It Takes a Thief :: Short Stories Stealing Burglary Essays

It Takes a Thief The thief moved slowly through the long stone hallway, not making a sound. He virtually clung to the grey walls, just another shadow in the dark. He paused for a moment, stretching every inch of his six foot frame, eyes and ears straining in the blackness. There it was again, the sound of sandaled feet echoing through the hall. Dropping down and touching the floor, he felt vibrations reverberating through the stone. And they were coming closer! He swore softly, and looked around quickly. Spotting a door, he hurriedly said a prayer to whatever god was willing to listen, and he stepped through it. He noted that he was in a large, empty candlelit room, but that was all he looked at for a moment. Breathing a sigh of relief, he wiped his brow and pushed back his shoulder length black hair, revealing a large, pointed ear. "You're getting to old for this Thronn," he whispered in the silence. Two hundred years. He was two hundred years old. That was really nothing but a pinch of salt in the life of an elf, but the constant pressures of his profession was starting to wear on him. Being a thief added a lot of stress to one's life. This job especially. Usually, he came out ahead, but not this time. His mouth quirked up in a cynical grin at the though of the mere two hundred gold that he was getting for this job. Raiding the castle of Lord Paraxel was not his idea of sane, not even his idea of insanity. But, he had needed the money at the time. He shook his head angrily and looked up. A lapse like that could easily cost him. Finally, his head clear, he scanned the room. It was bigger than he had originally thought and, he smiled, it was the very room he was looking for: the armory. Cabinets were in numerous places along the floor, and numerous weapons were hanging along the walls. Reaching into his belt pouch, he drew out a scroll that his employer had given him. He'd been told that when he was finished reading it, the weapon that glowed would be the one to take. He looked at the scroll with revulsion. He never had liked magic very much, even though he'd always had a way with it. Suddenly, with a flick of his wrist, a dagger appeared in his right hand. It Takes a Thief :: Short Stories Stealing Burglary Essays It Takes a Thief The thief moved slowly through the long stone hallway, not making a sound. He virtually clung to the grey walls, just another shadow in the dark. He paused for a moment, stretching every inch of his six foot frame, eyes and ears straining in the blackness. There it was again, the sound of sandaled feet echoing through the hall. Dropping down and touching the floor, he felt vibrations reverberating through the stone. And they were coming closer! He swore softly, and looked around quickly. Spotting a door, he hurriedly said a prayer to whatever god was willing to listen, and he stepped through it. He noted that he was in a large, empty candlelit room, but that was all he looked at for a moment. Breathing a sigh of relief, he wiped his brow and pushed back his shoulder length black hair, revealing a large, pointed ear. "You're getting to old for this Thronn," he whispered in the silence. Two hundred years. He was two hundred years old. That was really nothing but a pinch of salt in the life of an elf, but the constant pressures of his profession was starting to wear on him. Being a thief added a lot of stress to one's life. This job especially. Usually, he came out ahead, but not this time. His mouth quirked up in a cynical grin at the though of the mere two hundred gold that he was getting for this job. Raiding the castle of Lord Paraxel was not his idea of sane, not even his idea of insanity. But, he had needed the money at the time. He shook his head angrily and looked up. A lapse like that could easily cost him. Finally, his head clear, he scanned the room. It was bigger than he had originally thought and, he smiled, it was the very room he was looking for: the armory. Cabinets were in numerous places along the floor, and numerous weapons were hanging along the walls. Reaching into his belt pouch, he drew out a scroll that his employer had given him. He'd been told that when he was finished reading it, the weapon that glowed would be the one to take. He looked at the scroll with revulsion. He never had liked magic very much, even though he'd always had a way with it. Suddenly, with a flick of his wrist, a dagger appeared in his right hand.

