The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove Chapter 26~27

Twenty-six Val and Gabe entered the bar, then stepped out of the doorway and stood by the blinking pinball machine while their eyes adjusted to the darkness. Val wrinkled her nose at the hangover smell of stale beer and cigarettes; Gabe squinted at the sticky floor, looking for signs of interesting wild life. Morning was the darkest part of a day at the Head of the Slug Saloon. It was so dark that the dingy confines of the bar seemed to suck light in from the street every time someone opened the door, causing the daytime regu-lars to cringe and hiss as if a touch of sunshine might vaporize them on their stools. Mavis moved behind the bar with a grim, if wobbly, determin-ation, drinking coffee from a gar-goyle-green mug while a Tarryton extra long dangled from her lips, dropping long ashes down the front of her sweater like the smoking turds of tiny ghost poodles. She went about setting up shots of cheap bourbon at the empty curve of the bar, lining them up like soldiers before a firing squad. Every two or three minutes an old man would enter the bar, bent over and wearing baggy pants – leaning on a four-point cane or the last hope of a painless death – and climb onto one of the empty stools to wrap an arthritic claw around a shot glass and raise it to his lips. The shots wer e nursed, not tossed back, and by the time Mavis had finished her first cup of coffee, the curve of the bar looked like the queue to hell: crooked, wheezing geezers all in a row. Refreshments while you wait? The Reaper will see you now. Occasionally, one of the shots would sit untouched, the stool empty, and Mavis would let an hour pass before sliding the shot down to the next daytime regular and calling Theo to track down her truant. Most often, the ambulance would slide in and out of town as quiet as a vulture riding a thermal, and Mavis would get the news when Theo cracked the door, shook his head, and moved on. â€Å"Hey, cheer up,† Mavis would say. â€Å"You got a free drink out of it, didn't you? That stool won't be empty for long.† There had always been daytime regulars, there always would be. Her new crop started coming in around 9 A.M., younger men who bathed and shaved every third day and spent their days around her snooker table, drinking cheap drafts and keeping a laser focus on the green felt lest they get a glimpse of their lives. Where once were wives and jobs, now were dreams of glorious shots and clever strategies. When their dreams and eyesight faded, they filled the stools at the end of the bar with the day-time regulars. Ironically, the aura of despair that hung over the day-time regulars gave Mavis the closest thing to a thrill she'd felt since she last whacked a cop with her Louisville Slugger. As she pulled the bottle of Old Tennis Shoes from the well and poured it down the bar to refill their shot glasses, a bolt of electric loathing would shoot up her spine and she would scamper back to the other end of the bar and stand there breathless until her stereo pacemakers brought her heartbeat back down from redline. It was like tweaking death's nose, sticking a KICK ME sign on the head of a cobra and getting away with it. Gabe and Val watched this ritual without moving from their spot by the pinball machine. Val was cautious, just waiting for the right moment to move to the bar and ask if Theo had called. Gabe was, as usual, just being socially awkward. Mavis retreated to her spot by the coffeepot, presumably out of death's reach, and called down to the couple. â€Å"You two want something to drink, or you just window-shopping?† Gabe led them down the bar. â€Å"Two coffees please.† He looked quickly to Val for her approval, but she was fixated on Catfish, who was seated across from Mavis near the end of the bar. Just beyond him was another man, an incredibly gaunt gentleman whose skin was so white it appeared translucent under the haze of Mavis's cigarette smoke. â€Å"Hello, uh, Mr. Fish,† Val said. Catfish, who was staring at the bottom of a shot glass, looked up and forced a smile through a face betraying hangdog sorrow. â€Å"It's Jefferson,† he said. â€Å"Catfish is my first name.† â€Å"Sorry,† Val said. Mavis made a mental note of the new couple. She recognized Gabe, he'd been in with Theophilus Crowe a number of times, but the woman was a new face to her. She put the two coffees in front of Gabe and Val. â€Å"Mavis Sand,† Mavis said, but she didn't offer her hand. For years she'd avoided shaking hands because the grip often hurt her arthritis. Now, with her new titanium joints and levers, she had to be careful not to crush the delicate phalanges of her customers. â€Å"I'm sorry,† Gabe said. â€Å"Mavis, this is Dr. Valerie Riordan. She has a psychiatric practice here in town.† Mavis stepped back and Val could see the apparatus in the woman's eye focusing – when the light from over the snooker table caught it right, the eye appeared to glow red. â€Å"Pleased,† Mavis said. â€Å"You know Howard Phillips?† Mavis nodded to the gaunt man at the end of the bar. â€Å"H.P.,† Gabe added, nodding to Howard. â€Å"Of H.P.'s Cafe.† Howard Phillips might have been forty, or sixty, or seventy, or he might have died young for all the animation in his face. He wore a black suit out of the nineteenth century, right down to the button shoes, and he was nursing a glass of Guinness Stout, although he didn't look as if he'd had any caloric intake for months. Val said, â€Å"We just came from your restaurant. Lovely place.† Without changing expression, Howard said, â€Å"As a psychiatrist, does it bother you that Jung was a Nazi sympathizer?† He had a flat, upper-class British accent, and Val felt vaguely as if she'd just been spat upon. â€Å"Ray of sunshine, Howard is,† Mavis said. â€Å"Looks like death, don't he?† Howard cleared his throat and said, â€Å"Mavis has come to mock death, since most of her mortal parts have been replaced with machinery.† Mavis leaned into Gabe and Val as if guarding a secret, even as she raised her voice to make sure Howard could hear. â€Å"He's been cranky for some ten years now – and drunk most of that time.† â€Å"I had hoped to develop a laudanum habit in the tradition of Byron and Shelley,† Howard said, â€Å"but procurement of the substance is, to say the least, difficult.† â€Å"Yeah, that month you drank Nyquil on the rocks didn't help either. He'd drop off at the bar stool sittin' straight up, sit there asleep sometimes for four hours, then wake up and finish his drink. I have to say, though, Howard, you never coughed once.† Again Mavis leaned into the bar. â€Å"He pretends to have consumption sometimes.† â€Å"I'm sure the good doctor is not interested in the particulars of my substance abuse, Mavis.† â€Å"Actually,† Gabe said, â€Å"we're just waiting for a call from Theo.† â€Å"And I think I'd prefer a Bloody Mary to coffee,† Val said. â€Å"Ya'll ain't goin to talk me into chasin no monster, so don't even try,† Catfish said. â€Å"I got the Blues on me and I got some drinkin to do.† â€Å"Don't be a wuss, Catfish,† Mavis said as she mixed Val's cocktail. â€Å"Monsters are no big deal. Howard and me got one, huh, Howard?† â€Å"Walk in the proverbial park,† Howard said. Catfish, Val, and Gabe just stared at Howard, waiting. Mavis said, â€Å"Course your drinking started right after the last one, didn't it?† â€Å"Nonstop,† Howard said. Theo It occurred to Theo, as he tried to keep a safe distance from the sheriff's Caddy turning into the ranch, that he had never been trained in the proper procedure for tailing someone. He'd never really followed anyone. Well, there was a sixth-month period in the seventies when he had followed the Grateful Dead around the country but with them, you just followed the trail of tie-dye and didn't have to worry about them killing you if they found out you were behind them. He also realized that he had no idea why, exactly, he was following Burton, except that it seemed more aggressive than curling into a ball and dying of worry. The black Caddy turned through a cattle gate onto the section of the ranch adjacent the ocean. Theo slowed to a stop under a line of eucalyptus trees beside the ranch road, keeping the sheriff in sight between the tree trunks. The grassy marine terrace that dropped to the shoreline was too open to go onto without Burton noticing. He would have to let the Caddy pass over the next hill, nearly half a mile off the road, before he dared follow. Theo watched the Caddy bump over the deep ruts in the road, the front wheels throwing up mud as it climbed the hill, and suddenly he regretted not having driven the red four-wheel-drive truck. The rear-wheel-drive Mercedes might not be able to follow much farther. When the Caddy topped the hill, Theo pulled out and gunned the Mer-cedes through the cattle gate and into the field. Tall grass thrashed at the underside of the big German car as rocks and holes jarred Theo and threw Skinner around like a toy. Momentum carried them up the side of the first hill. As they approached the crest, Theo let off the gas. The Mercedes settled to a stop. When he applied the gas again, the back wheels of the Mercedes dug into the mud, stuck. Theo left Skinner and the keys in the car and ran to the top of the hill. He could see more than a mile in every direction, east to some rock outcrop-pings by the tree line, west to the ocean, and across the marine terrace to the north, which curved around the coastline and out of sight. South, well, he'd come from the south. Nothing there but his cabin and beyond that the crank lab. What he could not see was the black Cadillac. He checked the battery in his cell phone and both pistols to see that they were loaded, then he set out on foot toward the rocks. It was the only place the Caddy could have gotten out of sight. Burton had to be there. Twenty minutes later he stood at the base of the rock outcroppings, sweating and trying to catch his breath. At least maybe he'd get some lung capacity back, now that he wasn't smoking pot anymore. He bent over with his hands on his knees and scanned the rocks for any movement. These were no gentle sedimentary rocks formed over centuries of settling seas. These craggy bastards looked like gray teeth that had been thrust up through the earth's crust by the violent burp of a volcano and the rasping shift of a fault line. Lichen and seagull crap covered their surfaces and here and there a creosote bush or cypress tried to gain a foothold in the cracks. There was supposed to be a cave around here somewhere, but Theo had never seen it, and he doubted that it was big enough to park a Cadillac in. He stayed low, moving around the edge of the rocks, expecting to see the flash of a black fender at every turn. He drew his service revolver and led around each turn with the barrel of the gun, then changed his strategy. That was like broadcasting a warning. He bent over double before peeking around the next corner, figuring that if Burton heard him or was waiting, he would be aiming high. The vastness of what Theo didn't know about surveillance and combat techniques seemed to be expanding with every step. He just wasn't a sneaky guy. He skirted a narrow path between two fanglike towers of rock. As he prepared to take a quick peek around the next turn, his foot slipped, sending a pile of rocks skittering down the hill like broken glass. He stopped and held his breath, listening for the sound of a reaction somewhere in the rocks. There was only the crashing surf in the distance and a low whistle of coastal wind. He ventured a quick glance around the rock and before he could pull back, the metallic click of a gun cocking behind his head sounded like icicles being driven into his spine. Molly Molly was sorting through the piles of clothing the pilgrims had left by the cave entrance. She had come up with two hundred and fifty-eight dollars in cash, a stack of Gold Cards, and more than a dozen vials of antidepressants. A voice in her head said, â€Å"You haven't seen this many meds since you were on the lock-down ward. They have a lot of gall calling you crazy.† The narrator was back, and Molly wasn't at all happy about it. For the last few days, her thinking had been incredibly clear. â€Å"Yeah, you're helping a lot with my mental health self-image,† she said to the narrator. â€Å"I liked it better when it was just me and Steve.† None of the pilgrims seemed to notice that Molly was talking to herself. They were all in some trancelike state, stark naked, seated in a semicircle around Steve, who lay in the back of the cave, where it was dark, with his head tucked under his forelegs, flashing sullen colors across his flanks: olive drab, rust, and blue so dark that it appeared more like an afterimage on the back of the eyelid than an actual color. â€Å"Oh yeah, you and Steve,† the narrator said snidely. â€Å"There's a healthy couple – the two greatest has-beens of all time. He's sulking, and you're robbing people who are even nuttier than you are. Now you're going to feed them to old lizard lick over there.† â€Å"Am not.† â€Å"Looks like none of these people has had any sun or exercise since high school gym class. Except for that guy who came in Birkenstocks, and he has that Gandhi-tan vegetarian starvation stare that looks like he'd slaughter a whole kindergarten for a Pink's foot-long with sauer-kraut. You feel okay about making them strip and prostrate themselves before the big guy?† â€Å"I thought it would make them go away.† â€Å"The lizard is using you.† â€Å"We care about each other. Now just shut up. I'm trying to think.† â€Å"Oh, like you've been thinking so far.† Molly shook her head violently to try and dislodge the narrator from her mind. Her hair whipped about her face and shoulders and stood out in a wild mess. The narrator was quiet. Molly pulled a compact out of one of the pilgrims' purses and looked at herself in the mirror. She certainly couldn't have looked much crazier. She braced for the narrator's comment, but it didn't come. She tried to get in touch with the warm feeling that had been running through her since Steve had appeared, but it just wasn't there. Maybe the pilgrims were using up his energy. Maybe the magic had just passed. She remembered sitting on a deck in Malibu, waiting for a producer who had just made love to her, only to have his Hispanic maid show up with a glass of wine and an apology that â€Å"The mister had to go to the studio, he very sorry, you call him next week please.