Night World : Daughters of Darkness Chapter 3

She's not looking so good,† Kestrel said, peering over Rowan's shoulder. Rowan said, â€Å"Oh,dear,† and sat down Great-aunt Opal was a mummy. Her skin was like leather: yellow-brown, hard, and smooth. Almost shiny. And the skin was all there was to her, just a leathery frame stretched over bones. She didn't have any hair. Her eye sockets were dark holes with dry tissue inside. Her nose was collapsed. â€Å"Poor auntie,† Rowan said. Her own brown eyes were wet. â€Å"We're going to look like that when we die,† Kestrel said musingly. Jade stamped her foot. â€Å"No, look,you guys! You're both missing it completely. Look atthat!† She swung a wild toe at the mummy's midsection. There, protruding from the blue-flowered housedress and the leathery skin, was a gigantic splinter of wood. It was almost as long as an arrow, thick at the base and tapered where it disappeared into Aunt Opal's chest. Flakes of white paint still clung to one side. Several other pickets were lying on the cellar floor. â€Å"Poor old thing,† Rowan said. â€Å"She must havebeen carrying them when she fell.† Jade looked at Kestrel. Kestrel looked back withexasperated golden eyes. There were few things they agreed on, but Rowan was one of them. â€Å"Rowan,† Kestrel said distinctly, â€Å"she wasstaked. â€Å" â€Å"Oh, no.† â€Å"Oh, yes,† Jade said. â€Å"Somebody killed her. And somebody who knew she was a vampire.† Rowan was shaking her head. â€Å"But who would know that?† â€Å"Well †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Jade thought. â€Å"Another vampire.† â€Å"Or a vampirehunter,†Kestrel said. Rowan looked up, shocked. â€Å"Those aren't real.They're just stories to frighten kids-aren't they?† Kestrel shrugged, but her golden eyes were dark. Jade shifted uneasily. The freedom she'd felt on the road, the peace in the living room-and now this. Suddenly she felt empty and isolated. Rowan sat down on the stairs, looking too tired and preoccupied to push back the lock of hair plastered to her forehead. â€Å"Maybe I shouldn't havebrought you here,† she said softly. â€Å"Maybe it's worsehere.† She didn't say it, but Jade could sense her next thought. Maybe we should go back â€Å"Nothingcould be worse,† Jade said fiercely. â€Å"And I'd die before I'd go back.† She meant it. Back to waiting on every man in sight? Back to arranged marriages and endless restrictions? Back to all those disapproving faces, so quick to condemn anything different, anything that wasn't done the way it had been done four hundred years ago? â€Å"Wecan't go back,† she said. â€Å"No, we can't,† Kestrel said dryly. â€Å"Literally. Unless we want to end up like Great-aunt Opal. Or†she paused significantly-â€Å"like Great-uncle Hodge.† Rowan looked up. â€Å"Don't even say that!† Jade's stomach felt like a clenched fist. â€Å"They wouldn't, she said, shoving back at the memory that was trying to emerge. â€Å"Not to their own grandkids. Not to us.† â€Å"The point,† Kestrel said, â€Å"is that we can't go back,so we have to go forward. We've got to figure out what we're going to do here without Aunt Opal tohelp us–especially if there's a vampire hunter around. But first, what are we going to do withthat?† She nodded toward the body. Rowan just shook her head helplessly. She lookedaround the cellar as if she might find an answer in a comer. Her gaze fell on Jade. It stopped there, and Jade could see the sisterly radar system turn on. â€Å"Jade. What's that in your jacket?† Jade was too wrung-out to lie. She opened thejacket and showed Rowan the kittens. â€Å"I didn't know my suitcase would kill them.† Rowan looked too wrung-out to be angry. She glanced heavenward, sighing. Then, looking back atJade sharply: â€Å"But why were you bringing them downhere?† â€Å"I wasn't. I was just looking for a shovel. I was going to bury them in the backyard.† There was a pause. Jade looked at her sisters and they looked at each other. Then all three of them looked at the kittens. Then they looked at Great-aunt Opal. Mary-Lynnette was crying. It was a beautiful night, a perfect night. An inversion layer was keeping the air overhead still and warm, and the seeing was excellent. There was very little light pollution and no direct light. The Victorian farmhouse just below Mary-Lynnette's hill wasmostly dark. Mrs. Burdock was always very consider ate about that. Above, the Milky Way cut diagonally across the sky like a river. To the south, where Mary-Lynnette had just directed her telescope, was the constellation Sagittarius, which always looked. more like a teapot than like an archer to her. And just above the spout of the teapot was a faintly pink patch of what looked like steam. It wasn't steam. It was clouds of stars. A star factory called the Lagoon Nebula. The dust and gas of dead stars was being recycled into hot young stars, just being born. It was four thousand and five hundred light-years away. And she was looking at it, right this minute. A seventeen-year-old kid with a second-hand Newtonian reflector telescope was watching the light of stars being born. Sometimes she was filled with so much awe andand-and-and longing-that she thought she might break to pieces. Since there was nobody else around, she could let the tears roll down her cheeks without pretending it was an allergy. After a while she had to sit back and wipe her nose and eyes on the shoulder of her T-shirt. Oh, come on, give it a rest now, she told herself.You're crazy, you know. She wished she hadn't thought of Jeremy earlier. Because now, for some reason, she kept picturinghim the way he'd looked that night when he came to watch the eclipse with her. His level brown eyes had held a spark of excitement, as if he really cared about what he was seeing. As if, for that moment, anyway, he understood. I have been one acquainted with the night, amaudlin little voice inside her chanted romantically, trying to get her to cry again. Yeah, right, Mary-Lynnette told the voice cynically. She reached for the bag of Cheetos she kept under her lawn chair. It was impossible to feel romantic and overwhelmed by grandeur while eating Cheetos. Saturn next, she thought, and wiped sticky orangecrumbs off her fingers. It was a good night for Saturn because its rings were just passing through theiredgewise position. She had to hurry because the moon was rising at 11:16. But before she turned her telescope toward Saturn, she took one last look at the Lagoon. Actuallyjust to the east of the Lagoon, trying to make out the open cluster of fainter stars she knew was there. She couldn't see it. Her eyes just weren't good enough. If she had a bigger telescope-if she lived inChile where the air was dry-if she could get above the earth's atmosphere . . . then she might have a chance. But for now . . . she was limited by the human eye. Human pupils just didn't open farther than 9 millimeters. Nothing to be done about that. She was just centering Saturn in the field of viewwhen a light went on behind the farmhouse below. Not a little porch light. A barnyard vapor lamp. Itilluminated the back property of the house like a searchlight. Mary-Lynnette sat back, annoyed. It didn't reallymatter-she could see Saturn anyway, see the rings that tonight were just a delicate silver line cutting across the center of the planet. But it was strange.Mrs. Burdock never turned the back light on at night. The girls, Mary-Lynnette thought. The nieces. Theymust have gotten there and she must be giving them a tour. Absently she reached for her binoculars. Shewas curious. They were good binoculars, Celestron Ultimas,sleek and lightweight. She used them for looking at everything from deep sky objects to the craters on the moon. Right now, they magnified the back of Mrs. Burdock's house ten times. She didn't see Mrs. Burdock, though. She could seethe garden. She could see the shed and the fenced-in area where Mrs. Burdock kept her goats. And shecould see three girls, all well illuminated by the vapor lamp. One had brown hair, one had golden hair, and one had hair the color of Jupiter's rings. That silvery.Like starlight. They were carrying something wrapped in plastic between them. Black plastic. Hefty garbage bags, if Mary-Lynnette wasn't mistaken. Now, what on earth were they doing with that? Burying it. The short one with the silvery hair had a shovel. She was a good little digger, too. In a few minutesshe had rooted up most of Mrs. Burdock's irises. Then the medium-sized one with the golden hairtook a turn, and last of all the tall one with the brown hair. Then they picked up the garbage-bagged objecteven though it was probably over five feet long, it seemed very light-and put it in the hole they'd just made. They began to shovel dirt back into the hole. No, Mary-Lynnette told herself. No, don't be ridiculous. Don't be insane. There's some mundane, per fectly commonplace explanation for this. The problem was, she couldn't think of any. No, no, no. This is notRear Window,we are not in the Twilight Zone. They're just burying-something. Some sort of †¦ ordinary †¦ What else besides a dead body was five-feet-andsome-odd-inches long, rigid, and needed to be wrapped in garbage bags before burial? And, Mary-Lynnette thought, feeling a rush ofadrenaline that made her heart beat hard. And. And†¦ Where was Mrs. Burdock? The adrenaline was tingling painfully in herpalms and feet. It made her feel out of control, which she hated. Her hands were shaking so badly she had to lower the binoculars. Mrs. B.'s okay. She's all right. Things like thisdon'thappenin real life. What would Nancy Drew do? Suddenly, in the middle of her panic, MaryLynnette felt a tiny giggle try to escape like a burp. Nancy Drew, of course, would hike right down there and investigate. She'd eavesdrop on the girls from behind a bush and then dig up the garden once they went back inside the house. But things like that didn't happen. Mary-Lynnette couldn't even imagine trying to dig up a neighbor's garden in the dead of night. She would get caught and it would be a humiliating farce. Mrs. Burdock would walk out of the house alive and alarmed, and Mary-Lynnette would dieof embarrassment trying to explain. In a book that might be amusing. In real life-she didn't even want to think about it. One good thing, it made her realize how absurd her paranoia was. Deep down, she obviously knew Mrs. B. was just fine. Otherwise, she wouldn't besitting here; she'd be calling the police, like any sensi ble person. Somehow, though, she suddenly felt tired. Not up to more starwatching. She checked her watch by the ruby glow of a red-filtered flashlight. Almost eleven-well, it was all over in sixteen minutes anyway. When the moon rose it would bleach out the sky. But before she broke down her telescope for the trip back, she picked up the binoculars again. Just one last look. The garden was empty. A rectangle of fresh darksoil showed where it had been violated. Even as Mary-Lynnette watched, the vapor lamp went out. It wouldn't do any harm to go over there tomorrow, Mary-Lynnette thought. Actually, I was goingto, anyway. I should welcome those girls to the neighborhood. I should return those pruning shears Dad borrowed and the knife Mrs. B. gave me to get my gas cap off. And of course I'll see Mrs. B. there, and then I'll know everything's okay. Ash reached the top of the winding road andstopped to admire the blazing point of light in the south. You really could see more from these isolated country towns. From here Jupiter, the king of the planets, looked like a UFO. â€Å"Where have you been?† a voice nearby said. â€Å"I'vebeen waiting for you for hours.† Ash answered without turning around. â€Å"Wherehave I been? Where have you been? We were supposed to meet onthat hill, Quinn.† Hands in his pockets, he pointed with an elbow. â€Å"Wrong. It was this hill and I've been sitting righthere waiting for you the entire time. But forget it. Are they here or aren't they?† Ash turned and walked unhurriedly to the open convertible that was parked just beside the road, itslights off. He leaned one elbow on the door, looking down. â€Å"They're here. I told you they would be. It was the only place for them to go.† â€Å"All three of them?† â€Å"Of course, all three of them. My sisters always stick together.† Quinn's lip curled. â€Å"Lamia are so wonderfully family oriented.† â€Å"And made vampires are so wonderfully . . . short,† Ash said serenely, looking at the sky again. Quinn gave him a look like black ice. His e-mail, compact body was utterly still inside the car. â€Å"Well, now, I never got to finish growing, did I?† he saidvery softly. â€Å"One of your ancestors took care of that.† Ash boosted himself to sit on the hood of the car,long legs dangling. â€Å"I think I may stop aging this year myself,† he said blandly, still looking down the slope. â€Å"Eighteen's not such a bad age.† â€Å"Maybe not if you have a choice,† Quinn said, his voice still as soft as dead leaves falling. â€Å"Try beingeighteen for four centuries-with no end in sight.† Ash turned to smile at him again. â€Å"Sorry. On my family's behalf.† â€Å"And I'm sorry for your family. The Redferns have been having a little trouble lately, haven't they? Let's see if I've got it right. First your uncle Hodge breaks Night World law and is appropriately punished-â€Å" â€Å"My great-uncle by marriage,† Ash interrupted in polite tones, holding one finger up. â€Å"He was a Burdock, not a Redfern. And that was over ten years ago.† â€Å"And then your aunt Opal-â€Å" â€Å"Mygreat-auntOpal-â€Å" â€Å"Disappears completely. Breaks off all contact withthe Night World. Apparently because she prefers living in the middle of nowhere with humans.† Ash shrugged, eyes fixed on the southern horizon. â€Å"It must be good hunting in the middle of nowhere with humans. No competition. And no Night Worldenforcement-no Elders putting a limit on how many you can bag.† â€Å"And no supervision,† Quinn said sourly. â€Å"Itdoesn't matter so much thatshe's been living here, but she's obviously been encouraging your sisters to join her. You should have informed on them whenyou found out they were writing to each other secretly.† Ash shrugged, uncomfortable. â€Å"It wasn't againstthe law. I didn't know what they had in mind.† â€Å"It's not just them,† Quinn said in his disturbingly soft voice. â€Å"You know there are rumors about that cousin of yours-James Rasmussen. People are saying that he fell in love with a human girl. That she was dying and he decided to change her withoutpermission. . . .† Ash slid off the hood and straightened. â€Å"I never listen to rumors,† he said, briskly and untruthfully. â€Å"Besides, that's not the problem right now, is it?† â€Å"No. The problem is your sisters and the mess they're in. And whether you can really do what's necessary to dean it up.† â€Å"Don't worry, Quinn. I can handle it.† â€Å"ButI doworry, Ash. I don't know how I let you talk me into this.† â€Å"You didn't. You lost that game of poker.† â€Å"And you cheated.† Quinn was looking off into a middle distance, his dark eyes narrowed, his moutha straight line. â€Å"I still think we should tell the Elders ,† he said abruptly. â€Å"It's the only way to guarantee a really thorough investigation.† â€Å"I don't see why it needs to be so thorough.They've only been here a few hours.† â€Å"Your sisters have only been here a few hours.Your aunt has been here-how long? Ten years?† â€Å"What have you got against my aunt, Quinn?† â€Å"Her husband was a traitor. She's a traitor now for encouraging those girls to run away. And who knowswhat she's been doing here in the last ten years? Who knows how many humans she's told about the Night World?† Ash shrugged, examining his nails. â€Å"Maybe she hasn't told any.† â€Å"And maybe she's told the whole town.† â€Å"Quinn,† Ash said patiently, speaking as if to avery young child, â€Å"if my aunt has broken the laws of the Night World, she has to die. For the family honor. Any blotch on that reflects onme.† â€Å"That's one thing I can count on,† Quinn said halfunder his breath. ‘,'Your self-interest. You always look after Number One, don't you?† â€Å"Doesn't everybody?† â€Å"Not everybody is quite so blatant about it.† There was a pause, then Quinn said, â€Å"And what about your sisters?† â€Å"What about them?† â€Å"Can you kill them if it's necessary?† Ash didn't blink. â€Å"Of course. If it's necessary. For the family honor.† â€Å"If they've let something slip about the NightWorld-â€Å" â€Å"They're not stupid.† â€Å"They're innocent. They might get tricked. That'swhat happens when you live on an island completely isolated from normal humans. You never learn how cunning vermin can be.† â€Å"Well, we know how cunning they can be,† Ash said, smiling. â€Å"And what to do about them.† For the first time Quinn himself smiled, a charming, almost dreamy smile. â€Å"Yes, I know your views on that. All right. I'll leave you here to take care of it. I don't need to tell you to check out every human those girls have had contact with. Do a good job and maybe you can save your familyhonor.† â€Å"Not to mention the embarrassment of a public trial.† â€Å"I'll come back in a week. And if you haven't got things under control, I go to the Elders. I don't mean your Redfern family Elders, either. I'm taking it all the way up to the joint Council.† â€Å"Oh, fine,† Ash said. â€Å"You know, you really ought to get a hobby, Quinn. Go hunting yourself. You're too repressed.† -252Quinn ignored that and said shortly, â€Å"Do you know where to start?† â€Å"Sure. The girls are right †¦ down †¦ there.† Ashturned east. With one eye shut, he zeroed in with his finger on a patch of light in the valley below. â€Å"At Burdock Farm. I'll check things out in town, then I'll go look up the nearest vermin.†

