Memo - Investment Recommendation for Centagenetix Essay Example for Free

Memo Investment Recommendation for Centagenetix Essay After looking over the material regarding Centagenetix, I have a recommendation as to whether or not MPM should invest in Centagenetix. I realize that we have spent a great deal of time and resources on this project already, and that Harvard Medical School is anticipating that this deal will go forward. I also realize that backing out of the deal now could reflect badly upon MPM and upon you, but my recommendation is that MPM invest in Centagenetix at this point. The main reason is that if Centagenetix is actually able to create a product to increase human longevity, there are some major questions and concerns about first getting this product to market, as well as what conditions this product might carry for measurable efficacy and if the market will be willing to accept them. I will discuss other considerations shortly but I think that is itself a potential deal-breaker. Let us first consider the New England Centenarian Study (NECS). While it is a worthwhile and interesting study, with good correlations between family members and a sample pool large enough to provide preliminary findings, it still has some weaknesses. The two major ones being how geographically centric it is and the size of it. Scientists who study aging have long argued that environment and lifestyle play the largest role in longevity, but Centagenetix is setting out to see if that is incorrect: if there is in fact a heritable gene (or genes) for longevity. It would seem t hat in order to provide a strong argument that the study reaches beyond environment, there should be more samples from areas beyond the eight towns around Boston that the NECS used. It could also be a problem that the majority of the centenarians used had no history of smoking or obesity and were generally small in stature. Granted that using these samples, they found a linkage on chromosome 4, but this does not seem to match the homologous zones for longevity in the previously studied model organisms. There are possible correlations on other chromosomes that track with those model organisms, but the patent that they filed is for the 10 million base pair region on chromosome 4. I am also concerned that the first attempt to scale the study to a larger population resulted in a noteworthy decrease of the linkage’s strength. Scaling it up further restored the statistical strength of the linkage, but the overall strength and valuation of the IP remains in question. We also need to consider the possibility that this 10M bp region will contain genes that other groups are already studying and that the patent is not strong enough to survive a challenge. It is possible that these longevity genes will be related to insulin receptors or free radical management: two areas that several groups or companies are already studying. How strong will the IP remain when there is competition for these hypothetical genes? If that is the case, the company’s major resource will be its SNP datab ase of centenarians, which will cost at least another $10 million to get to a functional state, plus more money to expand and maintain it. I have not seen any market analysis as to how much companies will pay for access to such a database. While Millennium has a somewhat similar model, they are much more pro-active in what they offer their clients, and that is what arguably drives their profits. The database will be valuable, but just how valuable is an important question. We need to know what the likelihood is that building such a SNP database will turn a profit, who specifically would be interested in paying for its use, and how much they would pay. In addition, would Centagenetix receive any royalties or payments for products based off findings from that SNP database? These are important considerations, especially if the possibility exists that the SNP database will have to support the company for any protracted amount of time. There remains a conflict-of-interest issue with Tom Perls and Harvard. If he can be enticed away from Harvard, the study that the company is based on will potentially no longer be available. Perls will be a key founding member of Centagenetix, and is expected be motivated and incentivized to work hard. Without a stake in the company, it remains unclear if that will happen. We also need to consider that if Perls does leave Harvard, will BIDMC still allow Centagenetix the use of the NECS, or should we re-consider the proposal from Whitehead to buy them out? The value of the IP revolves strongly around the NECS and Dr. Perls’ work. There needs to be a much clearer sense as to if or how these issues will be resolved, or else MPM might own a major stake in a company that will require a much larger investment to restore the IP we have assumed they already have. Finally, I want to return to my main point: Aside from a SNP database, what is at the end of the Centagenetix pipeline? Let us assume that they do find a gene or several genes that directly relate to longevity and are not in conflict with another group or company, that they can find the function of these genes, and eventually develop a product built on that discovery. Presumably, the function of this product would be to increase longevity in humans. How would they run clinical trials for this, and how long would they take? If the measure of success is how long someone lives, might not the trials take far longer than is feasible for us to provide funding? Assume that they get past pre-clinical trials; will the FDA even allow such a product to be tested? I th ink that we need to know more about how the FDA would approach such a product, as it seems like the regulatory hurdles for this will not be what most pharmaceutical companies are accustomed to. They are not trying to treat or effect a disease state, but rather to increase longevity. Granted that Ponce de Leà ³n spent much of his life searching Florida for the Fountain of Youth, and that a product like this will appeal to the general public, there is likely to be some serious regulatory and clinical trial hurdles to get it there. We also need to consider how the medical community and public will react to such a product. It seems likely that, given how many of the subjects from the NECS lived relatively healthy lives, the product will have some stipulations about health for maximum efficacy. If the public is required to not smoke, or be obese before this product will work for them then that will significantly affect adoption. In addition, how would the medical community respond to so mething with claims of increasing longevity? I think it would be highly skeptical and cynical. There will be difficulty in both convincing doctors to prescribe it, as well as getting payers to compensate for it. This will presumably be a product that patients will take for the rest of their lives, meaning there will likely be a struggle for both adoption and compliance. The only real gauge of such a product will be how long someone lives, and it will be challenging to demonstrate proof that any increase in longevity is a direct result of Centagenetix’s product. Significant market research needs to be done that considers the varying scenarios for adoption and lifestyle changes, to see if the market size is as big as one would expect it to be. In closing, I acknowledge that other products may come out of Centagenetix that are related to actual disease states or physiological processes. It is possible that they will develop an impressive and profitable drug that is related to the longevity of the patients of the NECS and be yond. Heck, they may even discover the cure for cancer. Even so, there are far too many unknowns and uncertainties in this proposal. The strength of the IP is in question. The availability of the NECS and even Dr. Perl is uncertain. What an end product looks like and what sort of market exists for it. How much more money it will take if they need to build a SNP database to remain in business, or if they have to do another NECS-like study of their own. The risks and uncertainties are sizeable, and the question about actual market size is significant. I do not think that MPM should invest in Centagenetix at this point.

