Forward the Foundation Chapter 27

22 â€Å"Mr. Bindris,† said Hari Seldon, reaching out his hand to shake the other's. â€Å"I am so glad to be able to see you. It was good of you to agree to see me.† â€Å"Why not?† said Terep Bindris jovially. â€Å"I know you well. Or, rather, I know of you well.† â€Å"That's pleasant. I take it you've heard of psychohistory, then.† â€Å"Oh yes, what intelligent person hasn't? Not that I understand anything about it, of course. And who is this young lady you have with you?† â€Å"My granddaughter, Wanda.† â€Å"A very pretty young woman.† He beamed. â€Å"Somehow I feel I'd be putty in her hands.† Wanda said, â€Å"I think you exaggerate, sir.† â€Å"No, really. Now, please, sit down and tell me what it is I can do for you.† He gestured expansively with his arm, indicating that they be seated on two overstuffed, richly brocaded chairs in front of the desk at which he sat. The chairs, like the ornate desk, the imposing carved doors which had slid back noiselessly at their arrival signal, and the gleaming obsidian floor of Bindris's vast office, were of the finest quality. And, although his surroundings were impressive-and imposing-Bindris himself was not. The slight cordial man would not be taken, at first glance, for one of Trantor's leading financial powerbrokers. â€Å"We're here, sir, at the Emperor's suggestion.† â€Å"The Emperor?† â€Å"Yes, he could not help us, but he thought a man like you might be able to do so. The question, of course, is credits.† Bindris's face fell. â€Å"Credits?† he said. â€Å"I don't understand.† â€Å"Well,† said Seldon, â€Å"for nearly forty years, psychohistory has been supported by the government. However, times change and the Empire is no longer what it was.† â€Å"Yes, I know that.†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ â€Å"The Emperor lacks the credits to support us or, even if he did have the credits, he couldn't get the request for funding past the Legislature. He recommends, therefore, that I see businesspeople who, in the first place, still have credits and, in the second place, can simply write out a credit voucher.† There was a longish pause and Bindris finally said, â€Å"The Emperor, I'm afraid, knows nothing about business. -How many credits do you want?† â€Å"Mr. Bindris, we're talking about an enormous task. I'm going to need several million.† â€Å"Several million!† â€Å"Yes, sir.† Bindris frowned. â€Å"Are we talking about a loan here? When do you expect to be able to pay it back?† â€Å"Well, Mr. Bindris, I can't honestly say I ever expect to be able to pay it back. I'm looking for a gift.† â€Å"Even if I wanted to give you the credits-and let me tell you, for some strange reason I very much want to do so-I couldn't. The Emperor may have his Legislature, but I have my Board members. I can't make a gift of that sort without the Board's permission and they'll never grant it.† â€Å"Why not? Your firm is enormously wealthy. A few million would mean nothing to you.† â€Å"That sounds good,† said Bindris, â€Å"but I'm afraid that the firm is in a state of decline right now. Not sufficiently to bring us into serious trouble, but enough to make us unhappy. If the Empire is in a state of decay, different individual parts of it are decaying, too. We are in no position to hand out a few million. I'm truly sorry.† Seldon sat there silently and Bindris seemed unhappy. He shook his Head at last and said, â€Å"Look, Professor Seldon, I would really like to help you out, particularly for the sake of the young lady you have with you. It just can't be done. However, we're not the only firm in Trantor. Try others, Professor. You may have better luck elsewhere.† â€Å"Well,† said Seldon, raising himself to his feet with an effort, â€Å"we shall try.† 23 Wanda's eyes were filled with tears, but the emotion they represented was not sorrow but fury. â€Å"Grandpa,† she said, â€Å"I don't understand it. I simply don't understand it. We've been to four different firms. Each one was ruder and nastier to us than the one before. The fourth one just kicked us out. And since then, no one will let us in.† â€Å"It's no mystery, Wanda,† said Seldon gently. â€Å"When we saw Bindris, he didn't know what we were there for and he was perfectly friendly until I asked for a gift of a few million credits. Then he was a great deal less friendly. I imagine the word went out as to what we wanted and each additional time there was less friendliness until now, when people won't receive us at all. Why should they? They're not going to give us the credits we need, so why waste time with us?† Wanda's anger turned on herself. â€Å"And what did I do? I just sat there. Nothing.† â€Å"I wouldn't say that,† said Seldon. â€Å"Bindris was affected by you. It seems to me that he really wanted to give me the credits, largely because of you. You were pushing him and accomplishing something.† â€Å"Not nearly enough. Besides, all he cared about was that I was pretty.† â€Å"Not pretty,† muttered Seldon. â€Å"Beautiful. Very beautiful.† â€Å"So what do we do now, Grandpa?† asked Wanda. â€Å"After all these years, psychohistory will collapse.† â€Å"I suppose that,† said Seldon â€Å"in a way, it's something that can't be helped. I've been predicting the breakdown of the Empire for nearly forty years and now that it's come, psychohistory breaks down with it.† â€Å"But psychohistory will save the Empire, at least partly.† â€Å"I know it will, but I can't force it to.† â€Å"Are you just going to let it collapse?† Seldon shook his head. â€Å"I'll try to keep it from doing so, but I must admit that I don't know how I'm going to do it.† Wanda said, â€Å"I'm going to practice. There must be some way I can strengthen my push, make it easier for me to force people to do what I want them to do.† â€Å"I wish you could manage.† â€Å"What are you going to do, Grandpa?† â€Å"Well, nothing much. Two days ago, when I was on my way to see the Chief Librarian, I encountered three men in the Library who were arguing about psychohistory. For some reason, one of them impressed me very much. I urged him to come see me and he agreed. The appointment is for this afternoon at my office.† â€Å"Are you going to have him work for you?† â€Å"I would like to-if I have enough credits to pay him with. But it can't hurt to talk with him. After all, what can I lose?† 24 The young man arrived at precisely 4 T.S.T. (Trantorian Standard Time) and Seldon smiled. He loved punctual people. He placed his hands on his desk and made ready to heave to his feet, but the young man said, â€Å"Please, Professor, I know you have a bad leg. You needn't stand up.† Seldon said, â€Å"Thank you, young man. However, that does not mean that you cannot sit down. Please do.† The young man removed his jacket and sat down. Seldon said, â€Å"You must forgive me†¦ when we met and set up this appointment, I neglected to learn your name-which is†¦? â€Å"Stettin Palver,† said the young man. â€Å"Ah. Palver! Palver! The name sounds familiar.† â€Å"It should, Professor. My grandfather boasted frequently of having known you.† â€Å"Your grandfather. Of course. Joramis Palver. He was two years younger than I was, as I recall. I tried to get him to join me in psychohistory, but he refused. He said there was no chance of his ever learning enough mathematics to make it possible. Too bad! How is Joramis, by the way?† Palver said solemnly, â€Å"I'm afraid that Joramis has gone the way of old men generally. He's dead.† Seldon winced. Two years younger than he himself was-and dead. An old friend and they had lost touch to such a degree that, when death came, it did so unknowingly. Seldon sat there for a while and finally muttered, â€Å"I'm sorry.† The young man shrugged. â€Å"He had a good life.† â€Å"And you, young man, where did you have your schooling?† â€Å"Langano University.† Seldon frowned. â€Å"Langano? Stop me if I'm wrong, but that's not on Trantor, is it?† â€Å"No. I wanted to try a different world. The Universities on Trantor, as you undoubtedly know very well, are all overcrowded. I wanted to find a place where I could study in peace.† â€Å"And what did you study?† â€Å"Nothing much. History. Not the sort of thing that would lead one to a good job.† (Another wince, even worse than the first. Dors Venabili had been a historian.) Seldon said, â€Å"But you're back here on Trantor. Why is that?† â€Å"Credits. Jobs.† â€Å"As an historian?† Palver laughed. â€Å"Not a chance. I run a device that pulls and hauls. Not exactly a professional occupation.† Seldon looked at Palver with a twinge of envy. The contours of Palver's arms and chest were highlighted by the thin fabric of his shirt. He was well muscled. Seldon had never himself been quite that muscular. Seldon said, â€Å"I presume that when you were at the University, you were on the boxing team.† â€Å"Who, me? Never. I'm a Twister.† â€Å"A Twister!† Seldon's spirits jumped. â€Å"Are you from Helicon?† Palver said with a certain contempt, â€Å"You don't have to come from Helicon to be a good Twister.† No, thought Seldon, but that's where the best ones come from. However, he said nothing. He did say, though, â€Å"Well, your grandfather would not join me. How about you?† â€Å"Psychohistory?† â€Å"I heard you talking to the others when I first encountered you and it seemed to me that you were talking quite intelligently about psychohistory. Would you like to join me, then?† â€Å"As I said, Professor, I have a job.† â€Å"Pushing and hauling. Come, come.† â€Å"It pays well.† â€Å"Credits aren't everything.† â€Å"They're quite a bit. Now you, on the other hand, can't pay me much. I'm quite certain that you're short of credits.† â€Å"Why do you say that?† â€Å"I'm guessing, in a way, I suppose. But am I wrong?† Seldon's lips pressed together hard, then he said, â€Å"No, you're not wrong and I can't pay you much. I'm sorry. I suppose that ends our little interview.† â€Å"Wait, wait, wait.† Palver held up his hands. â€Å"Not quite so fast, please. We're still talking about psychohistory. If I work for you, I will be taught psychohistory, right?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"In that case, credits aren't everything, after all. I'll make you a deal. You teach me all the psychohistory you can and you pay me whatever you can and I'll get by somehow. How about it?† â€Å"Wonderful,† said Seldon joyously. â€Å"That sounds great. Now, one more thing.† â€Å"Oh?† â€Å"Yes. I've been attacked twice in recent weeks. The first time my son came to my defense, but he has since gone to Santanni. The second time I made use of my lead-filled walking stick. It worked, but I was dragged before a magistrate and accused of assault and battery-â€Å" â€Å"Why the attacks?† interjected Palver. â€Å"I am not popular. I have been preaching the Fall of the Empire for so long that, now that it is coming, I am blamed for it.† â€Å"I see. Now then, what does all that have to do with the one more thing you mentioned?† â€Å"I want you to be my bodyguard. You're young, you're strong, and, most of all, you're a Twister. You're exactly what I need.† â€Å"I suppose it can be managed,† Palver said with a smile. 25 â€Å"See there, Stettin,† Seldon said as the two were taking an early evening stroll in one of Trantor's residential sectors near Streeling. The older man pointed to debris-assorted refuse jettisoned from passing groundcars or dropped by careless pedestrians-strewn along the walkway. â€Å"In the old days,† Seldon continued, â€Å"you would never see litter like this. The security officers were vigilant and municipal maintenance crews provided round-the-clock upkeep of all public areas. But, most important, no one would even think of dumping his trash in such a manner. Trantor was our home; we took pride in it. Now†-Seldon shook his head sadly, resignedly, and sighed-â€Å"it's-† He broke off abruptly. â€Å"You there, young man!† Seldon shouted at a ill-kempt fellow who had moments before passed them, going in the opposite direction. He was munching a treat just popped into his mouth; the wrapper had been tossed to the ground without so much as a downward glance. â€Å"Pick that up and dispose of it properly,† Seldon admonished as the young man eyed him sullenly. â€Å"Pick it up yourself,† the boy snarled and then he turned and walked away. â€Å"It's another sign of society's breakdown, as predicted by your psychohistory, Professor Seldon,† Palver said. â€Å"Yes, Stettin. All around us the Empire is falling apart, piece by piece. In fact, it's already smashed-there's no turning back now. Apathy, decay, and greed have all played their parts in destroying the once-glorious Empire. And what will take its place? Why-â€Å" Here Seldon broke off at the sight of Palver's face. The younger man seemed to be listening intently-but not to Seldon's voice. His head was cocked to one side and his face had a far-off look. It was as if Palver were straining to hear some sound inaudible to everyone but himself. Suddenly he snapped back to the here and now. With an urgent glance around them, Palver took hold of Seldon's arm. â€Å"Hari, quick, we must get away. They're coming†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And then the still evening was broken by the harsh sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. Seldon and Palver spun around, but it was too late; a band of attackers was upon them. This time, however, Hari Seldon was prepared. He immediately swung his cane in a wide arc around Palver and himself. At this, the three attackers-two boys and a girl, all teenage ruffians-laughed. â€Å"So, you're not goin' to make it easy, are you, old man?