The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon Chapter 14 FAMILY

I COWERED INTO JACOB'S SIDE, MY EYES SCANNING the forest for the other werewolves. When they appeared, striding out from between the trees, they weren't what I was expecting. I'd gotten the image of the wolves stuck in my head. These were just four really big half-naked boys. Again, they reminded me of brothers, quadruplets. Something about the way they moved almost in synchronization to stand across the road from us, the way they all had the same long, round muscles under the same red-brown skin, the same cropped black hair, and the way their expressions altered at exactly the same moment. They started out curious and cautious. When they saw me there, half-hidden beside Jacob, they all became furious in the same second. Sam was still the biggest, though Jacob was getting close to catching up with him. Sam didn't really count as a boy. His face was oldernot in the sense of lines or signs of aging, but in the matunry, the patience of his expression. â€Å"What have you done, Jacob?† he demanded. One of the others, one I didn't recognizeJared or Paulthrust past Sam and spoke before Jacob could defend himself. â€Å"Why can't you just follow the rules, Jacob?† he yelled, throwing his arms in the air. â€Å"What the hell are you thinking? Is she more important than everythingthan the whole tribe? Than the people getting killed?† â€Å"She can help,† Jacob said quietly. â€Å"Help!† the angry boy shouted. His arms begin to quiver. â€Å"Oh, that's likely! I'm sure the leech-lover is just dying to help us out!† â€Å"Don't talk about her like that!† Jacob shouted back, stung by the boy's criticism. A shudder rippled through the other boy, along his shoulders and down his spine. â€Å"Paul! Relax!† Sam commanded. Paul shook his head back and forth, not in defiance, but as though he were trying to concentrate. â€Å"Jeez, Paul,† one of the other boysprobably Jaredmuttered. â€Å"Get a grip.† Paul twisted his head toward Jared, his lips curling back in irritation. Then he shifted his glare in my direction. Jacob took a step to put himself in front of me. That did it. â€Å"Right, protect her!† Paul roared in outrage. Another shudder, a convulsion, heaved through his body. He threw his head back, a real growl tearing from between his teeth. â€Å"Paul!† Sam and Jacob shouted together. Paul seemed to fall forward, vibrating violently. Halfway to the ground, there was a loud ripping noise, and the boy exploded. Dark silver fur blew out from the boy, coalescing into a shape more than five-times his sizea massive, crouched shape, ready to spring. The wolf's muzzle wrinkled back over his teeth, and another growl rolled through his colossal chest. His dark, enraged eyes focused on me. In the same second, Jacob was running across the road straight for the monster. â€Å"Jacob!† I screamed. Mid-stride, a long tremor shivered down Jacob's spine. He leaped forward, diving headfirst into the empty air. With another sharp tearing sound, Jacob exploded, too. He burst out of his skinshreds of black and white cloth blasted up into the air. It happened so quickly that if I'd blinked, I'd have missed the entire transformation. One second it was Jacob diving into the air, and then it was the gigantic, russet brown wolfso enormous that I couldn't make sense of its mass somehow fitting inside Jacobcharging the crouched silver beast. Jacob met the other werewolf's attack head-on. Their angry snarls echoed like thunder off the trees. The black and white scrapsthe remains of Jacob's clothesfluttered to the ground where he'd disappeared. â€Å"Jacob!† I screamed again, staggering forward. â€Å"Stay where you are, Bella,† Sam ordered. It was hard to hear him over the roar of the fighting wolves. They were snapping and tearing at each other, their sharp teeth flashing toward each other's throats. The Jacob-wolf seemed to have the upper handhe was visibly bigger than the other wolf, and it looked like le was stronger, too. He rammed his shoulder against the gray wolf again and again, knocking him back toward the trees. â€Å"Take her to Emily's,† Sam shouted toward the other boys, who were watching the conflict with rapt expressions. Jacob had successfully shoved the gray wolf off the road, and they were disappearing into the forest, though the sound of their snarls was still loud. Sam ran after them, kicking off his shoes on the way. As he darted into the trees, he was quivering from head to toe. The growling and snapping was fading into the distance. Suddenly, the sound cut off and it was very quiet on the road. One of the boys started laughing. I turned to stare at himmy wide eyes felt frozen, like I couldn't even blink them. The boy seemed to be laughing at my expression. â€Å"Well, there's something you don't see every day,† he snickered. His face was vaguely familiarthinner than the others Embry Call. â€Å"I do,† the other boy, Jared, grumbled. â€Å"Every single day.† â€Å"Aw, Paul doesn't lose his temper every day,† Embry disagreed, still grinning. â€Å"Maybe two out of three.† Jared stopped to pick something white up off the ground. He held it up toward Embry; it dangled in limp strips from his hand. â€Å"Totally shredded,† Jared said. â€Å"Billy said this was the last pair he could affordguess Jacob's going barefoot now.† â€Å"This one survived,† Embry said, holding up a white sneaker. â€Å"Jake can hop,† he added with a laugh. Jared started collecting various pieces of fabric from the dirt. â€Å"Get Sam's shoes, will you? All the rest of this is headed for the trash.† Embry grabbed the shoes and then jogged into the trees where Sam had disappeared. He was back in a few seconds with a pair of cut-off jeans draped over his arm. Jared gathered the torn remnants of Jacob's and Paul's clothes and wadded them into a ball. Suddenly, he seemed to remember me. He looked at me carefully, assessing. â€Å"Hey, you're not going to faint or puke or anything?† he demanded. â€Å"I don't think so,† I gasped. â€Å"You don't look so good. Maybe you should sit down.† â€Å"Okay,† I mumbled. For the second time in one morning, I put my head between my knees. â€Å"Jake should have warned us,† Embry complained. â€Å"He shouldn't have brought his girlfriend into this. What did he expect?† â€Å"Well, the wolf's out of the bag now.† Embry sighed. â€Å"Way to go, Jake.† I raised my head to glare at the two boys who seemed to be taking this all so lightly. â€Å"Aren't you worried about them at all?† I demanded. Embry blinked once in surprise â€Å"Worried? Why?† â€Å"They could hurt each other!† Embry and Jared guffawed. â€Å"I hope Paul gets a mouthful of him,† Jared said. â€Å"Teach him a lesson.† I blanched. â€Å"Yeah, right!† Embry disagreed. â€Å"Did you see Jake? Even Sam couldn't have phased on the fly like that. He saw Paul losing it, and it took him, what, half a second to attack? The boy's got a gift.† â€Å"Paul's been fighting longer. I'll bet you ten bucks he leaves a mark.† â€Å"You're on. Jake's a natural. Paul doesn't have a prayer.† They shook hands, grinning. I tried to comfort myself with their lack of concern, but I couldn't drive the brutal image of the fighting werewolves from my head. My stomach churned, sore and empty, my head ached with worry. â€Å"Let's go see Emily. You know she'll have food waiting.† Embry looked down at me. â€Å"Mind giving us a ride?† â€Å"No problem,† I choked. Jared raised one eyebrow. â€Å"Maybe you'd better drive, Embry. She still looks like she might hurl.† â€Å"Good idea. Where are the keys?† Embry asked me. â€Å"Ignition.† Embry opened the passenger-side door. â€Å"In you go,† he said cheerfully, hauling me up from the ground with one hand and stuffing me into my seat. He appraised the available space. â€Å"You'll have to ride in the back,† he told Jared. â€Å"That's fine. I got a weak stomach. I don't want to be in there when she blows.† â€Å"I bet she's tougher than that. She runs with vampires.† â€Å"Five bucks?† Jared asked. â€Å"Done. I feel guilty, taking your money like this.† Embry got in and started the engine while Jared leapt agilely into the bed. As soon as his door was closed, Embry muttered to me, â€Å"Don't throw up, okay? I've only got a ten, and if Paul got his teeth into Jacob† â€Å"Okay,† I whispered. Embry drove us back toward the village. â€Å"Hey, how did Jake get around the injunction anyway?† â€Å"The what?† â€Å"Er, the order. You know, to not spill the beans. How did he tell you about this?† â€Å"Oh, that,† I said, remembering Jacob trying to choke out the truth to me last night. â€Å"He didn't. I guessed right.† Embry pursed his lips, looking surprised. â€Å"Hmm. S'pose that would work.† â€Å"Where are we going?† I asked. â€Å"Emily's house. She's Sam's girlfriend no, fiancee, now, I guess. They'll meet us back there after Sam gives it to them for what just happened. And after Paul and Jake scrounge up some new clothes, if Paul even has any left.† â€Å"Does Emily know about ?† â€Å"Yeah. And hey, don't stare at her. That bugs Sam.† I frowned at him. â€Å"Why would I stare?† Embry looked uncomfortable. â€Å"Like you saw just now, hanging out around werewolves has its risks.† He changed the subject quickly. â€Å"Hey, are you okay about the whole thing with the black-haired bloodsucker in the meadow? It didn't look like he was a friend of yours, but. .† Embry shrugged. â€Å"No, he wasn't my friend.† â€Å"That's good. We didn't want to start anything, break the treaty, you know.† â€Å"Oh, yeah, Jake told me about the treaty once, a long time ago. Why would killing Laurent break the treaty?† â€Å"Laurent,† he repeated, snorting, like he was amused the vampire had had a name. â€Å"Well, we were technically on Cullen turf. We're not allowed to attack any of them, the Cullens, at least, off our landunless they break the treaty first. We didn't know if the black-haired one was a relative of theirs or something. Looked like you knew him.† â€Å"How would they go about breaking the treaty?† â€Å"If they bite a human. Jake wasn't so keen on the idea of letting it go that far.† â€Å"Oh. Um, thanks. I'm glad you didn't wait.† â€Å"Our pleasure.† He sounded like he meant that in a literal sense. Embry drove past the easternmost house on the highway before turning off onto a narrow dirt road. â€Å"Your truck is slow,† he noted. â€Å"Sorry.† At the end of the lane was a tiny house that had once been gray. There was only one narrow window beside the weathered blue door, but the window box under it was filled with bright orange and yellow marigolds, giving the whole place a cheerful look. Embry opened the truck door and inhaled. â€Å"Mmm, Emily's cooking.† Jared jumped out of the back of the truck and headed for the door, but Embry stopped him with one hand on his chest. He looked at me meaningfully, and cleared his throat. â€Å"I don't have my wallet on me,† Jared said. â€Å"That's okay. I won't forget.† They climbed up the one step and entered the house without knocking. I followed timidly after them. The front room, like Billy's house, was mostly kitchen. A young woman with satiny copper skin and long, straight, crow-black hair was standing at the counter by the sink, popping big muffins out of a tin and placing them on a paper plate. For one second, I thought the reason Embry had told me not to stare was because the girl was so beautiful. And then she asked â€Å"You guys hungry?† in a melodic voice, and she turned to face us full on, a smile on half of her face. The right side of her face was scarred from hairline to chin by three thick, red lines, livid in color though they were long healed. One line pulled down the corner of her dark, almond-shaped right eye, another twisted the right side of her mouth into a permanent grimace. Thankful for Embry's warning, I quickly turned my eyes to the muffins in her hands. They smelled wonderfullike fresh blueberries. â€Å"Oh,† Emily said, surprised. â€Å"Who's this?† I looked up, trying to focus on the left half of her face. â€Å"Bella Swan,† Jared told her, shrugging. Apparently, I'd been a topic of conversation before. â€Å"Who else?† â€Å"Leave it to Jacob to find a way around,† Emily murmured. She stared at me, and neither half of her once-beautiful face was friendly. â€Å"So, you're the vampire girl.† I stiffened. â€Å"Yes. Are you the wolf girl?† She laughed, as did Embry and Jared. The left half of her face warmed. â€Å"I guess I am.† She turned to Jared. â€Å"Where's Sam?† â€Å"Bella, er, surprised Paul this morning.† Emily rolled her good eye. â€Å"Ah, Paul,† she sighed. â€Å"Do you think they'll be long? I was just about to start the eggs.