Documentary on Newfoundland :: essays research papers

Canada is internationally recognized for its excellence in documentary film, and in recent years several of Canada's finest documentary makers have come from this province. Some of them work primarily in Newfoundland and Labrador while others take their cameras around the world. Their films often tell highly personal stories that reflect universal themes, and many are characterized by an unmistakable passion for grass-roots politics, social change and human rights. For most of this century Newfoundland and Labrador stories and events were interpreted through the eyes of visiting filmmakers. Producers from Great Britain and the United States arrived as early as 1907 to do brief pieces about hunting, fishing and wildlife. The National Film Board of Canada (N.F.B.) made several short films here in the 1940s and came regularly after Confederation, eventually building a library of over 100 films about the province. Local directors and producers did not contribute to that library until the 1980s. A few Newfoundlanders were shooting footage in these early years, but usually out of personal interest and with no intention of creating narrative films. Finished projects by local cameramen and editors began to appear after the second World War. They included The Golden Jubilee of Archbishop Roach (1947) by W.J. Ryan and The Land We Love (1955), a travelogue of the Avalon Peninsula by Len Earle. By the late 1960s the CBC and CJON television stations were filming news, entertainment and information programs. Memorial University's Extension Service established a "media unit" to make educational films and documentaries and record significant public events. The unit also worked with the NFB on several projects, including a series of short films on Fogo Island that incorporated input and feedback from local residents. CJON at Buckmaster's Circle, 1952. Jack Squires loads CJON's mobile transmitter van in preparation for an important outside broadcast. Photo by C.F. Ruggles. From Newfoundland Radio in Pictures, 1952 (St. John's, Nfld: Guardian Press, Â © 1952) 43. (51 kb) In the early 1970s the first generation of independent filmmakers was beginning to emerge. Fourteen of them formed the Newfoundland Independent Filmmaker's Cooperative (NIFCO) in 1975. although dedicated to the making of dramatic and artistic films, NIFCO has also been vital to the development of a home-grown documentary industry. The early NIFCO documentaries focus on the province's history and heritage and are only a few minutes long. Stone's Cove (1980) profiles a resettled community through contemporary footage and old photographs. Dig At Cow Head (1982) is a brief portrait of an archaeological dig.

Scientific Murder Essay examples -- essays research papers fc

Scientific Murder: Human Experimentation in Nazi Germany The Nazi's were infamous for their cruel and unusual experiments on humans. Although they played a small part of Nazi Germany's attempt at racial hygiene, these experiments desecrated and exterminated thousands of humans (Lifton 269). "The Nazi medical experiments of the 1930's and 1940's are the most famous example of recent disregard for ethical conduct " (Polit & Hungler 127). For the sake of science, thousands lost their lives "I have no words. I thought we were human beings. We were living creatures. How could they do things like that?" (Auschwitz survivor as quoted in Lifton 269). Was it really science, or was it murder? After the Nazi's seized power in 1933, patients no longer had protection by law from German scientists. These scientists could use any method of "research or treatment". "Terrible experiments carried out in the concentration camps were symptomatic of this amoral attitude of the German scientific community" (Friedlander 131). Prior to 1933, scientists promoted radical measures in the study of racial science. "Prominent eugenicists-anthropologists, geneticists, psychiatrists-influenced both Nazi ideologues and a generation of scientists and physicians" (Friedlander 123). Literature from these scientists influenced Adolf Hitler and many scientists during the Nazi period (Friedlander 123). Science in Germany quickly adjusted to the ideas of race and eugenics. "The enthusiastic participation of the scientific and medical establishment in the sterilization program was an indication of the fact that its ideology meshed with that of the Nazi movement' (Friedlander 125). The concept of racial hygiene was the foundation of Germany's eugenic and racial policy. State hospital directors and scientists founded institutes and departments for researching heredity. In order for scientist to move up in rank, they were coerced to comply with racial hygiene as prescribed by the regime. "Loyalty to ideology determined access to research grants and job opportunities" (Friedlander 126). Euthanasia became a solution to the problem of the slow process of mass sterilization. German scientists were eager to benefit ... ...wledge in science and medicine" (Caplan 65). The German anthropological and psychiatric scientists trapped themselves with their own mythological beliefs. "Every science at its beginning builds on its own mythological foundations. As it progresses, those parts which can no longer be integrated into the whole are dropped" (Muller-Hill 101). The scientists of the Third Reich proved to be malicious and destructive and "in the last analysis, stupid" (Muller-Hill 101). German scientists proved themselves to be traitors to science as they spilled the blood of innocent victims to consecrate their myth (Muller-Hill 101). Bibliography Caplan, Arthur L. When Medicine Went Mad. Totowa: Humana Press, 1992. Friedlander, Henry. The Origins of Nazi Genicide From Euthanasia to the Final Solution. Chapel Hill: London: University of North Carolina Press, 1995. Lifton, Robert J. The Nazi Doctors. New York: Basic Books, Inc., Publishers, 1986. Polit, Denise F., and Bernadette P. Hungler. Essentials of Nursing Research. Philadelphia: New York: Lippencott-Raven, 1997. Muller-Hill, Benno. Murderous Science. Oxford: New York: Tokyo: Oxford University Press, 1988.