Roles and Responsibilities in Construction Project

Roles and Responsibilities in Construction Project Task 1. Describe the roles and responsibilities of all parties involved in the planning and design phases. Owner An owner is the person who owns the project and has full authority to control the whole project. He is mainly involved in the process for supporting the financial matter for the construction project to go through easily. He has to pay for fees and charges associated with the work. Besides, he has to work together with architect and other consultants to achieve the goal of the construction project Architect Architect monitors the construction of the project to assure that construction is in accordance with the plans and specifications prepared by the architect and approved by the Owner and Contractor. He has to engage in inspection and completion of the building process for the designing and supervising of the building work which the architect has full control of the proceedings. Lender The person or entity engaged by the lender to independently check and verify that the progress of construction conforms to the plans, specifications and Contract Documents in order to permit construction loan payments to the contractor. His responsibility is not to the Owner but to the lender to assure the lender that the lender is paying for true construction costs and to assure lender priority. Facility Manager Facility Manager is mainly involving in the development of master plans for facilities and properties as well as budget projections for proposed projects. He frequently serves as lease managers for the owner’s rental properties and is charged with tenant relations. His responsibility might include space planning, utilization studies, and space inventory and allocations. In addition, he might be in charge of minor capital projects in the same location as contracted work and services. Estimating Engineer Estimating engineer has the responsibility for pricing building work in accordance with tender documents and to assist management in their submission of a tender to the client or architect. This includes a report on the project in hand and a summary of project details and a note of any matters of concern. Planner The builder’s planner is responsible for selecting the most cost and time effective method of carrying out the work, programming each activities of work in a coordinate order so as to provide continuity of work primary for the builder’s operations establishing labour and plant requirements providing details of site requirements such as staffing and the proposed layout of the site. Ref > CSI Construction Contract Administration Practice Guide Task 2 Describe the roles and responsibilities of all parties involved in the construction phases. Project Manager Project Manager is the person who has the responsibility for ensuring that the Project Team completes the project. The Project Manager develops the Project Plan with the team and manages the team’s performance of project tasks. It is also the responsibility of the Project Manager to secure acceptance and approval of deliverables from the Project Sponsor and Stakeholders. The Project Manager is responsible for communication, including status reporting, risk management, escalation of issues that cannot be resolved in the team, and, in general, making sure the project is delivered in budget, on schedule, and within scope. The Quantity Surveyor The Quantity Surveyor provides the client with advice on building costs and contractual matters throughout the building process, in addition, acts as a consultant to the architect. He also supports for the preparing the tender documentation, receiving and analyzing tenders and preparing the tender report for the client and recommendations for approval. Consulting engineer Consulting engineer is responsible to the architect for the design of certain parts of the project and provide information that will assist the quantity surveyor with his financial reporting. He is involved in the work carried out by nominated sub-contractor. Health and Safety Inspector Health and Safety Inspector is employed by the health and safety law enforcement agency to ensure that the construction project site has to follow the safety regulations and codes of practice relating to the Health and Safety at Work act are observed on the building sites. Construction Workers Construction workers are different according to their different fields. They are a very special breed of worker. They own their specific jobs, duties and responsibilities in the construction sites. They have to follow the client to achieve their functions. Ref > Construction Project Management ( Peter Fewings) Task 3(a) Describe the corporate and personal responsibilities of all parties in construction. Construction Company with shareholders is to make up an important decision they have to hold a meeting with partners. For important projects, the partners vote for the decision and the outcome is carried out by the project manager. Project manager plays an important role in construction business because he is entrusted the goal of project by the board of directors. He has to make small decisions on his own to reach the goal and report the outcomes to the board of director at regular meetings. As for the sole owner, every goals and decisions has to make by himself. And he needs to do all the job as a manager. But the goals and strategies can be changed according to the situation by the owner. (b) Evaluate the differences between these responsibilities. Owner Owner is the one who owns the whole construction site and supports money to build his building with his desire organization. He settles the project completion date which governs the scheduling of work for both the designer and contractor. He should set priorities for the components that make-up the project. The Design Organization The design organization assists a design schedule of the owner’s schedule. In the schedule, there is a prioritization of work in accordance with the owner’s needs and should be developed with extensive input from all designers who will have principal roles in the design process. The Construction Contractor The construction contractor must develop a schedule for all construction activities in accordance with the contract documents. It should include procurement and delivery of materials to the job, coordination of labor and equipment on the job, and interface the work of all sub-contractors. The objective of the construction schedule should be to effectively manage the work to procedure the best quality project for the owner. The purpose of construction scheduling should not be to settle disputes related to project work but to manage the project in the most efficient manner. Project Manager The role of the project manager is the monitoring and controlling the all aspects of a project and the motivation of all those involved to achieve the project objectives on time and to cost, performance and quality. He also acts on behalf of the Client to direct the Design Team and ensure that they have