The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 25

The Asian Invasion After a relatively short workout and an even shorter – and silent – run with Tiffany, I hop a train to Philadelphia. Following Jake's directions, I walk down Market Street toward the river, turn right on Second Street, and follow the road to his building. When I reach the address, I am surprised to find that Jake lives in a high-rise that overlooks the Delaware River. I have to give my name to the doorman and tell him who I am visiting before he will let me in the building. He's just an old man in a funny costume, who says â€Å"Go Eagles† when he sees my Baskett jersey, but my brother having a doorman is sort of impressive, regardless of the man's uniform. Another old man wears a different sort of funny costume in the elevator – he even has on one of those brimless monkey hats – and this man takes me to the tenth floor after I tell him my brother's name. The elevator doors open, and I walk down a blue hallway on a thick red carpet. When I find number 1021, I knock three times. â€Å"What's up, Baskett?† my brother says after he opens the door. He's in his Jerome Brown memorial jersey because it's game day again. â€Å"Come on in.† There is a huge bay window in the living room, and I can see the Ben Franklin Bridge, the Camden Aquarium, and tiny boats floating on the Delaware. It's a beautiful view. I immediately notice that my brother has a flat-screen television thin enough to hang on the wall like a picture – and it is even bigger than Dad's television. But strangest of all, my brother has a baby grand piano in his living room. â€Å"What's this?† I ask. â€Å"Check it out,† Jake says. He sits down on the piano bench, lifts the cover off the keys, and then actually starts playing. I am amazed that he can play â€Å"Fly, Eagles, Fly.† His version isn't very fancy, just a simple chord progression, but it's definitely the Eagles' fight song. When he begins to sing, I sing along with him. When he finishes, we do the chant and then Jake tells me he has been taking lessons for the past three years. He even plays me another song, which is very unlike â€Å"Fly, Eagles, Fly.† This next song is familiar – surprisingly gentle, like a kitten walking through high grass – and it seems so unlike Jake to create something this beautiful. I actually feel my eyes moistening as my brother plays with his eyes shut, moving his torso back and forth with the sway of the piece, which also looks funny because he is wearing an Eagles jersey. He makes a couple of mistakes, but I don't even care, because he is trying very hard to play the piece correctly for me and that's what counts, right? When he finishes, I clap loudly and then ask him what he was playing. â€Å"Pathetique. Piano Sonata number 8. Beethoven. That was part of the second movement. Adagio cantabile,† Jake says. â€Å"Did you like it?† â€Å"Very much.† Truthfully, I am amazed. â€Å"When did you learn to play?† â€Å"When Caitlin moved in with me, she brought her piano, and she's sort of been teaching me all about music ever since.† I start to feel dizzy because I have never heard mention of this Caitlin, and I think my brother just told me she lives here with him, which would mean my brother is in a serious relationship I know nothing about. This does not seem right. Brothers should know about each other's lovers. Finally I manage to say, â€Å"Caitlin?† My brother takes me into his bedroom, and there's a big wooden poster bed with two matching armoires that look like guards facing each other. He picks up a framed black-and-white photo from the bed stand and hands it to me. In the photo, Jake's cheek is smashed against a beautiful woman's. She has short blond hair, cut almost like a man's, and she is very delicate-looking, but pretty. She is in a white dress; Jake is in a tuxedo. â€Å"That's Caitlin,† Jake says. â€Å"She plays with the Philadelphia Orchestra sometimes and does a lot of recording in New York City too. She's a classical pianist.† â€Å"Why have I not heard about Caitlin before?† Jake takes the portrait from my hands and stands it up on the dresser. We walk back into the living room and sit down on his leather couch. â€Å"I knew you were upset about Nikki, so I didn't want to tell you that I was †¦ well †¦ happily married.† Married? The word hits me like a giant wave, and suddenly I am slick with sweat. â€Å"Mom actually tried to get you out of that place in Baltimore for the Mass, but it was when you were first admitted and they wouldn't let you out. Mom didn't want me to tell you about Caitlin yet, so I didn't at first, but you're my brother, and now that you're home, I wanted you to know about my life, and Caitlin's the best part. I've told her all about you and – if you want – you can meet her today. I had her go out this morning while I broke the news to you. I can call her now, and we can have lunch before we go down to the Linc. So, do you want to meet my wife?† The next thing I know, I'm at a little swanky cafe off South Street, sitting across from a beautiful woman who holds my brother's hand under the table and smiles at me unceasingly. Jake and Caitlin carry the conversation, and it feels a lot like when I am with Veronica and Ronnie. Jake answers most of the questions Caitlin asks me, because I do not say much at all. No mention is made of Nikki or my time at the bad place or just how bizarre it is that Caitlin has been married to my brother for years, yet I had never met her. When the waiter comes, I say I'm not hungry, because I don't have very much money on me – only the ten bucks my mother gave me for the subway, since I already spent five bucks on the PATCO ticket. But my brother orders for all of us and says he is treating, which is nice of him. We eat fancy ham sandwiches with some sort of sun-dried tomato paste, and when I finish, I ask Caitlin if the ceremony was a nice one. â€Å"What ceremony?