Saturday, November 30, 2019

Secret Shopper Tgifridays free essay sample

My boyfriend and I eat out so often that we are on a first name basis with the wait staff and most of the restaurants in town. We decided to go to some place different and finally decided on TGIFs. When we got there, I wondered why there weren’t a lot of cars in the parking lot and it didn’t appear to be busy. We weren’t even greeted properly, we had ask to sit in the bar area, and the hostess told us to go ahead and didn’t even take us there just pointed to where it was. I felt she was snotty and was put out by having to deal with customers. Her attitude was horrible. (pg38) My boyfriend and I are sports fans, that’s why we decided to sit in the bar area so we could watch ESPN. There weren’t that many tables in the bar about 6 total, two had dirty dishes on them and two needed washed, one was occupied so we took the only available and clean table. We will write a custom essay sample on Secret Shopper Tgifridays or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I didn’t understand it really, they weren’t real busy, and everyone seemed to be doing nothing for towards what customers want. (pg38) The one other table that was occupied was people who were also disturbed by the lack of professionalism that was being displayed. One guy even commented on it, I in return said â€Å"If I was the boss a lot of people would be losing their jobs tonight†. Their service delivery systems seemed to be failing tonight. (pg38) A waiter, in his early twenties took our drink order, after about ten minutes, which I though was too long, when no one was doing a damn thing. He brought the drinks and about 15 minutes later and to take our food order. He did not tell us about any specials and when I had questions about items, he was short as if he didn’t want to answer my questions. I felt he was pushy and unprofessional. We ordered a second drink and he brought those out right away. About thirty minutes later my boyfriend noticed that two other tables who were seated after us had their food and had their checks. I went to the bar to ask what was taking so long. A different waiter came to our table and said that no order was ever turned in for our table. It didn’t surprise me because there were several waiters and waitresses being very unprofessional the whole time we were there I started to think they had no etiquette or manners from what I could see. pg113) The new waiter offered to submit a food order for us and put a rush on it. I decided that I was too upset at the point, so we asked for our bill for the drinks. He brought us the bill without any offer to give us a discount for the drinks to make up for the wait time or our food order not being submitted, I would have a least took something off our bill or since I was too angry to eat at that point m aybe offered me a gift card to return and to show me that all the horrible thing I just witnessed, don’t happen all the time. I could be wrong and it could be like that all the time. As I was leaving I noticed that several other tables in the dining area had dirty dishes on them. The floor needed to be swept. Yet, the waitress and waiters were talking on cell phones and walking around as if there was nothing to be done, being loud and not a manger in sight. I could you hear some of their conversations and I would be talking like that at work in front of customers. It seemed like there was quite a bit of, employee noise, conflict and small talk that shouldn’t have been in a customer’s view. Good thing I didn’t have to go to the bathroom, I might have completely blown up. (pg78) My recommendations for improvements would be to have a manager who was actively involved come out to check on the customers and the wait staff and get some feedback on their employees. I would have reprimanded the wait staff who were walking around and not sweeping. If you have time to lean to you have time to clean. If it had been my restaurant, I would have fired about eight people that night. In my prospective the whole complete process needs improvement. Maybe it’s not complete the employees fault, there could be several reasons for the poor, problem solving, lack of employee knowledge about their job. It’s been a long time since I have been so disappointed in a restaurant, especially one you see commercials for on a daily basis. I will not be returning to TGIFridays for a very long time if ever. I will stick to the places who have earned my respect and money.

Monday, November 25, 2019

The Impact of Race on Childrens Friendships

The Impact of Race on Childrens Friendships In his 1963 â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech† the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. longed for the day when â€Å"little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.† While in 21st century America, King’s dream is certainly possible, more often than not black children and white children remain strangers thanks to de facto segregation in the nation’s schools and neighborhoods. Even in diverse communities, however, children of color and white children tend not to be close friends. What’s responsible for this trend? Studies reveal that children internalize society’s views on race relations, which has largely given them the idea that it’s best for people to â€Å"stick to their own kind.† The older children get, the more likely they are not to socialize closely with peers of a different race. This paints a relatively bleak picture for the future of race relations, but the good news is that by the time youth reach college they aren’t as quick to rule out people as friends on the basis of race. Why Interracial Friendships Are Important Cross-race friendships have a number of benefits for children, according to a study on the subject published in the Journal of Research on Childhood Education in 2011. â€Å"Researchers find that children who hold interracial friendships tend to have high levels of social competence and self-esteem,† according to study lead Cinzia Pica-Smith. â€Å"They are also socially skilled and tend to have more positive attitudes about racial differences than their peers who do not have interracial friendships. Despite the benefits of interracial friendships, several studies have shown that even young children are more inclined to have intra-racial friendships than interracial ones and that cross-race friendships decrease as children age. â€Å"Children’s Perceptions of Interethnic and Interracial Friendships in a Multiethnic School Context,† Pica-Smith’s study of 103 children- including one group of kindergartners and first graders and another of fourth- and fifth-graders- found that younger children do have a more positive outlook on inter-group friendships than their older peers. In addition, children of color favor cross-racial friendships more than whites do, and girls do more than boys. Due to the positive impact cross-racial friendships have on race relations, Pica-Smith encourages educators to foster such friendships among the children in their classrooms. Kids on Race CNN’s report â€Å"Kids on Race: The Hidden Picture† made it clear that some children hesitate to form cross-race friendships because they’ve picked up cues from society that â€Å"birds of a feather flock together.† Released in March 2012, the online report focused on the friendship patterns of 145 African-American and Caucasian children. One group of study subjects fell between the ages of 6 and 7 years old and a second group fell between the ages of 13 and 14 years old. When shown pictures of a black child and a white child together and asked if the pair could be friends, 49 percent of young children said they could be while just 35 percent of teens said the same. Moreover, young African-American children were far more likely than either young white children or white teens to believe that friendship between the youths in the picture was possible. Black teens, however, were just four percent more likely than white teens to think cross-race friendship between the youths in the picture was possible. This indicates that skepticism about cross-race friendships rises with age. Also of note is that white youths in majority black schools were more likely than whites in majority white schools to view cross-race friendship as possible. Sixty percent of the former youths viewed interracial friendships favorably compared to just 24 percent of the latter. Diversity Doesnt Always Result in Interracial Friendships Attending a large, diverse school doesnt mean that children will be more likely to form cross-race friendships. A University of Michigan study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal in 2013 found that race is a bigger factor in larger (and typically more diverse) communities. The larger the school, the more racial segregation there is, says sociologist Yu Xie, one of the studys authors. Data on 4,745 students in grades 7-12 during the 1994-95 school year was collected for the study. Xie explained that in smaller communities the number of potential friends is limited, making it more difficult for students to find a person who has the traits they want in a friend and shares their racial background as well. In larger schools, however, its easier to find someone who will meet other criteria for a friend plus be of the same race, Xie says. Race plays a bigger role in a larger community because you can satisfy other criteria, but in a smaller school other factors dominate the decision who is your friend. Interracial Friendships in College While several reports indicate that interracial friendships wane with age, a study published in 2010 in the American Journal of Sociology found that first-year college students â€Å"are more likely to make friends with peers they share a dorm room or major with than they are to befriend those from similar racial backgrounds,† the Houston Chronicle reported. Researchers from Harvard University and the University of California at Los Angeles tracked the Facebook profiles of 1,640 students at an unnamed university to determine how they picked friends. The study suggested students are more likely to become friends with peers they see often, peers from the same state or peers who attended similar types of high schools than they were to become friends with peers who simply shared their same cultural background. â€Å"Race is important in the end,† explained Kevin Lewis, one of the study’s authors, â€Å"but it’s nowhere near as important as we thought.†