the appropriate information and understanding to effectively execute the project. Besides, he manages the construction team performance of project tasks according to the Project Plan. Architect The responsibility of an architect is to prepare construction drawings and specifications. Sometimes, he lodges the planning application and building warrants in co-ordination with the rest of the team. He acts as the leader of the rest of the design team to the client’s requirements design. In addition, he will define client’s requirements, arrange site investigations, establish the preferred solution, develop the design, prepare room data sheets and advice on materials selection, etc. Structural Engineer The responsibility of the Structural Engineer is to design the building structure, including the drainage installation. SE must co-ordinate their design to meet the architect’s design and give advice to client on the most appropriate form of structure for the building. Besides, he also supports cost advice to the Quantity Surveyor involving to all aspects of the building structure. Services Engineer (Mechanical and Electrical Services) The responsibility of the services engineer is to specify and design all the services for mechanical and electrical according to the client requirements. He has to co-ordinate with the Architect and the Structural Engineer to meet the client requirements. Besides, he also supports the cost advice to the Quantity Surveyor as required to allow cost planning and monitoring. In addition, he provides the advice the client to make best decisions in terms of energy use, sustainability, lifecycle costs and relevant â€Å"Green Issues†. The CDM Coordinator (Health and Safety Adviser) The role of the CDM Coordinator is to advise the implementation of the CDM regulations to the client for the project. Health and Safety Adviser co-ordinates the Health Safety aspects of the design work, and co-operate with the other consultants employed on the project. He prepares the Pre-Contract Health and Safety Plan and work with all the other consultants to ensure that Safety is high on the project agenda. Ref > Guide to Procuring Construction Project Task 4. Explain the modern technology(computer system) available to designers, planners and builders Project management Software Project management software assists the group project in planning their routine job easier by taking over from the main team members the drudgery of manual calculation, insertion, modification, tracking, controlling, and change management. All of the project management software provides the complex nature of dependency of events and activities and scheduling of manpower for optimum utilization. Besides, it determines the dispensability for the sake of granting vacation and milestones and deadlines with the maintenance ways. Moreover, it keeps the track of critical path and shifting of criticality and generates the reports on project status for circulation automatically. Photorealistic Rendering 3D/4D model technology can be used for marketing purposes by builder, developer and designer on private projects or to involve in community on public project. Specialist in this technology can offer clear pictures for their customers by wing 3D walkthrough short movie clip. This kind of technology is used to clemonstrate complex geometic that cannot be demonstrated by two dimension technologies. IT plays important role to improve the quality of meeting between owner and project team because it helps the designer to convey their idea very well. Cost Estimating The cost can be estimated by using 3D to generate the quality bills. Moreover, it is possible to make a connection automatically between 3D and cost estimation. Cost Estimating Software needs to update by the user. Analyzing Construction Operations In this process, 4D and 3D can be used by project manager to monitor the progress of work at particular time. This technology makes the sequence and schedule of project construction clear. Moreover, it increases the accuracy of construction operations and reduces the errors. 3D and 4D Model Applications 3D and 4D model is one of the useful technologies that is used in construction as per researchers evaluation within educational or industrial settings. Moreover, these technologies play important role in project construction administration. The starting point for construction is to understand how to use 3D/4D model technologies respectively. Task 5(a) Describe the effect of technological advances on the various phases of construction projects. Nowadays, technologies stand an important rule to facilitate the project in construction projects. The impact of technologies supports to complete the project with low cost, avoid disputes between contractor and owner and without mistakes. It also leads to enhance the performance of worker, increase the productivity and improve safety. The impact of technologies on communication system will be covered in the research that effects on the successful of completing projects. The technology has no limit to stop and day to day new technology adds value to the word in different aspects. It helps to communication between the people in construction, make the decision with increasing speed and automating functions. (b) Analyze the usage of computer system and the development of new materials in the construction projects. Computer Systems Computer systems stand as an incidental tool for the construction. It supports the design and project management to have emphasized numerical calculations and the use of computers will rapidly move towards the more prevalent and difficult problems of planning, communication, design and management. Besides, computerized transfer of information supports to avoid laborious and error-prone transcription of project information. In addition, CAD develops the drawings of the construction project by automating in drawings. It gives accurate the drawing to the point and saves the designers time. Global Positioning Systems GPS surveying instruments measures in 3D (X, Y, and Z planes) that make it easy for the surveyor to take accurate measurements for any point of the area. It receives signals from GPS satellites in terms of longitude, latitude, and elevation (from sea level) along with some other information to give exact measurements. By using the GPS, labor intensive can be reduced in terms of field procedures. GPS is not only useful in surveying but also in setting up of the equipment blades and buckets for the right angel to cut and fill the operations. Total Station A Total Station is a light-weight instrument, integrating the technology of an electronic or digital theodolite, an electronic distance measuring device and a microprocessor in the same unit. It is used for distance and angular measurement, data processing, digital display of point details and data storage in an electronic field book. The digital panel displays the distances, angles, heights and the coordinates of the observed area. A microprocessor applies corrections for the Earths curvature and refraction automatically.