† snorted the boy who appeared to be the group's ringleader. â€Å"Why, me and my buddies, we'll take you out in two seconds flat. We'll-† All of a sudden, the ringleader was down, the victim of a perfectly placed Twist-kick to his abdomen. The two ruffians who were still standing quickly dropped to a crouch in preparation for attack. But Palver was quicker. They, too, were felled almost before they knew what hit them. And then it was over-almost as soon as it started. Seldon stood off to the side, leaning heavily on his cane, shaking at the thought of his narrow escape. Palver, panting slightly from exertion, surveyed the scene. The three attackers were out cold on the deserted walkway under the darkening dome. â€Å"Come on, let's get out of here quickly!† Palver urged again, only this time it was not the attackers they would be fleeing. â€Å"Stettin, we can't leave,† protested Seldon. He gestured toward the unconscious would-be muggers. â€Å"They're really nothing more than children. They may be dying. How can we just walk away? It's inhumane-that's what it is-and humanity is exactly what I've been working all these years to protect.† Seldon struck the ground with his cane for emphasis and his eyes gleamed with conviction. â€Å"Nonsense,† retorted Palver. â€Å"What's inhumane is the way muggers like that prey on innocent citizens like you. Do you think they'd have given you a second thought? They'd just as soon stick a knife in your gut to steal your last credit-and then kick you as they ran! They'll come to soon enough and slink away to lick their wounds. Or someone will find them and call the central office. â€Å"But, Hari, you must think. After what happened last time, you stand to lose everything if you're linked to another beating. Please, Hari, we must run!† With this, Palver grabbed Seldon's arm and Seldon after a List backward glance, allowed himself to be led away. As the footsteps of the rapidly departing Seldon and Palver diminished in the distance, another figure emerged from his hiding place behind some trees. Chuckling to himself, the sullen-eyed youth muttered, â€Å"You're a fine one to tell me what's right and what's wrong, Professor.† With that, he spun on his heel and headed off to summon the security officers. 26 â€Å"Order! I will have order!† bellowed Judge Tejan Popjens Lih. The public hearing of Professor Raven Seldon and his young associate, Stettin Palver, had generated a hue and cry among the populace of Trantor. Here was the man who had predicted the Fall of the Empire, the decay of civilization, who exhorted others to harken back to the golden age of civility and order-here was he who, according to an eyewitness, had ordered the brutal beating of three young Trantorians for no apparent provocation. Ah yes, it promised to be a spectacular hearing, one which would lead, no doubt, to an even more spectacular trial. The judge pressed a contact set into a recessed panel on her bench and a sonorous gong resounded through the packed courtroom. â€Å"I will have order,† she repeated to the now-hushed throng. â€Å"If need be, the courtroom will be cleared. That is a warning. It will not be repeated.† The judge cut an imposing figure in her scarlet robe. Originally from the Outer World of Lystena, Lih's complexion had a slight bluish cast, which turned darker when she became exercised, practically purple when she was really angry. It was rumored that, for all her years on the bench, in spite of her reputation as a top judicial mind, notwithstanding her position as one of the most revered interpreters of Imperial law, Lih was ever so slightly vain about the colorful appearance she gave, the way in which the bright red robes set off her soft turquoise skin. Nevertheless, Lih had a reputation for coming down hard on those who brooked Imperial law; she was one of the few judges left who upheld the civil code without wavering. â€Å"I have heard of you, Professor Seldon, and your theories about our imminent destruction. And I have spoken with the magistrate who recently heard another case in which you were involved, one in which you struck a man with your lead-filled cane. In that instance, too, you claimed to be the victim of assault. Your reasoning stemmed, I believe, from a previous unreported incident in which you and your son allegedly were assaulted by eight hoodlums. You were able to convince my esteemed colleague, Professor Seldon of your plea of self-defense, even though an eyewitness testified otherwise. This time, Professor, you will have to be much more convincing.† The three hoodlums who were bringing charges against Seldon and Palver snickered in their seats at the plaintiff's table. They presented a much different appearance today than they had the evening of the attack. The young men were sporting clean loose-fitting unisuits; the young lady was wearing a crisply pleated tunic. All in all, if one didn't look (or listen) too closely, the three presented a reassuring picture of Trantorian youth. Seldon's lawyer, Civ Novker (who was representing Palver as well), approached the bench. â€Å"Your Honor, my client is an upstanding member of the Trantorian community. He is a former First Minister of stellar repute. He is a personal acquaintance of our Emperor Agis XIV. What possible benefit could Professor Seldon derive from attacking innocent young people? He is one of the most vocal proponents of stimulating the intellectual creativity of Trantorian youth-his Psychohistory Project employs numerous student volunteers; he is a beloved member of the Streeling University faculty. â€Å"Further-† Here Novker paused, sweeping his gaze around the packed courtroom, as if to say, Wait till you hear this-you'll be ashamed that you ever for a second doubted the veracity of my client's claims, â€Å"Professor Seldon is one of the very few private individuals officially allied with the prestigious Galactic Library. He has been granted unlimited use of Library facilities for work on what he calls the Encyclopedia Galactica, a veritable paean to Imperial civilization. â€Å"I ask you, how can this man even be questioned in such a matter?† With a flourish of his arm, Novker gestured toward Seldon who was sitting at the defendant's table with Stettin Palver, looking decidedly uncomfortable. Hari's cheeks were flushed from the unaccustomed praise (after all, lately his name was the subject of derisive snickers rather than flowery plaudits) and his hand shook slightly on the carved Dandle of his trusty cane. Judge Lih gazed down at Seldon clearly unimpressed. â€Å"What benefit, indeed, Counselor. I have been asking myself that very question. I've lain make these past nights, racking my brains for a plausible reason. Why should a man of Professor Seldon's stature commit unprovoked assault and battery when he himself is one of our most outspoken critics of the so-called ‘breakdown' of civil order? â€Å"And then it dawned on me. Perhaps, in his frustration at not being believed, Professor Seldon feels he must prove to the worlds that his predictions of doom and gloom really are coming to pass. After all, here is a man who has spent his entire career foretelling the Fall of the Empire and all he can really point to are a few burned-out bulbs in the dome, an occasional glitch in public transport, a budget cut here or there-nothing very dramatic. But an attack-or two or three-now, that would be something.† Lih sat back and folded her hands in front of her, a satisfied expression on her face. Seldon stood, leaning heavily on the table for support. With great effort, he approached the bench, waving off his lawyer, walking headlong into the steely gaze of the judge. â€Å"Your Honor, please permit me to say a few words in my defense.† â€Å"Of course, Professor Seldon. After all, this is not a trial, only a hearing to air all allegations, facts, and theories pertinent to the** case before deciding whether or not to go ahead with a trial. I have merely expressed a theory; I am most interested to hear what you have to say.† Seldon cleared his throat before beginning. â€Å"I have devoted my life to the Empire. I have faithfully served the Emperors. My science of psychohistory, rather than being a harbinger of destruction, is intended to be used as an agent for rejuvenation. With it we can be prepared for whatever course civilization takes. If, as I believe, the Empire continues to break down, psychohistory will help us put into place building blocks for a new and better civilization founded on all that is good from the old. I love our worlds, our peoples, our Empire-what would it behoove me to contribute to the lawlessness that saps its strength daily? â€Å"I can say no more. You must believe me. I, a man of intellect, of equations, of science-I am speaking from my heart.† Seldon turned and made his way slowly back to his chair beside Palver. Before sitting, his eyes sought Wanda, sitting in the spectators' gallery. She smiled wanly and winked at him. â€Å"From the heart or not, Professor Seldon, this decision will require much thought on my part. We have heard from your accusers; we have heard from you and Mr. Palver. There is one more party whose testimony I need. I'd like to hear from Rial Nevas, who has come forward as an eyewitness to this incident.† As Nevas approached the bench, Seldon and Palver looked at each other in alarm. It was the boy whom Hari had admonished just before the attack. Lih was asking the youth a question. â€Å"Would you describe, Mr. Nevas, exactly what you witnessed on the night in question?† â€Å"Well,† started Nevas, fixing Seldon with his sullen stare, â€Å"I was walkin' along, mindin' my own business, when I saw those two,†-he turned and pointed at Seldon and Palver-â€Å"on the other side of the walkway, comin' toward me. And then I saw those three kids.† (Another point of the finger, this time toward the three sitting at the plaintiff's table.) â€Å"The two older guys were walkin' behind the kids. They didn't see me, though, on account of I was on the other side of the walkway and besides, they were concentratin' on their victims. Then wham! Just like that, that old guy swings at 'em with his stick, then the younger guy jumps 'em and kicks 'em and before you know it, they're all down on the ground. Then the old guy and his pal, they just took off, just like that. I couldn't believe it.† â€Å"That's a lie!† Seldon exploded. â€Å"Young man, you're playing with our lives here!† Nevas only stared back at Seldon impassively. â€Å"Judge,† Seldon implored, â€Å"can't you see that he is lying? I remember this fellow. I scolded him for littering just minutes before we were attacked. I pointed it out to Stettin as another instance of the breakdown of our society, the apathy of the citizenry, the-â€Å" â€Å"Enough, Professor Seldon,† commanded the judge. â€Å"Another outburst like that and I will have you ejected from this courtroom. Now, Mr. Nevas,† she said, turning back to the witness. â€Å"What did you do throughout the sequence of events you just described?† â€Å"I, uh, I hid. Behind some trees. I hid. I was afraid they'd come after me if they saw me, so I hid. And when they were gone, well, I ran and called the security officers.† Nevas had started to sweat and he inserted a finger into the constricting collar of his unisuit. He fidgeted, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he stood on the raised speaker's platform. He was uncomfortably aware of the crowd's eyes upon him; he tried to avoid looking into the audience, but each time he did, he found himself drawn to the **toady gaze of a pretty blond girl sitting in the first row. It was as if she was asking him a question, pressing him for an answer, willing him to **peak. â€Å"Mr. Nevas, what do you have to say about Professor Seldon's allegation that he and Mr. Palver did see you prior to the attack, that the professor actually exchanged words with you?† â€Å"Well, uh, no, you see, it was just like I said†¦ I was walkin' along and-† And now Nevas looked over at Seldon's table. Seldon looked at the young man sadly, as if he realized all was lost. But Seldon's companion, Stettin Palver, turned a fierce gaze on Nevas and Nevas jumped, startled, at the words he heard: Tell the truth! It was as if Palver had spoken, but Palver's lips hadn't moved. And then, confused, Nevas snapped his head in the direction of the blond girl; he thought he heard her speak-Tell the truth!-but her lips were still as well. â€Å"Mr. Nevas, Mr. Nevas,† the judge's voice broke in on the youth's jumbled thoughts. â€Å"Mr. Nevas, if Professor Seldon and Mr. Palver were walking toward you, behind the three plaintiffs, how is it that you noticed Seldon and Palver first? That is how you put it in your statement, is it not?† Nevas glanced around the courtroom wildly. He couldn't seem to escape the eyes, all the eyes screaming at him to Tell the truth! Looking over at Hari Seldon, Rial Nevas said simply, â€Å"I'm sorry† and, to the amazement of the entire courtroom assemblage, the fourteen-year-old boy started to cry.

