101 Diversity and Showing Professor Ramos Blog

101 Diversity and Showing Quick Write Quick Write Diversity: the condition of having or being composed of differing elements; especially the inclusion of different types of people (such as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization. How has diversity affected you? I take your point The concepts we will be studying about writing also pertain to oral conversations. The templates from Chapter 12 show how to frame a comment in response to a discussion or argument. How to change a topic as well as how to be clear when speaking and writing. Framing a Discussion We will have many different conversations in this class. Keep the idea of framing in mind to help you make your point clear and to help us understand your point. We need context to make a point. President Obama Commencement Speech at Howard University President Obama makes many points in this speech. Take a few minutes and write down the important points you think should be discussed. Types of Diversity Types of diversity, include, but are not limited to: race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, religion, and disability. Journals Journals are easy points to get, that are meant to help you in this class. If you do them, or attempt them, you earn the points. The first two journals asks that you answer some questions. We will continue to build on skills and incorporate them into the journals. Starting next week, you will be writing summaries of the readings. American Greatness Leaves of Grass  is Walt Whitman’s book of poetry, first published in 1855. He published six editions during his lifetime. He revised, expanded, and tinkered with the book to reflect the changes taking place in American culture and himself. The Americans of all nations at any time upon the earth have probably the fullest poetical nature. The United States themselves are essentially the greatest poem (1009). Walt Whitman is the great visionary. He was the first person to say America is the greatest nation. Here is not merely a nation but a teeming nation of nations (1010). What makes us great is that we are made up of immigrants. We are a growing and evolving nation. This is what makes us the greatest nation. . . . but the genius of the United States is not best or most in its executives or legislatures, not in its ambassadors or authors or colleges or churches or parlors, nor even in its newspapers or inventors . . . but always most in the common people (1010). He continues and argues that he could only write this because he is an American. Lyndon B. Johnson John F. Kennedy â€Å"They Say† Chapter 1 argues that good academic writing responds to what others are saying. What â€Å"They Say† is important to include in academic writing and is one way we can include the conversation when we write. The chapter includes templates for introducing standard views, implied or assumed and ongoing debates. Why do you think they start out the textbook with this chapter? Why is it important to start with â€Å"They Say†?

Black Holes Essays - Galaxies, Black Holes, Astrophysics

Black Holes Essays - Galaxies, Black Holes, Astrophysics Black Holes Table of Contents I. What are black holes? II. Where do they come from? III. Interesting facts about black holes. IV. How are they discovered? A. X-ray Emissions B. Exotic Energy Sources C. Star speeds D. Masers E. The Baseline Array F. Hubble Telescope G. Satellites V. Quasi-Stellar Relations VI. Locations A. M87 B. Milky Way C. Andromeda D. E. NGC 6240 F. A0620-00 What are black holes? Black holes are the remains of a massive star that has collapsed and shrunk to a tiny point in space. They have all of the gravity of the star concentrated into that point. Black holes are difficult to see because they cannot be seen. They cannot be seen because they are spinning faster than the speed of light and light cannot escape from them. They can be compared to a giant vacuum cleaner, they suck in anything that gets near them. Where do black holes come from? Black holes are formed when giant stars run out of fuel and are overwhelmed by their own gravity. When this happens they cannot keep from collapsing. After stars collapse, they start rotating and as they are spinning, their gravity becomes stronger causing them to shrink. As the object becomes smaller, it starts spinning faster and faster. Using a small black marble as an example of the size that Earth would become if it collapsed and became a black hole, Todd R. Lauer, of the National Optical Astronomy Observatories said, " Black holes are very messy eaters. If you took that marble to an 'all-you-can-eat buffet' allowing it to consume all the matter around it, the feeding frenzy would produce as much radiation as the Sun." Research indicates that black holes may have existed at the beginning of time. Black holes are so dense that not even light can escape. Looking towards a black hole, the stars behind it would appear out of place because black holes distort light. The immense gravitational pull of black holes is thought to be responsible for the swirling masses of stars in spiral galaxies throughout the universe. Gravity in a black hole should be able to pack stars in so tight that the intensity of the stars' light would drastically increase towards the center of gravity. Everything falling into a bla! ck hole loses its identity, you couldn't tell if it were a satellite or a T.V. set that fell in. Dr. Fred Chromey of Vassar College in New York said, " Black holes are the easiest way to explain some of the strange things that are going on in some of the galaxies." Research indicates that if a black hole formed, it would eventually evaporate but it would take millions of years. Earth's escape velocity, the speed it takes to escape the pull of gravity, is 11 kilometers per second. The escape velocity of a black hole is 300,000 kilometers per second, which is faster than the speed of light. If Earth's diameter shrank to less than 1 centimeter, the escape velocity would exceed the sped of light, the escape velocity of a black hole. Anything can become a black hole if you compress it enough. How are black holes located? Black holes technically can't be seen, but they give off many clues to their location. Signs of many black holes have been located during normal observation of other space objects. Abnormally high levels of X-rays and gamma rays are the most common clues, but other exotic energy sources are also good clues. Astronomers have also located black holes by studying the speeds of swirling galaxies. If large objects are moving at very high speeds astronomers usually try to track their orbits and try to locate a central object that could be the source of the gravity. Another clue to the location of black holes are masers. Masers are the cosmic relatives of lasers. They are water molecules orbiting black holes that capture and amplify radiation and send it back out into space. Masers are usually located in the accretion disk, the swirling cloud of gases above a black hole. Some masers have been clocked traveling over 650 miles per second. Many types of equipment are used to locate black holes. One type of equipment is called the Baseline Array. The

The Admissibility of Expert Witnesses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