The Works of Andy Warhol Essay -- Andy Warhol Essays

The Pop Arts' movement began in the late 50's and early 60's. Dubbed, the founding father of the movement, Andy Warhol brought forward society's obsession with mass culture and allowed it to become the subject of art itself. Using many techniques such as isolation, repetition and colour placement, Warhol brought to the world of art his views on materialism, politics, economics and the media. Andy was quick to warn his admirers and critics, ?do not look any deeper than the surface of my art and my life' (Bockris 21). Andy Warhol produced works that defied the popular notion of what art should be. Warhol's works were meant to be taken at face value, for nothing more than what they portrayed on the surface. While he stressed this superficial attitude about his art, his works were often the cause of debate and influenced public opinion like no other cultural figure in North America ( Shanes 5 ). Through his series with common images, celebrities and death, Warhol teaches us that surface images have a lot to say about pop culture. By exploring and learning more about the artist who opened so many doors in the art world, one can see why looking at the surface of his works often meant seeing and understanding so much more about the society in which we live. Warhol's Campbell's soup cans are arguably some of his most famous works. Warhol wanted us to look at the simple image of the can for what it represented to our culture. He challenged "old fashioned" critics to overcome their ideas of art as complex and incomprehensible by using simple, common images. Warhol's selection of the soup can may be the most important part of the work he did with them. He wanted to display his view of America and to him eating Campbell's soup represented being American. Andy wanted to explore these common images that are part of our everyday lives, which we accept without hesitation. In his painting 32 Soup Cans ( Shanes 53 ), one can note his prominent use of repetition. Warhol often used this technique to magnify the appearance of objects produced mechanically in large quantities. By choosing 32 different varieties of cans Warhol was forcing the viewer to look hard and study his painting to see the difference between each can. He made us realize the way in which we looked at art, always carefully examining and looking for a deeper, hidden meaning beneath the surface. On the outsi... ...e Electric Chairs, Electric Chair ( Gidal 36 ) the object, the chair is the focal point of the piece. We are in no way confused about the message of the painting. In true Warhol style, it is not necessary to search for a deep meaning. The appearance of emptiness and loneliness is immediately visible. The only words in the picture, ?silence', are taken in subconsciously. The well chosen image makes a statement in itself. The success of Warhol's work during the sixties made him an immensely popular artist. At first glance Warhol's images appear to be simple. But, it is that simplicity that allowed these images to have such a huge visual impact when the viewer could associate with them. Warhol exemplified the meaning of Pop Art. Though his works may be simple and surface oriented we can see that Warhol had a very accurate understanding of pop culture. He used imagery from popular culture as a means of criticizing contemporary society. His images and ideas were all easily accessible for the audience. Emerging as arguably the most famous American artist, Andy Warhol opened up many important doors and minds in the art world which modern artists are still benefitting from today.

