Paraphrasing an Introduction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Paraphrasing an Introduction - Essay Example Before printing technology was invented, authors used to write their manuscripts manually. It is straightforward that it involved a lot of time and money to handwrite books and other materials. As such, the role of printing technology is obvious: spread of knowledge and literature to the whole world. This is as a result number of books increased number of books and other educational materials. Apart from advancing the field of knowledge and information, printing has also lead to conveyance of religious thoughts, magazines, and other domain areas. In Qatar, for example, there is a large numerous leading printing companies that are established primarily to provide high quality goods and services to the customer. In addition, these companies are instrumental in manufacturing high quality goods and offering good terms of sale that include prices and expeditious delivery. These companies have developed a culture of healthy competition and hence growth. As it has been aforementioned, printing technology has provided a comparative backbone to communication. It is estimated that apart from spoken word, written communication tops the list of the most used mode of communication. As such, Industrial and System Engineering require to lay a lot of emphasis in ensuring that written communication has its rightful place in the society. Apart from many positive impacts that the printing has caused to our societies, there are a few shortcoming of printing that require to be addressed. Most important is that Printing press setups generate waste. In this case, they pollute our environment and as such, they infringe the economics and safety principles in our society. In addition, the printing industry has been accused of violating the principles of work method and process flow management as processes are taking place with several non-value adding activities and without ensuring that the welfare workers is taken care of. To correct the above-mentioned shortcomings, the

Postmodernism Revise Essay Example for Free

Postmodernism Revise Essay Discussion Question One, Due Thursday, 600 words Compare and contrast the idea of a â€Å"legitimate voice† from the modern and the postmodern perspective.    Legitimate Voice refers to the capability of the people to act upon what they actually perceive upon. This identifies the undeniable want of people to prove that what they believe in could actually be achieved thus giving them the chance to make a huge difference upon the society that they are living in. being a postmodernist is not an easy status to carry. This is because of the fact that carrying such status is something that is needs to be given high level of attention as postmodernists actually believe that although humans are able to realize their capability of changing his own society, he was not able to accomplish the best possible achievement that he is expected to gain based form the time that he has been given to change. Understanding modernism, it should occur to the people that making a change are not simply the aim of progress. It is to improve the major things that are found in the society today with a means of actually handling the present times with the vivid picture of what the future could possibly hold for them as the major actors of change. The application of legitimate voice within the process identifies the capability of humans to prove their thoughts through acts of improvement. The point of legitimacy should be strongly valued in applying modernization in the society. Whatever the ideas are and how well they fit to the community’s present description of improving success must likely be involved equally with each other. It is only through this that the changes implied are assured to give rightful effects and benefits to the people of the present society as extended towards the human population in the future. True, modernization is a major issue that is dealt with by every individual as well as every nation in the world today. It is through the belief of this idealism that people are able to hone their capabilities of handling major changes to open the society’s path towards a more progressive community that could give them the best results of changes in handling challenges of human society’s life and journey. The modernist’s approach in explaining the intentional use of legitimate voice in the society’s progression is actually focused upon the positivity of the matter and the way that it affects the society, whereas post-modernists actually use it to prove that people are still able to do far more better than what they have already accomplished. Discussion Question Two, Due Sunday 600 words Compare and contrast how arguments were legitimized and defended to the modernists vs. the postmodernists. THE dawn of the 1990’s has brought with it new hopes for world peace. But it has also brought with it an unparalleled uncertainty and confusion. For example, there is great uncertainty over what will happen in nations that are abandoning centrally planned economies that have failed. A number of these lands are moving into free-market capitalism. But many nations that are already capitalist have widespread poverty and unemployment, high inflation and debt. Even the United States has a huge internal debt—some three million dollars—and is also the largest debtor nation in international trade. One result of the world’s economic woes is noted by a New York Times editorial, which said: â€Å"There are more desperately poor people in the world than ever before.† Partly because of growing uncertainties, many have retreated into selfishness: the me-first attitude, material greed, the desire for instant gratification regardless of consequences. Rampant drug abuse is an evidence of this. Christopher Lasch, a professor of history at the University of Rochester, put it this way: â€Å"The moral bottom has dropped out of our culture.† Internationally acclaimed economist Arjo Klamer states: â€Å"Artists, economists, businessmen and families have lost faith in modernist certainties. .  .  . Disillusionment turned out to be an emotion shared by people across fields and disciplines.† Stating that â€Å"confusion prevails,† he added: â€Å"Fragmentation. Emptiness. Irony. Chaos. These are some of the words in vogue. They define the intricate web of post-modernism in which modern people are lost.† It is painfully evident that this world’s political, economic, and social systems do not have permanent remedies for today’s immense problems and uncertainties. Obviously, through the reports sited above, it could be noted that the observation of the society and the impact of the implications of modernization in the society’s system affect the lives of human individuals directly. The constancy of the said idealism as per applied in the society today although happen to affect the lives of the people in both the positive and negative aspects of progress. Meanwhile the debating issues that are raised by the postmodernists actually challenges the people to do better than what they are presently doing, thus giving them the chance to have better benefits from the hard works that they render to the society. Implications Conclusions, Due Monday, 500 words Which postmodernist is most translatable and practically applied to your professional life? Why? Post-modernism is a thought of being continuously in want of making changes as the present changes and improvements are not yet suffice to handle the future challenges that may befall the human race.   In terms of professionalism, the said idealism pays much though the fact that the said thought would likely move people to become more than what they think and perceive they could be. Thinking about these possibilities would likely bring out the best from the individuals who are involved in improving their own ways of progression. Professionalism certainly involves excellence and outstanding thought of improvement and truth. It is through the application of post modernism theories and thoughts that the systems of professional dealings become much easier to deal with and apprehend with as the goals of improvement among the individuals involved rather become much vivid than the usual. The longing for and advancement more than the usual could be proven by the following lines:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"However, if â€Å"modern† science has taught us anything, it is that we are still quite clueless as to how we tick. We are not as smart or advanced as we think we are. Take the medical field, for instance. Granted, we have conquered some diseases and have a good sense of what things hurt us (although the processes of exactly how diseases work is still quite mysterious), as well as how we should take care of our bodies. But these advances aside, medicine is still fairly primitive† (Week 6 Lecture, Dr. Keeney,page 1)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As closely observed, the situation suggests that the current achievements of humans are still not enough. Because of this, the application for wanting much excellence than the usual is designed to make better options of improvement for the people today until they reach the peak point of their capabilities and potentials as human beings making contribution to the success of the communities that they particularly live in.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the major theorists of postmodernism places it, the people are more capable of doing more than what they can as well as gaining more than what they normally could achieve. Applying this particular idealism in a professional environment shall indeed point out the need for becoming highly involved with change thus imply developments within the existing system of operations within the organizations that are involved within the situation dealt with by particular individuals. References: Week 6 Lecture, Dr. Keeney. Week 7 lecture. Posted: 01/22/2008 01:55 PM, by: Kyle Keeney. Bringing it all together. Farrell, John. Paranoia and Postmodernism, the epilogue to Paranoia and Modernity: Cervantes to Rousseau (Cornell UP, 2006), 309-327. Giddens, Anthony (1991) Modernity and Self Identity, Cambridge: Polity Press. Grebowicz, Margaret (ed.), Gender After Lyotard. NY: Suny Press, 2007.(ISBN 978-0-7914-6956-9) Groothuis, Douglas. Truth Decay. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2000. Harvey, David (1989) The Condition of Postmodernity: An Enquiry into the Origins of Cultural Change (ISBN 0-631-16294-1) Hicks, Stephen R. C. (2004) Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault (ISBN 1-59247-646-5)

Angelas Ashes :: essays research papers

Angela’s Ashes, by Frank McCourt is a genuine memoir that vividly tells the story of a young, Irish Catholic boy during the 1930’s and early 1940’s. Frank’s memory of his impoverished childhood is difficult to accept, however, he injects a sense of devilish humor into his biography. He creates a story where the readers watch him grow beyond all odds and live through the pinnacle of the miserable Irish Catholic childhood. â€Å"People everywhere brag and whimper about the woes of their early years, but nothing can compare with the Irish version: the poverty, the shiftless loquacious alcoholic father; the pious defeated mother moaning by the fire; pompous priests; bullying schoolmasters; the English and the terrible things they did to us for eight hundred long years†(McCourt 11). His interaction with his family proves that despite the hunger and pain, love and strength come out of misery. Although the book tells the experience of an individual, the st ory itself is universal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Born in Brooklyn in 1930 to recent Irish immigrants Malachy and Angela McCourt, Frank grew up in Limerick after his parents returned to Ireland because of poor prospects in America. Due to the Great Depression, Malachy could not find work in America. However, things did not get any better back in Ireland for Malachy. A chronically unemployed and nearly unemployable alcoholic, he appears to be the model on which many of our more insulting cliches about drunken Irish manhood are based. Week after week, Angela would be home expecting her husband to come home with money to eat, but Malachy always spent his wages on pints at local pubs. Frank’s father would come home late at night and make his sons get out of bed and sing patriotic songs about Ireland by Roddy McCorley and Kevin Barry, who were hung for their country. Frank loved his father and got an empty feeling in his heart when he knew his father was out of work again. Frank described his father as the Holy Trinity because there is three people in him, â€Å"The one in the morning with the paper, the one at night with the stories and prayers, and then the one who does the bad thing and comes home with the smell of whiskey and wants us to die for Ireland† (McCourt 210). Even when there was a war going on and English agents were recruiting Irishmen to work in their munitions factories, Malachy could not keep a job when he traveled to England. Angelas Ashes :: essays research papers Angela’s Ashes, by Frank McCourt is a genuine memoir that vividly tells the story of a young, Irish Catholic boy during the 1930’s and early 1940’s. Frank’s memory of his impoverished childhood is difficult to accept, however, he injects a sense of devilish humor into his biography. He creates a story where the readers watch him grow beyond all odds and live through the pinnacle of the miserable Irish Catholic childhood. â€Å"People everywhere brag and whimper about the woes of their early years, but nothing can compare with the Irish version: the poverty, the shiftless loquacious alcoholic father; the pious defeated mother moaning by the fire; pompous priests; bullying schoolmasters; the English and the terrible things they did to us for eight hundred long years†(McCourt 11). His interaction with his family proves that despite the hunger and pain, love and strength come out of misery. Although the book tells the experience of an individual, the st ory itself is universal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Born in Brooklyn in 1930 to recent Irish immigrants Malachy and Angela McCourt, Frank grew up in Limerick after his parents returned to Ireland because of poor prospects in America. Due to the Great Depression, Malachy could not find work in America. However, things did not get any better back in Ireland for Malachy. A chronically unemployed and nearly unemployable alcoholic, he appears to be the model on which many of our more insulting cliches about drunken Irish manhood are based. Week after week, Angela would be home expecting her husband to come home with money to eat, but Malachy always spent his wages on pints at local pubs. Frank’s father would come home late at night and make his sons get out of bed and sing patriotic songs about Ireland by Roddy McCorley and Kevin Barry, who were hung for their country. Frank loved his father and got an empty feeling in his heart when he knew his father was out of work again. Frank described his father as the Holy Trinity because there is three people in him, â€Å"The one in the morning with the paper, the one at night with the stories and prayers, and then the one who does the bad thing and comes home with the smell of whiskey and wants us to die for Ireland† (McCourt 210). Even when there was a war going on and English agents were recruiting Irishmen to work in their munitions factories, Malachy could not keep a job when he traveled to England.

