The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 25

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

Concepts of Informing and setting policies

Concepts of Informing and setting policies Introduction The forming and setting of policies is an essential part of every organization and governments. Policies have to be developed to indicate the desired results that should be achieved in a bid to solve the fundamental problems that face organization (Sanderson, I. 2002). The common policies that are made by most states includes the macroeconomic policies, health, traffic congestion and climatic policies.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Concepts of Informing and setting policies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Due to the importance of these kinds of policies to the economic growth and developments of the economies, various departments have been created and charged with the obligation of ensuring successful development of policies and their implementation. Tension between informing policy and setting policy In policy development, a distinction must be made between analysis informing policy and analysis sett ing policy. Analysis setting policy is the objectively critisising the policies that are formulated to ensure that they will lead to the achievements of the desired positive objectives. It includes the examination of the process of policy formulation and the impact of policies that are made. Analysis informing policy entails the evaluation of the methods and means by which the policies are publicized to create awareness.the awareness of the policies is indispensible where they are targeted to affect a particular population. The tension informing policy and setting policy may result between the policy formulators and those to be affected by the policies. At times, policies may be resisted at an immature stage if the information is leaked before finer analysis is made. The timing of requesting for the opinions of the stakeholders is therefore crucial. Analytical product Due to the conflict of analyzing informing policies and setting policies, it is important for analytical products to be purely informative. In this instance the products to be developed will have taken consideration of the circumstances and situations that affects the results desired (Wallace, H, 2005). Since informative products involve evaluation of all possible outcomes, the policies adopted will reflect the best possible results. Policy makers are currently switching towards informative analysis. For instance, economists tend to come up with macroeconomic policies based on the information that is derived from the financial markets and research conducted to show the future possible prospects of the economy.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Products developed based on informative analysis tends to produce better outcome because the risk factors of the decisions are mitigated by developing mechanisms that ensures that there is no halt in the plans. Another reason for the support of infor mative product analysis is the fact that it will result into less resistance from those to be affected. Given that decisions are based on the information that is available, the process follows a definite stage by stage analysis thus certainty exists (Easton, D. 1953). The fact that there is supportive and irrefutable evidence as to why the policies are designed; it will be an easy task for the policy makers to convince and get the positive support from the public. This goodwill if realized will ensure smooth and in time implementation of the proposed policies. Again, it will result into popularity of the policies hence support necessary for the achievement of the objective will be enhanced. Hoppe, R. (1999) suggests that, in addition analytical products that are purely informative are precluded from the personal influence and biasness. In circumstances where policies are not based on the information that is available, it has been common for those involved in the decision making to m isuse their authority or come up with ideas that are based on their own selfish interest. As a result, the total purpose of the policies have always eluded many nations e.g. this has been responsible for the poor performance of economies in Africa where those honoured with such duties instead use their position to engage in self enriches and protection of personal wealth. However, it may not be feasible for products to be entirely based on information. This is because there is some information that may not be available but is necessary for the analytical products. As a result there may be a need to accommodate to minor extent analytical products without necessarily possessing all information. Risks of developing policy from analytical products There are several risks that are involved in the formulation of policies based on analytical products. Anglin, M.D., Lonshore,D., Turner,S. (1999) argue,to begin with is the risk of subjectivity in analysis. When doing an analysis of a produc t there is a degree of subjectivity that is relative to each and every individual.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Concepts of Informing and setting policies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This may lead to the problem of adverse selection where policies that are developed are not actually pertinent to the situation desired. It may also result into the dropping of an otherwise good policy. The degree of subjectivity is thus necessary for determination before a product is developed. Secondly, there may be the risk of information gap during analysis. In certain circumstances, product analysis does not encompass all the information in the market. This makes the decisions made not all inclusive and the drawback will as well be transferred when policies are made from analytical products. The information that is omitted might have been very crucial in the making of policies or its absence may result into distortion of th e desired content. Finally, there is a problem in the assigning of weights when doing an analysis. In product analysis, many parameters are taking into consideration and the extent to which each premise contributes to the ultimate decisions must be determined. The determination of the weight might cause a difficulty and this will also amount to variation on what decisions are taken during policy formulation as per Lindblom, C. Cohen, D (1979) argument. It is therefore important for the policy developed to be given consideration to the various aspects. The two analyses are very closely related but not actually having the same meaning. Analysis informing policy concerns the issue of creating awareness on the existing policy or getting the ideologies on policies that may be on the pipeline. On the other hand, the analysis in setting policies entails the critical evaluation of the policies that set or are in the process of setting. In analyzing the policies to be set, several procedure s must be followed to ensure that the set policies meet their objective. Analysis informing policies may thus the said to be part of analysis in setting policies as seeking the opinion of the stakeholders is a procedure in the setting of policies. Conclusion In conclusion, policy includes both the two analysis. Since there is that close interrelationship between the three, they must all be put in close consideration whenever there is need to come up with a policy. Policy forms one of the most important parts of daily decision making of all forms of all organizations irrespective of the size and type.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is thus mandatory for the policy making to be done with due diligence and appropriate and qualified gurus should be involved. The process must also be carried out with the desired sobriety and a wider insights given since the policies are mostly for a reasonable or long period of time and there effects may be great. References Anglin, M.D., Lonshore,D., Turner,S. (1999). Treatment alternatives to street and crime: Criminal justice and behavior. Philadelphia: Temple university press. Easton, D. (1953). The Political System. New York: Oxford university press. Hoppe, R. (1999). Policy analysis, science and politics: from speaking truth to power to making sense together’, Science and Public Policy. California: McGraw-Hill College press. Lindblom, C. Cohen, D (1979). Usable Knowledge: Social Science and Social Problem Solving. New Haven, Yale University Press. Sanderson, I. (2002), Evaluation, Policy Learning and Evidence-Based Policy Making. Public Administration, 80: 1†“22. doi: 10.1111/1467-9299.00292 Wallace, H., Wallace, W., Pollack, M.A. (eds.) (2005) Policy-Making in the European Union. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