The Admissibility of Expert Witnesses - Essay Example The battle of dueling experts has become somewhat counterproductive, with the reputations and persuasiveness of the experts involved becoming more important than the objective evidence they can provide. It is now possible to join The Society of Expert Witnesses in the UK. The motto of the organization, quisque ad praestantiam nitens is, ironically, translated with a lack of expertise to "each towards excellence striving" - when "each striving towards excellence" is surely the correct wording in modern English. The Society was only founded in 1995, but the Latin motto shows that it is attempting to suggest that it is somehow an established part of the legal system rather than a relative newcomer. Of course brevity of existence is no judgment of quality, but the attempt to create the sense of history that does not exist perhaps is. The definition of an expert witness has gone through a long development. Formal education in a subject is not necessarily needed, as was established as early as R. v. Silverlock (1894), in which a solicitor who had studied handwriting for more than ten years was accepted as an expert even though he had no formal training in the subject. R. V. Robb (1991) established a similar principle and qualified it through saying that the finder of fact (Judge or Jury) should be the one that decides how much weight to give to it. Thus the degree of "expertise" (or otherwise) shown by the expert witness should be decided by the finder of fact. The Society gives a succinct description of both expert and expert witness on its welcome page on the Internet. While these are not formal definitions found within the law, they are at least a starting point for the consideration of contributors to the trial whose role is somewhat uncertain. There is no comprehensive definition of "expert witness", so the Society may well be a help in studying such: An expert is anyone with knowledge or experience of a particular field of discipline beyond what is expected of a layman. An expert witness is an expert who makes his or her knowledge available to a court (or other judicial or quasi-judicial body) to help it understand the issues of a case and reach a sound and just decision. 1 The definition of expert would seem to be extraordinarily broad, and would include large segments of the population within an increasingly specialized society. No mention is made of educational qualifications, let alone the graduate degrees that might be expected for one who calls herself an expert. The Society seems to be attempting to have as broad a definition as possible for "expert", which is logical as its first listed aim is to assist "members in running their expert witness business by any suitable means."2 The fact that being an expert witness can now become a full time source of self-employment may be starkly contrasted to the early days of expert witnesses in the early to mid Twentieth Century, when they were experts within their fields (often scientific or forensic in

Modified Rules for Kick-ball Game Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Modified Rules for Kick-ball Game - Essay Example Every team shall include minimum three disabled players in their team, and out of those three; two disabled players shall be always on the ground. The disabled player shall be substituted by disabled fellow; however physical strong player upon injury will be allowed to leave the ground and can be substituted by physically strong or disabled player (Joseph, 2005). The disabilities of the participants have been elaborated as, some of the players can hearing problem and cannot hear well; some of the players are walk lamely. The players having hearing disability cannot hear anything unless it is extremely loud. It is important to specify that there is no physical damage to their hearing and locomotive organs of the human body, except for some defects, which has restricted their social life. It is important to highlight that any mischief towards disable players either from team players shall lead to voluntary win of the respective team, provided that referee are able to make consensus. The defensive team shall be allowed to setup in any order, and there shall be no rule for the placement of defending players. However the disabled player shall be the pitcher whenever the disabled player is the batter from the other team. ... The batter has no restriction for attempting to kick the ball, and the rule as per which the batter was previously suppose to wait for the ball to be within three feet of home plate shall be declared void. The batter has to attempt to kick the ball, even if he does not like to pitch. A runner who leaves the base before the pitch reaches home plate is invalid; the runner shall at least complete 2/3 of the runway instead of the entire length. The players with hearing disability shall be given the status of the game after every innings, and if the team leader believes that any information or tactics shall be shared with the disabled players, the team leader has the right for time-out. The frequency and interval of time-out shall be defined, the frequency of time-out shall be twice per innings, and the frequency shall be 2mins for each call-out. The game instructions have been modified such that the disabilities of the players are accounted for. The game shall be thoroughly communicated to the disabled players. Any violation on the part of disabled player shall be accepted, and the disabled student shall be re-communicated about the rules of the game. It is important for the disabled player not to make repeated fouls, if such situation occurs the decision of disqualification of the referee shall be final. The rules of the games have been modified such that the requirements of the players are accounted for. The disabled player with impartial hearing shall be communicated about the situation of the game after every ball, if desired by the team. The physical disabled lame player shall be given rest of three minutes after every

Chapter 3 - Neurology Clerkship Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Chapter 3 - Neurology Clerkship - Thesis Example Taking into account the level of students in the course and the clinical nature of the course work, content that focused on practical clinical knowledge was made a priority for the eBook (M Nilsson, Nilsson, Pilhammar, & Wenestam, 2009). It was decided, however, that the content of the book must match the delivery of the content. Clinical students are expected to demonstrate proficiency through their ability to apply content learned in the classroom to patients themselves. Because of the nature of the medical profession, clinical students must demonstrate deep analytical skills in which the student must diagnose and provide treatment for such diagnosis (Malau-Aduli, et al., 2013). Therefore, since the eBook was developed for such student stakeholders, it was agreed upon to develop an eBook that delivered content through an explanatory and problem-based learning model. The development of the eBook occurred after the subject matter experts compiled the content of the eBook. The content was broken down into two main sections: 1) Neuroanatomy section and 2) Pathology section. The Neuroanatomy section of the book centered its content on the review of the anatomy of the brain. Subject matter experts provided multiple Computer Tomography Scans (CT Scans) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scans (MRI Scans) of healthy brains. This information was essential for students to progress adequately through the book, for much of the terminology and the images throughout the eBook would refer back to this section (Cotter & Cohan, 2011). This section also served as a glossary for those who needed to review basic information. The Pathology section introduced students to neurological ailments. The content for this section provided students with the information required to learn specific neurological ailments they might experience in the clinical setting. Subject matter experts, understanding that this section prepared students for their clinical rounds, provided real world