Accounting Management Technique for Google Essay

Google, Inc. has been one of the fastest growing and profitable companies in the world. Since its inception in 1998, it has revolutionized the way the world uses the Internet. Though Google has its hands in many different projects, the classification of industry under which Google falls is simply the Internet search process. Initially, Google strived to be the â€Å"perfect search engine† (About google, n.d.). Today, they have evolved to become that and more, with application developments that are user-friendly, their form of electronic mail, and their streamlined and sleek method of helping other businesses reach their target markets with simple advertisements. Google is renowned for their exemplary customer service and providing one of the top-sought-after workplaces in the world (Smith, 2011). With simple guidelines for their practices, Google is the industry leader in user-friendly web applications. Their ten keystones for their business are all customer-focused and are aimed at being the best and fastest. The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) would be the best management technique for Google to implement. Though Google is in business to make money, there are a lot of soft features associated with Google that go unaccounted for in every other management technique. Since Google is so human-dependent from the creator of the application to the end-user, it follows naturally that a management technique like the BSC would be most effective. See more: Foot Binding In China essay The financial performance should be considered, but the non-financial information like customer satisfaction, efficiency and effectiveness of the internal processes and the learning and growth portions of the BSC are most applicable to the operations at Google. Google’s fate and financial success rest heavily on their human resources. The employees they choose to hire have to be top-notch to keep Google at the top of their game. Google depends on their employees to provide superior customer service, to work in ways that are most efficient, and to keep on the edge of the needs of the people so that they can develop new ways to serve them. Being able to manage these non-financial factors effectively determines the fate of Google. References About google. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.google.com/about/ Blocher, E., Stout, D., & Cokins, G. (2010). Cost management: a strategic emphasis. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Smith, J. (2011, December 15). The best companies to work for. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2011/12/15/the-best- companies-to-work-for/

Justus Case

Just Us! Case Just Us! is a corporation that imports, roasts and sells primarily organic coffee from fair traded certified coffee producers. Their vision is: â€Å"to be a leading Fair Trade business that builds on quality, professionalism and innovation for the benefit of all our stake holders. Since its inception, Just Us! had experienced healthy growth in the maritime provinces of Canada, mainly supported by its corporate values: social and environmental responsibility, sustainability, ethical practices in all the areas of the business and in all stakeholders, and product differentiation.They even opened a fair trade museum to help educate the public on the social impact and benefits of fair trade. Once roasted and packed, the coffee and other products are shipped to retail outlets, supermarket chains, health food stores, coffee shops and churches. A substantial portion of Just Us! revenues came from wholesaling to large retail stores such as supermarket chains. Their coffee is a lso offered in the Just Us cafes, which were meant to be a place where customers could enjoy a cup of premium fair trade coffee and gather information about fair trade. The locations were not standardized as a typical chain.A major competitor in the retail organic fair trade coffee market is Kicking Horse which also offers products that are certified organic and fair traded. Its main channels are: coffee shops, gourmet food stores, grocery chains and restaurants. The growth of fair trade product sales had prompted several major food brands to offer fair trade products, such as: Kraft Foods, Procter & Gamble and Nestle. Also, in Canada, large super market chains such as Loblaws were offering also fair traded private labeled products which was concerning for Just Us, since supermarkets is one of its most important channels.In the coffee shop area, there was a lot of competition since some independent coffee shops and well-known chains (Ex. Starbucks) were trying to tap into the  "fair trade trend†. Due to the original management team lack of marketing experience a new Marketing Director was hired and part of the initial issues she found was that Just Us! did not spend much on advertising. 2009 had been set at $20,000. There was a massive growth opportunity in the fair trade market in Canada but the economy was on recession, therefore, the expansion needed to be planned carefully.The marketing director had several specific questions to answer to help develop a marketing plan to bolster the growth of Just Us! First off, how was Just Us! going to target new buyers given the current competition and what segment would those buyers belong to? College students were clearly a growing customer base and Just Us! already had a strong presence in three college universities. Therefore, marketing should be directed at the young, educated demographic that are willing to pay a premium for products.Furthermore, the majority of their sales are business to business and their marketing needs to emphasize the benefits of fair trade to the end user. The case stated that the internet was a great tool for increasing awareness of fair trade products, along with initiatives that enhance word of mouth (p. 3). In order to reach new customers they should consider expanding their internet marketing, such as using search engine optimization/ search engine marketing. They can also utilize co-op advertising with other organizations that emphasize fair trade, organic, and environmentally friendly practices.The fair trade museum should also be utilized to educate potential customers and will be discussed in more detail below. All Just Us! advertising needs to emphasize the story behind the products in order to educate new customers. Educating customers on the benefits of fair trade is the key to growth and will set Just Us! apart from competitors with brand recognition. In order for Just Us! to enhance the cafe’s performance they need to improve the custom er experience and become customers’ first choice of â€Å"place outside the home to enjoy coffee. Surveys and focus groups should be used to find out what customers like to do in their cafes as well as what customers like about the competitors cafes (Starbucks and Trident) and incorporate those into Just Us! ’ cafes. Additionally, the current Just Us! cafes are stand-alone destination shops. Just Us! should open up new stores in large commercial shopping centers in densely populated cities with multiple Universities. This would allow Just Us to still market to the young educated demographic that have long customer lifetime values that they have had success with and reach new customers via foot traffic in the shopping center.By keeping the overall educational theme about fair trade and brand awareness the same across all of the cafes should be able to convert new customers into loyal customers. Another questions the Marketing Director had to consider was how Just Us! c an expand their loyal customer base? This could be achieved through improving the customer experience mentioned above. However, offering opportunities for the customers to get involved would create a concept of community among their customers and which could develop into a core competency and set them apart from their competitors. Just Us! ould achieve this by having guest speakers or workshops on fair trade in the stores or even get involved with community organizations to help educate people about fair trade. Customers could sign up to receive emails for upcoming events, new products, new services, and new social initiatives. These actions would all help expand their loyal customer base. The Marketing Director also needed to make several changes to the marketing program in order to benefit the cafes. The marketing budget should be increased to reflect the company sales and growth potentials. A larger budget will allow Just Us! o compete with similar fair trade coffee companies suc h as Java Factory and threatening new mainstream entrants such as Starbucks who can capture the market share quickly. The existing market media plan (Case exhibit 8) should be updated to focus on product differentiation and increase channel diversity. Just Us! should advertise in multiple newspapers, magazines, and outdoor locations to increase customer reach. Furthermore, Just Us! should promote more direct communication to events around colleges and young professionals emphasizing their fair trade and environment responsibility concept in order to foster community involvement.A major customer segment for Just Us is students and young professionals who are mostly tech-savvy. Therefore, internet should be a main advertising vehicle to reach mass marketing. Just Us should use internet marketing tools including emerging social media (e. g. Facebook, Tweeter, blogs), mobile advertisement (e. g. Groupon), search engine marketing, and co-op advertising on sites offering similar fair trad e concepts. Finally, the Marketing Director needs to utilize the fair trade Museum as a way to spread awareness as well as promote brand awareness just like they should in the new locations but take it one step further.Just Us! could hold free concerts or guest speakers at the museum to attract potential new customers. They could also charge for the concert and allow free admission if you bring a reciept from a recent purchase at the Grand Pre store. Just Us! could sponsor a local race or work with local University fundraisers in the community. Once again, Just Us! needs to be involved with the community to educate people about fair trade and get their customers involved to create a sense of community that can lead to new customers and extend the lifetime customer value of existing customers.

