The Host Chapter 40: Horrified

I slowed when I heard the sound of voices. I was not close enough to the hospital for it to be Doc. Others were on their way back. I pressed myself against the rock wall and crept forward as quietly as I could. My breathing was ragged from running. I covered my mouth with my hand to stifle the sound. â€Å"†¦ why we keep doing this,† someone complained. I wasn't sure whose voice it was. Someone I didn't know well. Maybe Violetta? It held that same depressed tone that I recognized from before. It erased any notion that I'd been imagining things. â€Å"Doc didn't want to. It was Jared's idea this time.† I was sure that it was Geoffrey who spoke now, though his voice was a little changed by the subdued revulsion in it. Geoffrey had been with Trudy on the raid, of course. They did everything together. â€Å"I thought he was the biggest opponent to this business.† That was Travis, I guessed. â€Å"He's more†¦ motivated now,† Geoffrey answered. His voice was quiet, but I could tell he was angry about something. They passed just half a foot from where I cringed into the rocks. I froze, holding my breath. â€Å"I think it's sick,† Violetta muttered. â€Å"Disgusting. It's never going to work.† They walked slowly, their steps weighted with despair. No one answered her. No one spoke again in my hearing. I stayed motionless until their footsteps had faded a little, but I couldn't wait until the sound disappeared completely. Ian might be following me already. I crept forward as quickly as I could and then started jogging again when I decided it was safe. I saw the first faint hints of daylight streaming around the curving tunnel ahead, and I shifted into a quieter lope that still kept me moving swiftly. I knew that once I was around the gradual arc, I would be able to see the doorway into Doc's realm. I followed the bend, and the light grew brighter. I moved cautiously now, putting each foot down with silent care. It was very quiet. For a moment, I wondered if I was wrong and there was no one here at all. Then, as the uneven entrance came into view, throwing a block of white sunlight against the opposite wall, I could hear the sound of quiet sobbing. I tiptoed right to the edge of the gap and paused, listening. The sobbing continued. Another sound, a soft, rhythmic thudding, kept time with it. â€Å"There, there.† It was Jeb's voice, thick with some emotion. â€Å"‘S okay. ‘S okay, Doc. Don't take it so hard.† Hushed footsteps, more than one set, were moving around the room. Fabric rustling. A brushing sound. It reminded me of the sounds of cleaning. There was a smell that didn't belong here. Strange†¦ not quite metallic, but not quite anything else, either. The smell was not familiar-I was sure I had never smelled it before-and yet I had an odd feeling that it should be familiar to me. I was afraid to move around the corner. What's the worst they will do to us? Mel pointed out. Make us leave? You're right. Things had definitely changed if that was the worst I could fear from the humans now. I took a deep breath-noticing again that strange, wrong smell-and eased around the rocky edge into the hospital. No one noticed me. Doc was kneeling on the floor, his face buried in his hands, his shoulders heaving. Jeb leaned over him, patting his back. Jared and Kyle were laying a crude stretcher beside one of the cots in the middle of the room. Jared's face was hard-the mask had come back while he was away. The cots were not empty, as they usually were. Something, hidden under dark green blankets, filled the length of both of them. Long and irregular, with familiar curves and angles†¦ Doc's homemade table was arranged at the head of these cots, in the brightest spot of sunlight. The table glittered with silver-shiny scalpels and an assortment of antiquated medical tools that I couldn't put a name to. Brighter than these were other silver things. Shimmering segments of silver stretched in twisted, tortured pieces across the table†¦ tiny silver strands plucked and naked and scattered†¦ splatters of silver liquid smeared on the table, the blankets, the walls†¦ The quiet in the room was shattered by my scream. The whole room was shattered. It spun and shook to the sound, whirled around me so that I couldn't find the way out. The walls, the silver-stained walls, rose up to block my escape no matter which way I turned. Someone shouted my name, but I couldn't hear whose voice it was. The screaming was too loud. It hurt my head. The stone wall, oozing silver, slammed into me, and I fell to the floor. Heavy hands held me there. â€Å"Doc, help!† â€Å"What's wrong with her?† â€Å"Is it having a fit?† â€Å"What did she see?† â€Å"Nothing-nothing. The bodies were covered!† That was a lie! The bodies were hideously uncovered, strewn in obscene contortions across the glittering table. Mutilated, dismembered, tortured bodies, ripped into grotesque shreds†¦ I had clearly seen the vestigial feelers still attached to the truncated anterior section of a child. Just a child! A baby! A baby thrown haphazardly in maimed pieces across the table smeared with its own blood†¦ My stomach rolled like the walls were rolling, and acid clawed its way up my throat. â€Å"Wanda? Can you hear me?† â€Å"Is she conscious?† â€Å"I think she's going to throw up.† The last voice was right. Hard hands held my head while the acid in my stomach violently overflowed. â€Å"What do we do, Doc?† â€Å"Hold on to her-don't let her hurt herself.† I coughed and squirmed, trying to escape. My throat cleared. â€Å"Let me go!† I was finally able to choke out. The words were garbled. â€Å"Get away from me! Get away; you're monsters! Torturers!† I shrieked wordlessly again, twisting against the restraining arms. â€Å"Calm down, Wanda! Shh! It's okay!† That was Jared's voice. For once, it didn't matter that it was Jared. â€Å"Monster!† I screamed at him. â€Å"She's hysterical,† Doc told him. â€Å"Hold on.† A sharp, stinging blow whipped across my face. There was a gasp, far away from the immediate chaos. â€Å"What are you doing?† Ian roared. â€Å"It's having a seizure or something, Ian. Doc's trying to bring it around.† My ears were ringing, but not from the slap. It was the smell-the smell of the silver blood dripping down the walls-the smell of the blood of souls. The room writhed around me as though it were alive. The light twisted into strange patterns, curved into the shapes of monsters from my past. A Vulture unfurled its wings†¦ a claw beast swung its heavy pincers toward my face†¦ Doc smiled and reached for me with silver trickling from his fingertips†¦ The room spun once more, slowly, and then went black. Unconsciousness didn't claim me for long. It must have been only seconds later when my head cleared. I was all too lucid; I wished I could stay oblivious longer. I was moving, rocking back and forth, and it was too black to see. Mercifully, the horrible smell had faded. The musty, humid air of the caves was like perfume. The feeling of being carried, being cradled, was familiar. That first week after Kyle had injured me, I'd traveled many places in Ian's arms. â€Å"†¦ thought she'd have guessed what we were up to. Looks like I was wrong,† Jared was murmuring. â€Å"You think that's what happened?† Ian's voice cut hard in the quiet tunnel. â€Å"That she was scared because Doc was trying to take the other souls out? That she was afraid for herself?† Jared didn't answer for a minute. â€Å"You don't?† Ian made a sound in the back of his throat. â€Å"No. I don't. As disgusted as I am that you would bring back more†¦ victims for Doc, bring them back now!-as much as that turns my stomach, that's not what upset her. How can you be so blind? Can't you imagine what that must have looked like to her in there?† â€Å"I know we had the bodies covered before -â€Å" â€Å"The wrong bodies, Jared. Oh, I'm sure Wanda would be upset by a human corpse-she's so gentle; violence and death aren't a part of her normal world. But think what the things on that table must have meant to her.† It took him another moment. â€Å"Oh.† â€Å"Yes. If you or I had walked in on a human vivisection, with torn body parts, with blood splattered on everything, it wouldn't have been as bad for us as it was for her. We'd have seen it all before-even before the invasion, in horror movies, at least. I'd bet she's never been exposed to anything like that in all her lives.† I was getting sick again. His words were bringing it back. The sight. The smell. â€Å"Let me go,† I whispered. â€Å"Put me down.† â€Å"I didn't mean to wake you. I'm sorry.† The last words were fervent, apologizing for more than waking me. â€Å"Let me go.† â€Å"You're not well. I'll take you to your room.† â€Å"No. Put me down now.† â€Å"Wanda -â€Å" â€Å"Now!† I shouted. I shoved against Ian's chest, kicking my legs free at the same time. The ferocity of my struggle surprised him. He lost his hold on me, and I half fell into a crouch on the floor. I sprang up from the crouch running. â€Å"Wanda!† â€Å"Let her go.† â€Å"Don't touch me! Wanda, come back!† It sounded like they were wrestling behind me, but I didn't slow. Of course they were fighting. They were humans. Violence was pleasure to them. I didn't pause when I was back in the light. I sprinted through the big cavern without looking at any of the monsters there. I could feel their eyes on me, and I didn't care. I didn't care where I was going, either. Just somewhere I could be alone. I avoided the tunnels that had people near them, running down the first empty one I could find. It was the eastern tunnel. This was the second time I'd sprinted through this corridor today. Last time in joy, this time in horror. It was hard to remember how I'd felt this afternoon, knowing the raiders were home. Everything was dark and gruesome now, including their return. The very stones seemed evil. This way was the right choice for me, though. No one had any reason to come here, and it was empty. I ran to the farthest end of the tunnel, into the deep night of the empty game room. Could I really have played games with them such a short time ago? Believed the smiles on their faces, not seeing the beasts underneath†¦ I moved forward until I stumbled ankle deep into the oily waters of the dark spring. I backed away, my hand outstretched, searching for a wall. When I found a rough ridge of stone-sharp-edged beneath my fingers-I turned into the depression behind the protrusion and curled myself into a tight ball on the ground there. It wasn't what we thought. Doc wasn't hurting anyone on purpose; he was just trying to save – GET OUT OF MY HEAD! I shrieked. As I thrust her away from me-gagged her so that I wouldn't have to bear her justifications-I realized how weak she'd grown in all these months of friendliness. How much I'd been allowing. Encouraging. It was almost too easy to silence her. As easy as it should have been from the beginning. It was only me now. Just me, and the pain and the horror that I would never escape. I would never not have that image in my head again. I would never be free of it. It was forever a part of me. I didn't know how to mourn here. I could not mourn in human ways for these lost souls whose names I would never know. For the broken child on the table. I had never had to mourn on the Origin. I didn't know how it was done there, in the truest home of my kind. So I settled for the way of the Bats. It seemed appropriate, here where it was as black as being blind. The Bats mourned with silence-not singing for weeks on end until the pain of the nothingness left behind by the lack of music was worse than the pain of losing a soul. I'd known loss there. A friend, killed in a freak accident, a falling tree in the night, found too late to save him from the crushed body of his host. Spiraling†¦ Upward†¦ Harmony; those were the words that would have held his name in this language. Not exact, but close enough. There had been no horror in his death, only grief. An accident. The bubbling stream was too discordant to remind me of our songs. I could grieve beside its harmony-free clatter. I wrapped my arms tightly around my shoulders and mourned for the child and the other soul who had died with it. My siblings. My family. If I had found a way free of this place, if I had warned the Seekers, their remains would not be so casually mangled and mixed together in that blood-steeped room. I wanted to cry, to keen in misery. But that was the human way. So I locked my lips and hunched in the darkness, holding the pain inside. My silence, my mourning, was stolen from me. It took them a few hours. I heard them looking, heard their voices echo and warp in the long tubes of air. They were calling for me, expecting an answer. When they received no answer, they brought lights. Not the dim blue lanterns that might never have revealed my hiding place here, buried under all this blackness, but the sharp yellow lances of flashlights. They swept back and forth, pendulums of light. Even with the flashlights, they didn't find me until the third search of the room. Why couldn't they leave me alone? When the flashlight's beam finally disinterred me, there was a gasp of relief. â€Å"I found her! Tell the others to get back inside! She's in here after all!† I knew the voice, but I didn't put a name to it. Just another monster. â€Å"Wanda? Wanda? Are you all right?† I didn't raise my head or open my eyes. I was in mourning. â€Å"Where's Ian?† â€Å"Should we get Jamie, do you think?† â€Å"He shouldn't be on that leg.† Jamie. I shuddered at his name. My Jamie. He was a monster, too. He was just like the rest of them. My Jamie. It was a physical pain to think of him. â€Å"Where is she?† â€Å"Over here, Jared. She's not†¦ responding.† â€Å"We didn't touch her.† â€Å"Here, give me the light,† Jared said. â€Å"Now, the rest of you, get out of here. Emergency over. Give her some air, okay?† There was a shuffling noise that didn't travel far. â€Å"Seriously, people. You're not helping. Leave. All the way out.† The shuffling was slow at first, but then became more productive. I could hear many footsteps fading away in the room and then disappearing out of it. Jared waited until it was silent again. â€Å"Okay, Wanda, it's just you and me.† He waited for some kind of answer. â€Å"Look, I guess that must have been pretty†¦ bad. We never wanted you to see that. I'm sorry.† Sorry? Geoffrey'd said it was Jared's idea. He wanted to cut me out, slice me into little pieces, fling my blood on the wall. He'd slowly mangle a million of me if he could find a way to keep his favorite monster alive with him. Slash us all to slivers. He was quiet for a long time, still waiting for me to react. â€Å"You look like you want to be alone. That's okay. I can keep them away, if that's what you want.† I didn't move. Something touched my shoulder. I cringed away from it, into the sharp stones. â€Å"Sorry,† he muttered. I heard him stand, and the light-red behind my closed eyes-began to fade as he walked away. He met someone in the mouth of the cave. â€Å"Where is she?† â€Å"She wants to be alone. Let her be.† â€Å"Don't get in my way again, Howe.† â€Å"Do you think she wants comfort from you? From a human?† â€Å"I wasn't party to this -â€Å" Jared answered in a lower voice, but I could still hear the echoes. â€Å"Not this time. You're one of us, Ian. Her enemy. Did you hear what she said in there? She was screaming monsters. That's how she sees us now. She doesn't want your comfort.† â€Å"Give me the light.† They didn't speak again. A minute passed, and I heard one set of slow footsteps moving around the edge of the room. Eventually, the light swept across me, turning my lids red again. I huddled myself more tightly together, expecting him to touch me. There was a quiet sigh, and then the sound of him sitting on the stone, not as close beside me as I would have expected. With a click, the light disappeared. I waited in the silence for a long time for him to speak, but he was just as silent as I was. Finally, I stopped waiting and returned to my mourning. Ian did not interrupt. I sat in the blackness of the big hole in the ground and grieved for lost souls with a human at my side.