Major Sources of Finance and Funding for SMEs

Major Sources of Finance and Funding for SMEs Introduction Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of all economies and are a key source of economic growth, dynamism and flexibility in advanced industrialised countries, as well as in emerging and developing economies. SMEs constitute the dominant form of business organisation, accounting for over 95% and up to 99% of enterprises depending on the country (OECD 2006). While not every small business turns into a multinational, they all face the same issue in their early days finding the funds to enable them to start and build up the business and test their product or service. This essay will be looking at the major sources of finance for SMEs and start ups, also will be looking at the advantages and disadvantages of this various sources. Furthermore I will be drawing from the lectures notes, seminars with different enterprise and other sources to identify these sources and their advantages and disadvantages. Funds are difficult to source for especially in this present period of recession. However, funds can be sources through various means each of which have it merit and demerits. The decision as to what source of finance will be the best will depend on, the cost of borrowing, the length of time the money will be need, what is the money for and ultimately whether the firm can payback. Burns (2007) The most important consideration in deciding the source of finance for SMEs is to strike a balance equity and debt and to make sure the source of finance suits the business. What differentiate (money borrowed) debt and equity are that financial institutions demand interest and capital repayments, but debts is usually held up against a business assets or personal properties of the owners. The sources of finance for start-ups and SMEs can be divided into two: internal which includes (personal savings, family and friends) and external includes (trade credit, venture capitals, business angle, hiring and leasing, bank loans, Factoring and invoice discounting, grant, bank overdraft). Internal sources: Personal savings, family and friends: this is often the starting point for most SMEs where the owner uses his/her savings to start up the business, may be later in the business others may be prepared help you out example the case of Amazon that was shown in class where his parents and friends helped at some point, also is the same for most of the entrepreneur brought on in the seminar. It should be noted that for family and friends the reason for funding should be known as some may give in turn to have share of the business which might not be explicit, in other to avoid these a written agreements would be a better option stating the basis of such funding. An advantage is that this shows that the owner has some level of confidence and commitment to the business enterprise and might make it easier to gain money from others. It costless form of finance, but there is higher risk of the money being lost since the entrepreneur idea might not be fully developed. External sources: Grants: Grants are often available from councils, local authorities, and other Government agencies for specific reasons. For example there may be plans by the government or council to revive or encourage the development of a sector or an area. Alternatively there are some institutions that helps entrepreneur to lunch new business. One disadvantage is that assess to grants can be competitive as some businesses are classified more important than others and it can be very difficult to locate an individual or organizations who will be willing to give funds for small business. An advantage is that most grants dont require payback and has no interest. Bank Overdraft: An overdraft is agreed sums which a customer can overdraw form his current account. Bank overdraft can be a good source of short-term finance to help a business with seasonal shortage of funds that does not require long-term solution. The charges varies and are linked to the bank rate. The advantage of overdraft is that it is always there when it is need and it is at no cost (however small fee are charged) it helps to maintain a good cash flow. Also it is quick to set-up when compared to a loan. Overdraft disadvantages. The interest rate on an overdraft can be quite high, especially for small firms where the risk to the bank that they might not get their money back is greater. In addition, the business is not allowed to exceed their overdraft limit. If they do, the bank might refuse to pay cheques to creditors and may hit the business with a hefty charge for exceeding the limit. Overdraft facilities can be re-negotiated but if this is tried too many times, it may be a signal to the bank that a business has not got control over its finances. Venture capitals (VCs): It is also known as private equity finance. This source is often most times used in the early stages (or a later stage depending on the type of VCs) of developing a new business, where the risk of failure is high but the possible earnings may well also be high. Venture capital dealings are, just about  £500,000 to  £10 million, or above. Venture capital most time provides second round financing after Business angels. Venture capitalists invest large sums of money in return for a share in the firms equity and also expect a good return on their investment. It should be noted that venture capitalists most times are firm or representative of a parent firm. One advantages of getting a VC are they provide large sum of finance and the significant expertise, contacts and experiences they have acquire while running other businesses. Furthermore successfully attracting a venture capital makes it sometimes easier to get others for further funding. Example of theses i s the Dragons Den. On the other hand disadvantage getting a deal with a venture capitalist may be a long and difficult process. As it will require drawing up a well detailed plan, financial projections which may require professional help or friends who have such knowledge, legal requirement may be needed on getting to the negotiation stage all of these services will have to be paid for whether or not the fund was secured. Also there is tendency for VCs to influence or take control of the business. Business Angels: Business angels (BAs) are also know as angle investors, they are rich individuals who invest in a potential high growth businesses in return for a share in the ownership of the business. They are typically involved at an early stage of the business. Some BAs invest as an individual, while others do as part of a group, or investment club. BAs often make their own skills, experience and contacts available to the company. BAs in general invest in businesses between  £10,000 and  £750,000 as individual and up to  £1,000,000 or more as a group. One advantage of BAs is that they often make an quick investment decisions, without complex assessments. (i.e. when it appeals to them or an area of interest) However, a professional and well prepared business plan will be needed to get their attention. Most BAs bring relevant experience, skill, time, and contacts they have built up overtime. Most BAs are committed and do everything within their power to make the business wor k. The disadvantage of BAs is that they are difficult to find and dont make investments very regularly, more time will be spent with the BAs rather with the business giving information, The entrepreneur may loss some level of control over the business, locating the right investors may be difficult, also there is tendencies for the BAs to want to stay in the business therefore becoming a â€Å"devil†. The British Business Angels Association (BBAA) is a good source of locating BA networks also they help in preparing and presentation of business proposals. Invoice Discounting and Invoice Factoring: This involves a company outsourcing its invoicing activities to an external organisation. It makes funds available in few days to the business base on the values of the outstanding invoices. Then process, It begins by the firm making sales, sending the invoice to the customer, sending a copy of the invoice to the factoring institution where necessary negotiations and investigations is carried out on the customer after which an agreed percentage of the invoice is paid by the factoring company, usually 