Friday, November 22, 2019

Capital Budgeting Techniques and Sensitivity Analysis

Sensitivity analysis can be understood as research of the uncertainty within the production of a mathematical model or system that can be allocated to several uncertainty sources within its inputs (Ai, Croce and Li 2013). Sensitivity analysis serves as techniques employed for determining the ways in which several values of certain variable impact on a a dependent variable within a specific cluster of assumptions. Sensitivity analysis is generated for analyzing the impact that the great range of variables has on the desired outcome. This analysis is relied on the variables effecting valuation that a financial model can indicate through employing the price and EPS variables (Borgonovo and Plischke 2016). For instance, Apple Inc employs sensitivity analysis along with the consideration of long-term cost of capital. Sensitivity analysis that is employed by Apple Inc serves as a technique of evaluating alterations in particular project’s NPV or the IRR for the given change within one of the variables. This signifies the extent to which a project is NPV or IRR is sensitive for a considered change in one among the variables (Fujimori et al. 2014). Apple Inc considers that the more the NPV of a project is sensible the more critical can be the variable. The following steps are deemed associated with the implementation of the sensitivity analysis that is mentioned under: Sensitivity analysis of the efficiency criteria for the purpose of investment project analysis serves as the calculating technique of researching and deciding the impact of changes in the individual values considered on the investment project analysis (Gospodinov, Kan and Robotti 2014). Apple Inc stated that strong implementation of the sensitivity analysis within the investment decision-making under certain uncertainty situations includes numerous major input parameters like the income, investment value, costs, discount rate in accordance with the impacts and effects of the alterations of these parameters (Kuehn, Simutin and Wang 2016). This is on the values of numerous basic criteria that can be considered as investment decision-making process namely the criteria of internal rate of return, net present value and the payback period. Sensitivity analysis serves as major criteria for the evaluation of investment projects serves as extremely complex process. With the help of the sensitivity analysis, the investors will be capable to obtain a great number of information regarding the impact of the input parameters on the criteria those are examined for conducting effective investment decision-making (Lee and Su 2014). Apple Inc stated that information can also be gathered regarding the impact of input parameters based on the criteria value that can further enhance investment decision making. Capital budgeting serves as a process though which investors determine which projects to select. Sensitivity analysis offers superior insight for the investors to take effective business decisions. Scenario analysis serves as the technique of evaluating likely future events through taking into account certain alternative possible outcomes. For this reason, for Apple Inc. scenario analysis can serve as a technique that can be the major form of projection, which does not attempt to indicate one accurate picture of the future (Mà ¸nster et al. 2014). Scenario analysis acts as a technique of anticipating the expected portfolio value that is in response to certain unfavorable event and might be employed to analyze theoretical worst-case circumstances.   Moreover, scenario analysis serves as a process in order to ascertain and evaluate the likely events that can take place in the upcoming years. This serves as a vital tool that is increasingly used in making projections over the upcoming years (Rangvid, Santa-Clara and Schmeling 2016). Scenario analysis is increasingly associated with capital budgeting techniques. An investment’s scenario analysis might include the followin g steps: Revealing the best-case output within most suitable value for all the inputs is an option of scenario analysis. For instance, Apple Inc considers that at the time of calculating net present value, the most suitable value for discount rate is used along with considering likely cash flow growth along with lower tax rate (Tian 2013). With implementation of effective capital budgeting techniques such as NPV and IRR, it can be stated that scenario analysis is a model output that is calculated for over an ample scenarios. Scenario analysis is widely employed in order to estimate proper investment value in several situations. Scenario analysis is greatly used in taking investment decisions through implementation of capital budgeting techniques like NPV and IRR (Zabarankin, Pavlikov and Uryasev 2014). For Apple Inc, scenario analysis was deemed most vital techniques for evaluating risks associated with the investment projects. The scenario analysis served as the techniques those are used by investors along with using the discount rates must be used for projects with several risks. Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) is a model employed for theoretically determining suitable asset based rate on return in order to make decisions regarding adding assets within an efficiently diversified portfolio. Capital asset pricing model explains the prediction of the relationship that can be observed within the risk associated with asset along with its expected return (Ai, Croce and Li 2013). Taking into consideration that the Capital Market Line (CML), the market portfolio is deemed to encompass segmentation of all the risks assets. This is done through employing the market value of the assets in order to determine the weights (Borgonovo and Plischke 2016). The CML line is deemed to be arrived from CAPM that decides the anticipated return at numerous risk levels. In the capital asset pricing model, CML is only applicable only in case of an investor’s final portfolio and in the world of CAPM; the investors are likely to hold portfolios that rely on the CML. In CAPM, the capital market line is deemed higher than the efficient frontier as it focuses on the consideration of the risk-free asset within a portfolio (Fujimori et al. 2014). The capital asset pricing model signifies that market portfolio is majorly the efficient frontier. The assumptions of CAPM are deemed unrealistic and such reality simplification is vital for preparing useful models. Tolerance of the CAPM model’s assumptions that facilitates derivation of a well built, idealized through a model of manner within which the financial markets gauges risk and changes it within anticipated return. The capital asset pricing model indicates that the market portfolio serves as efficient frontier (Rangvid, Santa-Clara and Schmeling 2016). Within the CAPM, the securities are priced so that the anticipated risks counterbalance the decided returns. There are two aspects within the CAPM model, which requires generating Capital Market Line. The capital market line indicates the investment returns of an investor for a particular portfolio. The capital market line employs the CAPM formula in order to calculate the anticipated return of a portfolio or security (Rangvid, Santa-Clara and Schmeling 2016). CML serves as the graphical representation of the CAPM formula. It explains the relationship between the systematic risk and expected return related with a portfolio. The CAPM formula that consists of formula on capital market line is helpful in deciding whether a security can be considered for effective investment decision making. The association between the CAPM formula and capital market line are indicated in the formula below:   is deemed to denote the point associated with the market portfolio (M). All the portfolios selected by a rational investor are deemed to have a point   that relies on the capital market line (Mà ¸nster et al. 2014). Considering this formula, it can be said that the CAPM model can be employed in order to measure the systematic risk associated with a single share. Moreover, the transformation line, which remains tangential to the efficient set along with having intercepted within risk-free rate Rf, is the capital market line. This defines that a particular composition of the risky assets those investor wishes to hold. This is deemed as market portfolio (M). Moreover, CML serves as the transformation line, which is observed to be tangential with the efficient frontier (Mà ¸nster et al. 2014). Capital Market Line (CML) serves as a line that connects returns with no-risk investments along with overall market returns (Zabarankin, Pavlikov and Uryasev 2014). The difference between efficient frontier and capital market line is that capital market line involves less risk investments ad all the portfolios within it are efficient frontiers. Capita market line is employed in order to analyze the performance of portfolio. Certain points below any other point within the line will offer decreased returns along with similar risks and for such reasons these are not ideal. Capital market line is deemed a measure used to analyze performance of portfolio. Capital Market Line (CML) is a graph used within the capital asset pricing models in order to signify rates of return within the market portfolio (Borgonovo and Plischke 