlie would get around to talking about whatever was bothering him in his own time. My dad was not a man of many words, and the effort he had put into trying to orchestrate a sit-down dinner with me made it clear there were an unusual characteristic number of words on his mind. I glanced at the clock routinely?something I did every few minutes around this time. Less than a half hour to go now. Afternoons were the hardest part of my day. Ever since my former best friend (and werewolf), Jacob Black, had informed on me about the motorcycle I'd been riding on the sly?a betrayal he had devised in order to get my grounded so that I couldn't spend time with my boyfriend (and vampire), Edward Cullen?Edward had been allowed to see me only from seven till nine-thirty p.m., always inside the confines of my home and under the supervision of my dad's unfailingly crabby glare. This was an escalation from the previous, slightly less stringent grounding that I'd earned from an unexplained three-day disappearance and one episode of cliff diving. Of course, I still saw Edward at school, because there wasn't anything Charlie could do about that. And then, Edward spent almost every night in my room, too, but Charlie wasn't precisely aware of that. Edward's ability to climb easily and silently through my second-story window was almost as useful as his ability to read Charlie's mind. Though the afternoon was the only time I spent away from Edward, it was enough to make me restless, and the hours always dragged. Still, I endured my punishment without complaining because?for one thing?I knew I'd earned it, and?for another?because I couldn't bear to hurt my dad by moving out now, when a much more permanent separation hovered, invisible to Charlie, so close on my horizon. My dad sat down at the table with a grunt and unfolded the damp newspaper there; within seconds he was clucking his tongue in disapproval. â€Å"I don't know why you read the paper, Dad. It only ticks you off.† He ignored me, grumbling at the paper in his hands. â€Å"This is why everyone wants to live in a small town! Ridiculous.† â€Å"What have big cities done wrong now?† â€Å"Seattle's making a run for murder capitol of the country. Five unsolved homicides in the last two weeks. Can you imagine living like that?† â€Å"I think Phoenix is actually higher up in the homicide list, Dad. I have lived like that.† And I'd never come close to being a murder victim until after I moved to his safe little town. In fact, was still on several hit lists?. The spoon shook in my hands, making the water tremble. â€Å"Well, you couldn't pay me enough,† Charlie said. I gave up on saving dinner and settled for serving it; I had to use a steak knife to cut a portion of spaghetti for Charlie and then myself, while he watched with a sheepish expression. Charlie coated his helping with sauce and dug in. I disguised my own clump as well as I could and followed his example without much enthusiasm. We ate in silence for a moment. Charlie was still scanning the news, so I picked up my much-abused copy of Wuthering Heights from where I'd left it this morning at breakfast, and tried to lose myself in the turn-of-the-century England while I waited for him to start talking. I was just to the part where Heathcliff returns when Charlie cleared his throat and threw the paper to the floor. â€Å"You're right,† Charlie said. â€Å"I did have a reason for doing this.† He waved his fork at the gluey spread. â€Å"I wanted to talk to you.† I laid the book aside; the binding was so destroyed that it slumped flat to the table. â€Å"You could have just asked.† He nodded, his eyebrows pulling together. â€Å"Yeah. I'll remember that next time. I thought taking dinner off your hands would soften you up.† I laughed. â€Å"It worked?your cooking skills have me soft as a marshmallow. What do you need, Dad?† â€Å"Well, it's about Jacob.† I felt my face harden. â€Å"What about him?† I asked through stiff lips. â€Å"Easy, Bells. I know you're still upset that he told on you, but it was the right thing. He was being responsible.† â€Å"Responsible,† I repeated scathingly, rolling my eyes. â€Å"Right. So what about Jacob?† The careless question repeated inside my head, anything but trivial. What about Jacob? What was I going to do about him? My former best friend who was now?what? My enemy? I cringed. Charlie's face was suddenly wary. â€Å"Don't get mad at me, okay?† â€Å"Mad?† â€Å"Well, it's about Edward, too.† My eyes narrowed. Charlie's voice got gruffer. â€Å"I let him in the house, don't I?† â€Å"You do,† I admitted. â€Å"For brief periods of time. Of course, you might let me out of the house for brief periods of time now and then, too,† I continued?only jokingly; I knew I was on lockdown for the duration of the school year. â€Å"I've been pretty good lately.† â€Å"Well, that's kind of where I was heading with this?.† And then Charlie's face stretched into an unexpected eye-crinkling grin; for a second he looked twenty years younger. I saw a dim glimmer of possibility in that smile, but I proceeded slowly. â€Å"I'm confused, Dad. Are we talking about Jacob, or Edward, or me being grounded?† The grin flashed again. â€Å"Sort of all three.† â€Å"And how do they relate?† I asked, cautious. â€Å"Okay.† He sighed, raising his hands as if in surrender. â€Å"So I'm thinking maybe you deserve a parole for good behavior. For a teenager, you're surprisingly non-whiney.† My voice and eyebrows shot up. â€Å"Seriously? I'm free?† Where was this coming from? I'd been positive I would be under house arrest until I actually moved out, and Edward hadn't picked up any wavering in Charlie's thoughts?. Charlie held up one finger. â€Å"Conditionally.† The enthusiasm vanished. â€Å"Fantastic,† I groaned. â€Å"Bella, this is more of a request than a demand, okay? You're free. But I'm hoping you'll use that freedom?judiciously.† â€Å"What does that mean?† He sighed again. â€Å"I know you're satisfied to spend all your time with Edward?† â€Å"I spend time with Alice, too,† I interjected. Edward's sister had no hours of visitation; she came and went as she pleased. Charlie was putty in her capable hands. â€Å"That's true,† he said. â€Å"But you have other friends besides the Cullens, Bella. Or you used to.† We stared at each other for a long moment. † When was the last time you spoke to Angela Weber?† he threw at me. â€Å"Friday at lunch,† I answered immediately. Before Edward's return, my school friends had polarized into two groups. I liked to think of those groups as good vs. evil. Us and them worked, too. The good guys were Angela, her steady boyfriend Ben Cheney, and Mike Newton; these three had all very generously forgiven me for going crazy when Edward left. Lauren Mallory was the evil core of the them side, and almost everyone else, including my first friend in Forks, Jessica Stanley, seemed content to go along with her anti-Bella agenda. With Edward back at school, the dividing line had become even more distinct. Edward's return had taken its toll on Mike's friendship, but Angela was unswervingly loyal, and Ben followed her lead. Despite the natural aversion most humans felt toward the Cullens, Angela sat dutifully beside Alice every day at lunch. After a few weeks, Angela even looked comfortable there. It was difficult not to be charmed by the Cullens?once one gave them the chance to be charming. â€Å"Outside of school?† Charlie asked, calling my attention back. â€Å"I haven't seen anyone outside of school, Dad. Grounded, remember? And Angela has a boyfriend, too. She's always with Ben. If I'm really free,† I added, heavy on the skepticism, â€Å"maybe we could double.† â€Å"Okay. But then?† He hesitated. â€Å"You and Jake used to be joined at the hip, and now?† I cut him off. â€Å"Can you get to the point, Dad? What's your condition?exactly?† â€Å"I don't think you should dump all your other friends for your boyfriend, Bella,† he said in a stern voice. â€Å"It's not nice, and I think your life would be better balanced if you kept some other people in it. What happened last September?† I flinched. â€Å"Well,† he said defensively. â€Å"If you'd had more of a life outside of Edward Cullen, it might not have been like that.† â€Å"It would have been exactly like that,† I muttered. â€Å"Maybe, maybe not.† â€Å"The point?† I reminded him. â€Å"Use your new freedom to see your other friends, too. Keep it balanced.† I nodded slowly. â€Å"Balance is good. Do I have specific time quotas to fill, though?† He made a face, but shook his head. â€Å"I don't want to make this complicated. Just don't forget about your friends?particularly Jacob.† It took me a moment to find the right words. â€Å"Jacob might be?difficult.† â€Å"The Blacks are practically family, Bella† he said, stern and fatherly again. â€Å"And Jacob has been a very, very good friend to you.† â€Å"I know that.† â€Å"Don't you miss him at all?† Charlie asked, frustrated. My throat suddenly felt swollen; I had to clear it twice before I answered. â€Å"Yes, I do miss him,† I admitted, still looking down. â€Å"I miss him a lot.† â€Å"Then why is it difficult?† It wasn't something I was at liberty to explain. It was against the rules for normal people?human people like me and Charlie?to know about the clandestine world full of myths and monsters that existed secretly around us. I knew all about that world?and I was in no small amount of trouble as a result. I wasn't about to get Charlie in the same trouble. â€Å"With Jacob there is?a conflict,† I said slowly. â€Å"A conflict about the friendship thing, I mean. Friendship doesn't always seem to be enough for Jake.† I wound my excuse out of details that were true but insignificant, hardly crucial compared to the fact that Jacob's werewolf pack bitterly hated Edward's vampire family?and therefore me, too, as I fully intended to join that family. It just wasn't something I could work out with him in a note, and he wouldn't answer my calls. But my plan to deal with the werewolf in person had definitely not gone over will with the vampires. â€Å"Isn't Edward up for a little healthy competition?† Charlie's voice was sarcastic now. I leveled a dark look at him. â€Å"There's no competition.† â€Å"You're hurting Jake's feelings, avoiding him like this. He'd rather be just friends than nothing.† Oh, now I was avoiding him? â€Å"I'm pretty sure Jake doesn't want to be friends at all.† The words burned in my mouth. â€Å"Where'd you get that idea, anyway?† Charlie looked embarrassed now. â€Å"The subject might have come up today with Billy?.† â€Å"You and Billy gossip like old women,† I complained, stabbing my fork viciously into the congealed spaghetti on my plate. â€Å"Billy's worried about Jacob,† Charlie said. â€Å"Jake's having a hard time right now?. He's depressed.† I winced, but kept my eyes on the blob. â€Å"And then you were always so happy after spending the day with Jake.† Charlie sighed. â€Å"I'm happy now,† I growled fiercely through my teeth. The contrast between my words and tone broke through the tension. Charlie burst into laughter, and I had to join in. â€Å"Okay, okay,† I agreed. â€Å"Balance.† â€Å"And Jacob,† he insisted. â€Å"I'll try.† â€Å"Good. Find that balance, Bella. And, oh, yeah, you've got some mail,† Charlie said, closing the subject with no attempt at subtlety. â€Å"It's by the stove.† I didn't move, my thoughts twisting into snarls around Jacob's name. It was most likely junk mail; I'd just gotten a package from my mom yesterday and I wasn't expecting anything else. Charlie shoved his chair away from the table stretched as he got to his feet. He took his plate to the sink, but before he turned the water on to rinse it, he paused to toss a thick envelope at me. The letter skidded across the table and thunked into my elbow. â€Å"Er, thanks,† I muttered, puzzled by his pushiness. Then I saw the return address?the letter was from the University of Alaska Southeast. â€Å"That was quick. I guess I missed the deadline on that one, too.† Charlie chuckled. I flipped the envelope over and then glared up at him. â€Å"It's open.† â€Å"I was curious.† â€Å"I'm shocked, Sheriff. That's a federal crime.† â€Å"Oh, just read it.† I pulled out the letter, and a folded schedule of courses. â€Å"Congratulations,† he said before I could read anything. â€Å"Your first acceptance.† â€Å"Thanks, Dad.† â€Å"We should talk about tuition. I've got some money saved up?† â€Å"Hey, hey, none of that. I'm not touching your retirement, Dad. I've got my college fund.† What was left of it?and there hadn't been much to begin with. Charlie frowned. â€Å"Some of these places are pretty pricey, Bells. I want to help. You don't have to go all the way to Alaska just because it's cheaper.† It wasn't cheaper, not at all. But it was far away, and Juneau had an average of three hundred twenty-one overcast days per year. The first was my prerequisite, the second was Edward's. â€Å"I've got it covered. Besides, there's lots of financial aid out there. It's easy to get loans.