† Molly had really liked the guy. She'd broken her foot kicking his spare Ferrari as she left and had to eat painkillers through the filming of her next movie, which eventually put her in detox. She never heard from the producer again. That was being used. This was different. â€Å"Right,† said the narrator sarcastically. â€Å"Shhhhh,† Molly said. She heard someone scuffling on the rocks outside the cave. She snatched up the assault rifle and waited just inside the cave mouth. Twenty-seven Val Val was wishing she had a video recorder to preserve the gargantuan lie that Mavis Sand and Howard Phillips had been telling over the last hour. According to them, ten years ago the village of Pine Cove had been visited by a demon from hell, and only through the combined effort of a handful of drunks were they able to banish the demon whence it came. It was a magnificent delusion, and Val thought that she could at least get an aca-demic paper on shared psychosis out of it. Being around Gabe had ignited her enthusiasm for research. When Mavis and Howard wrapped up their story, Catfish started in with his tale of being pursued through the bayou by a sea monster. Soon Gabe and Val were spouting the details of Gabe's theory that the monster had evolved the ability to affect the brain chemistry of its prey. Tipsy after a few Bloody Marys and taken by the momentum of the tale, Val confessed her replacement of Pine Cove's supply of antidepressants with placebos. Even as she unburdened herself, Val realized that her and Gabe's stories were no more credible than the fairy tale Mavis and Howard had just told. â€Å"That Winston Krauss is a weasel,† Mavis said. â€Å"Comes in here every day acting like his shit don't stink, then overcharges the whole town for something they ain't even gettin. Should'a known he was a fish-fucker.† â€Å"That's in strictest confidence,† Val said. â€Å"I shouldn't have mentioned it.† Mavis cackled. â€Å"Well, it ain't like I'm gonna run tell Sheriff Burton on you. He's weasel with a capital Weas. Besides, girl, you increased my business by eighty percent when you took the wackos off their drugs. And I thought it was old Mopey down there.† Mavis shot a bionic thumb toward Catfish. The Bluesman put down his drink. â€Å"Hey!† Gabe said, â€Å"So you believe that there really is a sea monster on that ranch?† â€Å"What reason would you have to lie?† said Howard. â€Å"It would seem that Mr. Fish is an eyewitness as well.† â€Å"Jefferson,† Catfish said. â€Å"Catfish Jefferson.† â€Å"Shut up, you chickenshit,† Mavis spat. â€Å"You could have helped Theo when he asked you. What's that boy think he's doing following that sheriff out to the ranch anyway? It's not like he can do anything.† Gabe said, â€Å"We don't know. He just left and told us to come here and wait for his call.† â€Å"Ya'll some heartless souls,† Catfish said. â€Å"I lost me a good woman because of all this.† â€Å"She's smarter than she looks,† Mavis said. â€Å"Theo has my Mercedes,† Val added, feeling out of place even as she said it. Suddenly she felt more ashamed of looking down on these people than she did about all of her professional indiscretions. â€Å"I'm getting worried,† said Gabe. â€Å"It's been over an hour.† â€Å"I don't suppose you thought about calling him?† Mavis asked. â€Å"You have his cell phone number?† Gabe asked. â€Å"He's the constable. It's not like he's unlisted.† â€Å"I suppose I should have thought of that,† said Howard. Mavis shook her head and one of her false eyelashes sprung up like a snare trap. â€Å"What, you three got thirty years of college between you and not enough smarts to dial a phone without a blueprint?† â€Å"Astute observation,† Howard said. â€Å"I ain't got no college,† Catfish said. â€Å"Well, cheers to you for being just naturally stupid,† Mavis said, picking up the phone. The daytime regulars at the end of the bar had snapped out of their malaise to have a laugh at Catfish. There's nothing quite so satisfying to the desperate as having someone to look down on. Theo The gun barrel was pushed so hard into the spot behind Theo's ear that he thought he could hear bone cracking. Burton reached around and took the .357 and tossed it aside, then he took the automatic from Theo's waistband and did the same. â€Å"On the ground, facedown.† Burton kicked Theo's feet out from under him, then put his knee in the constable's back and handcuffed him. Theo could taste blood where his lip had split hitting the rock. He turned his head to the side, raking his cheek on some lichen. He was terrified. Every muscle in his body ached with the need to run. Burton smacked him across the back of the head with his pistol, not hard enough to knock him out, but when the white-hot light of the blow faded, Theo could feel blood oozing into his right ear. â€Å"You fucking stoner. How dare you fuck with my business?† â€Å"What business?† Theo said, hoping ignorance might buy his life. â€Å"I saw your car at the lab, Crowe. The last time I talked to Leander he was on his way to see you. Now where is he?† â€Å"I don't know.† The pistol smacked Theo on the other side of the head. â€Å"I don't fucking know!† Theo shrieked. â€Å"He was at the lab, then he was gone. I didn't see him leave.† â€Å"I don't care if he's alive or dead, Crowe. And it doesn't make any difference to you either. But I need to know. Did you kill him? Did he run? What?† â€Å"I think he's dead.† â€Å"You think?† Theo could feel Burton rearing back to hit him again. â€Å"No! He's dead. He's dead. I know it.† â€Å"What happened?† Theo tried to think of a plausible explanation, something that would buy him a minute, a few more seconds even, but he couldn't clear his head. â€Å"I'm not sure,† he said. â€Å"I?CI heard gunfire. I was in the shed. When I came out, he was gone.† â€Å"Then how do you know he's dead?† Theo couldn't see any advantage to telling Burton that Molly had told him. Burton would track her down and put her in the same shallow grave that he was going to end up in. â€Å"Fuck you,† Theo said. â€Å"Figure it out.† The pistol whipped across the back of Theo's head and he nearly passed out this time. He heard a ringing in his ears, but a second later he realized that it wasn't in his ears at all. His cell phone was ringing in his shirt pocket. Burton rolled him over and put the barrel of the gun on Theo's right eyelid. â€Å"We're going to answer this, Crowe. And if you fuck up, the calling party is going to hear a very loud disconnect.† The sheriff bent down until his face was almost touching Theo's and reached for the phone. Suddenly a series of deafening explosions went off a few feet away and bullets whined off the rocks like angry wasps. Burton rolled off Theo and into a shallow crevice just below them. Theo felt someone grab his collar and pull him to his feet. Before he could see who it was, a dozen hands closed on him and dragged him out of the sun. He fell hard on his back and the gunfire stopped. His phone was still ringing. A cloud of bats was swirling above him. He looked up to see Molly Michon standing over him with a smoking assault rifle, and in that second, she looked like what he had always ima-gined an avenging angel might look like, except for the six naked white guys standing behind her. â€Å"Hi, Theo,† she said. â€Å"Hi, Molly.† Molly pointed to the phone in his shirt pocket with the barrel of her rifle. â€Å"You want me to get that?† â€Å"Yeah, it might be important,† Theo said. There was a gunshot and a bullet whined off the edge of the cave entrance and ricocheted into the darkness. Theo could feel the roar that rose up out of the back of the cave vibrating in his ribs. The Sheriff Burton reached over the edge of the crevice and fired a shot in the general direction of the cave, then braced himself for return fire from the AK-47, but instead he heard a roaring that sounded like someone had dropped the entire cast of The Lion King in a deep fryer. Burton was not a coward, not by any means, but a man would have to be insane not to be frightened by that noise. Too much weirdness, too fast. A woman in a leather bikini and thigh-high boots firing an AK-47 while six naked guys dragged Crowe into a cave. He needed time to regroup, call in backup, drink a fifth of Glenlivet. It seemed safe here for the time being. As long as he didn't move, no one could get a firing angle on him without making a target of himself. He pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket, then paused, trying to figure out who to call. A general officer-in-trouble call could bring anyone, and the last thing he needed was television helicopters hovering around. Besides, his goal wasn't to arrest the suspects, he needed them silenced for good. He could call in the guys from the crank lab, if he could get hold of them, but the vision of a bunch of untrained illegal immigrants running around on this hill with automatic weapons didn't seem like the best strategy either. He had to call SWAT, but only his guys. Eight of the twenty men on the SWAT team were in his pocket. Again, he couldn't go through dispatch. They'd have to be called in on private lines. He dialed the number that rang into the information center deep in the basement of the county justice building. The Spider picked up on the first ring. â€Å"Nailsworth.† â€Å"It's Burton. Listen, don't talk. Call Lopez, Sheridan, Miller, Morales, O'Hara, Crumb, Connelly, and LeMay. Tell them to come in full SWAT to the Beer Bar Ranch north of Pine Cove, the northern access road. There's a cave here. Pull up whatever maps you need and give them directions. Do not use open channels. They are not to log in or report to anyone where they are going. There are at least two suspects in the cave with automatic weapons. I'm pinned down about ten yards from the west-facing entrance. Have them meet south of the rocks, they'll see them, then have Sheridan call me. No aircraft. Find out if there's another entrance to this cave. I need everyone in place ASAP. Can you do it?† â€Å"Of course,† the Spider said. â€Å"It's going to take them a minimum of forty minutes, maybe more if I can't find them all.† Burton could hear the Spider's fat fingers blazing on his keyboard already. â€Å"Send whoever you can find. Tell them to come in separate cars. Tell them to avoid sirens if possible on the way up, definitely once they hit the ranch.† â€Å"Do you have descriptions of the suspects?† â€Å"It's Theophilus Crowe and a woman, five-eight, one twenty, twenty-five to forty years old, gray hair, wearing a leather bikini.† â€Å"Twenty-five to forty? Pretty specific,† the Spider said sarcastically. â€Å"Fuck you, Nailsworth. How many women do you think are running around these hills wearing a leather bikini and shooting an AK? Call me when they are on the way.† Burton disconnected and checked the battery on the phone. It would last. Since the roaring sound had come from the cave, it had been quiet, but he didn't dare peek over the edge of the crevice. â€Å"Crowe!† he shouted. â€Å"It's not too late to work this out!† Theo The naked guys were standing over Theo, wearing dazed smiles, as if they'd all just shared a big pipe of opium. â€Å"Jesus, was that it?† Theo asked, Steve's roar still ringing in his ears. â€Å"Him,† Molly corrected, holding up a finger to shush Theo as she pressed the answer button on his phone. â€Å"Hello,† she said into the phone. â€Å"None of your business. Who is this?† She covered the mouthpiece and said, â€Å"It's Gabe.† â€Å"Tell him I'm okay. Ask him where he is.† â€Å"Theo says he's okay. Where are you?† She listened for a second, then covered the mouthpiece again. â€Å"He's at the Slug.† â€Å"Tell him I'll call him right back.† â€Å"He'll call you back.† She disconnected and tossed the phone in the pile of clothing by the door. Theo looked up at the naked guys. He thought he recognized a couple of them, but didn't want to acknowledge that he did. â€Å"Would you guys back off a little?† Theo said. They didn't move. Theo looked at Molly. â€Å"Can you tell them to go somewhere? They're making me nervous.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Molly, I don't know if you've notice, but all these guys are in a – a state of arousal.† â€Å"Maybe they're just glad to see you.† â€Å"Would you tell them to back off, please?† Molly motioned for the naked guys to move away. â€Å"Go. Go. Back to the back of the cave, guys. Go. Go. Go.† She poked at a couple of them with the assault rifle. Slowly they turned and ambled farther back into the cave. â€Å"What in the hell is wrong with them?† â€Å"What do you mean, wrong? They're acting like all guys do, they're just being more honest about it.† â€Å"Molly, seriously, what did you do to them?† â€Å"I didn't do anything. That's how they've been acting since they saw Steve back there.† Theo looked to the back of the cave, but could only see the partially lit backs of a group of people sitting on the cave floor. â€Å"It's like they're in a trance or something.† â€Å"Yeah, isn't it cool? They came to help me get you when I asked, though. So they're not total zombies. I'm, like, in charge.† Blood was dripping out of Theo's scalp, matting his hair and leaving spots on his shirt. â€Å"That's great, Molly. Could you get these handcuffs off me?† â€Å"I was going to ask you about those. Every time I see you, you're in handcuffs. Do you have a fetish or something?† â€Å"Please, Molly, there's a key in my front pocket.† â€Å"He gave you the key?† â€Å"It's my key.† â€Å"I see,† Molly said with a knowing smile. â€Å"Handcuffs all use the same key, Molly. Please help me get out of these.† She knelt and reached into his pocket, keeping her eyes locked on his through the process. His head throbbed when he rolled over so she could get to the cuffs. As she pulled them off, they heard Burton call from outside. â€Å"Crowe! It's not too late to work this out!† Once his hands were free, Theo threw his arms around Molly and pulled her close. She dropped her rifle and returned his embrace. Another roar emanated from the back of the cave. A couple of the pilgrims shrieked and Molly let go of Theo and stood up, gazing back into the darkness. â€Å"It's okay, Steve,† she said. â€Å"What in the hell was that?† Burton shouted from outside. â€Å"That was Steve,† Molly shouted back. â€Å"You were asking what happened to Joseph Leander. Well, that was it. Steve ate him.† â€Å"How many of you are in there?† Burton asked. Molly looked around. â€Å"A bunch.† â€Å"Who in the hell are you?† â€Å"I am Kendra, Warrior Babe of the Outland.† She shot a silly grin at Theo, who was trying to follow what was going on up here, while listening to some disturbing stirring noises going on in the back of the cave. â€Å"What do you want?† Burton asked. Without a beat, Molly said, â€Å"Ten percent of the gross on all my films, retroactive fifteen years, an industrial-strength weed-whacker with gas, and world peace.† â€Å"Seriously. We can work this out.† â€Å"Okay. I want sixty peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, a couple of gallons of Diet Coke, and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She turned to Theo, â€Å"You want anything?† Theo shrugged. Hell, as long as they were stalling. â€Å"A new Volvo station wagon.† â€Å"And a new Volvo station wagon,† Molly shouted. â€Å"And we want it with two cup holders, you bastard, or the deal's off.† She turned and beamed at Theo. â€Å"Nice touch.† â€Å"You deserve it,† Molly said. Suddenly her eyes went wide as she looked past Theo. â€Å"No, Steve!† she screamed. Theo rolled over to see a huge pair of jaws descending over him.