† â€Å"Don't worry,† Embry told her. â€Å"If they're late, we won't let anything go to waste.† Emily chuckled, and then opened the refrigerator. â€Å"No doubt,† she agreed. â€Å"Bella, are you hungry? Go ahead and help yourself to a muffin.† â€Å"Thanks.† I took one from the plate and started nibbling around the edges. It was delicious, and it felt good in my tender stomach. Embry picked up his third and shoved it into his mouth whole. â€Å"Save some for your brothers,† Emily chastised him, hitting him on the head with a wooden spoon. The word surprised me, but the others thought nothing of it. â€Å"Pig,† Jared commented. I leaned against the counter and watched the three of them banter like a family. Emily's kitchen was a friendly place, bright with white cupboards and pale wooden floorboards. On the little round table, a cracked blue-and-white china pitcher was overflowing with wildflowers. Embry and Jared seemed entirely at ease here. Emily was mixing a humongous batch of eggs, several dozen, in a big yellow bowl. She had the sleeves of her lavender shirt pushed up, and I could see that the scars extended all the way down her arm to the back of her right hand. Hanging out with werewolves truly did have its risks, just as Embry had said. The front door opened, and Sam stepped through. â€Å"Emily,† he said, and so much love saturated his voice that I felt embarrassed, intrusive, as I watched him cross the room in one stride and take her face in his wide hands. He leaned down and kissed the dark scars on her right cheek before he kissed her lips. â€Å"Hey, none of that,† Jared complained. â€Å"I'm eating.† â€Å"Then shut up and eat,† Sam suggested, kissing Emily's ruined mouth again. â€Å"Ugh,† Embry groaned. This was worse than any romantic movie; this was so real that it sang out loud with joy and life and true love. I put my muffin down and folded my arms across my empty chest. I stared at the flowers, trying to ignore the utter peace of their moment, and the wretched throbbing of my wounds. I was grateful for the distraction when Jacob and Paul came through the door, and then shocked when I saw that they were laughing. While I watched, Paul punched Jacob on the shoulder and Jacob went for a kidney jab in return. They laughed again. They both appeared to be in one piece. Jacob scanned the room, his eyes stopping when he found me leaning, awkward and out of place, against the counter in the far corner of the kitchen. â€Å"Hey, Bells,† he greeted me cheerfully. He grabbed two muffins as he passed the table and came to stand beside me. â€Å"Sorry about before,† he muttered under his breath. â€Å"How are you holding up.'† â€Å"Don't worry, I'm okay. Good muffins.† I picked mine back up and started nibbhrg again. My chest felt better as soon as Jacob was beside me. â€Å"Oh, man!† Jared wailed, interrupting us. I looked up, and he and Embry were examining a fading pink line on Paul's forearm. Embry was grinning, exultant. â€Å"Fifteen dollars,† he crowed. â€Å"Did you do that?† I whispered to Jacob, remembering the bet. â€Å"I barely touched him. He'll be perfect by sundown.† â€Å"By sundown?† I looked at the line on Paul's arm. Odd, but it looked weeks old. â€Å"Wolf thing,† Jacob whispered. I nodded, trying to not look weirded out. â€Å"You okay?† I asked him under my breath. â€Å"Not a scratch on me.† His expression was smug. â€Å"Hey, guys,† Sam said in a loud voice, interrupting all the conversations going on in the small room. Emily was at the stove, scraping the egg mixture around a big skillet, but Sam still had one hand touching the small of her back, an unconscious gesture. â€Å"Jacob has information for us.† Paul looked unsurprised. Jacob must have explained this to him and Sam already. Or they'd just heard his thoughts. â€Å"I know what the redhead wants.† Jacob directed his words toward Jared and Embry. â€Å"That's what I was trying to tell you before.† He kicked the leg of the chair Paul had settled into. â€Å"And?† Jared asked. Jacob's face got serious. â€Å"She is trying to avenge her mateonly it wasn't the black-haired leech we killed. The Cullens got her mate last year, and she's after Bella now.† This wasn't news to me, but I still shivered. Jared, Embry, and Emily stared at me with open-mouthed surprise. â€Å"She's just a girl,† Embry protested. â€Å"I didn't say it made sense. But that's why the bloodsucker's been trying to get past us. She's been heading for Forks.† They continued to stare at me, mouths still hanging open, for a long moment. I ducked my head. â€Å"Excellent,† Jared finally said, a smile beginning to pull up the corners of his mouth. â€Å"We've got bait.† With stunning speed, Jacob yanked a can opener from the counter and launched it at Jared's head. Jared's hand flicked up faster than I would have thought possible, and he snagged the tool just before it hit his face. â€Å"Bellais not bait.† â€Å"You know what I mean,† Jared said, unabashed. â€Å"So we'll be changing oar patterns,† Sam said, ignoring their squabble. â€Å"We'll try leaving a few holes, and see if she falls for it. We'll have to split up, and I don't like that. But if she's really after Bella, she probably won't try to take advantage of our divided numbers.† â€Å"Quit's got to be close to joining us,† Embry murmured. â€Å"Then we'll be able to split evenly.† Everyone looked down. I glanced at Jacob's face, and it was hopeless, like it had been yesterday afternoon, outside his house. No matter how comfortable they seemed to be with their fate, here in this happy kitchen, none of these werewolves wanted the same fate for their friend. â€Å"Well, we won't count on that,† Sam said in a low voice, and then continued at his regular volume. â€Å"Paul, Jared, and Embry will take the outer perimeter, and Jacob and I will take the inner. We'll collapse in when we've got her trapped.† I noticed that Emily didn't particularly like that Sam would be in the smaller grouping. Her worry had me glancing up at Jacob, worrying, too. Sam caught my eye. â€Å"Jacob thinks it would be best if you spent as much time as possible here in La Push. She won't know where to find you so easily, just in case.† â€Å"What about Charlie?† I demanded. â€Å"March Madness is still going,† Jacob said. â€Å"I think Billy and Harry can manage to keep Charlie down here when he's not at work.† â€Å"Wait,† Sam said, holding one hand up. His glance flickered to Emily and then back to me. â€Å"That's what Jacob thinks is best, but you need to decide for yourself. You should weigh the risks of both options very seriously. You saw this morning how easily things can get dangerous here, how quickly they get out of hand. If you choose to stay with us, I can't make any guarantees about your safety.† â€Å"I won't hurt her,† Jacob mumbled, looking down. Sam acted as if he hadn't heard him speak. â€Å"If there was somewhere else you felt safe† I bit my lip. Where could I go that wouldn't put someone else in danger? I recoiled again from the idea of bringing Renee into thispulling her into the circle of the target I wore â€Å"I don't want to lead Victoria anywhere else,† I whispered. Sam nodded. â€Å"That's true. It's better to have her here, where we can end this.† I flinched. I didn't want Jacob or any of the rest of them trying to end Victoria. I glanced at Jake's face; it was relaxed, almost the same as I remembered it from before the onset of the wolf thing, and utterly unconcerned by the idea of hunting vampires. â€Å"You'll be careful, right?† I asked, an audible lump in my throat. The boys burst into loud hoots of amusement. Everyone laughed at meexcept Emily. She met my eyes, and I could suddenly see the symmetry underlying her deformity. Her face was still beautiful, and alive with a concern even more fierce than mine. I had to look away, before the love behind that concern could start me aching again. â€Å"Food's ready,† she announced then, and the strategic conversation was history. The guys hurried to surround the tablewhich looked tiny and in danger of being crushed by themand devoured the buffet-sized pan of eggs Emily placed in their midst in record time. Emily ate leaning against the counter like meavoiding the bedlam at the tableand watched them with affectionate eyes. Her expression clearly stated that this was her family. All in all, it wasn't exactly what I'd been expecting from a pack of werewolves. I spent the day in La Push, the majority of it in Billy's house. He left a message on Charlie's phone and at the station, and Charlie showed up around dinnertime with two pizzas. It was good he brought two larges; Jacob ate one all by himself. I saw Charlie eyeing the two of us suspiciously all night, especially the much-changed Jacob. He asked about the hair; Jacob shrugged and told him it was just more convenient. I knew that as soon as Charlie and I were headed home, Jacob would take offoff to run around as a wolf, as he had done intermittently through the entire day. He and his brothers of sorts kept up a constant watch, looking for some sign of Victoria's return. But since they'd chased her away from the hot springs last nightchased her halfway to Canada, according to Jacobshe'd yet to make another foray. I had no hope at all that she might just give up. I didn't have that kind of luck. Jacob walked me to my truck after dinner and lingered by the window, waiting for Charlie to drive away first. â€Å"Don't be afraid tonight,† Jacob said, while Charlie pretended to be having trouble with his seat belt. â€Å"We'll be out there, watching.† â€Å"I won't worry about myself,† I promised. â€Å"You're silly. Hunting vampires is fun. It's the best part of this whole mess.† I shook my head. â€Å"If I'm silly, then you're dangerously unbalanced.† He chuckled. â€Å"Get some rest, Bella, honey. You look exhausted.† â€Å"I'lltry.† Charlie honked his horn impatiently. â€Å"See you tomorrow,† Jacob said. â€Å"Come down first thing.† â€Å"Iwill.† Charlie followed me home. I paid scant attention to the lights in my rearview mirror. Instead, I wondered where Sam and Jared and Embry and Paul were, out running in the night. I wondered if Jacob had joined them yet. When we got home, I hurried for the stairs, but Charlie was right behind me. â€Å"What's going on, Bella?† he demanded before I could escape. â€Å"I thought Jacob was part of a gang and you two were fighting.† â€Å"We made up.† â€Å"And the gang?† â€Å"I don't knowwho can understand teenage boys? They're a mystery. But I met Sam Uley and his fiancee, Emily. The seemed pretty nice to me.† I shrugged. â€Å"Must have all been a misunderstanding.† His face changed. â€Å"I hadn't heard that he and Emily had made it official. That's nice. Poor girl.† â€Å"Do you know what happened to her?† â€Å"Mauled by a bear, up north, during salmon spawning seasonhorrible accident It was more than a year ago now. I heard Sam was really messed up over it.† â€Å"That's horrible,† I echoed. More than a year ago. I'd bet that meant it had happened when there was just one werewolf in La Push. I shuddered at the thought of how Sam must have felt every time he looked at Emily's face. That night, I lay awake for a long time trying to sort through the day. I worked my way backward through dinner with Billy, Jacob, and C harlie, to the long afternoon in the Blacks' house, waiting anxiously to hear something from Jacob, to Emily's kitchen, to the horror of the werewolf fight, to talking with Jacob on the beach. I thought about what Jacob had said early this morning, about hypocrisy. I thought about that for a long time. I didn't like to think that I was a hypocrite, only what was the point of lying to myself? I curled into a tight ball. No, Edward wasn't a killer. Even in his darker past, he'd never been a murderer of innocents, at least. But what if he had been? What if, during the time I that I'd known him, he'd been just like any other vampire? What if people had been disappearing from the woods, just like now? Would that have kept me away from him? I shook my head sadly. Love is irrational, I reminded myself. The more you loved someone, the less sense anything made. I rolled over and tried to think of something elseand I thought of Jacob and his brothers, out running in the darkness. I fell asleep imagining the wolves, invisible in the night, guarding me from danger. When I dreamed, I stood in the forest again, but I didn't wander. I was holding Emily's scarred hand as we faced into the shadows and waited anxiously for our werewolves to come home.