† I hoped my bluff wasn't too obvious. I hadn't actually done a lot of research on the subject. â€Å"So?,† Charlie began, and then pursed his lips and looked away. â€Å"So what?† â€Å"Nothing. I was just?† He frowned. â€Å"Just wondering what?Edward's plans are for next year?† â€Å"Oh.† â€Å"Well?† Three quick raps on the door saved me. Charlie rolled his eyes and I jumped up. â€Å"Coming!† I called while Charlie mumbled something that sounded like, â€Å"Go away.† I ignored him and went to let Edward in. I wrenched the door out of my way?ridiculously eager?and there he was, my personal miracle. Time had not made me immune to the perfection of his face, and I was sure that I would never take any aspect of him for granted. My eyes traced over his pale white features; the hard square of his jaw, the softer curve of his full lips?twisted up into a smile now, the straight line of his nose, the sharp angle of his cheekbones, the smooth marble span of his forehead?partially obscured by a tangle of rain-darkened bronze hair?. I saved his eyes for last, knowing that when I looked into them I was likely to lose my train of thought. They were wide, warm with liquid gold, and framed by a thick fringe of black lashes. Staring into his eyes always made me feel extraordinary?sort of like my bones were turning spongy. I was also a little lightheaded, but that could have been because I'd forgotten to keep breathing. It was a face any male model in the world would trade his soul for. Of course, that might be exactly the asking price: one soul. No. I didn't believe that. I felt guilty for even thinking it, and was glad?as I was often glad?that I was the one person whose thoughts were a mystery to Edward. I reached for his hand, and sighed when his cold fingers found mine. His touch brought with it the strangest sense of relief?as if I'd been in pain and than pain had suddenly ceased. â€Å"Hey.† I smiled a little at my anticlimactic greeting. He raised our interlaced fingers to brush my cheek with the back of his hand. â€Å"How was your afternoon?† â€Å"Slow.† â€Å"For me, as well.† He pulled my wrist up to his face, our hands still twisted together. His eyes closed as his nose skimmed along the skin there, and he smiled gently without opening them. Enjoying the bouquet while resisting the wine, as he'd once put it. I knew that the scent of my blood?so much sweeter to him than any other person's blood, truly like wine beside water to an alcoholic?caused him actual pain from the burning thirst it engendered. But he didn't seem to shy away from it as much as he once had. I could only dimly imagine the Herculean effort behind this simple gesture. It made me sad that he had to try so hard. I comforted myself with the knowledge that I wouldn't be causing him pain much longer. I heard Charlie approaching then, stamping his feet on the way to express his customary displeasure with our guest. Edward's eyes snapped open and let our hands fall, keeping them twined. â€Å"Good evening, Charlie.† Edward was always flawlessly polite, though Charlie didn't deserve it. Charlie grunted at him, and then stood there with his arms crossed over his chest. He was taking the idea of parental supervision to extremes lately. â€Å"I brought another set of applications,† Edward told me then, holding up a stuffed manila envelope. He was wearing a roll of stamps like a ring around his littlest finger. I groaned. How were there any colleges left that he hadn't forced me to apply to already? And how did he keep finding these loophole openings? It was so late in the year. He smiled as if he could read my thoughts; they must have been very obvious on my face. â€Å"There are still a few open deadlines. And a few places willing to make exceptions.† I could just imagine the motivations behind such exceptions. And the dollar amounts involved. Edward laughed at my expression. â€Å"Shall we?† he asked, towing me toward the kitchen table. Charlie huffed and followed behind, though he could hardly complain about the activity on tonight's agenda. He'd been pestering me to make a decision about college on a daily basis. I cleared the table quickly while Edward organized an intimidating stack of forms. When I moved Wuthering Heights to the counter, Edward raised one eyebrow. I knew what he was thinking, but Charlie interrupted before Edward could comment. â€Å"Speaking of college applications, Edward,† Charlie said, his tone even more sullen?he tried to avoid addressing Edward directly, and when he had to, it exacerbated his bad mood. â€Å"Bella and I were just talking about next year. Have you decided where you're going to school?† Edward smiled up at Charlie and his voice was friendly. â€Å"Not yet. I've received a few acceptance letters, but I'm still weighing my options.† â€Å"Where have you been accepted?† Charlie pressed. â€Å"Syracuse?Harvard?Dartmouth?and I just got accepted to the University of Alaska Southeast today.† Edward turned his face slightly to the side so that he could wink at me. I stifled a giggle. â€Å"Harvard? Dartmouth?† Charlie mumbled, unable to conceal his awe. â€Å"Well that's pretty?that's something. Yeah, but the University of Alaska?you wouldn't really consider that when you could go Ivy League. I mean, your father would want you to?† â€Å"Carlisle's always fine with whatever I choose to do,† Edward told him serenely. â€Å"Hmph.† â€Å"Guess what, Edward?† I asked in a bright voice, playing along. â€Å"What, Bella?† I pointed to the thick envelope on the counter. â€Å"I just got my acceptance to the University of Alaska!† â€Å"Congratulations!† He grinned. â€Å"What a coincidence.† Charlie's eyes narrowed and he glared back and forth between the two of us. â€Å"Fine,† he muttered after a minute. â€Å"I'm going to watch the game, Bella. Nine-thirty.† That was his usual parting command. â€Å"Er, Dad? Remember the very recent discussion about my freedom† He sighed. â€Å"Right . Okay, ten-thirty. You still have a curfew on school nights.† â€Å"Bella's no longer grounded?† Edward asked. Though I knew he wasn't really surprised, I couldn't detect any false note to the sudden excitement in his voice. â€Å"Conditionally,† Charlie corrected through his teeth. â€Å"What's it to you?† I frowned at my dad, but he didn't see. â€Å"It's just good to know,† Edward said. â€Å"Alice has been itching for a shopping partner, and I'm sure Bella would love to see some city lights.† He smiled at me. But Charlie growled, â€Å"No!† and his face flushed purple. â€Å"Dad! What's the problem?† He made an effort to unclench his teeth. â€Å"I don't want you going to Seattle right now.† â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"I told you about that story in the paper?there's some kind of gang on a killing spree in Seattle and I want you to steer clear, okay?† I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Dad, there's a better chance that I'l l get struck by lightning than the one day I'm in Seattle?† â€Å"No, that's fine, Charlie,† Edward said, interrupting me. â€Å"I didn't mean Seattle. I was thinking Portland, actually. I wouldn't have Bella in Seattle, either. Of course not.† I looked at him in disbelief, but he had Charlie's newspaper in his hands and he was reading the front page intently. He must have been trying to placate my dad. The idea of being in danger from even the most deadly of humans while I was with Alice or Edward was downright hilarious. It worked. Charlie stared at Edward for one second more, and then shrugged. â€Å"Fine.† He stalked off toward the living room, in a bit of a hurry now?maybe he didn't want to miss tip-off. I waited till the TV was on, so that Charlie wouldn't be able to hear me. â€Å"What?,† I started to ask. â€Å"Hold on,† Edward said without looking up from the paper. His eyes stayed focused on the page as he pushed the first application toward me across the table. â€Å"I think you can recycle your essays for this one. Same questions.† Charlie must still be listening. I sighed and started to fill out the repetitive information: name, address, social?. After a few minutes I glanced up, but Edward was now staring pensively out the window. As I bent my head back to my work, I noticed for the first time the name of the school. I snorted and shoved the papers aside. â€Å"Bella?† â€Å"Be serious, Edward. Dartmouth?† Edward lifted the discarded application a nd laid it gently in front of me again. â€Å"I think you'd like New Hampshire,† he said. â€Å"There's a full complement of night courses for me, and the forests are conveniently located for the avid hiker. Plentiful wildlife.† He pulled out that crooked smile he knew I couldn't resist. I took a deep breath through my nose. â€Å"I'll let you pay me back, if that makes you happy,† he promised. â€Å"If you want, I can charge you interest.† â€Å"Like I could even get in without some enormous bribe. Or was that part of the loan? The new Cullen wing of the library? Ugh. Why are we having this discussion again?† â€Å"Will you just fill out the application, please, Bella? It won't hurt you to apply.† My jaw flexed. â€Å"You know what? I don't think I will.† I reached for the papers, planning to crumple them into a suitable shape for lobbing at the trashcan, but they were already gone. I stared at the empty table for a moment, and then at Edward. He didn't appear to have moved, but the application was probably already tucked away in his jacket. â€Å"What are you doing?† I demanded. â€Å"I sign your name better than you do yourself. You've already written the essays.† â€Å"You're going way overboard with this, you kno w.† I whispered on the off chance that Charlie wasn't completely lost in the game. â€Å"I really don't need to apply anywhere else. I've been accepted in Alaska. I can almost afford the first semester's tuition. It's as good an alibi as any. There's no need to throw away a bunch of money, no matter whose it is.† A pained look tightened his face. â€Å"Bella?† â€Å"Don't start. I agree that I need to go through the motions for Charlie's sake, but we both know that I'm not going to be in any condition to go to school next fall. To be anywhere near people.† My knowledge of those first few years as a new vampire was sketchy. Edward had never gone into details?it wasn't his favorite subject?but I knew it wasn't pretty. Self-control was apparently an acquired skill. Anything more than correspondence school was out of the question. â€Å"I thought the timing was still undecided,† Edward reminded me softly. â€Å"You might enjoy a semester or two of college. There are a lot of human experiences you've never had.† â€Å"I'll get to those afterward.† â€Å"They won't be human experiences afterward. You don't get a second chance at humanity, Bella.† I sighed. â€Å"You've got to be reasonable about the timing, Edward. It's just too dangerous to mess around with.† â€Å"There's no danger yet,† he insisted. I glared at him. No danger? Sure. I only had a sadistic vampire trying to avenge her mate's death with my own, preferably through some slow and tortuous method. Who was worried about Victoria? And, oh yeah, the Volturi?the vampire royal family with their small army of vampire warriors?who insisted that my heart stop beating one way or another in the near future, because humans weren't allowed to know they existed. Right. No reason at all to panic. Even with Alice keeping watch?Edward was relying on her uncannily accurate visions of the future to give us advance warning?it was insane to take chances. Besides, I'd already won this argument. The date for my transformation was tentatively set for shortly after my graduation from high school, only a handful of weeks away. A sharp jolt of unease pierced my stomach as I realized how short the time really was. Of course this change was necessary?and the key to what I wanted more than everything else in the world put together?but I was deeply conscious of Charlie sitting in the other room enjoying his game, just like every other night. And my mother, Renee, far away in sunny Florida, still pleading with me to spend the summer on the beach with her and her new husband. And Jacob, who, unlike my parents, would know exactly what was going on when I disappeared to some distant school. Even if my parents didn't grow suspicious for a long time, even if I could put off visits with excuses about travel expenses or sturdy loads or illnesses, Jacob would know the truth. For a moment, the idea of Jacob's certain revulsion overshadowed every other pain. â€Å"Bella,† Edward murmured, his face twisting when he read the distress in mine. â€Å"There's no hurry. I won't let anyone hurt you. You can take all the time you need.† â€Å"I want to hurry,† I whispered, smiling weakly, trying to make a joke of it. â€Å"I want to be a monster, too.† His teeth clenched; he spoke through them. â€Å"You have no idea what you're saying.† Abruptly, he flung the damp newspaper onto the table between us. His finger stabbed the headline on the front page: DEATH TOLL ON THE RISE, POLICE FEAR GANG ACTIVITY â€Å"What does that have to do with anything?