Compare and Contrast Sir Gawain and Beowulf

Heroes come in many forms, yet traits such as: courage, honor, and loyalty, reappear as themes throughout the personality of a hero. The characters of Beowulf and Sir Gawain each represent a version of a hero, yet each comes across quite differently in their respective story. A hero can be said to truly win if he remains constant to his noble values when put in any situation that crosses his way. When measured by that criteria, Sir Gawain stands out above Beowulf as a true hero, due to his command of both personal and spiritual power through the use of thought, as well as valiant deeds.Gawain embodies many of the characteristics of the chivalric knight and hero, among them, modesty, honesty, commitment, loyalty, and courage. Although he is almost beyond reproach, he does commit a single error, accepting the lady's green girdle. This sets him apart from Beowulf. Distraught with his sin, Sir Gawain, concerned with maintaining his reputation and image as a chivalrous knight, admits he a ccepted the lady's green girdle to the host. This lie, once it is revealed, becomes the means by which the mild hubris that afflicts Gawain is exposed and also the means by which the hubris can be corrected.This flaw completes the character of Sir Gawain, for in his humility he becomes a lasting hero. Beowulf, is quite different in this respect, written in a perfect light in the absence of any flaw. This exemplifies the superior honor of Sir Gawain over Beowulf, because he is able to confront his sin and gain virtue, while Beowulf is portrayed as void of any wrongdoing, unable to denounce any defect in his person for lack of its existence. Beowulf is indeed an epic hero and king.What is especially interesting is that the way in which the tale is structured and narrated permits the reader to observe two different types of heroism: the heroism of youth and the heroism of an older, wiser, and more mature warrior. In his youth, the physical characteristics of heroism are emphasized. Beo wulf is recalled as having performed physical feats that no other man was capable of doing, and such feats required immense reserves of courage, such as his battle with Grendel in the hall, Herot, and his journey to Grendel's mother's lair inthe glimmering pool where he fought and defeated her. In his older age the feats of heroism are more subtle, more abstract, and one might question his decision to battle the dragon, which would ultimately result in his death. However, the code of the hero compelled Beowulf to defend his people one final time; he seemed to trust that a younger hero-warrior would rise to the occasion should death befall him, as it did. In â€Å"Beowulf,† the hero-king is faced with challenges that are both physical and moral, both threatening his life.Like Sir Gawain, Beowulf has all the requisite characteristics of a hero and like Sir Gawain, he is invested in protecting his reputation, yet in this respect, Beowulf chose pride over being humble, which Sir Gawain emanates. Beowulf does not know when to stop fighting; even in old age he is still waging war against evil forces, this is a prime example of his selflessness, sacrificial, yet boastful personality. Sir Gawain, was also selfless when he volunteered to behead the Green Knight, sacrificial when he chose to approach the Green Knight at the end of the tale, yet he never boasted or praised himself for these accomplishments.Sir Gawain was virtuous in his deeds, adhering to the chivalric code of earning the praise of God rather than the praise of fellow peers and subjects. Surely Beowulf and Sir Gawain are heroes. They hold heroic qualities such as bravery, valor and chivalry. But it is interesting to note that there greatest qualities are often their downfall. Beowulf, void of any downfall, was a great king and warrior, dying in his last feat of slaying a dragon.To the contrary, Sir Gawain fell to the sway's of women by accepting the lady's green girdle, yet after he had heroically faced the Green Knight, he continued to wear the girdle to display his shame. However, In considering heroes it is important to remember that for as strong as the values are, if they are to be considered true heroes, they must have their faults. This should not discount from their achievements, but serve to enhance them. For this reason, Sir Gawain is more honorable than Beowulf.

A House on Fire Essay Sample

Soon I was at the topographic point. Already a big crowd of people had gathered near a large edifice which was on fire. Fires were lifting high. Peoples were running approximately confused. The calls of kids got assorted with the scream of adult females. It was truly a heart-rending scene. Soon the intelligence spread. Some male child lookouts arrived at the scene. They at one time set to work. They brought buckets of H2O from the pat nearby and threw it on the fires. Some of them brought bags of sand. I. excessively joined in the work. Person rang the fire brigade. Soon it came down the street. doing a loud noise. The sound of its bell pealing tardily at dark served as an dismay to the people of the vicinity. They all rushed to the topographic point. Many came at that place to function the panic afflicted inmates of the house. The brass-helmeted work forces of the fire brigade at one time started their work. They took out their hose pipes and directed H2O towards the fires. It was after an. hour’s difficult labor that the fire began to decease out: At last it was extinguished. The edifice now presented a ghastly visual aspect. It was all charred and in ruins. The valuable furniture and dearly-won points of the house lay scattered on the route. The lookouts formed a cordon round the things and did non allow anyone come near them. The proprietor of the house was all but a destroyed adult male. He looked really sad. His married woman. an old lady. was crying bitterly. The kids. excessively. were terror stricken. They barely knew what catastrophe had overtaken the household. The fire brigade went back. The crowd besides melted off. Soon the topographic point was every bit deserted as earlier. No one knew the cause of the fire. It was rumoured that it was all the consequence of smoke. It was estimated that belongings worth one hundred thousand had been destroyed in the fire. Fortunately there was no loss of life. I. excessively. went back place. It was past midnight. I was tired out but happy that I had been of some aid.

Colonial Latin America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Colonial Latin America - Essay Example As a function of analyzing the level of superstition that existed within the Spanish Empire of Latin America, it is necessary to realize that three distinct groups comprise the majority of cultural exchange that took place within Latin America between 1518 50. As such, these three groups are as follows: the ethnic Iberian Spanish that originally moved from the old world to the New World, the African slaves that came along with the Spanish as a means of providing the labor for the plantations and natural resource extraction in the New World, and the natives that originally occupied the New World territories Firstly, as a means of understanding the coalescence of different cultures within Latin America, it is necessary to focus on this issue from three unique standpoints. The first approach that can and should be engaged is with regards to seeking to understand superstition from standpoint of the Roman Catholic tradition; the one that was most commonly exhibited with respect to the whi te Spanish colonists of the particular regions in question. The Roman Catholic tradition necessarily engaged in understanding that a differentiation between good versus evil helps to define the world they were in. Moreover, the Spanish Inquisition, having only concluded within Spain several hundred years before colonization of the New World began, had ingrained a solid understanding within the minds of the colonists that the battle between God and the devil was very much alive and was exhibited through even minute differentiations with regards to doctrines and beliefs. A further reality with regards to the overall level of superstition that existed within the early Spanish colonials was with regards to the fact that the individuals who were first responsible for settling and colonizing this New World were in fact seaman. As such, these seafaring wanderers were perhaps the most superstitious of all individuals within the Spanish Empire; as they saw each and every occurrence as some t ype of omen or superstitious sign concerning life, death, fortune, or wealth. As such, a guiding compass of the way in which this particular group integrated with an understanding of superstition was predicated upon a very narrow view of religion and the fact that evil, Satan, or the devil could exist in any number of forms with regards to the world they interacted. As such, even though many scholars and led to believe that the Spanish stakeholders within the New World were the ones who are the least superstitious, seeking to categorize Spanish in such a way is disingenuous and ineffective as will be seen with regards to the level of superstition that pervaded the remaining two groups that are under discussion and analysis within this brief essay. Due to the fact that the individuals who initially settled these New World were perhaps the most superstitious of any socio-economic strata of the Spanish culture, it comes as no surprise that they readily adapted to the superstitions of t hose that they came in contact with. Naturally, the second group of stakeholders is referenced with respect to the many Native American populations that existed within the New World long before the Spanish ever began to colonize it. By very nature of the way in whi

Prescription for Improvement of Organizational Behaviors- Part 5 Essay

Prescription for Improvement of Organizational Behaviors- Part 5 - Essay Example Gender discrimination was observed in the organization and as well as biases against older employees. Another negative attitude observed in the organization was that management do not let go any mistake of the employees, no matter how small it is and there is a very little mediation seen on the management side. All these create a negative impact on the organization. Budget restraint is another problem and the government should solve it. It not only creates problems during work but also restraint them to hold on their projects and activities which affects their work capabilities. The work overload is another problem in the organization and this is due to less staff and more work. Deploying more staff members can solve this problem. All these negative points increase complaining and too much complaining declines the quality of work as well as the work environment get tense. After observing the organization and the behavior of employees and manager, I am suggesting some ways to improve the environment of the organization. Drucker (2006) has given a very convincing analysis of what the effective manager should be like. As a manager, following steps can be taken in order to overcome these negative attitudes in the organization: According to Drucker (2006) â€Å"Effective executives do not start with their tasks. They start with their time.† As a manager, one must model positive behavior to all the employees, and it should never be negative. Each staff members is important for the manager and showing favoritism towards any staff member is a self-attack for the manager. So the first thing is that the behavior of the manager should be positive and a model for his employees. Manager must show confidence in the abilities of his staff members and like this a positive and constructive work place environment can be build. If a manager talks in a negative way and favors a particular employee, staff will follow him and will feel no shame in doing the same. When a

Genetic Relations to Job Satisfaction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Genetic Relations to Job Satisfaction - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that genetics can also be referred to as the genetic composition of an individual or group of people. In the past, genetics played a great role in breakthroughs as curing diseases, breeding better plants and animals basically under the realm of genetic engineering and even solving crimes in the field of forensic science. It has recently been discovered that job satisfaction is largely genetically determined. This has brought into focus several questions such as: â€Å"How true is it that the level of competence in a person is equal to that of the parent?†, â€Å"Should people be employed on the basis on their parents or siblings’ work record?† â€Å"Should companies do a genetic study on all its employees to determine their traits, characters, health and how these relate to their work capabilities?† This study highlights that at this point, it would be too early to come up with a probable conclusion. It is this questions that this paper seeks to provide answers to as we determine through previous research if, indeed, job satisfaction is genetic. According to a publication of The Bell Curve by Herrnstein and Murray, it is a known fact that genetic factors influence fundamental aspects of our human nature. Initially, it was debated that environmental factors played a basic role in job satisfaction, but scientific research has proven that the applicable environmental aspects emerge to be those not shared by individuals raised together. On the other hand, the Classical Twin Study proved that most behavioural characteristics are heritable. The Classical Twin experiment applied sets of monozygotic twins, raised separately, to examine for the reality of genetic power on job satisfaction. Research suggests that genetics has a role in the fundamental direct experiences of job fulfillment such as challenge or achievement.  

Definition paper. The word is Honor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Definition paper. The word is Honor - Essay Example variety of reasons like courage, good works, self-sacrifice and many others; though the word can also be attributed to things which are considered sacred and to gods. Respect is an equal of dignity, the value of a person to another. Being an abstract word, honor is quite difficult to explain although there are synonyms that one can use to let the word be expounded on. Probably the easiest way to understand the word honor is to point out to its value through the actions, words or other manifestations. It is like explaining the presence of air. One can not really hold air and show it to another person to let the other understand its meaning or see how it looks like. Proving there is air is done by pointing out to its effects, showing the tree move in response to the presence of air. The same method is utilized in this quest to define the word honor or honour. Honor held by a person can be seen through other people’s response to his presence. An honored man, when he speaks is taken not on a light mood but considered to speak like a god, having the authority over others, the confidence and attention of his listeners because of what is known about him. Integrity is most often the product of similar abstract things like goodness, love for others, kindness, endurance, care, hard work, determination, and other values or concepts of worthiness. Hard work may be rewarded with the honor of a position in an office. For instance, a clerk who works hard to gain the favor of his employers can be promoted to a higher level where he can enjoy more pay and more benefits as a consequence of his employers’ confidence in him because of his performance. There are also distinctions which are not brought by the hard work and confidence directly effected by the person. For instance, a prince can inherit the reputation bestowed upon his father, be coming the king next to his father after his death. Money which is one of the things that draw the respect of others can also be inherited

Qualitative Methods in Research Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Qualitative Methods in Research - Case Study Example Exeter City Council is unhappy on certain counts about the way in which the festival is being conducted. The Council is interested to find out which events of the festival is being liked by the visitors, and what improvements in the opinion of the visitors must be done to make the festival more effective from the cultural and economic point of view. The Council is un-desirous of using the questionnaire survey method. It is interested in engaging some social research method that can provide an in-depth analysis of the views and opinions of the visitors and on that basis want to devise new programmes for conducting the festival in the future. In general the qualitative research is being supported by different research methods such as ethnography, participant observation, direct observation, unstructured interviewing, case studies, content analysis, and focus groups. The method of ethnography is used normally in research issues connected with the anthropological issues where the method entails an extended period of participant observation, it is considered unsuitable for this study. ... (2) To outline the programme of research for the method selected to do the research and also to detail the features of the research method that makes it suitable for the study (3) To present the final report to the City Council on the recommendations of the research method and the ways in which the qualitative data can be interpreted 4.0 Method In general the qualitative research is being supported by different research methods such as ethnography, participant observation, direct observation, unstructured interviewing, case studies, content analysis, and focus groups. The method of ethnography is used normally in research issues connected with the anthropological issues where the method entails an extended period of participant observation, it is considered unsuitable for this study. Next came in to consideration is the research based on more or less exclusive interviews which is considered as a better alternative for the collection of qualitative data. However interviewing, the transcription of the interviews and the process of analysing the transcripts are all very time consuming. Hence the focus groups and group interviewing is considered as the best suitable method for conducting the research for gathering the qualitative data for advising the Exeter City Council on the possible issues in conducting the festival in the perspective of the visitors. 4.1 Focus Groups Academic literature has provided various definitions to the term 'focus group'. The following are some of the important elements which the focus group method has contributed to the field of social research: Organised discussion (Kitzinger, 1994) Collective