70-80% within 24 hours. This service comes with a cost which include administration charges, interest, credit protection charges, etc. the major advantage of this source of finance is the quick availability of funds which can be channel into another aspect of the business, also with presence of many factoring companies, this makes prices competitive, further it makes preparation of financial planning and cash flow easier and smoother, it can be an efficient and cost effective was of sub contracting that area of the business which reduces the time spent chasing payment. It is also an opportunity to know the credit standing of your customers which can help in negotiating a better deal with your suppliers and customer. The down side is that the charges will imply a reduction in the profit margin, in addition it may limit the way business is done as the factoring company may want to vet your consumers. It may reduce the extent of borrowing as the invoice is not available as security, also some customer may prefer to deal directly with their suppliers. In the situation where the customer default the business has to pay also an additional fees may be charged. Trade credit: some businesses depend on the purchase of a product from other companies (suppliers) to run their enterprise. Trade credit is a case where a supplier gives out his product to a customer on credit expecting to pay at a later date. Most trade creditors allow for a period of 30 days or longer before payment are made, this can allow the business to use the funds in the short term to finance other things. This should be done with caution so as not to risk upsetting the supplier and put at risk the future working relationship of business. Advantages of Trade credit: By setting up trade credit it will require less money to start up a business, this can be really important to those who have little capital in starting up a business, also the ability to buy now and pay later, the business can purchase the item and sell them at a profit before payment are made. With this the business time to focus on other areas of the business like marketing etc rather than worry about paying the ir supplier. It also makes for improved cash flow and smooth operation for the business. Example of all these is the case of QPC as discussed in the seminar. The downside to trade credit is if the business fails to meet the deadline it may leads to poor credit history which might limit the business chances of securing funds elsewhere. Also it can be difficult to get trade credit as only firms with good credit history are given, however these can be difficult to build as a new business. Hire Purchase and Leasing: Hire purchase and leasing allows a business to acquire an asset without paying the full-price. The business will have the right to use the equipment for a period of time after which they can buy it at a reduced price or return it. These means is mostly used in the purchase of heavy equipment. Leasing an asset makes available some working capital that can be use in other areas of the business. In a lease, the business is paying for the use of an equipment or machinery but do not own it. A lease agreement on an equipment or machinery, for example, might mean that the firm pays out  £250 or more per month for a 3-4 year lease. At the end of the years, the equipment or machinery is returned to the owner. Some advantages of leasing equipment include, having and using an asset without having to pay the full cost up front, so cash can be diverted for other purpose. it gives the business access to a modern standard of equipment, which might be too costly to buy u pfront payments are spread over a long period of time., leases can be helpful to business which carries out short projects or needs equipment for short time as they dont have to buy such equipments out-rightly. With the payment based on the fixed period of time the equipment will be use and fixed monthly rental costs, this helps the business to budget for the future, forecast cash flow and plan effectively. It also reduces the cost of maintenance, as the leasing company will be responsible for that and carries the risk of the equipment if it breaks down. Capital allowance can be claim on the equipment. The asset can be purchased as a reduced price. Some disadvantages of leasing equipment: it can work out to be more expensive than if you buy the assets outright, Capital allowances may not be claimed on lease equipment less than five years in some cases seven years. Business can be stocked into inflexible medium or long-term agreements, which may be difficult to terminate. In the case of Adrian Lauchlan who got a big warehouse and later discovers it was too big but could not break the contract due to the length of time. Leasing contract can be complex to manage and can add to the management operation, businesses has to be VAT-registered to take out a leasing contract, the asset are not owned despite paying monthly for it. Bank Loans: Bank loans can be a couple of thousand to hundred thousands of pounds depending on the security and business prospects. A loan is an amount of money borrowed for a set period with aim of paying back at an agreed date. The repayment will depend on the size, length of the loan and the rate of interest. The terms and conditions of loan vary with providers and may be negotiable. Loan periods varies between 1 to 10 years, with some going up to 20 years, though each lender have a number of loan packages to suit various business needs. The riskier the business, the less likely to be able to borrow, and the higher the interest rate charged. This helps the bank to ensure that they are covered even if the risk does not pay off. Advantages of loans: Banks loan are reliable because the money is guaranteed throughout the agreed period generally three to ten years unless there is a breach of the loan conditions. If the loan will be use in the purchase of equipment it can be tied to th e lifetime of the equipment or other assets youre borrowing the money to pay for. Loans do not require giving up part of the business as of the case of an investor but the interest which serve as the cost must be paid. Some loans have fixed interest rates which are easy to calculate. Disadvantages of loans: Most loans are not flexible once the payment date are fixed also they have strict terms and conditions, there might be difficulty in making monthly repayment when customers done pay on time therefore causing cash flow problem. Most loans are secured against the business owners property or the asset of the business, but these properties will be at risk if the business defaults. Adrian Lauchlan almost lost his house due to low cash flow. Businesses are charged if the loans are paid before the end of the agreed period. In situation where more funds are borrowed than needed interest will be paid on fund not used. The bank will not be willing to increase the loan without an increase i n security. In conclusion, the essay has discussed some of the major sources of finance and also discusses their advantages and the disadvantages of this various sources, it should be noted that each firm or business should choose the most appropriate sources of finance that suits it mode of operation and kind of business. References http://www.entrepreneur.com/money/buyingandsellingabusinessmikehandelsman/article204238.html The OECD Policy briefing (2006); Financing SMEs and Entrepreneurs. Burns, P (2007), Entrepreneurship and small business 2nd edition, Palgrave, Basingstoke. http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/newsbytheme.cfm?displayType=library=en http://www.lbangels.co.uk/downloads/Raising%20Business%20Angel%20Funding.pdf ACCA SME UNIT :Improving SME access to equity finance: http://www.accaglobal.com/pubs/general/activities/library/small_business/sme_policy/equity_investment.pdf Financing Innovations: InnoSupportTransfer Supporting Innovations in SME: http://www.innosupport.net/uploads/media/8_1_Sources_of_Finance_for_innovation.pdf Thorne.S (2007), sources of finance: http://www.eic-guide.co.uk/docs/src_finc.pdf Irwin.D Scott.J (2008) Barriers to raising bank finance faced by SMEs, Queens University Management School, Belfast. Fraser, S. (2005), Finance for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises: A Report on the 2004 UK Survey of SME Finances, Warwick Business School, Coventry.