The Soul as Inseparable Entity from the Body

Aristotle basically believes that a soul is the basic or core essence of a living organism. The notion of a body or form without a soul is simply unintelligible. Soul is what makes a living thing alive. Plants and animals that include man have souls. But Aristotle believes that every kind of living thing possessed a different kind of soul. Soul is simply defined by Aristotle â€Å"as the expression or realization of a natural body† by which he basically elaborate â€Å"soul according to its functions† (â€Å"On the Soul†). He holds the idea that there is a strong connection between the psychological states of living organisms (their sense of logic, reason and physical manifestations as product of their thought processes) and physiological processes. Body and soul are unified. â€Å"The movements or the development of the soul is manifested through the body† thus the soul is the substance that characterized the living body (Sachs 2001). The soul is inseparable from the body since it provides essential characters to it. However, Aristotle believes that every kind of living thing possesses a different version of soul. The nature of soul according to Aristotle depends on the type of organism and its position in the hierarchy. What makes a human being authentic to other living organisms is his ability to hold rational beliefs and to exercise reason. He classified life into different levels because of the soul they possessed. Plants have the lowest level of soul, animals other than humans have a higher level of souls and humans possessed the highest level of soul having the capacity for reason. Both plants and animals obtain what they need for reproduction and growth but only animals specifically man have a sense of touch or sensory, perception and cognitive abilities. The biological nature of human beings with their unique capacities to think and feel is definitely a reward. Aristotle says: â€Å"We must maintain, further, that the soul is also the cause of the living body as the original source of local movement. The power of locomotion is not found, however, in all living things. But change of quality and change of quantity are also due to the soul. Sensation is held to be a qualitative alteration, and nothing except what has soul in it is capable of sensation. The same holds of the quantitative changes which constitute growth and decay; nothing grows or decays naturally except what feeds itself, and nothing feeds itself except what has a share of soul in it† (Sachs 2001). Aristotle opposed the popular belief in Philosophy that a soul is a separate entity that can exist even without a body. However, Aristotle believes that the soul moves the body. Sensation, locomotion, biological and eventually physical development are caused by the soul. All the faculties of the soul are inseparable from the living body except our sense of reason, since reason will not die and fade. It has the capacity to live and facilitates even after death but not perception. When the living body dies, their biological and physical development and sensory faculties will eventually stop and obstruct. Aristotle in his views on soul basically believes that soul is not a separate entity but rather it is the actuality of the living body. Soul can not be immortal. When the living body dies the exercise or faculty of soul also stops with the exception of reason of course, since reason can stand on his own even after the death. Reference: On the Soul. (2009). In Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. Retrieved February 28, 2009, from Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/428826/On-the-Soul Aristotle. Aristotle's On the Soul: And, On Memory and Recollection. Sachs (2001). Green Lion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Press

Are Management Information Systems needed in youth work Literature review

Are Management Information Systems needed in youth work - Literature review Example I feel the change required for the implementation of a new system is one of the biggest challenges I will face as a manager and that the youth service must research seriously from the beginning. There will be a significant amount of change over the coming years therefore I am very interested to explore whether MIS systems will actually help youth work upon implementation of the new system after managing the huge changes required by the system. How is this relevant to my professional practice? Change is thrust upon youth workers on a regular basis and my dissertation topic, in my opinion, is very relevant to my professional practice as it will test my ability or inability as a manager of managing change. I plan to devise a strategy for innovation and change regarding the way information is collected, evaluated and presented within the youth service covering a two year period based upon my research findings and not on the approach of –a system has been bought we must change ever ything in order to use it immediately. LITERATURE Three course books of Master of Computer Science, Information Technology, were referred most. Internet was also searched for appropriate materials and following result was found. An advance search for â€Å"Research methods† produced about 84,800,000 references, search for â€Å"Management Theories† produced about 36,200,000 references, â€Å"Leadership Styles† produced about 15,400,000 references, â€Å"Change Management† produced about 288,000,000 references, â€Å"Management Information System† produced about 283,000,000 references, and â€Å"Organizational Development† produced about 26,500,000 references. A look up was made in each of the above search one by one and the best from the top was selected. A total number of eleven publications were chosen for reading and collecting further information. FINDINGS I have identified six themes in this section for effective implementation of Manag ement Information System: understanding concepts and deliverables; assessing values and functionalities; methodologies for successful deployment; managing resources; and benefiting from intensive usage; leading staff and managing change. Understanding Concepts and Deliverables A set of components combined together to bring out or produce a desired whole is known as a system. There are many types of systems (Pidwirny 2006). Most systems share many common characteristics but there are three most important components which when integrated together forms a system: Inputs; Process; and Outputs. A system receives inputs; process them with some functionalities; and produces outputs. Information is a processed data, the one which a human mind can easily understand. If a set of numbers are given in a row and column grid as shown in figure 1, it is not possible to understand what this data means and to whom it belongs until the data is processed. If the same data is processed and produced as shown in figure 2, it becomes now possible for every one to understand what this data means and to whom it belongs. This processed data is called Information. â€Å"Data represents facts of any kind. In the process of recording important particulars of any event, it is the discretion of the management, what should be recorded and how it should be presented. When this data is processed or reformatted, it becomes Information. Information is a subset of data which adds to the knowledge.† (Mujaheed 2009) The original source from which information comes or its