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Reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 11

Reflection paper - Essay Example However, the concept internalization is dependent on the preceding class lessons and exposure to interaction with the lessons learnt (Bradshaw, 2001). Teachers too need a grasp of this learning cycle that students go through in order to structure their lessons in such a manner to boost interaction and merging the theoretical information and the practical or the real aspects. Understanding by a first grade is different from being a fifth grade based on the perception of simple key facts. Kindergarten and first grade students know content mostly by experiencing and making a comparison with their life. On the other hand, second grade students are better informed than their successors because they know the content by still fumble with a solid understanding. Fourth and fifth grade students can be thought of to have come off the confusion stage owing to their ability to just know and understand what they are dealing with. The article proposes a research on students to be able to understand how they know. It is true that teachers who put their students through assessment ought to understand them better are better prepared to structure their curricula into one that meets their needs effectively (Bradshaw, 2001). After the research teachers come to the realization that experience to students is a crucial affair. It guides in understanding the students level of articulating issues and the approach

Introduction to Terrorism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Introduction to Terrorism - Research Paper Example The question then becomes what constitutes the best means of fighting terrorism. This essay considers the recruitment and financing of operatives by Al Qaeda and argues that the pivotal element in stopping terrorism is to follow the financing. Recruitment can be argued to represent the backbone of Al Qaeda operations. In considering recruitment processes, it’s argued that Al Qaeda recruits are not simply restricted to a regional area, but are rather united through the Muslim struggle against Western dominance. It follows that recruitment practices span the globe. Indeed, Blake states, â€Å"Pennsylvania professor Marc Sageman discovered 70 percent of terrorists were recruited outside their native country† (Blake, pg. 9). Within this spectrum of understanding, there are a number of elements implemented as means of recruiting displaced individuals. Among these elements indicate that training camps within Afghanistan and Pakistan represent crucial areas where individuals c an become involved with Al Qaeda operations. ... It is no surprise then that in fighting terrorism, it is critical to track and stop this flow of money. Funding to Al Qaeda comes from a variety of sources. Among these include, â€Å"charitable donations, businesses, and just about any illegal activity such as drug, weapon and immigrant trafficking, counterfeiting, forgery, kidnapping, etc† (Ward, pg. 17). Some of the major such income sources include Saudi charities. David Farley (2003) argues that if these sources could be shutdown Al Qaeda operations would suffer perhaps a critical blow. Bin Laden’s connections to wealthy contacts constituted a highly important element in procuring a large amount of this funding. While these charitable donations are given for a variety of reasons, the primary reason seems to be a religious affiliation with the political aims of the Al Qaeda terrorist effort. In addition to charitable donations, Al Qaeda business interests constitute other important elements of financing. In these re gards, investments in a variety of sources functions as important avenues of income. Like the mafia, Al Qaeda business operations function through fronts that operate for the nefarious terrorist purposes underneath. For instance, Bin Laden was able to generate income through secretly selling freight ships for a period. Within all of these operations the laundering and movement of funding to different organizational elements also constitute essential elements of the terrorist organizations operations. It’s clear that funding constitutes a major element of Al Qaeda operations. In conclusion, while it may be possible to eliminate leaders in the terrorist movement, or shutdown training facilities, the essential element in limiting terrorism is through tracing the funding that Al Qaeda

Alshareef_ENVM510_M4GradedAssign Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Alshareef_ENVM510_M4GradedAssign - Assignment Example Different types of bias that exist result in mistaken estimates of the exposures’ effects on the risk of the disease. In epidemiological studies, researchers encounter two types of primary bias: the selection bias and the recall bias. The selection bias arises where the relationship between the exposure and the disease is very different for those who participate in the study than for those who would be theoretical eligible for the study but do not participate. The common consequences for the bias in selection are the difference between exposures and outcomes for those who are eligible and for those selected for the study (Yarbro, Wujcik & Gobel, 2011). For instance, in the study, the difference in the number of people available for study and those targeted is quite significant. The estimated population exposed to benzene was 9,024 but only 3,249 participants were located. According to Friis & Sellers (2009), illnesses and death are possible reasons for this. This is most likely to result in inaccuracy. Recall bias results when the participants recall past exposures inaccurately. If the participants were not able to recall benzene exposures clearly, the results would be invalid. Some participants may also lie or choose to exaggerate the exposure levels for financial gain. Moreover, the methods used in collecting data may lead to inaccurate results if they had some errors. In the study, a misdiagnosis of people with leukemia or those exposed with benzene would occur. When the method of estimating the associations between leukemia and the exposure is inaccurate, the result would be either an under-estimation or over-estimation of the actual association (Yarbro, Wujcik & Gobel, 2011). According to â€Å"Threats to Validity† artcile (2013), â€Å"The prediction of the potential sources leading to selection bias is one way of reducing the

Employment Relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Employment Relationship - Essay Example What above discussion suggests is the fact that the conflict is an inherent and often permanent element in the equation of employment relations as despite being agreed on trading off the job security with the loyalty to be shown to the employers, employees still consider a degree of conflict in their relationship with employers. This however, further depend upon the relative degree of conflict in the employment relations as such conflict may between the different layers of employees as well as the employers/management. The term industrial relation potentially defines the relationship between the workers/employees and the management of the organization. Earlier efforts on defining the industrial relations concentrated on defining the industrial relations in terms of "processes of control over work relations" (Hills). This definition therefore set up the tome of industrial relations in terms of the defining as to how the work relations are controlled within an organization. The emergence of the term Industrial Relations happened during the decade of 1920s due to enormous increase in industrial activity in US and UK. However, over the period of time, its interpretation as well as name has changed from Industrial Relations to Personnel Management and from Personnel Management to Human Resource Management. Despite such change, it is critical to understand that the basic theoretical thrust behind the concept has remained same i.e. management of people. (Edwards). Edwards is also of the opinion that sinc e the industrial relations are basically responsible for the employment management therefore a better representation of the term Industrial Relations can also be Employment relation. The representation of the workers is achieved through the formation of a collective bargaining agent or unions which often negotiate the nature of relationship between workers and the management of the firm. It is also critical to understand that the degree of industrial relations may vary at everyone functional level i.e. they may have different dynamics when viewed at the shop/floor level whereas the intensity and significance may greatly vary when the same is dealt much higher level of employment relations. Further, the degree and variability of industrial relations also depend upon the relative technological strengths of the employers as with the advancement in technology, many jobs may be rendered as redundant and many workers may loose their jobs due to technological change. Employment Relations Employment relationships need to be viewed in two perspectives i.e. from the point of view of the employee and the employer. For an employee, employment is an obvious source of income and a way to achieve the social recognition and identity. Thus the term employment relations not only have the economic influence, but it also carries a social orientation due to the different softer issues involved in the process. (Bamber,