2016). Capital market line explains rates of return for the effective portfolios those are relied on the degree of risk along with risk free rate of return for a particu lar portfolio. Capital Market Line initiates from considering the assumption that all the company’s investors needs to possess market portfolio. Intensity of risk is deemed to be positively correlated to the anticipated return (Zabarankin, Pavlikov and Uryasev 2014). The Capital Market Line serves as the linear combinations of the risk-free asset and portfolio. Portfolios under the capital market line are deemed inferior that indicates new efficient set. Capital Market Line is observed to remain within the capital asset pricing model in order to indicate the rates of return for efficient portfolios likely to face the risk level for a market portfolio along with risk-free return rate (Borgonovo and Plischke 2016). The capital market line is generated through drawing a tangent line from the point of intercept on the efficient frontier to the situation where the expected return on a holding is similar to the risk-free return rate. The capital market line facilitates the investor in taking into account the risks of several additional assets within the remaining portfolio. The capital market line results from the association with the market portfolio along with the risk-free asset (Zabarankin, Pavlikov and Uryasev 2014). All the points in consideration to CML have increased risk-return profiles to certain portfolio within the efficient frontier with the exception of the market portfolio that serves as point within efficient frontier within which capita market line is a tangent. From the CML perception, such portfolio encompasses all the risky assets and has less holding on the risk free assets. As per CAPM, market portfolio signifies efficient frontier and this can be gathered as cluster of portfolios (Lee and Su 2014). The market portfolio in combination to the risk-free asset is able to produce an increased return than the efficient frontier. Therefore, it can be said that the combination of the market portfolio along with the risk-free asset leads to emergence of capital market line. The major techniques employed for project analysis are the NPV and IRR analysis. Sensitivity analysis considers the NPV and IRR of an investment project at the time more than one variable alterations (Lee and Su 2014). The idea that exists based on all the variables except the one evaluated and analyze the way sensitivity of the NPV or the IRR are to changes within that variable. Ai, H., Croce, M.M. and Li, K., 2013. Toward a quantitative general equilibrium asset pricing model with intangible capital.  Review of Financial Studies,  26(2), pp.491-530. Borgonovo, E. and Plischke, E., 2016. Sensitivity analysis: a review of recent advances.  European Journal of Operational Research,  248(3), pp.869-887. Fujimori, S., Kainuma, M., Masui, T., Hasegawa, T. and Dai, H., 2014. The effectiveness of energy service demand reduction: A scenario analysis of global climate change mitigation.  Energy policy,  75, pp.379-391. Gospodinov, N., Kan, R. and Robotti, C., 2014. Misspecification-robust inference in linear asset-pricing models with irrelevant risk factors.  Review of Financial Studies,  27(7), pp.2139-2170. Kuehn, L.A., Simutin, M. and Wang, J.J., 2016. A labor capital asset pricing model. Lee, M.C. and Su, L.E., 2014. Capital Market Line Based on Efficient Frontier of Portfolio with Borrowing and Lending Rate.  Universal Journal of Accounting and Finance,  2(4), pp.69-76. Mà ¸nster, J.G., Samuelsson, J., Kjeldsen, P., Rella, C.W. and Scheutz, C., 2014. Quantifying methane emission from fugitive sources by combining tracer release and downwind measurements–a sensitivity analysis based on multiple field surveys.  Waste Management,  34(8), pp.1416-1428. Rangvid, J., Santa-Clara, P. and Schmeling, M., 2016. Capital market integration and consumption risk sharing over the long run.  Journal of International Economics,  103, pp.27-43. Tian, W., 2013. A review of sensitivity analysis methods in building energy analysis.  Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews,  20, pp.411-419. Zabarankin, M., Pavlikov, K. and Uryasev, S., 2014. Capital asset pricing model (CAPM) with drawdown measure.  European Journal of Operational Research,  234(2), pp.508-517.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Work of Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Work of Art - Essay Example A southern-born artist, Louis Rmy Mignot painted this view Niagara after he had moved to London during the Civil War. Before leaving the United States in 1862, he had sketched at Niagara Falls, perhaps with the idea of exhibiting an ambitious canvas before an English audience." (Niagara) The view of this work of art has been taken from the Horseshoe Falls, it is an oil on canvas work of art. The signature of the artist can be found on the right hand side corner of the work of art. American identity has been presented in this work of art, it also represents a new look of the American society. Traditional framing devices have been used in this work of art. This work of art falls under the American Art and it predominantly represents the American Society. "At first glance, Song and Yuan landscapes seem to conform to a narrow set of compositional types, with requisite central mountains, hidden temples, and scholars strolling along a path. In fact, the landscape tradition developed slowly as painters gained technical facility and consciously chose to allude to earlier styles or bring out philosophical or political ideas in their work." (Northern Song) Central Majestic Mountain has been portrayed in this work of art; it is unlike the Niagara Falls. The foreground is conspicuous and it is presented at the eye level, it has been painted with crisp and very well defined brush strokes by the artists.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Film Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Film Studies - Essay Example The film Amistad provides an accurate depiction of slavery in the North prior to the 1865 time line (Jones 14). Slavery in the US was a manner of slave labor that existed as a permissible custom since the early colonial period. Pursuant to the American Revolution between the year 1775 and 1783, northern states abolished slavery. Congress subsequently abolished slavery in the Northwest Territory. Slavery in North gained momentum after 1800 with the advent of the cotton industry before expanding to the Southwest. This resulted in the establishment of a slave and Free State system. In spite of this, the US law illegalized the international export and import of slaves in the year 1807. By the mid 19th century, the South vigorously defended slavery, as well as its expansion into other territories. In the North, however, a minute number of abolitionists condemned slavery as sinful, while a large number of anti-slavery movements denounced slavery as unfavorable to the rights of free individ uals. States attempted and failed to reach a compromise, and in the year 1861, eleven states disentangled to establish the Confederate States of America. In order to defeat the Confederacy, in 1862, the Union made abolition of slavery the main agenda, which the Union attained in 1865 (Jones 29). During this period, slave owners freed all slaves but did not receive any compensation. Through the system, chattel slavery became the dominant system in which ownership of slaves entailed the ownership of an individual and all of his or her descendants. The chattel system encompassed a racial element as slaves were predominantly blacks of African descent, while the owners were largely whites. Freedom from slavery was only possible by running away or being discharged by the owner. The film, Amistad depicts this phenomenon as slaves aboard the vessel sought to run away from their owners. Amistad is a historical drama film based on the true events of the 1839 uprising in which newly captured A frican slaves took over the La Amistad ship off the Cuban coast under the leadership of Joseph Cinque (Jones 21). Directed by Steven Spielberg and released in 1997, the film paints a picture of the slavery menace that engulfed North America in the 18th and early 19th century. The film follows the story of Cinque’s life through his recurrent flashbacks. Of paramount importance is Cinque’s capture in Africa and journey to the Caribbean Islands through the infamous Middle Passage slave vessel called Tecora. Cinque shows the horrors engulfed in the Middle Passage like the drowning of fifty persons to save rations (Jones 37). Cinque recounts that, after their arrival at the Caribbean Islands, his unlawful sale to the owners of La Amistad ensued. Through Cinque’s flashbacks, the film accurately depicts the occurrences of the slave trade and slavery, showing how trade in Africans occurred like in commodity such as copper and crops. Through Cinque’s experiences, the audience appreciates the events of the slave trade and slavery and understands the pushing force for the establishment of US antislavery laws. The film goes further to describe the legal battle that ensued after the recapture of the African slaves on the La Amistad by a US revenue cutter. The legal battle entailed the group of African slaves charged with murder and mutiny and who received