The History and Origin of the U.S. Democratic Party

The History and Origin of the U.S. Democratic Party The Democratic Party along with the Republican Party (GOP) is one of the two dominant modern political parties in the United States. Its members and candidates- known as â€Å"Democrats†- typically vie with Republicans for control of federal, state, and local elected offices. To date, 15 Democrats under 16 administrations have served as President of the United States. Origins of the Democratic Party The Democratic Party was created in the early 1790s by former members of the Democratic-Republican Party founded by influential Anti-Federalists including Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Other factions of the same Democratic-Republican Party formed the Whig Party and the modern Republican Party. The landslide victory of Democrat Andrew Jackson over incumbent Federalist John Adams in the presidential election of 1828 solidified the party and established it as a lasting political force. In essence, the Democratic Party evolved due to upheavals in the original First Party system, made up of the two original national parties: the Federalist Party and the Democratic-Republican Party. Existing between roughly 1792 and 1824, the First Party System was characterized by a system of deferential-participant politics- the tendency of constituents of both parties to go along with the policies of elite political leaders out of sheer respect for their family pedigree, military accomplishments, prosperity, or education. In this respect, early political leaders of the First Party System might be viewed as an early-American aristocracy. The Jeffersonian Republicans envisioned a locally-established group of intellectual elites who would hand down the unquestionable government and social policy from on high, while the Hamiltonian Federalists believed that the locally established intellectual elite theories should often be subject to the approval of the people. Death of the Federalists The First Party System began dissolving in the mid-1810s, possibly over the popular revolt over the Compensation Act of 1816. That act was intended to raise the salaries of Congressmen from a per diem of six dollars a day to an annual salary of $1,500 per year. There was widespread public outrage, fanned by the press which was almost universally opposed to it. Of the members of the Fourteenth Congress, over 70% were not returned to the 15th Congress. As a result, in 1816 the Federalist Party died out leaving a single political party, the Anti-Federalist or Democratic-Republican Party: but that lasted briefly. A split in the Democratic-Republican Party in the mid-1820s gave rise to two factions: the National Republicans (or Anti-Jacksonians) and the Democrats. After Andrew Jackson lost to John Quincy Adams in the election of 1824, Jacksons supporters created their own organization to get him elected. After Jacksons election in 1828, that organization became known as the Democratic Party. The National Republicans eventually coalesced into the Whig Party. Political Platform of the Democratic Party In our modern form of government, both Democrat and Republican parties share similar values, in that it is the political elites of those parties who are the main repositories of the public conscience. The core set of ideological beliefs subscribed to by both parties includes a free market, equal opportunity, a strong economy, and peace maintained by an adequately strong defense. Their most glaring differences lie in their beliefs of the extent to which the government should be involved in the daily lives of the people. Democrats tend to favor the active intervention of the government, while Republicans favor a more â€Å"hands-off† policy. Ever since the 1890s, the Democratic Party has been measurably more socially liberal than the Republican Party. Democrats have long appealed to the poor and working classes and Franklin  D. Roosevelts common man,† while Republicans have gained support from the middle class and higher, including suburbanites and the burgeoning number of retirees. Modern Democrats advocate for a liberal domestic policy featuring social and economic equality, welfare, support for labor unions, and nationalized universal health care. Other Democratic ideals embrace civil rights, stronger gun control laws, equal opportunity, consumer protection, and environmental protection. The party favors a liberal and inclusive immigration policy. Democrats, for example, support controversial sanctuary city laws protecting undocumented immigrants from federal detention and deportation. Currently, the Democratic coalition includes teachers unions, womens groups, blacks, Hispanics, the LGBT community, environmentalists and many others. Today, both the Democratic and Republican parties are made up of coalitions of many diverse groups whose loyalties have varied over the years. For example, blue-collar voters, who were for years attracted to the Democratic Party, have become Republican strongholds. Interesting Facts The symbol of the donkey for the Democratic Party is said to have stemmed from Andrew Jackson. His opposition called him a jackass. Instead of taking it as an insult, he chose to adopt this as a symbol. This, in turn, became the symbol of the Democratic Party.The Democrats hold the record for controlling both houses of Congress for the most consecutive Congresses. They controlled both houses of Congress from 1955 to 1981.Andrew Jackson was the first President of the Democratic Party; and, including him, there have been 14 Democrats in the White House. Updated by Robert Longley Sources: Aldrich JH. 1995. Why Parties? The Origin and Transformation of Political Parties in America. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Skeen CE. 1986. Vox Populi, Vox Dei: The Compensation Act of 1816 and the Rise of Popular Politics. Journal of the Early Republic 6(3):253-274.

Free Essays on Descriptive Statistics

Descriptive Statistics Statistics are all around us in fact it would be difficult to go through a full week without using statistics. Imagine watching a basketball game where no one kept score. The action alone might provide adequate excitement to hold your attention for a while but think of all the excitement lost if winning and losing were not an issue. Without statistics we could not plan budgets, pay taxes, evaluate classroom performance, evaluate investments or enjoy games to their fullest. The most basic form of statistics is known as descriptive statistics. Descriptive statistics can be defined as those methods involving the collection, presentation, and characterization of a set of data in order to describe the various features of that set of data properly (Levine, Berenson &, Stephan, 1997, 5). This branch of statistics lays the foundation for all statistical data and knowledge. Learning descriptive statistics and using that knowledge can happen immediately not for the distant future. You can use them in physics class, history, English class, at the ball game, and in the grocery store. Most people do not even realize that they know more about statistics then what they think. The mode of a set of data is kind of like the center. For example, if you are looking at purchasing a new watch and while meandering around the store you notice a lot of watches with price tags of $75 on them. It is common for us to think that most watches in the store cost about $75. In this case what you are doing is getting the impression of the typical price of a watch based upon seeing all the $75 price tags. What you have done is experienced the use of mode. The most frequent or most common number in a set of numbers is called the mode. Did you know the word â€Å"mode† comes from the French meaning â€Å"fashion†? This makes sense; if particular brands of shoes are in fashion then it is usually the most purchased brand. 100, 100, 9... Free Essays on Descriptive Statistics Free Essays on Descriptive Statistics Descriptive Statistics Statistics are all around us in fact it would be difficult to go through a full week without using statistics. Imagine watching a basketball game where no one kept score. The action alone might provide adequate excitement to hold your attention for a while but think of all the excitement lost if winning and losing were not an issue. Without statistics we could not plan budgets, pay taxes, evaluate classroom performance, evaluate investments or enjoy games to their fullest. The most basic form of statistics is known as descriptive statistics. Descriptive statistics can be defined as those methods involving the collection, presentation, and characterization of a set of data in order to describe the various features of that set of data properly (Levine, Berenson &, Stephan, 1997, 5). This branch of statistics lays the foundation for all statistical data and knowledge. Learning descriptive statistics and using that knowledge can happen immediately not for the distant future. You can use them in physics class, history, English class, at the ball game, and in the grocery store. Most people do not even realize that they know more about statistics then what they think. The mode of a set of data is kind of like the center. For example, if you are looking at purchasing a new watch and while meandering around the store you notice a lot of watches with price tags of $75 on them. It is common for us to think that most watches in the store cost about $75. In this case what you are doing is getting the impression of the typical price of a watch based upon seeing all the $75 price tags. What you have done is experienced the use of mode. The most frequent or most common number in a set of numbers is called the mode. Did you know the word â€Å"mode† comes from the French meaning â€Å"fashion†? This makes sense; if particular brands of shoes are in fashion then it is usually the most purchased brand. 100, 100, 9...

Overview of Crime of Accessory

Overview of Crime of Accessory The charge of accessory can be brought against anyone who helps someone else commit a crime, but who does not participate in the actual commission of the crime. There are various ways an accessory can help the criminal, including emotional or financial assistance as well as physical assistance or concealment. Accessory Before the Fact If you know someone who is planning to commit a crime and you do anything to help - plan the crime, loan them money or tools, encourage them to commit the crime or even just give advice - you can be charged with accessory before the fact. For example, Mark worked in a building that his friend Tom was planning to rob. Mark provided Tom with the security code to access the building without setting off the security alarm in exchange for $500.  Mark could be charged with accessory before the fact, whether or not Mark committed the crime, for the following reason: 1)  Mark was aware that a crime that was being planned and did not report it to the police. 2)  Mark encouraged Tom to do the crime by providing him with a way to do it that would lessen his chances of getting caught by the police. 3)  Mark received payment in exchange for the security code. Accessory After the Fact Likewise, if you know someone who has already committed a crime and you do anything to help - such as give them a place to hide or help them destroy evidence - you can be charged with accessory after the fact. For example, Fred and Sally decided to rob a restaurant. Fred went into the restaurant to rob it while Sally waited in the get-away car. After robbing the restaurant, Fred and Sally went to Kathy’s house and asked her if they could hide their car in her garage and stay with her for three days to help avoid being arrested. Kathy agreed in exchange for $500. When the three were arrested, Fred and Sally were charged as the principals  (the persons who actually commit the crime) and Kathy was charged as an accessory after the fact. The prosecutor could prove an accessory after the fact because: 1)  Kathy knew that Fred and Sally robbed the restaurant 2)  Kathy sheltered Fred and Sally with the intent to help them avoid arrest, 3)  Kathy helped Fred and Sally avoid arrest so that she could profit from their crime. Proving Accessory After the Fact Prosecutors must prove the following elements to prove accessory after the fact: A  crime  was committed by a principal.The defendant knew that the principal.(1) Committed the crime.(2) Was charged with the crime, or(3) Was convicted of the crime.After the crime was committed, the defendant either helped to  conceal or  aid the principal.The defendant assisted the principal with the  intent  that he/she avoid or escape from arrest, trial, conviction or punishment. Defense Strategies for Charges of Accessory to a Crime On behalf of their client, defense lawyers can fight charges of accessory to a crime in many ways depending on the circumstances, but some of the more common strategies include: 1)  No Knowledge of the Crime. For example, if Joe robbed a restaurant and then went to Tom’s house and told him he needed a place to stay because he was evicted from his apartment and Tom allowed Joe to stay, Tom could not be found guilty of accessory after the fact, because he had no knowledge that Joe had committed a crime or that he was trying to hide from the police. 2)  No Intent A prosecutor must prove that the actions of a person charged with being an accessory to a crime, did so with the intent to help the principal avoid arrest, trial, conviction or punishment. For example, Jane’s boyfriend Tom called her and told her that his truck broke down and that he needed a ride. They agreed that Jane would pick him up in 30 minutes in front of the convenience store. As Jane approached the store, Tom waved her down from an alleyway near the store. She pulled over, Tom jumped in and Jane drove away. Tom was later arrested for robbing the conveyance store and Jane was arrested for being accessory because she drove him from the scene. But since the prosecutors could not prove that Jane had any knowledge that Tom had just committed a crime, she was found innocent of the charges. The prosecutors tried to prove that Jane must have known about the theft because Tom had a history of robbing convenience stores. However, the fact that Tom had been arrested multiple times for a similar crime was not enough to prove that Jane had any knowledge that Tom had just committed a crime when she went to pick him up; therefore they were unable to prove intent. Return to Crimes A-Z