† she says, and I catch her looking at the little white scar above my right eyebrow. â€Å"Your wedding ceremony.† â€Å"Oh,† she says, and then looks lovingly at my brother. â€Å"Yes. It was really nice. We had the Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City and then a small reception at the New York Palace.† â€Å"How long have you been married?† My brother shoots his wife a look that I do not miss. â€Å"A while now,† she says, which makes me feel crazy because everyone present knows that I do not remember the last couple of years – and because she is a woman, Caitlin knows exactly how long she has been married to Jake. It is obvious she is trying to protect me by being vague. This makes me feel awful, even though I realize Caitlin is trying to be kind. My brother pays the bill, and we walk Caitlin back to their apartment building. Jake kisses his wife by the entrance door, and his love for her is so obvious. But then Caitlin kisses me right on the cheek, and with her face only a few inches from mine, she says, â€Å"I'm glad I finally got to meet you, Pat. I hope we'll become good friends.† I nod because I don't know what else to say, and then Caitlin says, â€Å"Go Baker!† â€Å"It's Baskett, dummy,† Jake says, and Caitlin blushes before they kiss again. Jake hails a taxi and tells the driver, â€Å"City Hall.† In the taxi I tell my brother I don't have any money to pay for the taxi ride, but he says I never have to pay for anything when I am with him, which is a nice thing to say, but his saying it makes me feel sort of strange. Underneath City Hall, we buy subway tokens, spin a turnstile, and then wait for the southbound Orange Line. Even though it is only 1:30 p.m. and kickoff is not for seven hours yet, even though it is a Monday, a day when most people have to work, many men in Eagles jerseys are already waiting on the platform. This makes me realize that Jake is not working today – it makes me realize I do not even know what Jake does for a living, which really starts to freak me out. I think hard and remember that my brother was a business major in college, but I cannot remember where he works, so I ask him. â€Å"I'm an options trader,† he says. â€Å"What's that?† â€Å"I play the stock market.† â€Å"Oh,† I say. â€Å"So who do you work for?† â€Å"Myself.† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"I work for myself and do all my business online. I'm self-employed.† â€Å"Which is why you could take off early to hang out with me.† â€Å"That's the best part about being self-employed.† I am very impressed with Jake's ability to support himself and his wife by playing the stock market, but he doesn't want to talk about his work. He thinks I'm not smart enough to understand what he does; Jake doesn't even try to explain his work to me. â€Å"So what did you think of Caitlin?† he asks me. But the train comes, and we join the herd of boarding Eagles fans before I can answer. â€Å"What did you think of Caitlin?† he asks again after we find seats and the train starts moving. â€Å"She's great,† I say, avoiding eye contact with my brother. â€Å"You're mad at me for not telling you about Caitlin right away.† â€Å"No, I'm not.† I want to tell him all about Tiffany following me when I run; finding the â€Å"Pat† box; how Mom is still on strike and dirty dishes are in the sink and Dad turned his white shirts pink when he did the wash; how my therapist Cliff says I need to stay neutral and not get involved in my parents' marital problems but only focus on improving my own mental health – but how can I do that when Dad and Mom are sleeping in separate rooms and Dad is always telling me to clean the house and Mom is telling me to leave it filthy – and I was having a hard time keeping it together before I found out my brother plays the piano and trades stocks and is living with a beautiful musician and I have missed his gala wedding and therefore will never see my brother marry, which is something I very much wanted to see, because I love my brother. But instead of saying any of this, I say, â€Å"Jake, I'm sort of worried about seeing that Giants fan again.† â€Å"Is that why you've been so quiet today?† my brother asks, as if he has forgotten all about what happened before the last home game. â€Å"I doubt a Giants fan will show up at the Green Bay game, but we're going to set up in a different parking lot anyway, just in case any of the asshole's friends are looking for us. I got your back. Don't worry. The fat guys are setting up the tent in the lot behind the Wachovia Center. No worries at all.† When we arrive at Broad and Pattison, we exit the subway car and climb back up into the afternoon. I follow my brother through the thin crowds of diehards who – like us – have begun tailgating seven hours before kickoff, on a Monday no less. We walk past the Wachovia Center, and when the fat men's green tent comes into view, I can't believe what I see. The fat men are outside of the tent with Scott, and they are yelling at someone hidden by their collective girth. A huge school bus painted green – it's running, and the driver is inching toward our tent. On the hood of the bus is a portrait of Brian Dawkins's bust, and the likeness is incredible. (Dawkins is a regular Pro Bowler who plays free safety for the Birds.) As we get closer, I make out the words the asian invasion along the side of the bus, which is full of brown-faced men. This early in the afternoon, parking spaces are plentiful, so I wonder what the argument is about. Soon I recognize the voice, which argues, â€Å"The Asian Invasion has been parked in this very spot for every home game since the Linc was opened. It's good luck for the Eagles. We are Eagles fans, just like you. Superstition or not, our parking the Asian Invasion bus in this very spot is crucial if you want the Birds to win tonight.† â€Å"We're not moving our tent,† Scott says. â€Å"No fucking way. You should have gotten here earlier.