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

Of Mice and Men Essay As Curleys wife lay their motionless, her golden curls draping around her petite neck while her crisp, white blouse ruffled gently as the breeze blew through the barn door. The golden sunlight of the setting sun bathed her in an orange glow; her lifeless face was lit up as Lennie sat their on his haunches muttering the same words over and over again, lady, hey lady, lady He still didnt realise that she was, dare I say it, dead. Once again a something so full of life has returned to the Earth from whence it came, and all of this was the fault of Lennie. The big guy was just sitting there, not knowing what to do he just sat there, his cropped hair and stubble looking orange in the sunlight, his big nose, eyes and mouth unknowing and not moving began to change his expression as his slow brain began to conform to what he had done. MURDERED! He began to cry out, George, George, help me George, please help me! Meanwhile George was in the local brothel setting bout a while watching the ladies dance. The sunlight was gradually fading as it dropped behind the clouds just above the horizon, George looked at his wristwatch, all battered and scratched from the many years of ranch working it had endured, and decided that it was time to leave, Slim acknowledged that he was leaving and followed him out of the door. Just as they arrived back the tip of the setting sun dropped below the horizon, the time was approaching half past eight, and the air was chilling slightly, George pulled his jacket tighter around himself as they both walked into the ranch. Lennie was sitting on his bunk, as George walked in Lennie looked up at him. Straightaway George knew that something was the matter, not knowing what was up George asked him whats the matter with you Lennie? N Nothin George, honestly, nothin . This reply indicated to George that something was definitely the matter with Lennie. Cmon Lennie, somethins up, you cant hide it from me I know you too well, Uh uh, I didnt mean to, honestly George Maybe youd better just show me huh Lennie? Lennie walked out of the door closely followed by George. As the two of them walked out Slim walked in after a game of toss the horseshoe, puzzled he followed the two of them to the barn. Lennie stood at the door of the barn and pointed inside without looking in. George and Slim looked at each other and walked inside not knowing what they would find. Wheres he gone? George cried in surprise, he was standing here not two minutes ago. While George and Slim had been inside Lennie had made a break for it! I cannot believe this, said George, hes never thought for himself before. Lennie had run into the forest and hidden in the brush right where Lennie had told him to go if anything had happened, which it had, and he had actually done it! He couldnt believe Lennie had done something off of his own back. They decided they should tell Curley as soon as possible, they knew Curley would want to kill Lennie and so they thought they should tell him so he couldnt blame them for keeping it from him. What! I cant believe it! He was both in a state of disbelief and anger. He couldnt believe his wife was dead, and yet he seemed more intent on hurting somebody else because he was hurting himself. His face was twisted and contorted with rage, his eyes were bloodshot, his lips were tight with resentment, his face was beetroot red, he wanted revenge and he was gonna get it. He got up, nobody stood in his way, they didnt see the point, he was so intent on slaughtering Lennie that he left without saying a word, he picked up his luger and headed out into the woods. He cant be far, he said, Ill get the son of a bitch, Ill get him alright , and with that he left. George and Slim decided to round everybody up to try and find Lennie before that savage beast which had erupted inside of Curley found him and slowly killed and maimed him. Where is he? said George, by this time he was getting a bit worried and thought that maybe Curley had already gotten to him. Dont worry Slim said, Im sure we can reason with Curley and try to sort it, no way! Hes so mad not even God himself could reason with him now! They ran on and eventually, thanks to Georges intuition found Lennie in the brush where he had told him to go only a few weeks earlier. Lennie, my God, hes huntin you down, but, but I didnt mean to George, I swear, Okay Lennie I believe you, but he wont listen, hes so clouded with rage he jus wont listen to anybody. Slim decided to leave George and Lennie to talk over what they should do. George went over the plans in his head while Lennie sat there, thinking of what could have been, the poor lummox thought George, he has no idea, the dumb basta suddenly it came to him, I know Lennie what George, what? George knew he couldnt tell Lennie his plan, it would take too long, especially as Lennie would have been to thick to work it all out, quick Lennie, turn around and look up to those mountains, as Lennie slowly turned around to look up to the mountains George put his plan into action. Lennie he said, in a few seconds youll be on the floor, dont move and dont say a word until I come back tonight to get you, George was unable to tell if Lennie had understood or not, but surely it would be worth a try. He kicked Lennies legs out from underneath him, as Lennie fell to the ground George pulled out a luger from under his coat and pulled the trigger. Lennie hit the ground the shot rang out around the mountains. It was completely still after the animals and birds had fled in terror. George just collapsed onto his haunches, Slim had heard the shot and was first to get to George, whats happened? he asked. Ill tell ya later he replied. As he finished his sentence Curley and the others turned up. Candy took off his hat and held it to his chest, some of the others did the same, there was a few moments silence before Curley cried out you dumb asshole! I was supposed to kill him, he killed my wife, pointing to Lennies body on the floor. George quickly began to defend Lennie saying he didnt mean to, hes just a big dumb nobody, you wouldnt have taken any pleasure from it anyhow! Curley didnt have a reply to this; he thought he had probably acted too rash causing the death of somebody else. Curley may be heartless when it comes to beating people up, but killing someone is a little harsh, even for someone like Curley. As they walked away Curley and Candy were chatting about what they couldve done on the farm, Candy was close to tears, George couldnt stand it any longer, he couldnt keep a secret from someone he had grown trust. He told Candy hes not dead whatre you talking bout replied Candy, hes not dead George insisted, how? You shot him in the head, or so you told me, did you see any blood stains or bullet holes, you underhand, sly son of a I just couldnt think of any other way, he told Candy. This cannot get out among the other ranchers, said Candy, I know, I know came Georges reply. George and Candy went into one of the other barns alone so they could talk over what to do about the undead. They decided to leave that night, Candy would clear out his bank account which he had been saving for so long and George decided to do a big heist on the ranch that night. He knew they wouldnt be able to buy a farm or ranch of their own with Candys money alone. They couldnt stay and work there any longer because Lennie would die if he were left in the forest alone. They decided to do it that night and enrol the help of a few of the old hands. George went and spoke to Slim about the possibilities of this so-called job Slim went along with it, but would Carlson. Candy went and spoke to him, he was in. Slims guilty conscience suddenly kicked in, what about the others? What about the others? Candy said. Well, if we take all the money from here then theyll lose their jobs and have no money, hes right ya know George said. Well thats it then, said Carlson, maybe not, why dont we ask them all to help out? Thats a great idea George, but what if one of them refuses and grasses us up to Curley or even the boss! I think thats a risk we should take. I agree, we might as well, we wont have enough money if we dont. What if Curley What if Curley what? What if he got jumpy and whacked one of us? Again, a risk we gotta take, now enough of the what ifs lets do this thing, said George. Yeah! Lets do it, they all said in unison. That evening there was a bustling of activity and organisation. By nine thirty they were all in, all that is except the nigger. They had to try and persuade him as well, because after all everyone deserves a chance, no matter of race, colour or creed. They entered his lone bunkhouse; he was agitated by this mass gathering and was a little jumpy, there was a bead of perspiration running over his furrowed brow, he didnt know what they wanted, he thought they may harm him in some way, but he relaxed when they told him their plan. He was in. He was so happy that someone had wanted to include him, after all, hed been dismissed as a nigger thousands of times, no-one had ever asked him to help with anything big before. They were all in! One by one they came up with suggestions and plans and ways and means of achieving their goal. By the time the plans were finalised it was one thirty. The moon was just above the horizon; it looked larger than normal, the craters and the seas were extremely bright. The whole ranch was lit up, all the stars were