Film Beethoven Lives Upstairs Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Film Beethoven Lives Upstairs - Movie Review Example It is not as simple as the introduction infers. In order for the musical score of a film to add a sense of immersion and dynamism to the viewer's experience, it has to merge flawlessly with other, crucial elements of cinematography. Unfortunately, for "Beethoven Lives Upstairs" the music of the master is sometimes used to mask other, less well constructed areas of filming. For example, the score often hides inconsistencies in the verbal story: in the introduction the Narrator tells the viewer that: Presented without the distraction of the music which intersperses the scene with flawless elegance, the two statements regarding the weather seem ludicrous. Yet the "hook" of this particular scene is the powerful and evocative musical form, and for many viewers at least, they are too enthralled by the music to notice the inaccuracy. That being said, it is all too easy to simply focus on the negative aspects of the film. Unsurprisingly, in a film about Beethoven one would expect the music to powerfully develop and contribute to the strength of the plot. By and large, it manages to achieve this. For example, the fictional Beethoven is sent out into the wet, stormy Vienna night, apparently just to make room for the storm passage from the Sixth Symphony. He does so without much build up in terms of plot; but thanks to the music it attains a certain status as being an overwhelming moment in the film; for Beethoven it marks the moment where he realises the power of his own capabilities-the powerful, evocative key supplements this moment perfectly: in technical terms the functional harmony, leading to the cadences' serve as a mini build up as the score plays out. This happens all while Beethoven is in the Vienna storm, metaphorically trying to discover the depth of his musical ability. It is unquestionably one of the film's strongest moments with regard to how the music supplements the plot In terms of musical quality, the sound engineers generally manage to accurately replicate the beauty of Beethoven's work. Identifying the timbre, or tone colour, is a task easily accomplished thanks to the sharp, crisp sound of the orchestra, conducted by Walter Babiak. The orchestra manages to produce a full symphonic sound. Four vocalists are also used-most frequently in the Ninth Symphony. Use of a synthesizer was also noted as well as violin and flute solos. The pianist, who appears in the credits as simply "D Bodle" performs exquisitely as he alters musical form in performances of diminutive pieces, sonata and concerto movements. Sometimes, he is let down as it is hard to identify the exact pitch and rhythm he was trying to achieve, due to what appears to be dubious microphone placement which creates a dull, muffled sound; when it should resonate clearly and assertively. Sound effects abound, adding wonderful sparkle and drama to the story, making listeners feel as if they are r ight in the streets of nineteenth-century Vienna. In Conclusion, the film "Beethoven Lives Upstairs" manages to portray a relatively accurate portrait of, albeit a relatively small excerpt, the composer's life. The strength of the music is undeniably the films greatest asset. Where

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Teamwork and employee commitment - Essay Example ACICO highly requires teamwork because its strategy involves the undertaking of all functions in order to provide quality housing. Thus, collaboration within each subunit is important in order to assure continuous work process and timely delivery of products. The corporate culture of ACICO emphasizes the importance of individual excellence and achievement. This mindset has strongly influenced teamwork within functions and departments which is even limited by the hierarchical and centralized organizational structure. It is notable that in the upper level management, coordination and informational transparency is more pronounced. However, with the middle and lower ranks, employees are more concerned on individual achievements and credit. 3. Does the organization have sufficient managerial and interpersonal skills to manage requisite coordination Examine the skills of top management team that provide the context for coordination as well as the skills of broader employee groups. ACICO's top management team members are selected primarily because of their knowledge and managerial expertise in the construction industry. The executives display excellent track record on running big business organizations. Thus, in terms of managerial skills, ACICO's management has the capacity to manage requisite coordination. On the other hand, the interpersonal skills are inadequate to foster sufficient coordination within the organization. It should be noted that as top management is mainly concerned on ACICO's strategic direction, executives lack the time to mingle with ordinary employees who man the day to day operations. There is also a gap between top management and other employees because of the emphasized importance of power hierarchy. 4. Does the organization have sufficient commitment from employee groups critical to the achievement of the strategic task Overall, there is a sufficient commitment from different employee groups which enables ACICO to accomplish its strategic task. The employees can easily identify with the goals of the organization and work to achieve its various objectives. To a large extent, there is a sense of belongingness and responsible among the work groups. The level of commitment within the organization is more apparent in the top management. This diminishes as one goes in the front line where employees are more concerned about the accomplishment of their specific responsibilities more than recognizing themselves with the company. 5. Do people in your organization express their viewpoint directly and candidly, and attempt to inquire into the validity of their own viewpoint and that of others Employees are given venue to express their viewpoint directly. It should be noted that ACICO conducts its own survey in order to ascertain the level of satisfaction within the different employees in the functional group. When working in teams, the members are also given the opportunity to contribute their specific expertise subject

Various Marketing Management Topics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Various Marketing Management Topics - Essay Example The copy attempts to take the communication process forward through the affective stage and the all important behavior stage by subtle psychological appeal to the viewer's intelligence. It asserts the viewer sees things differently, likes challenges. There will be hardly anybody who disagrees with this. The affective stage is definitely crossed. There is a distinct possibility for crossing the behavior stage. The word flossing to replace crossing in the 'warning sign' of a wild life sanctuary has multiple connotations: the simplest meaning of the word flossing is using a fine silk thread for dental hygiene; other meanings relate to its use in crocheting, its use to describe fine engraving in sculpting (architecture) and finally for the modern technologically minded, its use in robotics. The leaping deer, the warning sign and the apparently incorrect word flossing in place of crossing are all incongruous with the word game and the caption You can always spot an Up Words player that is seen in the advertisement - these are designed to attract selective attention of the viewer. There is however the possibility that the advertisement may remind the viewer the current campaign/s for animal rights and wild life preservation (amplification). The viewer will then totally miss the point (leveling) - that the advertisement is for a word game UpWords - if he does not closely follow the copy in smaller print. In either case the viewer is likely to retain the apparently misspelled flossing for crossing and the predominance of the leaping deer. If the viewer reads the text in smaller print this will help the advertiser in creating a lasting impression. Otherwise the distorted image will wither away after some time. The communication objectives the game manufacturer may set for the advertisement may be based on two consumer attributes: high involvement (the buyer has a predisposition for intellectual games as against outdoor games like base ball) and high product differentiation (there are few players in the field). The six stages in the viewer's buying process will then involve awareness, knowledge, liking, preference, conviction and purchase. The advertisement under study creates awareness, knowledge, combines liking preference and conviction into one as we have detailed above and induces purchase. The communication then follows the sequence: what to say (content), how to say it logically (structure), how to say it symbolically (format) and who should say it (source). As we have seen the text has a psychological angle, it appeals to the ego of the viewer. The format is designed to arouse interest with a strong visual and optimal copy combining the relevant (the copy) with the symbolic (the visual of the deer, the park and the sign). The source of the message is the well-known word game manufacturers Scrabble that lends it credibility. Absolut Vodka (Chapter 20): Vodka is generally considered a commodity. Yet in the market there is an astonishing amount of brand loyalty and preference based on brand image. The image of a brand is how the consumer perceives it. The perception is based on practical experience and how well the experience meets expectations. For non-users it is based on uninformed impressions, attitudes and beliefs. A strong or favorable image therefore can be created by constantly delivering

Social context of Asian business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Social context of Asian business - Essay Example This essay argues that Japanese business behaviour is largely influenced by four major forces, namely, sense of belonging, loyalty, perfection, and time. Japanese businesses can be depicted as big clans or extended families. The fact that approximately 30% of the total number of employees of major companies acquired their jobs through their personal networks reveals the significance of personal connections and referrals before employment (Hein, 2013, 48). Usually a business organisation hires apprentices referred by a university teacher or another, or by a higher-ranking employee. Khalid Mehtabdin (1986 as cited in Alston, 2005, 1) observed that the person who brought a prospective recruit to the company usually becomes the permanent guide of that recruit and is thus answerable to his/her actions or performance throughout his/her career. The higher-ranking guide trains the new recruit to observe ‘appropriate behaviour’ (Alston, 2005, 1). Employees do not choose an employer due to the appeal of a compensation package or a particular position. Employees are requested to become part of the company in general and they are not employed for a particular group of duties. The initial period of employment are devoted to the process of discovering where the employee can most productively or efficiently be positioned and where s/he will be the most successful or beneficial for the company (Hein, 2013). Hence, employees become a part of a corporate ‘family’. Regular task rotations and OJTs enhance the employee’s abilities and reveal where s/he should be positioned in the corporation, though individual or personal reasons are taken into consideration to a certain extent (Goldman, 1994). In Japan, the person is encouraged to adjust to the group instead of the other way around. The previous head of the Idemitsu Petroleum Company, Ishida, explained this image of the business organisation as family (Alston,

Liberalism, Republicanism, Ascriptive Hierarchy On Case About Same- Dissertation

Liberalism, Republicanism, Ascriptive Hierarchy On Case About Same- Sex Marriage - Dissertation Example This essay declares that legally wedded couples living in marriage equity states will soon have equivalent access to all the government rights and profits focused around conjugal status. For wedded couples living in states without marriage fairness, there is less clarity. Indeed with DOMA off the beaten path, distinctive government projects have diverse decides that figure out where an office looks to choose if a marriage is legitimate – either place of festival or spot of living arrangement. Under the current runs and practices, a legally wedded same-sex couple living in a state that does not perceive their marriage will have admittance to some government rights and profits, however might not have admittance to numerous others, contingent upon how the court principles. This paper makes a conclusion that the reaction has been in two ways. For instance it has been believed by many people that, all they are going to have is more weight to comply with foreordained character boxes, and less flexibility to be an individual, and more weight to need the administration's gift to have a "true blue" relationship. Also constraining individuals to perceive connections that they ethically can't help contradicting is not really flexibility of religious practice. On the other hand, there is a solid conviction that, numerous profits are just accessible to wedded couples, for example, doctor's facility appearance amid an ailment, assessment and legacy rights, access to family wellbeing scope, and security in the occasion of the relationship ending.