CIS 21 U2 Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CIS 21 U2 Review - Essay Example NAT is a short form of Network Address Translation. As the name suggests, it translate IP address. It tightens network security as it unmasks all the incoming and outgoing addresses. It ensures a standard address is used in communication worldwide. PBX, it stands for Private Branch Exchange. It allows for private telephone networking in an organization. Usually, it uses open interfaces thus making it more flexible than other systems. Its flexibility invites telephones, emails, and fax, web and computer actions to function together. 3. Your organization is in the testing phase of a new accounting application and he needs to verify functionality on various operating systems before deploying it to the customers, but is dealing with hardware availability issues. What network design component would suggest in this scenario? Organization’s data is the core of its business. Personal information, employee credentials, and sensitive files are kept on a company’s network. Therefore, the security backup system should be deployed. The system helps businesses to run smoothly even in case of hardware fail. 2. What data encryption method should you implement when you need to send data for the company’s annual earnings report as an attachment in an email from your mobile device to the board of directors of your organization? Business partners may choose to leave the company. Several employees, however, may get scrutinized from their job. Also, it invites significant financial losses. Unfortunately, it drives organizations into the enormous risk that hinders successful continuity of a

Australia's immigration policies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Australia's immigration policies - Essay Example Ten percent or 4,000 of the annual migrants to Australia are carriers of hepatitis B virus, said Professor Boughton in 1988 (hepatitis vaccine researcher) (Daily Telegraph 1988, as cited in McCormack 2003). Syphilis has drastically increased due to migration since the 1960s (McCormack 2003). Leprosy- and tuberculosis-afflicted migrants also passed undetected during screening according to the Australian Health and Medical Research Council in 1987 (McCormack 2003). These cases of infectious disease carrying migrants and refugees alarm the government as mentioned in the Medical Journal of Australia (McCormack 2003). Dr. Rouch (Victoria Chief Health Officer) reported that 10 African migrants in Victoria were later discovered to have AIDS in 1989 (McCormack 2003). Cases of migrants bringing in diseases with them pose a grave concern for the government. Diagnosis, treatment and indirect cost (e.g. lost productivity, premature death) of the country for Hepatitis B is more than $50 million annually, as reported by Mr. Paul Gross (Director, Institute of Health Economics and Technology Assessment) in 1987 (McCormack 2003). The government is partly to blame for being lax in the screening process. But once discovered, the government resorts to deportation of immigrants instead of providing them with the necessary treatment. In the past, 19 Chinese (should be 20 but one escaped) with leprosy in Little Bay Lazarette hospital (Sydney) were shipped back to Hong Kong (The Age, 1896, as cited in McCormack 2003).

Cohabitation Before Marriage Essay Example for Free

Cohabitation Before Marriage Essay Does living together before marriage help or hurt relationships? This question has plagued couples for the last few decades, as both the numbers of those living together without being married and the rate of divorce has grown. I think living together before marriage can only help people avoid divorce, as they are given the chance to see what it is like to live with either the specific person, or a person for the first time. This also brings up the questions of why divorce rates are up and whether it has anything to do with living together before marriage. I bring certain prejudices about it, believing that living together before marriage does not negatively impact couples’ ability to stay together after marriage, as I have seen it work many times. In the end, I will attempt to make the connection between the two, if there is one, or explain why people think there may be. SOURCES: Hurley, D. (2005, April 19). Divorce Rate: Its Not as High as You Think. The New York Times. Divorce Statistics Collection. Retrieved August 9, 2008, from http://www. divorcereform. org/nyt05. html Knadler, J. (2005, December). Is Five Years the New Forever? Cosmopolitan. Vol. 239, Iss. 6; pg. 149-152. Kramer, E. (2004, October). COHABITATION: JUST A PHASE? Psychology Today. Vol. 37, Iss. 5; pg. 28-29. Whether because of the instinct to procreate, emotional desire, or compulsion to follow social norms, human pair-bonding leads often to marriage. Defined as a social institution, religious sacrament, and personal commitment, marriage continues to evolve, growing to include a more relaxed attitude to divorce and the practice of cohabitation before marriage. Both of these subjects have sparked heated debates, with the issue of cohabitation before marriage being the latest movement in the realm of matrimony. While many opponents of cohabitation before marriage cite a lack of core family and moral values that have sanctified union through marriage for millennia, recent studies have shown that cohabitation before marriage is not only increasing in popularity, but may be beneficial compared to marriage first, as evidenced by the increasing divorce rate among married couples, the decrease of overall marriages, and the ever-changing landscape of marriage throughout history. Marriage between a man and a woman has long been the backbone of social cooperation and society itself. Marriage offered greater economic stability, the opportunity to produce heirs, and was often utilized as a tool to strengthen alliances between groups. Marriage echoed the foundational desire for societal regulations and norms, and like society, marriage continuously evolved, redefining itself and its purpose. From the days ancient Mesopotamia to Greece and Rome, marriage was largely a civic obligation. However, the proliferation of polytheistic religions as ultimate moral authorities transformed marriage into an expression of faith. Until the emergence of modern nation-states, most marriages were conducted under one or another religious regime. Starting with the Protestant Reformation, â€Å"most states took over their dominant religion’s marriage laws; debate has ensued ever since whenever a nation deviates from the still powerful religious rules that sanctify marriage† (Miller, 1999). Despite these dogmatic rules, outlawed actions such as unmarried cohabitation and divorce have become commonplace among couples, and the cause and effects are mixed. According to an analysis of new census figures by The New York Times, married couples, whose numbers have been declining for decades as a proportion of American households, have slipped into a minority in the United States. The American Community Survey, released in October by the Census Bureau, found that â€Å"49. 7 percent, or 55. 2 million, of the nation’s 111. 1 million households in 2005 were made up of married couples — with and without children — just shy of a majority and down from more than 52 percent five years earlier† (Hurley, 2005). This trend shows that less and less heterosexual couples are choosing to get married, instead preferring to cohabitate and have children without marriage. Cohabitation can have many important benefits that marriage cannot, even if it comes with no religious sanctification or government protection. Cohabitation before marriage can be for a variety of reasons. Some couples may use it to see if they can live with the person, while others may do it simply out of convenience, and still others may do it for more practical reasons such as to save money. Susan Sassler, a sociology professor at Ohio State University, interviewed undergraduate and graduate students who had been living with a romantic partner for at least three months and asked them why they decided to move in with their partners. Fewer than a third of interviewees reported discussing their ideas for the future before making the move, and even fewer had mentioned marriage in their discussions with their partners; nearly a fifth specifically stated that they weren’t using cohabitation as a trial for marriage, and the most commonly cited reasons for moving in together were â€Å"saving money, convenience and the need for housing† (Kramer, 2004). This study helps show that cohabitation before marriage is not necessarily anything more than a practical move on the part of the couple. Whether or not the couple gets married seems to be secondary to the mutually beneficial arrangement that can allow many young couples to pursue personal and professional goals more easily with the support system offered by such a thing as marriage, with the freedom offered by being single. In the United States, it is widely believed that one in two marriages will end in divorce, so while many couples live together out of sheer practicality, cohabitation may be a good way to avoid the increasing divorce rate. The rate of divorce today is considered to be roughly 43% by the National Center for Health Statistics but was moved back up to around 50% by the Census Bureau in 2002. Most recently, according to the New York Times, it has been revised downward to just over 40%. (Crouch, 2005) This lower figure could be due to the fact that less people are getting married and choosing instead to cohabitate, but it cannot be denied that less people are getting and staying married than ever before. The proliferation of cohabitation before marriage could be for a great number of reasons, including the increasingly fast pace of society, a more cynical view of traditional morality, or even the more evolved view that couples do not have to sanctify their union through religion or law. Studies on successful cohabitation are difficult to perform, and no concrete statistics such as divorce rates offer clear-cut answers to its ultimate success or failure. However, moving past religious and social dogma that often frowns upon cohabitation before marriage, it would seem to be preferential for young couples to do before getting married, and many have. According to Jessie Knadler of Cosmopolitan Magazine, â€Å"many couples today live together before they marry, roughly 70 percent versus less than 5 percent 40 years ago† (Knadler, 2005). While this number suggests that virtually all couples that marry live together first, it also leads to a pitfall that cohabitating couples must avoid, namely seeing marriage as the next logical step in the relationship. As evidenced in the Sassler study, many of these cohabitating couples are doing it out of practical reasons, sharing money, bank accounts, bills, and such; to move this arrangement into marriage without a strong foundation is a risky mistake that ends in divorce nearly half of the time. The casual acceptance of divorce in today’s society seems to offer couples an easy way out whenever they so choose, unlike a few short decades ago when divorce was considered taboo. Divorce ultimately costs not only the couple, but also society as a whole, in legal fees and wasted court time. While breakups are rarely pleasant, they can prevent many of these personal fights from entering the public arena. The success of any marriage, relationship, or partnership depends on the trust and commitment of those who enter into it. Cohabitation can be a good way to lead to marriage, but it takes work and honesty between both partners. If the partners see a future with each other, marriage is the next logical step. However, if they are living together out of convenience, perhaps marriage is a bad idea. And, while marriage continues to evolve and to some degree evaporate, human relationships will always be too complex and diverse to generalize. REFERENCES Crouch, J. (2005). Divorce Rates. Divorce Reform Page. Americans for Divorce. Retrieved August 9, 2008, from http://www. divorcereform. org/rates. html Hurley, D. (2005, April 19). Divorce Rate: Its Not as High as You Think. The New York Times. Divorce Statistics Collection. Retrieved August 9, 2008, from http://www. divorcereform. org/nyt05. html Knadler, J. (2005, December). Is Five Years the New Forever? Cosmopolitan. Vol. 239, Iss. 6; pg. 149-152. Kramer, E. (2004, October). COHABITATION: JUST A PHASE? Psychology Today. Vol. 37, Iss. 5; pg. 28-29. Miller, M. (1999, March/April). What is Marriage For? : A Conversation with E. J. Graff. UU World Magazine. 37 pars. Retrieved August 9, 2008, from http://www. uua. org/world/0399feat3. html