Education in International Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Education in International Development - Essay Example till, it has been noted that the problem is not inherently linked to the political process and could be linked to disconnect between the citizens’ needs and the country’s policies. Gewald et al (2012: p29) emphasize the critical link between political participation and education, especially noting that education is essential to the social, economic, and political development of Zambia. Zambia’s Ministry of Education has since the early 90s been determined enhance access and quality of education in accordance to the societies needs (Sardanis, 2014: p21). This paper will seek to discuss the effects of underdevelopment on the provision of education in Zambia, while also evaluating the impact of policies, practices, and projects on schooling in Zambia. First, an overview of Zambia’s current economic development and political situation will be given. Zambia’s economy is heavily reliant on the mining industry, specifically copper mining. However, the costs of production continues to rise as copper reserves are depleted, while income is unstable due to copper prices on the world market, which has been identified as a reason why Zambia should diversify its economic base (Baldini & IMF, 2012: p35). The agricultural industry is poorly developed, while major investments both public and foreign in the manufacturing industry only took place following the country’s independence from Britain. Involvement of the state in almost every economic aspect has led to a highly bureaucratic and centralized economic structure. In real terms, economic growth in 2013 in Zambia declined by 6.5%, particularly because of a fall in output of cotton and maize that makes up most of the country’s economic output (Baldini & IMF, 2012: p35). Largely, real GDP growth is driven by the public, transportation, construction, communications, min ing, and manufacturing sector. Copper contributes to at least 70% of Zambia’s export earnings, although non-traditional exports like agriculture

Tax Planning Essay Example for Free

Tax Planning Essay It was the responsibility of the Satrap to collect the due amount and to send it to the emperor, after deducting his expenses (the expenses and the power of deciding precisely how and from whom to raise the money in the province, offer maximum opportunity for rich pickings). The quantities demanded from the various provinces gave a vivid picture of their economic potential. For instance,  Babylon  was assessed for the highest amount and for a startling mixture of commodities; 1,000  silver talents  and four months supply of food for the army. India, a province fabled for its gold, was to supply gold dust equal in value to the very large amount of 4,680 silver talents. Egypt was known for the wealth of its crops; it was to be the granary of the Persian Empire (and, later, of the  Roman Empire) and was required to provide 120,000 measures of grain in addition to 700 talents of silver. This was exclusively a tax levied on subject peoples. Persians  and  Medes  paid no tax, but, they were liable at any time to serve in the  army. [12] In India, Islamic rulers imposed  jizya  (a  poll tax  on non-Muslims) starting in the 11th century. It was abolished by  Akbar. Numerous records of government tax collection in Europe since at least the 17th century are still available today. But taxation levels are hard to compare to the size and flow of the economy since  production  numbers are not as readily available, however. Government expenditures and revenue in France during the 17th century went from about 24. 30 million  livres  in 1600-10 to about 126. 86 million  livers  in 1650-59 to about 117. 99 million  livres  in 1700-10 when  government debt  had reached 1. 6 billion  livres. In 1780–89, it reached 421. 50 millionaires. Taxation as a percentage of production of final goods may have reached 15%–20% during the 17th century in places such as  France, the  Netherlands, and  Scandinavia. During the war-filled years of the eighteenth and early nineteenth century, tax rates in Europe increased dramatically as war became more expensive and governments became more centralized and adept at gathering taxes.

Assignment on human growth and development

Assignment on human growth and development This essay uses theoretical perspectives of social sciences relevant to human growth and development by demonstrating the socialisation process and the impact of family structures on the normal development of Gerry. It uses the Maslows hierarchy of needs to explore the effects of poverty on Gerrys infancy and it will use Balter, Catherin Tamis-Lemonda to support Maslows philosophy needs. Furthermore it will go on to use Bowlbys maternal deprivation hypothesis to show the effects of attachment during Gerrys infancy. More still with the use of Eriksons stages of identity versus role confusion to discuss Gerrys adolescence, the theory of generativity versus stagnation to explore his adulthood developmental task of his contributing and stagnation to society and finally the psychological crisis of ego integrity verses despair to explain the effects and causes during his development in middle adulthood. However, other psychologists theories will be used to support Eriksons theories or cri tic them. During his infancy, 0-2 years by Piaget (1936) (cited in Crawford and Walker 2009 p 22), Gerry and his family experienced poverty because his father had been made redundant. This means that Gerrys family could not afford to meet his basic needs. According to Maslows pyramedical model (1970) ( cited Steers 1998: p21 ) lower -level needs such as food, clothing and shelter have to be fulfilled to a reasonable degree before the more advanced need levels such as self actualisation, esteem, love/ belonging ,and safety are met. It can be argued that the failure of Gerrys family to meet his basic needs had a profound effect on his development. This argument is supported by Balter, Catherin Tamis- Lemonda. They argue that children growing up in poverty develop developmental delays in intellectual development. Social, emotional and behavioural problems (Balter, Catherin Tamis- Lemonda 2003: p.391) (cited Chafel, 1993 and Garbarino, 1993). Poverty goes hand in hand with gross inequality, unemployment and adverse consequences for poor people and society as a whole. Deprivation experienced by poor families affects their quality of life, their health and life expectancy and the education outcomes of their children. Poverty brings despair and fear Rebach and Bruhn (2001: p. 369). This argument is supported by Spode and Saracho, (2006) (cited in Duncan and Brook-Gunn, 1997), who say that children growing up in poverty develop more emotional and behavioural problems than children who live in above the poverty line. This is because early cognitive and behavioural outcomes show to predict later school success. Another challenge that Gerry encountered was maternal deprivation. This occurred when his mother was in hospital during the birth of Lily and as a result, Gerry had to be looked after by his grandmother. According to Bowlbys (1953, 1969) (cited in Smith, Cowe and Blades 2004 p106) maternal deprivation hypothesis, children should not be deprived of contact with the mother during a critical period when the primary attachment relationship is being formed. He also believed that both mother and baby were predisposed biologically to stay in contact and only this relationship would allow normal development. However, critiques of Bowlby like (Oakley 1981) (cited in Holmes 1993: p. 45) argue that to generalise that any separation of mother from child in the first three years of life is likely to be damaging is unwarranted. Oakley further argued that there is no harm in entrusting the infant to the care of a responsible grandmother or baby-minder. However, Archer (1992: p.32) states that Hinde and his colleagues studied the effects of shorter periods of separation from a mother on later behaviour in young rhesus monkeys. The outcomes from the studies indicated by the infants experienced mild disturbance and frustrating situations. It can then be argued that Bowlbys maternal deprivation hypotheses is better placed in explaining what Gerry went through during his separation from his mother. Another challenge that Gerry faced in his infancy was siblings rivalry. This took place at the arrival of the new born Lily. Dun (1993) (cited in Shaffer 2009; .p 388) argues that after a new baby arrives, mothers typically devote less warm and playful attention to the older child, who may respond to this perceived neglect by becoming difficult, disruptive and less securely attached. This results into a spirit of completion, jealousy or resentment between siblings. It can then be argued that the birth of Lily when Gerry was barely two years old might have left Gerry feeling neglected and unwanted because his mother had to give her attention to the new born Lily. Furthermore, Gerry experienced a long-term effect of the extreme war-related trauma which led him to suffer greater emotional difficulties and environmental distress in life. On top of that he experienced more stress when he moved homes from a familiar environment and away from his peers. According to (Bell et al 1990 and Giffoed 1994) (cited in Bell, Greene, Fisher and Baum. 2001), it is augured that environmental distress examines the relationship between the person and his physical environment. More still, Main at al (1985) also adds that the adolescent can become disorganised and disoriented by the loss and trauma if the traumatic experience is not resolved. It can be argued that the war had a profound psychological effect on his development as a 12 year old boy by 1945. Another issue in Gerrys adolescence was lack of positive attitude towards education in school although he changed this attitude while in the army and even chose to pursue an engineering career. This is because Gerry had grown up in an environment where most people worked in the factories and had low levels of education; he believed that his destiny was to work as a factory labourer since he had no environmental support especially from his father that inspired him to pursue education higher. According to Piagets (1984) (cited in van wormer, Besthorn and Keefe 2007) theory of cognitive development, school related concerns about intelligence, achievements and behaviour of learning are accumulated gradually as a function of environmental support. The Social Learning theory posits that children learn and model their social and cognitive behaviour by observing and imitating adults in their environment (Bandura, 1971). Therefore it can be argued that Gerry did not like education because he had no role model. However, it is notable the time Gerry was about to leave the military school, he was faced with the challenge of knowing who he was and what he was going to be upon returning to the community. Having been born in a poor, uneducated family and neighbourhood, it was time for him to ponder whether to remain as he was in his community or to independently identify himself. According to Erikson (1975)s psychosocial development, it appears that Gerry was faced with a stage of identity versus role confusion where adolescents redefine themselves. It should also be noted that events that happened in Gerrys adolescence seemed to have had a more buffering and compensatory effect than his depriving earlier experiences (Bowlby, 1988). The army offered him the opportunity to learn the engineering trade and one could argue that he may have found replacement experiences in form of role models and focus on career direction which prompted him to stay on even after the national service. At this stage, Gerry realised that he did not have any qualification and because of that, life would be difficult for him upon return to civilian life. However critics of the psychosocial model argue that Eriksons findings were based on clinical observations and his work lack ecological validity or statistical analyses. Although critics do hold such opinions, Rutter, (2003) points out that research results strongly support his notion on basic trust, identity, intimate relationship and the developmental crises. (Rutter, 1993 cited in Ewen, 2003). It can be argued that Gerrys identity versus role confusion was resolved by the army by offering him the opportunity to study engineering. Between the age of 40-65 by Havinghurst cited Karin and Walker, (2009, p 98) Gerry was in his middle adulthood, he faced a life with triviality, stagnation, and decline due to the detachment that happened to him during his infancy. According to Bowlbys, (1969, p. 194) attachment theory, he says that early experience in childhood has an important influence on the development and behaviour later in life and an evolutionary component; The propensity to make strong emotional bonds to particular individuals is a basic component of human nature. However Hazen and Shaver, (1987) argue that the pattern established in childhood has no impact on later relationships. More to the above, Feeney and Noller (1993) say if a child experiences avoidant attachment during infancy, as adults, they will tend to have difficulty with intimacy and close relationships. Such people do not put quality time in relationships, are not bothered when they end and normally avoid intimacy by using excuses (such as long work hours), or may fantasize about other people during sex. Their research also holds that adults with an avoidant attachment style are more accepting and likely to engage in casual sex. However Wagner (1987) argues that an adult should not be blamed for the attachment styles formed in infancy, because what ever happened during that time is not necessarily identical to that demonstrated in adult romantic-attachment. This is because a great deal of time that has gone by between infancy and adulthood. Therefore intervening experiences have played a big role in Gerrys attachment styles. Those described as ambivalent or avoidant in infancy can become securely attached as an adult. More to the above he had little to do with his parents especially his father and neither did he have a good relationship with his son. This was because during Gerrys infancy he missed out on the father-son relationship, therefore one can assume he did not get proper supervision during his adolescence and less bonding with his father hence made him have poor parenting skills. According to Banduras (1971) social-cognitive learning theory, he says behaviour is learned through observation and imitation. However, Watson and Skinners (1920) theories of classical and operant conditioning disagree with Bandura by saying that all behaviour is learned as a response to external stimuli or environment. The classical occurs when an organism learns to respond in a particular way and the stimulus does not evoke that type of response and with the operant conditioning, an organism learns through rewards and punishments. It can then be argued that Banduras social-cognitive learning theory better placed Gerrys learning of behaviour. At the age of 51 Gerry should have been looking back at in his memories and feeling fulfilled with his life, but he was faced with depression and found it hard to accept the death of his mother and father even if he did not get on well with them, the loss of relationship with his son and partners. According to Erikson, achieving a sense of integrity means fully accepting oneself, ones accomplishments, and coming to terms with mortality. Accepting responsibility for your life and being able to undo the past and achieve satisfaction with self is essential. On the other hand, Gerry may have looked back at his life with a sense of doubt or gloom over the lifes worth, hence resulting in a feeling of despair. This led to Gerry not being compassionate, more reflective and judicious, thus less tyrannized by his inner conflict and external demands. More still it is seen that Gerry had a number of loses in life and less love for others, like Edina, Elizbieta and his son Emo, retired on heath grounds. All in all, Gerrys early life has been extremely disrupted; he has had two care placements in total as well as many changes of caretakers during his first year. Evidently Gerry did not have a strong sense of bonding with his family and did not have the opportunity to develop a secure attachment during his infancy and childhood. During his middle adulthood he tried to develop an attachment when he got engaged and married to Edina, but due to his effects of separation during his infancy and childhood his internal working model is of mistrust. This led him to be promiscuous. Poverty goes hand in hand with gross inequality, unemployment and adverse consequences for poor people and society as a whole. Deprivation experienced by Gerrys family affected his quality of life, health and life expectancy and his education outcomes it also caused him despair and fear.