Michael Ondaatjes Relationship with his Father in his Work, Running in

Michael Ondaatje's Relationship with his Father in his Work, Running in the Family The jacket description embossed on the back cover of the Vintage publication of Michael Ondaatje's Running in the Family gives the reader a false sense of what the book is about. To some it is a "lyrical and witty" tale of "broken engagements, and drunken suicide attempts," and to some it may be "an inspired marriage of travel narrative and family memoir" (jacket). The front cover, however, provides the most valuable information about the book. It is a detail from Paul Gauguin painting of a man walking through a tamed arboreal area. A scene from a tropical countryside the colors are bright and vibrant; off to the left side is a small hut. Gaugiun was a post-Impressionistic painter who stressed feeling over realism; it was the sole intent of the artist to catch the emotion of the moment. Thus, emotion appears to be the driving force of Running in the Family. The book is a series of anecdotes and "gesture[s]" as Ondaatje labels his construction of plot (206). Ondaatje records events as they are told to him, exaggerated by the storytellers and distorted by time, and further transformed through his transcription good. Interestingly, it is his father, Mervyn Ondaatje, and not Michael Ondaatje himself, who captures most of the attention in Running in the Family. Of this, literary critic and professor Winfried Siemerling states, "the connection between the self and the other is directly patronymic in Running in the Family †¦ the book can be read as a biography. Representing the story of Mervyn Ondaatje through the eyes of his son Michael, however, the biography is, at the same time, autobiography." Ref This a convention which mayead the reader to surm... ...needed to find him in one form or another" (Jewinski, 13). Ondaatje's avoidance of explanation is renown, as Douglas Barbour offers in his critical essay of Running in the Family, " rather than explanation, Ondaatje's texts seek to create a sensual and emotional awareness of the other's living" (packet 124). But what Ondaatje doesn't explicitly express, he weaves into his text, creating that "sensual and emotional awareness," allowing his readers to step into the life of his father, and along with Ondaatje, forgive. Works Cited Barbour, Douglass. "From: 'Michael Ondaatje'." Waddington Packet, 2001. Jewinski, Ed. Michael Ondaatje: Express Yourself Beautifully. Toronto ECW Press, 1994. Ondaatje, Michael. Running in the Family. Vintage Books, New York, 1993. Siemerling, Winfried. Discoveries of the Other. Toronto, University of Toronto Press Inc., 1994.

Cinematography Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Today, the movie industry has become a huge moneymaker in the entertainment business. You cannot turn on the television without seeing advertisements for the next big blockbuster film. While most of the films these days entertain with amazing special effects or raunchy comedy, there are still films that thrive because of great acting, directing, and editing. Three films that I believe would be great examples of the way these aspects can cause a film to excel are ?Any Given Sunday?, ?The Cell?, and ?Almost Famous?. ?Any Given Sunday? shows how, by using editing, a movie can portray an intense situation realistically. In ?The Cell?, color is used to differentiate between how we see things in reality and how things are seen inside our heads. ?Almost Famous? is a great example of the ways that sound and acting can enhance the quality of a film.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Al Pacino, as run-down head coach Tony D?Amato, and Jamie Foxx, as energetic quarterback Willy Beaman, star in this behind the scenes look at the conflicts that occur inside a modern day professional football team. While the backstabbing and stubbornness of people involved in a football program are greatly exaggerated in this movie, I chose it because of its portrayal of the on-the-field action. Having played football in high school, this is the first film that has been able to effectively capture the speed and intensity through the movie screen. The movie gives you the emotions of every type of person involved in the football game. Every view from the players on the field to the coaches on the sidelines to the fans in the crowd and watching on television is shown. Quick cuts of slightly blurred panning shots along with close-up shots of the intense looks on players faces many times give the viewer the feeling that they are involved in the play themselves. The mo vie also geniously uses a combination of true speed and slow motion scenes to allow the viewer to experience both the speed and intensity of the moment at the same time. One montage begins with the team walking up to the line in true speed, goes to slow motion as Beaman surveys the defense, goes to full speed as the lines crash into each other on the snap and a defender closes in on Beaman. Then as soon as the hit is made, it is switched back to slow motion to highlight the viciousness of the hit. Betwe... ...as the artists are still shell-shocked from what had just occurred. Possibly an even better example of sound or music having a major role in this movie is a scene closer to the middle of the film. The day following major argument, followed by an acid binge by arguably the band?s leader had caused the tension in the band to culminate. On the bus, no one is talking to anybody else and the band seems on a crash course for a breakup. Then, the song ?Tiny Dancer? by Elton John comes on the radio. One band member begins to sing along and before you know it every person on the bus has joined in singing together. Just that one song was able to make them all realize that it is about the music and they could not let minor differences break them up. Instances like this happen over and over in this film making it a perfect example of the inspiration sound can bring to a movie.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These three films each stand out in different aspects of cinematography and make their respective movie better because of it. After watching these films viewers should have a better idea of what makes a movie great and what things to look for themselves the next time they go to the theatre.