Absolute Time Essay Example for Free

Absolute Time Essay Instructions (Q 7-Q 16): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. â€Å"Life is not just party and pleasure; it is also pain and despair. Unthinkable things happen. Sometimes everything turns upside down. Bad things happen to good people. Some things are beyond control, such as physical disability and birth defects. We cannot choose our parents or the circumstances of our birth. So if the ball bounced that way, sorry. But what do we do from here; cry or take the ball and run? That is a choice we have to make. On a clear day, there are hundreds of boats sailing in all different directions in a lake. How come? Even though the wind is blowing in one direction, the sailboats are going in different directions. What is the difference? It depends on the way the sail is set, and that is determined by the sailor. The same is true of our lives. We cant choose the direction of the wind, but we can choose how we set the sail. We can choose our attitude even though we cannot always choose our circumstances. The choice is either to act like a victor or a victim. It is not our position but our disposition that determines our destiny. It takes both rain and sunshine to create a rainbow. Our lives are no different. There is happiness and sorrow. There is the good and the bad; dark and bright spots. If we can handle adversity, it only strengthens us. We cannot control all the events that happen in our lives, but we can control how we deal with them. Richard Blechnyden wanted to promote Indian tea at the St. Louis World fair in 1904. It was very hot and no one wanted to sample his tea. Blechnyden saw that all the other iced drinks were doing flourishing business. It dawned on him to make his tea into an iced drink, mix in sugar and sell it. He did and people loved it. That was the introduction of iced tea to the world. When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, we can react responsibly or resentfully. Human beings are not like an action which has no choice. An action cannot decide whether to become a giant tree or to become food for the squirrels. Human beings have choices. If nature gives us a lemon, we have a choice: either cry or make lemonade. † 7. â€Å"We cannot choose our parents or the circumstances of our birth† – by this statement what does the author mean? (a) Some things do not take place according to our choice (b) There are certain things in which we do not have any reach (c) Some things in this world are pre-determined. (d) All of the above Ans. (d) 8. By what the author tells us that choice is ours? (a) We can cry (b) We can take the ball and run away (c) We can either cry or can take the ball and run away (d) None of the above Ans. (c) 9. The opposite of the word ‘victor’? (a) Loser (b) Winner (c) Victim (d) Warrior Ans. (a) 10. What determines our destiny? (a) The way that we normally think and behave, that shows what type of person we are (d) The position we hold (c) Our being a winner (d) All of the above Ans. (a) 11. The best title for the above passage could be – (a) Right Choice (b) Pre-determination. (c) Choices defines our lives (d) Life is all about making the right choices Ans. (d) 12. According to the author, what still can be chosen if not everything in life? (a) Circumstances (b) Attitude (c) direction of life (d) None of these Ans. (b) 13. On what has the author emphasized? (a) Destiny (b) Choice (c) Action (d) All of these Ans. (b) 14. By the example of Blechnyden’s Iced Tea which message does the author give? (a) Choice is ours (b) Destiny is pre-determined (c) We have fix actions; we can not do beyond that (d) None of the above Ans. (a) 15. What does actually strengthen us? (a) Making choices (b) Handling adversity (c) Determining destiny (d) Working beyond capacity Ans. (b) 16. The synonym of ‘flourishing’ is – (a) Spoiling (b) Drowning (c) Booming (d) Hiding Ans. (c) 17. During a 5-day festival, the number of visitors tripled each day. If the festival opened on a Thursday with 345 visitors, what was the attendance on that Sunday? (a) 345 (b)1,035 (c)1,725 (d) 9,315 Ans. (d) 18. Which of the following has the least value? (a) 0. 27 (b) 1/4 (c) 3/8 (d) 11% Ans. (d) 19. Which year did the same number of boys and girls attend the conference? (a) 1995 (b) 1996 (c) 1997. (d) 1998 Ans. (a) 20. Which two years did the least number of boys attend the convention? (a) 1995 and 1996 (b) 1995 and 1998 (c) 1996 and 1997 (d) 1997 and 1994 Ans. (a) 21. Examine the following three statements : 1. Proceesed meat is a perishable food 2. All perishable foods are packed in sealed tins 3. Sealed tins sometimes to do not contains processed meat Which one of the following inferences can be drawn from the above statements? (a) Sealed tins always contain perishable food (b) Processed meat is sometimes not packed in sealed tins (c) Proceessed meat is always packed in seald tins. (d) Non-Perishable foods are never packed in seald tins Ans. (c) 22. Production of Rice and Wheat (In millions of Tonnes)| | Year| Rice| Wheat| Percentage of Wheat to Rice| 1950-51| 20. 58| 6. 46| 31. 4| 1960-61| 34. 58| 11. 00| 31. 8| 1970-71| 42. 22| 23. 83| 56. 4| 1980-81| 53. 63| 36. 31| 67. 7| 1990-91| 74. 29| 55. 14| 74. 2| 1994-95| 81. 81| 65. 77| 80. 4| 1995-96| 79. 62| 62. 62| 78. 6| The above table indicates the performance in India in rice and wheat production from 1950-51 to 1995-96. Which of the following conclusions arrived at from the above table would be valid? 1. Record production of rice as well as wheat has been in 1994-95 2. The ratio of wheat to rice production seems to have steadily increased over 16 years 3. Wheat has not been popular among the Indian population before 1980. 4. India became self-sufficient in rice and wheat only after 1990. Select the correct answer using the codes given below Codes: (a) 1 and 2 (b) 1, 2, 3 and 4 (c) 3 and 4 (d) None Ans. (a) 23. A father left a will of Rs. 35 lakhs between his two daughters aged 8. 5 and 16 such that they may get equal amounts when each of them reach the age of 21 years. The original amount of Rs. 35 lakhs has been instructed to be invested at 10% p. a. simple interest. How much did the elder daughter get at the time of the will? (a) Rs. 17. 5 lakhs (b) Rs. 21 lakhs (c) Rs. 15 lakhs (d) Rs. 20 lakhs Ans. (b) 24. What will Rs. 1500 amount to in three years if it is invested in 20% p. a. compound interest, interest being compounded annually? (a) 2400 (b) 2592 (c) 2678 (d) 2540 Ans. (b) 25. What is the area of the largest triangle that can be fitted into a rectangle of length aâ‚ ¬? laâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ units and width aâ‚ ¬? waâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ units? (a) lw/3 (b) (2lw)/3 (c) (3lw)/4. (d) (lw)/2 Ans. (d) 26. Which of the following is inCorrect? (a) An incentre is a point where the angle bisectors meet. (b) The median of any side of a triangle bisects the side at right angle. (c) The point at which the three altitudes of a triangle meet is the orthocentre (d) The point at which the three perpendicular bisectors meet is the centre of the circumcircle. Ans. (b) 27. How long will it take for a sum of money to grow from Rs. 1250 to Rs. 10,000, if it is invested at 12. 5% p. a simple interest? (a) 8 years (b) 64 years (c) 72 years (d) 56 years Ans. (d) 28. Rs. 5887 is divided between Shyam and Ram, such that Shyamaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s share at the end of 9 years is equal to Ramaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s share at the end of 11 years, compounded annually at the rate of 5%. Find the share of Shyam. (a) 2088 (b) 2000 (c) 3087 (d) None of these Ans. (c) Directions (Q 28-Q 32): Study the following information carefully to answer these questions. Eight members A, B, C, 0, E, F, G and H belonging to three families X, Y, Z go for weekend outing in three different cars I, II, III. Four out of the eight members are females. Members of any one family travel in different cars. Each car has at least one male and one female member. Each family has at least two members. A belongs to family Y and he travels in car III. D is wife of E and they travel in cars I and II respectively. H is son of B, who is wife ofG, and they belong to family Z. C is daughter of F, who is wife of A. C travels in car II. G does not travel with F. 29. Which of the following groups of persons travels in car I? (a) 0, F,G (b) D,E,G (c) D,G, H (d) D, F, H Ans. (d) 30. Which of the following members of families Y and Z travel in different cars? (a) F,G (b) C,G (c) F,H (d) None of these. Ans. (a) 31. Which of the following groups of persons is a group of all females? (a) B,D,G (b) A,B,C (c) B,E,F (d) None of these Ans. (d) 32. Which of the following members of families X and Y travel in the same car? (a) C,F (b) D,F (c) C,0 (d) F, E Ans. (b) 33. When a student weighing 45 kgs left a class, the average weight of the remaining 59 students increased by 200g. What is the average weight of the remaining 59 students? (a) 57 kgs (b) 56. 8 kgs (c) 58. 2 kgs (d) 52. 2 kgs Ans. (a) 34. Three math classes: X, Y, and Z, take an algebra test. The average score in class X is 83. The average score in class Y is 76. The average score in class Z is 85. The average score of all students in classes X and Y together is 79. The average score of all students in classes Y and Z together is 81. What is the average for all the three classes? (a) 81 (b) 81. 5 (c) 82 (d) 84. 5 Ans. (b) 35. The average of 5 quantities is 10 and the average of 3 of them is 9. What is the average of the remaining 2? (a) 11 (b) 12 (c) 11. 5 (d) 12. 5 Ans. (c) 36. A stairway 10ft high is such that each step accounts for half a foot upward and one-foot forward. What distance will an ant travel if it starts from ground level to reach the top of the stairway? (a) 30 ft (b) 33 ft (c) 10 ft (d) 29 ft Ans. (d) 37. Each interior angle of a regular polygon is 120 degrees greater than each exterior angle. How many sides are there in the polygon? (a) 6 (b) 8 (c)12 (d) 3 Ans. (c) 38. A and B are two points with the co-ordinates (-2, 0) and (0, 5). What is the length of the diagonal AC if AB form one of the sides of the square ABCD? (a) units (b) units (c) units (d) units Ans. (b) 39. The average weight of a class of 24 students is 36 years. When the weight of the teacher is also included, the average weight increases by 1kg. What is the weight of the teacher? (a) 60 kgs (b) 61 kgs (c) 37 kgs (d) None of these Ans. (b) 40. The average of 5 quantities is 10 and the average of 3 of them is 9. What is the average of the remaining 2? (a) 11 (b) 12 (c) 11. 5 (d) 12. 5 Ans. (c) Instruction (Q. 40-Q 43): Four question given below are based on the following information. Answer the questions after reading the information carefully. (i) Nine friends A, B,C, D, E, F, G, H, and I are sitting on a bench in the classroom. (ii) ‘C’ who is at immediate right of ‘D’ is third to the right of ‘E’. (iii) ‘B’ is at one end. (iv) ‘H’ is nearest neighbour of ‘F’ and ‘G’ (v) ‘F’ is third to the left of ‘B’ (vi) ‘A’ is at immediate left of ‘F’ 41. Which of the following statement is correct on the basis of above order of sitting? (a) D and H Have three people sitting between them. (b) ‘B’ is fourth to the right of F. (c) ‘I’ is at immediate left of A. (d) E and C are Neighbours. Ans. (a) 42. Which of the following groups of friends is sitting at the left of ‘C’? (a) BIG (b) AFH (c) EID (d) BAG Ans. (c) 43. Which of the following is at the other end i. e. other that that end on which ‘B’ is sitting? (a) G (b) H (c) I (d) E Ans. (d) 44. Who is sitting exactly in the middle of the bench? (a) H (b) C (c) A (d) G Ans. (c) 45. A 400 meter long train crosses and 800 meter long platform in 1 min 20 sec. What is the speed of the train? (a) 48 km/hr (b) 60 km/hr (c) 72 km/hr (d) 54 km/hr Ans. (d) 46. If the root of equation px2 + qx +r = 0 is double of the other root, which one the following is correct? (a) 2 q2 = 9 pr (b) 2 q2 = 9 (c) 4 q2 = 9 r (d) 9 q2 = 2 pr Ans. (a) 47. A takes 4 days and B takes 5 days to finish a job. If both of them work together on the same job, what proportion of the work is done by A? (a) 4/9 (b) 5/9 (c) 6/9. (d) 7/9 Ans. (b) 48. The 3rd term of a Geometric progression is 36 and its 6th term is 288. Its 8th term will be: (a) 784 (b) 576 (c) 1152 (d) 2302 Ans. (c) 49. In a two digit number, the sum of the digits is 8. If 54 is subtracted from this number, its digits interchange themselves. What is the product of the digits of the number? (a) 7 (b) 12 (c) 16 (d) 0 Ans. (a) 50. The difference between simple interest and compound interest on certain amount for 2 years at the same rate of interest is Rs. 18. If the rate doubled, what will be the difference? (a) Rs. 9 (b) Rs. 36 (c) Rs. 72 (d) Rs. 27 Ans. (c) 51. A dog is tied to a pole by a long chain. Keeping the chain fully stretched, the dog moves along a circular path covering 132 m, subtends an angle of 90 degree at the centre, Neglecting the portion of the chain used in typing, find the length of the chain. (a) 70 m (b) 78 m (c) 84 m (d) 88 m Ans. (c) 52. A merchant buys same quantities of two types of toys – one at the rate of 3 toys for Rs. 10 and the other, at the rate of 5 toys for Rs. 20. At what price he must sell all the toys so that he has no profit and no loss in the transaction? (a) 8 toys for Rs. 30 (b) 3 toys for Rs. 11 (c) 5 toys for Rs. 18. (d) 8 toys for Rs. 22 Ans. (b) 53. Find the equation of a line whose intercepts are twice of the line 3x – 2y – 12 = 0 (a) 3x – 2y = 24 (b) 2x – 3y = 12 (c) 2x – 3y = 24 (d) None of these Ans. (a) 54. The difference between the compound interest and the simple interest on a certain sum at 12% p. a. for two years is Rs. 90. What will be the value of the amount at the end of 3 years? (a) 9000 (b) 6250 (c) 8530. 80 (d) 8780. 80 Ans. (d) 55. Vijay invested Rs. 50,000 partly at 10% and partly at 15%. His total income after a year was Rs. 7000. How much did heinvest at the rate of 10%? (a) Rs. 40,000 (b) Rs. 40,000. (c) Rs. 12,000 (d) Rs. 20,000 Ans. (b) 56. The average weight of a class of 24 students is 36 years. When the weight of the teacher is also included, the average weight increases by 1kg. What is the weight of the teacher? (a) 60 kgs (b) 61 kgs (c) 37 kgs (d) None of these Ans. (b) Instructions for the following Question: Read the following information to answer the question given below. The following conditions have been decided for the selection of Research Assistants. The candidate must: (i) Be less than 35 years of age. (ii) Be graduate in Psychology, Education or Commerce or Postgraduate in any other subject. (iii) Secure 50% marks in entrance examination. (iv) Secure A or O grade in Interview. (v) Have passed a certificate course in Methodology Research. (vi) Have recommendation of any one lecturer. If a candidate fulfills all the conditions, except (a) (i), but if he is registered for Ph. D. , his case is to be kept in waiting list. (b) (iii), but if he has secured 45% marks in entrance examination and O grade in interview, his case is to be referred to the Dean. (c) (v), but if he has qualified certificate course in Statistics, his case is to be referred to the Head Of Department. You have to decide in each of the following cases that what is the possibility of selection of the candidate? If the information is not sufficient to take any decision then your answer will be ‘data inadequate’. This information has been given to you as on 15. 