† â€Å"Monsters are not a joke, Bella.† I stared at the headline again, and then up to his hard expression. â€Å"A?a vampire is doing this?† I whispered. He smiled without humor. His voice was low and cold. â€Å"You'd be surprised, Bella, at how often my kind are the source behind the horrors in your human news. It's easy to recognize, when you know what to look for. The information here indicates a newborn vampire is loose in Seattle. Bloodthirsty, wild, out of control. The way we all were.† I let my gaze drop to the paper again, avoiding his eyes. â€Å"We've been monitoring the situation for a few weeks. All the signs are there?the unlikely disappearances, always in the night, the poorly disposed-of corpses, the lack of other evidence?. Yes, someone brand-new. And no one seems to be taking responsibility for the neophyte?.† He took a deep breath. â€Å"Well, it's not our problem. We wouldn't even pay attention to the situation if it wasn't going on so close to home. Like I said, this happens all the time. The existence of monsters results in monstrous consequences.† I tried not to see the names on the page, but they jumped out from the rest of the print like they were in bold. The five people whose lives were over, whose families were mourning now. It was different from considering murder in the abstract, reading those names. Maureen Gardiner, Geoffrey Campbell, Grace Razi, Michelle O'Connell, Ronald Albrook. People who'd had parents and children and friends and pets and jobs and hopes and plans and memories and futures?. â€Å"It won't be the same for me,† I whispered, half to myself. â€Å"You won't let me be like that. We'll live in Antarctica.† Edward snorted, breaking the tension. â€Å"Penguins. Lovely.† I laughed a shaky laugh and knocked the paper off the table so I wouldn't have to see those names; it hit the linoleum with a thud. Of course Edward would consider the hunting possibilities. He and his â€Å"vegetarian† family?all committed to protecting human life?preferred the flavor of large predators for satisfying their dietary needs. â€Å"Alaska, then, as planned. Only somewhere much more remote than Juneau?somewhere with grizzlies galore.† â€Å"Better,† he allowed. â€Å"There are polar bears, too. Very fierce. And the wolves get quite large.† My mouth fell open and my breath blew out in a sharp gust. â€Å"What's wrong?† he asked. Before I could recover, the confusion vanished and his whole body seemed to harden. â€Å"Oh. Never mind the wolves, then, if the idea is offensive to you.† His voice was stiff, formal, his shoulders rigid. â€Å"He was my best friend, Edward,† I muttered. It stung to use the past tense. â€Å"Of course the idea offends me.† â€Å"Please forgive my thoughtlessness,† he said, still very formal. â€Å"I shouldn't have suggested that.† â€Å"Don't worry about it.† I stared at my hands, clenched into a double fist on the table. We were both silent for a moment, and then his cool finger was under my chin, coaxing my face up. His expression was much softer now. â€Å"Sorry. Really.† â€Å"I know. I know it's not the same thing. I shouldn't have reacted that way. It's just that?well, I was already thinking about Jacob before you came over.† I hesitated. His tawny eyes seemed to get a little but darker whenever I said Jacob's name. My voice turned pleading in response. â€Å"Charlie says Jake is having a hard time. He's hurting right now, and?it's my fault.† â€Å"You've done nothing wrong, Bella.† I took a deep breath. â€Å"I need to make it better, Edward. I owe him that. And it's one of Charlie's conditions, anyway?† His face changed while I spoke, turning hard again, statue-like. â€Å"You know it's out of the question for you to be around a werewolf unprotected, Bella. And it would break the treaty if any of us cross over onto their land. Do you want us to start a war?† â€Å"Of course not!† â€Å"Then there's really no point in discussing the matter further.† He dropped his hand and looked away, searching for a subject change. His eyes paused on something behind me, though his eyes stayed wary. â€Å"I'm glad Charlie has decided to let you out?you're sadly in need of a visit to the bookstore. I can't believe you're reading Wuthering Heights again. Don't you know it by heart yet?† â€Å"Not all of us have photographic memories,† I said curtly. â€Å"Photographic memory or not, I don't understand why you like it. The characters are ghastly people who ruin each others' lives. I don't know how Heathcliff and Cathy ended up being ranked with couples like Romeo and Juliet or Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. It isn't a love story, it's a hate story.† â€Å"You have some serious issues with the classics,† I snapped. â€Å"Perhaps it's because I'm not impressed by antiquity.† He smiled, evidently satisfied that he'd distracted me. â€Å"Honestly though, why do you read it over and over?† His eyes were vivid with real interest now, trying?again?to unravel the convoluted workings of my mind. He reached across the table to cradle my face in his hand. â€Å"What is it that appeals to you?† His sincere curiosity disarmed me. â€Å"I'm not sure,† I said, scrambling for coherency while his gaze unintentionally scattered my thoughts. â€Å"I think it's something about the inevitability. How nothing can keep them apart?not her selfishness, or his evil, or even death, in the end?.† His face was thoughtful as he considered my words. After a moment he smiled a teasing smile. â€Å"I still think it would be a better story if either of them had one redeeming quality.† â€Å"I think that may be the point,† I disagreed. â€Å"Their love is their only redeeming quality.† â€Å"I hope you have better sense than that?to fall in love with someone so?malignant.† â€Å"It's a bit late for me to worry about who I fall in love with,† I pointed out. â€Å"But even without the warning, I seem to have managed fairly well.† He laughed quietly. â€Å"I'm glad you think so.† â€Å"Well, I hope you're smart enough to stay away from someone so selfish. Catherine is really the source of all the trouble, not Heathcliff.† â€Å"I'll be on my guard,† he promised. I sighed. He was so good at distractions. I put my hand over his to hold it to my face. â€Å"I need to see Jacob.† His eyes closed. â€Å"No.† â€Å"It's truly not dangerous at all,† I said, pleading again. â€Å"I used to spend all day in La Push with the whole lot of them, and nothing every happened.† But I made a slip; my voice faltered at the end because I realized as I was saying the words that they were a lie. It was not true that nothing had ever happened. A brief flash of memory?an enormous gray wolf crouched to spring, baring his dagger-like teeth at me?had my palms sweating with an echo of remembered panic. Edward heard my heart accelerate and nodded as if I'd acknowledged the lie aloud. â€Å"Werewolves are unstable. Sometimes the people near them get hurt. Sometimes, they get killed.† I wanted to deny it, but another image slowed my rebuttal. I saw in my head the once beautiful face of Emily Young, now marred by a trio of dark scars that dragged down the corner of her right eye and left her mouth warped forever into a lopsided scowl. He waited, grimly triumphant, for me to find my voice. â€Å"You don't know them,† I whispered. â€Å"I know them better than you think, Bella. I was here the last time.† â€Å"The last time?† â€Å"We started crossing paths with the wolves about seventy years ago?. We had just settled near Hoquiam. That was before Alice and Jasper were with us. We outnumbered them, but that wouldn't have stopped it from turning into a fight if not for Carlisle. He managed to convince Ephraim Black that coexisting was possible, and eventually we made the truce.† Jacob's great-grandfather's name startled me. â€Å"We thought the line had died out with Ephraim,† Edward muttered; it sounded like he was talking to himself now. â€Å"That the genetic quirk which allowed transmutation had been lost?.† He broke off and stared at me accusingly. â€Å"Your bad luck seems to get more potent every day. Do you realize that your insatiable pull for all things deadly was strong enough to recover a pack of mutant canines from extinction? If we could bottle your luck, we'd have a weapon of mass destruction on our hands.† I ignored the ribbing, my attention caught by his assumption?was he serious? â€Å"But I didn't bring them back. Don't you know?† â€Å"Know what?† â€Å"My bad luck has nothing to do with it. The werewolves came back because the vampires did.† Edward stared at me, his body motionless with surprise. â€Å"Jacob told me that your family being here set things in motion. I thought you would already know?.† His eyes narrowed. â€Å"Is that what they think?† â€Å"Edward, look at the facts. Seventy years ago, you came here, and the werewolves showed up. You come back now, and the werewolves show up again. Do you think that's a coincidence?† He blinked and his glare relaxed. â€Å"Carlisle will be interested in that theory.† â€Å"Theory,† I scoffed. He was silent for a moment, staring out the window into the rain; I imagined he was contemplating the fact that his family's presence was turning the locals into giant dogs. â€Å"Interesting, but not exactly relevant,† he murmured after a moment. â€Å"The situation remains the same.† I could translate that easily enough: no werewolf friends. I knew I must be patient with Edward. It wasn't that he was unreasonable; it was just that he didn't understand. He had no idea how very much I owed Jacob Black?my life many times over, and possibly my sanity, too. I didn't like to talk about that barren time with anyone, and especially not Edward. He had only been trying to save me when he'd left, trying to save my soul. I didn't hold him responsible for all the stupid things I'd done in his absence, or the pain I had suffered. He did. So I would have to word my explanation very carefully. I got up and walked around the table. He opened his arms for me and I sat on his lap, nestling into his cool stone embrace. I looked at his hands while I spoke. â€Å"Please just listen for a minute. This is so much more important than some whim to drop in on an old friend. Jacob is in pain.† My voice distorted around the word. â€Å"I can't not try to help him?I can't give up on him now, when he needs me. Just because he's not human all the time?. Well, he was there for me when I was?not so human myself. You don't know what it was like?.† I hesitated. Edward's arms were rigid around me; his hands were in fists now, the tendons standing out. â€Å"If Jacob hadn't helped me?I'm not sure what you would have come home to. I have to try and make it better. I owe him better than this, Edward.† I looked up at his face warily. His eyes were closed, and his jaw was strained. â€Å"I'll never forgive myself for leaving you,† he whispered. â€Å"Not if I live a hundred thousand years.† I put my hand against his cold face and waited until he sighed and opened his eyes. â€Å"You were just trying to do the right thing. And I'm sure it would have worked with anyone less mental than me. Besides, you're here now. That's the part that matters.† â€Å"If it'd never left, you wouldn't feel the need to go risk your life to comfort a dog.† I flinched. I was used to Jacob and all his derogatory slurs?bloodsucker, leech, parasite?. Somehow it sounded harsher in Edward's velvet voice. â€Å"I don't know how to phrase this properly,† Edward said, and his tone was bleak. â€Å"It's going to sound cruel, I suppose. But I've come too close to losing you in the past. I know what it feels like to think I have. I am not going to tolerate anything dangerous.† â€Å"You have to trust me on this. I'll be fine.† His face was pained again. â€Å"Please, Bella,† he whispered. I stared into his suddenly burning golden eyes. â€Å"Please what?† â€Å"Please, for me. Please make a conscious effort to keep yourself safe. I'll do everything I can, but I would appreciate a little help.† â€Å"I'll work on it,† I murmured. â€Å"Do you really have any idea how important you are to me? Any concept at all of how much I love?† He pulled me tighter against his hard chest, tucking my head under his chin. I pressed my lips against his snow-cold neck. â€Å"I know how much I love you,† I answered. â€Å"You compare one small tree to the entire forest.† I rolled my eyes, but he couldn't see. â€Å"Impossible.† He kissed the top of my head and sighed. â€Å"No werewolves.† â€Å"I'm not going along with that. I have to see Jacob.† â€Å"Then I'll have to stop you.† He sounded utterly confident that this wouldn't be a problem. I was sure he was right. â€Å"We'll see about that,† I bluffed anyway. â€Å"He's still my friend.† I could feel Jacob's note in my pocket, like it suddenly weighed ten pounds. I could hear the words in his voice, and he seemed to be agreeing with Edward?something that would never happen in reality. Doesn't change anything. Sorry.