Batangas Authentic Food Essay

Introduction Food plays a significant role in people’s lives. These may encompass food as a tool for comfort, reward, as a hobby and also for travel. It has become a defining obsession among the young and urbane, viewing it as a legitimate option for a hobby, a topic of continual discussion and a playground for competition. Food’s transformation from a fetid hobby to a youth-culture phenomenon happens remarkably fast. In these events, food becomes one of the primary reasons in motivating a person to travel (Idov, 2012). Culinary tourism covers beyond the dining experience. It includes a variety of culinary, agri-tourism and agri-food activities, developed specifically for tourists that showcase food and beverages. This also provides opportunity for visitors to discover dishes indigenous to each region while learning about its unique talents and creativity. The International Culinary Tourism Association also defines Culinary Tourism as, â€Å"the pursuit of unique and memorable eating and drinking experiences.† Cuisine is among the most flexible and dynamic elements of culture. It involves the blending of ingredients and preparations for different cultures. Agricultural diversification, food preservation technology, efficient transportation, awareness of new food preparation techniques, prestige foods and migrations into and out of communities have been ushering supplementary culinary traditions in the Philippines. Culinary traditions are important elements of a people’s history. As local tourism and heritage conservation become significant to community pride and income, histories about food are needed as reference for contemporary projects and planning. There are many reasons for valuing culinary history (Sta. Maria, 2006). The Philippines’ 7,107 islands, divided into 77 provinces, show an enormous diversity in both their people and landscape. From the rugged cliffs and Ivatans of Batanes Islands through the sophisticated urbanites of Manila to the coral islands and Moslems of Tawi – Tawi, this is a land of extraordinary contrast and variety (Hicks, 2005). Philippine cuisine begin with a simple fare, a variety of vegetables readily gathered from the environment – yams such as taro, an assortment of leaves, coconut milk, fish, and chicken and pig, both of which are native to Southeast Asia. The Malay-Polynesian kitchen contributions such as coconut milk, varieties of rice, garlic, ginger, salted dried fish, shrimps, fish sauce, leaf-wrapped cuisine and roast pig are the staple. The use of peanuts and spices is more passive than in neighboring countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. From the Chinese cuisine evolved the lumpia and pancit which have taken the form of pancit luglug, pancit guisado, pancit marilao, pancit palabok and pancit molo. Spanish cooking introduced meat boiled as in puchero, cooked in vinegar as in adobo, stewed in tomato sauce as in mechado and scopped out and restuffed as relleno; along with desserts like leche flan and pastry such as ensaimada (Roces, 2006). Heading on the southwestern part of Luzon in the CALABARZON region lays the province of Batangas which offers acclaimed taste sensations. The name Batangas come from the word â€Å"batangan† meaning a raft that the people use for fishing in Taal Lake. Two of the world’s rarest freshwater fishes namely maliputo and tawilis are found in Taal Lake. Batangas cow is widely sought throughout the country. It is said to be one of the best species of cattle in the Philippines. Batangas culture is greatly influenced by the Spaniards because of their long period of settlement. Food is an integral part of the Batangas culture. Most Batangueà ±os are farmers and fishermen who sell their own products in the market. People can find a very hospitable culture in the Batangueà ±os, sharing more than the usual of the food they eat. Tourists keep coming back to Batangas not only for its attractions but also for the authentic food it offers. Batangas cuisine is attractive not because of the presentation of the dish, but because of its essence. The philosophy of cooking in Batangas is that cooking should highlight rather than coat. This study entitled â€Å"Culinary Tourism: Assessment of Batangas Cuisine† aims to evaluate the prominence of culinary attractions in Batangas, and the perception of the tourists in the native cuisines. Statement Of The Problem The researchers sought the answers to the following questions: 1. What is the profile of the tourists in terms of: a. Age; b. Gender; c. Place of Origin; and d. Frequency of visit 2. What is the profile of the local dishes in terms of: a. Ingredients; b. Presentation; c. Techniques; d. History; e. Geography; and f. Prevailing Flavors 3. What is the perception of the tourists on the local dishes in terms of: a. Authenticity; b. Related programs and activities; and c. Feedback of tourist on the local dishes 4. Is there a significant relationship between the profile of the tourists and their perception on the local dishes? Research Objectives The researchers fulfilled the following objectives: 1. Identify the profile of the tourists in terms of: a. Age; b. Gender; c. Place of Origin; and d. Frequency of visit. 2. Distinguish the profile of the local dishes in terms of: a. Ingredients; b. Presentation; c. Techniques; d. History; e. Geography; and f. Prevailing Flavors. 3. Determine the perception of the tourist on the local dishes in terms of: a. Authenticity; b. Related programs and activities; and c. Feedback of tourists on the local dishes. 4. Determine the significant relationship between the profile of the tourists and their perception on the local dishes. Significance Of The Study This study would be beneficial not only for the researchers but also for the other sectors of the society. The research would be significant for the endeavors of the following people: For hospitality students and professors The research will serve as a reference for the students and professors in their Hospitality Management courses. This study will also help students and professors to gain a deeper understanding in relation to the study. For the local community The study will strengthen the awareness of the local community in authentic cuisines of the different municipalities in Batangas. Through this study, they will be more familiar with their own traditional cuisines. For producers of the cuisines The study will serve as an opportunity to preserve and sustain the cuisines to the future generation. It will be beneficial for the producers of these cuisines to enhance their reputation and prestige. This will also be the source of their revenue if the cuisines will be recognized more by the people. For the local government The research will help the local government of Batangas in establishing a framework for the development of Food tourism. It will also help in promoting Batangueà ±o cuisines and the province itself. For the tourists The research will help the tourists to be more knowledgeable of the authentic cuisines the Batangueà ±os has to offer. It will also guide them in experiencing and familiarizing with the different cuisines in Batangas. For travel entities. The study will serve as a guide for the travel entities in promoting the Culinary Tourism of Batangas to their clients. It will also serve as a basis for formulating tour packages that will suit the preferences of the clients. For the researchers The study will be significant for the researchers in enhancing their knowledge about the native cuisines in the province of Batangas. It will serve as a tool in boosting the awareness of the researchers in the field of Food Tourism. For future researchers. The study will be helpful for the future researchers as their basis for their potential study. Scope and Limitation The study only covered Food Tourism of selected areas in Batangas. It also determined the main dishes the Batangueà ±os have to offer. These main dishes included Maliputo, Tawilis, Adobo sa Dilaw, Taghilaw, Tinindag, Bulalo and Sinaing na Tulingan that can be found in Lipa City, Taal, and Sto. Tomas. The dishes selected are most frequently encountered by the researchers in books, magazines, newspapers and government brochures. The study evaluated the perception of the tourists on the local dishes but not those of the local residents. It did not cover the eating habits of the tourists and the ethnic diversity of the dishes. Moreover, the study did not include the native delicacies and beverages.