Hotel Amenities Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Hotel Amenities - Term Paper Example General information about hotel amenities is given at the start of the paper, followed by description of some of the very important and interesting hotel amenities. Two examples of renowned hotels are given in later sections, to make clear what kind of hotel amenities are in trend these days. The report is summarized in a concluding paragraph, and MLA referencing style has been used properly. Perks are very interesting and important factors of the hotel stay experience. Amenities are much more than that, adding real meaning to the hotel experience. These are the special little things that make the hotel stay a quality time that the customer cherishes for many days to come. With amenities, the hotel stay becomes worry-free and relaxing. It no more remains a boring and still kind of journey, and the person gets to enjoy many interesting services and facilities in his leisure time. This also attracts more clientele, as the customers share their experiences with others. Another advantage is for the hotel authorities, as the public spends money on the premises to avail the services. This way, the hotelkeepers make added marginal income. Nowadays, nearly every high standard hotel offers amenities to the customers, who enjoy seeing their vacations and leisure time being converted into something extraordinary. Some of the amenities are available inside the room; while, some are available in the wide premises of the hotel. Those available inside the room include high speed internet access, high definition Flat screen LCDs and plasma LEDs, iPod/mp3 equipped clock radio, desk and comfortable desk chair, cable television channels, dual telephone lines with voicemail, custom climate controls, irons and ironing boards, hair dryers, lockers, and safes. Amenities that are available in the whole premises include car parking, laundry service, concierge service, currency exchange available at the front desk, multi-lingual staff, luggage storage, business center, safety deposit bo x, fitness center, in-room dining, club lounge, and gift shop. Let’s discuss some of these amenities in detail. Staying fit and in shape is very necessary, not only when you are at your homes, but also while travelling. Work-out and burning those extra calories and fat is something which should not be ignored even when a person is away from home. Fitness center is one of the most favorite amenities of many customers, especially those who are conscious about their health and overall well-being. Those, who are already members of fitness clubs off the premises, can maintain their fitness routine while they are staying at the hotel. This helps them continue their exercises and whatever services they enjoy at the fitness club. Many hotels have fitness clubs that offer services like stationary bikes, treadmills, weight lifting, health experts, exercise-training professionals, cable TV monitors, and fresh fruit presentations. People can come into the fitness clubs whenever they want because these offer services throughout the day. Some hotels also offer group exercise classes to give training about yoga and cardio. Specialized personal training classes and sessions are also offered so that people can maintain their fitness regime inside hotel premises. This makes them feel at home. Specialized training equipment is also offered, related to sauna and steam baths. The fitness center is accompanied with other fitness amenities, like jogging and

Offender correctional classification systems Research Paper

Offender correctional classification systems - Research Paper Example In America, the constitution governs corrections as it provides the system for administration of the justice. The decision on which classification an offender would be subjected to would be accomplished through use of instruments such as the National Institution of Corrections which undertakes this process on admission of an inmate then six months to one year henceforth. As inmates join the prison system, they would be assessed at the reception or classification facility depending on their crime, escape risk, criminal history, behavioral risk and health needs, generally classified as needs and risks by Voorhis, Braswell, and Lester (140). According to Serin (5), the placement into a specific classification would be prioritized first with security needs, then space availability and finally the needs of the inmate. Women and children would be classified under facilities separate from those of adult males. Prisoners do not have any control over their classification though after serving for some time, they could request to be taken to facilities close to their families. From the historic times, prisons were designated places to punish and simultaneously rehabilitate offenders, away from the community then later integrate them back to the community. With the expansion in the number of prisons in the US, the need to classify them has arisen. In the correctional system, classification refers to the placement of prisoners in a suitable custody from the various available ones so as to match the needs of the offender with the correctional resources. This classification system aims at differentiating prisoners based on their security risks thus predicting where to place them; be it minimum, medium or maximum custody (Voorhis, Braswell and Lester 140). The initial idea was to combine maximum and medium security level prisons. Later, supermax prisons were developed with Alarid and Reichel (132) arguing on Alcatraz Prison being the

The postcolonial of The Tempest Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The postcolonial of The Tempest - Essay Example As this agony of slavery preceded the natives longed for freedom and liberty, they took initiatives to find other colonists who could resist the original colonists. This strategy could not help them to establish peace and harmony in the society, and even the natives would be more brutally enslaved and exploited. The captured or enslaved resembled Caliban who wanted to depend on a jester Trinculo and a drunken butler Stephano to kill his master Prospero to retake the ownership of this island. Shakespearean plays are highly associated with the then current issues of the society. To be precise, the play The Tempest clearly depicts the class structure of the era with Prospero being at the top, Ariel in the middle, and Caliban at the lower end. Many postcolonial characteristics are showed in the drama called ‘The Tempest’. Although all characters may not influence everyone, at least a few characteristics will have a kind of influence on the reader or viewer. The two character istics that would touch every reader are â€Å"the master and the slave† and â€Å"The identity of postcolonial†. The master Prospero plays a significant role, making plots to protect his daughter and to avenge his enemies. Sarwoto purports, ‘Prospero lands on an island and enslaves a native inhabitant, Caliban, who is considered as savage and uncivilized’ (2). ... In addition, Ariel who contributes remarkably in his revenge is identified as an airy spirit, which serves the master Prospero in the magic performed in the island. She is also in great desire for freedom from the bondage as being enslaved by Prospero. The identity of Prospero is of high value as he was the Duke of Milan but was usurped by his own brother over a period of time. Therefore, no doubt that the master Prospero belongs to a higher class and race of Milan, identity of postcolonial class varies from one to the other, as the identity of Ariel and Caliban is entirely different and low class. They are well identified as the servants who long for freedom, connecting with the situation of natives, they are real sufferers. Master and slave is essential characteristic to describe the postcolonial. Prospero is the symbol of European colonial power. Caliban is one of the strongest symbols of post colonialism. Caliban, as a native of the land, experiences a most painful situation in h is life, compelled to do all works forcefully and not willingly. And Ariel is the other example for this characteristic of post colonialism. Although she has exceptional power, she serves the master. Knowing the past shaping the life is very important, it shows the play that how the master and the slave have achieved success. At first, Prospero the master of the drama undergoes the greatest crisis in life that he is being overthrown by his own brother and banished. However, he does not give up, and he is an optimistic. He prepares his power for a long period of twelve years in the island and strengthens himself with the assistance of the slaves. Whereas, Ariel

Models and Frameworks for Adult Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Models and Frameworks for Adult Care - Essay Example Furthermore care plan is constructed adopting holistic approach for each problem. Moreover, it is also explained how various interventions work together for the achievement of final goals. Mr. A, who is 37 years old adult, was facing acute back pain because of his daily activities. He was a businessman who used to sit for several hours. This was the basic reason why Mr. A was facing acute low back pain. John Popp has defined low back pain in his book named A Guide to the Primary Care of Neurological Disorder as an acute problem affecting the population all around the world. This problem is considered the most common cause of disability in the individuals at the age of 40 years and plus. The reasons behind acute low back pain may differ from one individual to another. It may occur spontaneously or because of trauma event. In an online publication put forward by Baylor College of Medicine, acute low back problems are defined as the situation when activities and daily lifestyle routine limits due to lower back problem or the symptoms less than of 4 weeks. Mr. A was also facing difficulties in carrying out daily activities in a normal way. However, it is a fact that acute low back pain is diagnosable. About 90% of patients of acute low back problems recover within 1 month. Furthermore, Low back pain can be divided into different categories. For example, none radiating, radiating, loss of motor functions, spinal fractures and infections. Mr. A was losing motor functions and developed internal infections because of acute low back pain issue. Peter A. Rives, MD., Alan B. Douglass, MD. 2004 divided low back pain into acute and chronic conditions. Mr. A was passing through acute low back pain issue. The website of European Guidelines for the Management of Acute Nonspecific Low Back Pain in Primary Care defines acute low back pain as duration of pain less than 6 weeks. While low back pain is defined as a pain or discomfort below the costal portion, with or