Premium Development Case

New England Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) is a regional not for profit managed care company that has its headquarters in Boston, MA, with over 500,000 enrollees within 25 different plans including Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. A consortium of employers has shown interest in bidding on a managed care contract to be offered to the consortium’s 75,000 employees whom are locate in and around Nashua, New Hampshire. The consortium of employers includes companies such as IBM, Ford, and Prudential Insurance.The approach that New England has to the premium development is that the premiums received from the employers must cover the cost of the providing required healthcare services, also known as medical costs, and the costs of administering the plan and of establishing reserves, also known as other costs. Reserves are necessary to ensure that funds are available to pay providers when medical costs exceed the amount collected in pre mium payments (3901-3-13 Health Insurance Reserves, 2010). Due to New England HMO being a not for profit corporation, there is not explicitly include any type of profit element within the premium.A requirement to the reserve is set sufficiently high in order to ensure there are enough investments available to fund product growth and expansion. Therefore, part of the reserve requirements does constitute a profit. (Premium Development Case Study, 2007) A base per member per month (PMPM) is used in setting premiums by estimating the PMPM for each aspect of the plan’s coverage benefits. Setting the premiums also utilizes historical utilization as well as cost data. The co-payments are used a source of revenue to decrease medical cost and lessen the premiums.New England HMO adds fifteen percent to the total medical PMPM to cover any administrative costs that may incur and an additional five percent added for the reserve. The Individual Rate Factor is set at 1. 216 and the Family R ate Factor is set at 3. 356. The application of the given information allows the calculations to develop based on the levels of three co-payments, low, moderate, and high. The historical utilization and historical data for facility services is the same, regardless of the level of patient’s level of co-payment.The average fees are as follows: Inpatient Acute Care Services – Average daily free-for-service charge$1,200. 00 Surgical Procedures per case$1,300. 00 Skilled Nursing$430. 00 Mental Care – Average Daily Cost $540. 00 Emergency Room Care per visit$190. 00 The following services were calculated by dividing the cases, days, and/or the visits per year by 1,000. ServiceCalculationResult Inpatient Acute Care400/1,0000. 4 Skilled Nursing Facility Care25. 2/1,0000. 0252 Inpatient Mental Care64. 4/1,0000. 0644 Hospital Based-Surgery41. 7/1,0000. 0417 Emergency Room Care132/1,0000. 132Next, in order to attempt to find the base PMPM cost, the utilization data is mult iplied historical cost. Once this is completed, the product is then divided by twelve. For instance, the inpatient acute care cost is calculation by multiplying $1,200. 00 by 0. 4, then dividing by twelve. The cost would equal $40. This process will be used to calculate the remaining inpatient services. Using the information provided by the consortium, substance abuse as a base PMPM cost of $0. 41, while the base PMPM for outpatient services is $3. 43. The facility services total cost is $54. 25.Upon calculating the base PMPM costs, the patient co-payment adjustment factors must be determined. The high patient co-payment for acute services in Table 2 shows that the co-pay cost adjustment factor is 0. 9642 and 0. 9200 for the co-pay utilization adjustment factor (additional inpatient services information is located within the Premium Development Case Study). Once all factors have been defined, the adjusted PMPM cost can be calculated by multiplying the cost by the historical data and the historical utilization by utilization, then multiplying the two products and dividing by twelve.For example, for Inpatient Acute Care adjusted PMPM calculation is as follows: (1,200*1) * (0. 4*1)/12, which 40. The remaining inpatient services are calculated in the same manner, however the substance abuse adjusted PMPM cost and outpatient procedures adjusted PMPM cost is its base PMPM cost. In the end, once all adjusted PMPM costs have been calculated, the total is equal to $44. 74. Much of the information for the physician services is provided within the case study. In order to calculated the adjusted PMPM cost, the calculation is as follows: (3,400*utilization) * (175,000*cost)/1,000)/12For example, (3,400*1. 8900/4000) * (175,000*1. 6834)/1,000)/12 = 39. 44. The adjusted PMPM for physician services equals to $27. 24. The inflation rate is five percent; this plays a significant role within the analysis as like any other business, costs rise over time. In order to calculate the inflation adjusted PMPM cost for inpatient services, the adjusted PMPM cost is multiplied by the sum of 1 and the inflation rate of five percent, or 0. 05. ; this equal to $50. 79. The same calculations are done in order to solve the adjusted PMPM costs for the physician services. The total of this is $114. 9. The total medical PMPM amount is the sum of the physician services inflation adjusted PMPM cost ($114. 39) and then inpatient services adjusted PMPM costs ($50. 79), which equals to $165. 18. All other expenses are calculated by multiplying the total medical PMPM amount by the administrative expense percent. Therefore, $165. 18 * 0. 15 equals $24. 78. In order to calculate the reserve, the total medical PMPM amount is then multiplied by the reserve percentage. Therefore, $165. 18 * 0. 05 equals $8. 26. These amounts combined will equal the total other expenses, which calculated to equal ($8. 6 + $24. 78) $33. 04. The inflation adjusted PMPM is calculated in the same manner as other services. This amount will equal $34. 69. The total PMPM amount is equal to $199. 86. In order to calculate the final figure, the monthly premium rates, the total PMPM amount is multiplied by the premium factor rate, which is 1. 216 for single and 3. 356 for family. The single monthly premium rates will equal $199. 86 * 1. 216, which equals $243. 03. The family monthly premium rates will equal $199. 86 * 3. 356, which equals $670. 73.