Digital Fortress Chapter 55-58

Chapter 55 â€Å"You're in my seat, asshole.† Becker lifted his head off his arms. Doesn't anyone speak Spanish in this damn country? Glaring down at him was a short, pimple-faced teenager with a shaved head. Half of his scalp was red and half was purple. He looked like an Easter egg. â€Å"I said you're in my seat, asshole.† â€Å"I heard you the first time,† Becker said, standing up. He was in no mood for a fight. It was time to go. â€Å"Where'd you put my bottles?† the kid snarled. There was a safety pin in his nose. Becker pointed to the beer bottles he'd set on the ground. â€Å"They were empty.† â€Å"They were my fuckin' empties!† â€Å"My apologies,† Becker said, and turned to go. The punk blocked his way. â€Å"Pick 'em up!† Becker blinked, not amused. â€Å"You're kidding, right?† He was a full foot taller and outweighed the kid by about fifty pounds. â€Å"Do I fuckin' look like I'm kidding?† Becker said nothing. â€Å"Pick 'em up!† The kid's voice cracked. Becker attempted to step around him, but the teenager blocked his way. â€Å"I said, fuckin' pick 'em up!† Stoned punks at nearby tables began turning to watch the excitement. â€Å"You don't want to do this, kid,† Becker said quietly. â€Å"I'm warning you!† The kid seethed. â€Å"This is my table! I come here every night. Now pick 'em up!† Becker's patience ran out. Wasn't he supposed to be in the Smokys with Susan? What was he doing in Spain arguing with a psychotic adolescent? Without warning, Becker caught the kid under the armpits, lifted him up, and slammed his rear end down on the table. â€Å"Look, you runny-nosed little runt. You're going to back off right now, or I'm going to rip that safety pin out of your nose and pin your mouth shut.† The kid's face went pale. Becker held him a moment, then he released his grip. Without taking his eyes off the frightened kid, Becker stooped down, picked up the bottles, and returned them to the table. â€Å"What do you say?† he asked. The kid was speechless. â€Å"You're welcome,† Becker snapped. This kid's a walking billboard for birth control. â€Å"Go to hell!† the kid yelled, now aware of his peers laughing at him. â€Å"Ass-wipe!† Becker didn't move. Something the kid had said suddenly registered. I come here every night. Becker wondered if maybe the kid could help him. â€Å"I'm sorry,† Becker said, â€Å"I didn't catch your name.† â€Å"Two-Tone,† he hissed, as if he were giving a death sentence. â€Å"Two-Tone?† Becker mused. â€Å"Let me guess†¦ because of your hair?† â€Å"No shit, Sherlock.† â€Å"Catchy name. Make that up yourself?† â€Å"Damn straight,† he said proudly. â€Å"I'm gonna patent it.† Becker scowled. â€Å"You mean trademark it?† The kid looked confused. â€Å"You'd need a trademark for a name,† Becker said. â€Å"Not a patent.† â€Å"Whatever!† the punk screamed in frustration. The motley assortment of drunken and drugged-out kids at the nearby tables were now in hysterics. Two-Tone stood up and sneered at Becker. â€Å"What the fuck do you want from me?† Becker thought a moment. I want you to wash your hair, cleanup your language, and get a job. Becker figured it was too much to ask on a first meeting. â€Å"I need some information,† he said. â€Å"Fuck you.† â€Å"I'm looking for someone.† â€Å"I ain't seen him.† â€Å"Haven't seen him,† Becker corrected as he flagged a passing waitress. He bought two Aguila beers and handed one to Two-Tone. The boy looked shocked. He took a swig of beer and eyed Becker warily. â€Å"You hitting on me, mister?† Becker smiled. â€Å"I'm looking for a girl.† Two-Tone let out a shrill laugh. â€Å"You sure as hell ain't gonna get any action dressed like that!† Becker frowned. â€Å"I'm not looking for action. I just need to talk to her. Maybe you could help me find her.† Two-Tone set down his beer. â€Å"You a cop?† Becker shook his head. The kid's eyes narrowed. â€Å"You look like a cop.† â€Å"Kid, I'm from Maryland. If I were a cop, I'd be a little out of my jurisdiction, don't you think?† The question seemed to stump him. â€Å"My name's David Becker.† Becker smiled and offered his hand across the table. The punk recoiled in disgust. â€Å"Back off, fag boy.† Becker retracted the hand. The kid sneered. â€Å"I'll help you, but it'll cost you.† Becker played along. â€Å"How much?† â€Å"A hundred bucks.† Becker frowned. â€Å"I've only got pesetas.† â€Å"Whatever! Make it a hundred pesetas.† Foreign currency exchange was obviously not one of Two-Tone's fortes; a hundred pesetas was about eighty-seven cents. â€Å"Deal,† Becker said, rapping his bottle on the table. The kid smiled for the first time. â€Å"Deal.† â€Å"Okay,† Becker continued in his hushed tone. â€Å"I figure the girl I'm looking for might hang out here. She's got red, white, and blue hair.† Two-Tone snorted. â€Å"It's Judas Taboo's anniversary. Everybody's got-â€Å" â€Å"She's also wearing a British flag T-shirt and has a skull pendant in one ear.† A faint look of recognition crossed Two-Tone's face. Becker saw it and felt a surge of hope. But a moment later Two-Tone's expression turned stern. He slammed his bottle down and grabbed Becker's shirt. â€Å"She's Eduardo's, you asshole! I'd watch it! You touch her, and he'll kill you!† Chapter 56 Midge Milken prowled angrily into the conference room across from her office. In addition to the thirty-two foot mahogany table with the NSA seal inlaid in black cherry and walnut, the conference room contained three Marion Pike watercolors, a Boston fern, a marble wet bar, and of course, the requisite Sparklett's water cooler. Midge helped herself to a glass of water, hoping it might calm her nerves. As she sipped at the liquid, she gazed across at the window. The moonlight was filtering through the open venetian blind and playing on the grain of the table. She'd always thought this would make a nicer director's office than Fontaine's current location on the front of the building. Rather than looking out over the NSA parking lot, the conference room looked out over an impressive array of NSA outbuildings-including the Crypto dome, a high-tech island floating separate from the main building on three wooded acres. Purposefully situated behind the natural cover of a grove of maples, Crypto was difficult to see from most windows in the NSA complex, but the view from the directorial suite was perfect. To Midge the conference room seemed the perfect vantage point for a king to survey his domain. She had suggested once that Fontaine move his office, but the director had simply replied, â€Å"Not on the rear.