integrated marketing and the many factors Essay -- essays research pap

â€Å"Integrated marketing communication simply recognises the need to plan and build up all relevant marketing communications so that they work together in harmony to the greatest effect with greatest efficiency† (Pickton and Broderick, 2001: 47) Linton and Morley â€Å"list ten potential benefits of integrated marketing communications† (Linton and Morley 1995: 124) †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Creative Integrity †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Consistent Messages †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unbiased Marketing Recommendations †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Better Use of Media †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Greater Marketing Precision †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Operational Efficiency †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cost Savings †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  High-calibre consistent service †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Easier working relations †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Greater agency accountability In brief the value of IMC is that it will help an organization †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Assess the market and set their objectives †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hone communication messages and target key stakeholders †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Leverage resources †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Build internal databases and marketing resources †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tie together the tone and style of all corporate communications, collateral and advertising It is without question the main reason for using any combination of the core marketing activities is ...

Compare the presentation of the Duke and Porphyrias lover in My Last E

Compare the presentation of the Duke and Porphyria's lover in My Last Duchess and Porphyria's lover Browning has presented The Duke and Porphyria's lover as obsessive and controlling in the two poems. Telling the stories from the characters point of view makes it clear that they both feel threatened by their partners, and wish to regain the lead role they should have as the men in their relationships. Rather than confronting their significant others, they kill them because of their obsessive nature and lack of communication. The Duke on one hand feels that he can only possess the Duchess in a painting because he can control who looks upon her, where as Porphyria's lover wants to capture Porphyria when he finally feels in control. The characters of both the Duke and Porphyria's lover are noticeable through the relationships they have with their partners. It is clear that they both have very similar intents, although for different reasons. They are portrayed as jealous and untrusting of their partners because of obvious insecurities they have in their relationships. The Duke suspected that The Duchess was having an affair with "Fra Pandalf": " 't'was not/Her husband's presence only, called that spot of joy into the Duchess' cheek' " This implies that the Duchess blushed for others and therefore was adulterous. He also suggests his wife gave sexual favours in return to politeness when he says; "She thanked men - good!". Instead of being concerned about losing her he was only worried that she would make a fool of him and hurt his pride, as their relationship was not based on love or passion but was merely a way for the Duke to show off. The Duke only saw his wife as and object and not as a person a... ...shows he has little in his life accept Porphyria. The Duke has many objects and pieces his art, showing his love for things not people. It also reminds us of the Renaissance setting and shows that his is wealthy. Comparing the two poems shows that Browning has a very pessimistic view of relationships. It seems he feels that relationships without love and admiration can never work and will end in disaster as is apparent from "My Last Duchess". Ironically he also feels that a relationship with love cannot be sustained either, which is evident from "Porphyria's Lover". In "My Last Duchess" she dies because she did not give the Duke the admiration he desired, but when in "Porphyria's lover" Porphyria made her love for her lover clear, he kills her anyway. This perhaps shows the aggressive nature of men and how at the time they were very dominant in society.