visible, and there was not a cloud to be seen in the night sky. What a night, said George, I just hope that Lennie hasnt run off, maybe one of us should go check on him, said Crooks, nah! Replied George, hell be just fine. And with that they began their operation. The nigger was on lookout as was Whit, one at the entrance and one by Curleys bunkhouse hidden in the bushes. George was the brains of the operation and had been secretly observing, over the few weeks he had been there, where Curley was taking the money at the end of the day. He had first had the idea of raiding the ranch when hed come back late from walking one night and saw Curley through the window putting money into the safe, he never thought that his idea would actually come of age, but quite a lot had changed since that day! Slim was Georges rear guard, because he was the most trusted member of the ranchers, who went in while George cracked the big, black safe to which nobody but Curley knew the contents of, and watched his back. There would be no guns except for one because it would be too much of a risk. Carlson was to be the only man with a gun as he was the most experienced member of the group and could handle guns sensibly and was not trigger-happy. While all this was happening the remaining members of the ranch would be ready, in case there was a problem with Curley, or anyone else for that matter, and were ready to pounce and sort out the problem, no questions asked! So the plan was sorted. No one was without a job; everyone was in place, ready and waiting. George and Slim crept out of the bunkhouse wearing their darkest clothes. George had black trousers; a black shirt with a black waist jacket and a dark brown peaked hat, slim was wearing all black with mud on his face. They could hardly be seen in the shade of the moonlight, but when they came out they were a little more suspicious. Bushes and other buildings were their only cover, and they had to creep right outside Curleys window, would he be asleep or would he still be awake planning what to do with his wifes body, it still lay where it had last come to rest at the fate of Lennie. Luckily for them Curley had drifted off to sleep in his armchair with a whiskey bottle in his hand, probably trying to drown his sorrows, poor bastard! He thought, he wont rouse til mornin for sure, but as he said that he stepped on a twig. There was a metaphorically speaking deafening cracking sound. George and Slim stopped instantly, petrified, they were stuck to the spot, not one of them dared move for fear of Curley. Neither wanted to turn around in case Curley was sanding there with a luger in his hand pointing it straight at one of their heads uttering the words what the hell dya think youre doing? It felt like an eternity passed before George turned his head and looked around his shoulder at Slim, whereas it was only a matter of a minute or two. He cant have waken, said Slim looking over the window sill to confirm this, nope, sound as a baby! Thank the lord above for that, said George. They continued their journey and eventually arrived at the office. George put his hand up to the knob and turned, he pushed the door but it wouldnt budge. What! exclaimed Slim when George told him the bad news, however the good news is that I spy a window on the other side that looks to be open, I cant be sure but its definitely worth a try, he said to Slim, lets go Slim replied. They made their way around to the other side of the office finding that the window was open he pushed it upwards causing a lot of noise in the process. Damn it George! I couldnt help it, he replied irritably. They waited to see if Curley had heard, meanwhile Whit was staring intently at Curley, he saw him stir and then drift into a deep drunken sleep again. He breathed a sigh of relief as he looked over to the office and saw George and Lennie staring transfixedly at him waiting for a signal that everything was okay, he gave them the thumbs up and they proceeded to climb in through the now open window. Inside George began the tedious operation of cracking the safe. He had managed to embezzle a stethoscope out of the doctors emergency room so he could listen to every turn of the code-wheel inside the safes portly door. Slim looked down to his watch as he looked out of each window of the office in turn he saw it was getting quite early, the time was now twenty past four, the sun would be rising soon and that meant that their cover would be blown and the game would be up. He also noticed that his ageing hairy hands were perspiring rather more than they should be. For the first time in his adult life he was nervous and was becoming very irrational. George tried to calm him down as he worked on the safe; luckily Slim sat down and calmed himself. George had made two successful turns of the knob and was onto the final and most crucial turn, he concentrated so hard that even an earthquake or tornado could not have disturbed him. The final click came to Georges ear, he pulled the lever to open the door only to find there was yet another door, this time requiring a key. George felt like screaming out but contained himself. He told Slim to stay where he was, George had come this far and he wasnt about to give up easily. He clambered out of the window making no noise at all. The sky had clouded over slightly and the moon was now gone, he noticed over the horizon the black of the night sky turning dark blue, he realised that dawn was approaching and knew he didnt have a lot of time to find that key, the key to all of their freedoms and work-free days, and also to Lennies rabbit farming plans. I cant let them down, George said to himself, especially not Lennie! He arrived at the door to Curleys bunkhouse, he slowly turned the doorknob and yes thought George to his amazement, the door clicked open and with a light push George opened the door. Curley was sitting in the same armchair as he was before. His position had changed slightly but nothing was going to put George off of finding that key, that key that was hanging round Curleys neck, it glinted in his eye almost wryly smiling at him as if it had one their metaphorical game of hide and seek. It was the biggest setback to the heist so far. George rubbed his sweat-covered hand over his stubbly chin. There was only one way to open that safe, there was only one way to get the key that would that, he would have to go right up to Curley and lift it off of his neck. He inched his way up to Curleys chair bit by bit, not making a sound, not breathing, when all of a sudden Curleys head rose, he drew breath and then lolled his head forward. Georges prayers had been answered, the key now hung loosely around Curleys neck instead of being pulled taut about his chest. George moved swiftly, he pulled the chain off and was out of there in a flash. Whit looked at him in amazement from his hideout in the bush and just gave him the thumbs up as he wiped his own sweat-covered brow. Back inside the office Slim noticed that the time had moved on quite considerably since he had last looked, it was now a quarter past six and the sun was beginning to poke its proverbial yellow head over the horizon. Slim rubbed his bleary eyes and told George who by now was loading his bag with cash. Holy cow George! Thats enough to feed a village for a month, youre telling me replied George, he must have been keeping it all for himself, greedy git! Well show him, lets take the lot and keep the key, hell never know how much we got and by the time he sobers up well be long gone. Youre right, well give him a taste of his own money, he kept our hard earned cash away from us so well keep his not so hard earned cash away from him, permanently! Yeah! Lets get out of here, said George. They both got out the window and crept their way over to the exit, Whit followed slightly behind them, he caught up to them and said, well you guys have used up at least three of your nine lives tonight, tell me about it, said Slim, I got so nervous at one stage I almost bottled-it! Anyway, how much was there in that safe, we dont know George told him, we didnt really hang around to count it! Course not, I understand, replied Whit. Lennie had stayed in exactly the same position for the whole night, when they saw him lying there they thought that something was wrong with him, but amazingly he had carried out Georges every word to the letter, he hadnt moved, not even an inch, since George told him not to, he had no idea about the raid on the safe he hadnt a clue that they all planned to help make Georges idea of buying their own ranch a reality. He couldnt believe it when they told him, he was to have a new life, new friends, new rabbits, he was overjoyed and he was speechless, probably a good thing, because nothing intelligent ever came out. All in all it had been a satisfying end to a hard nights work. They were all shocked to find out how much Curley had had stashed away in there. That mustve taken him a good few years and a good few tax evasions to rack up that much, exclaimed Carlson when he saw how much there was. There were many comments like this as the group walked down the road to their freedom, the sun had just risen straight ahead of them, George and Slim lapped up the praise as they walked into their new lives and their new-found wealth. I just feel sorry for Curley, said Candy. Nah! they all said in unison.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Linear Programming Essay -- Computer Science