12. 1996. 57. Raman has secured 60% marks in graduation with commerce subject. He has got specialization in certificate course in Methodology Research and he also has the recommendation from the lecturer under whom he is registered for Ph. D. His date of birth is 9. 12. 61. He has secured 68% marks in entrance examination and got A grade in interview. (a) Will not be selected. (b) Data inadequate (c) Will be selected. (d) Will be kept in waiting List. Ans. (d) 58. ’ means ‘–’; ‘–’ means ‘x’; ‘x’ means ‘+’ and ‘+’If ‘ 80 – 40 + 20 = ? ’, then 40 ? 120 means ‘ (a) 80 (b) 120 (c) 60 (d) 0 Ans: (d) 59. A businessman makes a profit of 20% on the sale of leather. If he were to add 10% artificial matter to the leather, by what percent would his profit increase? (a) 25% (b) 60% (c) 40% (d) 45% Ans. (b) 60. In a team, eight boys play Chess. The remaining boys, who represent 7 times the square root of the strength of the tem, play Mouth organ. What is the strength of the team? (a) 36 (b) 16 (c) 64 (d) 100 Ans. (c) 61. Cost price of 15 Computers is equal to the selling price of 20 Computers, then the loss percent would be (a) 25% (b) 20% (c) 30% (d) 45% Ans. (a) 62. How many natural numbers between 1 and 900 are not multiples of any of the numbers 2, 3, or 5? (a) 240 (b) 250 (c) 270 (d) 300 Ans. (a) 63. The age of a man is three times the sum of the ages of his two sons. Five years hence, his age will be double of the sum of the ages of his sons. The father’s present age is (a) 40 years (b) 45 years (c) 50 years (d) 55 years. Ans. (b) Instruction (Q 62-Q 63): In the two questions given below, a statement followed by two arguments I and II has been given. You have to decide which argument is strong and which one is weak? Give your answer as: (a) If only argument I is strong; (b) If only agreement II is strong; (c) If neither argument I nor argument II is strong; (d) If both argument I and argument II are strong. 64. Statement: Should freelance work programme be stopped at private companies? Argument: I. Yes, the mutual interaction of the employee and office environment helps in overall quality of work. II. No, such demand comes from that group only who don’t have any idea of work loads and pressure. Ans. (d) 65. Statement: Should usage of pesticides in agriculture be banned in India? Agriculture be banned in India? Arguments: I. Yes, because pesticides pollute the environment and are also harmful for the ecology. II. No, the safety of crops is not possible without these and food products will become very expensive due to lack of food production. Ans. (d) 66. If the numbers representing volume and surface area of a cube are equal, then the length of the edge of the cube in terms of the unit of measurement will be (a) 3. (b) 4 (c) 5 (d) 6 Ans. (d) 67. In a group of travelling in a bus, 6 persons can speak Tamil, 15 can speak Hindi and 6 can speak Gujrati. In that group none can speak any other language. If 2 persons in the group can speak two languages and one person can speak all the three languages, then how many persons are there in the group? (a) 21 (b) 22 (c) 23 (d) 24 Ans. (d) 68. A boat which has a speed of 5 km/hr in still water crosses a river of width 1 km along the shortest possible path in 15 minutes. The velocity of the river water in km/hr is (a) 1 (b) 3 (c) 4 (d) v41 Ans. (a) 69. When three coins are tossed together the probability that all coins have the same face up, is (a) 1/3 (b) 1/6 (c) 1/8 (d) 1/12 Ans. (c) Directions (Q 68-Q 72):,Study the following arrangement carefully and answer the questions given below: H93P$KE%4FR I [emailprotected] ©*N8VJ 70. If all the symbols and numbers are dropped from the above arrangement, which of the following will be the fourteenth from the right end? (a) M (b) K (c) W (d) E Ans. (d) 71. What should come in place of the question mark (? ) in the following series based on the above arrangement? _PK% RUW M5Q ? (a)  ©N8. (b)  ©N15 (c) 15*15 (d) 6*8 Ans. (a) 72. How many such numbers are there in the above arrangement each of which is immediately preceded by a letter and immediately followed by a symbol? (a) None (b) One (c) Two (d) Three Ans. (b) 73. Which of the following is the seventh-to the left of the twentieth from the left end of the above arrangement? (a) U (b)S (c)M (d)N Ans. (a) 74. How many such consonants are there in the above arrangement each of which is immediately followed by a number but not immediately preceded by a number? (a) None (b) One (c) Two (d) More than three Ans. (d) 75. Left pan of faulty weighs 100gram more than is right pan. A shopkeeper keeps the weight measure in the left pan while buying goods but keeps it in the right pan while selling his goods. He uses only 1kg weight measure. If he sells his goods at the listed cost price, What is his gain? (a) 200/11% (b) 100/11% (c) 1000/9% (d) 200/9% Ans. (a) 76. Societies have been increasing in complexity from folk to industrial. Under this circumstances, according to you social control is more likely to be invested in (a) family (b) school (c) state (d) religious structures Ans. (c). Instructions (Q 77-Q 86): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. â€Å"The big difference between the ideas of Aristotle and those of Galileo and Newton is that Aristotle believed in a preferred state of rest, which any body would take up if it were not driven by some force or impulse. In particular, he thought that the earth was at rest. But it follows from Newton’s laws that there is no unique standard of rest. One could equally well say that body A was at rest and body B was moving at constant speed with respect to body A, or that body B was at rest and body A was moving. For example, if one sets aside for a moment the rotation of the earth and its orbit round the sun, one could say that the earth was at rest and that a train on it was travelling north at ninety miles per hour or that the train was at rest and the earth was moving south at ninety miles per hour. If one carried out experiments with moving bodies on the train, all Newton’s laws would still hold. For instance, playing Ping-pong on the train, one would find that the ball obeyed Newton’s laws just like a ball on a table by the track. So there is no way to tell whether it is the train or the earth that is moving. The lack of an absolute standard of rest meant that one could not determine whether two events that took place at different times occurred in the same position in space. For example, suppose our Ping-Pong ball on the train bounces straight up and down. Hitting the table twice on the same spot one second apart. To someone on the track, the two bounces would seem to take place about forty meters apart, because the train wood have traveled that far down the track between the bounces. The nonexistence of absolute rest therefore meant that one could not give an event an absolute position in space, as Aristotle had believed. The position of events and the distance between them would be different far a person of the train and one on he track, and there would be no reason to prefer one person’s position to the other’s. Newton was very worried by this lack of absolute position, or absolute space, as it was called, because it did not accord with his idea of an absolute God. In fact, he refused to accept lack of absolute space, even though it was implied by his laws. He was severely criticized for this irrational belief by many people, most notably by Bishop Berkeley, a philosopher who believed that all material objects and space and time are an illusion. When the famous Dr. Johnson was told of Brekeley’s opinion, he cried, â€Å"I refute it thus! † and stubbed his toe on a large stone. Both Aristotle and Newton believed in absolute time. That is, they believed that one could unambiguously measure the interval of time between two events, and that this time would be the same whoever measured it, provided they used a good clock. Time was completely separate from and independent of space. This is what most people would take to be the commonsense view. However, we have had to change our ideas about space and time. Although our apparently commonsense nations work well when dealing with things like apples, or planets that travels comparatively slowly, they don’t work at all things moving at or near the speed of light. † 77. Consider the following statements: 1. Newton is a firm beliver of both absolute time and a preferred state of rest 2. Aristotle believer in absolute time 3. Newton believes in absolute time 4. Galileo believes in a preferred state of rest (a) 1 Only (b) 1 2 (c) 2 3 (d) 1, 2, 3 4 Ans. (c) 78. According to the author, what is the need of space? 1. To set an absolute standard of rest 2. To determine rest and motion. 3. To determiner whether two events taking place at the same time takes place in the same space also 4. To determine the defference between time and space (a) 1 2 (b) 1, 2 3 (c) 3 4 (d) 1, 2, 3 4 Ans. (c) 79. According to Aristotle- (a) Position of events and distances between them an different (b) Space is nonexistent (c) All nonexistent bodies have absolute rest (d) None of the above Ans. (a) 80. From the passage what can we infer? (a) There is no rest (b) There is rest (c) There is absolute rest (d) There is no absolute rest Ans. (d) 81. What seems contradictory in Newton’s laws? (a) Newton’s concept of Absolute God. (b) Concept of Absolute space (c) Concept of rest (d) None of these Ans. (b) 82. Who discards material objects and space and time? (a) Newton (b) Aristotle (c) Barkeley (d) Galileo Ans. (c) 83. Consider the following statements according to the information provided in paragraph three? (a) On Barkeleys opinion, Dr. Johnson had no remarks (b) Dr. Johnson criticized Barkeley vehemently (c) Dr. Johnson accepted Barkeley’s view (d) Dr. Johnson was indifferent Ans. (b) 84. â€Å"The interval of time between two events can be measured unambiguously. †-this implies- (a) Absolute space (b) Absolute time (c) Both Absolute time and absolute space (d). Neither absolute time non absolute space Ans. (b) 85. The term â€Å"unambiguous† means? (a) Clean and proper (b) Perfect (c) Confusing or not difined (d) Well difined Ans. (c) 86. What does the author openion in the passage? (a) Time is completely separated and independent from space (b) Time and space and interdependent (c) Time is dependent on space and not vice-versa (d) Space is dependment on time and vice-versa Ans. (a) 87. A sum of money invested for a certain number of years at 8% p. a. simple interest grows to Rs. 180. The same sum of money invested for the same number of years at 4% p. a.simple interest grows to Rs. 120 only. For how many years was the sum invested? (a) 25 years (b) 40 years (c) 33 years and 4 months (d) Cannot be determined Ans. (a) 88. How long will it take for a sum of money to grow from Rs. 1250 to Rs. 10,000, if it is invested at 12. 5% p. a simple interest? (a) 8 years (b) 64 years (c) 72 years (d) 56 years Ans. (d) 89. Rs. 5887 is divided between Shyam and Ram, such that Shyamaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s share at the end of 9 years is equal to Ramaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s share at the end of 11 years, compounded annually at the rate of 5%. Find the share of Shyam. (a) 2088 (b) 2000 (c) 3087 (d) None of these Ans. (c) 90. An equilateral triangular plate is to be cut in to n number of identical small equilateral triangular plates. Which of the following can be possible value of n? (a) 196 (b) 216 (c) 256 (d) 296 Ans. (c) 91. Find the area of the sector covered by the hour hand after it has moved through 3 hours and the length of the hour hand is 7cm. (a) 1. 77 sq. cm (b) 2. 38. 5 sq. cm (c) 3. 35 sq. cm (d) 4. 70 sq. cm Ans. (b) 92. Left pan of faulty weighs 100gram more than is right pan. A shopkeeper keeps the weight measure in the left pan while buying goods but keeps it in the right pan while selling his goods. He uses only 1kg weight measure. If he sells his goods at the listed cost price, What is his gain? (a) 200/11% (b) 100/11% (c) 1000/9% (d) 200/9% Ans. (a) 93. Societies have been increasing in complexity from folk to industrial. Under this circumstances, according to you social control is more likely to be invested in (a) family (b) school (c) state (d) religious structures Ans. (c) 94. Each interior angle of a regular polygon is 120 degrees greater than each exterior angle. How many sides are there in the polygon? (a) 6 (b) 8 (c) 12 (d) 3 Ans. (c) 95. In the following question, the student’s clinical judgement is assessed: A 28 year old woman with one child has taken anti-thyroid drugs for 6 months for thyrotoxicosis. She has a friend who has been successfully treated with radioiodine. She finds she frequently forgets to take her drugs and wants to stop them to have radio-iodine treatment. 1. She should be told that because of her age radio-iodine is best avoided. 2. The problems associated with radio-iodine should be discussed with her. 3. Surgery as a possible alternative should be discussed with her. 4. She should be advised that some form of further treatment is required. 5. You should find out more about her friend’s treatment. (a) 1 only (b) 2, 3 4 (c) 1 5 (d) 1, 2 3 Ans. (b) 96. In a certain store, the profit is 320% of the cost. If the cost increases by 25% but the selling price remains constant, approximately what percentage of the selling price is the profit? (a) 30% (b) 70% (c) 100% (d) 250% Ans. (b) Directions for the following questions from Question No 97 to Question No 100: The following passage in this section is followed by questions based on the content of the reading passage. Read the passage carefully and chose the best answer to each question below. â€Å"But man is not destined to vanish. He can be killed, but he cannot be destroyed, because his soul is deathless and his spirit is irrepressible. Therefore, though the situation seems dark in the context of the confrontation between the superpowers, the silver lining is provided by amazing phenomenon that the very nations which have spent incalculable resources and energy for the production of deadly weapons are desperately trying to find out how they might never be used. They threaten each other, intimidate each other and go to the brink, but before the total hour arrives they withdraw from the brink. † 97. What is the synonym of the word, confrontation? (a) Being face to face (b) Involving in a clash (c) Fair relationship (d) None of the above Ans: (a) 98. What is the crux of the passage? (a) Mans soul and spirit can not be destroyed by superpowers. (b) Mans soul and spirit are immortal. (c)Mans safety is assured by the delicate balance of power in terms of nuclear weapons. (d) Human society will survive despite the serious threat of total annihilation. Ans : (d) 99. The phrase Go to the brink in the passage means (a) Retreating from extreme danger. (b) Declare war on each other. (c) Advancing to the stage of war but not engaging in it. (d) Commit suicide. Ans : (c) 100. What is the author’s opinion? (a) Nations in possession of huge stockpiles of lethal weapons are trying hard to avoid actual conflict. (b) Huge stockpiles of destructive weapons have so far saved mankind from a catastrophe. (c) Mankind is heading towards complete destruction.