Is there such a thing as fair trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Is there such a thing as fair trade - Essay Example There are a number of groups and associations that have expressed the above sentiments and other problems facing the world commodity producers. Such advocates include; Caritas International, Amnesty International and Oxfam. However, despite these firm proponents, there have been some controversies linked to Free trade. Some people assert that free trade is nothing more than a subsidy while others claim that free trade proponents do not possess the ability to transform the trading system the world over. They believe that farmers are facing a situation that is simply beyond control and it will take much more than free trade ideals to change it. 2There were four main fair trade organisations that came up with a definition for Fair trade. These four organisations were known as FINE. They defined fair trade as a form of partnership that aims at instituting equity in trade. The trade referred to by this organisation is global in nature. Additionally, they support workers who have been marginalised and air out their views through fair trade organisations. The latter group offers campaigns and informs workers about their rights. Fair trade is based upon a number of principles; the first one being fair pay. Pay may be labelled fair if it incorporates all the expenses that workers incurred during the process of production. It must also cover environment considerations and labourer's social needs. It must also be on time and should cover their future production needs. Fair trade is also founded on the principle that workers should have the capacity to participate fully in their markets. They should be given the incentives to manage their products well and also to achieve greater flexibility within this realm. On top of these, farmers and other labourers should be handled in an open and transparent manner. No one has the permission to take advantage of their vulnerabilities through hidden dealings. Men and women should be treated as equals regardless of what their social premises may be. Reimbursements must be proportional to the amount of work done rather than to one's gender. According to fair trade advocates , workers should be provided with safe and conducive environments. This implies that children will only be allowed to work if this does not come in the way of their education, ell being, security and growth. Lastly, fair trade discourages the use of environmentally friendly working techniques, for instance, it strongly opposes the [production of genetically modified foods because they harm the environment. 3In the recent past, the FLO International (which sets standards in fair trade) created a labelling system where products can be Certified if the adhere top Fair trade principles. Some of these principles are examined during the process of growing a commodity, harvesting it and even supplying it to the world market. Products that earn the fair trade mark are those ones that do not employ children during child labour.Additionally, they must not involve the use of slave labour of any kind. The certified commodity should also have been produced in an environment that is safe to work in and one that does not undermine labourer's human rights. Its price must also be such that it can facilitate some social problems facing farmers

Renaissance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Renaissance - Essay Example All these paintings are extremely soothing as they, "appeal to both the mind and spirit" (Portrait of the Artist). These paintings reflect the artist's unique and personal style. The painting that I have chosen, 'Madonna and Child with Adoring Angel' (Tempera on panel, Norton Simon Art Foundation), is exceptional for its three dimensional effect as obtained by the view of the country-side in the background as seen through the window arches. Equally brilliant is how the artist has captured the expressions of love, tenderness and adoration on the faces of his three subjects. The attention paid to the surroundings in the form of the pillars and arches also lend authenticity to the entire composition. All these aspects combined give depth and perspective to the painting as well as a sense of realism, which was a hallmark of art of this period. The artist has gone in to minute detail in every aspect of the painting - be it the main subjects, the overall setting and even the decorative aspects. For example, the depiction of the decorations on the panels and arches makes one fell as if one were actually present in the room.

HRM1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

HRM1 - Essay Example The human resources comprising the firm, has in recent years become strategic to decision-making in a strong way. Strategic Human Resource Management (HRM) researchers have devoted considerable effort toward demonstrating that the ways that people are managed, particularly through HR practices, have strong empirical relationships with organizational performance.(Huselid, 2005) The theory of close relationship between HRM and economic success has grown significantly in the last fifteen years. This theoretical progress can be seen in two different arenas: meta-theories describing broad rationales for why HRM and economic success should be linked, and middle level process theories describing how this linkage takes place. The firm's strategy determines the design of the HR system. The HR system impacts the employee skills and motivation, which in turn results in creativity, productivity and discretionary behavior. And, employees' behavior influences the firms operating performance, which leads to profitability, growth and market value. (Wright & Haggerty ) The development of the meta-theory which emphasizes the new process theory of the relationship between HRM and economic success reveals the current trend to identify some of the key variables which are indicators of this relationship. This includes the consideration of three important concepts: time, cause and individuals in the determination of the relationship of HRM with the economic success in the functioning and the operation of the SME's in this era pf globalization. The experience of working in advanced and growing economy of Australia, and the developing economy of Vietnam can be good background for initiating a developmental and strategic plan for the focus of the expansion in China which is the fastest growing developing economy in Asia. Meta theories such as the resource based view indirectly consider time, usually suggesting that competitive advantages stemming from HRM evolve over long periods of time. In which time comes into play with regard to "sustainable" competitive advantages as suggested by Barney (1990) suggesting that the concept requires an advantage that is held over time, it is important to specify both the amount of time and the process through which this evolution occurs to really understand the impact of these practices on the economic success. Another very significant consequence is the relationship between which explores the causal relationship between HRM and the economic success as the temporal precedence serves as a precondition to inferring cause. They propose three criteria for the inferring cause: co variation between the resumed cause and effect, the temporal precedence of the cause, and the ability to control or rule out alternative explanations for a possible cause and effect connection. The final area of the future theoretical attention emerges from the role played by the individuals adding complexity to the phenomena within models of the relationship between HRM and economic success. This considers the emphasis on the different levels of analysis tension inherent in research on people in organization. At the organization and the unit level, theories seek to explain how variation in one level variable relates to variation in

Innovative Process Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Innovative Process - Case Study Example The company mostly followed the criteria of a "technology push" for its innovative process where the emphasis was mostly given to R&D without so much input from a user perspective of market perspective. However, as it is shown in the present study, the company was able to do admirably well in the various sectors it went after primarily due to the unusual yet productive and creative environment it provided for its workers. The presented analysis is centered around several axioms of the innovative process that kept in vigor within the Toledo Glass company during and after Mr. Johann Gerhart's time. More specifically, the paper discusses of the organizational culture in the company, of the innovative strategy it followed to achieve its notable success, and of the simplistic corporate structure it used to direct and develop the company throughout the years. Being an inventor himself, Mr. Gerhart was particularly fond of Thomas Edison of the General Electric company, and in several ways applied the Edisonian method of innovation in his Toledo Glass company. ... In his own saying about his assiduity toward the inventive process, Edison claimed "Results' Why man, I have gotten lots of results! If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt is often a step forward." His empirical approach to invention combined to an amazingly radiant drive got him the sympathy of several notable inventors of his time. Among those who admired him, Mr. Gerhart went a step further to emulate the Edisonian empirical method for coming up with commercially viable inventions. The Toledo company culture would remain deeply marked by the distinctive Edisonian method for arriving at novelties regardless of the field. In the early twentieth century, a select number of companies had the innovation strategy that Mr. Gerhart decided to implement in its company. In fact, the first laboratory of the Toledo company was established to model the Edison's Menlo Park facility in New Jersey. The facility was stocked w ith various equipment and tools to facilitate the innovative process of its workers through experimentation and trial and error. In the early facility, Mr. Gerhart set the stage for a company culture to be build around a liberal attitude toward innovation and invention. That particularity would eventually become the cornerstone of the Toledo Glass company. As pinpointed in the case study, Johann Gerhart began working with a small team of five inventors who were free to utilize the tools at hand to come up with new products having commercial viability in the glass industry. Each member of the team had "carte blanche" to specialize on the use of a given tool or equipment to derive newer and better processes for producing glass products. Agreeably the method is quite

Review 6_1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Review 6_1 - Essay Example Road transportation is known to be a major consumer of space in comparison to other modes of transport. The construction of roads is characterized by physiographical constraints due to substantial additional costs that arise due to geographical features such as rivers, mountainous regions, valleys and rugged terrains (Kreowski, et. al, 2013). Water transportation can broadly be divided into two categories namely inland water transport which operates in rivers, lakes and canals and oceanic transport which takes place in oceans and seas. Water transport is regarded as a slow mode of transport. However, they can be used to transport large amount of goods over a very long distance. Water transport can carry large tonnage at a very low variable cost which makes it the most favorable mode of transportation for large commodities. This mode of transportation is characterized by limited range of operation as it is confined to the presence of large water bodies. The water mode of transportation is characterized by high operational costs which is evident in the high terminal costs since the construction of infrastructures at the port are very expensive to build, maintain as well as improve. High Inventory costs also another characteristic of water transport. Air transport is the recent mode of transport which is characterized by high speed and efficiency. This mode of transport is known to cover a very long distance within the shortest time possible. It is marked by high costs well as many travel regulations. The high cost is due to fuel, maintenance and labor charges. The construction and maintenance of airports is a very costly affair. This mode of transportation is used to transport light commodities which are delicate and perishable in nature. Air routes are usually unlimited and the constraints to air transport are the climatic conditions, aerial currents, fog and site (Hanson and Giuliano, 2004). Rail transportation are

Reality TV (Black Musical Artist) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reality TV (Black Musical Artist) - Essay Example The reality television genre has really exploded since the original writers’ strike caused FOX to start airing episodes of â€Å"COPS,† and earlier, when PBS made its inquiries into the American family dynamic. In any case, it seems safe to say that reality TV is here to stay a genre, and is currently often being combined with the music industry, exemplified by the abovementioned African-American pop divas (and occasionally their siblings). Monica, perhaps most famous musically for her breakthrough single â€Å"Just 1 of Those Things,† can be found on reality TV on the BET network, in â€Å"Monica: Still Standing.† This is a show about female empowerment, struggle, and the ins and outs of the music industry. In the show, Monica struggles mainly with fame and the increasing expectations of her fans, although she also has to balance, as a modern woman, her career and her family. The show is very realistic about the drama Monica undergoes when she has to bala nce her personal life, her past run-ins with the law and dangerous people, and the present stresses of her fame. The show provides an empowering role model for African-American women, rather than focusing on a sexualized or objectified image of femininity. Also on BET, â€Å"Tiny and Toya† is another reality series focusing on a famous African-American female musician, Tiny, and Toya, who is the ex-wife of famous and currently-jailed rapper Lil Wayne.