Internet Essay: Internet Censorship -- Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Internet Censorship When I was in elementary school, I thought girls could give me some dreadful disease. I stayed away from girls because they gave me "cooties". After school, I would go fishing at a nearby stream, ride my skate board, or study only if mandated by my parents. The closest I came to technology was watching the "Little Rascals" on TV. Today, computers and the Internet offers a cyberspace playground for kids. Kids stay up past their bed time playing with their computer or surfing the Internet. The Internet provides entertainment and education for millions of people worldwide. The Internet will have the most dramatic effect on mankind since the industrial revolution. Through the Internet, people can send electronic mail, exchange files, and publish through the world-wide web (WWW), materials that traditionally appeared in journals, magazines, posters, books, television, and film. Information can be searched globally and retrieved in a matter of seconds by the use of Internet "search engines". Every technological advancement of mankind ...

Merit Philosophy Essay

In the present society we value struggle and hard work that we owe. The paper â€Å"Merit: Why do we value it? † the author, Louis Pojman, claims that in life we always get whatever we earn in life, what you deserve is what you get. But others have come with the counter argument that we cannot take advantage from our success because of our social standing or our intelligence. I agree to Pojman’s observation of things that â€Å"Good deeds must be followed by good outcomes and bad deeds by bad outcomes† (pg. 96). And also â€Å"Each act in the world has an appropriate response†. In this essay I will give details on the situations where this fits and also discuss the events in which people feel hard done by when others are being rewarded in situations where they should not. Merit is a quality which determines the distribution of rewards, praises and prizes on the basis of good or quality work done. Merits should be served as the prime basis of handing out rewards and punishments. Any person who trains or works really hard deserves a better position. For example, at the office one intern works really hard and shapes his qualities better then any other interns, deserves to get the job over the boss’s son, who spends less hours at the office and trains less, thinking that he has the job in the bag simply because he is the boss’s son. Pojman has stated in his study that â€Å"I have trained harder then anyone else so I deserve to win the race. I deserve reward or praise for my kind act as it came after an ethically good will thinking (pg. 87). The author explains in his paper that praising good deeds will encourage a person to do good deeds in the future. Alternatively punishments are handed out to revise the bad actions. With this we can also form a system in which we can search out the best possible order of people who can perform the task efficiently. For example, I want the best engineers to build the particular bridge or I want the best performing employee to perform a task for me. Being at the top of performing a task gives a person a deserving praise and reward according to the level. Some disagree to this and say that the person does not deserve to be rewarded for a job that has been done efficiently based on the lottery system. The lottery objection system says that â€Å"One does not deserve his natural talents, his determination and his society in which he his living† (pg. 99). It means that anyone having ability, like for example to run fast or to sing well, does not deserve it. So likewise they should not be awarded to sign contracts with different music companies or should not be awarded with prize money for winning a race on his talent. The natural lottery objection is flawed in my opinion. People prefer to listen to the people who can sing well. The persons who cannot sing are being left out or not listened to fairly. The society chooses the persons for their place of involvement. This goes for the persons having their natural ability to construct things smoothly with the most ideal results. Society places a superior worth on the best of the best. It is natural to select the things this way. Every individual first learn and then develops his talents to serve the world. But there are also people who lack the determination to generate good things. These people do not deserve merit for their non serious work attitude. An individual who train hard and have a good attitude deserves the best offered in life. Individuals who do well to others are also deserved to be treated well in return. Nothing like Mantle, whose name was on top of the transplant list just because he was a baseball player. He was admitted to the hospital because he had damaged his liver. He confessed that he has damaged his liver by the constant use of alcohol and drugs. Because of his reputation he knocked off other who were in line and were suffering from liver damage by no fault on their own. Mickey Mantle did not deserve to get his new liver. As we are all human beings, when someone strips away someone’s talents they are believed to be equal. But in the case of Mickey Mantle it was not there and it spread injustice. He only deserved to get the liver but it was injustice to be placed top on the list. This specific occurrence is horrendous. It was an injustice to the humanity. I have stated in favor of Pojman’s paper that high-quality work deserves merit and an equal reward or praise to the good work produced. Individuals get in life whatever they have put on it. It is very unfair to say that people with natural talents and abilities do not deserve good simply because they are born with it. One has to learn what he is good at and use his ability to do well. ? Reference: Pojman, L. (1999). Merit: Why Do We Value It? [Electronic version]. Journal of Social Philosophy, 30(1), 83-102.