Future of Nursing Essay

Nursing career is one of the few fastest growing fields in the health care industry, not only in the United States, but also in the world. Nurse practice has drastically changed in the last decade and as a result the need for changes in nursing practice is becoming more and more important. The Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) will place many demands on health professionals and offer them many opportunities to create a system that is more patient centered. The legislation has begun the long process of shifting the focus of the U.S. health care system away from acute and specialty care. Nurses should achieve higher levels of education and training through an improved education system that promotes seamless academic progression. The education system should provide nurses with the tools needed to evaluate and improve standards of patient care, and the quality and safety of care while preserving fundamental elements of nursing education, such as ethics and integrity and holistic, compass ionate approaches to care. The system should ensure nurses’ ability to adapt and be flexible in response to changes in science, technology, and population demographics that shape the delivery of care. An improved education system is necessary to ensure that the current and future generations of nurses can deliver safe, quality, patient-centered care across all settings, especially in such areas as primary care and community and public health. Enactment of the ACA offers a myriad of opportunities for the nursing profession to facilitate improvements to the health care system and the mechanisms by which care is delivered across various settings. System-wide changes are needed that capture the full economic value of nurses and take into account the growing body of evidence that links nursing practice to improvements in the safety and quality of care. The Joint Commission, the leading independent accrediting body for health care organizations, believes that â€Å"the future state of nursing is inextricably linked to the strides in patient care quality and safety that are critical to the success of America’s health care system, today and tomorrow†. Given the crucial role of nurses with respect to the quality, accessibility, and value of care, the nursing profession itself must undergo a fundamental transformation if the committee’s vision for health care is to be realized. The committee formulated four key messages for transforming the nursing profession: Nurses should practice to the full extent of their education and training. Nurses should achieve higher levels of education and training through an improved education system that promotes seamless academic progression. Nurses should be full partners, with physicians and other health professionals, in redesigning health care in the United States. Effective workforce planning and policy making require better data collection and an improved information infrastructure. A transformed system will need nurses with the adaptive capacity to take on reconceptualized roles in new settings, educating and reeducating themselves along the way- which are indispensible characteristics of effective leadership. Whether on the front lines, in education, or in administrative positions and health policy roles, nurses have the well-grounded knowledge base, experience, and perspective needed to serve as full partners in health care redesign. Nurses’ unique perspectives are derived from their experiences in providing direct, hands-on patient care; communicating with patients and their families about health status, medications, and care plans; and ensuring the linkage between a prescribed course of treatment and the desired outcome. In care environments, being a full partner involves taking responsibility for identifying problems and areas of waste, devising and implementing a plan for improvement, tracking improvement over time, and making necessary adjustments to realize established goals. The transformation of nursing practice that results from the IOM’s Future of Nursing report recommendations will have a profound, long-term effect on the profession of nursing. Nursing informatics professionals are uniquely positioned to aide in this transformation, as the management of individual and organizational change is core to its practice. By removing the barriers in the scope of education, implementing nurse residency programs, and building an infrastructure for the collection and analysis of interprofessional healthcare workforce data. . Technology will continue to be a fundamental enabler of future care delivery models and nursing informatics leaders will be essential to transforming nursing practice through technology. The following are the HIMSS recommendations for Nursing Informatics: Partner with nurse executives to lead technology changes that advance health and the delivery of healthcare. Support the development of informatics departments. Foster the evolution of the Chief Nursing Informatics Officer role. Transform nursing education to include informatics competencies and demonstrable behaviors at all levels of academic preparation. Promote the continuing education at all levels of nursing, particularly in the areas of EHRs and health IT. ïÆ'ËœEnsure that data, information, knowledge and wisdom form the basis of 21st century nursing practice by incorporating informatics competencies into practice standards in all healthcare settings. Facilitate the collection and analysis of interprofessional healthcare workforce data by ensuring data can be collected from existing heath IT systems. The transformation of nursing practice that results from the IOM’s Future of Nursing report recommendations will have a profound, long-term effect on the profession of nursing.

China and Recession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

China and Recession - Essay Example This relationship was further enhanced and China adopted the same policies as that of the United States. It encouraged private sector companies to invest more and adopted a stance which America had already adopted. This stance adopted by China has grown since and is now a threat to go beyond the economy of America. This article would further examine the details of this bilateral trading relationship. 2 The trade deficit faced by the United States has risen up since the beginning of the 1990s. In 2004 this trade deficit relative to the Gross Domestic Product exceeded the mark of 5 percent. It is said that this deficit can be very dangerous once it reaches the mark of 4 percent. 3This deficit faced can ultimately fear the investors to run away from the United States economy. The relationship between China and the United States is known to be the most unbalanced. The products imported by the United States from China are more then the exports that are of $202 billion dollars per annum. The trade imbalance among these two countries is enhanced by the facts of China's working force and the consumer base. Most of the population in China still lives in the rural areas. This helps to the fact of lower working wages in China as the rural people in China are demanding less charges for labor. These low wages contributes to the lowering of the prices of the products. And hence the consumers pr efer the Chinese products over all the American products4. A new research done in Washington describes the trade deficit with China as a cost to the jobs in the United States of America. This research further found out that millions of jobs were lost due to the low wage workers of China. As the products made by the Chinese companies are cheaper the demand for them is increasing day by day. 5The poor consumers prefer using the Chinese products than that of the Americans; this is because of the lower rate of these products. The prices of clothes and electronics have decreased significantly due to the Chinese companies. The companies of the United States which have not been located in China have suffered major setbacks due to this trade deficit. The garment industry of America has been struck majorly by these blows. Home appliances and electronics are largely being manufactured in China and are being further sold in the United States.Devaluing of a certain currency is done to rectify t he problems one country is facing. It can help one country to get over the debts it is facing and would provide a path to the outsiders (civilians) to take advantage. As said by one of the Chinese man when dollar was devalued "I can travel more frequently and stay longer in my favorite cities as the currency is devalued". It helps in achieving the goals of social and economic integrity. Devaluing a currency can help the country to slim its trade deficit, can create jobs for the locals and can boost the exports. 6A situation arose for the United States in which the trade deficit was increasing every fiscal year and some strict action had to be taken against it. In response to this the United States devalued the currency of dollar to adjust to the monetary problems faced by it. This action taken by the United States is thought to have some effect on the relationship between the United States

'Memory is all about claims about the past.' Discuss using appropriate Essay

'Memory is all about claims about the past.' Discuss using appropriate ethnography - Essay Example However, some focus on the narratives of experiences of people, which constitute one memory of a certain shared experience that can shed some light on how people see a certain phenomenon. In this paper, I shall argue on the role of memory as an indicator of the following: (1) as a narrative of a social practice, (2) as a projection of ideal view of the self and (3) as an embodiment of a certain feeling about an experience. In accordance to the premises mentioned, there is a need to point the issues that come with each of the premises in terms of ethnography as a practice and as experience. At the same time, there is a critical interrogation of how memories are situated across time and how narratives of it become a valuable source of knowledge. These inquiries shall be able to project a view on culture that is engaging, new, and unbiased. Also, this will become an attempt to challenge biases about memories and generalizations attributed to its culture of origin. Memory as a Narrative of Social Practice â€Å"No real and complete memory every appears in our dreams as it appears in our waking state. Our dreams are composed of fragments of memory too mutilated and mixed up with other to allow us to recognize them† (Halbwachs 1992, p. 41). ... In case of cultural and social experiences, the discourse about dreams can be considered stagnant because â€Å"the dream is based only upon itself, whereas our recollections depend on those of all our fellows, and on the great frameworks of the memory of society† (Halbwachs 1992, p. 42). This would then be a validation that memory also works on the social level, even if the experiences of the phenomenon for each individual are varied. However, experiences become objects of the past, which have a huge impact on how things turn out or happen in the present. Connerton (1989, p. 2) projects that â€Å"experiences of the present very largely depends on our knowledge of the past.† In connection to social memory, the â€Å"images of the past commonly legitimate a present social order† (Connerton 1989, p. 2). Following such a condition, one can take into account that memories of the past become stories or narratives that are passed on from generations to generations, wh ich could impart lessons and predicaments for the contemporary society. This assertion can be considered true since â€Å"different sets of memories, frequently in the shape of implicit background narratives, will encounter each other, so that, although physically present to one another in a particular setting, the different generations may remain mentally and emotionally insulated, the memories of one generation locked irretrievably, as it were, in the brains and bodies of that generation† (Connerton 1989, p. 3). Thus, there is an intergenerational paradigm working whenever social memories and social experiences are dealt with. This kind of phenomenon can be considered present