Linear Programming Part A Introduction â€Å"Linear programming was developed by George B. Dantzig in 1947 as a technique for planning the diversified activities of the U.S Air Force.† Linear programming is a powerful mathematical technique that can be used to deal with the problem of allocating limited facilities and resources among many alternative uses in order to find out the optimal benefits. The main objective of the linear programming problem in management is to maximize profit or minimize cost. Linear programming has a wide variety of applications. It is used by oil companies to determine the best mixture of ingredients for blending gasoline. It is also plays an important part in making the optimal schedules for transportation, production, and construction. In addition, linear programming is a flexible problem-solving tool for portfolio selection in finance, budgeting advertising expenditures in marketing, assigning personnel in human resources management. Applications One of the most important applications of linear programming is the formulation of blends. Blending problems appear whenever a manager must decide how to blend tow or more recourse in order to produce one or more products. In these situations, the recourses often contains one or more essential components that must be mixed in a given pattern and the final product will contains specific percentage of the essential components. In most of these applications management then has to decide how much of each recourse to purchase in order to satisfy product specification and produce demand at minimum cost. Blending problems occur frequently in the petroleum industry( such as blending crude oil to produce different octane gasoline), chemical industry( such as blending chemicals to produce fertilizers, week killers, and so on), and food industry( such as blending input ingredients to product soft drinks, soups, and so on). Linear programming is also a very useful tool that can be used to deal with problems in manufacturing industry, such as the product-mix problem. In this situation, the objective of the manager is to determine the production levels that will allow the company to meet the product demand requirements, given limitations on labor capacity, machine hour’s capacity and so on, at the same time, to make the cost of production to minimum. The... ...simultaneously, we get X=2/3, Y=7, plug them into objective function 40X+20Y we get a profit of  £166.67. The difference between this profit and the original max-profit is 166.67-160= £6.67, which means the dual price for increasing/decreasing in purchasing 1 pig, is  £6.67. Economic meaning for shadow price The economics meaning of shadow price is the improvement in the optimal value of the objective function per unit increase in the right-hand side of the constraint. In a profit maximization problem, the dual price is the same as the shadow price. Managers could get information from the performance of each constraint and therefore make decisions on any changes in a particular input factor or resource in order to increase profit. In this case, to get more profit, the farmer is recommended to increase the number of bushels rather than increase the amount of pigs. Reference: ‘The Quantitative methods for business decision with casesÂ’, Lawrence L. Lapim, 6th Edition, Dryden, Chapter 9. ‘An introduction to management science-quantitative approaches to decision makingÂ’, David R.Anderson, Dennis J. Sweeney, Thomas A. Williams. . 6Th Edition, West, Chapter 4.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Frankenstein and Interview with the Vampire Essay