How can buyer attitudes about products country of origin affect marketing strategy Essay

A number of researches have been done on the effect of the county of origin (COO) on the acceptance of a product.   There has been close related studies examining attitudes within a country towards imported goods based on the evaluation of their country of origin.   Although most of the studies have focused on  Ã‚   consumer from the developed country, it has been shown that even consumers in the developing nations have developed certain attitudes on products based on their country of origin. There are some countries which are associated with high quality products while there are others which are associated with low quality products.   The attitude of the consumers about a product based on their country of origin affect the marketing strategy of the commodity since the marketing strategy will concentrate on creating a positive attitude on the products in the markets where customers have a negative attitude.   Compared to other marketing influences, country-of-origin has a lesser effect on the process of consumer decision making but it affects the overall acceptance of the products depending on the level of influence in the market. (Daser 1997, p.53) The concept of Country-of-origin Country of origin is an important factor that affects the consumer purchasing decision making and industry purchases.   The country of origin in combination with other marketing characteristics has great influences on the perception of the product in the market.   This is  Ã‚   based on the concept o superiority or inferiority. Most of the studies conducted on the issue assert there are few stereotypical images that are consisted across a number of nations.   For example the image of robustness of Gernamn products, the luxurious products from France,   the cheap products from Korea, the substandard products from china, and many others.   There are also positive stereotypical images that have also been upheld. For example the Iranian pistachios and rugs, vegetable from Poland, Oranges from Israel, Coffee form Columbia, French perfume, Silk from china,   Leather from Italy, electronics from Japan, and Rum from Jamaica. (Cattin 1992, p. 244) These stereotypes have not been based on emptiness. They have either been based on  Ã‚   hearsay, experience or just a myth. At the same time is has been shown that customers will react different from country of origin cues.   For example, Japanese goods are highly rated by consumers all over the world.,   in china western products which retail   at more than three times the domestic products are   in   relatively high demand, in Russia the country of origin of the product is more important than then the brand name of the product which   pus product from Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand and others still suspicious in the country,   Australian like French perfume but   thy will not buy French cameras of French wine, and   others Most of the studies conducted on the evaluation of the Japanese and American consumers have shown that Japanese products are considered to be of high quality  Ã‚   and therefore they are  Ã‚   preferred by the consumer to product from other countries.   This same effect has also been found in studies conducted in several other areas on the world.   Studies conducted in other areas in the world like Saudi Arabia and Bahaarian, Nova Sotia, Finland, South East Asia, Peoples Republic of China, Hong Kong, and other have all rated Japanese products as superior to other product in the world as far as it relates to service, promotion, and delivery. With the increasing presence of  Ã‚   foreign products in the domestic markets,  Ã‚   there have been increase studies in the last one decade about the perception of these productions the market and the preference of consumers when purchasing them.   The country of origin cue has become an important factor in the market as consumer tend to evaluate imported goods   differently than the way they   evaluate domestic produced goods. Most of the studies have been carried out in American and have shown that American consumes have a preference to certain products from some countries. They tend to purchase products from  Ã‚   some countries as compared to others.   This has shown a national stereotyping phenomena which is not limited to the US only but has been observed in other countries. The same findings have been found in England, Finland, Canada, New Zealand, France, and Singapore. (Howard 1994, p. 92) Consumer attitudes and perception of  Ã‚   important from various countries usually vary from one country to another. What the consumers of country A will perceive product from country X is not the same way consumer in Country B will view the same products.   Although it has been shown that the relationship between  Ã‚   the two countries  Ã‚   is an important factor, the overall reputation of the production the market is a major factor affecting the consumer perception. It has also been found out that even consumers writing the same country may have different views of the same product with show individual variance within the same country.   Consumers’ attitude about the product from a particular country can also vary with time as the rate of development and pace of industrialization changes.   Change in market development in the culture and  Ã‚   lifestyle in that particular country can also affect the perception of the product. (Akaah 2003, p. 78) A  Ã‚   country at its initial pace of development may accept cheap product from a country while this may change rapidly as the country develops its own industries. This varies with the levels of disposable income which signify the rise of a middle class in any country. As a middle class emerge in a country, it may have an influence in the perception of a product from country which may influence market trends. Early studies on consumer attitudes and preference of domestic and imported produces tend to focus on  Ã‚   just one cue instead of a number of cues that could show the market influences. However the trend have chanced in the last three decades with most studies focusing on multiple cues which   have been designed to use tangible products   rather that  Ã‚  Ã‚   description of the   products. According to these early studies,  Ã‚   the effects of Country of origin were shown to have a direct effect on the existing beliefs of eh consumers. The past experience on the product is also an import factors that influence the attitude that a consumer may have on the product from a certain country. Other studies have shown that it may necessarily be the same product that the consumer may have had an earlier experience with but it may be another product which will affect the construction about the product from that particular country. (Loureiro and Umberger 2002, p. 59) To create a certain perception about products from a certain country, consumer use  Ã‚   evaluation based inference to reason about the image of that product.   This means that it will evaluate factor of quality value, styling, and others and correlate them with  Ã‚   the country of origin.   This is known as the halo effect where a belief about a trait of a certain products which in this case is the country of origin of the product produces a certain belief structure on traits that are not known to the customer but which are congruent with the traits that have already been experienced by the consumer.   The willingness of any consumer to purchase a product is based on the  Ã‚   characteristics of the country of origin of the product and its people.   The perception about the country of origin may also be affected by the comparison that the consumer makes about the similarities and differences between their country and the country of origin of the product.   This comparison may be made in terms of the economic development, political status, the social culture climate, and other factors which may crate differences and similarities between the two nations. (Dougla and Nonaka 1995, p. 350) Therefore it shows the  Ã‚   country of origin is one factor that embraces so many other factors inside it.   