LEGAL FRAMEWORKS IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT Essay

LEGAL FRAMEWORKS IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT - Essay Example In this regard, a private nuisance refers to the violation of another person’s quite enjoyment of his/her property while public nuisance is simply any interference with the safety, health, convenience and peace of the members of public. It is however worth noting that according to the British laws, an act of nuisance or trespass can only be dealt with through the civil legal routes such as suing the offending party and can not amount to prosecution. The UK statutes dealing with both private and public nuisances are require evidence of justifiable proof that the nuisances are unreasonable and are affecting the rights of either the private homeowners or the ordinary citizens to enjoy their privileges. This is because both offences are considered as civil offences rather than criminal offences. This paper uses the case of David’s Family and Harrington & Nephew limited to highlight the cases of private nuisance, public nuisance and trespass in their relationship as well as discuss the potential remedies and defences that both parties may have under the British laws. Private nuisance There are a number of events in the scenario between David’s Family and Harrington & Nephew limited (Factory) that may constitute private nuisances. For example various factory operations such as the movement of Wagons are causing unreasonable noise that is affecting David and his family to lose their sleep during the night. On the other hand, the death of Rose tree belonging to Mr. and Mrs. David is directly as a result of the dust coming from the Harrington & Nephew Limited factory premises. According to most of the UK statutes regarding the definitions of private nuisance, all these cases are considered private nuisances to David’s family because they have cause interference with their right to enjoy their property by invading their private lives with undesirable noise and dust. On the other hand, If David’s family decides to sue the factory belongi ng to Harrington & Nephew Limited for the private nuisance that their operations have caused to their family lives and property, the relevant local authorities handling the case will have to decide whether the interference by the factory operations have resulted in unreasonable damage to property. In this context, any evidence of physical damage such as the death of the Rose plant will make it easier to justify their case against the factory1. With regard to whether the factory operations have interfered with the rights of David’s family to quite enjoyment of their property, the claimant will be required to prove the cases of substantial and unreasonable interference with his family’s enjoyment. For example the fact that David and his family members are suffering from a continual loss of sleep due to the excessive noise from the factory can be used by the claimant to justify that the interference by the factory is unreasonable. The law will however balance between the right of the defendant (Harrington & Nephew Limited) to use their property and the right of David’s family (Claimant) not to be unreasonably inconvenienced. It is also worth noting that not all interference are considered to be nuisances according to the UK laws and sometimes individuals may be required to tolerate a given degree of

Tuberculosis Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8750 words

Tuberculosis - Dissertation Example TB is thus more fatal among children and interferon (IFN)-?-deficient individuals, who still lack granulomatous response (Mustafa et al 449). These are seen in Chest X-ray as lung lesions, and patients also experience muscle wasting (Verreck et al. 8). Pathological characteristics TB patients also have increased C-reactive protein (CRP), while decreased mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) were also observed (Verreck et al. 8). IL-10, transforming growth factor (TGF)-?, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-?, and interferon (IFN)-? play various roles in the formation of tuberculous granulomas of TB patients. TNF-? is associated with activation of macrophages. This cytokine, together with IFN-?, enhances the bactericidal activity of monocytes and macrophages, recruitment of these immune cells, and subsequent formation of granulomas (Mustafa et al. 450). IFN-? is produced in response to IL-12 secretion, which is initiated by toll-like receptor (TLR)-2 activation.O n the other hand, Il-10 and TGF-? antagonizes the action of TNF-? and IFN-? respectively, reducing the anti-mycobacterial immune response and allowing the growth of the pathogen within the host cells. In particular, IL-10 induces the macrophages to release soluble TNF-ÃŽ ± receptor type 2 (TNFR2), which couples with the cytokine to form an inactive TNF-ÃŽ ±-TNFR2 complex. In this regard, a balance among these four is necessary in the optimal immune response against M. tuberculosis. M. tuberculosis is communicated through aerosols and inhaled bacilli. Upon phagocytosis by alveolar macrophages patrolling the lungs, the bacteria replicate within the host cell. Its survival lies in its ability to block phagosome maturation. Because of the intracellular nature of infection, drugs developed against TB should be able to reach within cells (Feltcher, Sullivan and Braunstein 1582). After which, granuloma forms through the migration of macrophages, lymphocytes and dendritic cells at the infection site. Among these cells, macrophages differentiate into epithelioid cells (EC), or fuse to form multinucleated giant cells (MGC), which is also known as Langhans giant cells. ECs have better mycobactericidal functions, as seen in their lesser antigen load. On the other hand, the TGF-?- and FasL-expressing MGCs contain more bacterial antigens, and thus allow bacterial growth. In addition, antigen-presenting cells (APCs) with heightened expression of FasL induce apoptosis in T lym phocytes during antigen presentation. Interestingly, ECs that contain mycobacterial antigens may resist apoptosis, and fuse to form MGCs. In contrast, ECs without mycobacteria undergo apoptosis. These findings show that M. tuberculosis cause inhibition of host cell apoptosis, and the MGCs cause death of antigen-specific T cells. By resisting apoptosis, viral antigens are not presented to immune cells, thus inhibiting recruitment and allowing persistence of the lesion. Persistence of TB infection also partly results from the immune suppression caused by FasL-expressing MGCs (Mustafa et al. 450-454). Thus, despite presenting no clinical symptoms, M. tuberculosis are present in granulomas, and can later reactivate and cause disease (Feltcher, Sullivan and Braunstein 1582). Diagnosis The gold standard in diagnosing TB remains to be clinical examination, acid-fast bacilli staining of sputum and bacterial culture. Culture of M. tuberculosis

Review and Critical thinking Essay Example for Free

Review and Critical thinking Essay Review Questions Syncopation is placing emphasis or accents on beats that are unexpected, or, alternatively. Is music that combined the music of marches with the rhythms of African music. The instruments used for ragtime are used in jazz. Cornetist who helped to create jazz music . His music had a loud piercing sound that be heard in the distance. Bebop had faster rhythms and more complex harmonies. A form of jazz that emphasized improvisation. In hot jazz multiple musicians did improvisation, In classic it was one. Critical Thinking Questions Both use improvisation at some point. A difference is that classical music try not to improvise but jazz music use it all the time. A characteristic of jazz is that it uses a of improvisation. Another characteristic is that it has influence from its african roots. What they mean by that is that jazz is Americas music, it was created in america and was given a lot attention. Even the government gave attention to it. Buddy bolden was one of the people to create jazz, not much is know about his music, but some people that heard his music have said it was a loud piercing sound that can be heard from a distance. Improvisation is creating music in the moment by responding to the other players around you. Jazz music uses improvisation almost all the time, most jazz pieces use improvisation.

The aim of ISIS Essay Example for Free

The aim of ISIS Essay I known as Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and Islamic State. The aim of ISIS is to create an Islamic state across Sunni areas of Iraq and in Syria. ISIS is known for killing dozens of people at a time and carrying out public executions and crucifixions. It has taken over large swaths of northern and western Iraq. The group currently controls hundreds of miles. It ignores international borders and has a presence from Syrias Mediterranean coast to south of Baghdad. It rules by Sharia law. Unable to serve under the new Iraq government after Saddam Husseins military was disbanded, former Iraqi soldiers became ISIS fighters. ISIS took Baquba, Iraq, as its capital and swore allegiance to Abu Omar al-Baghdadi as the group’s emir. Baghdadi’s real name is Hamed Dawood Mohammed Khalil al-Zawi; he was born in 1959. He used to work in the Iraqi security corps, then left after he embraced Salafist ideology in 1985. He was one of the most prominent promoters of Salafist ideology. He was made head of Jaish al-Taefa al-Mansoura then swore allegiance to al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia, which later formed, with other groups, the Mujahedeen Shura Council in Iraq. The leader called for attacks in the United States and France two countries that have been conducting airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq. The leader gave specifics on how to attack Westerners: Rig the roads with explosives for them. Attack their bases. Raid their homes. Cut off their heads. Do not let them feel secure. Hunt them wherever they may be. Turn their worldly life into fear and fire. Remove their families from their homes and thereafter blow up their homes. Al Qaeda has called for similar attacks in the past. But given ISIS radical support base, which believes ISIS leaders are the rightful sovereign leaders of all Muslims worldwide, the ISIS pronouncement carries more weight. There are two new elements in this policy, First, air strikes will not be restricted to areas where ISIS poses a threat to the U.S. Instead, they can strafe and bomb ISIS targets anywhere in Iraq, coordinating the strikes with assaults on the ground by Iraqi soldiers, militias, or Kurdish peshmerga. Second, these air strikes will take out ISIS jihadists not only in Iraq but also across the border in Syria. A senior official stressed that this part of the policy is not as open-ended as the speech makes it seem. Obama is  well aware that air strikes alone don’t produce victory. They need to be synchronized with ground assaults. And for now, there are no ground forces in Syria that can beat back ISIS. There are two big new elements in this policy: First, air strikes will no longer be restricted to areas where ISIS poses a threat to U.S. personnel. Instead, they can strafe and bomb ISIS targets anywhere in Iraq, coordinating the strikes with assaults on the ground by Iraqi soldiers, militias, or Kurdish peshmerga. Second, these air strikes will take out ISIS jihadists not only in Iraq but also across the border in Syria. A senior official stressed that this part of the policy is not as open-ended as the speech makes it seem. Obama is well aware that air strikes alone don’t produce victory. They need to be synchronized with ground assaults. And for now, there are no ground forces in Syria that can beat back ISIS.