Mrsa Research Paper

MRSA Prevention in American Hospitals: A Review of the Literature Jenny Niemann AP Language and Composition Mrs. Cook November 4, 2010 Abstract Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a harmful and virulent antibiotic resistant bacterium that is a major concern in most American hospitals. Modern scientists are aiming to discover effective prevention methods for MRSA in hospitals, so productive prevention guidelines can be created. Clinical microbiologists such as K. Nguyen, J. Cepeda, and M. Struelens all conducted clinical trials in separate American hospitals.They employed different MRSA inhibition techniques, such as hand hygiene, isolation, and MRSA screenings, which were tested on a wide range of patients. The analyzed results revealed that despite controversies, methods exist that could be successful in preventing and controlling MRSA infections. Final Outline I. Introduction A. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the most commonly identified and perhaps the most lethal antimicrobial-resistant pathogen in the world and the rates of this infection are steadily increasing globally B. (Bryce, 2009, 627). C.Current studies present numerous safety measures that could provide an effective regiment for preventing MRSA infections in hospitals. II. Body A. Kim Nguyen’s clinical study has perhaps gained the most media attention for its promise to show how simple, inexpensive measures, like hand hygiene, can reduce MRSA infection rates. 1. Study of hang hygiene program 2. Results of study 3. Evaluation of hand hygiene in prevention B. In the clinical trial conducted by Jorge Cepeda (2005), infective disease control professor at the University College London Hospitals, another preventative technique was investigated. . Description of isolation trials 2. Results of trials 3. Analysis of possible uses C. The evidence provided from another article indicates that screening for MRSA can also protect patients and reduce infection rate s. 1. Clinical trials of screening 2. Results of trials 3. Potential flaws described III. Conclusion A. In attempt to protect the safety of people in hospitals and in the community, there are numerous prevention methods that could be implemented to create a successful MRSA prevention regiment. B.All in all, MRSA is and extremely deadly and virulent bacterium, but with the use of newfound prevention methods, everyone can be protected. MRSA Prevention in American Hospitals: A Review of the Literature Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the most commonly identified and perhaps the most lethal antimicrobial-resistant pathogen in the world and the rates of this infection are steadily increasing globally (Bryce, 2009, p. 627). According to an article by clinical microbiologist, Jason Surg (2008) concurred, â€Å"Recently, in American hospitals, the rate of MRSA infections was 31. per 100,000 persons admitted per year† (p. 642). It is recorded that there are more t han 100,000 cases related to MRSA per annum in the United States alone, adding up to an estimated health-care bill of over 5 billion dollars (Bryce, 2009, p. 627). Today many scientists believe because of MRSA’s ability to quickly evolve into separate strains that there is no way to halt the spread of the bacterium (Bryce, 2009, p. 628). However, microbiology teams across the world have seen enormous success in reventing MRSA transmissions in hospitals with simple measures. For example Kim Nguyen (2009), Jorge Cepeda (2005), and M. Strulens (2010), all conducted clinical trials, performing different successful prevention tactics. Current studies present numerous safety measures that in combination could provide an effective regiment for preventing MRSA infections in hospitals. Kim Nguyen’s clinical study has perhaps gained the most media attention for its promise to show how simple, inexpensive measures, like hand hygiene, can reduce MRSA infection rates.During the stu dy conducted by Nguyen and her team in the Urology ward at the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas, more than 2377 patients were admitted and assessed throughout the two section study (20008, p. 1298). The first section served as the indicator for baseline occurrences of MRSA in the ward, while during the second section the hand hygiene program was initiated. Nguyen (2008) explains the hand hygiene program by stating: The hand hygiene program consisted of a 1h training program to all staff on the Urology ward and daily intervention to train relatives and reinforce hand hygiene in all staff.Posters demonstrating hand hygiene were put up throughout the ward and bottles of SoftaMan hand hygiene lotion were mounted at patients’ bed ends. (p. 1299) The number of MRSA infections was then recorded for both sections of the study, and the data was analyzed. The ratio of infected patients compared to the number of admitted patients during each section resulted in a 13. 1% infection rate in the baseline study, and a 2. 1% infection rate after the hand hygiene program was implemented (Nguyen, 2008, p. 298). Nguyen also recorded the estimated personal costs of the experiment, calculating that the SoftaMan antibacterial lotion cost about $0. 60 per patient, translating into a significantly lower cost than MRSA infection treatment (Nguyen, 2008, p. 1298). Contrary to popular belief that simple and inexpensive antiseptic hand hygiene programs do not significantly reduce infections in hospitals, the infection percent rates in this study were decreased by 84% (Nguyen, 2008, p. 1298).With limited MRSA transmissions in the health care field, it could lead to better patient outcomes and safer hospital environments for patients and staff (Nguyen 2008, p. 1299). In the clinical trial conducted by Jorge Cepeda (2005), infective disease control professor at the University College London Hospitals, another MRSA inhibition technique was investigated. Isolating MRSA colonized p atients was the technique Cepeda and his team studied. The prospective trial was conducted in two general medical-surgical intensive-care units of two American teaching hospitals for 1 year (Cepeda, 2005, p. 95). All 21,840 entering patients were swabbed and tested for MRSA, and MRSA-positive patients were moved to a single cohort isolation room. While a patient was in the isolation room, policies for hygiene remained constant. 6 months into the study the practice of isolation was abandoned, and the rates of MRSA infection were once again recorded. The crude (unadjusted) Cox proportional-hazards model showed evidence of increased transmission during the latter non-isolation phase in both hospitals (Cepeda, 2005, p. 96). The evidence represented up to a 62. 2% decrease in the proportional-infection transmission rates when isolation was used (Cepeda, 2005, p. 295). Cepeda then concluded, â€Å"Moving MRSA-positive patients into single rooms or cohorted bays reduces cross infectionâ⠂¬  (Cepeda, 2005, p. 297). However, Cepeda also reported possible flaws stating that, â€Å"Despite lower transmission severity scores, isolated patients are visited half as often as are non-isolated patients (5 ·3 vs 10 ·9 visits per h)† (Cepeda, 2005, p. 296).Because transfer and isolation of critically ill patients in single rooms carries potential risks, the findings suggest a variant of isolation could be used in intensive-care units where MRSA is endemic. Although isolation was successful in reducing MRSA, it was not a risk free technique, leading to the investigations of other innocuous prevention methods. The evidence provided from another article indicates that screening for MRSA can also protect patients and reduce infection rates. M. Struelens (2009), a member of the U. S. epartment of clinical microbiology, describes in his article that, â€Å"Active surveillance (or screening) for MRSA carriers is the systematic use of microbiological tests able to detect mucocutaneous carriage of MRSA by individuals without clinical infection† (2009, p. 113). This strategy is regarded as highly effective because of its direct search-and-destroy nature. Screening is generally accomplished by swabbing areas such as the throat or nose, with recent technology allowing the cultures to be processed in less than 20 hours, with a 95% sensitivity rate (Struelens, 2009, p. 16). By identifying a carrier of the MRSA disease, the transfer of infection can be immediately stopped by treating the source with certain antibiotics. This elimination of MRSA colonies not only prevents the spread of infection in hospitals, but the entire community (Bryce, 2009, p. 627). Struelens does mention MRSA screening flaws in his conclusion reporting that, â€Å"There is an urgent need for health care professionals and diagnostic companies to assess the cost-effectiveness of these tools.In addition, greater harmonization of surveillance and typing schemes is needed to facil itate cooperation in an effort to control the MRSA pandemic† (2009, p. 116). Besides minimal flaws, Struelens expresses hope for the future of MRSA surveillance due to its success and reliability in multiple different trials (2009, p. 117). In attempt to protect the safety of people in hospitals and in the community, there are numerous prevention methods that should be implemented to create a successful MRSA prevention regiment.The various techniques in MRSA prevention, which include hygiene programs, isolation, and surveillance, have all been clinically tested and proven successful. However, there is further research that can be conducted to determine the cost-effectiveness of these methods, as well as to establish the most successful approach to combining the prevention techniques. All in all, MRSA is and extremely deadly and virulent bacterium, but with the use of newfound prevention methods, everyone can be protected. References Bryce, E. (2009).Hospital infection control strategies for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus and clostridium difficile. American Medical Association Journel, 180 (6), 628-631. Retrieved from www. ebscohost. com Cepeda, J. , Whitehouse, T. , Cooper, B. , Hails, J. , Jones, K. , Kwaku, F. , et al. (2005). Isolation of patients in single rooms or cohorts to reduce spread of MRSA in intensive-care units: prospective two-centre study. Lancet, 365(9456), 295-304. Retrieved from www. ebscohost. com Nguyen, K. (2008). Effectiveness of an alcohol-based hand hygiene programme in educing nosocomial infections in the Urology Ward of Texas Medical Institute, Texas. Tropical Medicine & International Health,  13(10), 1297-1302. doi:10. 1111/j. 1365-3156. 2008. 02141. x Struelens, M. (2009). Laboratory tools and strategies for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus screening, surveillance and typing: state of the art and unmet needs. Clinical Microbiology & Infection,  15(2), 112-119. doi:10. 1111/j. 1469-0691. 2009. 02698 . x Surg, J. (2008). Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus in hospitals. Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 13(8), 642-643. doi:10. 1111/j. 1445- 2197. 2008. 04605. x