The Return: Midnight Chapter 26

â€Å"Now you know how it's done?†Elena asked Meredith. â€Å"You put the key in the keyhole and say where you want to go. Then open the door and go through. That's it.† â€Å"You three go first,†Stefan added. â€Å"And quick.† â€Å"I'l turn the key,†Meredith told Matt. â€Å"You take care of Mrs. Flowers.† Just then Elena thought of something that she didn't want to say aloud, only to Stefan. But she and he were physical y so close, she knew he would pick it up. Saber! she thought to Stefan. We can't leave him to these malach! We won't, she heard Stefan's voice in her head say. I showed him the way to Matt's house, and told him to go there and take Talon and protect the people who will be coming. At the same time Matt was saying, â€Å"Oh, my God! Saber! He saved my life – I can't just leave him.† â€Å"Already taken care of,†Stefan reassured him and Elena patted him on the back. â€Å"He'l be at your house in a little while, and if you go somewhere else he'l track you.† Elena turned her pats into gentle pushes. â€Å"Be good!† â€Å"Matt Honeycutt's bedroom in Fel ‘s Church,†Meredith said, thrusting the key at the door handle, and opening the door. She and Mrs. Flowers and Matt al stepped forward. The door shut. Stefan turned to Elena. â€Å"I'm going first,†he said flatly. â€Å"But I'm holding on to you. I'm not going to let you go.† â€Å"Never let me go, never let me go,†Elena whispered in an imitation of Misao's â€Å"Have nightmares.†Then she had a thought. â€Å"Slave bracelets!† â€Å"What?†Stefan said. Then, â€Å"Oh, I remember, you told me. But what are they supposed to look like?† â€Å"Like any two bracelets, matching if possible.†Elena was scrambling around the back of the room, where furniture was piled up, opening drawers, closing them. â€Å"Come on, bracelets! Come on! This house is supposed to have everything!† â€Å"What about these things you wear in your hair?†Stefan asked. Elena looked back and he tossed her a bag of soft cotton ponytail holders. â€Å"You're a genius! They won't even hurt my wrists. And here are two white ones so they'l match!†Elena said happily. They arranged themselves in front of the door, with Stefan to Elena's left so he could see what was out there before they stepped in. He also had a firm grip on Elena's left arm. â€Å"Wherever our friend Bonnie McCul ough is,†Stefan said, and thrust the key into the lockless door handle, turning it. Then, after giving Elena the key, he gingerly opened the door. Elena wasn't sure what she was expecting. A blaze of light maybe, as they traveled through dimensions. Some kind of spiraling tunnel, or shooting stars. At least a feeling of motion. What she got was steam. It soaked through her T-shirt and dampened her hair. And then she got noise. â€Å"Elena! Eleeeeeeeeeeeeeeena! You're here! â€Å" Elena recognized the voice but couldn't locate the screamer in the steam. Then she saw an immense bathtub made of tiles of malachite, and a frightened-looking girl tending a charcoal fire at the bath's foot, while two other young attendants holding scrubbing brushes and pumice stones cowered against the other wal . And in the bath was Bonnie! It was obvious that the tub was very deep, because Bonnie wasn't able to touch bottom in the middle but she was half-leaping out of the water like a foam-covered dolphin over and over to attract attention. â€Å"There you are,†gasped Elena. She dropped to her knees on a thick, soft blue rug. Bonnie made a spectacular leap and just for a moment Elena could feel a smal soapy, sudsy body in her arms. Then Bonnie went down again and came up laughing. â€Å"And is that Stefan? It's Stefan! Stefan, hello! Helloooo! â€Å" Stefan glanced back, as if trying to assess the suds situation. He seemed satisfied with it, turned slightly, and waved. â€Å"Hey, Bonnie?†he asked, voice muffled by the sounds of continual splashing. â€Å"Where are we?† â€Å"It's Lady Ulma's house! You're safe – you're al safe!†She turned a smal hopeful face to Elena. â€Å"Where's Meredith?† Elena shook her head, thinking of al the things about Meredith that Bonnie didn't know yet. Well, she decided, this wasn't the time to mention them. â€Å"She had to stay behind, to protect Fel ‘s Church.† â€Å"Oh,†Bonnie looked down, troubled. â€Å"Stillbad, is it?† â€Å"You wouldn't believe it. Real y; it's – indescribable. That's where Matt and Mrs. Flowers and Meredith are. I'm sorry.† â€Å"No, I'm just so glad to see you! Oh my God, but you're hurt.†She was looking at the smal tooth wounds on Elena's arm, and the blood on her torn T-shirt. â€Å"I'l get out and – hey, no, you get in! There's plenty of room; plenty of hot water, and†¦ plenty of clothes! Lady Ulma even designed some for us, for ‘when we came back'!† Elena, smiling reassuringly at the bath girls, was already stripping as fast as she could. The tub, which was big enough for six to swim in, looked too luxurious to miss and, she reasoned, it made sense to be clean when you greeted your hostess. â€Å"Go have fun,†she shouted to Stefan. â€Å"Is Damon here?†she added in a whispered aside to Bonnie, who nodded. â€Å"Damon's here, too,†Elena caroled. â€Å"If you find Lady Ulma, tel her Elena's coming, but she's getting washed up first.†She didn't actual y dive into the pearl pink steaming water, but she got onto the second step down and let herself slide from there. Instantly, she was immersed in delicious heat that seeped straight into her body, pul ing some magic string that relaxed al her muscles at once. Perfumes suffused the air. She flung her wet hair back and saw Bonnie laughing at her. â€Å"So you got out of your hole and you've been here wal owing in luxury while we've been worried sick?†Elena couldn't help but hear the way her voice went up at the end, making it a question. â€Å"No, I got picked up by some people, and – â€Å"Bonnie broke off. â€Å"Well†¦the first few days were tough, but never mind. Thank God we got to Lady Ulma's in the end. Want a bath brush? Some soap that smel s just like roses?