† Fontaine was not a man to be found on the back end of anything. Midge pulled apart the blinds. She stared out at the hills. Sighing ruefully, she let her eyes fall toward the spot where Crypto stood. Midge had always felt comforted by the sight of the Crypto dome-a glowing beacon regardless of the hour. But tonight, as she gazed out, there was no comfort. Instead she found herself staring into a void. As she pressed her face to the glass, she was gripped by a wild, girlish panic. Below her there was nothing but blackness. Crypto had disappeared! Chapter 57 The Crypto bathrooms had no windows, and the darkness surrounding Susan Fletcher was absolute. She stood dead still for a moment trying to get her bearings, acutely aware of the growing sense of panic gripping her body. The horrible cry from the ventilation shaft seemed to hang all around her. Despite her effort to fight off a rising sense of dread, fear swept across her flesh and took control. In a flurry of involuntary motion, Susan found herself groping wildly across stall doors and sinks. Disoriented, she spun through the blackness with her hands out in front of her and tried to picture the room. She knocked over a garbage can and found herself against a tiled wall. Following the wall with her hand, she scrambled toward the exit and fumbled for the door handle. She pulled it open and stumbled out onto the Crypto floor. There she froze for a second time. The Crypto floor looked nothing like it had just moments ago. TRANSLTR was a gray silhouette against the faint twilight coming in through the dome. All of the overhead lighting was dead. Not even the electronic keypads on the doors were glowing. As Susan's eyes became accustomed to the dark, she saw that the only light in Crypto was coming through the open trapdoor-a faint red glow from the utility lighting below. She moved toward it. There was the faint smell of ozone in the air. When she made it to the trapdoor, she peered into the hole. The freon vents were still belching swirling mist through the redness, and from the higher-pitched drone of the generators, Susan knew Crypto was running on backup power. Through the mist she could make out Strathmore standing on the platform below. He was leaning over the railing and staring into the depths of TRANSLTR's rumbling shaft. â€Å"Commander!† There was no response. Susan eased onto the ladder. The hot air from below rushed in under her skirt. The rungs were slippery with condensation. She set herself down on the grated landing. â€Å"Commander?† Strathmore did not turn. He continued staring down with a blank look of shock, as if in a trance. Susan followed his gaze over the banister. For a moment she could see nothing except wisps of steam. Then suddenly she saw it. A figure. Six stories below. It appeared briefly in the billows of steam. There it was again. A tangled mass of twisted limbs. Lying ninety feet below them, Phil Chartrukian was sprawled across the sharp iron fins of the main generator. His body was darkened and burned. His fall had shorted out Crypto's main power supply. But the most chilling image of all was not of Chartrukian but of someone else, another body, halfway down the long staircase, crouched, hiding in the shadows. The muscular frame was unmistakable. It was Greg Hale. Chapter 58 The punk screamed at Becker, â€Å"Megan belongs to my friend Eduardo! You stay away from her!† â€Å"Where is she?† Becker's heart was racing out of control. â€Å"Fuck you!† â€Å"It's an emergency!† Becker snapped. He grabbed the kid's sleeve. â€Å"She's got a ring that belongs tome. I'll pay her for it! A lot!† Two-Tone stopped dead and burst into hysterics. â€Å"You mean that ugly, gold piece of shit is yours?† Becker's eyes widened. â€Å"You've seen it?† Two-Tone nodded coyly. â€Å"Where is it?† Becker demanded. â€Å"No clue.† Two-Tone chuckled. â€Å"Megan was up here trying to hock it.† â€Å"She was trying to sell it?† â€Å"Don't worry, man, she didn't have any luck. You've got shitty taste in jewelry.† â€Å"Are you sure nobody bought it?† â€Å"Are you shitting me? For four hundred bucks? I told her I'd give her fifty, but she wanted more. She was trying to buy a plane ticket-standby.† Becker felt the blood drain from his face. â€Å"Whereto?† â€Å"Fuckin' Connecticut,† Two-tone snapped. â€Å"Eddie's bummin'.† â€Å"Connecticut?† â€Å"Shit, yeah. Going back to Mommy and Daddy's mansion in the burbs. Hated her Spanish homestay family. Three Spic brothers always hitting on her. No fucking hot water.† Becker felt a knot rise in his throat. â€Å"When is she leaving?† Two-Tone looked up. â€Å"When?† He laughed. â€Å"She's long gone by now. Went to the airport hours ago. Best spot to hock the ring-rich tourists and shit. Once she got the cash, she was flying out.† A dull nausea swept through Becker's gut. This is some kind of sick joke, isn't it? He stood a long moment. â€Å"What's her last name?† Two-Tone pondered the question and shrugged. â€Å"What flight was she taking?† â€Å"She said something about the Roach Coach.† â€Å"Roach Coach?† â€Å"Yeah. Weekend red-eye-Seville, Madrid, La Guardia. That's what they call it. College kids take it 'cause it's cheap. Guess they sit in back and smoke roaches.† Great. Becker groaned, running a hand through his hair. â€Å"What time did it leave?† â€Å"Two a.m. sharp, every Saturday night. She's somewhere over the Atlantic by now.† Becker checked his watch. It read 1:45 p.m. He turned to Two-Tone, confused. â€Å"You said it's a two a.m. flight?† The punk nodded, laughing. â€Å"Looks like you're fucked, ol' man.† Becker pointed angrily to his watch. â€Å"But it's only quarter to two!† Two-Tone eyed the watch, apparently puzzled. â€Å"Well, I'll be damned.† he laughed. â€Å"I'm usually not this buzzed till four a.m.!† â€Å"What's the fastest way to the airport?† Becker snapped. â€Å"Taxi stand out front.† Becker grabbed a 1,000-peseta note from his pocket and stuff edit in Two-Tone's hand. â€Å"Hey, man, thanks!† the punk called after him. â€Å"If you see Megan, tell her I said hi!† But Becker was already gone. Two-Tone sighed and staggered back toward the dance floor. He was too drunk to notice the man in wire-rim glasses following him. Outside, Becker scanned the parking lot for a taxi. There was none. He ran over to a stocky bouncer. â€Å"Taxi!† The bouncer shook his head. â€Å"Demasiado temprano. Too early.† Too early? Becker swore. It's two o'clock in the morning! â€Å"Pidame uno! Call me one!† The man pulled out a walkie-talkie. He said a few words and then signed off. â€Å"Veinte minutos,† he offered. â€Å"Twenty minutes?!† Becker demanded. â€Å"Y elautobus?† The bouncer shrugged. â€Å"Forty-five minutos.† Becker threw up his hands. Perfect! The sound of a small engine turned Becker's head. It sounded like a chainsaw. A big kid and his chain-clad date pulled into the parking lot on an old Vespa 250 motorcycle. The girl's skirt had blown high on her thighs. She didn't seem to notice. Becker dashed over. I can't believe I'm doing this, he thought. I hate motorcycles. He yelled to the driver. â€Å"I'll pay you ten thousand pesetas to take me to the airport!† The kid ignored him and killed the engine. â€Å"Twenty thousand!† Becker blurted. â€Å"I need to get to the airport!† The kid looked up. â€Å"Scusi?† He was Italian. â€Å"Aeroporto! Per favore. Sulla Vespa! Venti mille pesete!† The Italian eyed his crummy, little bike and laughed. â€Å"Venti mille pesete? La Vespa?† â€Å"Cinquanta mille! Fifty thousand!† Becker offered. It was about four hundred dollars. The Italian laughed doubtfully. â€Å"Dov'e la plata? Where's the cash?† Becker pulled five 10,000-peseta notes from his pocket and held them out. The Italian looked at the money and then at his girlfriend. The girl grabbed the cash and stuffed it in her blouse. â€Å"Grazie!† the Italian beamed. He tossed Becker the keys to his Vespa. Then he grabbed his girlfriend's hand, and they ran off laughing into the building. â€Å"Aspetta!† Becker yelled. â€Å"Wait! I wanted a ride!†