Real Property

Question # 1 – What were Birdwell’s options on July 5? Doctrine of Equitable Conversion – once a contract is signed, equity regards the buyer as the owner of the property. The seller’s interest is looked at as personal property. The legal title of the property remains with the seller and is considered to in trust and the risk is on the seller. The right of possession follows the legal title; the seller is entitled to possession until closing.Risk of Loss – there is a split of authority on risk of loss when a contract is signed, equity is passed to buyer through escrow and the risk of loss is on buyer. If property is destroyed before closing, the majority rule places the risk on the buyer. If the property is damaged or destroyed, the seller is to credit any monies from the insurance against the purchase price the buyer is required to pay. Because Birdwell did not rescind the contract he will be required to pay the $90,000 because he did not consult a n attorney and because the real estate agent put a new price on the property of $50,000.However, since the contract was silent at risk, the Uniform Vender and Purchaser Risk Act, Birdwell could request this option. However, neither party had insurance on the property. Here, no one had insurance on the property. If property is destroyed and the seller has insurance, the seller will be required to reduce the sale price by the amount of damage. Because there was no insurance on the property, and the agreement was silent, the risk of loss would be on the buyer and Birdwell’s option would have to be under contract law or marketable title.Statute of Frauds (SOF)– The terms of a land contract must be in writing and signed by the parties, including full names of the parties, words showing intent, a meeting of the minds for the transaction to buy or sell property, the price, and sufficient description of the property. Astor and Birdwell entered into a contract for the sale of R oseacre, which was for $100,000 with a down payment of $10,000 and $90,000 at closing set for August 1. Under the SOF, Roseacre must have a description of the land that is sufficient for identification.Here, there was no description that sufficiently described the land for sale and this would violate the SOF. Because there is no description another option would be to allow extrinsic evidence of property to allow for the description of the land to be added to the contract regarding Roseacre. Here, Birdwell is to be the equitable owner of the land beginning with and during the period between forming the contract and closing. Question #2 –Assuming a Uniform Vendor and Purchaser Risk Act jurisdiction what were Birdwell’s options on August 2 when he finally gets around to consulting an attorney? Marketable TitleBreach of covenant of marketable title and breach of covenants of title is determined by which jurisdiction it follows on equitable conversion or the Uniform Vendor and Purchaser Risk. Under the equitable conversion, equity title and risk of loss passes to buyer as soon as the contract is signed. Seller could force buyer to pay and take titled to the damaged property. Under the Uniform Act, seller retains the risk of loss until title or possession passes. Buyer can rescind and sue for restitution of the deposit. On August 2, Birdwell cannot rescind the contract because he can only sue for breach of warranty of marketable title.Because closing is done and completed under the Uniform Vendor and Purchaser Risk jurisdiction, Birdwell’s attorney would advise that he has taken legal title or possession of the property and would not be cleared from his contractual duty. Here, because, Birdwell has the deed and because of an accident and the property was completely destroyed and a new value placed on the property, this would be a loss and Birdwell would have to sue under covenant of title. Question #3 – When Birdwell discovers the gas bil l August 15 what are his options? Usual Covenants in General Warranty DeedA general warranty deed contains covenants of title warranting against defect in title, including defects by predecessors. A general warrant deed contains three present covenants and three future covenants. The present covenants are breach if all at the time of the delivery of the deed. The future covenants run after closing. If one of the covenants is breached Birdwell may recover damages from Astor. A. Present covenants are breached if at the moment the deed is delivered and personal covenants are personal and do not run with the land for the benefit of the successor.Seisin the present covenant warrants that the seller of the property owns the property that they claim to convey. Right to convey warrants that the grantor has the power to convey the property and that there are no restrictions on the power of the seller to convey power. Against Encumbrances warrants that there are no easements, servitudes, or m ortgages on the land. Here, Astor breached the present covenants when the deed was passed and he knew that the property had a lien against it. Because of these facts there is an amount owed of $1500 and $750.B. Future Covenants are breach if after the grantee’s possession of the land is disturbed, and then the future covenants may not be breached at the moment of the conversion and can be breached later. Future covenants run with the land and can be enforced by purchasers. Because Astor broke Birdwell’s future covenant when he shows the property to Clifford, this would breach Birdwell’s covenant of quiet enjoyment. Quite enjoyment warrants that the grantee will not be disturbed in the possession by a third party’s lawful claim of title.Here, Birdwell’s deed is defective and damages are recoverable for breach of covenant against encumbrance, which is the difference in value between the land without these encumbrances and land with encumbrances. The lesser amount would have to be paid by Astor. Question #4 – On September 1 Birdwell has still not been unable to successfully get a resolution on the dispute over Roseacre. What are the chances of claiming his deed valid and Clifford is not a Bonafide Purchaser? Bona Fide Purchaser is someone who pays for the value for property and takes title of property without notice of any preceding claims.The notice statute requirement is that the party must be a bona fide purchaser and that party takes their interest without the notice. Here, the subsequent purchaser Clifford’s deed will prevail. Taking without Notice – Clifford inquired if about if there were any liens and he was told there were none by Astor. Therefore, he did not get actual notice and the deed was not recorded, unless there was inquiry, constructive notice will prevail. Constructive Notice exists if a prior claim was properly recorded within the chain of title so that a subsequent purchaser will be char ged with notice of claim.A reasonable search is required of the purchaser of records such as the tool Tract Index or the Grantor-Grantee index. Here, constructive notice would exist because Birdwell did not record his deed, this show Clifford did not get proper notice. Inquiry notice is something that arises that could cause a reasonable person to be on notice and the Grantee is responsible to know if anything that a reasonable person would reveal. Even though during the inspection of the property, Clifford noticed different signs that stated â€Å"sold† and he also saw a construction crew working.This was observed prior to Clifford making an offer. Quiet title – Birdwell has two options one a title dispute, therefore in a quiet title action, a court proceeding removes any clouds or encumbrances on the title to real property to establish new ownership of the property. Here, Birdwell did not record the quiet title and there was a failure to clear title after making paym ent to Astor. Because Astor did not convey a deed to Clifford, the court will have to decide the recording based on the recording statutes above.

Budget Essay

Here you should describe how you arrived at your sales forecast in section 2. 1. You should also provide any detailed calculations that led you to the sales forecast values. You should also summarize any research or figures that led you to make this sales forecast. Note: your description of assumptions should also include a reference to an authoritative, outside (non-text, etc. ) resource cited in â€Å"Section 6. 0 Works Cited†. Here you should provide a screenshot of your capital expenditure budget, also listing the sources of data and assumptions that led to each line item in table format. Briefly describe the total investment and, if necessary, why major items are necessary to achieve the company’s strategy. Note: on the internet, you can research â€Å"capital expenditures† in the Internal Revenue Code – not on the IRS website – and that will help you identify the types of expenditures that should be distinguished from other expenses. From there, you can research the internet for examples of capital expenditure budgets to get an idea of the formatting or review the examples at http://office. microsoft. com/en-us/excel-help/ Briefly describe the NVP, IRR, accounting rate of return, and payback period for all 5 years of this analysis. Indicate the discount rate you used, and how you arrived at it. Note: your description of assumptions should also include a reference to an authoritative, outside (non-text, etc. ) resource cited in â€Å"Section 6. 0   provides examples of each of the Section items required below, so review those examples and tutorials very carefully to ensure maximum points.

Code of Ethics of Goldman Sachs’

Title:The effectiveness of Goldman Sachs’ code of ethics Date:17 October 2012 To:CEO, Lloyd C. Blankfein Introduction The code of ethics  is adopted by organizations to assist members in understanding the difference between ‘right' and ‘wrong' and in applying that understanding to their decisions. An effective code of ethics should also help to delineate the proper procedures to determine whether a violation of the code of ethics has occurred and, if so, what remedies should be imposed.After reviewing the company’s code of ethics, we found that it has well established the concept of business ethics and the company’s objective, and also several kinds of encouragement to promote the ethical business behavior effectively. The company’s code of ethics, however, is not practical enough for implementation as the content is too general and vague, and there are not enough guidelines and regulations to help the staff to detect or solve the ethical iss ues. What makes the Code of Ethics Effective: According to the code of ethics, the employees are encouraged to expose any misconducts or unethical issues in the company.The company has also established a certain department, the Global Compliance Division or Legal Department, as the platform for reporting any violation of the code, and it also helps the employees to identify and escalate potential ethical issues. Meanwhile, the company has also set up the Non-Retaliation Policy which strictly prohibits the retaliation against anyone who reports in good faith a possible violation of the Code. Under those policies and procedures, the employees will feel easy to voice out if they found something going in the wrong track.What makes the Code of Ethics Ineffective: The code of ethics of the company consists a large portion of text about the general code of ethics which is applied to every individual unit, but it emphasis less on the code for investment banking industry, such as insider dea ling, money laundering, outside business activities and relationship and other potential conflict of interest, and staff’s personal financial affairs. Without any detailed case illustration for each of the particular issues, employees may feel hard to follow the code.This imposes potential risks for employees to make unethical transactions unknowingly. Moreover, the code does not strictly restrict the actions of personal conflicts of interest but are allowed if approved by the firm that may violate the independence of professional. Audit firm prohibited any conflicts of interest which had been stated clearly on the statement. Auditors, for example, are prohibited to accept any favors which violate the professional. Another weakness of the code is that it omits the implementation and administration policies.There are no content how the company supervises the implementation of the code, what the company do if the code is found to be not effective, how long the company reviews t he code and so on. Also, the code illustrates that the company take a passive role on discovering the ethical issues. The code requires employees take their own initiatives to report any unethical issues. However, it is not guaranteed that all employees are going to follow the code. There is a risk of undisclosed misconduct by employees if the company does not investigate in it. Improvement The code of ethics specifically focuses on banking industry.Take Bank of America’s code as an example. Although it is impossible to define every action that could be reasonably interpreted as a conflict of interest, company also defines several potential conflicts of interest as examples with a brief description so that everyone can have an idea on conflict of interest. In addition, the code has stated employees should conduct their financial affairs responsibly and keep their business expenses in order. The bank is prohibited money laundering and economic sanctions which have also mention ed in the code. Those are helpful to provide a clear picture to staff on what they should conduct.It is good practice to have the way reporting the misconduct issue, but company is still played as passive role. And also it may be biases if the issue is examined by internal staff from other departments. To be independence, establishing Committees involved external individual or professional to monitor and investigate the misconducts and unethical issues, and the committees may directly notify the Board of Director. Company’s code of ethics can be introduced during the orientation. Each new employee may be requested to complete a set of ethical questions after the introduction to ensure everyone understand this code.The failure may be requested to attend another ethical course to recap the important sections. One of global investment bank, Greenhill & Co holds information and training sessions to promote compliance with the laws, rules and regulations that affect their business . Conclusion: It is appreciated that the company put effort on setting the code of ethics. The above suggestions are given to your kindly consideration as it is good for the company to review the code once again in order to maintain high standard of integrity.