The Life Of Warren Buffett History Essay

The Life Of Warren Buffett History Essay INTRODUCTION Warren Edward Buffett (born August 30, 1930) is a U.S. investor, and philanthropist. He is one of the most eminent investors in chronicle, the basic shareholder and chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway and in 2008 was ordered by Forbes as the 2nd most robust person in the world on an approximated net worth of around $62 billion. Buffett is often called the Oracle of Omaha or the Sage of Omaha and is noted for his adhesiveness to the value investing philosophy and for his own frugalness in spite of his huge riches. Buffett is also a famed altruist, having engaged to impart 85 percentage of his fate to the Gates cornerstone. He as well assists as a appendage of the board of trustees at Grinnell College. In 1999, Buffett personified described as the greatest money manager of the twentieth century in a surveil by the Carson Group, leading Peter Lynch and John Templeton. In 2007, he was enrolled amongst Times 100 virtually influencial people on the Earth. BUFFETTS HISTORY Warren Buffett was born in Omaha, Nebraska. His father name is Howard Buffett and having 2 siblings. He worked at his grandpas grocery store. In 1943, Buffett registered his 1st income tax return, deducing his pedal and watch as an exercise disbursement for $35 for his employment as paper deliveryman. Later on his father was elected to United States Congress, Buffett was schooled at Woodrow Wilson High School , Washington. In 1945, in his fledgeling year of high school, Buffett and a acquaintance expended $25 to buy a secondhand pinball game machine, which they placed in a barber workshop. Within weeks, they possessed 3 game machines in different emplacements. Buffett first entered at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, (1947-49) where he united the Alpha Sigma Phi brotherhood. His father and uncles were Alpha Sigma Phi brothers from the chapter in Nebraska. In 1951, he changed to the University of Nebraska where he underwent a B.S. in Economics. Buffett then enrolled at Columbia Business School subsequently memorising that Benjamin Graham, (the generator of The Intelligent Investor), and David Dodd, 2 long-familiar financial analyst*, tutored there. In 1951, he then underwent a M.S. in Economics from Columbia University. In Buffetts personal articulates: Im 15 percent Fisher and 85 percent Benjamin Graham. The primary theme of investing is to consider stocks as business, utilise the markets variations to your welfare, and look for a safety margin. That is what Benjamin Graham educated us. A century from today theyll even be the fundaments of investing. BENJAMIN GRAHAM BUFFETTS MENTOR During the period of 1920s, Ben Graham had become renowned. He looked for for stocks that comprised so low-priced they were almost entirely pregnant of risk, at a time when the rest of the world was approaching the investment field as a tremendous game of roulette. The Northern Pipe Line, an oil transportation company carried off by the Rockefellers was among his best known calls. The value investors tried to convince management to trade the portfolio, but they denied because Graham accomplished that the company had bond holdings worth $95 per share which was traded at $65 per share. Shortly thereafter, he engaged a adoptive warfare and procured a spot on the Board of Directors (BOD). The company gave a dividend in the amount of $70 per share and sold-out its bonds. At the age of 40, Security Analysis, among the greatest works ever composed on the stock market was pubished by Ben Graham. At that time, it was dangerous; endowing in equities had become a prank (The Dow Jones had struck from 381.17 to 41.22 over the course of three to four short years following the crash of 1929). It was about this time that Graham arrived up with the rule of intrinsic business value a touchstone of a businesss genuine worth that was wholly and entirely independent of the stock price. Utilising intrinsic value, investors could be in the position to determine what a company was worth and could be capable to take investment decisions consequently. His succeeding book, The Intelligent Investor, which Warren observes as the greatest book on investing ever written, enclosed the world to Mr. Market the best investment doctrine of analogy in history. Through his simple yet profound investment principles, Ben Graham turned an idyllic anatomy to the 21 year old, Warren Bu ffett. CAREER CHRONICLE From 1951-54, Buffett was hired at Buffett-Falk Co., Omaha as an Investiture Salesman. From 1954-1956, he was hired at Graham-Newman Corp., New York as a financial analyst. From 1956-1969, he worked with Buffett Partnership, Ltd., Omaha as a superior general Partner and from 1970 onwards till Present at Berkshire Hathaway Inc, Omaha as its Chairman, Chief Executive Officer. In 1951, Buffett Warren observed his mentor was the Chairman of a small, nameless insurance company named GEICO insurance. Taking a power train to Washington. on a Saturday, he tapped on the door of GEICOs central office until a janitor permitted him in. At that place, he encountered Lorimer Davidson, Geicos Vice President, and the both talked about the insurance business concern for hours. Davidson would eventually become Buffetts womb-to-tomb friend and an everlasting charm and later on recollect that he discovered Buffett to be a Prodigious man after only fifteen minutes. Buffett calibrated from Columbia and desired to work at Wall Street, however both, his father and Ben Graham pressed him not to. He volunteered to work out for Graham free of charge, but Graham declined. Buffett turned back to Omaha and worked as a stockbroker while acquiring a Dale Carnegie public speaking course. Utilising what he acquired, he sensed surefooted adequate to teach an Investment Principles Rules night class at the University of Nebraska. The moderate age of his pupils was more than twice his personal. During this time he purchased a Sinclair Texaco gas station too as a side investment. Nevertheless, this didnt boot out to be an eminent business jeopardize. In 1952, Buffett wedded Susan Thompson and the following year they gave birth their 1st baby, Susan Alice Buffett. In 1954, Buffett received a job at Benjamin Grahams partnership, which he always dreamed. His initiating remuneration was $12,000 a year (more or less $97,000 conformed to 2008 dollars). There he worked intimately with Walter Schloss. Graham was a bully man to work for. He was inexorable that stocks allow a ample safety margin after weighting the trade-off between their monetary value and their intrinsic value. The debate added up to Buffett simply he queried whether the standards were too demanding and induced the company to drop down on big successes that had more qualitative values. That same year the Buffetts birthed their 2nd baby, Howard Graham Buffett. In 1956, Benjamin Graham adjourned and shut down his partnership. At this time Buffetts own savings comprised over $174,000 and he commenced Buffett Partnership Ltd., an investment partnership in Omaha. In 1957, Buffett had three partnerships manoeuvering the whole year. He bought a five-bedroom stucco mansion in Omaha, where he even dwells, for $31,500. In 1958, the Buffetts 3rd baby, Peter Andrew Buffett , was born. Buffett controlled five partnerships the whole year. In 1959, the company raised to six partnerships running the full year and Buffett was acquainted to Charlie Munger. By 1960, Buffett had seven partnerships manoeuvering: Buffett Associates, Buffett Fund, Dacee, Emdee, Glenoff, Mo-Buff and Underwood. He asked one of his partners, a physician, to ascertain ten other physicians willing and able to invest $10,000 each in his partnership. Eventually eleven agreed. In 1961, Buffett unconcealed that Sanborn Map Company reported for 35% of the partnerships pluses. He explicated that in 1958 Sanborn stock traded at only $45 per share when the value of the Sanborn investment portfolio was $65 per share. This implied that vendees valued Sanborn stock at minus $20 per share and were involuntary to bear more than 70 cents on the dollar for an investment portfolio with a map business injected for nothing. This gained him a spot on the board of Sanborn. WAY TO RICHES In 1962, Buffett turned a millionaire, because of his partnerships, which in January 1962 had a surplus of $7,178,500, of which over $1,025,000 belonged to Buffett. Buffett integrated all partnerships into one partnership. Buffett divulged a textile fabricating business firm named Berkshire Hathaway. Buffetts partnerships started buying shares at $7.60 per share. In 1965, when Buffetts partnerships aggressively started buying Berkshire, they paid $14.86 per share while the company had working capital of $19 per share. This didnt include the evaluation of fixed assets (factory, machinery and equipment etc.). Buffett took charge of Berkshire Hathaway at the board meeting and appointed a new president, Ken Chace, to feed the company. In 1966, Buffett closed the partnership to fresh income. Buffett published in his letter: unless it seems that conditions have changed (under some considerations added capital would better final result) or unless new partners can contribute some asset to th e partnership other than simply working capital, I think not to admit more additional partners to BPL. In his second letter, Buffett declared his foremost investment in a private business concern Hochschild, Kohn and Co, a privately owned Baltimore emporium. In 1967, Berkshire disbursed its initiatory and exclusive dividend of 10 cents. In 1969, observing his most eminent year, Buffett neutralised the partnership and shifted their assets to his partners. Among the assets, disbursed were shares of Berkshire Hathaway. In 1970, as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett commenced publishing his now-famous yearly letters to stockholders. However, he survived solely on his salary of $50,000 per year, and his external investment revenue. In 1979, Berkshire commenced the year dealing at $775 per share, and finished at $1,310. Buffetts income reached $620 million, ranking him on the Forbes 400 for the first time. In 2006, Buffett declared in June that he step by step would impart 85% of his Berkshire retentions to five foundations in annual gifts of stock, starting in July 2006. The largest share would go to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2007, in a letter to shareholders, Buffett declared that he was seeking a younger successor, or possibly successors, to execute his investment business. Buffett had antecedently picked out Lou Simpson, who runs investments at Geico, to meet that role. However, Simpson is only six years younger than Buffett. In 2008, Buffett became the wealthiest man in the world dethroning Bill Gates, worth $62 billion reported by Forbes, and $58 billion reported by Yahoo. Bill Gates had been first on the Forbes list for 13 successive years. On March 11 2009, Bill Gates regained number one of the list according to Forbes magazine, with Buffett second. Their values have dropped to $40 billion and $37 billion respectively, which is probably an outcome of the 2008/2009 economical downswing. BUSINESS ACQUISITION In 1973, Berkshire commenced to gain stock in the Washington Post Company. Buffett became close acquaintances with Katharine Graham, who disciplined the company and its flagship newsprint, and became a member of its directorate. In 1974, the SEC opened up a schematic investigation into Warren Buffett and Berkshires attainment of WESCO, referable possible engagement of interest. No accusations were brought. In 1977, Berkshire indirectly bought the Buffalo Evening News for $32.5 million. Fair charges began, inspired by its competitor, the Buffalo Courier-Express. Both compositions lost income, till the Courier-Express folded in 1982. In 1979, Berkshire started to acquire stock in ABC. On March 18, Capital Cities declared $3.5 billion. Leverage of ABC stormed the media industry, as ABC was approximately four times larger than Capital Cities was at that time. Warren Buffett, Chairman Berkshire Hathaway, served finance the deal in return for a 25 percent stake in the merged company. The newly merged company, titled Capital Cities/ABC (or CapCities/ABC), was pressured to trade away a few stations due to FCC ownership conventions. Also, the two companies possessed several radio stations in the equivalent markets. In 1987, Berkshire Hathaway bought 12% stake in Salomon Inc., making it the greatest shareholder and Buffett the director. In 1990, a outrage involving John Gutfreund (former CEO of Salomon Brothers) rose up. A knave trader, Paul Mozer, was passing on bids in excess of what was permitted by the Treasury rules. When this was ascertained and brought to the aid of Gutfreund, he didnt immediately debar the knave trader. In August 1991, Gutfreund leftover the company. Buffett turned CEO of Salomon until the crisis surpassed. On September 4 1991, he evidenced before Congress. In 1988, Buffett commenced purchasing stock in Coca-Cola Company, finally buying up to 7 percent of the company for $1.02 billion. It would come out to be one of Berkshires most profitable investments, and one which it still controls. In 2002, Buffett entered in $11 billion worth of forward contracts to deliver U.S. dollars against other currencies. By April 2006, his overall gain on these contracts was over $2 billion. In 1998, he took on General Re, (in an infrequent move, for stock). In 2002, Buffett got interested with Maurice R. Greenberg at AIG, with General Re providing reinsurance. On March 15, 2005, AIGs board forced Greenberg to leave office from his post as Chairman and CEO under the shadow of unfavorable judgment from Eliot Spitzer, attorney general of the state of New York. On February 9, 2006, AIG and the New York State Attorney Generals office agreed to a settlement in which AIG would pay a fine of $1.6 billion. In 2009, Warren Buffett endowed $2.6 billion as a part of Swiss Res raising equity capital. Berkshire Hathaway already possesses a 3% stake, with rights to possess more than 20%. LATE 2000S RECESSION Buffett encounter criticism during the -subprime crisis of 2007-2008, component of the late 2000s recession, that he had apportioned capital too early leading in suboptimal deals. Buy American. I am. To quote Warren Buffetts popular opinion piece published in the New York Times. Buffett has called the 2007s downswing in the financial sector poetic justice. Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway met a 77% drop in earnings during Q3 2008 and many of his new deals look to be running into heavy mark-to-market losses. Berkshire Hathaway gained 10% perpetual preference shares of Goldman Sachs .Some of Buffetts exponent puts that he wrote (sold) are presently running around $6.73 billion mark-to-market losses. The scale of the expected loss inspired the SEC to demand that Berkshire produce, a more robust revealing of components accustomed assess the contracts. Buffett also helped Dow Chemical pay for its $18.8 billion takeover of Rohm Haas. He, thus, turned the only largest shareholder in the enlarged group with his Berkshire Hathaway, which offered $3 billion, emphasising his helpful role during the prevailing crisis in debt and equity markets. In October 2008, the media rumoured that Warren Buffett had harmonised to buy General Electric(GE) preferred stock. The process admitted extraordinary incentives: he accepted an option to buy 3 billion General Electric at $22.25 in the incoming five years, and also accepted a 10% dividend (due within three years). In February 2009, Warren Buffett sold piece of Procter Gamble Co, and Johnson Johnson shares from his portfolio. In addition to traces of anachronism, queries have been elevated as to the wisdom in keeping some of Berkshires major retentions, including The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) which peaked at $86 in 1998. Buffett talked over the troubles of acknowledging when to sell in the companys 2004 annual report: That may appear comfortable to do when one looks through an always-clean, rear-view mirror. Unluckily, however, its the windscreen through which investors must peer, and that glass is invariably fogged.. In March 2009, Buffett expressed in a cable television interview that the economy had fallen off a cliff Not only has the economy slowed down a lot, but people have really changed their habits like I havent seen. Additionally, Buffett awes we may revisit a 1970s level of ostentation, which led to a painful stagflation that lasted many years. PERSONAL LIFE Buffett married Susan Thompson in 1952. They had 3 kids, Susie, Howard, and Peter. In 1977, the couple started inhabiting separately, though they stayed married until her death in July 2004. Their daughter Susie lives in Omaha and does philanthropic work through the Susan A Buffett Foundation and is a national board member of Girls, Inc. In 2006, on his seventy-sixth birthday, he wedded his never-married longtime-companion, Astrid Menks, who was then sixty years old. From 1977, since his wifes departure, She had lived with him to San Francisco. It was Susan Buffett who set for the two to meet before she left Omaha to engage her singing career. All three were close and vacation cards to friends were signed Warren, Susie and Astrid. Susan Buffett briefly talked over this relationship in an interview on the Charlie Rose Show shortly earlier her death, in a rare glimpse into Buffetts personal life. In 2006, His annual earnings was about $100,000, which is little as compared to senior exe cutive remuneration in comparable companions.In 2007, and 2008, he earned a total compensation of $175,000, which enclosed a basic wage of just $100,000. He dwells in the same house in the central Dundee vicinity of Omaha that he purchased in 1958 for $31,500, today assessed at around $700,000 (though he too does have a $4 million home in Laguna Beach, California). In 1989, after having spent almost 10 million dollars of Berkshires funds on a private jet, Buffett sheepishly named it The Indefensible. This act constituted a break from his past conviction of wasteful purchases by early CEOs and his account of practising more public conveyance. He stays a desirous player of the card game bridge, which he acquired from Sharon Osberg, and plays with her and Bill Gates. He passes twelve hours a week playing the game. In 2006, he sponsored a bridge match for the Buffett Cup. Shapely on the Ryder Cup in golf, declared straightaway ahead it, and in the same city, a squad of 12 bridge players from the United States took on 12 Europeans in the event. Warren Buffett acted with Christopher Webber on an animated series with head Andy Heyward, of DiC Entertainment,and then A Squared Entertainment. The series characteristics Buffett and Munger, and instructs children healthy financial habits for life. Buffett was elevated Presbyterian but has since represented himself as agnostic as it strikes religious beliefs. In December 2006, it was accounted that Buffett doesnt carry a cellphone, does not have a computer at his desk, and driveways his personal automobile, a Cadillac DTS. Mr Warren Buffet wears off tailor-made suits from the Chinese label Trands, before he used to wear Ermenegildo Zegna. LINEAGE Buffetts DNA report disclosed that his paternal roots hail from northern Scandinavia, while his maternal roots most likely have roots in Iberia or Estonia. Despite general propositions to the contrary, and the casual friendly relationship which has formed between their families, Warren Buffett has no clear reference to the well-known vocalist Jimmy Buffett. POLITICS In addition to, other political contributions across the years, Buffett has officially certified and made campaign contributions to Barack Obamas presidential campaign. On July 2, 2008, Buffett attended a $28,500 per plate fundraiser for Obamas campaign in Chicago hosted by Obamas National Finance Chair, Penny Pritzker and her husband, as well as Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett. Buffett supported Obama for president, and suggested that John McCains aspects on social justice comprised so far from his own that McCain would need a lobotomy for Buffett to alter his indorsement.During the second 2008 U.S. presidential debate, nominees John McCain and Barack Obama, later on being asked first by presidential debate intermediator Tom Brokaw, both referred Buffett as a potential future Secretary of the Treasury. Later, in the third and concluding presidential debate, Obama mentioned Buffett as a potential economic consultant. Buffett was also finance consultant to California Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on his 2003 election crusade. COMPOSITIONS Warren Buffetts compositions include his annual reports and various articles. He admonished about the harmful effects of inflation: The arithmetic makes it plain that pomposity is a far more annihilating tax than anything that has been acted out by our general assembly. The inflation tax has a tremendous ability to merely wipe out capital. It creates no divergence to a widow with her savings in a 5 percent passbook account whether she pays 100 percent income tax on her interest money during a period of zero inflation, or pays no income taxes during years of 5 percent inflation. In his article The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville, Buffett controverted the scholarly Efficient-market hypothesis, that baffling the SP 500 was pure chance, by spotlighting a number of pupils of the Graham and Dodd value adorning school of thought. In addition to himself, Buffett named Walter J. Schloss, Tom Knapp, Ed Anderson (Tweedy, Brown Inc.), Bill Ruane (Sequoia Fund, Inc.), Charles Munger (Buffetts own business partner at Berkshire), Rick Guerin (Pacific Partners, Ltd.), and Stan Perlmeter (Perlmeter Investments). In his November, 1999 Fortune article, he admonished of investors delusive anticipations: Let me summarise what Ive been saying about the stock market: I think its very hard to come up with a compelling case that equities will over the next 17 years perform anything likeanything liketheyve performed in the past 17. If I had to pick the likeliest return, from appreciation and dividends combined, that investors in aggregaterepeat, aggregatewould earn in a world of constant interest rates, 2% inflation, and those ever injurious frictional costs, it would be 6%. PHILANTHROPY The following quotation from 1988, respectively, highlights Warren Buffetts thoughts on his wealth and why he long planned to reapportion it: I dont have a trouble with guiltiness about money. The way I see it is that my money represents an tremendous number of claim checks on society. Its like I have these little pieces of paper that I can turn into consumption. If I desired to, I could hire 10,000 people to do nothing but paint my impression everyday for the rest of my lifespan. And the GNP would go up. But the utility of the product would be zero, and I would be keeping those 10,000 people from doing AIDS research, or teaching, or nursing. I dont do that though. I dont use very many of those claim checks. Theres nothing material I want very much. And Im going to give literally all of those lay claim checks to brotherly love when my wife and I die. From a NY Times article: I dont believe in dynastic wealthiness, Warren Buffett said, calling those who raise up in affluent circumstances members of the lucky sperm club. Buffett has written numerous times of his opinion that, in a free enterprise, the plentiful gain oversized advantages for their talents: A market economy creates some lopsided yields to participants. The right talent of vocal chords, anatomical structure, physical strength, or mental powers can produce tremendous piles of claim checks on upcoming national output. Right choice of roots likewise can outcome in lifetime issues of such tickets upon birth. If zero actual investment returns disported a little greater part of the national output from specified stockholders to equally desirable and diligent citizens missing jackpot-producing talents, it would appear improbable to baffle such an abuse to an equitable world as to risk Divine intercession. His children wont come into an important proportion of his wealth. These activities are uniform with affirmations he has made in the past suggesting his opposition to the transfer of outstanding fortunes from one genesis to the next. Buffett once remarked, I would like to give my kids just sufficient so that theyd experience that they could do anything, but not such that theyd experience like doing nothing. In 2006, he auctioned his 2001 Lincoln Town Caron eBay to hike money for Girls, Inc. In 2007, he auctioned off a luncheon with himself that brought up a final bid of $650,100 for a charity. In 2006, he declared a program to bring out his luck to charity, with 83% of it going to the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation. In June 2006, Buffett devoted approximately 10 million Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares to the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation, valuable approximately US$30.7 billion as of 23 June 2006, building it the greatest charitable contribution in history and Buffett among the leaders in the philanthrocapitalism revolution. The foundation will have 5% of the total contribution on an annualised basis each July, commencing in 2006. Buffett also joined the directorate of the Gates Foundation, although he doesnt program to be actively engaged in the foundations investment. This is a substantial shift from previous affirmations Buffett has made, having expressed that most of his fortune would surpass to his Buffett Foundation. In 2004, the majority of the estate of his wife, prized at $2.6 billion, went to that foundation when she died. He also committed $50-million to the Nuclear Threat Initiative, in Washington, where he has assisted as an consultant since 2002. On 27 June 2008, Zhao Danyang, a general manager at Pure Heart China Growth Investment Fund, succeeded the 2008 5-day online Power Lunch with Warren Buffett charity auction with a bid of $2,110,100. Auction continues benefit the San Francisco Glide Foundation. PUBLIC POSITIONINGS Buffetts deliveries are recognised for merging business discussions humorously. Every year, Buffett presides over Berkshire Hathaways yearly stockholder assembling in the Qwest Center in Omaha, Nebraska, an issue eviscerating over 20,000 visitors from both United States and abroad, giving it the nickname Woodstock of Capitalism. Berkshires yearly articles and letters to stockholders, prepared by Buffett, frequently experience coverage by the financial media. Buffetts compositions are recognised for carrying well-written quotations laying out from the Bible to Mae West. as well as Midwestern advice, and several jokes. Various websites proclaim Buffetts merits while others objurgate Buffetts business models or dismiss his investment advice and decisions. WARREN BUFFETT AS A LEADER What he does understand is business. At 5 Years old, he started earning income. At only 6 years old, Buffett bought 6-packs of Coke from his grandpas grocery store for 25 cents and resold all of the bottles for a nickel, pocketing a 5 cent income. While other children of his age were enjoying hopscotch and jacks, Warren was earning income. Five years later, Buffett underwent his step into the world of high finance. At 11 years old, he bought 3 shares of Cities Service Preferred at $38 per share for both himself and his older sister, Doris. Just after his buying of the stock, it fell down to just over $27 per share. A scared but spirited Warren held his shares until they rebounded to $40. He quickly sold them an error he would shortly come to regret. Cities Service stroke up to $200. The experience taught him one of the basic lessons of investing: Patience is a Virtue. As he commenced on his investment career, he had invested among others in businesses in textiles and newspapers. He knew the newspaper business from experience: he was a paper boy as a adolescent. When he was investing in these businesses, the related industries were in great downslope or integration. The textile business is an industry unexhausted from the industrial revolution. As fabricating moved to inexpensive labor countries, American textile manufacturers contracted. In the 19 th century, Newspapers growth industry, competing with television and radio for news were consolidating from a rivalrous market of numerous newspapers to one major monopoly newspaper in major towns. Wall Street wasnt fascinated in putting in these business concerns, so these were value bargains that pulled in Buffet. By investing in these businesses, Buffet got discounted assets and cash flows which he could utilise to invest in other businesses. One biased and negative perspective of Buffet would be as a scavenger of American business: acquiring fat on the misfortunes of asset rich, but impassive, turning down, and tedious businesses. However, in realism, he stands by businesses in which he invests, he makes sure that the business is a benevolent business. He normally buys businesses and seldom deals them. For instance, GEICO Insurance is among his core properties, he has controlled GEICO most of his investment vocation. When he brought in Berkshire Hathaway, it was a textile business, asset rich and with a stabilise cash flow. But Wall Street considered the textile industry as a worsening business. Berkshire did finally get out of the business of textiles, but it owned among the last textile manufactory in America. If one purchased a share of Berkshire Hathaway just about the time Buffet did, approximately $8, and held it to today, its worth is about ten thousand times its value in 1965, over $80,000. Buffet was progressive in the domain of efficaciously utilising capital. Before the crowd, Buffet realised the businesses of insurance and reinsurance as having great value of cash flow. Berkshires golden business is reinsurance. Reinsurance is the wholesale end of the insurance business, involving large sources of comparatively quick assets. Buffet knew what to do with that cash pool and how to invest it. In the early 1980s the insurance companies cut costs on premiums to keep market share. They wanted to reveal constant increase for the market idols. On the other hand, Buffet realised that writing policies for any kind of chance wasnt judicious. He just wrote policies that added up to him. He acknowledged that finally, losses would force underwriters to recede and premiums would hike. in 1985, When the insurance market reversed, the industry was having terrible losses and several companies bring down the reporting they proposed. The insurance companies created a miserly market with their hesitation to issue policies, partly because their reserves were at an wane. Buffet came forward to the plate, boot with cash, he was set to publish big policies, at his own terms and conditions, offcourse. Investments in securities are probably to interest this type, especially investments in blue chips securities. ISTJs [Inspector Guardians] are not probably to take chances either with their personal or others money. Efficient and effective use of capital have been Buffets countersigns all his life. We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy only when others are fearful. is his policy.