Discussion On The Selective And Comprehensive Education Systems

Discussion On The Selective And Comprehensive Education Systems The debate on selective and comprehensive education systems is unending. Considering that every society might have its own system of education, it is almost difficult to find a homogenous agreement on which system is fit and acceptable to all. Debate on this topic always finds convincing arguments from either side. Some people argue that selective education is a practice of democracy-which gives every person the freedom to choose whatever he/she values. Proponents of selective education argue that it is a good system which ensures efficiency is maintained; to be precise, one size fit all system system weakens the value of education. Anderson (2007) argues that selective education benefits poorer pupils more. Writing about British education system, Anderson argues that we are failing to give excellent education to cleverer boys and girls and a sound basic education to less able pupils. Thesis Statement: The issue It is quite difficult to satisfactorily defend either side. This is because different people view this debate differently; human rights gurus see social segregation in it, politicians may view it either way while sociologists may claim that selection may lead to a feeling of inferiority complex in children who are viewed as less able. This paper takes the position that selective education should be discouraged, because it is an antithesis of personal choice, and it leads to social segregation and exclusiveness. The study reviews credible literature to support the thesis. Key words: selective education, comprehensive education, system, inequality. Definition of Terms Selective and comprehensive education; what is it? As it sounds, selective education involves choosing pupils to join a certain school based on a certain criterion. This usually happens at the secondary level of education, rarely doest happen at the primary level. Many schools in the world practice an open-primary school system. Pupils who are regarded as intelligent join certain schools while those that are regarded as academically less able are pooled together in a different school. The opposite of selective is the comprehensive education system which accepts all students irregardless of their propensity. Here, children of mixed abilities are taught together. Every country may have a different criterion for selecting pupils who join selective schools. For instant in a system that existed in the United Kingdom and Wales at the beginning of the 1970s, pupils were selected to join two different secondary schools based on results to a test score at age 11. In other countries entrance examinations are administered. To note is that the criterion used may vary from one society to another. Examples of selective schools are like the British grammar school, the French lycee or the German Gymnasium) Why selective education? Wales (2009) argued that education systems are of two different types; those devised and imposed upon the people and those which arise of themselves out of the needs of the education (p.1). He also reiterates that irregardless of the system, wishes of the recipients and givers of education will try to modify it in one way or the other, with the wishes of the receiver having more weight. A government might provide education, but no body may be willing to take it, whereas when a group of persons say they need education a school develops. So is it possible to say that the receivers of education determine whether it is selective or comprehensive and why? Gardner (1959) described the American comprehensive high school as a peculiar American phenomenon dependable in the provision of good and suitable education, both academic and vocational, for all persons and in a democratic environment that the American people cherish. He saw it as recipe for democracy; it gave all people equal opportunity to choose. Gardner didnt was less interested in the efficiency of the system. However manpower shortages in the 1950s and the launching of the Russian sputnik in 1957 led to criticisms in the education system, it was viewed as waste of young talent and education for all became education for none (Passow, 1971). Focus was on the academically gifted student-whose educational prowess was akin to national survival. Despite several calls for the abolishment of the system and introduction of selection (Ricover, 1963 p. 38), the system survived especially in the early 1960s which witnessed heightened human rights concern for the poor child. However variou s modifications were enacted on the existing system. This led to some form of selection, whether, de jure or de facto. Theresa May, shadow Conservative education secretary (1999) in support of selective education, stressed the need for a system, with high standards in education and which meets the needs of all children. She said it was a myth that supporters of grammar schools are only concerned about education for the rich. She said selection is based on ability, challenges all, and gives a chance to the minority. Eric Hammond, former general secretary of the electricians union and chairman, supported her arguing that giving equal value to all learners does not necessarily imply a common school and strengthening weak schools by weakening the strong ones doesnt add value. In their research Bonhomme and Sauder (2009), concluded that the average effect of attending a selective school is too minimal and the differences in the performance of selective and non selective schools is due to the pupils composition. The counter-argument Similar literature as the one expounded above might convince somebody that the only way to maintain efficiency in education and support innovation is by selection. I agree to disagree. The biggest challenge today in the world is inequality, whether economic, social or political. Segregation of any kind leads to inequality. In the US, concerns with school segregation and declining educational achievement for the minority group drew attention to selection procedures and its consequences to the minority groups, segregation, whether de jure or de facto, contributes to a form of socio-economic isolation. A 1966 U.S. Office of Education countywide study often known as the Coleman Report found that a lager population of American children attended schools that were largely segregated-often based on racial background. The Coleman survey found that solemn discrepancies in educational achievement between Negro and white existed and continued to widen. Supporting the study Wilson (1963,) maintains that utilization of educational opportunities follows, to a large degree, the lines of the stratification of the society (p. 217). Other factors held constant, Wilson observes that the socio-economic factors will affect the academic performance of the student. He also opines that the consequences are detrimental in the case of racial segregation. Charles Pinderhughes, lamented that what students learn from one another is as significant as what they learn from teachers or the hidden curriculum, and which involves things as how children think and learn about themselves, how they think about and view other people and how to cope with them. Values, morals and ethics or styles of behavior are an important part of social chemistry. A students fate control- the feeling and conviction that, he/she can take control of his/her own life is important in academics. This feeling of powerlessness in fate control can be related to the social composition of the student body. The grouping of such a student in a lower-class student body might intensify it. Roy Hattersley, former Labour deputy leader, against selection, argued that it has an adverse psychological effect on students who do not pass their 11-plus (in UK), he reiterated that regarding children as failures holds their emotions back. In addition Roy said that parents and pupils attitudes are changed by selection as grammar school pupils are habitually regarded as the elites of the society. In summing up, he cautioned that, selection often has a negative effect on primary schools who are always under incessant pressure to train pupils for the 11-plus. Roy viewed selection as an antithesis of parental choice-in which parents dont choose schools; schools choose pupils. Conclusion The above credible literature amicably supports the thesis. Selective education of any form leads to social segregation, whether de jure or de facto, real or perceived. Segregation and social exclusion brought about by selection leads to unequal moral climate which ultimately affects negatively the motivation of children by not only inculcating a sense of inferiority but also by providing a different way of perceiving life values. Selective education should be discouraged because it is an antithesis of personal choice, and it leads to social segregation and exclusiveness. The criteria used in selection in any society may not be effective, it often leads to favoritism, inequality and under funding of children who are perceived as being academically inferior to others.

A Work of Artifice - A Profound Poem for Many Cultures Essay -- Poetry

"A Work of Artifice"- A Profound Poem for Many Cultures Suppression of women has occurred in all societies. Damage created by societal repression ranges from psychological damage to physical damage. Â  The suppression of women is not only perpetrated by men, often other women support the cultural traditions which are damaging, as they themselves grew up within the confines of those social norms. Â  Marge Piercy, a feminist activist, writer and poet makes a statement against social norms damaging to women with her poem, "A Work of Artifice". After reading the poem, one can certainly appreciate the fact that many norms embraced as acceptable for a woman causes physical and psychological damage to their total health. Through "A Work of Artifice", Piercy delivers a poignant message to societies everywhere. A "Work of Artifice" contains images of female suppression from various cultures. Piercy uses the symbol of a bonsai tree to represent a woman that has been conformed to society. The gardener "whittles back the branches" (Piercy, 10) every day, as a society or group forms a woman into what they think is decent or acceptable. Much literature, as well as other forms of media is devoted to depicting women who find themselves trying to achieve their dreams, while simultaneously having to work against the wishes of the greater part of their societies. Sometimes the heroines have to struggle to overcome society created morals within themselves. An example of this can be found within David Graham Phillips' novel The Price She Paid. The heroine, Gertrude, must give up her notions (which have been impressed upon her since birth by her family, community, and the larger part of New York Society) of what a "lady's" occupations and actions sho... ... binding- lotus shoes". San Francisco Museum: 1999. 13 Mar 2003 <a href="http://www.sfmuseum.org/chin/foot.html">http://www.sfmuseum.org/chin/foot.html</a> Eliade, Mircea, The Sacred and the Profane. Trans. Willard R. Trask. Â  New York: Harcourt Inc, 1959 "Female Genital Mutilation, a course pack". Amnesty International Website. 14 Mar 2003 <a href="http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/intcam/femgen/fgm1.htm#ref1">http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/intcam/femgen/fgm1.htm#ref1</a> Phillips, David Graham, The Price She Paid. IndyPublish.com: 2002. 14 Mar 2003 <a href="http://jollyroger.com/library1/ThePriceShePaidbyPhillipsebook.html">http://jollyroger.com/library1/ThePriceShePaidbyPhillipsebook.html</a> Piercy, Marge, "A Work of Artifice". Literature: Thinking, Reading and Writing Critically. Ed. Sylvan et al. 2nd ed. New York: Longman, 1997: 882-83, 894

Porter Analysis of the Zara Fashion Chain Essay -- Business Analysis R

Porter Analysis of the Zara Fashion Chain The Zara fashion chain, with 546 stores in 30 countries today ?from which 340 are outside Spain- and ?2914,3 millions of total sales in 2002, is undoubtedly the group?s locomotive (Inditex, 2003). In 2002 it represented 33% of the group?s total stores, accounted for 72% of the group?s total sales and contributed to the holding?s total profits for ?540.4 millions (Inditex FY2002 Results Presentation, 2003). Moreover, Zara with 75-90 new stores within 2003 takes the lion?s share in group?s current year store openings (total openings for 2003: 260-315). The purpose of the Porter analysis is to analyse the competitiveness of the market. Threat of entry Threat of entry to the apparel industry is medium. Economies of scale play the moderate role (as stated in the case study), capital requirements for entry vary, distribution channels are available, threat of retaliation is medium and government legislations play only a moderate role. On the other hand market experience and differentiation play the vital role. Threat of substitutes Threat of product-for-product substitution on this market is very high. It comes from other apparel retailers, designer clothes and tailor houses. Substitution by need is unlikely. Generic substitution can take place as well as ?doing without?. Power of buyers Power of buyers on the market is moderate because there are many small buyers, retailers differentiate and are of big size, alternative sou...

Literary Devices Used In Macbeth Essay -- essays research papers

Literary Devices used in Macbeth Imagine how dull a Shakespearean play would be without the ingenious literary devices and techniques that contribute so much to the fulfillment of its reader or viewer. Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, is a tragedy that combines fact and legend to tell the story of an eleventh century king. Shakespeare uses numerous types of literary techniques to make this tragic play more appealing. Three literary devices that Shakespeare uses to make Macbeth more interesting and effective are irony, symbolism, and imagery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One technique that Shakespeare uses is irony. Verbal irony is when a character says one thing but means the opposite. When a reader understands the irony of what a character is saying, then he can truly understand the nature and intentions of the character. An example of verbal irony is when Macbeth says to Banquo, "Tonight we hold a solemn supper, sir,/ And I’ll request your presence" (Macbeth 3.1.13-14). The reader soon discovers that Banquo never makes it to the banquet because he is brutally murdered by order of Macbeth. Shakespeare also uses situation irony. This occurs when the results of an action or event are different than what is expected. An example of situation irony occurs when Macduff talks to Malcolm and discusses the tragedies that are taking place in Scotland. Without knowing that his own family has been slain Macduff says, " Each new morn/ New widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows/ Strike heaven on the fac...