The gothic horror genre attempts to make the reader/viewer feel a sense of dread, fear, terror, disgust or horror. ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley and ‘Interview with the vampire’ by Neil Jordan both explore the elements which compliment the Gothic Horror Genre. Major elements that are constant throughout the two texts are the constant search for knowledge which can be dangerous if in the wrong hands which can lead to supernatural or inexplicable events, omens or visions occurring, Humanity and the continuous quest to find what it means to be human touching on the idea of life after death, Isolation and the want for companionship, the responsibility of actions and the consequences, wanderers and the idea that women are often shown to be in distress. In the novel ‘Frankenstein’, Victor Frankenstein’s obsession to know more and more about life, how it is created and others who have quested to do the same such as the Ancient Mariner have eventually lead him to the creation of the his own human which was a supernatural event. In this case has also created a disaster due to the constant search for knowledge turning Frankenstein insane and dangerous. After creating the creation Victor saw it as a mistake. ‘I had finished, the beauty of my dream vanished breathless horror and disgust filled my heart’. Later in the book Victor preaches to Walton ‘You search for knowledge as I once did†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ ‘†¦ I hope it does not sting you as it once did me’ Shelley used Emotional Language to express Frankenstein’s horror and disgust in what he has done and creates a sense of forgiveness and pity for Frankenstein. ‘Interview with the Vampire’ a film, demonstrates the same concept of the constant search for knowledge, which leads to a downfall. Louis has always longed to leave his life, as he was never satisfied with the life he was living and has always been curious about vampires and life after death. I longed to be released from it. I wanted to lose it all†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ ‘†¦ My invitation was open to anyone†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ ‘†¦ But it was the vampire that accepted’. This quote shows Louis relentless longing to leave the life he currently is in. This curiousness for answers to life and the unknown leads Louis to the ch oice to become a vampire. Louis accepts not realising that becoming a new person/vampire does not erase the feelings of a human only makes them worse because he is now locked in a life of evil with no way out. Hubris is a technique that Jordan uses to show Louis fatal flaw of searching for something new to end his current life, by becoming a vampire Louis for fills this temporarily but eventually finds there is no way out and is worse off that before. This gives the reader pity and sorrow towards Louis. Both composers have explored the theme of Humanity and the continuous quest to find out what it means to be human, touching on the idea of life after death. In ‘Frankenstein’ Victor is faced with the decision to free Justine from death. In order to do this he must confess that the creature he created in actual fact was the murderer of poor little William and risk his dignity and pride throughout the town ‘†¦horror would be looked upon as madness by the vulgar’ or remain a trusted and honoured member of the community and let an innocent human die for his own dignity. This question that he was forced to ask him self is also another way to ask the question of ‘what it means to be human? ’. Victor chooses to keep this valuable information to himself and lets Justine die.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Concert Review Essay