Legal Aspects of Business Essay

Facts of the Case: 1. The appellant herein Deokabai is an aged widow residing in a portion of a house with her daughter and grand children. On 18.1.79 she entered into an agreement to sell that portion of the house in her possession with Uttam, the respondent. The total sale consideration was fixed at Rs. 48,000/- out of which Rs. 5,000/- was paid to her as earnest money. The agreement for sale was reduced to writing. 2. Before registration of the sale deed of the house in Uttam’s name, permission of the competent authority, Nagpur, was necessary. Therefore, Deokabai shall immediately take steps to obtain the permission. After the date of getting the permission from the competent authority, when Deokabai would get another suitable house then she would get the sale deed of this house registered in Uttam’s name. 3. The entire cost of registration of the sale deed of the house shall be borne by Uttam. In case there is any complication or difficulty in getting the sale deed of the house registered in Uttam’s name or in case it becomes legally impossible for Deokabai to get the sale deed of the house registered in Uttam’s name, then Deokabai shall pay back to Uttam the amount of Rs. 5,000/- with interest thereon. Deokabai shall not put forth any excuse for the same. Legal Issues: So far as the present agreement for sale was concerned, she took the step of applying for necessary permission to the Competent Authority, Nagpur on March 3, 1979. The requisite permission for selling the house was granted to her in the month of May, 1979. On 9.7.79, a notice was sent by the respondent to the appellant requiring her to get the sale deed executed and registered’ in his favour on 9.7.1979 and to remain present in the office of Registrar at 11 a.m. Since the appellant failed to turn up at the appointed time and place and the respondent allegedly had taken all steps necessary towards completion of the sale deed, like purchase of stamp papers and buying of drafts of money, he filed a suit for specific performance on July 26, 1979. The respondent firstly prayed for a decree for specific performance and possession of the property in dispute, but in the alternative claimed return of the earnest money of Rs. 5,000/with interest in case specific performance was not all owed. Law Applicable: Section 32 provides that contingent contracts to do or not to do anything if an uncertain future event happens cannot be enforced by law unless and until the event has happened. If the event becomes impossible, such contracts become void. Similar Cases: The following cases have cited the above case (Deokabai (Smt) vs Uttam on 27 July, 1993) to give a Judgment. 1. Bhagwan Singh vs Teja Singh Alias Teja Ram on 6 January, 1994 2. Kum. Maria Eliza Marques vs Shri Madhukar M. Moraskar & Others on 19 November, 1997 3. Kec International Limited & †¦ vs Union Of India & Others on 8 July, 2009 4. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. & Ors vs Kec International Ltd. & Ors on 15 September, 2009 5. W.P. No. 7513 (W) Of 2011 Smt. †¦ vs The State Of West Bengal & Ors on 18 May, 2011 Conclusion: The respondent, in the situation, could not straightway ask the appellant to specifically perform the contract unless he initially had put the appellant to notice, to seek and get another suitable accommodation within a reasonable time within which it could reasonably be available in the town of Nagpur. Such a notice obviously could be given only after the grant of permission to sell by the Competent Authority, Nagpur, because in the event of non-grant of permission the search for another suitable accommodation would have become unnecessary. Thus we are of the view that in the facts and circumstances, the two important contingencies are the appellant getting a suitable accommodation before she could be asked to specifically perform the contract of sale and, in case of a genuine difficulty arising, to opt for returning the earnest money with interest. She cannot, in the present set of facts, be obliged to part with her property by effecting a sale. Resultantly, the appeal to grant refund of Rs. 5,000/- with interest at the rate of 8% calculated from 18.1.79 till payment or recovery is allowed.

Seeing Holbein The Ambassadors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Seeing Holbein The Ambassadors - Essay Example It has been noted also that a fur-trimmed over-garment like the one pictured â€Å"became the typical garment of the scholar† (Emberley, 1997, p. 128). His imposing stance and cool gaze denote power and influence in the world. In contrast, the cleric on the right appears a little more withdrawn. He stands back in the shadows and wears dull robes with the white collar indicating his religious calling. The two men appear to be placed as a contrast to one another, but they are linked by the display of fine objects that both lean upon. These objects are laid out with scientific objects above and artistic instruments below. Berger’s explanations about the connotations of great wealth are helpful in understanding the tremendous change that happened in Western civilization in the sixteenth century. This was a time when the Reformation divided people into Protestants and Catholics, and the two men represent the different sides of this major debate. The rise of the Protestantism in the northern parts of Europe is credited with bringing about the earliest stages of capitalism, and this is what Berger is hinting at with his emphasis on the objects in the painting. Most of the population in Northern Europe was still occupied in agricultural work or small cottage production but this was a time when cities began to expand. ... Some of the wealthiest individuals â€Å"invested their wealth in government obligations† (van Zanden, p. 143). The ambassadors in the picture are French, (Wolf, 2004, p. 71) and they represent two different sources of wealth. Both of them provide services to the government. One of them is busy with new market related activities, and the other brings the old power and influence of the Church. A focus on material goods, rather than spiritual ideas, is a feature of this movement, and this could explain why the man on the left appears to dominate the picture at the expense of the man on the right. Although Holbein lived and worked in London, his painting style reflects the techniques of the Dutch masters of the time. The very detailed depiction of the work of craftsmen such as weavers, embroiderers, carpet makers, goldsmiths and all the rest may well also be an acknowledgement of the great contribution that the medieval guilds had made to the development of society and the creati on of wealth. The peasants provided the basic raw materials of production. The trained and certified craftsmen turned the raw materials into the highly prized consumer goods that wealthy people purchased. The emphasis on the detail of their work highlights a new appreciation of luxury, and this is what fuels an endeavor to produce ever better quality, and discover improved techniques. It is noticeable also that some of the objects, apart from being valuable, are also evidence of distant travel. This recalls the great discoveries of distant lands that had been taking place in the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. It is as if the two men are displaying all the richness of the globe, in the fine human objects, as well as the riches of heavenly things, indicated by the globes,

The Social Contract Theory Of Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau Essay

The Social Contract Theory Of Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau - Essay Example It however states that exercising additional rights will entail bearing additional responsibilities while exercising fewer responsibilities will entail fewer rights. Authority is the power invested government or body of government officials in order to enforce laws, command, determine, judge or even exact obedience. On the other hand, legitimacy is the popular acceptance of an authority by a system of governance. Political legitimacy is considered as the main reason for governing. When excising authority a decision made by an individual who has a high rank in the political arena or social sphere, it is expected that people will abide by it irrespective of whether the decision was understood by the society members. For example, a priest has a religious authority over the congregation. Social contract is an agreement done among members of a certain organized society or a government and the governed whereby the government defines and limits the rights and duties of each member of the government. For example in our country, there is a social contract between the governed and the government whereby the governed contribute some money to a government institution in exchange for treatment of a disease or accident. Hobbes believed that the state existed in order to serve the will of the people who can choose to give power to or with hold political power. In this scenario, parties to the contract are the government and the people. Locke contradicted the ideas of Hobbes by arguing that the state was formed as a result social contract because in the state of nature, each individual judged themselves and there was no protection against those living outside the law of nature thereby suggesting that the state be guided by natural law. Rousseau states that civil society has not done anything in order to enforce the equality and individual liberty that was promised to mankind thereby suggesting that the only

Bankruptcy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bankruptcy - Essay Example If Quick ratio, Current ratio and Times Interest Earned ratio are negative then this is an indication that the company faces liquidity problems and the creditors are not satisfied with the company's financial performance and also the creditors will not issue more debt in future (Tenk). If the company's cash outflows are higher than the cash inflows then this is an alarming situation for the company. It gives also the indication that there is any mismanagement exists in the company's operating, investing and financing activities (Tenk). 1. Implication on Current Asset: Current assets are reviewed critically after the announcement of bankruptcy. All the necessary payments to the creditors are made through sales of those assets. (Main Effects of Petitioning for Bankruptcy). 2. Implication on Future Assets: After bankruptcy, the company loses its money with respect to the payments made to the creditors and the money left is insufficient in order to acquire back the assets, to start running the business again in future. Moreover, time value of money and the factor of inflation also make a significant impression on the future assets. (Main Effects of Petitioning for Bankruptcy). 3. ... All the necessary payments to the creditors are made through sales of those assets. (Main Effects of Petitioning for Bankruptcy). 2. Implication on Future Assets: After bankruptcy, the company loses its money with respect to the payments made to the creditors and the money left is insufficient in order to acquire back the assets, to start running the business again in future. Moreover, time value of money and the factor of inflation also make a significant impression on the future assets. (Main Effects of Petitioning for Bankruptcy). 3. Implication on Future Credit: The element of bankruptcy also brings about a curse for the company as it then faces difficulty in acquiring additional debt for its future business operations. Because of bankruptcy the company's goodwill and credit ratings are also negatively impacted (Main Effects of Petitioning for Bankruptcy). PROS AND CONS OF BANKRUPTCY The advantages of bankruptcy are stated below: After filing the bankruptcy, the creditors are legally bound to stop all activities of debt collection. Filing for Bankruptcy give sthe company a fresh financial start In most of the bankruptcy cases certain categories of propertys like home, life insurance and car, are exempted in order to repayment of debt to creditor. The disadvantages of bankruptcy are stated below: Declaration of bankruptcy distorts the image and goodwill of the company. In near future the company faces difficulty financing their expenses by acquiring more debt. Due to the bankruptcy, the company's stock prices fall and there is an implication on ceasing the future business operations. Due to the effect to bankruptcy, the company loses control over its property (Bankruptcy Pros and Cons). In order to sue

Parliamentary Vs. Presidential Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Parliamentary Vs. Presidential - Essay Example The government can be dissolved at will by the parliament by means of a no confidence vote or the leader of the cabinet may dissolve the parliament if it is not able to function anymore. On the contrary, a presidential government is one in which the executive branch is not accountable to the legislative branch. Both branches can check the actions of the other branch. The President and the members of Congress are elected in separate elections. The President holds office for a fixed term and his authority is not subject to direct control of the legislature. However, the President cannot dissolve government and order a new election. Clearly, there is a difference in the voting system between a parliamentary government and a presidential government. The indefinite terms of office in a parliamentary system allows a party to hold office and thus are permanent in order to provide some stability to the system. However, it may be argued that this may lead to unfavorable type of ruling for a country. This is because the possibility of the head of government holding office for life contributes towards the making of an autocrat. Especially in nations with weak democratic traditions and with executive powers concentrated in the hands of the party in power, this type of system signals dictatorship. It also does not welcome new ideas or changes that could benefit the economy of a country in the long term. For instance, the former Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, from 1959 to 1990 recently commented the decision by the current Prime Minister to open a casino in Singapore would never happen under his control. However, he welcomed the changes as fresh and different. A divided executive is one in which the relative powers vary between a Prime Minister and a President, representing two different parties and ideologies. This is important in a system where there are no dual lines of authority. A divided executive results in varied institutional forms to allow

Reflection paper about the annishnaabe people Research - 3

Reflection about the annishnaabe people - Research Paper Example Each tribe has its own medicine wheel. The Ojibway believe that their medicine wheel offers them direction in life. In the same way, the wheel of medicine is a life-cycle that represents the natural cycles of life from delivery, to growth, to demise, and even regeneration. The wheel of medicine not only includes the Ojibway people, but also the nations of the earth. The four cycles are viewed in a clockwise manner. North is at the top, East to the right, South at the bottom, and West on the left of the viewer. Even though the wheel has neither the beginning nor the end, it is crucial to enter the wheel from the South and proceed in a clockwise direction. At the centre is the Creator and is also the Medicine Wheel itself. We begin from the East because it is where life starts and everything starts to come alive from people, vegetation, and seasons among others. The medicine wheel comprises of the following (Lawson, McDowell and Thomson 56-57): West – Sage; it cleans the air, its smoke can also be utilized to cleanse one from spirits, help one to observe, feel, and taste things effectively. Besides, the tea made from sage is beneficial for the throat. Sage can also be used to provide direction when one

Causes of the Civil War Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Causes of the Civil War - Research Paper Example These came to be known as the Confederate states, all of whose members were slave-owning states. Barbara Fields, however, disagrees with this assumption stating that, the United States made war on the Confederates not because of the slavery abolition, but because it wanted to preserve the Union (Rios). The Emancipation of all the slaves in the Union was simply an excuse made to start the war that would force the southern states back into the Union. According to Fields, the northern states only declared war on the Confederate states because they not only wanted to preserve the Union, but also to ensure that they did not have a powerful rival. In essence, the northern states wanted to retain their advantage as the leading states in the Union by enforcing their dominance. This situation led to the coming to prominence of two men, whose views on slavery were entirely opposite of one another. The first is Abraham Lincoln was among the biggest proponents of the eradication of slavery in al l the states within the Union as well as the preservation of the latter (Pinsker 59). The other is Jefferson Davis, who was a principal proponent of the institution of slavery and believed that it was a necessary part of the southern economy. While many in the non-slaveholding north supported the declaration, many in the south viewed it as the federal government’s attempt to interfere with their internal affairs. According to Shelby Foote, among the most prominent advocates of this viewpoint was none other than Jefferson Davis, who was a staunch believer in the right of all the states within the union to make their own decision without interference. He believed that all the states in the union had joined it voluntarily, and this gave them the independence to decide what was and what was not best for them. If the federal government were to keep interfering in the domestic dealings of the states, then these states would inevitably lose their sovereignty, defeating the purpose o f the formation of the union (Dawson 592). He is noted to have stated that since all states had joined the union of their own free will, they also had the right to leave it if they felt that their interests were not being represented in a manner to their liking. Furthermore, Davis believed that the decision to end slavery lay with the individual states themselves, and not with the federal government. It is extremely likely that it was because of this stance that when the southern states chose to leave the union, they chose him to be their leader. His vision was to maintain slavery in the Confederate states and to expand this institution south into Mexico as this new slave owning federation grew (Norton et al 384). According to Foote, therefore, the American Civil war did not take place because of the need for the southern states to retain slavery, but for them to be able to determine their own destiny without any interference from the northern states, which dominated the United Stat es at the time (Bolin 38). Many southerners at the time felt that the northern states wanted to enforce their will upon them so that they would remain a backwater and this is the reason why they chose to break from the Union. In the matter if abolition, however, many have come to believe the reasons for Lincoln going to war, who stated that maintaining slavery in the United States would be a