Eveline by James Joyce

Essay 2 Leaving the only â€Å"home† that one has ever known can be very emotional, especially when you hold so many memories and have established a routine of life in that home. Many say â€Å"live life to the fullest,† yet they come up with excuse after excuse that holds them from leaving. They feel as if they can’t make this decision on their own. Trying to find the meaning of life and making attempts to discover the reason why they were put on this Earth is hard enough. Every day one lives new experiences that we hope will one day lead us to our destined future.Yet, for so many, not knowing where to begin keeps them from moving forward. Reminiscing on the memories created in our home; thinking about how much those memories have faded, and will eventually disappears if they are to leave that home. Being attached to the environment that one is used to or the routine of life holds one back from what the future could hold. Even when given the key to escape, think ing too hard makes one doubt their ability to adapt to a new environment. â€Å"What if’s? † and breaking that routine of life gives one fear of failure, not â€Å"making it† once leaving the environment.Feeling stuck in trying to find meaning of life makes it easier to come up with excuses to stay in the routine in which one is accustomed to. This is true because it is what happened to Eve line in â€Å"Eve line† by James Joyce from Ireland during the early 20th century. No matter how many times Eve line sits and thinks about moving forward, and living new experiences, she was stuck in her past and thinking about it so much does not let her move on and travel to break out of her routine and bad habits. Joyce does an excellent job illustrating Eveline’s decision making process with language and symbols throughout the short story.He begins by telling us where Eve line is sitting in her home â€Å"at the window watching the evening invade the avenue † as she smells the â€Å"odor of dusty cretonne† letting readers know that it was a particular aroma that he had to describe. As she is looking out she begins to reminisce on the memories that she still has of the big open field where all the children of the avenue used to go out and play when she was younger. Joyce choice of character names for those children’s families (the Devines, the Water, and the Dunnes) helps the reader picture them as very friendly neighbors who Eve line almost saw as family.The name â€Å"Eve line† is another clear symbol that the author makes in the story comparing the main character to â€Å"Eve† from the â€Å"Adam and Eve’s† biblical story where â€Å"Eve† is confronted by the serpent or â€Å"Satan† just like Eve line was always confronted by her father out in the field or the â€Å"Garden of Eden† as the biblical story goes. Eve line believed that her father â€Å"wasn’t so bad then† and that she used to be â€Å"happy† then but now everything was different. Joyce reminds the reader many times that Eveline’s mother isn’t alive any more, letting the reader know that Eve line still lamented this loss so much.One of the â€Å"Dunn’s† had also passed now and â€Å"the Waters† had moved back to England. She didn’t want to be another person who just left her â€Å"home† full of those memories of the past. Joyce repeats the word â€Å"Home! † and emphasizes it using an exclamation point as if Eve line was reminding herself that it was the only home she knew. Eve line reminisces on the smallest details of her home, like â€Å"the objects she had dusted once a week for so many years† and the â€Å"yellowing photograph hung on the wall† which her used to always pass and quotes his exact words â€Å"†He is in Melbourne now. † The picture was above the broken harmonium and beside the â€Å"print of the promises made to Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque. † Margaret Mary Alacoque is a Saint of the Roman Catholic Church who was very popular in Ireland during the early 20th century. The broken harmonium is another symbol that Joyce uses to connect the reader to the â€Å"broken† environment of her home and of Ireland in general. With all the memories Eve line holds of her home she had still â€Å"consented with Frank to leave with him and leave it all behind. Eve line begins to really doubt her self.Her mind is spinning and not knowing if her decision was wise. She would break her routine of working hard at home and at work. She was only 19; she begins thinking about what everyone else would say about her. She imagined everyone at her job would think she â€Å"had run off with a fellow† and would stir up all kind of lies and rumors. Still undecided Eve line begins to build a fantasy of â€Å"Buenos Ayres† which is where Fran k has promised to take her. She imagines being a married woman, treated with respect and not the way she was treated at home by the father.Joyce makes it clear to the reader that Eve line is terrified of her father, he would still â€Å"threaten her and say he would do it for her dead mother’s sake. † Eve line has no one to make her feel safe from him. Ernest her brother was dead, and her other brother Harry was in â€Å"the church decorating business† and was never home. She had too much responsibility in her home and no one to help her with it all. Her father never helped out with money and the â€Å"[children] left to her charge did not make her life any easier.With all this she still didn’t find it a â€Å"wholly undesirable life† writes Joyce indicating that Eve line is still hesitant of leaving with Frank. Joyce describes Frank as a â€Å"very kind, manly, open hearted† guy who Eve line saw as the only person who could protect her fro m her father. He tells her they will go on the â€Å"night-boat† and that she will be â€Å"his wife† in â€Å"Buenos Ayres† where â€Å"he already had a home waiting for her. † Joyce shows how naive Eve line is being about Frank. She had met him not too long ago and had gone out with him a couple times.He had given her a nickname, Poppens, and met her outside of work every evening. Frank had many â€Å"tales† about the places he had sailed to all around the world and explains how he had â€Å"fallen on his feet to Buenos Ayres. † Although Eve line didn’t see any of Franks flaws Joyce does use language to prove that Franks intention’s with Eve line may not have been good one’s considering that during that time Buenos Aires, Argentina was well known for its sexual trafficking. Her father finds out about the relationship and forbid Eve line to keep seeing Frank calling him a â€Å"sailor Chap. Joyce brings the reader back to the present and gives more excuses for Eve line not to leave her home. She held two letters on her lap, one to Harry and one to her father, she noticed her father becoming old and thought that he would probably miss her, she reminisced on the moments which her father was nice. Joyce illustrates Eve line still sitting on the couch, having just moments left to make her decision. She the odor of â€Å"dusty cretonne† returns and she begins to â€Å"hear a street organ play† just as she did the night of her mother’s death and the promise that she had made to her mother.She promised her mother to â€Å"keep the home together as long as she could. † Most of all it reminded her of the life her mother had lived, â€Å"that life of commonplace sacrifices closing in on final craziness. † She wanted to break that cycle that her mother had. She wants to escape that life and believe that â€Å"Frank would save her [,] give her life, perhaps love, too. â₠¬  Joyce exposes to the reader that Eve line is aware that Frank doesn’t love her and if she leaves with him there is a chance that things do not work out between them.Upon arriving to the station Eve line looks around examining everything around her. She is still isn’t sure if she is getting on that boat. †She prayed to God to direct her† she wanted to know what she â€Å"was her duty. † At that moment the boat blew â€Å"a long mournful whistle. † Eveline’s decision is determined by of the â€Å"mournful sound. † She thinks about â€Å"tomorrow† how she would break out of her routine if she leaves with Frank. Eve line chooses to stay home. â€Å"Her eyes give [Frank] no sign of love, farewell or recognition†

A pollack by any other name - Emphasis

A pollack by any other name A pollack by any other name We should all be eating more pollack, for cods sake. So say the environmentalists trying to save the perennial partner to chips from an early, non-watery grave: cod stocks in the North Sea are a mere fifth of what they were forty years ago. Sainsburys have given the humble pollack a makeover to boost its popularity as an alternative. Shoppers have apparently previously blushed to ask for this fish by name. We must now all practise our French accents to request colin (pronounced co-lan), which actually means hake across the water. Honourable motives? Mais oui. But will this prove to be a successful rebrand or just fishy jargon? And it brings to mind that age-old question: whats in a name? Quite a lot, it seems, in business. Finding just the right name for a brand is so important that its spawned its own industry to take care of the christening for you. It can be the difference between being noticed or passed over; remembered or forgotten if you will: between being reeled in or thrown back. To borrow from branding firm Hinges website: [a] name encapsulates all of the content intellectual and emotional that people associate with a product or service. The extent to which Colin the pollack will enter public consciousness and public house menus well, time will tell. If nothing else, people are certainly taking the bait for its comedy and pun potential: why not call it Jackson? What a load of pollacks, etc. It does seem to be catching on rather better than the PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) campaign to gain sympathy for all fish by renaming them sea kittens. Even comedy has its limits.