Cemex Case Study Analysis

Global Competitive Strategies EXTERNAL ANALYSIS PESTEL ANALYSIS Political factors: -restriction and regulation of imports, exports and trade tariffs decide whether a company can compete globally: eg. GATT agreement in 1989, Mexico-open marketplace, enabled Cemex to expand globally. – governments may decide to nationalize or privatize the cement production; eg. Venezuela nationalized cement production. – political stability of a country will highly affect the performance of the industry Economic factors any firm in the industry is highly dependent on the economic performance of country/countries it operates in ( changes in expandable income, performance of firms within the country are affected). -emerging economies provide great opportunities for growth in the industry; expanding infrastructure. – fluctuating exchange rates also impact performance – rising costs of production and capital affect a firm’s competitiveness Social factors -Demographics: c an affect things such as the size of the labour force, the demand for housing, etc. all of which have an impact on the cement industry. Technological factors -The technology used in the production of cement is constantly evolving; innovations can impact cost and quality of products. -Innovations in technology of information systems have an impact on costs of distribution and provide added value for the consumers. Porter’s Five Forces (industry analysis)- The key determinant of a firm’s profitability is the attractiveness of the industry it operates in; 5 forces model assumes that industry attractiveness and the firm’s competitive position within the industry are influenced by 5 forces: 1. Entrance of new competitors: Barriers to entry are relatively high: a. High capital costs (capital requirements) + b. Low efficiency industry: the minimum efficiency level is aprox. 1 mil. tons a year + c. High transportation costs and logistics + – the benefits of generating economies of scale would be very high in the industry d. low product differentiation within the industry – -make global cement production fragmented, the four largest producers account for only 23% of overall demand e. the technology used in the production of cement is constantly changing; high R&D costs + f. ccess to distribution channels depends highly on the location of plants and resources; plants need to have competitive location + – if plants are near water distribution channels, the costs are significantly diminished 2. Bargaining power of buyers: a. Cement is very much considered a commodity or consumer product, variation depending on geographical region; buyer concentration is relat ively low, therefore buyer power is also lower. + b. Due to low supplier concentration and low product differentiation, buyer switching costs are relatively low and consumers are more price sensitive, which adds to the bargaining power of the buyers. the higher the bargaining power of the buyers/consumers, the lower the profitability of the industry) – c. Cement purchases tend to require a substantial amount of buyers’ income, therefore the performance of the industry is highly dependent on the economic welfare of the buyers and the performance of the economy in general. 3. Bargaining power of the supplier: a. Low concentration of suppliers means that suppliers have relatively low bargaining power – b. Low concentration of buyers means that buyer bargaining power is relatively low + 4. Rivalry a. Generally, supplier concentration in the industry is low; however, if you look at integrated cement production, suppliers are concentrated (aprox. 1500, out of which 4 are main global players). In terms of global players, rivalry is high. 5. Threat of substitutes a. Given the fact that cement is necessary for the construction industry and the development of infrastructure all over the world, it is unlikely that it will be substituted in the near future. Opportunities – huge growth potential in Mexico, due to demographics, attractive market characteristics and expected infrastructure development. Growth potential in all developing countries. – significant savings and less cash flow volatility as a result of cost synergies resulted from acquisitions such as RMC, Valenciana, Sanson and Southdown. †¢ Long-term growth markets: Cemex’s strategy is primarily focused on markets with highpotential for long-term expansion such as the US and Eastern Europe †¢ Cemex – Ready Mix USA joint venture: Cemex has the opportunity to consolidate its presence in the Southeastern region of the US through Ready Mix USA’s local management team and focus on customers Threats cement production is a very cyclical industry; highly depends on the economic performance of the country – increased competition from global players both on a national and global level. – Political instability: political instability in certain countries could have a negative impact on Cemex’s local operations †¢ Venezuelan nationalization: on April 3, 2008, the Venez uelan Government announced the nationalization of the local cement industry, aiming to take full operative control of cement producers in Venezuela through the acquisition of a participation within a range from 60% to 100% if required. On August 18, 2008, PDVSA, the state-owned Venezuelan oil monopoly, took operational control of Cemex Venezuela’s facilities. †¢ Higher exposure to the US market: as a result of the acquisition of Rinker, Cemex has strongly raised its exposition in the battered US building market †¢ Competition against major players: Cemex competes in its main markets with other world-class players such as Holcim and Lafarge †¢ Rising costs of basic inputs: increments in the price of energy (primarily electricity andnatural gas) have a direct negative impact on output and distribution costs. However,Cemex has implemented an alternative fuel program in order to improve its capacity toabsorb this type of fluctuations †¢ Risks associated to RMC integration: the incorporation of the RMC Group is the first integration of an international player into the structure of Cemex, which has to simultaneously coordinate new operations on a global scale mainly focused on ready-mix and aggregates, whereas cement has traditionally been Cemex’s core product. Global recession: in an international recessionary environment Cemex’s sales will be negatively impacted in its key markets INTERNAL ANALYSIS Core Competencies: -Production of cement is its core competency, but also good in the production of ready-mix concrete and aggregates. -Its ability to brand these products is a valuable asset and a sustained competitive advantage. Existing strategies and objectives Porter Four Generic Aquisition vs. Greenfield Cemex chose to enter foreign markets through acquisition rather than starting up greenfiled operation. The rationale behind this was that this strategy is cost effective and time saving. The estimated cost of acquisition for a cement multinational is much lower than building a new plant. Production and distribution systems are already in place and they are also acquiring the local management know-how which is both time efficient and cost effective way of entering a new market. Competitive Profile: how does the company match up against its competitors.