† Elena was looking at Bonnie with slightly narrowed eyes. She knew that Bonnie would do just about anything for Damon. That included covering up for him. Delicately, al the while enjoying the brushes and unguents and many kinds of soaps laid out on a shelf for easy reach, she began an inquisition. Stefan got out of the steamy room before he was soaking wet. Bonnie was safe and Elena was happy. He found he had stepped into another room, in which were a number of couches made of some soft spongy material. For drying? Massage? Who knew? The next room he entered had gas lanterns that were turned high enough to rival electrical light. Here were three more couches – he had no idea what for – a ful -length silvered-glass mirror, and smal er mirrors in front of chairs. Obviously a place for makeup and beautifying. This last room opened onto a hal way. Stefan stepped out and hesitated, spreading delicate tendrils of Power in different directions, hoping to find Damon before Damon noticed his presence in the estate. The Master Key had proved that it could overcome the fact that he hadn't been invited here. That meant that maybe he could†¦ At that moment he got a hit, and withdrew his probe immediately, startled. He stared down the long corridor. He could actual y see Damon, pacing in the room at the end, talking to someone Stefan couldn't see behind the door. Stefan crept very quietly down the hal way, stalking. He made it to the door without his brother even noticing, and there he saw that the person Damon was talking to was a woman wearing what looked like buckskin breeches and shirt, who had weathered skin, and a general aura of being more at home outside civilization than inside it. Damon was saying, â€Å"Make sure there are enough warm clothes for the girl. She's not exactly hardy, you know – â€Å" â€Å"Then where are you taking her – and why?†Stefan asked, leaning against the doorjamb. He had the good fortune to once – just this once – take Damon unaware. His brother glanced up, and then jerked like a startled cat. It was priceless to watch Damon scrambling for a mask until he decided on the fa?ade of absent amiability. Stefan guessed that no one had ever put so much effort into walking over to a desk chair, sitting down, and forcing himself to lounge. â€Å"Well, well! Little brother! You dropped in for a visit! How†¦ nice. What a pity, though, that I'm practical y running out the door on a journey, and there's no room for you.† At this point the weather-beaten woman who had been taking notes – and who had risen when Stefan entered the room – spoke up. â€Å"Oh, no, my lord. The thurgs won't mind the extra weight of this gentleman. They probably won't notice it. If his baggage can be ready by tomorrow you can start out in the early morning just as you planned.† Damon gave her his best â€Å"shut up or die†glare. She shut up. Through clenched teeth, Damon managed to say, â€Å"This is Pelat. She's the coordinator of our little expedition. Hel o, Pelat. Good-bye, Pelat. You may go.† â€Å"As you wish, my lord.† Pelat bowed and left. â€Å"Aren't you taking this ‘my lord'thing a bit too seriously?†Stefan asked. â€Å"And what is that costume you're wearing?† â€Å"It's the uniform of the captain of the guard of Madame le Princess Jessalyn D'Aubigne,†Damon said coldly. â€Å"You got a job?† â€Å"It was a position.†Damon bared his teeth. â€Å"And it's none of your business.† â€Å"Got your canines back, too, I see.† â€Å"And that's none of your business either. But if you want me to knock you out and trample over your undead body, I'l be delighted to oblige.† Something was wrong, Stefan thought. Damon should be through the taunting phase and be actual y trampling on him by now. It only made sense if†¦ â€Å"I've already spoken to Bonnie,†he said. And so he had, to ask where he was. But to a guilty mind, apparent foreknowledge often worked wonders. And Damon hastily said exactly what Stefan hoped he wouldn't. â€Å"I can explain!† â€Å"Oh, God,†Stefan said. â€Å"If she'd just done as I told her – â€Å" â€Å"While you were off becoming a princess's captain of the guard? And she was – where?† â€Å"She was safe, at least! But, no, she had to go out into the street and then to that shop – â€Å" â€Å"Shocking! She actual y walked in the street?† Damon ground his teeth. â€Å"You don't know how it is around here – or how the slave trade works. Every day – â€Å" Stefan slammed both hands on the desk, now truly angry. â€Å"She was picked up by slavers? While you were sleazing around with a princess?† â€Å"Princess Jessalyn does not sleaze,†Damon replied icily. â€Å"Nor do I. And anyway it al turned out to be a good thing because now we know where the Seven Kitsune Treasures are.† â€Å"What treasures? And who cares about treasures when there's a town being destroyed by kitsune?† Damon opened his mouth, shut it, then looked narrowly at Stefan. â€Å"You said that you'd talked to Bonnie about al this.† â€Å"I did talk to Bonnie,†Stefan said flatly. â€Å"I said hel o.† Damon's dark eyes flared. For a moment Stefan thought he was going to snarl or start a fight. But then, through clenched teeth, he said, â€Å"It's al for the damned town, don't you see that? Those treasures include the largest star bal ever to be fil ed with Power. And that Power may be enough to save Fel ‘s Church. At least to stop its total annihilation. Maybe to even clear out every malach that exists and destroy Shinichi and Misao with a single blow. Is that noble enough for you, little brother? Is it reason enough?† â€Å"But taking Bonnie – â€Å" â€Å"You stay with her here if you like! Spend your lives here! I might mention that without her I would never have been able to set up an expedition, and that she's determined to go. Besides, we're not coming back this way. There has to be an easier route from the Gatehouse to Earth. We wouldn't survive coming back, so you'd better hope like hel that there is one.† Stefan was surprised. He had never heard his brother speak with such passion about anything that involved humans. He was about to reply, when behind him there came a scream of pure, unadulterated rage. It was frightening – and worrying, too, because Stefan would recognize that voice anywhere, anytime. It was Elena's.