There are other market considerations that are made about the country of origin that ultimately determine consumer perception of the  Ã‚   products.   In this case there are several factors that we can identify that influence the overall consumer perception of the country and the products. Some of these factors include the following: †¢ Quality †¢ Technology †¢ Features of the product †¢ Brand recognition †¢ Perception of value †¢ Advertising images †¢ Perception of retailers and distribution These are some of the factors that may affect consumer perceptions of the products based on the country of origin.   There are many other factors that a customer takes into considerations but these are the main ones. Let us look closely at each of these factors. (i) Perception of quality The quality of the product is important to the consumer as it is used to develop descriptive and inferential beliefs about the product and service.   The  Ã‚   actual consumer choice of a product can be as a direct function  Ã‚   based on these medicating beliefs.   This shows the  Ã‚   quality evaluation is important factor in the overall decision making process of the consumers.   If the consumer develops a positive quality attitude towards the product, they are likely to increase  Ã‚   their confidence on the  Ã‚   product evaluation before giving their final choice.   There are several studies that have documented that quality is second to price in the consumer choice of product from foreign countries. (ii) Technology sophistication perception Sophisticated technology can be defined as technology which involves a high level of  Ã‚   operation using complex material and equipment.   It is also as production process that uses high level of skills to formulate and develop products. In this case we can take the examples we had given earlier bout Japan. It ahs been argued that   products from Japan have been receiving a high   rating and   increased preference in different parts of the world owing to the   high level of   technology that is used to produce them.   It has also been shown that American consumers have shown increased preference to German made products owing the capability of German to produce high technology products.   Contrary to this   a study carried out in Austria showed that   they preferred products from   Euro pan compared to other products outside Europe due to the high level of technology used to produce   goods in Europe. (Crodel 2003, p. 53) (iii) Features of a   product as suited to the market The features of a product compared to other in the market are an important factor that determines the overall product perception and choice preference.   Simple features like colour of the product, has been shown to be an import factor in the purchase of product like bread as compared to  Ã‚   price and nutritional aspect of the bread.  Ã‚   Yellow coloured bread which appears to have been prepared with a lot of eggs is mostly preferred compared to white bread by consumers in the market.   A study carried out in New Zealand showed the colour of the automobiles was important in the overall effect of purchase of automobiles. (iv) Recognition of the brand   Consumers have shown increased preference of  Ã‚   well known brands compared to unknown brands owing to its prestige. It has also been shown that preference of favourite brands is a way of  Ã‚   reducing risk in the purchase decision.   Brand recognition is an important factor that helps the consumer confidence in the purchase of branded products.   A country with a portfolio of well known brands will create a positive attitude towards the consumers and they are likely to purchase other products from the same country event without  Ã‚   preference to quality of the product. In this case country branding is very important in influences the overall consumer perception of products from that country.   If we take a contemporary example of Japan and China, we will find the both of them are emerging markets in the world.   While Japan is reputed for its quality in and durable products, china on the other hand is known for  Ã‚   cheap low quality products.   Apparently china accounts for more than 70% of all the counterfeited products in the world.  Ã‚   Therefore it would be difficult to convince a consumer from a country that china which is reputed with cheap low quality products can actually produce high quality products. It has also been found out that consumer have an increased preference toward branded produces rather than unbranded products. A study carried out in Britain showed the American and French brands were preferred by British retail managers as they were more recognized compared to the domestic brands. (Bannister and Saundrsm 1998, p. 60) (v) Perception of values The perception of values involves the overall consumer assessment of the use of a product  Ã‚   based on the   consumer will give in monetary values and what they expect to receive in terms of  Ã‚   quality. This is a kind of a balance equation that the consumer makes regarding the products that they wish to purchase.   The past research that have been carried out on the perception of values have shown that compared to all countries in the world, Japanese products were low priced while at the same time they were considered to be of high values and therefore the consumes preferred to buy them because they got an acceptable product values for the amount of monetary sacrifice they made for that particular product.  Ã‚   A recent study has also shown that Japanese products are likely to be preferred to the US products even without so much concession on the price of the products. (vi) Advertising image The adverting strategies that are used in the market can improve the image of the products and therefore increase the consumer preference of the product.   There has been a reported relationship between advertising influence, that attitude toward a brand, and consumer preference in the marketing  Ã‚  Ã‚   of the product.   In the early emergence of the Japanese products, they were shown to receive a low key in the market  Ã‚  Ã‚   because they were not well advertised and their low prices  Ã‚   created a negative consumer perception.   After some years, Japanese product recorded increased sales in Canada, US, Britain, Hungary, and others where they had recorded low sales after an aggressive and competent advertising that changes consumer perception. (vii) Distribution and retailing perception   The realties influence the consumer preference and decision to purchase a product through their promotional efforts.   Retailers makes particular efforts to promote the products to in the market  Ã‚   through merchandise offering, merchandise display, reliable dissemination of information, and through many other efforts.   The retailer can also influence the consumers by presenting a higher credibility for a product and an apparent warranty and guarantees which increase consumer confidence in that particular product.   Consumer perception of a products has partly been linked to various level of activities carried out by the retailers in creating their awareness about that product in the market. Weak promotion activities have a negative effect on the consumer perception of quality and  Ã‚   preferences to purchase that particular product. (Cheung and Dention 1995, p. 55) There are the main factors that influence the perception of a product from a country.   This shows that  Ã‚   country of origin is influenced by the above  Ã‚   factors.  Ã‚   Consumer perception is not a  Ã‚   condition that is created at once but it is an after thought  Ã‚   which comes after interplay of the above factors.   Country of origin perception is not a condition that is crated overnight and does not evaporate overnight but it is a perception that may last for some time and may be difficult to deconstruct.