† The fat men reiterate Scott's sentiment, and things are getting heated. I see Cliff before he sees me. â€Å"Move the tent,† I say to our friends. Scott and the fat men turn to face me; they look surprised by my command, almost bewildered, as if I have betrayed them. My brother and Scott exchange a glance, and then Scott asks, â€Å"Hank Baskett – destroyer of Giants fans – says, ‘Move the tent'?† â€Å"Hank Baskett says, ‘Move the tent,'† I say. Scott turns and faces Cliff, who is shocked to see me. Scott says, â€Å"Hank Baskett says, ‘Move the tent.' So we move the tent.† The fat guys groan, but they begin to break down our tailgate party, and soon it is moved three parking spaces over, along with Scott's van, at which time the Asian Invasion bus pulls forward and parks. Fifty or so Indian men exit – each one of them wearing a green number 20 Dawkins jersey. They are like a small army, and soon, several barbecues are going and the smell of curry is all around us. Cliff played it cool and did not say hello to me, which I realize was his way of saying, â€Å"It's your call, Pat.† He simply faded away into the other Dawkins jerseys, so I would not have to explain our relationship, which was kind of him. When we have our tent resituated, when the fat men are inside watching television, Scott says, â€Å"Hey, Baskett. Why did you let the dot heads have our parking spot?† â€Å"None of them have a dot on their head,† I say. â€Å"Did you know that little guy?† Jake asks me. â€Å"Which little guy, me?† We turn around, and Cliff is standing there with a sizzling platter of vegetables and meat cubes skewered on sticks of wood. â€Å"Indian kabobs. Quite delicious. For allowing us to park the Asian Invasion bus in its usual spot.† When Cliff lifts the platter up, we each grab an Indian kabob, and the meat is spicy, but delicious, as are the vegetables. â€Å"And the men in the tent – would they also like one?† â€Å"Hey, fat-asses,† Scott yells. â€Å"Food.† The fat men come out and partake. Soon everyone is nodding and complimenting Cliff on his delicious food. â€Å"Sorry for the trouble,† Cliff says so nicely. He's been so kind – even after hearing Scott call him a dot head – that I can't help claiming Cliff as a friend, so I say, â€Å"Cliff, this is my brother, Jake, my friend Scott, and †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I forget the fat men's names, so I just say, â€Å"Friends of Scott.† â€Å"Shit,† Scott says. â€Å"You should have just told us you were friends with Baskett here and we wouldn't have given you any trouble. You want a beer?† â€Å"Sure,† Cliff says, putting the empty tray down on the concrete. Scott hands everyone a green plastic cup, we all pour bottles of Yuengling Lager, and then I am drinking beers with my therapist. I am afraid Cliff will yell at me for drinking when I am on medications, but he doesn't. â€Å"How do you guys know each other?† one of the fat guys says, and then I realize that by â€Å"you guys,† he means Cliff and me. I am so happy to be drinking beers with Cliff that I say, â€Å"He's my therapist,† before I can remind myself to lie. â€Å"And we are friends too,† Cliff quickly adds, which surprises me but makes me feel pretty good, especially since no one says anything about my needing a therapist. â€Å"What are your boys doing?† Jake asks Cliff. I turn around and see ten or so men rolling out huge sheets of Astroturf. â€Å"They are rolling out the Kubb fields.† â€Å"What?† everyone says. â€Å"Come on, I'll show you.† And this is how we came to play what Cliff calls the Swedish Viking game while tailgating before Monday Night Football. â€Å"Why do a bunch of Indians play a Swedish Viking game?† one of the fat men asks. â€Å"Because it's fun,† Cliff replies, so cool. The Indian men are quick to share their food and are also so knowledgeable regarding Eagles football. They explain Kubb, which is a game where you throw wooden batons to knock down your opponent's kubbs, which are wooden blocks set up on opposite baselines. The knocked-down kubbs get tossed to the opponents' field and set up where they land. To be truthful, I am still not exactly sure how it all works, but I know the game ends when you clean the opponents' field of kubbs and knock down the kubb king, which is the tallest block of wood, set up in the center of the Astroturf. Cliff surprises me by asking if he can be my partner. All afternoon he tells me which blocks to aim for, and we win many games in between bouts of eating Indian kabobs and drinking our Yuengling Lager and the Asian Invasion's India Pale Ale out of green plastic cups. Jake, Scott, and the fat men assimilate into the Asian Invasion tailgate party very nicely – we have Indians in our tent, they have white guys on their Kubb fields – and I think all it really takes for different people to get along is a common rooting interest and a few beers. Every so often one of the Indian men yells â€Å"Ahhhhhhhh!† and when we all do the chant, we are fifty or so men strong, and our â€Å"E!-A!-G!-L!-E!-S! EAGLES!† is deafening. Cliff is deadly with his wooden batons. He mostly carries our team as we play Kubb against various groupings of men, but we end up winning the money tournament, in which I did not even know we were playing until we won. One of Cliff's boys hands me fifty dollars. Cliff explains that Jake paid my entry fee, so I try to give my brother my winnings, but Jake will not let me. Finally, I decide to buy rounds of beer inside the Linc, and I stop arguing with my brother over money. After the sun sets, when it is just about time to go into Lincoln Financial Field, I ask Cliff if I can talk to him alone, and when we walk away from the Asian Invasion, I say, â€Å"Is this okay?† â€Å"This?† he replies, and the glassy look in his eyes suggests he is a little drunk. â€Å"The two of us hanging out like boys. What my friend Danny would call ‘representing.'† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"Well, because you are my therapist.† Cliff smiles, holds up a little brown finger, and says, â€Å"What did I tell you? When I am not in the leather recliner †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You're a fellow Eagles fan.† â€Å"Damn right,† he says, and then claps me on the back. After the game I catch a ride back to Jersey on the Asian Invasion bus, and the Indian men and I sing â€Å"Fly, Eagles, Fly† over and over again because the Eagles have beaten the Packers 31 – 9 on national television. When Cliff's friends drop me off in front of my house, it's after midnight, but the funny driver, who is named Ashwini, hits the horn on the Asian Invasion bus – a special recording of all fifty members screaming â€Å"E!-A!-G!-L!-E!-S! EAGLES!† I worry that maybe they have woken up everyone in my neighborhood, but I can't help laughing as the green bus pulls away. My father is still awake, sitting on the family-room couch watching ESPN. When he sees me, he doesn't say hello, but loudly begins to sing, â€Å"Fly, Eagles, fly. On the road to victory †¦Ã¢â‚¬  So I sing the song one more time with my father, and when we finish the chant at the end, my dad continues to hum the fight song as he marches off to bed without so much as asking me a single question about my day, which has been extraordinary to say the least, even if Hank Baskett only had two catches for twenty-seven yards and has yet to find the end zone. I think about cleaning up my father's empty beer bottles, but I remember what my mother told me about keeping the house filthy while she is on strike. Downstairs, I hit the weights and try not to think about missing Jake's wedding, which still has me down some, even if the Birds did win. I need to work off the beer and the Indian kabobs, so I lift for many hours.

Key Concepts of Creativity and Innovation Worksheet

Key Concepts of Creativity and Innovation  Worksheet University of Phoenix Sara Garski October 10, 2011 Key Concepts of Creativity and Innovation Worksheet |Concept |Application of concept in scenario |Citation of concept |Personal experience in your | |(Identify at least five concepts)| |in reading |organization | | |Best Snacks has been one of the leading companies |Jones, G. (2004). |In my organization the employees| |Exploitation |in their industry for several years. The company |Organizational |are always learning. Within my | | |has become |Theory, Design, and |team we are | | |complacent which has caused them to barely hold |Change. Upper Saddle|Encouraged to come up with new | | |the number two position. In order to remain and |River, New Jersey: |ways that will make the team and| | |gain back that competitive advantage, Best Snacks |Prentice-Hall. the company better as a whole. | | |must look at new ways of doing various activities | |One of my teammates | | |within the company. Exploitation is defined as, | |Came up with an idea | | |organizational | |To add to one of our | | |members learning of ways to refine and improve | |Current systems. After | | |existing organizational procedures (Jones 2004. | |The idea had went | | |Pg. 376). With the new CEO, Elizabeth Fairchild, | |Through the proper | | |joining the Company, she is determined to see why | |Channels, it was | | |Best Snacks is failing after being successful for | |Implemented. Although adding a | | |many years. She plans on working with vice | |Extra component to | | |president, Sabrina McKay, to help the company come| |An existing system, took awhile,| | |up with new and innovative procedures, that will | |it was worth the wait, | | |eventually | |Because it saved the | | |place Best Snacks back in the leading position. |Company money in | | | | |The long run. | | |Best Snacks has always promoted from within in the|Davila, T. , Epstein,|A radical Innovation in My | | |past. They have decided to do something different |M. , & Shelton, R. |organization | | |by bringing in a new CEO from outside with a |(2006). Making |Back in June of 2010. The | |Radical Innovation |different background. The new CEO, Elizabeth, |Innovation Work: How|company added | | |plans to have a new cultural change |To Manage It, |A regional office in the | | |program designed to increase |measure It, And |Franklin, TN area. The reason | | |employees’ creative thinking skills (Scenario 1). |Profit From It. |for the new Office was to assist| | |Elizabeth wants to see these changes made and |Upper Saddle River, |The abundance of Customers | | |results within one year. These changes are |New Jersey: Wharton |within the Middle Tennessee | | |considered radical innovation, |School Publishing. Area. The company | | |because is setting the bar for new | |Has continuously | | |changes within the company. Normally Radical | |Growed in a small | | |Innovations are set by a company within | |Amount of time. In the TN office| | |the industry, but Elizabeth, first wants to | |we have | | |accomplish | |Been able to meet | | |these changes from | |Goals, create more | | |within, then introduce the new | |Effiecent procedures, and handle| | |changes to competitors. |operations | | | | |That other offices | | | | |Have not been able to. | | |Best Snacks maintained a |Davila, T. Epstein,|My organization | |Business Model |successful Business Modal for |M. , & Shelton, R. |Changed its Business | | |many years, which contributed |(2006). Making |Model, to better serve | |Change |to their success. With |Innovation Work: How|It customers. They | | |competition steadily increasing, Best Snacks will |To Manage It, |Designed the Model | | |have to |measure It, And |Around their new face and | | |re-introduce and |Profit From It. |slogan, â€Å"Long Term Smart. † This | | |revamp their business model in |Upper Saddle River, |Simply is ensuring that | | |order to compete in the industry. New