Beat Generation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Beat Generation - Essay Example When the play begins, the black man, Clay, is alone in a subway rail car. The stage directions imply that the beautiful white girl, Lula, has set her sights on him for reasons that should become clearer as the play progresses. She stares at him, and when he catches her eye, "begins very premeditatedly to smile" (4). He returns the smile "for a moment, without a trace of self-consciousness" (4). A little later he appears to regret this "instinctive" if "undesirable" (4) response and only becomes more confident when the train moves on and he hopes to be left to savor the pleasant memory of this "brief encounter" (4) by himself. Lula, however, seeks him out and takes a seat beside him, greeting him with a "Hello" (5). After accusing him of staring at her, of taking mental "potshots" of her "ass and legs" (7) she reveals in her first significant statement that she had boarded the train with the express intention of tracking him down: "I even got into this train, going some other way than mine. Walked down the aisle. . .searching you out" (7). This makes clear the fact that Lula had deliberately set her sights on Clay that day, for premeditated reasons of her own. In a sense, she seems to have made up her mind to hunt him down. Clay is pleasantly aroused by the attention of this beautiful woman although he cannot make her out. She appears to know quite a bit about him. Nevertheless she disavows all previous knowledge of him as individual, and very confidently declares that she knows his type "like the palm of my hand" (17). She appears to believe in giving fair warning, as the following words of another very significant statement will show: LULA. ... (She feints a seriousness to cover an actual somber tone.) I lie a lot. (Smiling) It helps me control the world. (9) This seems to be a very prescient bit of self-knowledge on her part. Control of her surroundings, including the people around her, seems to be an important consideration with her. Right from the moment she first trained the telescope of her sight on Clay, she has tried quite hard to control this stranger who in her words, "could be a handsome man" (12). When Lula ridicules Clay's westernized manner of dress, it is plain to the audience if not to Clay that she is an unabashed black-basher. In fact, she is almost openly abusive when she snaps at him for wearing a " three-button suit": "What right do you have to be wearing a three-button suit and striped tie Your grandfather was a slave, he didn't go to Harvard" (18). However, Clay does not reply in kind to this, he is content to merely set the record straight about his grandfather-"My grandfather was a night watchman" (18). He self-deprecatingly tells her that, in college, "I thought I was Baudelaire" (19). She gives a biting retort: "I bet you never thought you were a black nigger" (19). Clay "is stunned"(19) at this, but quite sportingly, "he quickly tries to appreciate the humor" (19) while Lula "almost shrieks" : "A black Baudelaire" (19). Lula's only intention all along was to manipulate and humiliate Clay within the confines of the subway car and, if possible, outside it, too. She first seduces his attention, and then, perhaps feeling that he was not sufficiently under her control, tries to excite him sexually. When he refuses to

Catch-Up Problem in Developing Countries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Catch-Up Problem in Developing Countries - Essay Example Those that had to depend on bailouts from the IMF were forced to accept a wide-ranging reform program as obligatory conditions for the rescue loans. The themes of this paper are (1) that the Asian crises were the inevitable outcomes of the dirigiste development policies the Asian economies pursued in their successful catch-up growth, (2) that such an institutional regime, however, finally met its match in the form of free-market global capitalism, especially in terms of unbridled capital flows, and (3) that East Asias present trend of deregulation and marketization is all the more pushed by the institutional requirements of the Internet revolution as the region struggles to catch up in the digital age. Any successfully developing economy climbs a ladder of growth. Until the arrival of a New Economy, all the advanced economies had, in the past, trodden a path of industrial structural transformation from the "Heckscher-Ohlin" labour-intensive industries (typified by textiles) to the "nondifferentiated Smithian" scale-driven industries (steel, basic chemicals, and heavy machinery), to the "differentiated Smithian" assembly-based in dustries (automobiles and electric/electronics goods), and finally to the "Schumpeterian" R&D-intensive industries (specialty chips, biotechnology, and new materials) (Ozawa 1992). This conceptualization of stage-based process of industrialization is in line with a "leading sector" theory of growth a la Joseph Schumpeter, which envisages a sequence of stages in each of which breakthrough innovations (new technologies) create a certain new dominant industry as the main engine of growth. This stage-demarcated sequence of growth can be clearly seen in the history of industrial capitalism. Great Britain was the first country that introduced the Industrial Revolution and quickly moved from textiles to steel and heavy machinery.

Human Resource Management Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Resource Management Questions - Essay Example For example, if there is an employment contract in existence, the employer and employee are subjects to terms spelled therein. Such a contract will provide circumstances under which an employee will be entitled to a termination as well as what actions constitutes a breach of the contract. It is thus advisable that the employer informs themselves of proper steps for firing an employee. An employer’s ability to lay-off an employee greatly depends on the groundwork set forth since the day they admit an employee in their system. This as follows: †¢ Have fairly designed rules This is to imply that an organisation must embody properly drafted and defined rules made known to every employee. †¢ Enforce the said regulations fairly Apart from the rules being fair in nature, they should get fair application to each employee without any discrimination. †¢ Problem documentation Employee’s misconduct and warnings so issued to them need proper documentation, which serves as evidence in case of eminent lawsuit. †¢ Proper incidence investigation There should be proper investigation for the problem in order to establish reasons for the employee’s deteriorated behaviour. After taking into account the above three steps an employer will have navigated liability cast upon them by unsatisfied laid off employees. The reason is that the employer will have a strong base upon which they can anchor their defence.

Should women be banned from wearing veils in public Essay

Should women be banned from wearing veils in public - Essay Example inst and for it, the following analysis will discuss the issue of the face veil and attempt to draw a conclusion with regards to whether or not it should be â€Å"allowed† within Democratic Western society. Firstly, the most salient argument against outlawing the veil in public is concentric upon individual liberty and discrimination against Muslims. Although there are certainly a number of nations that can be considered as representative of â€Å"Western democracy†, a core similarity that exists between all of these nations is a certain degree of self-determination and free will; within the confines of the existing law. By and large, personal liberty is a complement of all of these democracies. As such, those individuals that argue against a ban on the facial veil point to the fact that such a ban is inherently against the liberty and founding principles of the societies in question. Moreover, due to the events of the past several decades, there is already a high level of distrust, suspicion, and oftentimes, right hatred, or Muslim individuals within society. Accordingly, those who argue against a band point to the fact that restricting the natural behavior of individuals, rega rdless of their religious interpretation, would only lead to a further escalation with regards to the hatred and distrust that are oftentimes placed against Muslim communities throughout the West. By means of comparison and contrast, those individuals that argue against allowing the veil in public, and promote the belief that it should be outlawed, also point to fundamental rights and interpretations of liberty and freedom as the backbone of their arguments. For instance, those in favor of a band point to the fact that women’s rights are inherently guaranteed with regards to the democratic principles that define governance. As such, by restricting the mobility and potential level of integration that women can exhibit within society, a facial veil is tantamount to a level of second-class

Internet and Information Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Internet and Information Paper - Assignment Example All you need to do is get an access of an Internet connected computer and get the information you want by exploring the sites in the web. However, as there are many sites in the web that provide information, one may become doubtful about the value of those sources, particularly when it comes to the credibility and reliability of the information. On such cases, Internet users should exercise their critical evaluation skills when reviewing the information found in online articles. This is because failure in evaluating information critically may mislead readers, which may result to misinformed judgements. Miriam J. Metzger (2007), in her article Making Sense of Credibility on the Web, evaluates different journals about online information evaluation and concludes that there are three factors that affect the credibility of online information; namely, the content of the information, the author, and the site on which the information appear (p. 2078). With these factors, Metzger also asserts that the Checklist Approach to online information evaluation is the most useful tool in evaluating the reliability and credibility of information in the Internet. The criteria in the checklist include the 1) objectivity of the argument, 2) author’s professional record, 3) date of the sources, 4) academic writing conventions (grammar and referencing styles), and 5) â€Å"stamp of approval† from official evaluation committee/s (Metzger, 2007, p. 2080). In evaluating the objectivity of the information, one should read the article and consider whether the author presents the two opposing sides of the argument without personal biases. Readers should also consider the author’s professional record to see if the author has a comprehensive theoretical background and/or field experience of the topic in question. Further, it is also necessary to check the writing style and presentation of the article because these show how the author values the academic and professional c ontent of his/her article, which also affect its academic and professional reception of the article. As readers, we also look forward to getting fresh information as it informs us on current social conditions; thus, we should be vigilant about the date of the article to ensure that we can get fresh information on the topic. Lastly, the presence of â€Å"stamps of approval† adds value to the article as it suggests that professionals and members of official evaluation committees also read the article. With regard to your inquiry about the â€Å"digital divide,† the term refers to the gap between â€Å"information haves† and â€Å"information have-nots† (Campbell, Martin, & Fabos, 2012, p. 63). â€Å"Information haves† are those people who can buy computers and Internet services while â€Å"information have-nots† are those whose financial capabilities are not enough to buy those services. The gap between the two groups increases because of the fact that there are still other factors that affect people’s inability to get Internet access. For instance, Campbell et al. (2012) further explain that age, educational attainment, and family background may also inhibit people to get Internet access. Specifically, learning to use the Internet and understanding basic Internet skills may become challenging tasks for older people; the same is true for people with lower educational attai