The Host Chapter 22: Cracked

Jeb put his hands behind his head and looked up at the dark ceiling, his face thoughtful. His chatty mood had not passed. â€Å"I've wondered a lot what it's like-getting caught, you know. Saw it happen more than once, come close a few times myself. What would it be like, I wondered. Would it hurt, having something put in your head? I've seen it done, you know.† My eyes widened in surprise, but he wasn't looking at me. â€Å"Seems like you all use some kind of anesthetic, but that's just a guess. Nobody was screaming in agony or anything, though, so it couldn't be too torturous.† I wrinkled my nose. Torture. No, that was the humans' specialty. â€Å"Those stories you were telling the kid were real interesting.† I stiffened and he laughed lightly. â€Å"Yeah, I was listening. Eavesdropping, I'll admit it. I'm not sorry-it was great stuff, and you won't talk to me the way you do with Jamie. I really got a kick out of those bats and the plants and spiders. Gives a man lots to think about. Always liked to read crazy, out-there stuff, science fiction and whatnot. Ate that stuff up. And the kid's like me-he's read all the books I've got, two, three times apiece. Must be a treat for him to get some new stories. Sure is for me. You're a good storyteller.† I kept my eyes down, but I felt myself softening, losing my guard a bit. Like anyone inside these emotional bodies, I was a sucker for flattery. â€Å"Everyone here thinks you hunted us out to turn us over to the Seekers.† The word sent a shock jolting through me. My jaw stiffened and my teeth cut my tongue. I tasted blood. â€Å"What other reason could there be?† he went on, oblivious to my reaction or ignoring it. â€Å"But they're just trapped in fixed notions, I think. I'm the only one with questions†¦ I mean, what kind of a plan was that, to wander off into the desert without any way to get back?† He chuckled. â€Å"Wandering-guess that's your specialty, eh, Wanda?† He leaned toward me and nudged me with one elbow. Wide with uncertainty, my eyes flickered to the floor, to his face, and back to the floor. He laughed again. â€Å"That trek was just a few steps shy of a successful suicide, in my opinion. Definitely not a Seeker's MO, if you know what I mean. I've tried to reason it out. Use logic, right? So, if you didn't have backup, which I've seen no sign of, and you had no way to get back, then you must've had a different goal. You haven't been real talkative since you got here, ‘cept with the kid just now, but I've listened to what you have said. Kind of seems to me like the reason you almost died out there was 'cause you were hell-bent on finding that kid and Jared.† I closed my eyes. â€Å"Only why would you care?† Jeb asked, expecting no answer, just musing. â€Å"So, this is how I see it: either you're a really good actress-like a super-Seeker, some new breed, sneakier than the first-with some kind of a plan I can't figure out, or you're not acting. The first seems like a pretty complicated explanation for your behavior, then and now, and I don't buy it. â€Å"But if you're not acting†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused for a moment. â€Å"Spent a lot of time watching your kind. I was always waiting for them to change, you know, when they didn't have to act like us anymore, because there was no one to act for. I kept on watching and waiting, but they just kept on actin' like humans. Staying with their bodies' families, going out for picnics in good weather, plantin' flowers and paintin' pictures and all the rest of it. I've been wondering if you all aren't turning sort of human. If we don't have some real influence, in the end.† He waited, giving me a chance to respond. I didn't. â€Å"Saw something a few years ago that stuck with me. Old man and woman, well, the bodies of an old man and an old woman. Been together so long that the skin on their fingers grew in ridges around their wedding rings. They were holding hands, and he kissed her on her cheek, and she blushed under all those wrinkles. Occurred to me that you have all the same feelings we have, because you're really us, not just hands in a puppet.† â€Å"Yes,† I whispered. â€Å"We have all the same feelings. Human feelings. Hope, and pain, and love.† â€Å"So, if you aren't acting†¦ well, then I'd swear to it that you loved them both. You do. Wanda, not just Mel's body.† I put my head down on my arms. The gesture was tantamount to an admission, but I didn't care. I couldn't hold it up anymore. â€Å"So that's you. But I wonder about my niece, too. What it was like for her, what it would be like for me. When they put somebody inside your head, are you just†¦ gone? Erased? Like being dead? Or is it like being asleep? Are you aware of the outside control? Is it aware of you? Are you trapped there, screaming inside?† I sat very still, trying to keep my face smooth. â€Å"Plainly, your memories and behaviors, all that is left behind. But your consciousness†¦ Seems like some people wouldn't go down without a fight. Hell, I know I would try to stay-never been one to take no for an answer, anyone will tell you that. I'm a fighter. All of us who are left are fighters. And, you know, I woulda pegged Mel for a fighter, too.† He didn't move his eyes from the ceiling, but I looked at the floor-stared at it, memorizing the patterns in the purple gray dust. â€Å"Yeah, I've wondered about that a lot.† I could feel his eyes on me now, though my head was still down. I didn't move, except to breathe slowly in and out. It took a great deal of effort to keep that slow rhythm smooth. I had to swallow; the blood was still flowing in my mouth. Why did we ever think he was crazy? Mel wondered. He sees everything. He's a genius. He's both. Well, maybe this means we don't have to keep quiet anymore. He knows. She was hopeful. She'd been very quiet lately, absent almost half the time. It wasn't as easy for her to concentrate when she was relatively happy. She'd won her big fight. She'd gotten us here. Her secrets were no longer in jeopardy; Jared and Jamie could never be betrayed by her memories. With the fight taken out of her, it was harder for her to find the will to speak, even to me. I could see how the idea of discovery-of having the other humans recognize her existence-invigorated her. Jeb knows, yes. Does that really change anything? She thought about the way the other humans looked at Jeb. Right. She sighed. But I think Jamie†¦ well, he doesn't know or guess, but I think he feels the truth. You might be right. I guess we'll see if that does him or us any good, in the end. Jeb could only manage to keep quiet for a few seconds, and then he was off again, interrupting us. â€Å"Pretty interesting stuff. Not as much bang! bang! as the movies I used to like. But still pretty interesting. I'd like to hear more about those spider thingies. I'm real curious†¦ real curious, for sure.