Jersey: Wharton |Customers get the rights | | |The company has went outside it’s Normal practice |School Publishing. |products for | | |and | |Them and their families. The | | |brought in a New CEO to put a different | |modal is | | |Perspective and spin on things. The CEO plans to | |Meant for consumers | | |show results within the company in 12 months. | |To think long term | | | | |Which will benefit them more in | | | | |the | | | | |Future rather than now. | | | | | | |Products and Services are the main part of any |Davila, T. , Epstein,|My organization | | |organization. Companies have to not only |M. , & Shelton, R. |offers many different | | |make sure that they are offering |(2006). Making |products and services | |Product and Service Offerings |products and services that the |Innovation Work: How|from life insurance to | | |consumers want. Companies |To Manage It, |annuities. The | | |have to ensure they are |measure It, And |company ensures that | | |constantly creating or offering |Profit From It. they have the | | |the newest products. In most |Upper Saddle River, |products that | | |instances consumers have |New Jersey: Wharton |consumers want. | | |been conditioned to expect |School Publishing. |Our agents go through | | |product innovation to such an | |extensive training | | |extent now it is ommon for | |to be able to provide | | |people to time their purchases | |and sell individuals | | |(Davila, Epstein, & Shelton 2006 | |products that are right for | | |Pg. 35). Best Snacks have | |them. If a certain | | |not been offering many products | |product is not | | |or service to consumers over the past couple of | |performing well, the | | |years. They have lost the customer loyalty base | |company evaluates it | | |and a huge part of the market. |and decides if it is | | |The old saying goes, â€Å"If you | |the best interest to | | |don’t do it, someone else will. † | |pull the product and | | |Best Snacks, needs to apply that | |offer a different one. | |same concept to their business. | | | | |Their competition is growing | | | | |fast and taking the customers | | | | |that once was committed to Best Snacks. | | | |Best Snack’s is faced with a |Jones, G. (2004). |In my organization, | |Organizational |serious problem of lack of |Organizational |Because of industry | | |creative thinking and new |Theory, Design, and |Decisions have to be | |Decision Making |innovation. Organizational |Change. Upper Saddle|Made in a timely | | |Decision Making is defined as |River, New Jersey: |Manner depending | | |the process of responding |Prentice-Hall. |On the problem. | |to a problem by searching for | |Sometimes decisions | | |and selecting a solution or | |Are made at the | | |course of action that will create value for | |higher level, | | |organizational | |whereas other | | |stakeholders (Jones 2004. Pg. | |decisions can be | | |368). Hopefully the new plan | |made by managers | | |that Sabrina will initiate to the | |Or even employees. I Personally | | |Staff will help the company get back on track. The| |had a | | |employees | |customer upset | | |have become complacent | |because of a certain | | |because the company has done | |process that was in | | |well for many years. In order for best Snacks to | |place and because she was going | | |gain their market | |to | | |share back they will have to | |another country, | | |change. The stakeholders have | |would create a | | |become apprehensive of Best | |problem for her. I made the | | |Snacks ability to perform and | |decision to | | |stay competitive. The new | |override this | | |changes and decision, will | |process As a | | |hopefully show the stakeholders | |courtesy. Once I | | |that the company is still capable | |was finished | | |of being on top. |handling the issue, I told my | | | | |Manager | | | | |what I had | | | | |done and she was | | | | |happy that I went ahead and done| | | | |that, verses causing | | | | |the customer to | | | | |escalate the | | | | |situation Further. |

Articles of Confederation vs. Constitution Essay

The Articles of Confederation and the Constitution each had their own impacts on the United States economy. It can be shown that the drafting of the Constitution reversed the control of economic authority between the national government and the states, specifically regarding the laying and levying of taxes. The stipulations of taxation are clarified in the Articles and the Constitution through Article VIII and Article I, Section 8, respectively. Both statements provide for an easy analysis of taxation considering the means of taxation and how it is assessed, who collects the taxes, and the purpose of these duties. An additional observation can be made regarding the effects of slavery on the Constitution and how that is reflective of the economic impacts of the document. With the comparison of these aspects, a conclusion can be made about the reasoning behind the change of this provision in the Articles. The American Revolution resulted in a substantial amount of debt for the United States. To finance the War of Independence, Congress had borrowed large sums of money by selling interest-bearing bonds and paying soldiers and suppliers in notes to be redeemed in the future (Foner, 200). The Continental Congress owed $42 million at the end of the revolution (Lecture #9). The states lacked a secure source of revenue, so they had to address taxation in their first written constitution, The Articles of Confederation. They used this constitution as an initial attempt to apportion taxes to the states. The Articles of Confederation primarily addresses taxation in its eighth article. According to this article, the government is levying taxes to each state as a whole, based on the value of each state. The taxes collected will be used to fund a single account to pay the charges of war. This is clarified in the document when Article VIII states that the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“common treasury which shall be supplied by the several States in proportion to the value of all land within each state.