5 Words of Advice and 10 Wedding Toasts for the Groom

5 Words of Advice and 10 Wedding Toasts for the Groom At most weddings, it is the bride who takes the center stage. The groom often remains in the background. Most people forget that the wedding day belongs to the groom too. If you are one of the people who do remember this and want to raise a toast to the groom, these 5 tips should be of great help. The groom is as much a part of the wedding as the bride. He may also encounters the usual wedding jitters, last minute panic attacks, and even a small desire to make a dash out of the country. But men are expected to be stoic and gallant, as they wait for their beautiful bride to walk down the aisle, as he waits for her at the altar. In case you are the lucky groom who is ready to get married to the love of your life, here are some last minute wedding day advice for grooms: 1. Make Sure to Get Adequate Rest. Even If You Have Had a Wild Night of Bachelor Party. A cranky bride is bad enough. But a cranky groom is worse. Nobody wants to see you frown, or look grumpy on your big day. So get some rest. If your friends are throwing a bachelor party for you, make sure to not stay up too late, and get stone drunk. The last thing you want to do is draw disapproving glances from the in-laws. 2. Learn Your Wedding Vows Well. If you are reciting your own wedding vows, make sure that you have a copy handy, in case you fumble and flub your lines. Remember, the wedding is being caught on tape. And years from today, you will have to hear about your pathetic wedding vows, and how you sounded like a lunatic. 3. Have Your Best Man and Friends Help You Out. Leave the nitty gritty to your friends and folks. They should have to do some work for all the free booze and food, right? Make sure that the florist, the musicians and the cake artists are taken care of by your friends and relatives. Its your day, after all. 4. Dont Sweat the Small Stuff. Focus on the Moment. Your wedding tie is not in place? Who cares? Do you feel that you look a bit dull? Believe me, nobody will notice. All eyes are on the bride today. You just have to look happy. So do your part, and enjoy the day. 5. Dont Invite Your Exes to the Party. This does not need to be said, but the sooner you bury your past, the better for you. Your future wife is not going to look kindly on your generous act of inviting your exes. It is time to build a new life with a new wife. So let bygones be bygones. Here are some funny, interesting, and inspirational wedding toasts for the groom. Enjoy every moment of your wedding, and make the memory last forever. Marguerite De ValoisLove works in miracles every day: such as weakening the strong, and stretching the weak; making fools of the wise, and wise men of fools; favoring the passions, destroying reason, and in a word, turning everything topsy-turvy.AerosmithFalling in love is so hard on the knees.Albert EllisThe art of love is largely the art of persistence.Margaret MeadHaving someone wonder where you are when you dont come home at night is a very old human need.Oscar WildeWoman begins by resisting a mans advances and ends by blocking his retreat.King VidorMarriage is not a word; it is a sentence.Ann LandersIf you have love in your life it can make up for a great many things you lack. If you dont have it, no matter what else there is, its not enough.Kim AndersonYou love simply because you cannot help it.