Parents Are the Best Teachers

Parents experience life with their children from the beginning of their lives. Hence, they have taught their children many lessons. They are definitely the first teachers of their children but they are not the best teachers. Firstly, parents are closest to their children so it’s difficult to teach their children strictly. For example, it’s time to do homework but their children don’t want to do so. They may wheedle their parents into letting them do it later. Parents always pamper their children so they permit them to do homework later. This increasingly spoils their children. Secondly, parents constantly shape their children interests to be similar to theirs. This makes their children difficult to develop their potential ability. For example, if the parents like music they may want their children to attend music class. Likewise, if the parents like art they may let their children attend art class. However, what if their children are interested in science? Last but not least, because of the differences of generation, parents’ points of view are somewhat narrower than their children’s. For example, their children want to go to some university which is far form their hometown in order to have more experience in live. In contrary, parents prefer their children to attend to university which is near their hometown because they think it is unsafe for them to live far form family. In conclusion, parents might be the good teachers but they are not the best ones. They can’t teach the children strictly, always tend to shape their interests and have the different points of view with their children. Fortunately, we have various teachers during our lives. Therefore, we can learn a lot from them They are also your guid they let you do what you want they also help ypu alot with yur studies and stuff they also make you food. and buy you clothes and whatever you want

Education vs. Non-Education Essay

There are two important stories called, â€Å"Front Seat Brahman† and â€Å"Teachers of Import† that have a common conflict. That common conflict is education vs. non-education. The character in â€Å"Front Seat Brahman† is Sushil Rao. He is from Bombay, India. The characters in â€Å"The Teachers of Import† are Amarel Collymore and Elke Walcher. Amarel is from Bridgetown, Barbados and Elke is from Austria. They all moved to Queens, New York for a particular reason. Sushil did not mention whether or not he went to elementary or high school. However, from the story it sounds like he took school lightly compared to Amarel and Elke. Sushil states, â€Å"I went away to agriculture college to learn how to be a farmer, but they made me dissect frogs in a botany class so I quite. So I enrolled in a philosophy college. A year later, my father died and I was kind of out of control. I quite college and became a traveling hippie† (Lehrer/ Sloan, 32). This proves that he did try to go to college, but was not dedicated enough to finish college. He thought there were better opportunities and prospects out in the world than just going to college. That was not the case for Amarel and Elke. Amarel was a college graduate and taught high school English. She had decades of teaching experience and decided to come to New York. Elke was also a college graduate and taught science. Both teachers came to teach in New York because there was a shortage of teachers and the New York City Board of Education was looking to recruit teachers from different countries. Amarel was not used to the student’s behavior the first week of classes. She states, â€Å"In Barbados, if a student acts up, they get put out the door right away. When I first started teaching here I thought the kids were raging all the time. Then I figured out its just normal for them to curse and swear† (Lehrer/ Sloan, 55). This shows the differences between the way students act in Barbados vs. America. I think American students, depending on the school though; have very low respect for their teachers compared to certain countries. Elke had a different experience. She said, â€Å"It’s a prejudice Europeans have against blacks anyways. The movies give the impression that all blacks are criminals and they all live in the Bronx. I couldn’t believe the class was half black. Most of the guys are wearing gang jackets and bandanas† (Lehrer/ Sloan, 59). This proves that Elke was in for a big surprise and they were not like the Austrian students that she was used to. Sushil was more of a spiritual person rather than educational. For example Sushil says, â€Å"You can live without food for days at a time. But water you need almost every four hours. Water is like diamonds. Our life depends on it† (Lehrer/ Sloan, 36)! People know they cannot live without water, but I have never heard anyone phrase is quite like that. This shows that Sushil is such a deep and meaningful man. Sushil has such a great view of life and appreciates it so much more than the average American. The two teachers and Sushil make the education vs. non-education conflict have some similarities and differences. The two teachers take such great pride in their work as teachers. Just as Sushil takes pride in sharing his stories with people, cooking and his publishing company. He did not need college to succeed like Amarel and Elke, but the women definitely make education a big part of their lives. These are just two different views these people have. In a way, Sushil was teaching the people in the cabs about his country and his beliefs, just as the two teachers teacher their students. Sushil does not mention how education is portrayed in India, but according to Amarel and Elke teachers are very well respected and getting an education is very highly though of. The two teachers were not sure they wanted to stay in New York or go back home and teach. In the end, they did both want to stay. Amarel concludes with, â€Å"I’ve gotten accustomed to these kids. The Lord brought me here for something. I am not yet sure what it is. I know now if I hate to, I could teach anywhere. But I’d like to teach here again next year if I can† (Lehrer/ Sloan, 57). Elke concludes with, â€Å"Teaching is a calling. If you do it just for the money you won’t last. Especially in New York. Some of the teachers look at me like I’m nuts whenever I talk with great enthusiasm for teaching† (Lehrer/ Sloan, 61). This show that both teachers are now getting used to the idea that they can help these students and teach them to respect teachers more. They both succeeded in the end. Sushil also succeeded even though he did not go to college and education was not a part of his life. He was starting to make dinners for his friend and all his friends. Then Sushil and his friend started up a publishing company together. That proved he did not need a professional education. He was poetic and creative and that made him a success.