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Furthermore, the document states that any additional improvements of buildings and land will be taken into account for the estimation of the value of the respective state. This stipulation allows the assembly of Congress to increase taxes with any proportional increase in the value of the land within a state. The next  paragraph of the article refers to who will be laying and collecting these taxes. It declares that the dues will be à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“laid and levied by the authority and direction of the legislatures of the several States.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  The main notion to be extracted from the Articles of Confederation is the fact that Congress did not possess the power to levy taxes or regulate commerce by any means. The states retained the ability to adopt their own economic policies. Utilizing this power, several states printed sums of money in order for individuals to pay their debts (Foner, 200). In summation, Article VIII of the Articles of Confederation left Congress with very little financial power as well as a lack of a dependable source of revenue. Due to the need for better regulation of interstate commerce, a group of fifty-five delegates congregated to form the Constitutional Convention, with the objective of drafting an entirely new constitution. The Constitution completely reversed the distribution of authority, transferring numerous economic powers from the states to Congress. This is verified in the first clause of Article I, Section 8 of the document in which it affirms that Congress has the power à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Unlike the Articles of Confederation, which imposed taxes based on the value of each state, the first clause of the Constitution announced a uniform collection of duties, imposts, and excises throughout the United States. From this clause, it can be understood that these taxes will now be collected by Congress, in contrast to state legislatures. However, the purpose of the taxation remains consistent with the first constitution, as they both use the money to pay debts, provide for the common defense, and promote the general welfare of the United States. Additional clauses empowered Congress to regulate interstate and international commerce, as well as borrow and coin money. The Constitution also included conditions that barred the states from issuing paper money, levying taxes, and interfering with commerce (Foner, 205). As stated, these provisions stripped the states of the power they retained under the Articles, and bestowed them onto Congress. Moreover, an emphasis can be placed on the issue of slavery, as it had a significant impact on the economy as well. Slavery was not notably  recognized in the Articles of Confederation, but was implicitly addressed in the Constitution. One prominent acknowledgement of slavery with respect to the economy was the Three-Fifths Compromise. This proclaims that taxes shall be apportioned to States based on the sum of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  By counting slaves as property as well as three fifths of a person toward the census, people with more slaves owed more taxes (Lecture #9). Congress also found a source of revenue by allowing importation of slaves, yet taxing those that are taking them in. This is indicated in the Non-Importation Clause, which states that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“a Tax or Duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollar s for each Person (Article I, Section 9). When writing the Constitution, the national government clearly found ways to generate revenue from slavery. In addition, slavery had a large influence on the Constitutionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s impact on the United States economy. Article VIII of the Articles of Confederation may have been drastically altered into Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution for a number of reasons. The transfer of power from the state legislatures to the national government that resulted from this provision change can be proven to be a purely economic decision. Due to the overwhelming debt from the war, Congress needed a more controllable, secure source of income. Consequently, the delegates at the Constitutional Convention drafted this section to put control back into the national governmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s hands. With the Articles of Confederation, the states were separate, but equally powerful entities. One can perceive that the national government did not believe the states would be able to succeed with this system in place. The Constitution generated a more unified and collective assembly to work toward c ommon goals. This was made possible by reassigning the economic sovereignty to the national government. In conclusion, the drafting of the Constitution can be simplified to a transfer of economic power to the national government used to generate secure sources of revenue to get out of debt. The Articles of Confederation was merely too passive and vague to create a dependable taxation plan. The Constitution administered a well-defined formulation to allow an easier way for the national government to collect income. Giving Congress a substantially greater extent of economic dominance and the states more limitations, the national government was able to utilize a widespread  amount of resources to implement taxation. Clearly, the change of Article VIII to Article I, Section 8 spawned an absolute change of power from the states to the national government.