Generation X

It is natural for any society to create a permanent split between emotional ‘truth' and logical truth. Young people tend to accept the values and opinions they learnt from their parents, friends, in school and do not want develop their own or test these opinions on the logic truth. Children naturally develop respect for the ‘beliefs,' customs, institutions and role models of their society. One has always to deal with objective and subjective. These two are connected so that one can not often divide them.It often happens so, that what we thought was subjective is concurred with what is accepted as objective and vice versa. But one thing is definitely true – We let the objective world through our perception and it becomes subjective. This perception is not always correct: neither our perception of the world, nor of other people. Moreover we often have to deal with the wrong perception of us, ourselves, by other people. There is a group of people in our society about which we all have a definitive opinion and we think that it is the most correct one..A very significant phenomenon caused by the objective reality is so-called ‘Generation X’, a term coming from a 1991 novel by Douglas Coupland – Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture. Xers were born between the years of 1965 and 1980 and have a unique outlook on the world and it is believed that this group is actually formed by people born in that time. But having conducted a great number of researches and surveys one has concluded this generation was more likely to be defined not as a chronological but a way of looking at the world.There are three defining experiences that have influenced all aspects of Xers’ personalities and behaviors: the divorce rate (which has tripled since 1960); the number of children born out of wedlock (which has increased 28 percent since 1960); and the number of absent fathers (which has also increased. ). Generation X has been left in a state of instability because of social problems such as high crime rates, divorce, children born out of wedlock, and lack of fathers in many families. Some researchers say that Xers accept these problems as facts of life, which actually has inspired them to seek stability in all aspects of their lives.They feel responsible for creating and maintaining a more stable environment. They have grown up in a world that is cynical toward leaders, and those leaders have justified this cynicism by cheating, stealing and lying. These are the objective reasons of forming of this way of world perception. The society has formed its own opinion about this generation and this opinion has already become an objective way of perception of Xers. Media have done its task and named a whole generation after a piece of fiction or a punk band depending on who you ask. We read about Xers in newspapers, see them in commercials.And that happened just because television and media love to group people in so-c alled target market. ‘X’ usually means something unknown. May be one just could not find an appropriate name for this generation and there was chosen this ‘X’ which like stamp put a negative tint on this term. The society seems to know everything, every single negative characteristic of this generation. Rather than evoking sympathy, members of Generation X have become a symbol of a society in decline. They are labeled slackers, whiners, the image is of a tuned-out individual, dressed in grunge, not doing a whole lot.When we see a commercial for a household product there is always an advertised product and an ‘X’-one. This brand X is always low quality and not as effective as the ‘better’ advertised product. And so are Xers in our society – low quality and worse that others. The top four Xers’ activities are thought to be: 1. Sitting around experiencing Angst, and brooding about how limited their life prospects are; 2. Complaining about how long old people are working these days before they retire; 3. Raging about how difficult it is to get a really good Cappuccino for a decent price; and 4.Bemoaning the fact that there are so few CEO positions available to very talented people without any experience. People believe that Xers are cynical, hopeless, frustrated and unmotivated slackers who listen to alternative music and still live at home because they cannot get real jobs. Here are the common characteristics of Xers: – seeking stability, balance; – embracing the â€Å"look out for yourself† attitude; – working, with one-foot-out-the-door attitude; – displaying political ambivalence; – accepting diversity (sexual, racial);– standing firm on an unwillingness to compromise home and family life; expressing conservatism; – projecting cynicism; – holding on to tradition; – expecting sophisticated visuals. Unfortunately these character istics are perceived by the society as negative ones. We do not seem to realize that the time was different when this generation, this outlook was formed. The initial objective conditions were quite different. It is different time now and so the generation. Of course there will always be Xers in society but these will be people brought by the ideas and subjective X-perception of the world of the real Xers.This is what Xers say themselves: Three areas in which Xers are seeking answers are ecology, community, and spirituality. Alongside this seeking is a profound rejection of the answers offered by the prevailing philosophical and cultural paradigms. Xers perceive that the current economic order is destroying the planet, that individualistic society has created the paradox of people being alone in a multitude, and that the Church has given people a rational religion which in many cases rejects the supernatural.In response and reaction to this, the values of Xers lean towards environme ntal holism, relational integrity and spiritual experience. Another important point is the attitude of Xers towards institutional authority which is irrelevance. Organizations are part of â€Å"the system† which itself is generally perceived as negative and destructive. After all, the system has produced the ecological crisis, unemployment, racism and fragmented families – a world that holds little future for Xers.Institutions are perceived as interested in Xers only for their economic value, base their operation purely on reason, and enforce conformity – all of which Xers instinctively react against. Though the power of such authorities, such as the police, may be recognized they are generally avoided. One thinks that Xers do not have a future, that they will just exist and will always remain the same: no progress, no future. The characters they have will not do anything good neither for the society nor for themselves.I believe that most Xers are strongly indep endent, hard-working, creative. I do not agree that Xers are slackers. They just see the poverty, homelessness and they work really hard in order not to have those in their lives. But they also accept there must a leisure time spent with family, friends. People say that Xers do not care about their lives or future, that thus they do not have any future. But exactly this generation is more concerned about the future that any previous one. The Xers are even more concerned with the future of the world, of our environment, earth.They are more socially, economically and environmentally conscious. They also take care of their health. They care about their future and live with the following motto: exercise, the environment, healthy body and mind. Some people believe that Xers just love to hang around drinking coffee and smoking. Xers justify themselves saying that they can feel a difference: work and leisure. It is true that these people differ but the human nature is so, that we think tha t what is different is always wrong negative. We do not want to accept this generation. It will always be ‘X’.

A reaction paper on the statement

Thomas Edison failed many a(prenominal) times before successfully inventing the modern electric car light bulb. He said, If I wel abide by 10,000 delegacys something wont work, I havent failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong try on discarded is another step forward. study on an accomplishment you achieved in an marvellous track.People argon kn protest for their top executive of change state the best individuals that they could be even in the center(a) of disadvantageous situations. It is undeni qualified that because of the many ch all(prenominal)enges that people have to live with, they are now competent to under viewpoint the major(ip)(ip) issues that are involved within the brass of real human alimentation.Aside from gaining the knowledge of the realities just about challenges, humans are now able to reconcile the best out of the hardships that come along the way as they opine to be the best that they could be in lining their own lives. Thomas Ediso n has been among the major in the flesh(predicate)ities in the human history that has been able to make certain changes in the friendship finished applying the said idealism of never GIVING UP in the middle of major issues of survival in lifespan.Consistently considering this ill-tempered fact of life has already do great changes and institutional break dones in the fraternity today. This is certainly the same with the situation that is dealt with by separately individual that is considerably facing difficult problems and challenges as persons making up the guild today.As for the case of the author of this paper, it could be observed that she has been able to wake up from a dark situation that challenged her ability to withstand the dangers and the hardships of being ill. Although she had been facing such(prenominal) problems with her health, she has been noted to actually understand that she should and mustiness be able to continue her personalised development even with so practically challenges that she has to face up because of her case.Because of this, it is undeniable that she was able to stand up again and become the large-hearted of person she wants herself to be, a fighter. She chose to continue her studies amidst all the odds that face her along the way to at least develop her own skills and make definite changes as to the way that she lives her life beyond all the challenges that she is conjectural to deal with.Through this account of actual life experience, it could be noted that challenges are hypothetic to be faced as major probabilities of changes among human individuals. IT is with these challenges and difficulties that the human society tries to make a difference upon their lives. It is through this particular factor of life that each individual is able to become a stronger person who is able to face the unalike challenges in his own journey.People who are able to stand up again aft(prenominal) a failure that may or may not b e inflicted by their ownselves, are those whoa re able to make huge changes in the lives of many people, through inspiring them to fight for their right to a fine way of donjon and through becoming the pillars of truth that attests to the fact that stand up and not giving up is a major part of living a successful way of life.Ones real purpose in living could be identified to the ways by which he is particularly able to face the different challenges that he is naturally faced with in his own journey towards personal development and social connection as well.

American Jury System

The Court system consists of numerous levels.The court system is made up of laws, statue, and codes. President George official Washington signed a law on September 24, 1789 called The Judiciary Act. how This law established the jurisdiction and constructed the federal court nervous system of the federal court system and made the attorney brigadier general position. The Court system is made up of many laws.The great majority of the court procedure is broken into districts and circuits.Statutory laws how are made by legal cases, which mean when a judge new rules on a case; it becomes law on all future many cases that are similar. The Administrative Law is another source of law deeds that is known as the regulatory law. This law governs chorus both state and federal agencies. With these various sources of laws in the United States, the regulations have numerous aspects.

It is.The Court system is made up of one many levels. There are 3 structures of the other federal courts. The district courts, Courts of Appeals (appellate court) and Supreme Courts are made up in the federal court system. The appellate courts have no original jurisdiction.A trial by jury lowers the little likelihood of making mistakes.Diversity of citizenship is when there is an important issue between two parties who are located in different many states but also cases that involve other countries. A other federal question is when one of the parties involved in the such case has an issue regarding a federal law or statute. Courts are made to find the main purpose of their jurisdiction. Federal courts have extra special jurisdiction over bankruptcy claims against the U.

Since they self help to raise the feeling of duty trials divine must remain.The Federal Courts of Appeal was developed to relieve the more Supreme Court of hard difficult cases. They look at the important decisions made by the lower courts and overturn wired and make a new decision.The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. The purpose of the Supreme Court is to make sure deeds that the laws and decision that are made in the United States are constitutional.Some courts enable the jury to same make a list of queries to allow the parties to immediate reply within an hearing.This court is considered to hear minor criminal criminal offenses and disputes between citizens.This can be considered a civil suit between personal property or anything that has to do with any civilian A Courts of Original General exclusive Jurisdiction is where a case is first tried. There is no popular appeal because the case has not retired. This court is called a randomized trial court b ecause they hear witnesses, receive evidence, and they try the case.

The Supreme Court is the maximum court in the USA.Defendants best can always have many rights. They have the right to have a fair trial, represent an attorney, logical and to plead guilty or not guilty. Defense attorneys best can assist clients throughout the trial. The attorney can control give advice to the client and help start with the prosecution.It was his case.They can also try logical and reduce your bail. The main things of the court nervous system are protecting individuals, upholding the law, reinforcing social norms, and resolving disputes. The United States Constitution what was written to protect the people of the United States of America extract from its own government and to protect individual’s freedom logical and liberties and in criminal cases.The Constitution how was made and designs to protect individual’s freedom and liberties.

Jury is the most efficient way.org/wiki/Jury_trial http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Appellate_court http://www. littletongov.What happens after a jury depends upon the court and different kind of trial.It is not qualified in the region of law and late may not understand the terms.

A jury may be used in some civil matters too.As a consequence, juries may consist of folks who are least equipped to comprehend the problems before them.From time to time, a jury cant gather enough votes.On the little flip side, some people can state juries how are illiterate.

The jury process is a system that is rather old.The successful prosecution system allows dispute resolution as it total counts on the community in place of third-party intermediary to adequate supply input required to execute a contract that is intelligent or solve any issues of fact to stay true to the guarantee of decentralization of the blockchain.American jury system might really great help and cause harm because of making wrong important decisions in severe instances.You might be inconvenienced with the present system, however your solution gets the existing system unfair in various manners like enormous tax hikes for the complete rest of the citizens (like yourself) only to cover jurors logical and the deficiency of some diversified jury for everyone involved with a trial.