Bru Case Study

BRU World Cafe Note: All information in the case has been garnered from sources in the public domain. This case has been developed for purely academic purposes, and is not in any way the intended or actual plan of Bru World Cafe Comstrat 2011 Visit us at www. draftfcbulkacomstrat. com Page 0 About the Category/ Brand and Market Trend ? BRU is India’s largest coffee brand in terms of volume, with a portfolio of instant and roasted & ground (filter) coffee, Ice and Hot Cappuccino and out of home vending. BRU was the first coffee brand to go national with a variety of offerings suited for the varied and distinct taste palette of the Indian consumer. BRU Green Label Roast & Ground is the largest brand in the conventional coffee segment. BRU’s Hot Cappuccino and Ice Cappuccino are innovative products specially designed for the cafe going youth – to enjoy a great cup of cappuccino even at home. ? The brand enjoys very strong equity in the south and its awareness and associations in the non-south part of the country emanate from its roots as the authentic south Indian coffee brand. BRU strives to stimulate conversations over coffee livening up every shared moment ? A key trend, which has fuelled coffee consumption in India is â€Å"rise in conversations over coffee†, which means a direct correlation with increase in out of home consumption for coffee as there is an increasing trend to socialize in cafes (especially in 10 lakh plus towns). ? With more than 1500 coffee cafes in the country, up from 175 in 2002 (of these around 1000 have opened in the last 5 years), coffee has emerged as the most happening beverage category, estimated to be around 1000Crs (in End Consume Price (ECP) terms) in 2011. Valued at around US$185 million, the organized cafe market in India is estimated to be growing at a compound annual rate of 25%. Players from Barista Coffee Co. to Cafe Coffee Day are opening outlets practically every weekend. In the past couple of years we have also seen the entry of new players like Cafe Mocha and Gloria Jeans in the premium category. ? The gro wth [of cafes] has been triggered by rising youth spending, paucity of alternative hang-outs and an increasing number of new office complexes and colleges. The market has the potential to touch US$800 million to US$900 million with a total of 5,000 cafes by 2015. Comstrat 2011 Visit us at www. draftfcbulkacomstrat. com Page 1 ? This provides a unique opportunity to leverage the strength of well established brands in HUL’s beverage portfolio to create a service model that would allow building preference for these brands while also adding a sizeable turnover to HUL’s Foods business. Given the size and opportunity of the coffee cafe segment, BRU became the natural choice for leveraging this opportunity. ? With entry into cafes, BRU plays across the coffee category definition becoming a complete in-home and out-of-home coffee brand and also proactively drives â€Å"coffee experience† with direct consumer engagement. This is also an approach for the brand to contemporarise and premiumize by driving imagery through a futuristic segment. ? â€Å"Coffee Experience† model is an opportunity which can be utilized to deliver the dual objectives of : 1. Building expertise and coffee credentials for BRU in the coffee category and get an imagery rub-off on the in-home consumption portfolio. . Another important value driver identified for the category is, â€Å"Bringing out of home experiences in-home†. Cafes will provide a unique space and an exclusive retail channel to drive this opportunity. ? This segment holds immense potential given that the coffee consumption in India is still very low as compared to the rest of the world and the Indian market is just starting to heat u p with international players like Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts announcing their entry here. BRU World Cafe Theme Great coffee is an experience. We bring it alive. When you step into BRU World Cafe, you step into the world of coffee – an experience that is visual, aural, olfactory and gustatory. Name Tagline : BRU World Cafe : Discover the World a cup at a time Cafes today are not about coffee. This theme lets us bring the coffee back to the cafe. It helps us to establish the coffee credentials and in future we can easily translate the out of Comstrat 2011 Visit us at www. draftfcbulkacomstrat. com Page 2 home experience in home. The consumer takeout after a visit to World Cafe: BRU knows coffee like no other Identity for the Cafe Target Audience Description Demographics: ? ? SEC A/B1 18 years + An audience on the move, who is looking for a unique experience while enjoying their favorite cup of coffee. And cafes also double up as their hangout joints or meeting places. Along with being an ardent coffee lover they are used to the good things in life, are welltraveled or well-read and exposed to the cultures and offerings of the world at large. Experience and Ambience BRU World Cafe is a traveler’s and coffee connoisseur’s haven. The coffee is served in many traditional styles evoking the palettes of coffee lovers. BRU scours the world to bring the finest coffees from a few prized plantations and stays true to their authenticity by brewing and serving them right. Additionally it provides a relaxed atmosphere with great coffee and vast menu offerings. On entering BRU World Cafe, you leave the hustle-bustle of the city behind. The interior is contemporary and bright, almost Mediterranean in its look and feel. The sounds are Comstrat 2011 Visit us at www. draftfcbulkacomstrat. com Page 3 nippets of music one would hear while traveling the globe whether it is the music of the Balkans, country music from the European greens of Italy and Spain or the Tibetan chants. Browse through the eclectic collection of books that give you insights & quaint facts about exotic destinations across the world or just switch off and chill out over your favorite pick from the comic series of Aestrix and Tintin. Coffee facts, stories, legends and myths and the interesting collage of visuals make up the way coffee arrives to you, becoming an integral part of the experience. It is a place for telling, sharing and creating your own personal story. The Business Challenge There are 7 BRU World Cafes which have opened as part of a pilot run in Mumbai across the western suburbs (Andheri (W), Malad, Bandra, Juhu and Versova) and another 3 are expected to go live within this year. The first cafe went live in February 2011 and the consumer response over the last 5-6 months across outlets has been very encouraging and very positive in terms of the overall experience, ambience, service and differentiation on providing an international coffee experience (best suited to Indian taste palette). Cafe revenue per day is calculated as number of bills in a day multiplied by the value per bill. So far the overall average bill value is 50% more than the assumptions made as per business case construct, however, the number of bills per day (very critical to ensure long term sustainable business) is only about 30% of the assumption (average of 30 to 40 bills per day per store – taken at an average across stores) 1. How do we increase footfalls (and therefore bill productivity) across the current set of Bru World Cafes without incurring extensive marketing spends? Suggest a marketing model for BRU World Cafe which involves not more than Rs. 0 lakh of annual spend including above the line and local store marketing and production/ fabrication cost of these activities. 2. Prioritize the channel mix with spends break-down and a calculation of return on marketing spend? How can this be made into a sustainable and repeatable model once BRU WORLD CAFE extends into other cities with i ncreasing returns of spends? 3. Given the proposition of BRU World Cafe, which is the one key marketing initiative, in-line with the BRU World Cafe identity which will be clearly differentiated from others and which will help further strengthen the BRU World Cafe differentiation. Comstrat 2011 Visit us at www. draftfcbulkacomstrat. com Page 4 The success of the pilot in Mumbai will determine future expansion of the BRU World Cafe mix so getting the above objective right is critical. Assume that all other levers of the business case construct are in place. The Communication Challenge Young people today have a far higher disposable income than about a decade ago. Quite naturally then every category these days is vying for their attention. And hence as a target audience youth are the most spoken to today by brands across a plethora of categories from chocolates to denims to mobile phones to fast food chains. Therefore the challenge of communication is to stand out of the clutter of youth brands and be heard by them. The Communication Task From a brand point of view it is important for BRU World Cafe to appropriate a strong positioning & differentiation to counter competition from the category and beyond. The task also includes resonating with him/her to make BRU World Cafe his/her cafe of preference. This is critical to increase footfalls and repeat visits which are ultimately crucial factors while considering future scaling up and expansion. The Communication Strategy Your task is to provide a comprehensive communication strategy that details what BRU World Cafe should do to build its brand & gear up for growth in an increasingly crowded cafe space. The strategy document must provide solutions in the following key areas: 1. Identify key challenges for the brand and its communication. 2. Sharply define who the target consumers should be and their key characteristics. 3. Identify the key consumer insights in the target group and how BRU World Cafe should work its offerings in line with the consumer needs. 4. Identify the right positioning and messaging platform for the brand. 5. What should be the brand voice across its offerings? 6. Identify the right communication message for the brand. Comstrat 2011 Visit us at www. draftfcbulkacomstrat. com Page 5 7. Identify the appropriate media vehicles to reach the target audience. ? Complete with channel mix, spends and detailed description on mechanics wherever necessary. 8. Outline the complete strategy for the use of new age media like social media, CRM, mobile phones, mobile applications etc. to be leveraged to resonate with this audience Methodology ? Cafe visits and study of the current consumer marketing and consumer engagement initiatives by existing players and evaluate them for effectiveness and efficiency. Establish key learning from best practices of competitors on spends and returns, driving awareness and footfalls in India (CCD, Barista, Costa Coffee, Gloria Jeans etc. ) and internationally e. g. – Starbucks. ? ? Study of no n-conventional media channels and relevance and use to drive the above objective. Study of trend and media methods to drive consumer awareness and engagement in the service and retail world which can be applied in this case. Success Criteria ? ? ? ? Depth of understanding of successful marketing techniques in this space Innovativeness of the â€Å"idea† and/ or â€Å"marketing approach† and the ability to create â€Å"buzz/ talkability†. Practical application and relevance (ease of execution) to reality. Impact and achievability within the given constraints Comstrat 2011 Visit us at www. draftfcbulkacomstrat. com Page 6 Rules & Regulations: Participation Rules: 1. Participating teams should comprise of only three members. 2. Only one entry per institute will be considered. Two stages of this event: Stage I: Submission of the written case solution. Stage II: Power point presentation of the shortlisted cases. Stage I: Process and rules for submission of the written case: 1. DraftFCB+Ulka Comstrat is a contest for Communication Strategy; hence students are requested to focus on the same. 2. Creative renditions are not necessary and will not be judged. 3. A detailed Media plan is also not required and will not be judged. 4. A synopsis of the case solution should be submitted as a word document in a minimum font size of 11 points and single line spacing. The document should not exceed 15 pages. 5. A written case solution on the case should be submitted either through email to [email  protected] com or by post to DraftFCB+Ulka Advertising, 4th floor, Nirmal, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400021. 6. The last date for receipt of the submission is 6 pm on 23rd November 2011. 7. A shortlist of six teams shall be arrived at by evaluating the case solutions received. 8. The shortlist shall be declared on 28th November 2011 and posted on the website www. draftfcbulkacomstrat. com and communicated to K. J. Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research. . The six shortlisted teams will be invited to make a power point presentation to a panel of judges on 10th December 2011 in Mumbai. Please remember: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Synopsis to be submitted as word document only. Font size should be minimum 11 The document should not exceed 15 pages The document should have a single line spacing Synopsis should be submitted on or before 6 pm on 23rd November 2 011 Stage II: Final power point presentation of the case: 1. Shortlisted teams are requested to reach the venue on 10th December 2011 at 12 noon sharp for the set-up and dry run. 2. Please get your power point presentations on a CD/Pen drive, rest of the equipment shall be provided at the venue. 3. The time limit for each presentation is 20 minutes and the students are requested to strictly adhere to the time-limit. A warning bell will ring after 15 minutes. 4. At the end of 20 minutes the team will be asked to stop the presentation. Comstrat 2011 Page 7 Visit us at www. draftfcbulkacomstrat. com 5. Students are requested not to indicate their institute’s name on the slides or anytime during the presentation. 6. Stay and travel arrangements have to be made by the participants themselves. 7. The Comstrat is a contest for Communication Strategy; hence students are requested to focus on the same. 8. In the case presentation, creative renditions are not necessary and will not be judged. 9. Media plan for the same is also not required and will not be judged. 10. The solution must have only one approach and not multiple options. Key Dates to remember: Last date for written submission ? Shortlist of 6 teams for power point presentation ? Final Presentation ? 6 pm on 23rd November 2011 6 pm on 28th November 2011 12 noon on 10th December 2011 Comstrat 2011 Visit us at www. draftfcbulkacomstrat. com Page 8

An Analysis of the War Powers Act of 1973

One of the hallmarks of a presidential and democratic society is the division of powers among the three main branches of government. This is called the principle of the separation of powers or the principle of checks and balances. This principle seeks to prevent the over concentration of authority in one person or group of persons that might lead to an error or abuse to the prejudice of the whole state. Austin Ranney (1995) once said that any concentration of powers in a single branch is tyrannical and only true separation of powers will protect the liberties of the people against the aggressions of government. (Austin Ranney, p. 240) The principle of separation of powers has always been criticized as impeding the enactment of bills and promoting efficiency in the running of the affairs of the government. It is because of this reason why some democratic countries have amended their constitutions and shifted to the parliamentary system. War Powers Act of 1973 A concrete example of the Principle of Separation of Power is the war powers which the US Constitution has entrusted to the Executive and the Legislative Branch. Under the United States Constitution, it may appear that the delineation of war power between the Legislative and Executive Branch is clear. The purpose is to make sure that no one branch of government will have the absolute prerogative in making all decisions in matters pertaining to war. Article 1 Section 8 of the United States Constitution clearly expresses that the Congress shall have the following powers: a) To declare War, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water; b) To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years; c) to provide and maintain a navy; d) to make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval Forces; e) to provide for the calling of the militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions; f) to provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the states respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress. On the other hand, under Article II Sec. 2 of the United States Constitution the President shall have the following powers: a) The President shall be Commander in Chief of the army and navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several States; b) The president shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two thirds of the senators present concur. Based on these two provisions in the United States Constitution, the war powers appear to be clearly divided between the two main branches of government. Under these provisions, the President has the power to lead the armed forces in times of war and to make swift decisions on the field of battle. (â€Å"War and Treat Powers†) On the other hand, the Congress has the power to declare war and to appropriate huge amounts of dollars in support of the war effort. The clear division of powers between the two main branches, however, appear to be more apparent than real. In between these two powers lie a vacuum which the framers of the constitution failed to consider. For any other decisions that the US Constitution failed to anticipate, it appears that the President has complete freedom and absolute discretion to act. This is something which is abhorred by our constitution. Consider the Korean War in which the United States army was intensely involved. The Korean War began as a civil war which was fought from 1950–1953 on the Korean Peninsula. It began when North Korean attacked South Korea on June 25, 1950. (â€Å"Korean War†) Eventually China and the United States became involved in this conflict. Although it was called the Korean War, the United States preferred to call it the police action rather than a war in order to avoid the necessity of formal declaration of war by the Congress of the United States. The same thing happened during the Vietnam War or the Vietnam Conflict. This war lasted for 16 which began from 1959 to 1975. (â€Å"Vietnam War†) This involved the United States, its allies and the South Vietnam against Soviet Union, its allies and the People’s Republic of China and the North Vietnam. In this war, the U. S. deployed large numbers of troops to South Vietnam between 1954 and 1973. Some U. S. allies like the Philippines, Australa and New Zealand also sent their troops to aid the United States and South Vietnam. Similar to the Korean War, the United States was also intensely involved in this war without a formal declaration of war by Congress. These two major events in our history have triggered the enactment of the War Powers Act of 1973. It is worth stressing that based on our history Congress has formally declared war in only five conflicts – the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II – while U. S. presidents have committed armed forces to more than one hundred combat operations around the world. (Charles F. Williams, 2003) The purpose of this law is to provide for a limitation on the powers of the President to deploy United States troops into combat areas without the approval of the legislative branch. Congress aims to prevent the possibility that another Korean and Vietnam Wars may be repeated where the United States deployed its soldiers for battle without the formal declaration of war coming from the Congress. Section 2(a) of the said law is clear on this matter, it states that: â€Å"It is the purpose of this joint resolution to fulfill the intent of the framers of the Constitution of the United States and insure that the collective judgment of both the Congress and the President will apply to the introduction of United States Armed Forces into hostilities, or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicate by the circumstances, and to the continued use of such forces in hostilities or in such situations. Under the said law, the president is required to consult Congress in every possible instance before introducing United States Armed Forces into hostilities or into situation where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances, and after every such introduction shall consult regularly with the Congress until United States Armed Forces are no longer engaged in hostilities or have been removed from such situations. The War Powers Act of 1973 also requires the President to submit within 48 hours to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and to the President pro tempore of the Senate a report, in writing, setting forth the circumstances necessitating the introduction of United States Armed Forces, the constitutional and legislative authority under which such introduction took place and the estimated scope and duration of the hostilities or involvement in case United States Armed forces are actually introduced for combat. The said law also requires the President to terminate within sixty calendar days after a report is submitted any use of United States Armed Forces unless the Congress has declared war or has enacted a specific authorization for such use of United States Armed Forces or has extended by law such sixty-day period or is physically unable to meet as a result of an armed attack upon the United States. The sixty-day period shall be extended for not more than an additional thirty days if the President determines and certifies to the Congress in writing that unavoidable military necessity respecting the safety of United States Armed Forces requires the continued use of such armed forces in the course of bringing about a prompt removal of such forces. The Congress by concurrent resolution is authorized at all times to order the withdrawal of US troops. Arguments against War Powers Act of 1973 One of the arguments raised against the enactment of the War Powers Act of 1973 is that it is an act of encroachment on the part of the Legislature of a territory which the US Constitution has delegated to the Executive Branch. It must be stressed that the President took his oath before he assumed his office that he will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and he will to the best of his ability preserve and protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. The present statute significantly limits the powers of the president to act in times of war which have a serious effect on the performance of his obligation. Arguments In Favor of War Powers Act of 1973 On the other hand, some are in favor of the War Powers Act of 1973. They argue that the consultation and reporting requirements and the power of Congress to terminate the deployment of armed forces do not operate to limit the powers of the president. It merely serves to ensure that the constitutional mandate is observed. As envisioned by the United States Constitution, there shall always be two keys to start the engine of war running – the key given to the Congress and the key given to the President. Thus, the War Powers Act of 1973 does make Congress superior to the President, rather, it only highlights the supremacy of the United States Constitution. Conclusion I believe that the War Powers Act of 1973 is constitutional. Our history has shown that we cannot entrust to a single man the power to deploy United States troops to combat. In the past decade, all the past presidents, including our present president, has deployed hundreds of thousands of US soldiers to battle. This not only led to the death of countless soldiers but it has depleted our resources. The United States Constitution is still the highest law of the land and it is clearly manifested in the enactment of the War Powers Act of 1973.