Movie Glory Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Glory - Movie Review Example This paper will highlight how the Zwick depicts the determination of black men. The blacks forming part of the first infantry that would train blacks in readiness for entry into the military forces were not doing it for the war sake only. The infantry presented them with an opportunity to prove that blacks possessed a lot of potential that the whites had chosen to notice. The movie targets to inform anyone who has an interest in knowing the dark sides of American history. The movie depicts a high level of teamwork and pursues of a common goal. These blacks needed endurance, persistence, and resilience to survive the tough training. They took the challenges in order to prove to the whites that they deserved more than the society had given them. Most of these soldiers had been slaving before, and their esteem was low. However, the producer of the movie shows clearly that these blacks made the best of the opportunity. In the civil war staged to determine whether they had gained war skills, they managed to prove to the world and to themselves that they deserved a l ot more in society. Despite the price they paid at war, the blacks achieved their goal. Shaw, the commanding officer in the infantry pushed the blacks beyond their limits forcing them to unleash the best of their potential. Throughout the training, Shaw wanted to improve their expertise and competence in fighting. The movie is suitable for viewers with historical interest. The producer succeeds in highlighting the teamwork and determination of blacks to prove their competence in the military department opening an opportunity for more black

Smoking Cessation for Young Adults Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Smoking Cessation for Young Adults - Assignment Example An evaluation design has to be designed which will assess the success of the smoking cessation campaign. Due to the fact that getting a control group was an uphill task to obtain as well as the high costs associated with the campaign, the focus remained squarely in the British Columbia province (Campbell &Stanley, 1966). Interrupted time series design with a single group (simple time series) will be inevitable as a design of choice. This design of the evaluation provides a better platform for addressing the issues emanating from the main objective of the campaign. This evaluation design carries with it features not limited to several variations of interrupted time series, observation time series and the ability to implement the independent time variable in a repeated manner. The evaluation must come before an altogether evaluation of both variables in the end. This helps in determining their interaction. As a practical example, the cessation campaign calls for this features when it splits the year-long period into three segments. There is the first segment that began in March and ended in April, a second one that began in July and ended in August and finally the October to November segment (Roscoe& John, 1969). The interrupted time series design will be implemented in a more than one independent variable varied one after another due to the breaks between them over the one year period of the cessation campaign. For instance, the effects of the media coverage on the radio and television and the newspapers as far as this campaign is concerned are expected to be varying on the smokers. However, this will be captured by the above choice of the evaluation design. The evaluator will be in a better position to drop the elements with no effect or adjust the campaign program as well.  

Friedreich's Ataxia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Friedreich's Ataxia - Essay Example Loss of frataxin in the system results in deregulation of iron levels in the mitochondria causing oxidative stress that kills the cells. This leads to a degeneration of the spinal cord, brain, and nerve communications to the muscles. Symptoms are generally manifested early in life between the ages of 5 and 25. Diagnosis is usually accomplished by observing symptoms and self-reporting of symptoms. Symptoms can include spinal curvature, impaired swallowing, deformed feet, and cardiomyopathy (impaired heart muscles). In addition, with the identification of the specific genes responsible, genetic testing can be done to accurately diagnosis the disease. A family history of Friedreich's Ataxia is also an indicator used in diagnosis. As with many of the ataxias, there is not a cure but there are regimens indicated to treat the specific symptoms. Treatment for Friedreich's ataxia generally requires the close cooperation of multiple physicians in several disciplines. The main overall goal for the patient is to remain in good health by a healthy diet and good physical exercise. Diabetes is often closely correlated with Friedreich's Ataxia and treatment consists of insulin. Further treatment is administered on an as needed basis. Propranolol, a beta blocker, may be prescribed to control muscle spasms.

More Than One Child In One Family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

More Than One Child In One Family - Essay Example In order to implement the policy, government ensured that families especially in urban areas do not have more than one child. Further, a fee was applied to the families who have more than one child in order to penalize the families for having more than one kid in the family. The intended aims of this policy were to improve the healthcare services for the society so that better care and services could be provided. Further, in order to enforce the improvements in the saving rates, government considered the reduction of the size of the family. In actuality, Chinese economy as a whole has been able to register higher saving rates since the policy was implemented in 1978. (Naughton, 2007)Probably the most important policy reason behind the implementation of this policy was to achieve the economic growth and relieve pressure on the resources of the country. By reducing the size of the population, the overall wealth distribution could have been better allocated in order to achieve better ec onomic progress. (Feng Wang, 2010)China during recent times has made enormous economic progress with significant average economic growth. China has achieved the same in its manufacturing sector by providing cheap manufacturing facilities to the customers around the world. Further, China is the leading exporter also thus relying mostly on its labor force as vital for the economic progress. However, the overall process of manufacturing requires young and skilled labor force which can endure the physical strain spent in the manufacturing process. What is critical however is the fact that China’s population is ageing fast and due to the one child policy, it is fast approaching a position where it may not have adequate young population to support its economic progress through manufacturing activities?

The American Red Cross (Ethics) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The American Red Cross (Ethics) - Essay Example These include blood services, food, blankets, cots, emergency and disaster relief services, health and safety services, and dozens of other goods and services provided to people in need. Their ethics document is highly developed, including standards for the sharing of biomedical knowledge, protocols for behavior in war, compliance with the law, avoidance of conflicts of interest, confidentiality and rules governing gifts (Red Cross). This makes ethical breaches especially troubling: The ARC is not only a leader in relief efforts and humanitarian work, but has clear issues and protocols for dealing with and managing ethical issues. It is important to note that recent problems with the ARC have not prevented it from doing good work on the ground for hundreds of thousands of people. Ongoing relief efforts continue. Yet the breaches could jeopardize that work. Executive turnover at the top, from Elizabeth Dole to Bernadine Healy to Mark Everson, not only occurred under inauspicious circu mstances (Healy's failure to adequately respond to 9/11, Everson's sexual dalliances and abuse of authority), but threatened the contiguity of leadership important to managing an organization as big and diverse as the ARC (Ferrell and Ferrell, 2011, p. 503). Embezzlement in many state chapters occurred, one of the most shocking being a Pennsylvania manager who stole money for crack cocaine! Congressional mandates have only stemmed, not stopped, the reports of embezzlement and impropriety. Hurricane Katrina also reflected badly on the ARC, though here most of the blame and attention was placed upon FEMA and the Bush administration's inadequate response (Ferrell and Ferrell, 2011, p. 505). Yet the ARC did make many miscalculations, such as using felons, diverting relief supplies, and poor tracking and distribution (Ferrell and Ferrell, 2011, p. 506). The issue is that, as a charitable organization beholden not only to contributors but also to policy-maker, agencies and taxpayers, the ARC's ethical issues threaten its ability to market, gain contributions, and remain trustworthy as a leadership force in humanitarian aid. As noted, the ARC has an extensive moral code. This is not simply a statement of principles, though those principles are well-established and complex. ARC care providers are supposed to be, in a sense, nurses and doctors for the world. They are, for many, a one-stop shop for needs: People in poverty-stricken, disaster-stricken or crisis areas, refugees and other recipients of aid get everything from medical care to clothes and blankets. The ARC attempts to avoid partisanship and nationalism: They seek to serve all of mankind (Red Cross). Again, most of the problems that have plagued the ARC have been leadership, not rank-and-file, issues: Embezzlement by managers and poor executive decisions are damning, true, but there is no evidence that the people actually providing aid have declined one iota in their ethical standards, belief in the ARC's cor e principles, or have ceased to provide a useful service. None of the four major organizational ethical philosophies can justify the ARC's current lapses, but what philosophy do they generally operate under? Between denotative, relativistic, deontological and consequentalist frameworks, the ARC's traditional

The United States 5th Marine Regiment Korea to Afghanistan Research Paper

The United States 5th Marine Regiment Korea to Afghanistan - Research Paper Example On October 29, the 1st Battalion was moved down the Hai River to Taku-Tangu Area to protect the railhead, the Taku Port and supply lines. (Simmons, 185; Yingling, 39-40). Under increased American influence, the improving situation between the Chinese Nationalist and Communist forces led to a cease-fire in January 1946. On April 08, the Regimental Headquarters were moved to Tangshan for security of the rail lines. As the Nationalist Army began to take over the responsibilities, the Marine units were being relieved in various sectors gradually. Taking advantage of the reduction in Marine numbers, the Communist forces violated the agreement by occupying a vast area in Manchuria left after the departure of Soviet occupation troops. The 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, was deactivated on April 15. With only a few veterans left, the Regiment (less 1st Battalion) started intensive schooling program until September, when it returned to Peiping for the security of American personnel and property. (Yingling, 40-41). On the night of October 03, the 1st Battalion helped to repulse a company size attack by communists on the Hsin-Ho ammunition dump. The Battalion succeeded in recovering most of the stolen ammunition. On April 05, 1947, over 300 communists attacked two other ammunition dumps. Expecting a quick reaction from the 1st Battalion, the enemy had planned an ambush and mined the road leading to the area. As the lead vehicle of the C Company hit the mine, the attackers opened fire. The Marine counter-fire repelled the attack soon. However, despite diligent pursuit, the raiders succeeded in escaping the area along with the loaded ammunition. The Marine casualties included 16 wounded and 05 killed. (Yingling, 41). The 5th Marines were entitled to China Service streamer. By mid-May, the remaining units of the 1st Division had been withdrawn from China. Most of them were sent back to the United States. However, along with some other supporting units, the 5th Marines was moved to Guam, where it filled in the organization of 1st Provisional Marine Brigade on June 01, under the command of Brig. Gen. Edward A. Craig. The 2nd Battalion was also removed in October to form the 9th Marines. For the rest of the period at Guam, The one-battalion regiment was engaged in training exercises to increase proficiency of its personnel. The three-battalion 5th Marines, under the command of Col. Victor H. Krulak, was reactivated at Camp Pendleton on October 01, 1949. Elements of the 1st, 6th and 7th Marines formed the 1st and 2nd Battalions, while the 3rd Battalion (at Guam) joined the Regiment in February 1950. (Yingling, 41; Rottman, 170). The Korean War On June 25, 1950, the North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) had invaded South Korea without any warning. Only four days later, in response to the United Nations’ call for rendering aid to South Korea, American Commander in the Far East, Gen. Douglas Macarthur, USA, was authorized to employ U.S. forces for repel ling the attack. Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Clifton B. Cates, offered a Marine air-ground brigade immediately. However, as he was not included in the Joint Chiefs of Staff meetings, he had to pursue a different channel. In response to Gen. Macarthur’s request for Marine units, Cates’ recommendation was finally approved on July 03. The 1st Provisional M