Commentator on the human condition Essay Example for Free

Commentator on the human condition Essay Michael Leunig is a commentator on the human condition who uses simple, short cartoons to express his ideas to the public. In The Plotter, he conveys the message that society operates in a created sense of urgency. The idea is that the majority of the people believe that acting too slowly upon seeing an opportunity means there will be no other chances of success later on and thus must move quickly. Another idea that arises in The Plotter is that life is a journey and not a destination. This is all shown using intriguing techniques in his interesting and comical cartoon that captures its viewers. The episode starts out with an individual character walking towards the left slowly followed by the screen. Every step is taken with precision, taking about the same amount of time for each step to land, and this is emphasised by the musical beat of the background. The music is motion-toned as the pitch rises as a hurrying man runs from right to left, passing the individual. As the man runs past he calls out , and the individuals response is After this, the pitch is lowered again and the individual continues walking slowly. Only in a matter of seconds, a lady comes running by in the same direction and as she passes she yells to which he replies . One by one, people run past him trying to condemn and mock the leisurely individual for not conforming, however, the individual remains unhurt by their sayings and repeats pleasant words as an answer to the runners. The technique of dialogue and its setting out is very important. It tells the viewer that the individual thinks in his own ways, not conforming to the society that believes in the created sense of urgency. This individual has his own objective in life and wants to live by experiencing everything slowly while others try to make him keep in touch with the real world hence the call you wont know whats happening, you wont be clever. Visual techniques used by Michael Leunig to deliver his ideas include colour, foreground/backgrounding and body language. The colour of the background is natural, with the sky in blue and the ground in green as grass usually is. This use of natural colour has connotations to the natural instincts of human beings and thus links with the issue that Leunig suggests. The colour of the people running in the background is darker than the individual who stands in the foreground, possibly containing the meaning of evil in the runners, who together represent the majority of the world. The foregrounding of the individual and the backgrounding of the runners signifies the individual over the other people, as if criticising the world in the background and using the individual character to portray the world that should be as it always is with Michael Leunigs works. The posture and body language of the characters in The Plotter is organised so that the individual is slightly hunched showing the persons humbleness while the runners are portrayed standing tall and strong showing false confidence. Through these techniques, Michael Leunig illustrates a simple and interesting story with deep meaning,

An Example of Successful Change Essay Example for Free

An Example of Successful Change Essay Introduction Why is Wal-Mart so Successful? Is it Good Strategy or Good Strategy Implementation? In 1962, when Sam Walton opened the first Wal-Mart store in Rogers, Arkansas, no one could have ever predicted the enormous success this small-town merchant would have. Sam Waltons talent for discount retailing not only made Wal-Mart the worlds largest retailer, but also the worlds number one retailer in sales. Sam Walton has made certain changes that help Wal-Mart to achieve its success today. His change techniques involve changing people, technology, and product. Indeed, Wal-Mart was named Retailer of the Decade by Discount Store News in 1989, and on several occasions has been included in Fortunes list of the 10 most admired corporations. Changing People Wal-Mart is successful not only because it makes sound strategic management decisions, but also for its innovative implementation of those strategic decisions. In order to become a superstore, Wal-Mart decided to change the skill level of its workforce. Waltons greatest accomplishment was his ability to empower, enrich, and train his employees. He believed in listening to employees and challenging them to come up with ideas and suggestions to make the company better. At each of the Wal-Mart stores, signs are displayed which read, Our People Make the Difference. Associates regularly make suggestions for cutting costs through their Yes We Can Sam program. The sum of the savings generated by the associates actually paid for the construction of a new store in Texas. One of Wal-Marts goals was to provide its employees with the appropriate tools to do their jobs efficiently. The technology was not used as a means of replacing existing employees, but to provide them with a means to succeed in the retail market (Thompson and Strickland 93). Changing Product Wal-Mart stores operate according to their Everyday Low Price philosophy. They provide customers access to quality goods, to make these goods available when and where customers want them, to develop a cost structure that enables competitive pricing, and to build and maintain a reputation for absolute trustworthiness (Evan, Shulman, and Stalk, 55). Through Sam Waltons Buy America policy, Wal-Mart encourages its buyers and merchandise managers to stock stores with American-made products. In a 1993 annual report management stated the program demonstrates a long-standing Wal-Mart commitment to our customers that we will buy American-made products whenever we can if those products deliver the same quality and affordability as their foreign-made counterparts (Thompson Strickland 68). With a variety of product and low cost, Wal-Mart has attracted more consumers. Changing Technology Wal-Mart has invested heavily in its unique cross-docking inventory system. Cross docking has enabled Wal-Mart to achieve economies of scale which reduces its costs of sales. With this system, goods are continuously delivered to stores within 48 hours and often without having to inventory them. Lower prices also eliminate the expense of frequent sales promotions and sales are more predictable. Cross docking gives the individual managers more control at the store level. A company owned transportation system also assists Wal-Mart in shipping goods from warehouse to store in less than 48 hours. This allows Wal-Mart to replenish the shelves 4 times faster than its competition. Wal-Mart owns the largest and most sophisticated computer system in the private sector. It uses a massively parallel processor computer system to track stock and movement which keeps it abreast of fast changes in the market (Daugherty 24). Information related to sales and inventory is disseminated via its advanced satellite communications system. Conclusion Sam Walton, a leader with an innovative vision, started his own company and made it into the leader in discount retailing that it is today. Through his savvy, and sometimes unusual, business practices, he and his associates led the company forward for thirty years. Today the company is still growing steadily. Wal-Mart executives continue to rely on many of the traditional goals and philosophies that Sams legacy left behind, while simultaneously keeping one step ahead of the ever-changing technology and methods of todays fast-paced business environment. The future also looks bright for Wal-Mart, especially if it is able to continue its customer-driven culture, it should remain a retail industry leader well into the next century.