Unit2crim discuss Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit2crim discuss - Essay Example Scott Roeder does not deny killing George tiller, but the key to the case is to understand what was going on in Scott Roeder’s mind at the time of the killing. As the trial judge, this case depends on whether Scott Roeder’s idea in the use of deadly force was sensible. It is evident that he acted in an imperfect defense of the unborn children since he believed that the â€Å"preborn children† were in looming danger of being killed. This verdict by the trial judge indicates that the anti-abortion activist believed that the direct use of deadly force was essential in protecting against danger. In the recent decades, several states have expanded the debate to incorporate issues of unborn children killed by violent acts alongside expectant women. In some states, legislation increases criminal penalties for crimes that involve expectant women. Other legislation in other states has defined the unborn child as a person under feticide laws or fetal homicide (Steinbock 129). These laws create awareness on the mischief done to an expectant woman and the consequent pregnancy lost, but not on the unborn child’s rights. Therefore, if this case happened in a state that did not have a fetal homicide statute, I believe that the trial judge will do the same thing, by considering the mitigating factor of imperfect self defense. This is because they emphasize that fetal homicide laws impartially criminalize these cases and that they provide a chance to save from harm the fetuses and their mothers. These laws grant a fetus legal status different from the expectant woman, perhaps cre ating an adversarial bond between a woman and her unborn child (Steinbock 130). Several individuals and pro-life groups support these laws. They believe that human personhood starts at conception. Consequently, when an expectant mother is killed, the perpetrators are seen as having committing two murder acts. These are the killing of the pregnant

The Costco Case Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Costco Case - Assignment Example In an industry where competition is stiff, an organization need to develop strategies that would enhance its position in the marketing by attracting more customers. The competitors here are sure employing several strategies such as pricing in an attempt to develop a competitive edge and be the market leader. Yes, all these three club rivals-Costco, Sam’s and BJ’s wholesale have high similar strategies. They both sell their products at very low prices to attract customers, offer a variety of products from which customers can choose from, have a strong emphasis on low operating costs, all use cross-docking technique to reduce the operational cost and to guarantee that the products reach the stores and the customers in good time and all the stores ensure quality products to their customers. All also ensure that they offer quality to execute, quality merchandise and superior shopping experience to all their customers and members in the wholesale club industry. However, there are some different in their strategies of the BJ’s that are apparent. BJ’s ensures that it stocks a broader product assortment than Sam’s club and the Costco club, it also offers its products in some smaller package sizes that are easier for its customers to carry home and store conveniently compared to the other two clubs, it is the only club that accept manufacturing coupon which provides added value to its customers, and it also allows its customers to purchase various products online through their website if such products are not found in the companies warehouse club. Therefore, BJ’s appears to have a better strategy than the other two rivals. On the other hand, Sam’s strategies appear to be some weak compared to the other two competitors. Its strategy seems to follow the market trend. It does not have any unique strategies for its products but responds to the

Arbitration Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Arbitration Law - Assignment Example to consider before getting into an agreement such as this one and the relevant alternative methods of solving disputes that may arise between the parties to a contract such as this other than arbitration2. In addition to that, this report shall guide you through a practical approach into the identification of pitfalls that may come with the drafting of such a clause in a contract aside from providing the benefits that can be gained according to the law over the counter-party that arise from drafting the standard dispute resolution clause3. While drafting a standard dispute resolution clause, the author should ensure that the content is not ambiguous and can be clearly understood by both parties4. It is important to note that the courts in England will seek to implement the agreement as agreed upon by both parties on the dispute resolution mechanism. In the event that such information is not clearly stipulated in the dispute resolution clause resulting from the clause being poorly written, both parties to the contract may find themselves in unfamiliar grounds in trying to seek a way out of their dispute5. The dispute resolution clause should not be confused with the governing law clause because the dispute resolution clause provides the forum that both parties to the contract wish their disputes to be resolved in any case they arise. Parties to the contract specify the methods of solving their disputes in the standard dispute resolution clause6. These methods range from arbitration to reference to litigation and even mediation. Reference to litigation, also known as Jurisdiction Clause, is done through the courts. The jurisdiction clause is added when parties to a contract want a certain court, or a specific number of courts, to determine their case. However, including the jurisdiction clause into the contract in a situation where the parties have settled on an alternative forum as their most preferred is outlawed7. This clause is one of the considerations to be

Housing Market in Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Housing Market in Australia - Essay Example Bourassa (1996) has stated that the measures required for identifying the affordability of housing-ownership is primarily based upon the accumulated data but it is required to ignore the distribution of wealth and income as well as the ranges of housing prices. For analyzing the trend of housing pattern in Australia, Bourassa (1996) builds a study based upon the previous research of Grigsby and Rosenburg. The study then, proposes a method of Borrowing Constraint. The method of Borrowing Constraint was applied from the year 1989 to 1990 for household survey data for Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. The results concluded that there are hypothetical changes in interest rates and deposit requirements are kept minimum. Along with these results, furthermore, it had been concluded that under any given scenario, there is very diminutive percentage of people who are living in rented households to afford private ownership without putting themselves into the circle of poverty (Bourassa). Anothe r study conducted by Beer (1999) stated that there have been many changes in the private rental sector within the housing system of Australia. It has moved itself from the tenure of transition that is primarily comprised of saving of young household. Increase in the prices of real houses, increasing interest rates, increase in the rate of deaths of household through separation and divorces, changes in the pays of workers and inability to