Managing in a global society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Managing in a global society - Essay Example It is therefore the reason why international managers should take their time to study these cultures before introducing new products in the market or opening new subsidiaries (Turner, 2000). Communication, for example, is an important tool, necessary for transmitting ideas throughout an organization. However, it is worth noting that communication does not necessarily entail only the formal aspects such as through writing and speaking but also, it entails maintaining personal etiquette and as per the standards required by the host. The US and UK have English language as their official means of communication. Therefore, it would be easy for a UK entrepreneur to establish himself quickly in the US as opposed to Japan, which has Japanese as the major language of communication (Norbury, 2006). The language barrier present between UK and Japan requires foreign investors to study Japanese as their second language especially due to the fact that Japan scores highly under hofstede’s un certainty avoidance index (Varley, 2000). ... It therefore means that the presenter has to exercise patience before pressing for response, failure to which it would be taken to mean that he is disrespectful thereby risking his success. Worse still is the fact that business negotiations may be hampered by lack of understanding for example due to the Japanese reluctance to say no or to criticize openly (Norbury, 2006). It may therefore be confusing for a foreign negotiator to find that everything he says is met with a positive response, while in the real sense his Japanese counterparts are against his propositions. Experts advise foreigners to concentrate more on their sign languages, which could be for example scratching eyebrows, tone in their voice, teeth clenching, frowning in between a conversation among others. For instance, frowning is a sign of disagreement and therefore, it would be wise to concentrate on the facial expressions or better, phrase your statements in a manner that will demand an outright yes or no as an answ er (Varley, 2000). Coming from a country such as UK where open criticism is considered as normal, it would be taken as an insult and destruction of character to practice the same when negotiating with such people. The high uncertainty avoidance index (UAI) has also been described as a hindrance towards effecting change. This is due to the fact that these people are accustomed to predictability such that introduction of new working environments may not receive a friendly welcome (Hofstede, 1996). This is as opposed to the US whereby UAI is low such that it becomes possible for entrepreneurs to introduce new brands in the market and be able to make profit within short periods of time. This is an important observation, which a person intending to invest in the