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited Ptcl

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited Ptcl Introduction: Currently, the business environment is facing challenges related to globalization and human resource. As global competition intensifies, and industries have become more intensive towards skill, the demand for talent, knowledge and skill-based workers is increasing. Due to this, companies and organizations are adopting sophisticated and high-end recruitment and selection strategies in order to get the right employee for the right position at the right time. As a result, e-recruitment had emerge and become more easy, accessible and efficient than the traditional methods (Tong Sivanand, 2005). The Internet Business Network, a US recruiting consulting firm, reported that the number of worldwide websites which contain job listing had increased from 500 to 200,000. In addition, the number of rà ©sumà ©s being posted and uploaded in e-recruitment websites had increased from 100,000 in 1995 to 2.5 million in 1998. According to the Forrester Researchs study, a total of 124,000 companies will be recruiting online (cited in Harvard Update, 2000). E-Recruitment in Pakistan In Pakistan today, online job searching had become very popular. This is because of the popularity of the Internet. Online job postings started in 1990, when different IT companies and universities begin to use the Internet in extensive manner. The first reference to online recruitment emerged in the mid-1980s, and the systematic reference to online recruitment in the HR began 10 years after mid-1990s. During the two years of existence, there are more or less 3,000 companies to use online career centres (OCC), or known as online job portals (Rehman Khan, 2010). Access to the Internet had been available in Pakistan since the early 1990s. PTCL was one of the companies in the country to take advantage of the benefits and advantages of the Internet, by offering different Internet services via nation-wide local call network. Currently, the Internet had become a vital part of the nation, particularly for the younger generation (Rehman Khan, 2010). In a qualitative, open-ended survey, 30 senior executives were interviewed to identify the existing HR trends in the IT industry of Pakistan. The result showed that 43% of the respondents prefer online vacancy posting or online posting in order to select and recruit candidates. Furthermore, 80% of the entire population chose rozee.pk as the main destination for online head-hunters, while the remaining 20% consists of theritemoves.com, bayt.com, yahoo groups, meramustakbil.com and LinkedIn, which are considered as the secondary destinations (Pervaz, 2009). Context of the Study: Recent study, in 1999, survey conducted in order to analyze the trends and development of online job searching processes in the job market of the country. The result of the study shows that time-saving is the primary motivator for Internet job searching, followed by, researching a wide area of jobs, providing global coverage, ease, and cost-saving. Thus, it shows that the Internet had been a very important means or channel of finding jobs for fresh graduates and jobholders (Rehman Khan, 2010). These are the primary reasons why the popularity of e-recruitment service providers is increasing. However, the study of Kin Tong Sinavanand (2005) showed that even though the revenues of e-recruiters are growing in rapid manner, their profits are still elusive. Reasons for Selecting the Research Environment: As stated in the proposed title, I choose Pakistan for its research environment. The primary reason behind, this is because I been located in the said country, thus, it will be feasible and accessible for me, because the respondents or the primary data can be accessed within the vicinity, and thus, cultural and ethical factors will not be a great factor. Nature of Organization or Case Study: Pakistani Telecommunications Company Limited (PTCL) was incorporated in Pakistan on December 31, 1995. The organization commenced business on January 1, 1996. It is listed an all of the three stock exchange in Pakistan. The company was established in order to undertake the telecommunication business that was first offered by Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation (PTC). The business was transferred to PTCL on January 1, 1996 under the Pakistan Telecommunication (Reorganization) Act, 1996, which enable the company to take all of its resources, which include properties, rights, assets, obligations and liabilities of PTC, expect those that have been transferred to the National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC), Frequency Allocation Board (FAB), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Pakistan Telecommunication Employees Trust (PTET) (Forex PK 2010). PTLC was chosen by the author because it is considered as one of the largest and biggest companies in the country. Currently, it is servicing innovations and technologies towards millions of people, improving their life. In 2010, the PTCL Group declared its 2009 revenue of Rs 49.4 billion, which was higher by 6%, compare with the last year (Forex PK 2010). Literature Review: There are vast literatures which tackle the issue of e-recruitment. However, most of these literatures mainly focus on the different advantages and benefits of e-recruitment inside different organizations. The study of Online recruitment connects 3 with top talent: HR specialist can learn a lot from marketing reveals how mobile-telephone company 3 is applying its e-recruitment in order to attract top talent in a highly competitive market. The study shows that e-recruitment had helped to increase the efficiency, easiness as well as speed of the hiring process, which made it easier for the managers to handle huge volumes of applications and interviews. The result also shows that there have been a great change in the recruitment process in the company, compared before, when the company was using combination of Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and Outlook in recruitment management. Thus, it had helped in order to improve the employer brand by the improvement of the application experience (25 26). The result was supported with the case study of Superdrug, a UK health and beauty retailer which focuses on describing the weaknesses of the paper and e-mail based recruitment system that the company used to apply. The result shows that the entire recruitment process has become quicker, more efficient and the company experienced 87% savings in using e-recruitment (2007, 26 28). The same result was experienced by Nike, a leading manufacturer of shoes and sports apparel, with the introduction of e-recruitment in Europe, Middle East and Asia (EMEA) headquarters of the company. The result shows that there 54% savings upon the introduction of the system, at the same time, the average time in filling up vacancies has fallen from 62 to 42 days (Anon, 2005). The study of Zafar, Shaukat and Mat (2010) about the e-human resource management practices inside State Bank of Pakistan of 37 employees, shows that e-HRM, together with e-recruitment, were applied and used inside the organization in order to acquire efficiency and effectiveness. In addition, the survey also showed that the employees and possible employees were satisfied with the current implementation of the system inside the organization. Thus, it enables the entire HRM department and the Bank to take advantage of IT in order to work with the different transactions related with HRM, particularly recruitment, selection and hiring. On the other hand, the study of Kin Tong (2009) enables to show some of the possible risks or hindrances in the success of e-recruitment implementation in an organization. Using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Perceived Privacy Risk (PPR), Performance Expectancy (PE), Application-Specific Self-Efficacy (ASSE) and Perceived Stress (PS) as key external factors, the author analyzes the perceptions and behaviours of the jobseekers towards the e-recruitment adoption in Malaysia. The result shows few key determinants to the adoption of technology. Many studies show that the acceptance of the technology, perceived risk and acceptance and job pressure of both employees (HR and IT department of companies) and the applicants are the major issues and challenges which affect the success of implementation of e-recruitment system. First, according to Lin Stansinskaya (2002) the lack of knowledge of e-recruitment of the HR community as well as the limited commitment of senior managers towards the system can greatly affect the quantity and quality of the candidates using the application (3). In addition, like any other application of the Internet, its users are concerned with the issue of confidentiality of important personal information. As a result, it hinders the openness of the applicants or candidates to use e-recruitment system (Kerrin Kettley 2003). On the other hand, Lin Stasinskaya (2004) imposed that companies are somewhat reluctant in using e-recruitment because of the issues regarding the accuracy, verifiability and accou ntability of the information about the applicants, which might limit the diversity among applicants. In addition, Lin Stasinskaya further argue that lack of personal interactions in the process of online employment applications can cause limitations in communication flow between the candidates and the employers, which lead to the frustration on the part of the candidates and the missed opportunities for the employer to gather more important information. Above all, the study of Stanton (1999) shows that e-recruitment can cause threat towards equal opportunity, because it may hamper the efforts of the organization in promoting diversity in their workforce. This is because; according to Sharf (2000) there are still vital differences in the percentage of households which possess Internet access within the poor community and disabled people. Even though, there are different researches which focus on the advantages and disadvantages of e-recruitment for organizations and individual career hunters, thus, there are numbers of research which mainly focus on the case of Malaysia, UK and the United States, there are few, if none, which focus on the case of Pakistan. This is very important because, it is vital to investigate further the impact of technology gap in the effectiveness of e-recruitment towards organizations and candidates for employment. Questions and Hypotheses: The study intended to answer the question: What are the barriers to implement e-recruitment or online recruitment system in Pakistan? And, how can these barriers can be overcome? In line with this, the study will work on the following assumptions: User acceptance of technology can lead to loss of money and resources and failure of e-recruitment system in Pakistan; Perceived risk and perceived acceptance can affect the decisions of organizations in Pakistani in deciding about implementation of e-recruitment; and Job pressure towards the staffs can affect the success of e-recruitment inside the organization. Aims and Objectives: The main aim of the study is to explore the different factors that can affect or influence the successful implementation of e-recruitment tools in Pakistani organizations. In line with this, the following will be the objectives of the study: To analyze the readiness of Pakistani business environment in implementation of e-recruitment systems in different organizations; To identify the different issues faced by hiring managers in Pakistan; To analyze how e-recruitment system can solve the problems and issues in recruitment process in Pakistan; and To recommend different processes and procedures on successful implementation of e-recruitment system in Pakistan. Methods Chosen This study will gather both textual and numerical data from the selected population of respondents. Thus, it will employ qualitative and quantitative method. With this, survey interview and questionnaire will be used in order to gather primary information. Questionnaire will be delivered and conducted towards the respondents with the supervision of the researcher, in order to prevent disadvantage of self-administered questionnaire. On the other hand, due to financial and time aspect, interview will be conducted via phone. Generally, this study will be descriptive in nature. This will focus on analyzing the current problem by focusing on the responses of the respondents. According to Creswell (1994), it will focus on presenting facts about the nature and status of a given situation as it exists during the time of the study, therefore, it will be helpful in analyzing the connections and practices that exists, beliefs that are ongoing, effects that are being felt and even trends that ar e being developed (Best 1970). As a result, it can help in order to describe the present or existing conditions and conditions based on the perceptions and opinions of the respondents of the study (Creswell, 1994). In general, descriptive studies not only focus on supply of knowledge regarding the different variabilities and regularities, but also stimulate the investigators to focus on the definition of master terms in unequivocal manner (Vallier, 1973, 217). In addition, this study will examine and explore the problems and questions by taking cross section of it one time using cross-sectional study (Rubin Babbie, 2009). With this, it can offer great advantage and benefits towards the researcher, because the research can be taken or implemented in a short period of time. Furthermore, because the topic, problems and questions associated with the study does not demand long-time observations and analysis, this method is of great use. In addition, case study will be used in the study . Case study are considered as set in temporal, geographical, organizational, institutional and other context which enable boundaries to be drawn around the said case, thus it can be defined by individuals and groups that are involved, together with their roles and functions in the case (Cohen, Manion Morrison, 2003, 182). Data Collection Methods Survey questionnaire and interview will be implemented. The name of the respondents to join the research will be chosen in random manner. The names of the entire population of the selected case will be listed in strips of paper, and then will be drawn. A total of 60 employees will be selected to answer the questionnaire administered by the researcher. Because the researcher believes that he/she will be taking working times of the respondents, the questionnaire will be employ closed questions. This is the type of question which all of the possible answers are identified and the respondents are asked to choose one of the answers. This was chosen because it will be beneficial both for the respondents and the researcher. It is easier to administer, easier and quicker to record the respondents and easier to code. In addition, its major disadvantages, which are the inability to raise new issues, will be complemented by the interview process. Out of the 60 employees, 10 will be selected in order to undergo interview. Unlike the survey questionnaire, the interview will employ open questions in order to raise new important issues regarding the problem of the study. The schedule of the interview will be dependent towards the availability of the respondents. Because of financial and time issues, phone interview will be implemented. Analysis Data analysis will be done in two ways: mathematical and document analysis. In document analysis, different information gathered from past literatures, articles, studies as well as annual reports and newspaper articles about the case will be analyzed, which will be used in order to support the mathematical result of the study, together with the interview result. On the other hand, the answers by the respondents in the survey questionnaires will be encoded in the SPSS, a statistical computer application, which will help the researcher to easily analyze the result of the survey. The following are the statistical formulas to be used: Percentage to determine the magnitude of the responses to the questionnaire. n % = x 100 ; n number of responses N N total number of respondents Weighted Mean f1x1 + f2x2 + f3x3 + f4x4 + f5x5 x = -; xt where: f weight given to each response x number of responses xt total number of responses Quality Issues: Reliability, Validity and Generasability of Intended Work: The concerns of the researcher upon the collection of data focus on the means of measuring the instruments: validity and reliability of the instrument used. Reliability pertains on the estimation of internal consistency which pertains on the level to which the sum of scores from a given set of items correspondents to the scores that would be obtained from a parallel set, which include the equal number of items which measure the same phenomenon. On the other hand, validity pertains on the estimate of the extent to which the data measure what is intended to be measure (Brewer Ware 2002). Thus, in order to maintain validity of the instruments to be used in the study, initial survey of 5 respondents will be done, they will not be included in the final data gathering procedure. The participants will be asked regarding the different parts of the questionnaire which needed changes. Thus, with accordance to their demands, the questionnaire will be changed in order to ensure that it will be easily understood and answered by the future respondents. Sample Frame The primary data will be gathered from the IT and HRM department of PTCL. A total of 50 respondents are targeted in this study, which include HR officers, IT staffs and newly hired employees (hired via the e-recruitment process). The names of the respondents will be chosen in random selection manner, which will help in order to prevent bias from the personal opinion and perception of the researcher towards the respondents. The name of the entire population of the said three groups will be listed in strips of paper and will be drawn by the researcher; this process is called the lottery. Ethical Issues The probable ethical issues in the study are informed consent and confidentiality. First, it is important to consider that right to privacy follows from the assumption that autonomous individuals have to right to make decisions regarding their lives, together with the information and data that are related to it. Therefore, it is the decision of the respondents if he or she will want to participate in the study. Even though the use of informed consent will be helpful, it is not considered as a panacea for the ethical problems. Therefore, this research will inform the participants of the study ahead of time, regarding the different information and aspects of the study, which will help in order for them to be informed, thus clarify future misconceptions and misunderstanding (Kitchener, 2000). Another important issue is confidentiality, this pertains not just towards the actual use of the data, but also in the process of gathering of data how the interview questions and survey questions are constructed. The researcher will not disclose personal information of the respondents, thus, the information gathered from the respondents will be used solely for the assessment. Benefits of the Study The proposed study will be very beneficial towards different types of organization, particularly, to those from the telecommunication industry. Overall, this will be helpful in analyzing and evaluating the different factors that are related to he e-recruitment process, particularly its advantages and disadvantages, which can help the most important resource in any business human resource. Limitations of the Study The main limitation of this paper focuses on the time that the author will spend in analyzing the case. Due to this, it had affected the methodologies, approaches and tools to be used in order to gather primary and secondary data. Consequently, this will have an impact towards the results and findings of the study. Primarily, this study will be limited to one organization. It is important to consider that each and every organization, in different sector or industry is unique in their own way, due to the different internal and external factors affect the organization. This is particularly important in the case of e-recruitment, because it will have to focus on the economic, social, technological and policy aspect of the macro-environment setting of the company. Conclusion Just like all of the countries in the world, Pakistan had been affected, and is continuously being affected by the Internet and globalization. Thus, it also affects how people seek jobs for money and daily living, and how companies look for useful people in order to achieve their organization goals and objectives. It can be applied in the case of PTCL, wherein the company strive for the better in order to improve their human resource management process, to catch the biggest fishes in the sea of pool of striving candidates.