maintain the position of the tenure. Moreover, Beer (1999) also stated that there has been decline in access to public housing. Research conducted by Beer (1999) had emphasized on the changing dimensions of the private rental housing within Australia. The nature of investors and the size of investment in the sector of housing stocks had also been examined. Furthermore, the impact of the investment strategies on the housing sector market of Australia was also highlighted (Beer). Hayward (2008) conducted a study to determine whether the property owner s in Australia are reluctant or not. The paper covered the history of public housing and property owner in Australia. The study conducted by Hayward (2008) revealed that the golden era of public housing in Australia was from 1945 to 1956. During this time, the Commonwealth State Housing Agreement (CSHA) laid a foundation for making public housing system more viable in Australia. After that, the history of public housing started to cripple in this country. Emphasis on housing policy shifted from rentals to home ownership. Despite of viewing the development of State Housing Authorities, some people claim that this decade was not as substantial nor it was that decade where it would be favorable to return. In long run, the history of Australia is the one where the Government has been best reluctant landlords. The era from 1945 to 1956 is considered as best understood in this general trend (Hayward). The paper presented by Wulff and Maher (2010) examined the housing characteristics of pr ivate renters in Australia in long run. The study comprised of a sample of 4677 private renters. The sample had been drawn from ABS Survey of Rental Tenants 1994. The results revealed that 40% of the renters were long-term renters, having rented their property for more than 10 years, which shows that there has been substantial trend of rented household in Australia. Long-term conditions were further divided into

Management accounting and healthcare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Management accounting and healthcare - Essay Example This paper talks about the interaction of research in management accounting and the healthcare sector. With the availability of a rich body of literature from various journal articles the paper focuses on a number of complex and important aspects of the topic in terms of accounting management risks, costs, regulations as well as existing opportunities in the dynamic environment of the healthcare sector. Furthermore the potential the health sector holds as far as management accounting research hold is discussed and facilitated with the description of the current developments in healthcare.Research in the management accounting of the health care sector primarily comprises of investigating the accounting and the control systems that are used by decision makers within the organization. A key component of the research in the accounting and healthcare sector is that which revolves around the cost associated with the everyday operations that are undertaken by these organizations. The rich b ody of literature available in this area has focused on a number of complex and important problems that arise in budgeting, contracting, cost accounting, management and reporting (Luft and Shields, 2003). Extant literature in the field of accounting published primarily approach the issue using an economics based theoretical framework, and focus on the study for-profit organizations. This paper discusses the distinct advantages and research opportunities offered by the healthcare industry that can be used by management accounting researchers. We look at the scope as well as the role played by the accounting practices mainly centered on cost management and risks in the healthcare sectors. Then we look at the implications of cost shifting and revenue constraints by hospitals operating in a changing regulatory environment and the impact that competition has on the need for accounting information. Next we view the advantages of using healthcare data for management accounting research. In the last section we look at the current development in the health care industry. Opportunities for Managerial Accounting Research in Health Care A setting that comprises of organizations with a large number of attributes as well as diversity provides researchers with considerable potential to study complex issues. The health care sector which consists of a multitude of hospitals in every country in the world has prevalent attributes such as multi dimensional objective functions, complex production functions and a huge number of diverse stakeholders. Furthermore major shifts in the regulation of this sector can be observed in the way it has moved from cost plus to fixed price reimbursement in many countries namely UK, Germany and Taiwan. Most notable is the move of the focus of competition from non price factors like quality to price-and-cost based competition, showing a major alteration to not only the revenue functions but also financial risk. Due to these changes the various aspe cts of hospital accounting, reporting and control systems are all impacted. This can simply be seen when you view the dilemma that surrounds health care contributing to both regulatory and normative pressures. It is required that hospitals provide patients with the best quality care regardless of their ability to pay while on the other hand it is imperative that they remain financially viable. This dilemma adds complexity to other aspects such as motivation, compensation, and evaluation of performance by hospital managers. If we view the aspect of compensation in isolation we will notice another critical element contributing to its complexity. This being ownership types such as non profit, for profit or public providing the same service and competing for the same customer base (Dranove, 1988; Hoerger, 1991; Pauly and Redisch, 1973). There are three distinct aspects of the healthcare sector which have a great influence on behavior as well as outcomes. These are regulation and competi tion, contracting and

Its still Worth It Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Its still Worth It - Essay Example This report concerns the value of completing college education which overshadows having none at all. Research conducted by ACT shows that students attending private universities stand a 57 percent chance of completing their studies in five years. Comparatively, those in public universities have low chances of completing their studies by standing at 37 percent. Indeed, there exist different reasons why students delay in completing their courses. Some of the reasons include undertaking part-time classes and transferring to a different school. Sometimes, students find it hard to pay cater for the costs incurred during the long-periods of college education. The essay presents students enrolled at private institutions, especially prestigious ones, have better chances of completing their studies on time and seeking jobs that pay better. Most importantly, the time taken for one to attain a degree in college provides a direct reflection of their ability to secure a job and the salary they will earn. A student who graduates during a difficult financial season will have a harder time getting a job in addition to receiving a good pay. On the other hand, students with stable financial backgrounds find it easy to acquire new opportunities and better salaries than their counterparts. Therefore, the scenario will most likely affect the overall ability of the person to meet his financial obligations such as paying of his student’s loan.