Free Essays on IT Outsourcing

Table of Contents 1.Terms of Reference pg2 2. Introduction pg 3 2.1Background pg 3 3. The Driving Forces of Outsourcing pg 4 4. Offshore Outsourcing pg8 4.1 The Growth of Offshore Outsourcing pg9 4.2Advantages of Offshore Outsourcing pg9 4.3Disadvantages of Offshore Outsourcing pg10 4.4Outsourcing in India pg10 5. Information technology Security pg12 5.1Security Problems encountered when outsourcing IT pg12 5.2Maximising IT Security when Outsourcing pg13 5.3Methods of Mitigating Security Risk pg14 6. Outsourcing Contracts pg15 6.1Types of IT outsourcing contracts pg15 6.2The Contract pg17 7. Types of Outsourcing Companies in the Software and Computer Industry pg17 8.Conclusion pg20 9.Bibliography pg21 ... Free Essays on IT Outsourcing Free Essays on IT Outsourcing Table of Contents 1.Terms of Reference pg2 2. Introduction pg 3 2.1Background pg 3 3. The Driving Forces of Outsourcing pg 4 4. Offshore Outsourcing pg8 4.1 The Growth of Offshore Outsourcing pg9 4.2Advantages of Offshore Outsourcing pg9 4.3Disadvantages of Offshore Outsourcing pg10 4.4Outsourcing in India pg10 5. Information technology Security pg12 5.1Security Problems encountered when outsourcing IT pg12 5.2Maximising IT Security when Outsourcing pg13 5.3Methods of Mitigating Security Risk pg14 6. Outsourcing Contracts pg15 6.1Types of IT outsourcing contracts pg15 6.2The Contract pg17 7. Types of Outsourcing Companies in the Software and Computer Industry pg17 8.Conclusion pg20 9.Bibliography pg21 ...

Niccol Paganini Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Niccol Paganini - Essay Example His father helped him to learn the basic lessons in music, especially to play mandolin. Gradually, he lost interest in mandolin and selected violin. But Paganini gained mastery in playing violin and his father decided to introduce him to famous musicians. To be specific, Paganini was able to learn more from renowned teachers, named as Gasparo Ghiretti and Ferdinando Paer. Both these teachers deeply influenced his composition style. Later, Paganini traveled to different cities like Livorno, Lucca, and Florence. Besides, he conducted concert tours in different parts of Europe like Vienna, Germany, Bohemia etc. So, these concert tours helped him to gain critical acclaim as a violinist and music composer. In addition, he used to play modified versions of music by other composers. Mai Kawabata states that, â€Å"The aura of Paganini in the popular imagination as a ‘demonic’ violin virtuoso, a mysterious figure hovering in a grey area between reality and myth, has not changed greatly in nearly two hundred years† (1). On the other side, his health condition was bad because he suffered from syphilis and tuberculosis. There is less information on his marital relationship, but one among them is his relationship with a vocalist who is named as Antonia Bianchi. But Paganini provided less interest to gain legal approval to this relationship. Still, he looked after their son, named as Achilles Cyrus Alexander. Paganini was succumbed to death in the year 1840. One can see that the mastermind behind Paganini’s success as a music composer and as violinist is his father. Besides, he used to travel a lot and this helped him to be in touch with other musicians/composers. He did not depend upon other composers, but used to compose excellent musical notes by his own. This sort of self-reliance helped him to be the torchbearer of innovation within violin technique. On the other side, he did not provide ample importance to careerism because he was aware of the