The rhythm, which was continuously steady seemed to get faster like a heart beat by the climax of the song. It was also at this point that the dynamics of the song were increasingly getting louder until all instruments met at the top with a bang and then changed the dynamics again to a moderate level until the song concluded. â€Å"Waltz for Debby†, written by Bill Evans and arranged by Don Sebesky, was a consonant, slow-beat waltz. The texture of this piece remained the same through its entirety and the 1,2,3 pattern was also very noticeably throughout the piece as well. The saxophone, trumpet and electric guitar took turns at the melody and did so through this performance in the form of solos. The dynamics throughout this song were soft and then increased to a moderate level before a decrescendo to a softer level once again. The ensemble did a fabulous job of keeping with the beat. â€Å"Ancient Memories†, by Fred Hamilton and arranged by Paul Ferguson, was played the night of the concert by guest trumpeter, Darryl White. Mr. White played this song because it is the title track on his 1999 album, also called â€Å"Ancient Memories†. Mr. White is a professor of trumpet at the University of Nebraska. This piece began by having very dissonant tones within the harmony with the introduction of a piano and drums. The song then changed into a more consonant harmony, which remained throughout the rest of the song. The texture of this song was polyphonic between the trumpet and the piano. The melody of this song was bright and happy in some places within the song and more cool and relaxing in other parts as the tempo changed and the notes of the trumpet were held for emphasis. There were many dynamics used within this song. The song began with a crescendo from very soft to very loud and then remained in this pattern until the end when the pattern was reversed. â€Å"Fly Me to the Moon† was for me a song of romance from the time the first note began. The song was passionate and sexy and displayed dialogue without using any words. The ensemble played this piece with steadiness and the solo by Cassi Lee provided the extended dialogue that sounded like dancing and twirling in the moonlight. This song reminded me of â€Å"My Heart Will Go On† in that the instrumental nature of it tells a story, just as much as when Celine Dion is singing the lyrics. I found listening to this song a worthwhile experience and it was a fantastic beginning to the jazz concert in that it was familiar to the audience. â€Å"Waltz for Debby’ made me wonder who Debby was and why someone would write such an old-sounding song for someone they loved. The song was very pretty, but it was of a different genre than that of the other pieces within the concert. It is honestly hard for me to recommend this song to anyone, for I thought it was dull and lacked the depth of the other songs throughout the evening. â€Å"Ancient Memories† was a beautiful piece. I am not sure what I enjoyed more, the fact that Mr. White played with such passion and made the song his own life force or that this piece reminded me of my childhood. This piece reminded me of something Bill Cosby would have on the Cosby Show in one of the jazz clubs. The song was fun and although the song had a lot of repetition, I loved listening to the changes over and over again. The Jazz Ensemble concert at Tarleton was an enjoyable evening full of great music and intellectually stimulating experiences of music that I would not have listened to if not for this assignment. Diversification is an important lesson to learn when viewing music because all music has roots from another genre and recognizing this makes you more diversified as an individual.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

I Want to Express a Contrary Opinion in Spanish

I Want to Express a Contrary Opinion in Spanish Sometimes a simple no,  the same word translated in English and Spanish,  is not sufficient to express disagreement with what someone has said or implied. In polite company or when discussing a topic, phrases like, on the contrary, help express differences in opinion. As in English, on the contrary, means not at all or quite the opposite in Spanish, too. There are a several ways to say this in Spanish. Examples of Being Contrary in Spanish Two common ways of saying on the contrary in Spanish are the adverbial phrases al   contrario  or, somewhat more formally,  por  el  contrario. Quite the opposite, is expressed in Spanish by using the adverb, opuestamente. These phrases all express being contrary and are  common in both writing and speech.   Spanish Sentence English Translation Al contrario, son muy buenas noticias. On the contrary, its very good news. Por el contrario, no ha habido crecimiento de empleos en el sector privado. On the contrary, there has not been employment growth in the private sector. Creo al contrario de lo que usted dice va a pasar. I believe the opposite of what you say is going to happen. Crees que la gente no puede cambiar? Opuestamente, s que pueden! Do you think that people can not change? Quite the opposite, they can! Other Ways to Express Disagreement Spanish has many other ways of expressing disagreement, such as in English, exclamatory phrases like No way! can get the point across. Spanish Sentence English Translation De ninguna manera el gobierno central permitir la anarqua. In no way will the government allow anarchy. Yo no estoy de acuerdo. I dont agree No creo. I dont believe so. No lo veo as. I dont see it that way. Entiendo lo que quieres decir, pero... I know what you mean, but... Estoy de acuerdo hasta cierto punto. I agree to a certain point. Y t, vas a estudiar? Qu va! And you, are you going to study? No way! Oye, esa moneda es ma! Hold on there, that coin is mine! Cree que Windows es ms seguro que Linux. Ni hablar! He believes Windows is more secure than Linux. No way! ​

Monday, November 4, 2019

Freedom from Fear Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Freedom from Fear - Essay Example The fear came as a result of a market crash that led to economic, political and social implications. Poverty, unemployment, deflation, minimal profits and poor personal and economic growth fueled the fear (Bernanke, 2004). The depression signified a time in history where the market dynamics failed to meet the expectations of the American people. The depression trickled down to other parts of the globe causing panic and fear. Furthermore, the depression led to critical, political changes in the United States. This can be explained by the landslide win of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1932 (Bernanke, 2000). Lastly,  the depression caused increased emigration due to fear and panic experienced by the American people (Bernanke, 2004). The fear caused by the depression hindered the progress of the American people to a considerable extent. This is because some left the United States because of the deem future they pictured (Bernanke, 2004). Additionally, the economic and social situation presented many challenges that hindered the progress of the American people. However, behind the devastation, the fear helped the American people to regain their confidence and hope for a better future (Bernanke,

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Strategy of Constellation Brands Literature review

Strategy of Constellation Brands - Literature review Example There is little question that Constellation is truly a diverse global company. According to the company website, the corporate structure of the company is broken into three divisions which are Constellation Wines North America (Which also controls Vincor Canada), Constellation services which is a joint venture with the Gruppo Modello of Mexico under the name of Crown Imports LLC. Lastly, there is Constellation International which controls Constellation Europe, New Zealand and Australia respectively. With Respect to branding within the firm, in terms of the spirits, product offering is varied across product lines but the common trait is that all the spirits on offer are premium and mid-premium brands. (Vedka Vodka, Black Velvet Rye, and Paul Masson Grand Amber Brandy). According to Gershberg & Geller (2009), Constellation had recently sold off its value spirits brand ‘Sazerac Co’ which had accounted for approximately two-thirds of the company’s 2008 spirits sales i n terms of volume however it is the case that this division is estimated only at accounting for 30% of the profit. As was stated on the company website it is the case that the focus remains on well-known brands which in turn provides name recognition to customers. According to the company website (2009), the popular Mexican brands controlled by Constellation through its joint venture are Corona Extra, Corona Light, Modelo Especial, Pacifico and Negra Modelo. Other major international brands controlled by the company are St. Pauli Girl from Germany and Tsingtao from China. All of which are considered premium and semi-premium brands. The company also has a number of what it dubs ‘other’ beverages which are malt liquors, ciders, and fortified wine.