Time is a Fire essays

Time is a Fire essays In this book report paper, I will analyze about a novel titled Time is A Fire, which is written by Vikram Kapur. I will also divide this paper into two main parts. In the first part, I will summarize and take the points from the story. And, in the second part, I will write some of my opinion and critique from a specific main chapter that I choose instead, which is the fourth that talked about the marriage between Rose and Ajay. Based on my point of view, I can tell that the novel was trying to talk about the life about Amrita Gill, a pretty, nice, and smart girl who came from India. Who is later on met another two journalist, Deepak and Jaswant. The three of them worked together and tried to solve the riddle of Indira Gandhis assassination and the relevance with the riots that took place in Delhi, India in 1984. I can see mystery, political history, and romance combined perfectly into one, which according to me is the best part of the novel. The story began on October 31st 1984, when the assassination of Mrs. Gandhi took place. An innocent sixteen-year-old girl, Amrita Gill was tragically came home to find her parents murdered too because of the riots. Instead of being alone in the riots that occurred in India, Amrita was forced to move abroad and live her country where she was born. She moved to Seattle, where she can live in the same roof with her uncle, the only living relative that she had now. Her childhood was really a tough life. She had to work in the kitchen and ordered like a servant by her aunt. She also worked hard outside to pay her educational fee. She worked in convenience store and fast food restaurant and tried to live by her own in her new life. However, she couldnt just run from the past. On one evening in November 1997, Amrita got a strange letter from Vancouver, which is written in Gumurkhi. On the letter, it is said that the writer, Gurbachan Singh needed to talk to Amrita. At first, Amrita w...

Mental health and mental disorder module(psychososial studies Degree) Essay

Mental health and mental disorder module(psychososial studies Degree) - Essay Example The existence of mental disease and the legality of the psychiatric specialization are not universally acknowledged. Some specialists, especially Doctor Thomas Szasz, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Syracuse, seriously stand up against the practice of use of the definition "mental illness." The anti-psychiatry movement frequently refers to what it means by "myth of mental illness" and dispute against a biological cause for mental disorders, or also states that all human experience has a biological origin and so no type of behaviour can be called a disease per se. In this particular work I would like to study depression from the general point of view and from the point of view of Thomas Szasz in order to prove or disprove his position. So, is depression a disease or a myth? Depression is the most widespread disease of XX century. During all the past and in present century depression was considered as a normal condition of artistic, creative people. We heard more than once:  «I am in depression, live me along ". Nowadays, depression is a dangerous disease, which causes unfeigned suffering. However there are some scientists who do not agree with it, they are Thomas Szasz and his colleagues Jeffrey A. Schaler and Ron Leifer. 1. The first point: â€Å"A disease scientifically is defined as a biological abnormality that affects living tissues. Trees can be diseased, plants, animals, and humans. A real disease is typhoid fever, we call it a literal disease. Spring fever sounds like a disease but it is not a disease. The whale is a real animal, but it is not a fish, it is a metaphorical fish. So when we say depression is not a disease, we do not minimize the human phenomenon suffering. It exists like the whale exists but it is not a disease.† (Thomas S. Szasz Cybercenter for Liberty and Responsibility, 1998). 2. The second point: â€Å"Treatment has got nothing to do with

Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase - Essay Example (57 percent), Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (21 percent), Asia and the Pacific (13 percent), and Latin America (7 percent). Citibank is a major force in international finance, its consumer segment offers banking, lending, insurance, and investment services through a network of 8,110 branches, approximately 18,800 automated teller machines, 809 automated lending machines, and the Internet. The Corporate and Investment Banking segment provides various investment and commercial banking services and products, which comprise investment banking and advisory services, debt and equity trading, institutional brokerage, foreign exchange, structured products, derivatives, and lending. It also offers cash management and trade finance for corporations and financial institutions; custody and fund services to insurance companies and pension funds; clearing services to intermediaries; and depository and agency/trust services to multinational corporations and government. The Global Wealth Management of Citigroup provides investment advisory services, financial planning, and brokerage services to wealthy individuals, companies, and non-profits organizations. Other services include investment management, such as investment funds management, capital markets solutions, trust, fiduciary, and custody services; investment finance that comprises credit services, such as real estate financing, commitments, and letters of credit; and banking services that consist of deposit, checking, and savings accounts, as well as cash management and other banking services. Today Citigroup is the finest financial services company, with approximately 200 million customer accounts in more than 100 countries. In a news report / press release issued by the Citigroup that it has completed the purchase of Egg Banking plc (Egg), the world's largest pure online bank and one of the UK's leading online financial services providers, from Prudential PLC. In another press release, Citigroup on April 26th 2007 announced its successful completion of tender offer to become the majority shareholder of Nikko Cordial Corporation. Citigroup will own in excess of 60% ownership in Nikko Cordial. Nikko Cordial is a premier Japanese financial institution based out of Tokyo. J. P Morgan Chase A constituent of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan Chase has its corporate headquarters in New York and its U.S. retail financial services and commercial banking headquarters in Chicago. Under its JPMorgan and Chase brands, the firm serves millions of consumers in the United States and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients. The company operates through six segments: Investment Bank, Retail Financial Services, Card Services, Commercial Banking, Treasury and Securities Services, and Asset Management. The Investment Bank segment offers investment banking products and services, such as advising on corporate strategy and structure, capital raising in equity and debt markets, risk management, market making in cash securities and derivative instruments, and research. It also serves corporations, financial institutions, governments, and institutional investors. The Retail Financial Services provides regional banking services, including co nsumer and business banking, home equity lending, and education lending, as well as offers mortgage banking and auto finance services. The Card