Valid Arguments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Valid Arguments - Essay Example If Christ the messiah was not a great person, why does history refer to him in the counting of the years using BC for years before Christ and AD for years after Christ? The challenge of the atheist is not the existence of God but on the reason why they should believe in his existence. Events in the world do not occur as successions or fate but appear to be arranged in a sequential order. For instance, the existence of related species such as the Donkey and the Zebra defies the philosophy of the atheists of the survival for the fittest and the extinction of the species as a result of non-conformity. In actual sense, all creature sin the world appears to be very unique and complex defying the evolution theory by Darwin. The evolution theory by Darwin states that organism evolved from simple to complex but biology has proved that even the simplest organism or organelle such as flagella is complex in its composition and operations (Narelle 56). According to Christians, fate is a circumstance through which God performs a miracle and remains anonymous. The events in the world are complex such as a baby surviving a plane crash while in actual sense he or she cannot even walk or save her. Such event illustrate that there is a force in the universe that one cannot recognize or accept easily if not by faith. Faith is the substance that creates an atheist and a Christian. To believe in the existence of God faith comes into play while to believe that god does not exist, faith comes into play. Therefore, it is evident that the existence of God is directly linked with the personal faith and choice. When evaluating the existence of God, it is important to understand the occurrence of events and the link with what atheists believe is fate. If its fate only, why does the fate occur in certain circumstances and not all the cases. Such occurrence proves that there is a supernatural force that control

Corporate Restructuring of RBS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Corporate Restructuring of RBS - Essay Example Many organizations these days are practicing corporate restructuring to make the optimal use of their resource. Some organizations have found that corporate restructuring is necessary for enhancing the business profitability, while other businesses have not been very successful in restructuring. This has resulted in debates over whether the corporate restructuring is really beneficial or whether it is only a myth. This paper is going to look at the both sides of corporate restructuring and will conclude with the final word on the impact of Corporate Restructuring on the financial position of an organization. The major objective behind any restructuring program is to achieve the organizational efficiency. Corporate Restructuring schemes are designed keeping in mind the enhancement in productivity of the workers, cost control elements and any other objectives that are going to maximize the shareholder’s wealth. Conventionally it was thought that corporate restructuring improves the performance of a company’s shares on the stock market. This hypothesis was rejected by a recent study. It was revealed that announcements relating to Corporate Restructuring of an organization did not yield abnormal returns for the stockholders. Hence, Corporate Restructuring does not change market sentiments about the organization immediately. The change in financial performance only occurs if it is found that the corporate restructuring has enhanced the organization’s use of resources and there has been an increase in the profitability of the firm. (Bowman & Singh, 1993) Another study done on the group of hospitals revealed that Corporate Restructuring is not positively correlated with increase in financial position and performance of an organization. Other factors such as size of the organization, number of employees and target market are more likely to be the main difference between financially strong and a financially weak organization. The results of this stu dy may lack reliability because it was cross-sectional research containing data of only one year. In the long-run Corporate Restructuring forces might be more efficient and have an impact on profitability of the organization. But to be on the safe side we can say that Corporate Restructuring is not correlated with the profitability of the organization in the short-run at least. (Clement, A'unno, & Poyzer, 1993) The paper is going to examine the impact of Corporate Restructuring on the market of an organization. The results of the studies indicated that the smaller and more centrally concentrated organizations are better in strategic decision making. In the period of 1990s, many organizations with diffused investment subsidiaries and stakes lacked any attention from the investors and hence there was a lot of focus on downsizing strategies during that period. The study also focused that blockholder investment is necessary for the stability of organization and firms with blockholder in vestment are efficiently configured. Hence, it is better for the organizations to downsize and try to maintain blockholder organizational structure in order to safeguard against uncertainty. Many organizations are downsizing because over-diversification is doing more harm than good and investors have realized that the correct way of making money is by investing large sums in a single organization to achieve growth. (Bethel & Liebieskind, 1993) A