Is It Possible to Have a Prejudice Free Society Essay

Is It Possible to Have a Prejudice Free Society - Essay Example It is human behaviour to simply distrust or dislike someone and such simple latent feelings often convert into sharp hatred, making people form strong assumptions and theories about why they are prejudiced against others. Such hatred often even causes people to cause others injury and thus is only a matter of attitude within a person’s conscience. The fact of the matter remains - whether or not the society we live in can be free of prejudice at some point. When children are born, their minds are free of all kinds of thought; they usually soak in all the positivity from the environment around them as they are sheltered under the wings of their family members. However, with time, as they begin interacting with different parts of the society, they are taught ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ according to their family members. This causes a change in their attitudes and thus makes them take certain choices which may portray the growing level of prejudice that they feel for other people. Many people have been raised in a way so as to hate other groups of people; for example the shudra caste in olden India was said to be a group of untouchable people whom no one would interact with or even touch for fear of being heralded with sins. However, as the freedom movement gained momentum, leaders like B.R Ambedkar began educating society about how these people were also children of God and deserved a free right to life among other people. They could not be shunned without any reason, without having committed a serious crime or being a grave danger to the other people. In Europe and America, most white skinned people were prejudiced against people belonging to different races; black or brown skinned people were frowned down upon and given the status of slaves. They were supposed to serve their white masters and were stripped off various rights including using the same transport, eating at the same places as well as visiting the same places of worship. Case s of Rosa Parks, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King have helped to define the border line for letting people give in to apartheid and accept such discrimination and prejudice caused against people belonging to different races. Today, there are a number of reforms and laws laid down that have helped to abolish such practices all over the world. With time, more and more people have been educated about living together with differences and learning to accept another person’s thoughts, opinions and perspectives on living life. The world we live in has helped us expose each other to a plethora of new cultures and this gives people the hope that it is possible to live in a world free of prejudice at some point. This is because with time, gradually people are coming to an understanding and learning that every person is after all trying to live his own life and make a living for himself and his family. Every man is trying his best to provide for food, shelter and clothing. The basi c necessities of life are what is important for people to survive, not prejudice. Today, many people around the world have a problem with those practicing the religion of Islam because they feel that after the 9/11 attacks, all Muslims have a single goal of terrorism; however, with time, more and more people are coming to the realization that even Islam is a beautiful faith to follow and that the people following it are not doing