† I took a deep breath and raised my head. â€Å"What do you want to know?† He smiled at me warmly, his eyes crinkling into half moons. â€Å"Three brains, right?† I nodded. â€Å"How many eyes?† â€Å"Twelve-one at each juncture of the leg and the body. We didn't have lids, just a lot of fibers-like steel wool eyelashes-to protect them.† He nodded, his eyes bright. â€Å"Were they furry, like tarantulas?† â€Å"No. Sort of†¦ armored-scaled, like a reptile or a fish.† I slouched against the wall, settling myself in for a long conversation. Jeb didn't disappoint on that count. I lost track of how many questions he asked me. He wanted details-the Spiders' looks, their behaviors, and how they'd handled Earth. He didn't flinch away from the invasion details; on the contrary, he almost seemed to enjoy that part more than the rest. His questions came fast on the heels of my answers, and his grins were frequent. When he was satisfied about the Spiders, hours later, he wanted to know more about the Flowers. â€Å"You didn't half explain that one,† he reminded me. So I told him about that most beautiful and placid of planets. Almost every time I stopped to breathe, he interrupted me with a new question. He liked to guess the answers before I could speak and didn't seem to mind getting them wrong in the least. â€Å"So did ya eat flies, like a Venus flytrap? I'll bet you did-or maybe something bigger, like a bird-like a pterodactyl!† â€Å"No, we used sunlight for food, like most plants here.† â€Å"Well, that's not as much fun as my idea.† Sometimes I found myself laughing with him. We were just moving on to the Dragons when Jamie showed up with dinner for three. â€Å"Hi, Wanderer,† he said, a little embarrassed. â€Å"Hi, Jamie,† I answered, a little shy, not sure if he would regret the closeness we'd shared. I was, after all, the bad guy. But he sat down right next to me, between me and Jeb, crossing his legs and setting the food tray in the middle of our little conclave. I was starving, and parched from all the talking. I took a bowl of soup and downed it in a few gulps. â€Å"Shoulda known you were just being polite in the mess hall today. Gotta speak up when you're hungry, Wanda. I'm no mind reader.† I didn't agree with that last part, but I was too busy chewing a mouthful of bread to answer. â€Å"Wanda?† Jamie asked. I nodded, letting him know that I didn't mind. â€Å"Kinda suits her, doncha think?† Jeb was so proud of himself, I was surprised he didn't pat himself on the back, just for effect. â€Å"Kinda, I guess,† Jamie said. â€Å"Were you guys talking about dragons?† â€Å"Yeah,† Jeb told him enthusiastically, â€Å"but not the lizardy kind. They're all made up of jelly. They can fly, though†¦ sort of. The air's thicker, sort of jelly, too. So it's almost like swimming. And they can breathe acid-that's about as good as fire, wouldn't you say?† I let Jeb fill Jamie in on the details while I ate more than my share of food and drained a water bottle. When my mouth was free, Jeb started in with the questions again. â€Å"Now, this acid†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Jamie didn't ask questions the way Jeb did, and I was more careful about what I said with him there. However, this time Jeb never asked anything that might lead to a touchy subject, whether by coincidence or design, so my caution wasn't necessary. The light slowly faded until the hallway was black. Then it was silver, a tiny, dim reflection from the moon that was just enough, as my eyes adjusted, to see the man and the boy beside me. Jamie edged closer to me as the night wore on. I didn't realize that I was combing my fingers through his hair as I talked until I noticed Jeb staring at my hand. I folded my arms across my body. Finally, Jeb yawned a huge yawn that had me and Jamie doing the same. â€Å"You tell a good story, Wanda,† Jeb said when we were all done stretching. â€Å"It's what I did†¦ before. I was a teacher, at the university in San Diego. I taught history.† â€Å"A teacher!† Jeb repeated, excited. â€Å"Well, ain't that amazin'? There's something we could use around here. Mag's girl Sharon does the teaching for the three kids, but there's a lot she can't help with. She's most comfortable with math and the like. History, now -â€Å" â€Å"I only taught our history,† I interrupted. Waiting for him to take a breath wasn't going to work, it seemed. â€Å"I wouldn't be much help as a teacher here. I don't have any training.† â€Å"Your history is better than nothing. Things we human folks ought to know, seeing as we live in a more populated universe than we were aware of.† â€Å"But I wasn't a real teacher,† I told him, desperate. Did he honestly think anyone wanted to hear my voice, let alone listen to my stories? â€Å"I was sort of an honorary professor, almost a guest lecturer. They only wanted me because†¦ well, because of the story that goes along with my name.† â€Å"That's the next one I was going to ask for,† Jeb said complacently. â€Å"We can talk about your teaching experience later. Now-why did they call you Wanderer? I've heard a bunch of odd ones, Dry Water, Fingers in the Sky, Falling Upward-all mixed in, of course, with the Pams and the Jims. I tell you, it's the kind of thing that can drive a man crazy with curiosity.