Uno work in ukraine Essay Example for Free

Uno work in ukraine Essay Foreign relations of Ukraine have started to develop after it accepted the Declaration of State Sovereignty in 1990 and especially after the Act of Independence of Ukraine was announced in 1991. Ukraine was until then, although it had its own seat in the United Nations and was one of its 51 founding states, a part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and thus unable to lead it own foreign policy. The Declaration of Independence became the cornerstone and starting point creation of the foreign policy guidelines that would meet the criteria of the present-day situation. The priorities of Ukrainian foreign policy have gone through a long process of alteration, mostly because of complex domestic and global situation. During the first years of its independence the main foreign policy goals were to win international recognition of Ukraine and establish relations with other countries, especially with the neighbouring former Soviet republics and with other European and worlds countries. Other vital parts of this process were aimed at securing national security of the country, assuring territorial integrity and extend the diplomatic network. One of the most significant steps in the construction of the legal basis of Ukraine’s international relations was the motion on the Basic Directions of the Foreign Policy of Ukraine, accepted by Ukrainian parliament in 1993. This document determined Ukraine’s key national interest in the foreign policy, defined its principles and guidelines and set the priorities of the foreign policy. The following priorities were outlined in the resolution: development of bilateral interstate relationships,  enlargement of the participation in the European co-operation, collaboration with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member states, participation in United Nations (UN) and other international organisations. In the following years (1994 1997) Ukraine started to gain status of being an influential state in the region of Central and Eastern Europe. A lot of efforts were made to involve the nation in general European processes. The foreign policy shifted its focus from establishing international relations to promoting Ukrainian national interests. As the integration process in Europe developed, so did the Ukraine’s interest in being involved in European and Euro-Atlantic structures. Ukraine took dynamic part in all the processes taking in both Europe and the world. Its first priority was to renew European identity which primarily meant its integration into European structures, especially in the European Union, in reinforcement of European and Atlantic partnerships, and active participation in local projects and mechanisms of cooperation. Ukraines involvement in European integration processes is necessary to get membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO). Europe orientated foreign policy doesn’t prevent Ukraine to develop bilateral collaboration with strategic partners, such as the Russian federation, the United States of America Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Poland. Further efforts will be invested in development of other bilateral agreements, especially with countries in Central and South Asia, the Asian-Pacific region and in the Middle East. Current prospects in Ukrainian foreign policy are slightly insecure. The domestic crisis which out broke after March 2006 parliamentary elections and resulted in the failure to re-establish the Orange Coalition has led to multi-vectorism in Ukraine’s foreign policy. Multi-vectorism is a result of different foreign policy expressed by the president and the prime minister. Regardless of the current problems, Ukraine’s foreign policy has shown much continui ty and it is likely to stay the case. Recent developments suggest that a consensus have emerged on all important foreign policy issues. Read more: http://www.ukessays.com/essays/european-studies/ukraine-policy-profile.php#ixzz3543GXFgu

Essay Example for Free

Essay â€Å"Children need positive invitations to read, demonstrations, information, explanations that fit their understanding and texts that engage them if they are to learn what reading is all about† Meek in Carter, p. 146 Fables are short stories that have an abstract moral lesson, fables consist on talking animals which have human like qualities while others consist of only humans or both in a story. Fables impart moral values and life skills which are indeed valuable to young children. The Didatic value of two fables will and the way one would approach these texts in a classroom will be discussed in the following essay. Reading which is at the heart of any literature is key to the children’s development be it socially, academically or language development. Fables are a wonderful way of getting children to read as they offer enjoyment; it increases the child’s vocabulary and encourages use of the language. The child’s reading skills are developed and since most fables consist of talking animals and are not time bound it stimulates the children’s imaginations. We will look at two fables whereby one will realise that through the different characters and traits children have the advantage of comparing and understanding themselves or issues at hand. One will also see it expands children’s views of different places and cultures but most of all its scaffolds children to the realisation of moral values. Fables can be used to a teachers favour in a classroom environment. For example, children are playful by nature and there attention span is only that long to keep themselves stimulated you might find some learners disrupt the class by troubling other learners, playing tricks and acting the fool is common disturbances teachers face with youngsters. A fable that will suit children who play tricks on other learners will be â€Å"The boy who cried Wolf† By exposing children to different type of character, places and consciences they develop ‘innerresources’ stated by Bruno Bettelheim. Bettelheim discovered through observation of children at play, they would take on or associate with the main characters personality or traits. Placing into context ‘The Shepherd’s boy and the wolf’ with regards to the disruptive children in the classroom.One must first understand children nature. Children who are generally disruptive in a class are usually bored or simple does not want to take responsibility of the task given at hand. Young children usually don’t know how to express themselves. By reading fables such as the one mentioned above gives them a better platform to differentiate between right and wrong and what the result will be for bad behaviour. They receive the moral of the story subconsciously and respond on an emotional level. I would approach this text in a story telling lesson. Improvising a bit on the story to suit my situation saying that the shepherds boy was bored by looking after the sheep and wanted to play with other children but did not want to carry out the task of looking after the sheep thus neglecting his responsibility his father had trusted him with. As oral mode is   antastic way of relaying a fable. It’s almost magical when one starts a story with a long time ago†¦. Children instantaniously open to a world of fantasy and make belief†¦ After having told this story I will allow children to voice the feelings towards the shepherd’s boy and the angry villages. As them expressing   their feelings will increase their understanding of the underlying message. One must understandmoral lesson in fables are taken in subconsciously. The disruptive children will come to a realisation that him going on the way he does will only be to his demise†¦ the other children will start smarting up and not give him the upper hand and he would have to stop his bad behaviour. By experiencing the boy’s agony this will allow for the children to get in touch with their own feelings thus imparting a life skill and this ‘inner resource will come forth later in life, be it in their work environment or social life, that a liar will dig his own grave. I will not threaten them or point out to them that if you lie this is what will happen but through this fable they will subliminally receive the moral and the result will be in the change of their behaviour. Another fable we can look at his the Hare and the Tortoise Because children are still developing emotionally, psychologically, socially and their vocabulary of language, we must understand their need to feel that they are in a safe environment as the world of unknown is a frightening and overwhelming place for children. By having a clear depiction on good prevailing evil, being able to easily identify with hero and having the happy ending serves a source of security. More importantly the children see what acceptable behaviour is. In this case where the hare was over confident and showing arrogance that he could actually take a nap while waiting for the tortoise these characteristics caused him to ultimately loose the race and on the flip side of the coin, the tortoise who infect had almost no chance of winning was confident and smart despite all the odds which stood in his way. He displayed peserverance. These very personality traits caused him to win. Children will internalise these traits even though it is displayed by an animal children readily accept them as they believe and live in a world where anything is possible. They can easily associate that all livings things have human like qualities this is called ‘Animism’ This specific text I would approach by having a play but firstly have a storytelling lesson. The children would become familiar with the text and characters and then I would prepare them for a play. Personal interaction will make children recall better. I would involve them in preparing props and improvising a bit where other children would dress up like different animals of the forest and give them parts in which they will have a chance to act in the play by expressing their views on the race before it takes place. This will be stimulating exercise as children will experience first-hand the emotions of the characteristics allowing them to bank into their ‘inner resource’ after the play I would ask them to write down their feeling towards the story and what lesson did they learn to see how well they grasped the concept of the moral. Children learn well through fun and games so replaying fables such as these serve not only as good entertainment it also talks to emotions that children can relate to such as fear, love, success etc. and its relevant to children’s life as fables consist of a basic and easy to understand introduction, plot development, conflict, climax and a happy ending in most cases. There characters as seen in the above mentioned fables were clearly identifiable, the hero and the villain and their strengths and weakness were easy to relate to. The diction was suitable for the age of children who take interest in fables