Economics Development with International Trade Essay

Economics Development with International Trade - Essay Example The recognition of such an impact has forced several international organizations such as World Bank, United Nations and World Trade Organization to forward endless proposals to open the borders to trade. Since then, many countries have reduced their commercial as well as non-commercial barriers to trade which has greatly helped to strengthen their economy. (Spanu, 2003) However, the economists worldwide are divided into two groups: one believing that the resultant impact is positive, while the other considering that the impact is largely negative. One group of the policy makers and economists believes that the international trade has positively affected the economic growth of the developing nations. An analysis of performance of several Latin countries was undertaken by a research group. It identified the economic impact on the Latin economies from the increased trade opportunities. The group concluded that the increased trade will open new employment opportunities for the concerned nationalities. In a high case scenario, it will lead to a creation of 2.7 million jobs. (Latin American Trade & Transportation Study) The research work of the past shows the international trade affects the economic growth of a country in a positive way. ... Kavoussi (1984) studied 73 different countries in the middle and low income range and concluded that the higher economic growth rates were strongly correlated with higher export growth rates. (Sun and Heshmati, 2010) People’s Republic of China is one of the greatest examples of the present history that illuminates the openness to international trade positively impacts the economic growth. The open door policy, followed by China, has led the country to achieve a high economic growth rate, enormous flow of foreign exchange into the country as well as paved way for increased employment opportunities. It has led to drastic improvement of the local industries and advancement of technological sector as well. Since 1979, China’s share in global trade has increased steadily. In 2008, it share in the world trade market was 7.9 percent and was ranked third in terms of trade volume in the world. (Sun and Heshmati, 2010) India is another case that illustrates the fact that trade li beralization impact the economic development of the concerned nation. The new Indian policy of Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization  (LPG model) followed by them in 1990s was aimed at making the Indian economy globally competitive and fastest growing economy in the world. This shift in policy in 1991 paved way for tremendous improvement in every sector of the Indian economy as well as uplift of the billion people. The policy paved way for the integration of the Indian economy into the world economy in less than 15 years. (Malik, 2012) Uri Dadudh, Director of the International Trade Department of the World Bank, strongly believes that the trade liberalization will positively

Diversity Hiring Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Diversity Hiring - Essay Example " It is irrefutable that current business operations have evolved over time, confounding managers with new issues. The evolution of new business strategies is in response to the changes in the external environment of business organizations. It should be noted that the developments in the market mentioned were beyond the effects of neither the current economic turmoil nor the technological revolution which radically altered the way business is done. The present mode of business is strongly influenced by the emergence of hypercompetitive markets that resulted from the rapid integration of markets brought about by globalization. As businesses are faced with new challenges and opportunities, it is imperative that they also employ a new approach in doing business. They do this by strengthening their core competencies by aligning their respective resources to their various objectives. It is irrefutable that human resource is the indispensable, if not the most important, asset in a business institution. The contribution of human resource in the success and mere survival of a company cannot be overstated. As such, companies are seen to align their workforce in order to fully reap the opportunities present in the market. Diversity hiring is the new trend in choosing the employees to work for an organization. As more and more companies are embracing this new system, more reports and empirical evidences are also reported which support direct hiring. This report will look at direct hiring as an ethical issue in business organizations. The first part will briefly look at the scope of direct hiring in the United States. Discussions on its advantages and ethical considerations will also be set forth. The paper will conclude with the key points tackled. Scope of Diversity Hiring The first step toward creating a more diversified workforce was taken by the President John F. Kennedy with the establishment of The President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity. This effort gave way in the formation of workforce which is comprised of people with different nationality. It should be noted that during this period there is a lack of appreciation of the value of diverse teams. In contrast, the program was enacted to create equal opportunity for prospective employees regardless of their ethnicity. However, the present day situation is now different. The importance of having a diverse team working for a business organization is not only done in order to comply with this requirement but due to the perceived value of inclusivity. In fact, a leading proponent of diversity recognized the importance of hiring employees with diverse backgrounds in order to boost the performance of a business organization. Gloria Johnson Goins, the vice president of diversity and inclusiveness for the Home Depot asserted American businesses should willing embrace this new trend in order for them to adapt to the nation's business demographics. According to ASME, workplace diversity is "the variety among people related to such factors as age, culture, education, employee status, family status, function, gender, national origin, physical appearance, race, regional origin, religion, sexual orientation, and thinking style." Thus, diversity embraces the differences among individuals and utilizes them for the utmost benefit of the business organization. As companies come to recognize the contribution of workplace

Economics Development with International Trade Essay

Economics Development with International Trade - Essay Example The recognition of such an impact has forced several international organizations such as World Bank, United Nations and World Trade Organization to forward endless proposals to open the borders to trade. Since then, many countries have reduced their commercial as well as non-commercial barriers to trade which has greatly helped to strengthen their economy. (Spanu, 2003) However, the economists worldwide are divided into two groups: one believing that the resultant impact is positive, while the other considering that the impact is largely negative. One group of the policy makers and economists believes that the international trade has positively affected the economic growth of the developing nations. An analysis of performance of several Latin countries was undertaken by a research group. It identified the economic impact on the Latin economies from the increased trade opportunities. The group concluded that the increased trade will open new employment opportunities for the concerned nationalities. In a high case scenario, it will lead to a creation of 2.7 million jobs. (Latin American Trade & Transportation Study) The research work of the past shows the international trade affects the economic growth of a country in a positive way. ... Kavoussi (1984) studied 73 different countries in the middle and low income range and concluded that the higher economic growth rates were strongly correlated with higher export growth rates. (Sun and Heshmati, 2010) People’s Republic of China is one of the greatest examples of the present history that illuminates the openness to international trade positively impacts the economic growth. The open door policy, followed by China, has led the country to achieve a high economic growth rate, enormous flow of foreign exchange into the country as well as paved way for increased employment opportunities. It has led to drastic improvement of the local industries and advancement of technological sector as well. Since 1979, China’s share in global trade has increased steadily. In 2008, it share in the world trade market was 7.9 percent and was ranked third in terms of trade volume in the world. (Sun and Heshmati, 2010) India is another case that illustrates the fact that trade li beralization impact the economic development of the concerned nation. The new Indian policy of Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization  (LPG model) followed by them in 1990s was aimed at making the Indian economy globally competitive and fastest growing economy in the world. This shift in policy in 1991 paved way for tremendous improvement in every sector of the Indian economy as well as uplift of the billion people. The policy paved way for the integration of the Indian economy into the world economy in less than 15 years. (Malik, 2012) Uri Dadudh, Director of the International Trade Department of the World Bank, strongly believes that the trade liberalization will positively

As an ecologically concerned engineer or anthropologist, critically Essay

As an ecologically concerned engineer or anthropologist, critically assess the current Japanese nuclear disaster using academica - Essay Example The Fukushima Daiichi facility was apparently unable to withstand the dual shocks of the earthquake and tsunami within a short timeframe and entered into a situation which can be described as nuclear meltdown of the reactors. The information about the Fukushima disaster was initially limited and possibly misrepresented by TEPCO and Japanese government administrators in order to downplay publicly the degree of seriousness of the situation, and this has led to difficulties in academic or public verification of the ecological and social threats that the meltdown portends for Japan. It is not overestimating the situation to state that in the worst instance a significant portion of Japan could have become uninhabitable due to the disaster, and currently there is an evacuation zone in effect around the facility. This essay will examine the ongoing nature of the Fukushima Disaster, highlighting the fact that the facility may still not have been properly brought under control and the degree of uncertainty that exists because of this in determining the over-all consequences of the event. The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster There is now little doubt that a full nuclear meltdown occurred at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan this year. According to Julian Ryall in an article published in the Telegraph as "Nuclear meltdown at Fukushima plant" (12 May 2011), â€Å"Engineers from the Tokyo Electric Power company (Tepco) entered the No.1 reactor at the end of last week for the first time and saw the top five feet or so of the core's 13ft-long fuel rods had been exposed to the air and melted down. Previously, Tepco believed that the core of the reactor was submerged in enough water to keep it stable and that only 55 per cent of the core had been damaged. Now the company is worried that the molten pool of radioactive fuel may have burned a hole through the bottom of the containment vessel, causing water to leak. ’We will have to revise our plans,’ said Junichi Matsu moto, a spokesman for Tepco. ‘We cannot deny the possibility that a hole in the pressure vessel caused water to leak’. Tepco has not clarified what other barriers there are to stop radioactive fuel leaking if the steel containment vessel has been breached. Greenpeace said the situation could escalate rapidly if ‘the lava melts through the vessel’.† (2011: p.1) One of the problems with the design of the Fukushima plant is that it had been storing depleted nuclear fuel rods on the same site as the reactor, cooled with water. After becoming exposed, this fuel may have added to the critical mass of the meltdown reaction and also caused additional radiation to be released into the environment during the initial period of the disaster. The additional force of this reaction may have been sufficient to burn or melt through the very bottom containment layer of the reactor itself, the final protection layer that prevents a meltdown lava flow from entering the l ocal environmental system through the earth and water systems. The use of sea water to flood and cool the reactor following the meltdown has inevitably led to groundwater radiation being released into