Comparing Hate in The Jewel in the Crown and Wuthering Heights :: comparison compare contrast essays

Hate in The Jewel in the Crown and Wuthering Heights While reading the two works, The Jewel in the Crown and Wuthering Heights, it was impossible to miss the blatant prejudice. The terms used to describe other races were offensive, I also noticed the treatment of many of the characters because of their skin color. One of the novels was set in 1801 and the other in 1942 still they both illustrate horrid prejudices. Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights is a classic novel from the 1800's. It was shocking at first to read about the Gypsy boy that Mr. Earnshaw brought home referred to as." a gift of God, though it's as dark almost as if it came from the devil." (Pg 28. Bronte, Emily. Wuthering Heights. Norton Critical ed. 3rd ed. Ed William M. Sale, jr., and Richard J. Dunn. New York: W.W. Norton, 1990) Not once in the first meeting of this child did they call him a child or even as him they referred to him as "it" (Pg 28,29. Bronte, Emily. Wuthering Heights. Norton Critical ed. 3rd ed. Ed William M. Sale, jr., and Richard J. Dunn. New York: W.W. Norton, 1990) When Mr. Earnshaw was explaining why he brought the boy home he used phrases like "seeing it starving" "inquired for its owner" and "whom it belonged". (Pg 29. Bronte, Emily. Wuthering Heights. Norton Critical ed. 3rd ed. Ed William M. Sale, jr., and Richard J. Dunn. New York: W.W. Norton, 1990) The horrible way the people thought about the Gypsy child Heathcliff offended me at first and then I remembered the period of the novel. That was unfortunately, standard practice for the era although despicable normal for the era. The trend continued for one hundred years because the novel The Jewel in the Crown had the same tones about the Indian people in the novel. Lady Chatterjee was not allowed in a club because she was an Indian. (Pg 106 Scott, Paul. The Jewel in the Crown. [1996.] Vol. 1 of the Raj Quartet. Rpt. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998.) Many times in this novel, as well there are blatant prejudices. Sister Ludmila felt it "an unnatural context the attraction of white to black, the attraction of an opposite" of a white woman and an Indian (black) man. (Pg 150 Scott, Paul. The Jewel in the Crown.

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Postmodernism has always been somewhat present during every generation of people in America. In fact, it alludes to future ideas that are cutting edge when compared to the theologies of the modern times. The Emergent church can be classified as postmodern, because it is in fact an â€Å"emerging† movement. Perhaps the question we should ask is if it’s just a phase in America, or is it here to stay? We should first answer the questions that it brings up, before we can answer what it actually represents. However, there is one thing we do know, which is that the name comes from the fact that this â€Å"movement† is gradually changing the philosophy of Christianity. In every sense, the Emergent church is at least, improvisational. It takes Christianity, and not only challenges the traditional ways of the religion, but alters it in order to appeal to a new generation of non-believers as well as believers. The emerging church is used to describe the new and rapidly growing amount of mission Christian congregation. It is a name given to those who believe that God is the truth alone, but the old ways of exposing that fact are no longer useful in today’s society. Such things include worship, prayer, preaching, and outreach. The emerging generation sees these aspects as very flexible features of the Christian church since the old forms of expression don’t seem to have as much of an effect on society today than it did decades ago. In this logic, the emergent church is seeking alternative forms of spiritual formation that are controversial to, and within Christianity, which is making it a misunderstood movement. Like every other ty pe of movement, this effort had just started as a conversation among its leaders. Some of the first people to... ...nce of homosexuality. Which makes it seem like the Emergent church is not representing significant conversion growth, but instead are gathering upset Christians and making alternative beliefs. Which is why it has become vital to try and understand this movement, so that assumptions can’t be made that could potentially cause a chasm in Christianity. The Emergent Church has both positive and negative effects. It’s beneficial in the way that it is adapting to today’s culture to assist with evangelism, but it isn’t a totally comfortable concept to grasp. Neither is postmodernism, which the emerging movement basically represents in its theologies and ideas. The fact is that for as many questions that it can answer in Christianity, it raises twice as much. However, whether or not the culture accepts this movement, the one thing that seems inevitable, is its growth.

Life and Achievements of Henry Ford :: Biography

Life and Achievements of Henry Ford Henry Ford was born in Dearborn, Michigan, on July 30, 1863. He died on April 7, 1947, in Dearborn. He started his career in production at the age of 16 as a machinist’s apprentice. He then began his career as a mechanical engineer with the Edison Illuminating Company in 1888 and worked there until 1899. He founded the Ford Motor Company in 1903. He produced his first car, the Quadricycle, in 1896. He had developed this car in his spare time. He finally adopted a production method that would be used forever after its introduction. In 1913 Ford implemented standardized interchangeable parts and assembly-line techniques in his plant. This method of production is something very relevant to the field of industrial engineering. He was now able to maximize the use of his work force and increase production of vehicles substantially. Ford introduced his company’s most famous development, the Model T, in 1908. In its 19 years of production there were 15 million of the car produced. Despite this fact they were not the largest auto manufacturer because of Ford’s decision to he was too slow in adopting the practice of introducing a new model of vehicle each year. Despite this times were not hard at Ford. He was granted a war production contract in 1941, at the start of World War II. His company started off by manufacturing parts for bombers and eventually began to produce the entire airplane. By the time of the war’s completion in 1945 Ford’s assembly lines had successfully produced over 8000 airplanes. Aside from running an amazing business Ford had other interests, many which were charitable. Ford chartered a peace ship in 1915, in which he an other like minded individuals tried to convince the leaders of the countries involved in World War I to stop the war. Life and Achievements of Henry Ford :: Biography Life and Achievements of Henry Ford Henry Ford was born in Dearborn, Michigan, on July 30, 1863. He died on April 7, 1947, in Dearborn. He started his career in production at the age of 16 as a machinist’s apprentice. He then began his career as a mechanical engineer with the Edison Illuminating Company in 1888 and worked there until 1899. He founded the Ford Motor Company in 1903. He produced his first car, the Quadricycle, in 1896. He had developed this car in his spare time. He finally adopted a production method that would be used forever after its introduction. In 1913 Ford implemented standardized interchangeable parts and assembly-line techniques in his plant. This method of production is something very relevant to the field of industrial engineering. He was now able to maximize the use of his work force and increase production of vehicles substantially. Ford introduced his company’s most famous development, the Model T, in 1908. In its 19 years of production there were 15 million of the car produced. Despite this fact they were not the largest auto manufacturer because of Ford’s decision to he was too slow in adopting the practice of introducing a new model of vehicle each year. Despite this times were not hard at Ford. He was granted a war production contract in 1941, at the start of World War II. His company started off by manufacturing parts for bombers and eventually began to produce the entire airplane. By the time of the war’s completion in 1945 Ford’s assembly lines had successfully produced over 8000 airplanes. Aside from running an amazing business Ford had other interests, many which were charitable. Ford chartered a peace ship in 1915, in which he an other like minded individuals tried to convince the leaders of the countries involved in World War I to stop the war.