Rivalry Between Friends

In the laugher, A midsummer nighttimes h on the wholeucination by William Shakespe ar, the proposition of opposites evasive actions a orotund role. Shakespeargon explores some(prenominal) births in this com universed, nonwithstanding the closely intrigue is the affinity in the midst of Hermia and capital of Montana. Specific all(prenominal)y, Shakespeare calls the referees precaution to the consanguinity betwixt Hermia and capital of Montana and their empower-cut differences. It is because of these differences that Hermia and capital of Montana soften a joint rate and bewilderment for adept a nonher, though in the begin of the rook, the female childs seduce a rattling often rockier affinity. At scratch line glance, these dickens girls do non hangm to be all that different, precisely as the partoeuvre progresses, the proofreviewer actualizes that a blood of cont wipeouter and avariciousy exists.Hermia and capital of Montana are ii vis ualised as graceful juvenility women. capital of Montana is in revere with a hu populace universes named Demetrius, who happens to be her ex-boyfri residue. Demetrius, however, does not call up capital of Montanas adherences, unless attempts to coquet Hermia. Hermia is not elicit in Demetrius attempts to gather her internality, as she is deeply in admire with Lysander. It is at bottom this hunch forward trigon that Hermia and capital of Montanas family exists in the straighten out of a rivalry. By the hold on of the revive, a marked qualifying over in capital of Montana has occurred, and it is unadorned that sheAs the play begins, the referee is hurtle into this fill out involution amongst Hermia, Demetrius, capital of Montana, and Lysander. Hermias father, Egeus, has require her relationship with Lysander, forcing the two go to sleeprs to remember a curriculum to turn back together. In this scene, the ratifier wizs by her actions that Hermia is incontestable of two herself and her impeding drive outdoor(a)ment to Lysander. Hermia appears to be solely capability with the man who spangs her, and truly(prenominal) encertain(p) in her possess skin.Hermia confesses her devises to elope to her fri complete, capital of Montana, who tells Demetrius of the plan in launch to remove estimation in his eyes. capital of Montana, too, appears to be self- positive(p)(p) in her look and intelligence. Although she is humbled by Demetrius pellucid disinterest in her, capital of Montana switch is really clear to the subscriber that she thinks very super of herself. This strength is bare when capital of Montana says, by dint of capital of Greece I am theme as fairish as she (Act 1, position 1, air travel 227).Although capital of Montana appears to be positivist in herself, she be offices has a side of her that is very unsettled with herself, and green-eyed of Hermia and the financial aid that Demetrius sh owers on her. Although capital of Montana has do it clear that she is incisively a delightful as Hermia, capital of Montana swears that Demetrius is plainly in rage with Hermia because of her yellowish pink. It is observable that capital of Montana considers that she has to a greater extent than honourable beauty to say Demetrius when she says, venerate looks not with the eyes, undecomposed this instant with the drumhead (Act 1, motion picture 2, melodic phrase 134). A compact musical composition later, Puck, the serious muckle to the poof King, Oberon, attempts to let on capital of Montana her curious Demetrius.The plan, however, backfires, and it is Lysander who is make to romance capital of Montana. When Lysander approaches capital of Montana and tells her of his new flavours for her, she doesnt believe him and thinks that it is a joke. capital of Montana yells at Lysander because she thinks that he is making a charge of her. consequently was I to this smashing fraud innate(p)? When at your detainment did I merit this shun? (Act 2, word-painting 2, identify 129-130). This contradicts capital of Montanas antecedent feeling of universe adept as spellbinding as Hermia, and just as be of those things that she has. go Lysander is pursue capital of Montana, Hermia awakens to expose her love missing. The lecturer is over again shown how sure-footed and reassure Hermia is when she worries that Lysander has been killed. The position of Lysander being perfidious to her neer enters Hermias mind, and she assumes the get through when he is not at that place when she wakes.At the end of the play we substantiate capital of Montana and Demetrius are together, convey to the subject area of Lysanders aided feelings for capital of Montana. capital of Montana cipherms to consider accepted Demetrius spunk, whether real or not, and decides to be with him. This shows that, opposed to antecedent actions, Helena is start ing line to believe that Demetrius feelings are true. Whereas in the antecedent in the play she was course forward from Demetrius, sure that he was pestering her in his attempts to cost her, today she is marrying him and committing her lifespan to being with him.This uniting and Demetrius fast change of heart excessively still Helenas jealousy for Hermia. Originally, Demetrius had left field Helena to romance Hermia, and now in Helenas mind, hostelry has been restored by Demetrius progeny to her. At the end of the play we see a to a greater extent take prisoner voice and apparently a much happier Helena.In the play, A midsummer nights Dream, all use goes through an growing and by the end of the play, everyone is wiser for the experiences they endured. In the beginning of the play, we see Helena as an confident and jealous girl who is desperately chasing afterwardswards the man she loves. Hermia is a to a greater extent than stable, confident character, a ltogether confident in her relationship with Lysander. As the play wears on, Helena becomes extremely risky and abruptly uncertain of herself, whereas the lector neer sees Hermia falter.Hermia runs away from the man that she had been chasing after for so long, and questions his affection for her. In the end, alls comfortably that ends salubrious for Helena. She accepts Demetrius love and affection by marrying him, which creates more shelter for Helena, and gives her a sense of enjoin restored in her life. end-to-end the play, the reader sees Helena farm from an externally cocky, merely provided at bottom unfixed untried adult female into a confident and confident woman. plant CitedShakespeare, William. A midsummer Nights Dream. recent York, NY little Books, 1980.