Encryption Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Encryption - Essay Example Chung takes V2 kL mod n1 received from Lilly and operates on it by exponentiation modulo n1 with kC to give V2 kLkC mod n1. He intends to use this as session key ks1C to encrypt his message to a client. Ks1C = V2 kLkC mod n1 = 37(127*234) mod 257 = 133 mod 257 Step 4 Lilly takes V1 kC mod n1 received from Chung and operates on it by exponentiation modulo n1 with kL to give V1 kCkL mod n1. She intends to use this as session key ks1L to attempt to decrypt Chung's message to a client. Ks1L = V1 kCkL mod n1 = 126(234*127) mod 257 = 252 mod 257 (b) If Chung and Lilly had both picked the value V4 for their parts of the key exchange using the method illustrated in part (a), the result would be a session key of 192. Complete Table A4 to show how a session key ks = 192 might be encrypted with the client's public key, and then decrypted by the client on receipt. Table A4 Encryption of the session key Step 1 The value for the session key ks supplied in Question 2 Part (b). ks =192 Step 2 The value for the modulus n2 supplied in Question 2 Part (b) n2 =26 Step 3 The value of the session key ks written as text ks expressed in text = one nine two Step 4 A suitable value for Tait's public key KT KT = 15 Step 5 The session key ks encrypted with Tait's public key KT. { ks} KT = C T: {R}ks, {ks}KT = CNINQNIZSC Step 6 __ A suitable value for Tait's private key KT __ KT =7 Step 7 The result of decrypting the encrypted session key __ using Tait's private key KT {{ks}KT}KT = ONENINETWO Question 3 Complete the following unfinished sections in the main body and appendix of the report printed in the appendix to this companion, and referred to in the 'Background for Questions...Today, the encryption process involves altering and rearranging bits of digital data using a systematic procedure that can be converted into a computer program. Encryption is a commonly used method for providing a certain degree of security in technology-based systems. Simple encryption methods include the substitution of letters for numbers, the rotation of letters in the alphabet or the "scrambling" of voice signals by inverting the sideband frequencies. The more complex methods use sophisticated computer algorithms that rearrange the data bits in digital signals. Data is converted into a series of numbers which are then used as input into calculations. The calculated results become the encrypted data (Case Resource). In 1976 the idea of public key encryption was introduced to the field of cryptography. The idea revolved around the premise of making the encryption and decryption keys different so that the sender and recipient need not know the same keys. The sender and the recipient will both have their own private key and a public key would be known by anyone. Each encryption or decryption process would require at least one public key and one private key (Mycrypto.net 2008). Public key encryption techniques or asymmetric key systems avoid the need to distribute keys in secret. Symmetric key systems are those which allow the decryption process to be derived from the encryption key.

Poverty contributes to environmental degradation.Discuss Essay

Poverty contributes to environmental degradation.Discuss - Essay Example n which are often related to the altered global atmospheric condition such as global warming or the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), shortages of freshwater supply, biodiversity losses, enormous land degradation like deforestation, and the depletion of fisheries and agricultural resources also significantly increases. (McMichael, Patz, & Kovats, 1998; Flood, 1997) Most economists believe that global poverty arises from the widening of gap between the rich and the poor. Among the few well-know economic concepts that could explain the increase of inequality in terms of income distribution and work opportunities are capitalism and globalization. Under a capitalized economy, business people in general gather a group of laborers in exchange with minimum wage. Since businessmen could earn a large sum of profit out of the lower income population, the gap between the rich and the poor increases over time. The same theory applies with globalization except that rich businessmen aim to maximize their wealth by hiring low-income individuals living in developing countries. degradation. Not only does the use of modern technologies such as industrial machines, motor vehicles, and airplanes contribute to the increase in air and water pollution which could seriously damage not only the water ecology but also the atmosphere, forest, and land resources. As part of determining the relationship between poverty and environmental degradation, the student will first discuss the differences between renewable and non-renewable resources followed by identifying and analyzing the major factors that causes serious damage towards the environment. Based on these factors, the student will examine and thoroughly discuss whether or not poverty contributes to environmental degradation. When it comes to maintaining a well-balanced ecological sustainability, we need to know that there will always be a trade-offs between the utilization of our environmental and natural resources with the