Deception Point Page 53

THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD†¦ THUD†¦ THUD†¦ THUD. THUD. THUD. â€Å"There's†¦ no time†¦ † Tolland said. It's not†¦ about us, she thought. It's about the information in my pocket. Rachel pictured the incriminating GPR printout inside the Velcro pocket of her Mark IX suit. I need to get the GPR printout into the hands of the NRO†¦ and soon. Even in her delirious state, Rachel was certain her message would be received. In the mid-eighties, the NRO had replaced the SAA with an array thirty times as powerful. Total global coverage: Classic Wizard, the NRO's $12 million ear to the ocean floor. In the next few hours the Cray supercomputers at the NRO/NSA listening post in Menwith Hill, England, would flag an anomalous sequence in one of the Arctic's hydrophones, decipher the pounding as an SOS, triangulate the coordinates, and dispatch a rescue plane from Thule Air Force Base in Greenland. The plane would find three bodies on an iceberg. Frozen. Dead. One would be an NRO employee†¦ and she would be carrying a strange piece of thermal paper in her pocket. A GPR printout. Norah Mangor's final legacy. When the rescuers studied the printout, the mysterious insertion tunnel beneath the meteorite would be revealed. From there, Rachel had no idea what would happen, but at least the secret would not die with them here on the ice. 60 Every president's transition into the White House involves a private tour of three heavily guarded warehouses containing priceless collections of past White House furniture: desks, silverware, bureaus, beds, and other items used by past presidents as far back as George Washington. During the tour, the transitioning president is invited to select any heirlooms he likes and use them as furnishings inside the White House during his term. Only the bed in the Lincoln Bedroom is a permanent White House fixture. Ironically, Lincoln never slept in it. The desk at which Zach Herney was currently sitting inside the Oval Office had once belonged to his idol, Harry Truman. The desk, though small by modern standards, served as a daily reminder to Zach Herney that the â€Å"buck† did indeed stop here, and that Herney was ultimately responsible for any shortcomings of his administration. Herney accepted the responsibility as an honor and did his best to instill in his staff the motivations to do whatever it took to get the job done. â€Å"Mr. President?† his secretary called out, peering into the office. â€Å"Your call just went through.† Herney waved. â€Å"Thank you.† He reached for his phone. He would have preferred some privacy for this call, but he sure as hell was not going to get any of that right now. Two makeup specialists hovered like gnats, poking and primping at his face and hair. Directly in front of his desk, a television crew was setting up, and an endless swarm of advisers and PR people scurried around the office, excitedly discussing strategy. T minus one hour†¦ Herney pressed the illuminated button on his private phone. â€Å"Lawrence? You there?† â€Å"I'm here.† The NASA administrator's voice sounded consumed, distant. â€Å"Everything okay up there?† â€Å"Storm's still moving in, but my people tell me the satellite link will not be affected. We're good to go. One hour and counting.† â€Å"Excellent. Spirits high, I hope.† â€Å"Very high. My staff's excited. In fact, we just shared some beers.† Herney laughed. â€Å"Glad to hear it. Look, I wanted to call and thank you before we do this thing. Tonight's going to be one hell of a night.† The administrator paused, sounding uncharacteristically uncertain. â€Å"That it will, sir. We've been waiting a long time for this.† Herney hesitated. â€Å"You sound exhausted.† â€Å"I need some sunlight and a real bed.† â€Å"One more hour. Smile for the cameras, enjoy the moment, and then we'll get a plane up there to bring you back to D.C.† â€Å"Looking forward to it.† The man fell silent again. As a skilled negotiator, Herney was trained to listen, to hear what was being said between the lines. Something in the administrator's voice sounded off somehow. â€Å"You sure everything's okay up there?† â€Å"Absolutely. All systems go.† The administrator seemed eager to change the subject. â€Å"Did you see the final cut of Michael Tolland's documentary?† â€Å"Just watched it,† Herney said. â€Å"He did a fantastic job.† â€Å"Yes. You made a good call bringing him in.† â€Å"Still mad at me for involving civilians?† â€Å"Hell, yes.† The administrator growled good-naturedly, his voice with the usual strength to it. It made Herney feel better. Ekstrom's fine, Herney thought. Just a little tired. â€Å"Okay, I'll see you in an hour via satellite. We'll give 'em something to talk about.† â€Å"Right.† â€Å"Hey, Lawrence?† Herney's voice grew low and solemn now. â€Å"You've done a hell of a thing up there. I won't ever forget it.† Outside the habisphere, buffeted by wind, Delta-Three struggled to right and repack Norah Mangor's toppled equipment sled. Once all the equipment was back onboard, he battened down the vinyl top and draped Mangor's dead body across the top, tying her down. As he was preparing to drag the sled off course, his two partners came skimming up the glacier toward him. â€Å"Change of plans,† Delta-One called out above the wind. â€Å"The other three went over the edge.† Delta-Three was not surprised. He also knew what it meant. The Delta Force's plan to stage an accident by arranging four dead bodies on the ice shelf was no longer a viable option. Leaving a lone body would pose more questions than answers. â€Å"Sweep?† he asked. Delta-One nodded. â€Å"I'll recover the flares and you two get rid of the sled.† While Delta-One carefully retraced the scientists' path, collecting every last clue that anyone had been there at all, Delta-Three and his partner moved down the glacier with the laden equipment sled. After struggling over the berms, they finally reached the precipice at the end of the Milne Ice Shelf. They gave a push, and Norah Mangor and her sled slipped silently over the edge, plummeting into the Arctic Ocean. Clean sweep, Delta-Three thought. As they headed back to base, he was pleased to see the wind obliterating the tracks made by their skis. 61 The nuclear submarine Charlotte had been stationed in the Arctic Ocean for five days now. Its presence here was highly classified. A Los Angeles-class sub, the Charlotte was designed to â€Å"listen and not be heard.† Its forty-two tons of turbine engines were suspended on springs to dampen any vibration they might cause. Despite its requirement for stealth, the LA-class sub had one of the largest footprints of any reconnaissance sub in the water. Stretching more than 360 feet from nose to stern, the hull, if placed on an NFL football field, would crush both goalposts and then some. Seven times the length of the U.S. Navy's first Holland-class submarine, the Charlotte displaced 6,927 tons of water when fully submerged and could cruise at an astounding thirty-five knots. The vessel's normal cruising depth was just below the thermocline, a natural temperature gradient that distorted sonar reflections from above and made the sub invisible to surface radar. With a crew of 148 and max dive depth of over fifteen hundred feet, the vessel represented the state-of-the-art submersible and was the oceanic workhorse of the United States Navy. Its evaporative electrolysis oxygenation system, two nuclear reactors, and engineered provisions gave it the ability to circumnavigate the globe twenty-one times without surfacing. Human waste from the crew, as on most cruise ships, was compressed into sixty-pound blocks and ejected into the ocean-the huge bricks of feces jokingly referred to as â€Å"whale turds.†