A Problem By Society Children And Young People Essay

A Problem By Society Children And Young People Essay Limited scholarships and seats for admission in schools and colleges imply a rise in the competition level. Overcrowded schools lead to indiscipline and a lack of control. Teachers are unable to cater for the individual needs of children. This issue has been further discussed under the heading entitled School. According to Pearson (1983), intervention of social welfare services have a big role in crime prevention. They detect and help abused and ill-treated children. However, in disorganized areas social welfare officers have many families to look after. The cry for help of many children and parents in these areas remain unheard. It is only when the issue has become serious that the authorities intervene. It is often too late. Some end up being traumatized for life or victims of un-repairable damage do. Since there is much insecurity in these localities, businesses to move away and investors refrain from putting their money in developments occurring. This increases problems of unemployment. It is hard in itself to live in suburbs and when employers see that a job applicant comes from a badly reputed region, the chances of the later getting the job diminishes considerably. Moreover, as mentioned earlier, most youngsters coming from these areas already have police records, poor academic knowledge and without legitimate means of obtaining success, they feel social and psychological strain (Merton;1920s). Furthermore, as French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu said: Parents occupation and level of education have significant effects on the life chances of their children. From an economic perspective, these youths breach the law for their financial well being. This rational choice seems acceptable from the youngsters point of view when we consider the lack of proper educational system, equal and legal job opportunities. It is his survival strategy just like it had been for his family members and neighbors. (See School failure) Aggressive and violent youth Another problem which arises when there is a high rate of teenage population is a demographic area is that of violent crimes. Their poor problem-solving skills, overly sensitive or emotional personality and explosive temperament combined with their biological and physical predisposition of being violent and aggressive because of their age; make them apt of committing aggressive assaults and crimes. Small discussions and debates can end up into bloody attacks. Indeed, disorganized neighborhoods suffer from social incivility. It is common to hear swearing words and see people fighting on the streets, to see graffiti, broken window panes, young children roaming till late on the road, and sex workers almost everywhere. Family disruption Community fear, lack of social facilities, unemployment and bad quality of education for the children create a lot of fuss and stress on parents. Also families, in these areas of high violence rate, have disrupted social relationships. It is common to find families which have financial problems, depressive and stressed parents who adopt drinking and other bad habits and who have problems in growing up their children. This has been further discussed in Family. Social mobility Residents of these areas try to get used such disorder and atrocious crimes that occur on the streets around them. They lose trust in authorities and feel abandoned. They rarely report offences they witness or are victims of. On the contrary, fearing for their life and security they join gangs and peer groups which will protect them in case of difficulty. This leads to the development of criminal areas and generations of criminals. Many families want leave these deteriorated communities and look for a better place to grow their children into better adults. This social mobility leads to limited collective efficacy. There is weakened social control. Neighbors might not know and trust each other. This is constant fear and insecurity and no cohesiveness among inhabitants. Government policies and initiatives taken up by NGOs do not work since residents do not stay for long to implement them. Indiscipline in schools, the lack of individual care for needy students, availability of drugs and arms and a troublesome family life can result tragic incidents. On December 14, 2012 Adam Lanza shot 20 children and 6 staff members in a school in Connecticut. Growing up in a disorganized and less privileged society is tough enough without having to be worried about being killed while going to class. Unfortunately, events like these occur because of a multitude of factors which are not always controllable. Duncan and Murnanes book, Neighborhood and Family Impacts on Schools, examines à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦how factors as family functioning, neighborhood conditions, school quality, and local labor markets impact schools ability to improve academic and educational attainment of disadvantaged students. We have seen how the education system favors academic learning and neglects personality development. Where a class is supposed to be a team of young learners, with each and every member being valuable, it has now become competitive environment in itself where making others lose seem to be synonym of victory. Some students find this sort of system challenging and do their best to be toppers in exams but on the other hand students who have, since their very young age, been exposed to severe and prolonged stress, are likely to have developed learning disabilities and emotional and behavioral problems which make is difficult for them to successfully go through the educational system. These students have to undergo a lot of pressure from members of their family, school and society. They may have attention deficit disorder, a lot of anxiety and can be depressive. However, instead of being spotted as care-needing students, teachers and also other students often labeled as stupid and lazy an d antisocial. Teachers do not actively listen to their problems. They simply lecture and maintain peace and order in classrooms. Teaching techniques are not adapted to the needs of children. There is no individualized care and support. Teachers who do not encourage students to succeed and condemn them because of their learning disabilities fail in their traditional role as gurus, guides and role models and add on to the distrust that children and youths have in adults. Subcultures Children tend to do what we do rather than what we say to do. To understand how a violent community affects teenagers and how it is related to youth crime we to take the social learning theory developed by Bandura, the differential learning theory developed by Matza, Sutherland, Cressy and others, and theories on subcultures. According to Gottfredson and Hirschi, family environment is the most important institution which has to foster self-control, good values and manners in a child. However as demonstrated by Bandura in the Bobo Doll experiment, there are different ways through which a child learns how to be aggressive but the main one is through observation and interaction with others. Parents living in a violent society cannot fully restrain and protect their children from all negative influences. Children can do both good and bad and discipline should be appropriately used for the former to prevail (Anderson; 1980). Parents cannot be held sole responsible for the social and moral education of their children. Other institutions have a crucial role to play. As seen earlier, the failure of one institution can lead to the failure of all the other institutions. Children who are abused and neglected by parents, experience school failure, rejection from society and have a low self-esteem are more likely to join gangs. We have seen under School failure and Indiscipline in schools how gangs form and function in schools. In a violent community, there are considerable numbers of gangs which operate. Sutherland and Cressy suggest that criminal behavior is learnt through criminal association. Criminal motives, techniques, attitudes and rationalizations are developed through interaction with others. Moreover, as Cohen suggests crime is collective in nature. Moreover, in most subcultures the violation of institutionalized and traditional behaviors is seen as normal as they have their own street rules and regulations. It is true that protective factors like social bonding and self-control mitigate the risk of offending but studies have proved that it is highly probable for children who grow up in violent environments to learn deviant behavior at home or at school or on the streets. In the longitudinal study of 400 London school boys, West and Farrington (1970) suggested that delinquency arises from a complex interaction between individual home atmosphere, the personal qualities of the boy and the circumstances in which the family lives. Hutchings We have also observed that inner controls can be a strong protective factor but it has to be fostered by not only parents but also teachers and society, who have to act like role models. Social controls, like attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief (Hirschi; 1970) are also protective factors which stop youth from acting delinquently. To conclude we can say that young children in violent communities are most likely to grow up as aggressive adults. The period of adolescence is characterized by physical changes, cognitive development, mood swings and social reorganization having as aim to grow into maturity and help fulfilling social and cultural expectation of becoming a responsible adult. Love, support, care and right education are more than essential for adolescents. A cozy environment can make all the difference. Unfortunately, for children who are in stressful environment, their life experiences will affect their personality, perspective and the type of adult they end up being. If parents, schools, peer networks, neighbors and other social welfare services are work in strong coordination and collaboration the duty of rearing children into responsible adults, not deviant ones, is like to be fulfilled. Since long, the responsibility of growing up a child into a responsible citizen has been bowled from the shoulders of parents and families to that of the government. Their transition from puberty to an age of maturity should be eased with love, support and care. Nowadays, the concept of childhood is being slowly wiped out. The transition period between childhood and adolescence and adolescence to adulthood seems to be shortening as years go by. Children and adolescents are partaking in adult activities at very early ages. Fashion brands, celebrity magazines, tv serials, advertisings and other bla bla are marketedly directly to them. Where media can be used to sensitize children, it is being used to provoke certain behaviors. Tv serials like Gossip Girls and Teen Mom, among among many others, promote dangerous sexual behaviors and pregnancies. Cognitive development- less reasoning ability Despair of parents/ cry for help should be heard by authorities + social welfare services appropriate actions should be taken each family has its own concerns and problems- tailor-made programs

Working Capital Management Assignment :: Business Finance

Working Capital Management Worksheet Concept Application of Concept in Scenario Citation of Concept in Reading Personal Experience in your Organization Short-term financing plan: • Bank loan Ââ€" borrowing from the bank. • Stretching payable Ââ€" putting off paying its bills. Due to the situation that Lawrence has put the company into, in which Lawrence had borrowed from the bank and deferred payment to Gartner by a week. Brealey, 2005, p. 852 In order to meet the liabilities of deferred tax payment and the company's payable obligation, my company has applied for a revolving credit line by our lender. So for the short-run, my company where I am working for has managed to make payment on time. Financial budgeting: • Cash inflow. • Cash outflow. The task imposed on the CFO of planning cash inflow and cash outflow to retain at least a minimum of $50,000 each week while keeping the loan burden to the least level required a careful financial budgeting. Brealey, 2005, p.849 At my company, a budget for expecting expenses associated with a particular property will be planned. Improvements on the property and projected cash inflow will be assessed in order to have the needed cash handy for the upcoming month. Credit Management: • Accounts receivables. • Accounts payables. Regarding the task required based on the scenario in the simulation, the CFO has to negotiate short-term payment and collection arrangements with its business partners for keeping the amount of cash the company needs to borrow as low as possible. Brealey, 2005, p.814 Property managers are told to collect rents from tenants as much as possible each month. To put forth this effort and encouraging them to really make the attempts, special bonus is paid out if a certain percentage on total rent for the property has been reached. Working Capital Management Worksheet Concept Application of Concept in Scenario Citation of Concept in Reading Personal Experience in your Organization Cash: • Offering liquidity. • Being better prepared in case of cash shortage. The requirement of retaining at least a minimum of $50,000 on cash applies to the concept that cash has more liquidity to offer. Also having enough cash on hand increase the chance for the company to survive for unexpected event as illustrated in the scenario where additional liabilities were due because of poor packaging and handling about the shipped equipments. Brealey, 2005, p.821 This concept can also be observed in the company where I am with. Besides the weekly check cut to meet our obligations, additional cash has been put aside by our controller. Once it has reached the set level, surplus will be distributed to other properties that have funding shortages for planned projects.