Alcoholic Beverage and Personal Communication Essay Example for Free

Alcoholic Beverage and Personal Communication Essay Introduction The use of a range of drug types, including alcohol, are part of the traditions of many, if not all, communities in Fiji. The Fijian and Indo-Fijian communities have long traditions of psycho-active drug use in the context of ritual and ceremony. 1,2 It has been noted that seafarers, together with indentured labourers, brought cannabis or Indian hemp traditions to Fiji, with the sugar cane plantations providing fertile ground for cultivation. 2,3 Meanwhile, kava was widely cultivated and consumed by ethnic Fijians. The Indo-Fijian community slowly adopted kava drinking rituals and gradually others began to increase their consumption. In addition, marijuana use emerged and spread with increasing popularity amongst youth, especially males. 2-5 This literature review explores the current licit and illicit drug situation in Fiji. It considers peer-reviewed articles identi? ed using Pub Med, Health Internet Work Access to Research Initiative (HINARI) searches and ‘grey’ literature, including published and unpublished reports, and web based resources (e.g. UNDOC, WHO). The review found that there is limited data available to assist in understanding the current situation and associated harms in Fiji, but notes more studies and reports have examined alcohol consumption patterns and associated social problems when compared with studies on illicit drug use. 1, 5-15 Alcohol use in Fiji According to the WHO Global Status Report on Alcohol, data from the 1993 National Nutrition Survey indicate that consumption of alcoholic home brew use is widespread in Fiji, as in other Paci? c nations. These beverages usually contain up to three times the alcohol content of commercially produced beer and are mostly drunk by younger men. 16 After 1995, unrecorded alcohol consumption in Fiji was estimated to be 1. 0 litre of pure alcohol per capita for the population older than 15 years (estimated by a group of key alcohol experts). 17 Although there are no recently published statistics on the number of drinkers and abstainers, the same survey found daily drinkers to be 1. 4% among males and 0. 8% among females aged 12 years and over. 18 Estimates from alcohol experts show that the proportion of adult males and females who had been abstaining (in the year prior to the survey) was 74% (males) and 98% (females). 17 Research shows that single drinking sessions with a high rate of alcohol intake (common practice among Fijian youth) can cause abrupt mood swings resulting in violence, accidents and ? ghts, exaggerated emotions, uncharacteristic behaviour, memory loss, impaired judgement, communication problems, sleepiness, coma, stupor and death (at very high intake) and suicide attempts. Binge drinking has also been implicated in schizophrenic and other psychiatric episodes. 19 165 REVIEW PACIFIC HEALTH DIALOG MARCH 201 1, VOL. 17, NO. 1 While there is limited current information on the rate and consumption patterns of alcohol, cannabis and kava among young people,1,6,9 several studies2,3,8,11 were conducted to analyse the extent of tobacco and alcohol use among young people in Fiji in the 1990s and early 2000s. One of the studies4 found that alcohol is widely consumed in one form or another among young people, with about 2 in 5 of the young people surveyed having tasted it. The percentage of young people classi? ed as current drinkers ranged from a high of 26% among males to 9% among females. 4 Of concern was the high proportion of binge drinkers: about 3 in 5 young people reported having had 5 or more alcoholic drinks in one session. The study4 indicated that the high prevalence among 13-15 year olds poses a serious concern, and highlights the need for law enforcement and intervention programs to create an environment that promotes responsible drinking. Interestingly, the study found that when compared to smoking, alcohol and kava use, the proportion of young people using cannabis was relatively low. 4 A follow up survey of 2147 students in 2004 by the National Substance Abuse Advisory Council (NSAAC) found a general increase in substance use among secondary students (see table 1). Table 1: Youth Substance Use in Fiji (Comparison of the results for Fiji in the 1999 Global Youth Tobacco Survey by UNICEF and WHO and 2004 follow up survey by NSAAC). Substance Tobacco Alcohol Kava Marijuana GYT Survey (1999) 32. 3 40. 3 51. 9 12. 8 NSAAC (2004) 43 51 61 13 Signi? cant variations exist in the drinking habits of males and females in Fiji; there are many more male drinkers than there are female drinkers. 11 Ordinarily males consume the bulk of the alcohol in the company of other males, usually during drinking sessions with no special occasion, while most women drink alcohol during social functions or in night club settings in the company of men and other women. While women occasionally participate in drinking sessions, typically it is an exclusively male activity. 11,13 It is at these drinking parties where the most copious amounts of alcohol are reportedly consumed. Thus, when males drink, they tend to drink larger amounts of alcohol in one sitting than women do. Illicit drug use in Fiji Border Security and Drug Control Limited data exist to aid in understanding illicit drug use and the associated harms across the Paci? c. In addition, there are no surveillance systems. 20 However, Fiji by virtue of its geographical position is faced with the twin problems of illicit drug traf? cking and increasing use. 21,22 These are further aggravated by the rapid transitional and social changes arising from urbanization. These developments create an atmosphere which exposes entire communities to greater risk associated with drug use (Personal communication – Fiji Police Department, 2008). Minimal use of drugs such as heroin, morphine, cocaine and hallucinogens occur, but this review found that Fiji is considered a transit area for smuggling. [20-23]. Drugs such as heroin, methamphetamines and 166 PACIFIC HEALTH DIALOG MARCH 201 1, VOL. 17, NO. 1 REVIEW cocaine are not commonly used due to their high cost when compared to the average income. Raw cocaine has reportedly been found in Fiji and three Chinese men and a Fijian security guard were murdered in what was thought to be an organized crime execution linked to drugs. 22 National enforcement agencies have responded to curb traf? cking as is re? ected by the large seizures of illicit drugs. 24,25 In spite of this response, a drug laboratory found in Fiji in 200625 supports the view that organized crime groups could escalate their activities in the Paci? c islands. 21,25 A raid at an industrial estate in Suva, involving police from Australia and New Zealand and Fijian Customs Of? cer followed a major heroin seizure in 2000. 21,25] The lab identi? cation also suggests a transition of Fiji (and possibly other Paci? c Nations) from a transhipment point to a production base. According to the New Zealand Police, to succeed in future operations similar to the Suva bust, interested agencies need to work towards having â€Å"robust communication systems† across organisations to keep them connected and informed on crime in the region. 21 It is reported that there are about 5000 vessels transiting in the Paci? c on any given day. 21,24 Large shipments may be unloaded from a mother ship to smaller vessels, and can subsequently go in hiding at the many small, uninhibited islets and atolls, waiting for the next step. 21 Fiji has recently established a Transnational Crime Unit (TCU) with the Fiji Islands Revenue and Customs Authority (FIRCA) as one of the key law enforcement agencies involved. This unit has been vigilant in promoting the cooperation between border organizations in order to assist the TCU in controlling the borders. 24 The Unit also compiles data for intelligence risk assessments throughout the year. It supports a Case Management Intelligence System (CMIS), whereby relevant information from the Police Department, Immigration Department, Local Government Authorities, Financial Intelligence Unit, and other Law Enforcement Agencies24 are automatically linked in the system. A number of cases which the TCU have been investigating include a Tongan syndicate smuggling drugs from Fiji to Tonga. In a recent example of program cooperation a number of TCU surveillance targets were arrested during a Police roadblock in Sigatoka (personal communication, FIRCA, 2008). Domestic Issues Cannabis is by far the most common and widespread illicit drug used in Fiji. 11 Like many other countries in the region, anecdotal evidence suggests there has been a considerable increase in drug use among young people4 despite the relatively small increase suggested by the 2004 NSAAC study (see table 1). However, it is not clear if the two studies they reported were directly comparable. Data collected by the St Giles Hospital and the Fijian Police Department support the view there has been an increase in use. Admissions data for St Giles Hospital reports on cannabis induced psychosis and other disorders. In 1987, ? ve young men were admitted to St Giles Hospital with cannabis related mental disorders. In 1988, the number rose to ? fteen with many more unreported cases. 26 The 2005 hospital data revealed that a total of 612 patients were seen at outpatients department diagnosed with a substance abuse disorder. These included 386 (63%) patients for marijuana, 59 (10%) alcohol, 99 (16%) kava and 99 (16%) tobacco use issues. In 2006, 272 admissions to St Giles Hospital were reported as drug related, consisting of 66% Fijians, 20% Indo-Fijian and 14% belong to other ethnic groups. It is probable that the political troubles in 2006 impacted on the number of admissions, but no data were available to con? rm or reject this view. Police arrest data report possession (see Table 2). 8,13,26 Statistics provided by Fiji Police showed 259 drugrelated crimes were committed in 2008. There was a 21 per cent drop from 2007 which had 329 drug-related 167 REVIEW PACIFIC HEALTH DIALOG MARCH 201 1, VOL. 17, NO. 1 crimes. 27 There are also reports of increasing cannabis cultivation as a form of inter-seasonal cash crop substitution among farmers. It is estimated that Fiji has between 500 to 1000 cannabis producers, some of them citing the country’s worsening economy as the motivator for production (personal communication, Police Drug Unit, November 2008). For generations, the villagers of Navosa have travelled for hours across rugged terrain to reach a road to the market to sell their produce with no guarantee their produce will be sold. Facing the same hardships as their ancestors, many of these villagers report having no choice but to resort to marijuana growing because â€Å"The product is lighter, it has a steady market and is economically viable† (Personal communication with growers, December, 2008). Production is predominantly for local consumption. Table 2: Recent Crime Data ( Drug offences recorded by the Fiji Police Forces from 2000 to 2006). Year Drug offences 2001 433 2002 417 2003 417 2004 312 2005 312 2006 333 The Save the Children Fund in Fiji reports that the continuing political and economic instability in the country has also led to a lot more children working as drug traf? ckers or prostitutes. [28] Concern over the increasing number of children involved in drug traf? cking was sparked by the recent arrest of three school children caught selling drugs in an amusement centre in Labasa. The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre reported an increase in young Indo-Fijian girls working as prostitutes in urban centres. Furthermore, the National Manager for Save the Children Fund in Fiji, says there is a growing trend among poor families to send their children out onto the streets. 28 Drug and alcohol legislation and policy According to the literature, there is no regional-based illicit drug policy for the Paci? c and few treatment programs. 20,29 Information from the Paci? c Island Forum Secretariat (PIFS) indicates that Fiji’s Illicit Drugs Control Act is an adaptation of the Regional Model Law on the Control of Illicit Drugs which was developed by the Secretariat. There was no formal committee, but it was endorsed by a Cabinet sub-Committee on legislation which was chaired by the then Attorney-General. Both the Fijian Government and PIFS are advocating for a regional legislative framework to respond to the increase in illicit drugs in the region (personal communication, PIFS, 2008). Amphetamines are a key drug of concern with the region’s geographical vulnerability highlighted as a key factor in the rationale for this approach. At the time of writing, Kiribati and Fiji are the only two PIFS member countries to have adapted and enacted the model law. Furthermore, a Code of Practice has been developed by PIFS to assist stakeholders such as law enforcement agencies and pharmacies to classify, register and dispose of illicit drugs (personal communication, PIFS, 2008). It may be adapted by Forum member countries with modi? cations to suit national legal and administrative arrangements. Legislative control on the consumption and sale of alcohol to minors has not been widely and effectively implemented. While minors are legally barred from consuming alcohol, the sale of alcohol beverages to under-age drinkers is common throughout the country. 11 For the minor who is unable to gain access to commercial alcohol beverages, homebrew is an easily obtained alternative. Anecdotal evidence suggests that minors make up a large and undetected percentage of consumers of alcohol beverages. 168 PACIFIC HEALTH DIALOG MARCH 201 1, VOL. 17, NO. 1 REVIEW Sexually Transmitted Infections Sexually Transmitted Infections, including HIV, are emerging public health problems in Fiji. 13 A recent WHO report indicated that the rise in the number of HIV cases, in addition to increasing number of patients accessing STI clinics, in an ongoing concern. In 2006, MOH statistics indicated30 that Fijians comprised 83% of con? rmed HIV diagnoses, Indo-Fijian 13% and ‘others’ 4%. Since 2004, Fijian males had replaced females as having the highest number of cases. Overall, males comprised 59% and heterosexual transmission accounted for 85% of all cases. By the end of 2004 a total of 182 HIV infections had been reported in Fiji13 and the number of new cases reported each year has increased for the last ? ve years. In Fiji, reported cases of syphilis and gonorrhea have ? uctuated between 1998 and 2004. In 2004 there were 852 reports of syphilis and 1182 gonorrhea. The number of cases reported for 2008 were 1004 for syphilis, 1064 gonorrhea and 283 HIV cases. 27 Recent statistics from Fiji’s Health Ministry on Sexually Transmitted Infections are a cause for concern with the high rate of STIs among people aged 20 to 29 increasing the risk for HIV infection. 31,32 Fiji’s Director of Public Health notes that statistics gathered over the past eight years by the Ministry show that gonorrhoea and syphilis are the most frequently reported STIs in the country, which â€Å"highlights the underlying concern of unsafe sexual behaviour among young people† and the â€Å"same high-risk behaviour for the transmission of HIV. † He also said that â€Å"sex is serious business† and that â€Å"anyone, especially young people, who participates does so at their risk, in view of the sad consequences of infection from so many STIs including HIV, pelvic in? ammatory disease and infertility. †32 Risk/Protective Factors Some religious groups in Fiji, such as Islam, strictly forbid the use of alcohol. Christian denominations such as the Assemblies of God, Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Seventh Day Adventist Mission also prohibit the consumption of alcohol. Individual members of these religious groups vary in the degree to which they adhere to these principles. Any negative effects of combining tobacco or alcohol with kava use are currently conjecture, with relatively little work done to explore the nature of the relationship between these substances in the Paci? c. 1,6,9,26,33 However, anecdotal evidence suggests an inter-relationship exists with social and health consequences. 1, 4-6, 9, 13, 26, 33, 34 Reports of kava drinking followed by a beer chaser, known as ‘washdown’, are not uncommon and suggests the need for further exploration of potentially harmful consumption patterns. Excessive drinking, drinking too frequently and too much, often re? ects the drinking pro? le of the majority of young people in countries like Fiji. 5, 11, 14 Excessive drinking is reported as a signi? cant contributor to motor vehicle accidents, violence and aggressive behaviour, unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and criminal activities. 3, 14, 15, 18, 26 It has been suggested that the alcohol consumption pattern of young Indigenous Fijian males follows the traditional kava ritual of drinking until there is nothing left in the kava bowl. In many instances, young people often end their kava drinking session by consuming alcohol (‘wash down’). [3, 5] It is reported that most youths drink excessively to manage their problems, but it may result in new problems like unsafe sex, crime and violence and even suicide. 5, 14, 15, 34, 35 A study in Fiji10, 11 revealed that alcohol was a factor in 58% of all homicide between 1982 and 1992 and approximately 80% of the crime in the country is alcohol-related. 10, 18 169 REVIEW PACIFIC HEALTH DIALOG MARCH 201 1, VOL. 17, NO. 1 Furthermore, the effects of alcohol on the physical, mental and social health of Fiji’s citizens have in recent years been the subject of considerable concern amongst health-care professionals and social scientists, as well as the ordinary citizens. 2, 3, 8, 10, 11, 23, 26, 33 At present there is suf? cient evidence from a variety of research ? ndings1, 6, 10, 11, 34 to suggest that the heavy consumption of alcohol contributes other health problems in Fiji, such as diabetes, heart problems, obesity and hypertension. Among the social consequences of excessive alcohol consumption in the country,10, 11 violent crime, domestic violence, and road fatalities have been identi? ed as the most serious. 8, 23, 34 While alcohol and home brew drinking are more common, marijuana cultivation, sales and distribution has become pervasive in some Paci? c Island countries. It has been seen as a good source of income. A further emerging substance abuse issue is glue snif? ng among school age children, mostly in their early teens. In addition, unemployment in youths is a major problem in the Paci? c. In Fiji it has been estimated that out of nearly 10,000 youths seeking employment, only 1500 can be employed. 2, 3, 13 Studies and observations in some urban areas of Paci? c countries point to an increasing numbers of people between the ages of 15-19 engaging in commercial sex worker with some aged even younger. 2, 3, 11, 15, 35, 36 Conclusions There is a range of evidence and data suggesting the potential for increased risk of HIV infection associated with substance use in Fiji, but there is a need to explore this issue further with social behavioural and qualitative research. While harmful substance use patterns and sexual health risk factors are increasingly reported, there is little current analysis regarding the interaction of the two. Of particular concern is the current environment of rapidly changing substance use patterns with little in the way of structural responses to protect the people of Fiji from the range of social and health-related harms. In addition, dif? cult economic conditions and the tangible bene? ts of cannabis growing and distribution (and potential for amphetamine production) lend urgency to the need to investigate these issues further and to develop viable interventions that are informed by robust data and research information. References 1. Goundar R, Kava consumption and its health effects. Journal of Community Health and Clinical Medicine for the Paci? c 2006. 13(3): p. 131-5. 2. Plange, N. K. , Social Aspects of Drug and Alcohol Abuse: An overview of the situation in Fiji. Fiji Medical Journal, 1991. 17(3): p. 5-12. 3. Plange, N. K. , Alcoholism and Crime among Urban Youth in Fiji. 1991, University of the South Paci? c. 4. UNICEF. , Substance use among adolescents in Fiji: A surveillance Report from the Fiji Global Tobacco Survey. 1999. 5. Rokosawa, M. Alcohol problems in Fiji. 1986 [cited. 6. Moulds RFW, M. J. , Kava: herbal panacea or liver poison? [For Debate]. Medical Journal of Australia, 2003(178): p. 451-3. 7. Morrison F, H. F. , Gaylord J, Leigh B, Rainey D. , Adolescent drinking and sex: ? ndings from a daily diary study. Perspective on Sexual Reproductive Health, 2003. 35(4): p. 162-8. 8. Adinkrah, M. , Homicide-Suicides in Fiji: Offence patterns, situational factors socio-cultural contexts. Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior, 2003. 33: p. 65-73. 170 PACIFIC HEALTH DIALOG MARCH 201 1, VOL. 17, NO. 1 REVIEW 9. Kava, R. , The adverse effects of Kava. Paci? c Health Dialog, 2001. 8: p. 115-18. 10. Adinkrah, M., Violent encounters: A study of homicide patterns in Fiji society. 1996, Fiji Council of Social Services. : Suva, Fiji. 11. Adinkrah, M. , Crime, deviance delinquency in Fiji. 1995, Suva, Fiji: Fiji Council of Social Services. 12. Plange, N. K. , Social aspects of drug and alcohol abuse: An overview of the situation in Fiji. Fiji Medical Journal, 1991. 17(3): p. 4-12. 13. WHO, National Workshop on Alcohol Related Problems in Fiji. 1986. 14. Naiveli, B. , Alcohol and Crime. 1986, Royal Fiji Police. p. 34,35 15. Kippax, D. D. , The Genesis of Alcohol -Related Problems. 1986, Fiji School of Medicine. p. 24-28. 16. Na tabili kavoro: The place of alcohol in the lives of Fijian people living in Aotearoa New Zealand. ALAC Research Monograph series: No. 4. Wellington, Sector Analysis, Ministry of Health for the Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand, 1997. 17. Alcohol per capita consumption, patterns of drinking and abstention worldwide after 1995. Appendix 2. European Addiction Research, 2001. 7(3): p. 155-157. 18. http://www. who. int/substance_abuse/publications/en/? ji. pdf, WHO Global Status Report on Alcohol 2004: Geneva. 19. Recommendations for policy to support health promotion. A report to the Minister of Health., N. C. f. H. Promotion, Editor. March 1998. 20. Devanney M, R. G. , Baldwin S, Crofts N, Power, R, Illicit drug use and responses in six Paci? c Island countries. Drug and Alcohol Review, 2006. 25: p. 387-900. 21. Drug Enforcement Administration Intelligence Division, Drugs Intelligence Brief: the paci? c islands region, v. Alexandra, Editor. 2004, Drug Enforcement Administration. 22. United States Of? ce on Drugs Crime, Paci? c Islands: UNODC Regional Centre for East Asia and the Paci? c. 2003. 23. Ratinisiva M, Drug Traf? cking, Prevention and Control in Fiji. Fiji Medical Journal, 1991. 17(3): p. 5-12. 24. Fiji Islands Revenue and Customs Authority, Annual Report. 2006. p. 17. 25. Louisa, C. , Paci? c ripe for drug ring boom, in NZ Herald. 2004: Auckland. 26. Abusah, P. Y. , The Drug Scene in Fiji. Fiji Medical Journal, 1991. 17(3): p. 21-25. 27. http://www. stats? ji. gov. fj/Key%20Stats/Miscellaneous/15. 7%20crime%20cases%20recorded. pdf. 2008. 28. http://tvnz. co. nz/view/page/425822/37544, More Fijian youth in drugs, prostitution 2001. 29. Illicit Drugs Control Bill Draft. Fiji: Paci? c Islands Forum Secretariat. 2002. 30. Ministry of Health, Annual Report Shaping Fiji’s Health.2007. 31. http://www. health. gov. fj/index. html. 2008. 32. http://www. stats? ji. gov. fj/Social/health_cdeath. htm. 2008 [cited. 33. Council out to Fight Drug Abuse, in The Fiji Times. 34. Caswell, S. , Alcohol in Oceania. 1986, Alcohol Research Unit, Dept of Community Health and General Practice, School of Medicine, University of Auckland, New Zealand. p. 25. 35. Kippax D, O. M. J. , Alcohol-Related Problems in Fiji. 1986, Suva: Suva. 36. Ali, S. , Family Life Education. 1986, Ministry of Education. p. 36-39. 171 REVIEW PACIFIC HEALTH DIALOG MARCH 201 1, VOL. 17, NO. 1 172.