Reform Movement in the United States Essay

The protestant revival movement that began in the 1790s in New England caused reforms in America. Between 1825 and 1850, the United States government made reforms that greatly increased the influence of democratic ideals: universal suffrage and individual rights. Such reforms included prisons, churches, women suffrage, temperance, and education. Prison reforms expanded democratic ideals through the change in policies and mission statements. Debtor prisons were abolished, the number of capitol crimes was reduced, and prison became a place of reform as well as punishment. As shown in document A, the Fourth Annual Report, Society for the Reformation of Juvenile Delinquents in the City of New York, 1829, stated, â€Å"To confine these youthful criminals . . . where little can be leaned but the ways of the wicked.† It is saying that the prisons originally were bad and that reforming people would be useless and therefore the reform of the prisons would fix this problem and therefore be able to save individual rights and become clean. Church reforms also expanded democratic ideals through allowing freedom of religion and expansion of different sects. As Charles G. Finney in 1834 said, â€Å"When the churches are . . . awakened and reformed . . . the reformation and salvation of sinners will follow.† He is saying that because the church reformed, the people will reform in the same way. Therefore, by using this information, one can say that because the church’s rights were more readily expressed, the people would also have more individual rights. Woman suffrage was the most dominate traits that greatly increased the democratic ideals of United States. As woman rights began to increase, women showed that they were more independent as shown through the cult of domesticity. Women were original similar to the status of slaves because they had no voice. This is shown in the engraving by Patrick Reason in 1835 where a woman is in shackles. It shows the original status of women which changes slightly to more universal suffrage in America. Temperance also expanded democratic ideals in that it gave people more rights to form what they felt was correct. Because it was lead by women, a group of  society usually suppressed, it was unique in that women started to voice their opinions. In the painting â€Å"The Drunkards Progress, From the First Glass to the Grave† in 1846, it shows that women were most affected by it and that they were motivated to change it. Women were able to speak out and affect the world and that shows individual rights. Education also played a role in expanding democratic ideals. Education was improved through new textbooks, publicized, and improved teaching training facilities increase the average education of the masses. This created a more knowledgeable mass and therefore universal male suffrage was more possible. Through the reforms of prisons, churches, women suffrage, temperance, and education, democratic ideals were expanded. Democratic ideals of universal suffrage and individual rights were spread throughout America. The reforms between 1825 and 1850 expanded democratic ideals.

Breach of Contract & Remedies Essay

A breach of contract occurs where a party to a contract fails to perform, precisely and exactly, his obligations under the contract. This can take various forms for example, the failure to supply goods or perform a service as agreed. Breach of contract may be either actual or anticipatory. Actual breach occurs where one party refuses to form his side of the bargain on the due date or performs incompletely. For example: Poussard v Spiers and Bettini v Gye. Anticipatory breach occurs where one party announces, in advance of the due date for performance, that he intends not to perform his side of the bargain. The innocent party may sue for damages immediately the breach is announced. Hochster v De La Tour is an example. Effects of breach A breach of contract, no matter what form it may take, always entitles the innocent party to maintain an action for damages, but the rule established by a long line of authorities is that the right of a party to treat a contract as discharged arises only in three situations. The breaches which give the innocent party the option of terminating the contract are: (a) Renunciation Renunciation occurs where a party refuses to perform his obligations under the contract. It may be either express or implied. Hochster v De La Tour is a case law example of express renunciation.  Renunciation is implied where the reasonable inference from the defendant’s conduct is that he no longer intends to perform his side of the contract. For example: Omnium D’Enterprises v Sutherland. (b) Breach of condition The second repudiatory breach occurs where the party in default has committed a breach of condition. Thus, for example, in Poussard v Spiers the employer had a right to terminate the soprano’s employment when she failed to arrive for performances. (c) Fundamental breach The third repudiatory breach is where the party in breach has committed a serious (or fundamental) breach of an innominate term or totally fails to perform the contract. A repudiatory breach does not automatically bring the contract to an end. The innocent party has two options: He may treat the contract as discharged and bring an action for damages for breach of contract immediately. This is what occurred in, for example, Hochster v De La Tour. He may elect to treat the contract as still valid, complete his side of the bargain and then sue for payment by the other side. For example, White and Carter Ltd v McGregor. Introduction to remedies Damages is the basic remedy available for a breach of contract. It is a common law remedy that can be claimed as of right by the innocent party. The object of damages is usually to put the injured party into the same financial position he would have been in had the contract been properly performed. Sometimes damages are not an adequate remedy and this is where the equitable remedies (such as specific performance and injunction) may be awarded. Damages 3.1 Nature: The major remedy available at common law for breach of contract is an award of damages. This is a monetary sum fixed by the court to compensate the injured party.  In order to recover substantial damages the innocent party must show that he has suffered actual loss; if there is no actual loss he will only be entitled to nominal damages in recognition of the fact that he has a valid cause of action. In making an award of damages, the court has two major considerations: Remoteness – for what consequences of the breach is the defendant legally responsible? The measure of damages – the principles upon which the loss or damage is evaluated or quantified in monetary terms. The second consideration is quite distinct from the first, and can be decided by the court only after the first has been determined. 3.2 Remoteness of loss The rule governing remoteness of loss in contract was established in Hadley v Baxendale. The court established the principle that where one party is in breach of contract, the other should receive damages which can fairly and reasonably be considered to arise naturally from the breach of contract itself (‘in the normal course of things’), or which may reasonably be assumed to have been within the contemplation of the parties at the time they made the contract as being the probable result of a breach. Thus, there are two types of loss for which damages may be recovered: 1. what arises naturally; and  2. what the parties could foresee when the contract was made as the likely result of breach. As a consequence of the first limb of the rule in Hadley v Baxendale, the party in breach is deemed to expect the normal consequences of the breach, whether he actually expected them or not. Under the second limb of the rule, the party in breach can only be held liable for abnormal consequences where he has actual knowledge that the abnormal consequences might follow or where he reasonably ought to know that the abnormal consequences might follow – Victoria Laundry v Newman Industries. 3.3 The measure (or quantum) of damages In assessing the amount of damages payable, the courts use the following principles: The amount of damages is to compensate the claimant for his loss not to punish the defendant. Damages are compensatory – not restitutionary. The most usual basis of compensatory damages is to put the innocent party into the same financial position he would have been in had the contract been properly performed. This is sometimes called the ‘expectation loss’ basis. In Victoria Laundry v Newman Industries, for example, Victoria Laundry were claiming for the profits they would have made had the boiler been installed on the contractually agreed date. Sometimes a claimant may prefer to frame his claim in the alternative on the ‘reliance loss’ basis and thereby recover expenses incurred in anticipation of performance and wasted as a result of the breach – Anglia Television v Reed. In a contract for the sale of goods, the statutory (Sale of Goods Act 1979) measure of damages is the difference between the market price at the date of the breach and the contract price, so that only nominal damages will be awarded to a claimant buyer or claimant seller if the price at the date of breach was respectively less or more than the contract price. In fixing the amount of damages, the courts will usually deduct the tax (if any) which would have been payable by the claimant if the contract had not been broken. Thus if damages are awarded for loss of earnings, they will normally be by reference to net, not gross, pay. Difficulty in assessing the amount of damages does not prevent the injured party from receiving them: Chaplin v Hicks. In general, damages are not awarded for non-pecuniary loss such as mental distress and loss of enjoyment. Exceptionally, however, damages are awarded for such losses where the contract’s purpose is to promote happiness or enjoyment, as is the situation with contracts for holidays – Jarvis v Swan Tours. The innocent party must take reasonable steps to mitigate (minimise) his loss, for example, by trying to find an alternative method of performance of the contract: Brace v Calder. 3.4 Liquidated damages clauses and penalty clauses If a contract includes a provision that, on a breach of contract, damages of a certain amount or calculable at a certain rate will be payable, the courts will normally accept the relevant figure as a measure of damages. Such clauses are called liquidated damages clauses. The courts will uphold a liquidated damages clause even if that means that the injured party receives less (or more as the case may be) than his actual loss arising on the breach. This is because the clause setting out the damages constitutes one of the agreed contractual terms – Cellulose Acetate Silk Co Ltd v Widnes Foundry Ltd. However, a court will ignore a figure for damages put in a contract if it is classed as a penalty clause – that is, a sum which is not a genuine pre-estimate of the expected loss on breach. This could be the case where: 1. The prescribed sum is extravagant in comparison with the maximum loss that could follow from a breach. 2. The contract provides for payment of a certain sum but a larger sum is stipulated to be payable on a breach. 3. The same sum is fixed as being payable for several breaches which would be likely to cause varying amounts of damage. All of the above cases would be regarded as penalties, even though the clause might be described in the contract as a liquidated damages clause. The court will not enforce payment of a penalty, and if the contract is broken only the actual loss suffered may be recovered (Ford Motor Co (England) Ltd v Armstrong). Equitable remedies 4.1 Specific performance This is an order of the court requiring performance of a positive contractual obligation. Specific performance is not available in the following circumstances: Damages provide an adequate remedy. Where the order could cause undue hardship. Where the contract is of such a nature that constant supervision by the court would be required, eg, Ryan v Mutual Tontine Association. Where an order of specific performance would be possible against one party to the contract, but not the other. Where the party seeking the order has acted unfairly or unconscionably. He is barred by the maxim ‘He who comes to Equity must come with clean hands’. Where the order is not sought promptly the claimant will be barred by the maxims ‘Delay defeats the Equities’ and ‘Equity assists the vigilant but not the indolent’. In general the court will only grant specific performance where it would be just and equitable to do so. 4.2 Injunction An injunction is an order of the court requiring a person to perform a negative obligation. Injunctions fall into two broad categories: Prohibitory injunction, which is an order that something must not be done. Mandatory injunction, which is an order that something must be done, for example to pull down a wall which has been erected in breach of contract. Like specific performance it is an equitable remedy and the court exercises its discretion according to the same principles as with specific performance, eg, Page One Records Ltd v Britton and Warner Brothers v Nelson.