Mythology and literature Essay Example for Free

Mythology and literature Essay The definition of mythology is deprived from the word myth. The word itself comes from the Greek word mythos, which means fable, legend or sagas. The word myth is a story that seeks to rationalize the universe and the world around us, passed down orally from generation to generation explaining religious origin, natural phenomena or supernatural event. Mythology is a collection of myths that concerns with cosmogony and cosmology, shared by a particular society at some particular time in human history. Literature is a body of written works of language, period or culture. Literature can be divided into fiction (e.g. fairty tale, gothic, saga etc) and non-fiction (e.g. essays, journal, science fiction etc). There are many distinctive natures of mythology and they seek to describe what a particular person or society believe during that period of time. Myths serves as an charter for their institutions, customs and beliefs. The typical mythology is the explanation of the universe and its ethology. Normally, the setting is set in a previous proto-world (simliar to the current world but also different) and they often revolve around non-human or extroadinary people such as god, goddess, supernatural beings (e.g. zeus, adam and eve, prometheus etc). These story explains why things are and how they became to be. It rationalised our way of thinking, reconcile us to reality and establishes our pattern of life. Apart from the explanation of the creation of the universe, mythologies seek to explain everyday natural phenomena. Certain myths explains way the sun exist and why there is night and day. Some explains the existance of seasons: Spring,Winter,Summer and Autumn while others shows of mother nature providing us with food and shelter. These myth suggest a way of understanding nature and organizing thoughts. For example, structualism recognizes different contrasting aspect (light and dark, good/evil) as centres to myths which charters for social order or value within a society (functionalism). Myth have been created by human beings for many reasons over thousands of years. They are an intellectual product of humanity and a rich resource for the ideas and belief of past generations. Their extroadinary and unbelievable aspect combined with the constant thought that there might be something out their is what keeps mythology functioning and is what keeps literature moving. There are also many differences between literature and mythology. For instance, they were used for different purposes and existed in different times. Myth several purposes, including to socially/politically control society (e.g. to spread a myth about something to control people, to scare people when facts were not available). Literature on the other hand, is more about persuading and informing people. There are also other benefits to mythology that cannot be achieved in literature, such as there is no boundary to the world, there is no such thing as false and there is low risk of anyone challenging your theory. The sets of beliefs also differ and the way they view the world differs. For example, literatures audience are educated modern people while mythologys one is from the old generation where there was not much information about the world and how it works. This would mean that the two different texts have different intended audience which would inevitably show why they differ so much. Both are products of humans but during different time frame. The arrival of the modern era would inevitably mean the death of mythology. The transformation from one to another was the belief that myth was useless, false and outmoded and that it did not work. Science (regarded as a fictional literature) was the objective explanation of how the world around us work while the subjective myth was about faith and believing something unfounded. Scientific rational thought was based on empricial knowledge, a priori (not falsifiable) and our way of thinking is based on facts. Myth is ultimately a different knowledge, an ideology, a set of belief. Systems of myths have provided a cosmological and historical framework for societies that have lacked the more sophisticated knowledge provided by modern science. Myth is related to science, however it only provide basis for a theory, not knowledge. For example the myth of how the origin was created would have lacked modern day rational scientific belief because they would prefer a more true, superior and more authority theory, which is the big bang theory. Our modern rational paradigm thought is based on observation. Scientific rational thinking is based on logic to solve or explain how the world works and as it becomes a part of our everyday thinking, mythology will be inevitable cast aside. Carl Jung invented modern scientific theory and for him, the world of dream, and myth represented the most fascinating and promising road to deeper understanding. The significance of literature in mythology as said We need the stories of myth to make sense of the confusion of our society and our own psyches. Myth voices the truths of our unconscious selves, and the gods, goddesses, and heroes of myth embody aspects of creativity, cleverness, grief, joy, aggression, and ecstasy. Carl Jung believes that even the most sophisticated and important literature requires some mythological aspect. (E.g. the Lord of the Ring depends on mythical characteristic to drives the ideas; horror movies have a message and some urban myth taps into childs fear of a bogyman under the bed) Northrop Frye criticises literature and states the importance of cultural myth underlying literature (E.g. Sea, land and sky, control, creation, decay, regeneration, our fear). Mythology evokes our sub-conscious mind (e.g. dream) which is employed by reference to mythology in literature. Frye states that mythology provided themes for some of the worlds greatest drama, and similar themes can be traced back to the Renaissance literature, through to Shakespeare (E.g. Hamlet, Midsummer Nights Dream) and finally to modern poetry and thus mythology plays a significance role with literature. One could even say that literature is based on mythology. Karen Armstrong book A Short History of Myth is about how literature and mythology were shaped by the problems of the society people lived in. Armstrong states that the existence of Mythology from an early period: Human beings fall easily into despair, and from the very beginning we invented stories that enabled us to place our lives in a larger setting, that revealed an underlying pattern, and gave us a sense that, against all the depressing and chaotic evidence to the contrary, life had meaning and value. With the coming of the great revolutions in human experience science was used to explain facts as opposed the theory of myth, which became useless, false and outmoded. Literature, which could explain things that was never thought possible, was regarded as the next step from mythology (from an uneducated society to a civilized society). The relationship between literature and mythology is one of similarities as well as differences. They are both important creation by human beings and will continue to play an important role in the intellectual world. Literature will always include some aspect of myth which will continue to shape our modern world like it did in the past.

Never Leave Your Family Behind English Literature Essay

Never Leave Your Family Behind English Literature Essay In Flight Patterns the protagonist William, from the very beginning of the story, faces internal conflict within himself about his family and work. He spends very little time with them but he also has to do his work. Before he leaves for his business trip his wife pleads with him to stay and though his desire is to stay, he cannot. She urges him by saying Oh, the plane will be filled with other salesman. Let some other salesman sell what youre selling, (Alexie 38). Despite her attempts to make him stay, Will says goodbye to his family and leaves home. In many of Sherman Alexies stories he talks about the struggles of many contemporary Native American families (Peterson 65). Fekadu, his taxi driver, starts telling him his life story and how he cannot see his family. William realizes that he has a lot in common with the cab driver. Devastated by Fekadus story, William is quickly drawn to the idea that he too may lose his family one day because he gave the impression that planes were ev il, also the impression if he left he would leave his family in harms way and he also made him realize that work was taking too much of his family time and that is why he cancels his entire business trip to stay home with his family. First, William decides to not go on the plane because Fekadu has made a negative impression of planes in his sub conscience. Neither William nor Fekadu understand it but Fekadus story is subliminally telling him that going on the plane is a bad idea. In Flight Patterns planes represent a one way ticket away from home. I [Fekadu] kissed my wife and sons good-bye that morning, and I kissed my mother and fatherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. I went to the base, got into my plane, and flew away (Alexie 48). Williams daughter planted the seed to think that going on the plane is bad because she thought terrorist would hijack the plane and then Fekadu watered it by telling him he had to kill hundreds of people because he was part of the air-force. Fekadu also tells him how he had to leave his country, family, and all his possessions behind and take his plane and fly to France (Alexie 49). Even though William is an active traveler, he has a bad image imprinted in his mind about planes. Fekadu is feeding h im dark thoughts and that is shaping his mind to not go on his flight. He is giving him the feeling of loss since he lost his family because of a plane and William might lose his too. Second, William did not go on the plane because he heard how Fekadu could not defend his family and from that he concluded that leaving his family would also leave them in harms way. Fekadu stated, I could only pray Selassie would leave them be. He had always been good to me, but he says me as impulsive, so I hoped he would know my family had nothing to do with my flight. (Alexie 49) Haile Selassie was an Emperor of Ethiopia.(Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). When Fekadu was telling him that he would drop bombs over cities and kill many people, William had a vision of his wife and daughter huddling terrified in the basement.(Alexie 48) He is upset because he is not there to protect and be with them if they were ever in that situation. He could not forgive himself if anything bad happens to them. The only way for him to be there in times of need is if he quits his job. William feels worse when Fekadu tells him of how he was not there to defend his family. Fekadu left his wife and son s 30 years earlier when he defected from Selassies dictatorship by flying his military plane to France, where he received asylum. Hes never seen them again (Wadsworth 1). The only way for him to be there for them in times of need is if he is with them and separated by work and this leads him to not go on the plane. Finally William decided not to go on the plane because work was taking too much time away from his family. Work is the reason why William never gets to see his family. Work is the reason why Fekadu had to leave his family. He hated to leave but he loved his job, (Alexie 39). At the beginning of the story William was upset because he travels a lot and never spends time with his wife and daughter and after Fekadu told him his story Wills foundation was shaken. Fekadu told him that because of the work he used to have; he can now never see his wife and children (Alexie 49). William fears the same thing might happen to him. Fekadus story dealt with how he lost his family and had to deal with consequences of his work; William felt the same way too. He has a hard time believing what Fekadu has to say but he does not want to deal with what the person he was describing had to go through and so he decided not to go on his business trip. In conclusion William could not go through with his business trip because he was devastated by Fekadus life story. He used him as an example and learned from him and his relationship with his family. He realized that flight represented distance from family and if he was distant he might lose them. William could not go through with his plans because he realized that if he is far away from the all the time he would never be able to protect them when they need his help. He also canceled his trip because work took time away from his family. Since Fekadus relationship with his family was ruined because of his work William took it as a lesson to put his family before his job. By the end of their journey to the airport, the men have found common cause, laughed together and understood each other. And William has found the resolve to follow his heart, (Wadsworth). William decided not to go because his heart and mind did not want to leave and after hearing Fekadus story William was encouraged to not leave his family behind. As a result he cancels his business trip and stays home with the family.