The Ethical Foundations of Starbucks and Humana Essay -- GCSE Business

The Ethical Foundations of Starbucks and Humana Executive Summary This paper examines the ethical foundations of two companies operating in very different markets. Starbucks’ is a chain of coffeehouses specializing in gourmet coffee lines. Starbucks is based on sound ethical principals permeated through the central core of its business operations. The result of several probes leads to a conclusion that Starbucks does business in a profitable and morally sound manner. Humana Inc. is a large Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) with operations that place it third among the top players in the field. In contrast to Starbucks’, research demonstrates that Humana, and arguably all for-profit HMO’s, lacks a sound ethical foundation. The boundaries between generating a healthy return and providing quality medical care produce conflicts of interest, which for all involved lead to bad decisions and moral dilemas. The conclusions reached in this paper are the result of extensive investigation conducted through the Internet, personal interview, literature review, and legal findings. The consensus drawn from this analysis is that Starbucks is a shining example of corporate social responsibility and Humana is not. Introduction to Starbucks Starbucks is the United States number one specialty coffee retailer and a presence known around the world. It has over 2,600 coffee shops from Asia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. Starbucks not only sells coffee but: pastries, food and drinks, mugs, and coffee making accessories. Starbucks sells their beans to restaurants, airlines, hotels, and by mail order. Starbucks mission statement is †¦Ã¢â‚¬ to establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles as we grow. The following six guiding principles will help us measure the appropriateness of our decisions:† ï  ¶ Provide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity. ï  ¶ Embrace diversity as an essential component in the way we do business. ï  ¶ Apply the highest standards of excellence to the purchasing, roasting, and fresh delivery of our coffee. ï  ¶ Develop enthusiastically satisfied customers all of the time. ï  ¶ Contribute positively to our communities and our environment. ï  ¶ Recog... ...engaging in price reduction schemes that are not only unethical, but quite possibly illegal, Humana finds no problem paying its Chairman of the Board $4.5 million and its President and CEO, $3 Million. Humana Foundation The charitable wing of the Humana organization was founded to â€Å"support charitable organizations and institutions that promote education, health and human services, community development and the arts.† While the group believes that these endeavors are indeed noble, Humana can not make up for a poor ethical foundation by throwing money at the problem. Bibliography 1. www.hoovers.com 2. www.starbucks.com 3. www.citizensfunds.com 4. www.businesswire.com 5. www.responsibilityinc.com 6. www.amcity.com 7. www.archivetwst.com 8. Ashby, Francine, Starbucks Case Study, Bucknell University 9. Kotha, Surest and Melissay Schilling, Starbucks Corporation, The University of Washington, WA 10. www.starbucked.com 11. LawCrawler. http://lawcrawler.findlaw.com/ 12. Vertuno, Jim. Texas Sues 6 HMO’s Over Health Care. Associated Press. December 17, 1999. 13. http://www.hmopage.org/ 14. http://www.familiesusa.org/

Does My Head Looks Big in This?

The novel, ‘Does my head look big in this? ,’ written by Randa Abdel-Fattah the main character had the challenging decision to wear the hijab which came with not only advantages, but disadvantages. Amal was concerned about her appearance and what others’ thoughts. Amal feared being judges by others and she also was concerned that she wouldn’t have the necessary courage to commit to wearing the hijab. Furthermore, she really did not want to have to justify her decision whenever she went out in public.Amal managed these challenges in a mature way by talking to others about her problems. One challenge Amal faced in wearing the hijab is being judged by people (at school). Tia and her friends made nasty racist comments and teased. The manager of the fish and chip shop didn’t allow Amal to be hired because she was wearing the hijab, Amal then doubted or decision on whether it was a good idea to wear the hijab. Judging and comments made Amal feel insecure a nd doubtful about her decision.Another challenge Amal faced to decide whether she was able to stick to her decision. She realised there were many disadvantages in wearing the hijab as a full-timer, having to justify to teasing, racist comments and pressure. â€Å"Mum, maybe I shouldn’t have worn it†¦Maybe I was stupid†¦Where am I going to go now? † Amal cries to her mother after she is rejected for her interest in a job. Once you wear it, there’s no backing out, Amal has many doubts if wearing the hijab was a good decision or not.A challenge that Amal faced was the likelihood of racist comments when she wore the hijab in public. Tia and others in her life were rude and disrespectful towards Amal. Another challenge was having to explain her decision to everyone. Her class thought because Amal was Muslim, she was an impact on the Muslim terrorists. Mr Pearse was thoughtful towards Amal and was always lending a hand if she needed any help. When Amal start ed wearing the hijab at school, everyone stared and thought differently about her.Amal tried to make it clear, that it was her decision, not her parents, especially to Ms Walsh and her Aunt and Uncle. Amal is Australian, and it was her choice to wear the hijab as a full-timer because she thought it respected her religion and beliefs and everyone has the right to make their own choice. Amal’s friends and most of her family, respected her decision and supported her through the tough times. Amal realised she wasn’t wearing it for attention, she was wearing it because it’s what made her feel comfortable about herself and she is proud of it.

On the First of October 2017

On the first of October 2017, the Catalonian president Carles Puigdemont held a succession vote to declare the territory of Catalonia as independent from Spain. Ninety percent of votes were in favor for independence (Catalonia). Later in the month, on the 27th of October, Puigdemont declared the northwestern territory of Spain as independent. The Spanish government responded by suspending the Catalonian government and managing the region under the central government, which is justified under Article 155 of their constitution which entitles that the government of Spain can â€Å"take the measures necessary† to â€Å"protect general interests† (The Spanish). But the succession forces in Catalonia are trying to challenge the Spanish Constitution over the illegality of their independence. The question is if these blockades imprinted in the Constitution are moral to be put into place. This situation of political chaos has escalated to the extent where the former regional leaders of Catalonia are either in jail in Madrid or in exile in Belgium and if they were to return to the region of Catalonia, they would face prosecution for treason (Minder). However, this has not stopped the succession forces in the region to try and put Puigdemont and his cabinet back into office. The controversy in these situations lies on a case to case basis. The campaign in territories seeking independence is based on the prosecution and legality of the laws set in place by the mother country. In Kurdistan, the Kurds want to succeed from the Iraqi government due to the oppression the people have had from historically being manipulated by other governments (Ali). The debate on the independence referendum in Scotland is based around the kingdom's decision to remain part of the European Union or leave with the rest of the United Kingdom. To reach a decision in these debates, one must look into the social, political, and economic viewpoints for the morality of the independence situation for these territories. Initially, â€Å"the Kurds have long fought for their freedom, and have faced unimaginable oppression as a people† (Ali). This is the view of the 35 million Kurdish peoples long fight for independence starting back in World War Two. However, this movement has found conflict both in this region of Iraq and in the Western powers. In the case of Kurdistan, the debate if the territory should have their own state and if the United States and the other Western powers should support the Kurdish independence movement. Mohammed Ali's opinion on this, the referendum in 2014 followed disputes on the sharing of oil proceeds between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Iraqi Government (Ali). This has had lukewarm reception by the Western governments. The Kurdish people have just reasoning and have proven reliable, so why would governments want to inhibit this process? So why, would the vote for independence in the region be condemned. Overall, Mohammed Ali is a journalist for the Independent and has articles about the situation in Kurdistan. Ali's bias, as formally stated, makes his statements very questionable and focused on his side of the argument. Krishnadev Calamur is a senior editor at The Atlantic and focuses mostly on news reports in the Middle East and Asia and on the United States involvement, which adds a sense of bias for Kurdistan to his articles.Subsequently, â€Å"Scotland is being dragged out of the EU against our will,† and this underlines the need for Scotland to have self-determination (Clock). The issue in Scotland and their movement towards succession is based around the United Kingdom leaving the European Union. Some of the nationalist parties in Scotland are organizing a referendum after the parliament of the United Kingdom decided to leave the European Union (Clock). These parties say that Scotland had little say in this matter and they think that Scotland would have better hopes of governing itself inside of the European Union (Clock). The increased following on the nationalist parties and the formation of a referendum would need to happen sooner than later if any movement is to happen in this territory. To analyze, The Herald newspaper in Scotland backed a no vote in the independence referendum but proclaims itself to be unbiased from any political belief. The newspaper is the eighth oldest newspaper in the world and has political bias depending on which authors are working for The Herald. With all of this noted, it can be inferred that the bias of this article is to the nationalistic side of the Scotland argument due to bold statements against leaving the European Union.In Catalonia, the constitution instituted Article 155 in Catalonia to stop the region from leaving Spain. This independence movement has hurt Catalonia as a whole. â€Å"Unemployment, retail sales, and tourist numbers all came in worse than expected for the end of 2017 while the growth of the Catalan economy lagged behind the nation as a whole† (Savitsky). This economic situation did not trouble Catalonia before this active movement for succession. Catalonia has added up to sixteen percent of the population and twenty percent of the Spanish economy, which is 223.6 billion euros as of October 2017 (Bosch). If the government of Catalonia is able to succeed, the tensions between the two sides would reduce, and the governments could focus on more important issues, like the economy, and be able to progress further separately.To evaluate, this side of the Catalonia issue shows that if the region of Catalonia is able to succeed, it would allow both Spain and Catalonia to progress from their currently regressed economic situations. From this position, it would be the best for both sides for Catalonia to become independent. From the opposing viewpoint, Kurdistan would have a struggling economy if they became independent. An Iraqi trader mentioned that â€Å"the market would die† if the Kurds threats became reality (Dziadosz). The economy in the region is based on oil sales that add up to ninety percent of its revenues (Dziadosz). This could bring a problem of self-reliance for the Kurdish people. Also, the majority of the oil goes to Turkey, which questions to the viability of the economy of an independent Kurdistan arise (Dziadosz). Despite this, even Turkey is against the independence of the Kurds. The President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan mentioned the Kurds vote for independence as â€Å"treachery† and that the region would â€Å"not find food or clothing† if independence ensued (Dziadosz). This threat has kept the Kurds from becoming independent is due to the one dimensional economy of oil and the fact that basic goods in the region need to be imported (Dziadosz). Based on the facts, should Kurdistan become an independent nation with the knowledge that it cannot support itself economically.To evaluate, Alex Dziadosz is a freelance journalist currently based in Lebanon and has been awarded the New York Press Award for his reporting in Iraq. Based on this, Dziadosz has seemed to take evidence of his findings from the Middle East to make his own credible statements and this article seems to be no exception. Moreover, Scotland is seen to be better off if Scotland stays with the United Kingdom. As a whole, the United Kingdom is a world power that is both relatively small both geographically and in population. Scotland benefits from being considered a world power. Scotland also values the United Nations, where the United Kingdom is one of the five permanent members on the world security council (McCafferty). This makes Scotland, England, and Northern Ireland stronger together than in their separate ways. As well, the complaint that Scotland is not represented in the United Kingdom is not true. Based on evidence, Scotland has more money spent on public services per person than that of England, a  £1,460 difference (McCafferty). As with that, the general public opinion in Scotland is that they are â€Å"equally Scottish and British† and many Scots have family across the border (McCafferty).In analysis, Ross McCafferty is a writer for the Scotsman that talks about his views on politics and sports in the United Kingdom and Scotland. The fact that McCafferty states his views in his articles could make them have questionable bias if they are not backed up with facts and not recognize the other side of the issue. McCafferty's article has a bias for continued union with the United Kingdom but is no less reliable based on the facts and evidence proposed in the article.Furthermore, the issue of the independence of Catalonia is a risk of uncertainty for the region. Economists at Berenberg Bank, one of the leading private banks based in Germany, mentioned that there was no practical way for Catalonia to become an independent nation inside of the European Union (Kottasovà ¡). With independence, Catalonia would not be a World Trade Organization member, and would face major trade barriers (Kottasovà ¡). With these blockades, the price of imported goods into the region would rise, and would result in more unemployment (Kottasovà ¡). The region could also use the euro as a currency, but with no representation, as they would not have a seat in the European Central Bank (Kottasovà ¡). With this, the region of Catalonia would face barriers far larger than the ones that they currently have with Spain. This would most likely result in the loss of the rest of the Spain as a trade partner. With this, would they be able to risk the uncertainty that would ensue with independence?To evaluate, Ivana Kottasovà ¡ is a reporter at CNN Money that covers European business and economy. The article covers both sides of the issue in Catalonia but focuses mostly on the perspective of Spain. The author's credentials and the evaluation of both sides of the case makes the case of the economics seem credible. Thus, after the evaluation of the cases, one can decide the logical perspective that each case should be placed into. Initially, my perspective on the issue was for the independence for these territories. But after extensive research and contemplation on the subject matter, my perspective has changed. Currently with the Kurdish people, there is evidence of an inefficient economy based solely on oil with an unestablished government. Secondly, in Scotland, the country would be better prepared, both economically and politically, to stay with the rest of the United Kingdom. No matter what the nationalistic politicians claim, they are receiving help from the rest of the union. However, I still believe the circumstance in Catalonia is still under debate. The Catalans have a diverse economy in a territory around the size of Belgium. The territory also has the political leaders ready to take the next step from Spain with the public opinion of the region on their side. In final analysis, the information presented is still very limited. There is a need for the evaluation of the individual bias of the leaders of each government to ensure that their beliefs are for the best. Along with that, there is the need for the analysis of past territories that have either become independent or have stayed with their union. The issue at hand is very complex and is in need for further review for each case independently. Overall, I stand that the territories should be able to show their protest, but in the cases provided, these territories should stay with their current nations.