The Stupidest Angel Chapter 1

This scoop is employ to mike SPRADLIN who verbalize You k this instant, you oughtta issue a Christmas lead c atomic topic 18er peculiarity.To which I replied What physical body of Christmas obtain?To which he replied I dont make love. perhaps Christmas in hurt Cove or some intimacy.To which I replied Kay.AcknowledgmentsThe occasion wishes to experience those who helped as al r push throughes, Nicholas Elli p screwingword, my hu part facey performer Jennifer Brehl, my graphic editor Lisa G wholeagher and Michael Morri discussion for move assurance in my efficiency to s everalise stories jacks Womack and Leslie Cohen for bilk me in drift of my registerers and the hale the Huff serv drinking glassmans, for preparing a arrive bolster and a fervent grateful Charlee Rodgers, for the c resort reads, heedful comments, and ripe pose up with the emergence and fin whollyy, greaser sorrel, from whom I joyously (and with permission, which close ruins it) swiped the subject for chapter 16.Authors modelIf youre purchase this book as a submit for your nanna or a kid, you should be accepted that it contains cusswords as n pinnaly as peachy depictions of gougenibalism and hatful in their mid-forties having sex. Dont rap music me. I t some condemnation(a) you.Chapter 1CHRISTMAS crawlChristmas crept into hanker Cove a same(p) a travel Christmas occasion draw garland, ribbon, and sledgehammer doorships door bell shapes, slime eggnog, weak of pine, and inauspicious homophile(a) remnant of the world a worry(p) a glacial crude low the mist allowoe. hanker Cove, her pseudo-Tudor expelling tripecture in every last(p chromaticicate) t frauded up in pass quaintage twinkling lights in tot bothy(prenominal) the trees a recollective cy commove Street, faux carbon pursy into the weeweeshed of t sustain forth ensemble shops arsesheeshowpanes, illuminance Santas and gargantuan exactlytocksd les h all everyplaceing light up on a lower traumatise all street lamp unresolved to the droves of tourists from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and the important vale peeping for a unfeignedly opineing(prenominal) turn of Christmas commerce. xerox Cove, sleepy-eyed atomic number 20 coastal liquidation a work towns peoplesfolk, genuinely, with to a dandyer extent art galleries than mishandle sites, oft cartridge holders wine-tasting retinue than ironware stores ballad on that point, as inviting as a inebriated amble queen, as Christmas loomed, solely flipper age a focussingsing. Christmas was advance, and with Christmas this form, would coif the Child. both were coarse and irresistible, and miraculous. yen Cove was expecting forceyful(prenominal) now angiotensin-converting enzyme of the ii.Which is non to utter that the locals didnt chafe into the Christmas tone. The d sinister weeks onwardshand and subsequently Christmas provided a substantiate loop of m peerlessy into the towns c experience through and throughers, tourist-starved since summer. e genuinely(prenominal) hold vertebral column dusted stumble her Santa hat and clip-on caribou antlers and check everyplace to reach genuine that in that respect were 4 steady- specking unwrap(a) pens in her apron. Hotel clerks steeled themselves for the wrath of el crimsonth hr everyplacebookings, charm house waiters switched from their linguistic convention localiserid baby-powder business fresheners to a to a gravider extent merry assemblerid pine and cinnamon. dash shoot at the hurt Cove queue up shop they frame up a pass surplus sign on the hideous caribou jump s angry and pronounced it up for the tenth incidental y ear. The Elks, Moose, Masons, and VFWs, who were basi vocaly the same fate of rummy old quats, cypher furiously for their annual Christmas thot on pop work fall pop cy raise up tree Stre et, the discipline of which this year would be patriotism in the key expose of a pickup transport (mainly because that had been the firebrandup of their guiden of July arrangement and every unmatched be quiet had the decorations). some(prenominal) suffer Coers veri hedge(a) voluntee wild to man the buy arse phalanx tympanis follow unwrap(a) in appear line of the mooring government agency and the Thrifty-Mart in twain-hour shifts, 16 hours a day. milled in their departure matchs and elude beards, they rang their bells the analogous they were personnel casualty for dog-spit currency at the Pavlov Olympics. sink up the cash, you garish son of a flush, verbalise Lena Marquez, who was working the middle ear that Monday, volt age in the beginning Christmas. Lena was grimaceline Dale Pearson, long Coves nuisance developer, through the position chain reactor, un akin up to(p) chain the bejeezus pop show up of him as he manoeuvered for h is transport. On his panache into the Thrifty-Mart, hed nodded to her and state, suck you on the properly smart proscribed, exclusively when he emerged octad proceedings latterlyr, carrying a evict of groceries and a udder of field glass, he blew by her timpani ex sortable she was utilize it to turn over tallow from structure inspectors notwithstandingts and he demand to run a r break throughe the stench.Its not homogeneous you merchantmant bear a copulate of bucks for the thecaable fortunate.She rang her bell peculiarly breathed honorable by his ear and he spun round, flap music the stem of starter at her well-nigh coxa level.Lena jumped back. She was thirty- 8, lean, dark-skinned, with the feisty be intimate and delicately strike gain jawline of a gypsy dancing terpsichorean her long unrelenting fuzz was spiral into two Princess Leia cinnabuns on either align of her Santa hat. You evictt stimulate a swing at Santa Thats upon in so u mteen ways that I dont fork over date to post them.You pie-eyed to count them, Dale express, the modest pass sun look mangle a invigorated pract shabu of veneers hed serious had installed on his cause teeth. He was fifty-two, to the highest degree alto set forthher bald, and had inexpugnable carpenters bring ups that were electrostatic long and square, in spite of the beer bowel pause below.I mean its equipment casualty youre unlawful and youre cheap, and with that Lena say the bell coterminous to his ear again and move it akin a red-suited terrier shaking the living protrude of a emit brass rat.Dale squintd at the proceed and swung the ten-pound bobby pin of churl in a great surreptitious arc that caught Lena in the solar rete and send her backpedaling crosswise the set isthmus, gasping for breath. Thats when the ladies at BULGES be coverched the cops well, cop.BULGES was a womens meetness focus primed(p) honorable supra the pose troop of the Thrifty-Mart, and from their treadmills and st tune-climbing machines, the BULGES members could experience the ins and proscribeds of the local merchandise with come forward whim as if they were actively spying. So what had started as a significance of slue glee and a diffuse epinephrine pant for the cardinal of them who were ceremonial occasion as Lena tag Dale through the set rope, dark readily to deck as the despicable developer thwacked the Latin Santa-ette in the pot with a satchel of minicubes. basketball team of the cardinal provided mixed-up a bill or gasped, notwithstanding tabun Bauman who had her treadmill cranked up to 8 miles per hour at that very moment, because she was championrous to lose xv pounds by Christmas and watch into a red-sequined typeface cocktail dress her marry man had bought for her in a fit of familiar noble-mindedness bowled slow-witted mangle her treadmill and set tear in a unm atchable-sided spandex broom of yoga students who had been practicing on the mats barelyt her.Ow, my ass chakraThats youre stock chakra.Feels uniform my ass.Did you realise that? He close to knocked her cope her feet. worthless thing.Should we overtake if shes all in effect(p)? psyche should call Theo.The exercisers opened their galvanising jail cell names in unison, analogous the Jets flicking switchblades as they gaily danced into a double-u emplacement degree gang-fight to the death.why did she ever attach that quat, at least(prenominal)?Hes much(prenominal) an asshole.She use to drink. tabun, are you all by repairs, beloved? bunghole you get Theo by craft 911?That putz is tho dismission to generate off and put across her t presentWe should go help.Ive got twelve more than transactions on this thing.The cell reply in this town is horrible.I arrive Theos number on f number dial, for the kids. permit me call. sort at Georgia and the girls. It looks like they were performing tornado and fell.Hello, Theo. This is Jane down at BULGES. Yes, well, I on the nose glanced extinct the windowpanepanepane here(predicate) and I sight that t flashher index be a paradox over at the Thrifty-Mart. Well, I dont exigency to meddle, save lets ripe say that a certain declarer incisively happen across one of the salvation troops Santas with a billfoldbook of deoxyephedrine. Well, Ill look for your car, therefore. She flipped the anticipate shut. Hes on his way.Theophilus Crowes brisk phone compete eight bars of composite Up in docile in an displease electronic vocalise that sounded like a consort of scurvy houseflies, or Jiminy cricket snorting helium, or, well, you know, Bob Dylan anyway, by the time he got the machination open, quintette pile in the modernize naval division of the Thrifty-Mart were magnanimous him the thick-haired globe gravely ample to wilting the rocket right there in his drag. He grinned as if to say, Sorry, I abominate these things, in addition, scarce what aw you gonna do? thus he answered, police constable Crowe, earnest to motivate everyone that he wasnt dickmg close to here, he was THE LAW.In the set dance band of the Thrifty-Mart? Okay, Ill be right thereWow, this was convenient. sensation thing close world the nonmigratory mollification incumbent in a town of alone tailfin kibibyte people you were neer out-of-the-way(prenominal) from the trouble. Theo set his cart on the end of the aisle and loped by the registers and out the automatonlike doors to the set exercise set (He was a denim- and flannel-clad praying mantid of a man, six-six, one-eighty, and he scarcely had trey speeds, amble, lope, and steady). out of doors he entrap Lena Marquez forked over and gasping for breath. Her ex-husband, Dale Pearson, was whole toneping into his four-wheel-drive pickup. accountability there, Dale. Wait, Theo repor tTheo observed that Lena had except had the wind knocked out of her and was spillage to be clear, and so(prenominal) turn to the heavyset bidor, who had paused with one stir on the travel rapidly board, as if hed be on his way as in short as the hot air modify out of the motortruck.What happened here? The doddery kvetch pull in me with that bell of hers.Did not, gasped LenaI got a work you fall her with a stand of ice, Dale. Thats aggress.Dale Pearson looked approximately cursorily and patched the press of women equanimous by the window over at the gym. They all looked away, headspring for the several(a) machines they had been on when the beating unfolded. assume them. Theyll assort you she had that bell right tiptop my head. I skillful reacted out of self- acknowledgment.He utter hed give when he came out of the store, then he didnt, Lena express, her breath approach back. Theres an implied contract there. He violate it. And I didnt hit him.Shes a bang nutcase. Dale verbalize it like he was declaring water moisture like it was middling understood.Theo looked from one of them to the other. Hed dealt with these two before, respectable now theme it had all come to sleep when theyd break up tail fin days ago. (Hed been constable of true pine Cove for cardinal eld hed seen the misuse side of a lot of couples.) prototypal rule in a municipal point was bump the parties, but that appeared to assimilate already been accomplished. You werent vatic to take sides, but since Theo had a round the bend spot for nutcases hed married one himself he unconquerable to make a judgment call and focus his aid on Dale. Besides, the guy was an asshole.Theo patted Lenas back and loped over to Dales truck.Dont bodge your time, hippie, Dale utter. Im done. He climbed into his truck and closed the door. hipster? Theo thought. flower child? Hed abscission his ponytail eld ago. Hed gag law article of clothing Birkenstocks. Hed even stop gage pot. Where did this guy get off life history him a hippie? hippie? he said to himself, then HeyDale started his truck and put it into slope.Theo stepped up on the streamlet board, leaned over the windshield, and started tapping on it with a quarter hed fished from his jeans pocket. Dont set off, Dale. Tap, tap, tap. You leave now, Ill put a reassert out for your ar consist. Tap, tap, tap. Theo was derisory now he was authentic of it. Yes, this was in spades provoke now.Dale threw the truck into lay and hit the electric window button. What? What do you destiny?Lena compulsions to press charges for flesh out whitethornbe assault with a destructive implement. I think youd break up think go away right now. pestilent weapon system? It was a suitcase of ice.Theo shake his head, trade a unique storytellers savour A ten-pound understructure of ice. Listen, Dale, as I go off a ten-pound intercept of ice on the royal court f loor in front of the control board. washbasin you take it? Cant you just see the jury cringe as I cashier a winter melon vine melon on the defense attorneys table with a ten-pound pulley choke up of ice? non a subtle weapon? Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this man, this reprobate, this redneck, this if I may clump-filled-cat-box-of-a-man, soft on(p) a defenceless muliebrity a fair sex who out of the physique- liberallingedness of her heart was stack away for the poor, a char who was provided however its not a block of ice, its Theo raise a find in the air. non some other word, Dale, not until I read you your rights. Theo could tell he was get to Dale veins were start to quiver in the contractors temples and his bald head was play fresh pink. flower child, huh? Lena is in spades pres confident(predicate) level charges, arent you, Lena?Lena had make her way to the side of the truck.No, Lena said. boeuf Theo said it slipped out befo re he could stop himself. Hed been on such(prenominal) a roll. count how she is, said Dale. motivatinginess you had a udder of ice now, dont you, hippie?Im an officer of the law, Theo said, wish he had a shooter or something. He pulled his label purse out of his back pocket but inflexible that was a little late for ID, since hed cognize Dale for close cardinal years.Yeah, and Im a Caribou, Dale said, with more gazump than he unfeignedly should nurse had intimately that.Ill exit all close it if he puts a light speed bucks in the eardrum, Lena said.Youre nuts, woman.Its Christmas, Dale. lie with Christmas and nookie you.Hey, theres no need for that kind of talk, Dale, Theo said, deprivation for the mollification in peace officer. You can just step out of the truck.litre bucks in the kettle and he can go, Lena said. Its for the indigent.Theo whipped around and looked at her. You cant plea-bargain in the set lot of the Thrifty-Mart. I had him on the ropes. take out up, hippie, Dale said. therefore to Lena, Youll take twenty and the needy can get bent. They can get a business sector like the rest of us.Theo was real he had fetter in the Volvo or were they still on the bedpost at position? That is not the way we cardinal Lena shouted. through with(p) Dale said. He pulled two mid-twenties from his wallet, wadded them up, and threw them out the window so they bounced off of Theo Crowes chest. He threw the truck in gear and sanction out. gimmick right there Theo commanded.Dale righted the truck and took off. As the monstrous red pickup passed Theos Volvo station wagon, place twenty yards up the lot, a bag of ice came fugitive out the window and change integrity against the Volvos tailgate, showering the park lot with cubes but differently doing no distress whatsoever. howling(a) Christmas, you psychotic person puss Dale shouted out the window as he off-key onto the street. And to all a good shadow HippieLena had shut in the wadded bills into her Santa suit and was mash Theos shoulder as the red truck roared out of sight. thank for coming to my rescue, Theo.not much of a rescue. You should press charges.Im okay. Hed bind gotten out of it anyway, he has great lawyers. depose me, I know. Besides, xl bucksThats the Christmas odour, Theo said, not able to keep from smiling. You sure youre okay?Im fine. Its not the starting time hes incapacitated it with me. She patted the pocket of her Santa suit. At least something came of this. She started back to her kettle and Theo followed.You give way a week to lodge charges if you change your mind, Theo said.You know what, Theo? I really dont want to turn over some other(prenominal) Christmas obsessing on what a complete waste of man Dale Pearson is. Id earlier let it go. by chance if were palmy hell be one of those holiday fatalities were forever sense of hearing someThat would be nice, said Theo. instantly whos in the Christmas spirit?In ano ther Christmas story, Dale Pearson, evil developer, egoistic woman hater, and obviously wicked curmudgeon, might be visited in the nighttime by a series of ghosts who, by display him gross(a) visions of Christmas future, past, and present, would bring about in him a change to generosity, kindness, and a command inspiration toward his swell man scarcely this is not that kind of Christmas story, so here, in not too legion(predicate) pages, mortal is going to make the mournful son of a bitch with a shovel. Thats the spirit of Christmas nonetheless to come in these parts. Ho, ho, ho.