The Jacksonian Era Essay -- American History, Politics

Whether people admired Andrew Jackson’s policies and decisions as president or did not; they can all agree that the two most important economic conflicts during the Jacksonian Era were the Bank War conflict and the Specie Circular Panic of 1837. The Jacksonian Era by Remini, should be renamed The Jacksonian Economy because the outcomes of these two conflicts were what made America’s economy today. In describing these two conflicts, Remini showed how Americas learned the hard way of what to do and not do in order to have a successful economy. The Bank War was important because it proved that the nation’s finances could not be trusted in the hands of one man. Jackson believed this to be true and fought to change it. He believed that the Second Bank of the United States was unconstitutional and that it posed a serious threat to the American economy. On the other hand, this American System which was inspired by Alexandria Hamilton, Henry Clay, and lead by Nicholas Bi ddle was meant to modernize the nation’s economy. Both sides of the Bank War would not back down, which lead to Jackson eventually closing down all banks because he believed they were devices to cheat common people. The other most important conflict which played a role in Jacksonina Era was the Panic of 1837. This was the most serious depression the young nation had seen yet. The economy suffered in a number of ways such as large debts, an unfavorable balance of trade as imports had exceeded exports which resulted in a loss of specie; and several crops failures had also taken place in 1837. Both conflict had enormous impacts on America’s economy and had many repercussions. The first important economic conflict that Remini presented was Jackson’s war against the Bank of the... ... passage of the Federal Reserve System. (P-40) Even though the Panic of 1837 had an impact worldwide, overall the Bank Wars had the most influential and long lasting effects on the United States.The Jacksonian Era was a trial and error period for the nation’s economy. Whether people admired Andrew Jackson’s policies and decisions as president or did not; they can all agree that the two most important economic conflicts during the Jacksonian Era were the Bank War conflict and the Specie Circular Panic of 1837. Both conflicts taught a life lesson of what to steer away from in order to achieve the American dream. Remini’s The Jacksonian Era taught economic and financial history by exploring the explanation and causes of the Bank War and Panic of 1837. For without the knowledge of these two conflicts, America would not know how its economy survived in the first place.

Budweiser Paper

MARKETING 474 FINAL: INTEGRATED MARKETING PLAN INSTRUCTIONS: You will complete an Integrated Marketing Plan with your group for Budweiser. As you may know the ailing beer manufacturer is struggling. You will need to do additional research to uncover the issues that are plaguing the brand. The goal of your plan is to drive business. BUDWEISER OVERVIEW: In January, Coors Light surpassed Budweiser to become the #2 selling beer in the U. S. It was a major blow for Budweiser, a brand that has been in decline for the last three decades.Certainly the changing tastes of the American consumers have impacted sales of Anheuser Busch's flagship brand, but marketing decisions have also played a big role in the fall of the iconic brand. Budweiser has tried to be everything from fratty to refined to sporty to hipster. Anheuser-Busch has always put a major focus on marketing. This is the company, after all, that spent $246. 2 million solely on Super-Bowl commercials from 2002 to 2011. Edward McClelland of Salon  says that from its inception, Budweiser was a â€Å"triumph of marketing over quality. The quality was questionable: Adolphus Busch, the company's founder, called his beer â€Å"dot-schlop† and preferred to drink wine and St. Louis drinkers were not fans of the drink either, but the Busch family still bought the licenses and paid rent for bar owners in exchange for serving the product. Budweiser had its glory days in the 1950s when Anheuser-Busch helped strengthen its national brand by sponsoring shows featuring Jackie Gleason, Milton Berle, and Frank Sinatra. It also promoted its beer by sponsoring sporting events and branding stadiums. By the 1980s, Budweiser was synonymous with American culture. â€Å"Budweiser’s kind of a mainstay.It’s a good old American tradition, like going to a baseball game or a college football game,†Ã‚  says Kevin Eichelberger, webmaster of BeerTees. com. But something has happened in the past three decades and, while it still has clout overseas, the Budweiser brand is tired here at home. Undoubtedly, owners A-B InBev will try to save it with marketing, as they have always done. But will that be enough to return Budweiser to the throne and its former glory? Source: businessinsider. comPAPER OUTLINE: Integrated Marketing Campaign Deliverab les: You should outline the following before you begin developing your IMC (Word Times New Roman 12 Font and 1. inch margins):OVERVIEW (2-3 Pages)1. Budweiser Problem2. Company Culture, Values, Mission3. Communication Objective: (e. g. Inform, Persuade, Call to action)4. Brand Positioning and Personality5. Intended Target Audience/Insights CAMPAIGN (At least 3-5 Pages) â€Å"BIG IDEA†: or compelling theme. (e. g. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas)MESSAGE: Relevant copy and actionable message for your target consumer which includes (e. g. rational or emotional appeal or selling proposition)CHANNELS (examples): a. Print Campaign: Headline, Artwork/Visual and Copy b. Events with Sponsors c.Direct Communication: Web-site, Social Media d. Public RelationsCREATIVE: Headline to capture the target’s attention and photos that capture the essence of the campaignGRADING CRITERIA: 200 Points: Written Strategy-Did you have a compelling strategy for your IMC? Was your strategy al igned to the problems and issues? 100 Points: 5 minute Oral Presentation-How Creative was your IMC presentation? Did you use innovative ways to drive sales that would resonate with the target consumer?Note: Your Oral Presentation should be 4-5 Slides developed from the CAMPAIGN part of the written strategy.

Product and Service Classifications

Product and service classifications Products and services wide range, whether for personal use or business. Tangible, intangible. Depend on function they serve. Can be raw, unfinished or final goods.Generally classified depending on domestic use (final) or conducting business (further processes) Organization, person, place and idea (IS) marketing POOP Organization marketing – Activities to sell the org Create, change, maintain the attitudes and behavior s of target consumers toward an organization Business firms sponsor advertising campaigns to improve image or market themselves to publics and stakeholders.Helps to market for free in media and improve investment confidence and improve sales from getting publicity Person marketing – Used to build reputation of people – recognized/business people. Create, change, maintain attitudes towards specific people. Make use of well- known people to represent products to help them sell. Egg Big razors with Tended Miterwort a ka â€Å"the Beast† Skillful marketing can turn person's name into a powerhouse brand.Egg Donald Trump and his self- titled products. Place marketing – Create, change, maintain attitudes toward specific places from local to international. Places are competing against each other for tourism business. Egg Tomorrow land in Belgium and Pizza in Spain both well- known party places of the world. Ideas marketing and social marketing can be general or specific The diffusion of notions which help market a product or service.It is more than advertising, it encourages the broad range use of marketing tools = all marketing strategies Like advertising that Colgate toothpaste is number 1 Part of this marketing is social marketing – process of planning campaigns that influence individual's behavior toward helping a society's well- being using marketing tools – all marketing tools 1) Benefits they want 2) Reducing barriers they're concerned about and BY offend BEEPER 3) The use of persuasion to motivate their participation in programmer activities.Social marketing makes use of campaigns to promote awareness, such as health campaigns for cancer, environmental campaigns for environment protection and others that promote equality and rights. Classified depending on the kind of consumers who use them. The distinction between the two is the purpose for buying the product. If a lawn mower is bought just for home use it is a consumer product. If bought for lawn mowing business it is an industrial product. Part 1 Consumer products are Prod and service bought for final consumption. Classified on how they are bought.CUSS – buying behavior, compare, cost, distribution, promotion frequency/method. Convenience P&S's are Bought frequently, immediately with minimal effort and without much pre purchase landing, info gathering or brand comparing. Except popular brand names, well known Egg – sweets, cigarettes, fast food. Are usually low priced, placed in locations that make them easily available when needed. (been in maturity stage for long time) egg coca cola Mass promotion – Low customer involvement Unsought P;S's Consumer don't know about or not think of buying or negative interest toward. Most new products on market are unsought.Egg life insurance or blood donations. Price varies, Distribution varies, Aggressive promoting by producer/reseller Shopping P;S's are pass Less frequently purchased products and services, higher price that customers compare carefully on price quality, suitability and style. Lots of time spent gathering info/comparing. Products distributed to few outlets, given info for comparison effort Egg Airline services, furniture. Advertising and personalized target selling by producer and reseller. Special itty As are Unique BRAND/characteristics ID = Loyalty. Certain groups willing to make special effort to get. Exclusive distribution and outlets to purchase, High price/low sensitivity cause of this do n't compare; invest only time needed to reach dealers carrying. Role/custom designed clothing. Specific targeting by producer/reseller Part 1 Industrial products are Products purchased for further processing or for use in conducting business Materials and Parts INPUTS/resources Price and service are the major marketing factors. Branding and advertising are less important. Raw materials consist of farm products such as livestock or fruit and Natural products such as wood and iron ore.Manufactured materials and parts consist of: Component materials like iron and cement and Component parts like motors and trees. Capital items PRODUCTIONS Aid in the buyer's production or operations, including installations and accessory equipment Installations consists of major purchases like building (factories and offices) and fixed equipment like (generators, large computer systems) Accessory equipment includes Portable factory equipment and tools such as tractors and hand tools Office equipment such as computers and office desks, they have shorter life than installations and aid in the production process.Supplies and services (business) sups ORBS services Bad m Supplies are the convenience products of the industrial field because purchased with minimum effort or comparison Operating supplies such as coal, paper, pencils Repair and maintenance items such as paint, nails and brooms Business services are services supplied under contract Include Maintenance and repair services such as carpet cleaning or computer repair. Business advisory services such as legal services or advertising.

Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 10

November 6, 1864 Damon is back, though it seems he was never actually gone. He has been watching me, baiting me, controlling me. He is the puppet master and I am his hapless marionette, forced to do his bidding. Until I saw Damon, I had not realized just how fond I had become of the Sutherlands, of how they eased my loneliness and gave me hope that I might not have to live in exile. Though I knew I had to leave them, I had dared to hope that by proving I could stay in control around them, my journey through this world might ultimately be less solitary. But Damon knows me all too well. He might have compelled the Sutherlands to accept me, but he didn't compel me to stay in their presence. I could have slipped out this morning, could have run off in the park, could have disappeared into the crowd at the ball. And yet I stayed, because, as Damon no doubt predicted, I liked being part of a family again, even if just for a few fleeting days. Damon's plan terrifies me – precisely because I don't understand it. Why New York? Why the Sutherlands? Why involve me? If Damon was able to orchestrate everything, to so seamlessly weave his way into the Sutherlands' lives and pave the way for my arrival, why stage such a spectacle? Why bother with a marriage? Why not just take Winfield to the bank and compel him and the teller to empty his vast accounts? Does he intend to live as a human? Does he need the marriage for legitimacy in New York society? Is he simply intent upon torturing me? Or is there something I'm missing? Some secret aim I can't possibly begin to imagine†¦ All I have are questions. And I fear that the answers won't come until the first dead body shows up. Later that Monday afternoon, I stood on the roof deck of one of the most amazing Federal-style houses ever built. Slim columns supported a soaring porch over a formal entrance, to which a grand, curved driveway rolled up as royally as a red carpet. From casement to cornice every detail was thoughtfully considered and never overdone. The dining room, large and oval, was (as near as I could tell) exactly the same as the one in the White House. The White House. In our new capital. That's the sort of place the Commandant's House was, as befitted the man who looked after the Brooklyn Naval Yards. What it lacked in size and modern touches (such as the Sutherlands' residence), it more than made up for in perfectly manicured lawns, a fine orchard, and a spectacular view of Manhattan. The property was perched almost on a cliff surveying the East River and the city that was under the Navy's protection. Commodore Matthew Perry himself had lived there earlier. I sighed at its magnificence. â€Å"No,† Bridget said, shaking her head decisively and heading back downstairs, picking up the train of her skirts in a very businesslike way. Her little entourage followed, laughing good-naturedly. â€Å"It's too white,† joked Bram. â€Å"It's too small,† added Hilda. â€Å"But it's incredible! The views! The size! The†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I said. â€Å"What's wrong with this one?† â€Å"Placement. It's in Brooklyn,† Bridget said, barely acknowledging her fiance. â€Å"No one goes to Brooklyn to be married.† Winfield and his wife looked at each other with old love, clearly remembering their own wedding. Apparently it had been quite modest – he had not made his fortune yet. Neither one of them had minded. And yet they were willing to indulge their youngest daughter in her most expensive flights of fancy. Lydia smiled and murmured something to Damon, who wasn't really paying attention. She didn't mind where she was married. While it was to be a double feature with us two â€Å"happy† couples tying the knot at the same time, she had graciously allowed her sister to decide all the details. The Sutherlands were at least nominally Episcopal, but apparently neither Damon's nor my religion, or lack thereof, was a bother, nor was a proper church necessary to the proceedings; a family chapel – a very rich family's chapel – would be enough. Bridget was very modern that way. â€Å"So why did we bother seeing those mansions on Prospect Park?† Margaret muttered. â€Å"If Brooklyn is out, I mean.† â€Å"I rather liked the one with all the Romanesque arches,† I said, eager to get this portion of the sham weddings out of the way. â€Å"Fear not, brother,† Damon said, chucking me on the shoulder. â€Å"Only four more to go. Back in Manhattan.† We clattered down the steep, wooden, and rather old-fashioned stairs to the ground floor, thanking the butler for letting us in. Then it was a walk back down to the Fulton Ferry landing, where a boat would take us across to a veritable caravan of carriages for the long uptown commute. â€Å"This would be a nice place for an ice cream parlor,† Lydia remarked, walking around the dock pensively. â€Å"You want an ice cream?† Damon asked, as if to a four-year-old. If being with Bridget was bad enough, with me constantly cringing at the things that came out of her mouth, the nervous tension of waiting for Damon to say or do something horrible was even worse. I was on pins and needles the entire day. Because Damon would say something horrible, at some point, to Lydia, as soon as he tired of playing the game of attentive suitor. His attention span for games – other than ones he was betting on – was incredibly limited. â€Å"Yes,† Lydia said. â€Å"And there's no ice cream here. And there should be.† â€Å"Won't matter,† Bridget said, trying to add something useful to the conversation. â€Å"Soon there's going to be a giant bridge and this will all be shaded off and there won't be anything except for loud carriages and the stink of horses.† Bram, the original source of this information, shook his head. â€Å"No, Bridgey, the angle is fine. Look where the sun is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I leaned on a dock railing, surveying our little party. The girls in this setting looked like a scene from a painting, the four ladies' cheeks rosy with sunlight and the exertion of the day, the long ribbons from their straw hats blowing in the wind, their fluffy walking skirts swept up against their legs by the sea breeze. They were all beautiful, and for just a moment I could forget my present situation. Margaret bought a paper from a newsboy to read on the trip over. It was a fine day for a boat ride and strangely the East River didn't repel me the way fresh running water usually did. Bridget went to sit down inside the ferry, not wanting any more sun on her skin, which was ironic and hilarious considering my own situation. I was relaxing for the first time that day, my face up to the sun, letting my Mediterranean skin take on a bronzed, healthy glow. And then Margaret plopped down in the seat next to me. â€Å"You seem to be at least a bit more reasonable than the other fiance,† Margaret snapped. â€Å"Tell me. What do you want with my family. Money? The business? What?† I groaned inwardly. â€Å"You have to believe me,† I said, fixing her blue eyes with my own hazel ones. Without compelling her, I willed my voice to sound as genuine as I could. I took her arms in my hands, which was bold, but I needed her to understand. â€Å"I am not after Bridget's wealth. All I want is your family's safety and happiness. I swear to you by whatever you want.† â€Å"That's just the problem. I don't know what your word is worth. I don't know you. Nobody knows you,† Margaret said. Sighing, she took off her hat. â€Å"It's just†¦ so†¦ odd. I can see why Bridget likes you, you're certainly handsome and well-mannered†¦.† I cast my eyes down, embarrassed. â€Å"But really – no papers, no history, just an escapee of the South? This is Bridget we're talking about. She wanted Papa to take us all on a tour of Europe so she could capture the heart of a king, or prince, or at least a duke. Nothing less than royalty for her. And no offense, you're about as far from royalty as one can get.† â€Å"Well, and Lydia got her count, I suppose.† â€Å"Yes,† Margaret said thoughtfully. She eyed me, pushing a black tendril of hair back behind her ear. â€Å"And what about Damon DeSangue†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I shrugged, trying to look innocent. â€Å"What do you think of him? The two of you have been†¦ unusually close since your double declarations of love.† I stared into the distance south, where the mighty Hudson and East rivers joined and became the sea. I shaded the city from my eyes, blocking it out, and the sun was bright white and rose over ancient, exotic waters. How much could I tell her without endangering her? She seemed to be the only one in the family with a sensible head on her shoulders. I thought once more about Katherine and whether my family would have been better prepared with some warning. â€Å"Don't trust him,† I finally admitted, hoping I wasn't putting her at greater risk. â€Å"I don't.† â€Å"Hm.† She looked over at Damon, who was talking animatedly with Bram and Winfield. â€Å"Neither do I.† Bridget had chosen the next few venues to visit as far away as it was possible to get from where we were. The mansion of the Richards was near Fort Tryon on the northern tip of Manhattan, while the Fulton Ferry dock was at the southeastern end. The slow ride in our carriages from downtown gave me an almost panopticon's view of city life. Slowly going up Fifth Avenue, I was amazed by the sheer difference in fortune of the people who made their home in New York – from the often shoeless newsboys and schmatta, or rag-sellers, to people like Winfield, who sat in his gilded private carriage, puffing on a cigar. We stopped for lunch about halfway there at the Mount Vernon Hotel on Sixty-first Street, where Bridget continued to discuss her outfit for the wedding. â€Å"†¦ and Darla had her dress in muslin, out of respect for the war, but it's almost over, and I think I should have a new pair of earrings, don't you, Papa? Stefan, darling, there is the most fantastic pair of pearl earrings†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Damon cleared his throat. â€Å"Bridget, you should absolutely have new earrings. And your outfit sounds good enough to eat, don't you agree, Stefan?† I stood up from the table, unable to enjoy the nice repast of cold chicken, fresh bread, fish, and tea that had been set before us, and unable to listen to another word of my fiancee's mindless prattling or my brother's endless teasing. â€Å"I must go take some air,† I excused myself, and would have stumbled over the bench on my speedy way out if I didn't have the grace of a vampire. I should not have been exhausted; I'd endured far worse. Living hungry in the middle of Central Park and hunting small prey was far more physically demanding than sitting in a carriage, looking at houses, and listening to the youngest member of the Sutherland family babble on about meaningless things. But as I had not fed since the squirrel the day before, I was famished and weak, as if I was enduring a transatlantic journey. A quick, silent trip to the kitchens revealed exactly what I had hoped – rats, of course. Not too many, and mostly in the breezeway between the cold house and the pantry. With a flash of my hand I grabbed one and broke its neck, sucking the poor thing dry, all without losing control. It was easy, with such disgusting fare. A low noise, a muffled sigh, made me turn and look up guiltily, rat blood leaking down my lips. Damon stood there holding a waitress around her throat, fangs out and ready to feast. She had the dumb, slightly breathless look of someone who was under a spell. â€Å"I see we both slipped out for the same thing,† Damon said, pleased. He raised a lip in disgust at the rat in my hand. â€Å"Although, really, you can do better.† He lifted his head back, ready to tear – â€Å"Please – don't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I put up my hand helplessly. â€Å"Please don't kill her,† I begged. Damon paused. â€Å"All right,† he said gamely. â€Å"I won't kill her. As an early wedding present! Just for you.† I closed my eyes, seeing the horror of the future before me. By implying he wasn't going to kill this girl, as a present, there was the assumption that there would of course be other murders, later on.