† I waited till I was sure he was done to begin. â€Å"Well, the way it usually works is that a soul will try out a planet or two-two's the average-and then they'll settle in their favorite place. They just move to new hosts in the same species on the same planet when their body gets close to death. It's very disorienting moving from one kind of body to the next. Most souls really hate that. Some never move from the planet they are born on. Occasionally, someone has a hard time finding a good fit. They may try three planets. I met a soul once who'd been to five before he'd settled with the Bats. I liked it there-I suppose that's the closest I've ever come to choosing a planet. If it hadn't been for the blindness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"How many planets have you lived on?† Jamie asked in a hushed voice. Somehow, while I'd been talking, his hand had found its way into mine. â€Å"This is my ninth,† I told him, squeezing his fingers gently. â€Å"Wow, nine!† he breathed. â€Å"That's why they wanted me to teach. Anybody can tell them our statistics, but I have personal experience from most of the planets we've†¦ taken.† I hesitated at that word, but it didn't seem to bother Jamie. â€Å"There are only three I've never been to-well, now four. They just opened a new world.† I expected Jeb to jump in with questions about the new world, or the ones I'd skipped, but he just played absently with the ends of his beard. â€Å"Why did you never stay anywhere?† Jamie asked. â€Å"I never found a place I liked enough to stay.† â€Å"What about Earth? Do you think you'll stay here?† I wanted to smile at his child's confidence-as if I were going to get the chance to ever move on to another host. As if I were going to get the chance to live out even another month in the one I had. â€Å"Earth is†¦ very interesting,† I murmured. â€Å"It's harder than any place I've been before.† â€Å"Harder than the place with the frozen air and the claw beasts?† he asked. â€Å"In its own way, yes.† How could I explain that the Mists Planet only came at you from the outside-it was much more difficult to be attacked from within. Attacked, Melanie scoffed. I yawned. I wasn't actually thinking of you, I told her. I was thinking of these unstable emotions, always betraying me. But you did attack me. Pushing your memories on me that way. I learned my lesson, she assured me dryly. I could feel how intensely aware she was of the hand in mine. There was an emotion slowly building in her that I didn't recognize. Something on the edge of anger, with a hint of desire and a portion of despair. Jealousy, she enlightened me. Jeb yawned again. â€Å"I'm being downright rude, I guess. You must be bushed-walking all over today and then me keepin' you up half the night talking. Ought to be a better host. C'mon, Jamie, let's go and let Wanda get some sleep.† I was exhausted. It felt as if it had been a very long day, and, from Jeb's words, perhaps that wasn't in my imagination. â€Å"Okay, Uncle Jeb.† Jamie jumped lightly to his feet and then offered his hand to the old man. â€Å"Thanks, kid.† Jeb groaned as he got up. â€Å"And thanks to you, too,† he added in my direction. â€Å"Most interesting conversation I've had in†¦ well, probably forever. Rest your voice up, Wanda, because my curiosity is a powerful thing. Ah, there he is! ‘Bout time.† Only then did I hear the sound of approaching footsteps. Automatically, I shrank against the wall and scooted farther back into the cave-room, and then felt more exposed because the moonlight was brighter inside. I was surprised that this was the first person to turn in for the night; the corridor appeared to house many. â€Å"Sorry, Jeb. I got to talking with Sharon, and then I sort of dozed off.† It was impossible not to recognize this easy, gentle voice. My stomach rolled, unstable, and I wished it were empty. â€Å"We didn't even notice, Doc,† Jeb said. â€Å"We were having the time of our lives here. Someday you'll have to get her to tell you some of her stories-great stuff. Not tonight, though. She's got to be pretty worn out, I'd bet. We'll see you in the morning.† The doctor was spreading a mat out in front of the cave entrance, just as Jared had. â€Å"Keep an eye on this,† Jeb said, laying the gun beside the mat. â€Å"Are you okay, Wanda?† Jamie asked. â€Å"You're shaking.† I hadn't realized it, but my whole body was quivering. I didn't answer him-my throat felt swollen shut. â€Å"Now, now,† Jeb said in a soothing voice. â€Å"I asked Doc if he minded taking a shift. You don't need to worry about anything. Doc's an honorable man.† The doctor smiled a sleepy smile. â€Å"I'm not going to hurt you†¦ Wanda, is it? I promise. I'll just keep watch while you sleep.† I bit my lip, and the quivering didn't stop. Jeb seemed to think everything was settled, though. â€Å"Night, Wanda. Night, Doc,† he said as he started back down the hall. Jamie hesitated, looking at me with a worried expression. â€Å"Doc's okay,† he promised in a whisper. â€Å"C'mon, boy, it's late!† Jamie hurried off after Jeb. I watched the doctor when they were gone, waiting for some change. Doc's relaxed expression didn't waver, though, and he didn't touch the gun. He stretched his long frame out on the mat, his calves and feet hanging off the end. Lying down, he looked much smaller, he was so rail thin. â€Å"Good night,† he murmured drowsily. Of course I didn't answer. I watched him in the dull moonlight, timing the rise and fall of his chest by the sound of the pulse thudding in my ears. His breathing slowed and got deeper, and then he began to quietly snore. It could have been an act, but even if it was, there wasn't much I could do about it. Silently, I crept deeper into the room, till I felt the edge of the mattress against my back. I'd promised myself that I would not disturb this place, but it probably wouldn't hurt anything if I just curled up on the foot of the bed. The floor was rough and so hard. The sound of the doctor's soft snoring was comforting; even if it was put on to calm me, at least I knew exactly where he was in the darkness. Live or die, I figured I might as well go ahead and sleep. I was dog tired, as Melanie would say. I let my eyes close. The mattress was softer than anything I'd touched since coming here. I relaxed, sinking in†¦ There was a low shuffling sound-it was inside the room with me. My eyes popped open, and I could see a shadow between the moonlit ceiling and me. Outside, the doctor's snores continued uninterrupted.