Ethical Decisions in the Ford Pinto Case Essay

In 1972 the national highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) put a price on life – $200 725 (adjusted for inflation). The Ford Motor Company used this data along with other statistical studies to determine the cost benefit of improving the safety of the Ford Pinto compared to the cost of loss of life. It was determined that the cost of the suggested improvements outweighed their benefits. This essay aims to address whether cost-benefit analysis is a legitimate tool and what role, if any, it should play in moral deliberation, especially when placing a monetary value on a human life. It also questions what responsibilities Ford had to its customers and what moral rights were in operation, as well as whether it would have made a difference if Ford customers knew about the decision. Discussion Cost-Benefit Analysis, is a systematic process for calculating and comparing benefits and costs of a project for two purposes; firstly to determine if it is a sound investment (justification/feasibility and secondly, to see how it compares with alternate projects (ranking/priority assignment). It works by first defining the project and any alternatives; then identifying, measuring, and valuing the benefits and costs of each. (Benefit-cost analysis, 2007) The variables employed in Fords cost-benefit analysis were; the cost of making the safety changes to millions of vehicles, the statistics quoting quantity of deaths, injuries and vehicle damage , and lastly and most controversially, the total per fatality quoted by the NHTSA, being $200,275. The latter value is what is being questioned. What is the cost of a life? Can one even put a cost on a life? The Ford motor company factored the cost of life into the decision that safety improvements outweighed their benefits. Based on the above definition, however, cost benefit analysis was a legitimate tool, but for financial decisions only. If Ford had taken a utilitarian approach to the cost benefit analysis a better moral decision might have been made. Utilitarianism is the moral doctrine that we should always act to produce the greatest possible balance of good over bad for everyone affected by our actions (Shaw, 2009). The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few† – Spock It has also been defined as; firstly, the doctrine that actions are right if they are useful or for the benefit of a majority, and secondly, the doctrine that an action is right insofar as it promotes happiness, and that the greatest happiness of the greatest number should be the guiding principle of conduct. (dictionary. com) Fords actions could be viewed as morally correct if argued that they benefited more people by offering cheap vehicle and increasing shareholders profits, than the few people that were killed or injured. But arguing that producing the greatest possible balance of good over bad for everyone affected by our actions(Shaw, 2009) Fords decision was morally wrong because the benefits and resulting happiness of people benefitting by their decision to sell precariously unsafe vehicles would pale in comparison to the unhappiness caused by a death. As was the case, many shareholders benefitted to the detriment of a few people. So the central question is; what is the value of a human life and can it be measured extrinsically as used in the analysis. Ford met their obligation to shareholders by focussing only on financial variables, but failed in its responsibility to customers in two ways; they neglected to factor in to their analysis the intrinsic value of human life and the impact to the many of their decisions, they also failed to inform customers of the nature of the defect which would most certainly have impacted consumer behaviour. The consumer’s right to life as well as their right to making informed decisions were undermined. If Ford had not neglected to inform their customers of the defect and thus allowed the customers to make informed decisions with regards to their products, the risk associated with the defect would have passed from Ford to the customer. Had the consumer been correctly informed, they would become responsible for any results stemming from the decision to purchase the vehicle, regardless of whether the cost savings had been passed on to them or not. Conclusion Cost-benefit analysis is a legitimate financial tool. As a tool for morality it is useful but flawed as a measure of assigning a value to human life and suffering. Ford had a responsibility to it customers to protect their interests or share information with them to protect their own (the consumers) interests, particularly the most important interest; their right to life. It would not have made a moral difference if Ford had passed the savings onto their consumers, as they would have encroached on their customer right to life and their right to make an informed decision.