1984 Oppression Essay

In the dystopian novel 1984, George Orwell portrays a society where betrayal is not only acceptable, but it is actively encouraged through the use of psychological manipulation, which demonstrates the weakness of the individual to resist oppression. The party has built the society in such a way that when Parson is turned in by his daughter to the Thought Police he reacts with â€Å"sort of a doleful pride† (233). Parson is an example of the unthinking masses of the society; he has been oppressed for so long his ability for individual thought has been greatly diminished. He doesn’t even question if he truly committed treason against Big Brother, he does not take into consideration that his seven year old daughter may be lying. Parsons doesn’t show any anger toward his daughter that betrayed him, his response is the exact opposite he is proud that his daughter is doing what is best for the party. The party’s oppression of the individual begins at birth, through methodical thought conditioning. The party transforms the children of the society into model citizens that are willing to betray their own flesh and blood. See more: Foot Binding In China essay Through the party’s use of psychological manipulation the framework of the society urges its citizens to pursue the enemies of Big Brother. This further cements the Party’s power. The party dehumanizes them so that their inhibitions are only showing loyalty to the party. Through the domination of thought the party ensures that its citizens are completely loyal to Big Brother. The telescreen is a tool for the party; the citizens of Oceania live in constant fear of being monitored by the screens that they end up betraying their thoughts through their body language. â€Å"The smallest thing could give you away. A nervous tic, an unconscious look, a habit of muttering to yourself-anything that carried with the suggestion of abnormality†(79). Oceania’s citizens don’t know when they are being watched, the byproduct of this is the citizens policing themselves, giving the Thought Police the ability to completely control them. The fear produced by the telescreens lead the people expose themselves to the eyes of the party, which ultimately leads them to betray themselves .The party overwhelms the minds capacity by a constant stream of propaganda coming out of the telescreen at all hours of the day allowing the party to completely dominate the minds of the people, taking away the potential of individual thought. Betrayal in the society George Orwell created in 1984 was expected. Through the domination of the individual thought, and their inability to resist that oppression, betrayal of one’s comrades was only natural. Individual thought was so greatly overshadowed by the party’s constant stream of propaganda in the novel that there was no place for it in the minds of the citizens. The psychological manipulation that the party inflicted on its citizens everyday made it impossible for the individual to resist oppression.

Exploring the geological history Essay

Firstly we will explore the importance of the site of the town. Because St. Aubins has a town on the sea, it grew up on sites close to a natural harbour, which afforded shelter to the vessels that carried the seaborne trade, upon which the existence of the town depended. St. Aubin is a town of this last class; a glance at a map of Jersey will show that it and Gorey are the only accessible natural harbours which are completely sheltered from the strong westerly winds. St. Aubins is sheltered from the sea on all sides except from the South-East to South. It is widely believed that St. Aubins was once the capital of Jersey; but this can not be true because from the earliest times the Royal Court and the States have met in St. Helier. Also St. Aubin had no church until the 18th Century, and it would be very weird if the capital was left churchless.  Small vessels of the time, securely moored†¦could lie safely in all weathers. The want of depth of water, so detrimental to our town in these days, mattered then, when vessels where very small, and when men where not in such a hurry as they are now, and did not mind waiting patiently for a high tide. This naturally sheltered harbour must have been a resort for fisherman from the earliest time when our island was cut off from the continent. There can be no doubt that St. Aubins is the best natural port in the Island.  The salt and dried cod they brought home found a market in the Roman Catholic countries, where there was an especially large demand during Lent. The ships that carried the fish to these countries brought back cargoes of foreign produce, which in turn was distributed in Northern Europe in exchange for timber for ship-building, hemp for cordage, canvas for sales, pitch and other goods. So a lucrative trade grew up, and the town increased in wealth and importance. St. Helier too, though it had little trade or shiping, seems to have been slightly more populous than St. Aubins, even in it’s great days.  The two towns in fact lived on quite dissimilar lines, the townsmen of St. Helier lived upon the Court, with its lawyers and functionaries, and upon the country people who came into market and to do there business, while the inhabitants of St. Aubins lived upon there overseas trade, and especially upon the Newfoundland fishery. After this time the state of St. Aubin increased slowly but steadily for about one hundred years. Then the ship owners found it very profitable on account of the long wars with France, to fit out and arm vessels as privateers, and the profits earned where so high that this kind of trade grew rapidly until St. Aubins became the chief privateering port in the kingdom. The privateers were fast vessels, heavily armed with guns, and manned with large crews, needed both to work the ships and guns. The captains each carried a Royal Commission called a â€Å"letter of marque† authorising the capture of the ships and goods of the French. The letter of marque was an important document, as it was all that stood between the whole crew hanged as pirates if taken by an enemy man-of-war. No wages were paid to any of the hands but each received his share of the prizes taken.  In the early years of the last century, St. Aubins reached its high point of importance, but then began to fall off owing to the competition of the new port of St. Helier, which was rapidly increasing its harbour accommodation. Of the two largest St. Aubins merchants, the house of Robin moved to St. Helier, while the Janvrins ceased business. This was a serious blow to St. Aubins, so that by about 1850 its shipping had dwindled to small figures, while St. Heliers had increased until it was the sixth port of the whole British Empire. The peace after the Battle of Waterloo helped this result, as privateers became useless and the large St. Aubins capital sunk in them was so great extent lost.  An attempt to make this port for granite export failed, though for a time, the export of gravel brought many ships back to the port. The coming of the railway was a great event. A company formed in 1846 accomplished nothing. A new company in 1861 met with many difficulties; but at last the track was laid. In 1870, the first train was greeted with salvo cannon, and the dean read an eloquent prayer. Two hundred guests lunched in a marquee in the Noirmont grounds. And trains ran continually to bring the while Island to the fete and the fireworks. In 1899, this line was extended to Corbiere. But the advent of the motor bus eventually killed the trains, and in1935 they ceased running. Later, the four-mile track from St. Aubin to La Corbiere was transformed into one of the pleasantest walks on the Island. The Germans relayed the line when making their fortifications; but they have now been removed. The Chief legacy the Germans left to St. Aubin is the immense tunnel which they blasted into the side of the hill to hold their reserve ammunition.  On the 20th October 1941 Hitler declared that the Channel Islands would become an impregnable fortress. Thousands of foreign workers, mostly Spanish, French, Polish and Russian were being poured into the Island to assist in the building of bunkers, gun emplacements, tunnels and sea walls. They needed sand, granite chippings, cement, water and, of course, reinforcing metal. Transport of the first two presented a considerable problem and was largely responsible for the building of the railways. The metre gauge line from St. Helier to St. Aubin and Corbiere can be said to have started opposite commercial buildings, within a stone’s throw of the former J.R. & T Weighbridge terminus. From West Park to St. Aubins tunnel, the roadbed of the former J.R. & T was more or less followed. The line was single throughout except for an occasional crossing loop. A blast wall had already been built at the eastern end of the old J.R. & T tunnel at St. Aubin as a protection from the extensive galleries which were being excavated. The bore of the tunnel itself had been greatly increased and the galleries driven through solid rock, the area being second only to that of the much better known underground hospital, to which rather surprisingly no connecting railway was laid.