Case Study Part 1 Pinnacle Essay

Cash Ratio: cash and marketable securities/ current liabilities: 6,714,156/25,926,158 =0.03 (2009) 6,369,431/17,605,301 = 0.36 (2008) 7,014,387/16,340,517 = 0.43 (2007) Current Ratio: cash +marketable securities+ net account receivables/ current liabilities: 6,714,156+9,601,883/25,926,158 = 0.63 (2009) 6,369,431+7,495,528/17,605,301 = 0.79 (2008) 7,014,387+6,901,225/16,340,517 =0.85 (2007) Current Ratio: current assets/ current liabilities: 44,497,169/25,926,158 = 1.72 (2009) 36,195,745/17,605,301 = 2.06 (2008) 36,005,390/16,340,517 = 2.20 (2007) Accounts receivable turnover: net sales/ average gross receivables: (9,601,883 + 866,330) + (7,495,528+948,679) + (6,901,225 +862,690) = 26,676,335/3 = 8,892,111.7: average gross receivables 149,245,176/8,892,111.7 = 16.79 (2009) 137,579,664/8,892,111.7 = 15.47 (2008) 125,814,272/8,892,111.7 = 14.15 (2007) Days to collect receivables: 365/accounts receivable turnover 365/16.79 = 21.74 days (2009) 365/15.47 = 23.59 days (2008) 365/14.15 = 25.80 days (2007) Inventory turnover: cost of goods sold/average inventory (28,031,323 +22,206,259 + 21,975,220) = 72,212,802 / 3 = 24,070,934: average inventory 104,807,966/24,070,934 = 4.35 (2009) 96,595,908/24,070,934 = 4.01 (2008) 88,685,361/24,070,934 = 3.68 (2007) Days to sell inventory: 365/inventory turnover 365/4.35 = 83.91 days (2009) 365/4.01 = 91.02 days (2008) 365/3.68 = 99.18 days (2007) Debt to equity: total liabilities/total equity 25,926,158/55,825,756 = 0.46 (2009) 17,605,301/52,758,726 = 0.33 (2008) 16,340,517/50,872,536 = 0.32 (2007) Times interest earned: operating income/interest expense 6,171,502/1,897,346 = 3.25 (2009) 5,998,463/2,128,905 = 2.82 (2008) 4,745,339/2,085,177 = 2.28 (2007) Earning per share: net income/average common shares outstanding 3,260,411/1,000,000 = 3.26 (2009) 2,470,557/1,000,000 = 2.47 (2008) 1,493,609/1,000,000 = .1.49 (2007) Gross profit percent: net sales –cost of goods sold/net sales (149,245,176- 104,807,966)/149,245,176 =29.77% (137,579,664 – 96,595,908)/137,579,664 =29.79% (125,814,272 – 88,685,361)/125,814,272 =29.51% Profit Margin: operating income/net sales 6,171,502/149,245,176 =0.04 5,998,463/137,579,664 =0.04 4,745,339/125,814,272 =0.04 Return on assets: income before taxes/average total assets (102,968,775 + 89,791,858 + 86,673,853)=279374486/3 =93,124,828.7: average total assets 4,274,156/93,124,828.7= 0.05 3,869,558/93,124,828.7=0.04 2,660,162/93,124,828.7=0.03 Return on common equity: income before taxes- preferred dividends/average stock holder equity (55,825,756+52,758,726+50,872,536)=189,457,018/3 =63,152,339.3: average stock holder equity (4,274,156-0)/63,152,339.3 =0.07 (3,869,558 -0)/63,152,339.3 =0.06 (2,660,162 -0) / 63,152,339.3 =0.04 B) Based on your calculations, assess the likelihood (high, medium, or low) that Pinnacle is likely to fail financially in the next 12 months. When reviewing the ratio calculations, it is apparent that the company’s likelihood of failing financially in the next 12 months is low. This is because it is apparent that the short-term debt paying ratios are down from the previous years. For example, the current ratio has decreased from the preceding year concluding that the current assets can cover the current liabilities successfully. Also looking at days to collect receivables is also lowered which presents that it takes less days for the company to collect their receivables implying that the monies owed to them are coming in more quickly. Lastly, in order for a company to succeed they need to have a good turnover rate for the inventory which is just what Pinnacle company has. The inventory turnover ratio is low indicating that it is taking fewer  days than before to sell invent ory. C and D) are on the Excel Spreadsheet labeled Pinnacle Case Study Common-Size Income Statement C) Account Balance Estimate of $ of Potential Misstatement Training37,621 Miscellaneous expenses74,791 Rent125,115 Legal Fees232,798 Miscellaneous office expenses211,874 D) Account BalanceEstimate of $ of Potential Misstatement Welburn Division: Training26,928 Depreciation880,286 Executive salaries174,362 Solar-Electro Division: Legal fees234,669 Miscellaneous office expense202,331 Machine-Tech Division: Depreciation66,596 E) Explain whether you believe the information in requirement c or d provides the most useful data for evaluating the potential for misstatements. Explain why.  I believe that the information in requirement d provides the most useful data for evaluating the potential for misstatements because you can see exactly what each division is claiming in each sub-category. When using the information in requirement c, you are getting an overview of what all the divisions have done and cannot tell which division each misstatement is coming from. Also, by using information from requirement d, the auditor has a better chance of depicting the misstatements because you are focused on one specific division instead of trying to figure out which division the misstatement might have been from. Requirement d is more informative than  using requirement c.