Dissertation Chapters Essay

Our writers carefully peruse the contents of your entire dissertation in order to create the most concise yet informative summary of your work’s contents. This includes an overview of the research question, methods, results, and conclusions. The writing we produce is always clear and gives a solid and interesting, yet self-contained introduction to your dissertation that will encourage others to read it. We will also be careful to remain within the word limit of 350-600 words, while always aiming to optimize the impact of the work. Discussion Writing Our writers are adept at presenting clearly defined results. The proper arrangement of your results is always executed. Plus, the patterns that are present in the results are discussed and analyzed in clear language. Inferences are made regarding the data and these are continually related back to the hypothesis and research questions to maintain the cohesion of the whole work. Depending on your wishes, we are also able to include the works limitations and directions for future research. Review/Editing Admission Essays Our writers have had several years of experience with admission essays and know precisely how to modify yours in order to make it of top quality. For essay editing, we fine-tune your essay by removing grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors. For essay review, we offer you all our essay editing services, plus we also work hard to improve the style of your essay. This means that we improve your diction, syntax, and other stylistic problems. Plus we also offer feedback, which will give you directions on how to expand certain sections of your essay by offering more information in a given area. We will go the extra mile to make your essay one that will be noticed by the any admissions committee, and we work with you one-on-one to make that happen.

Nutrition and Vegetables Essay

Vegetables are a very important part of our diet. Vegetables are an excellent source for fiber, vitamins A and C, potassium, calcium, and iron. Researchers have discovered that having a good diet of fruits and vegetables can lower blood pressure, reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke and possibly some types of cancers. It can also lower your risk of eye problems and digestive problems. Vegetables are eaten in a variety of ways such as main meals or for snacks. The nutritional content in vegetables can vary considerably. Most vegetables do not contain protein or fat. The dried beans, peas, and lentils are a good source of complex carbohydrates and can have high protein content. Sometimes these types of vegetables can be used to some extent as a meat substitute. Potatoes and corn are very starchy vegetables. These types of vegetables turn into sugar. Vegetables have a variety of colors. They can range from dark green to a beautiful orange color. The dark green vegetables are usually the leafy vegetables, and squash, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes are examples of the orange family. Some vegetables have a red/blue coloring such as eggplant and red cabbage. Many articles today have different ideas on the amount or servings of vegetables a person should eat per day. The amounts can range from two (2) up to nine (9) servings per day. The majority of nutrition specialists suggest 2-1/2 cups per day. Potatoes do not count in your servings per day! The best bet for servings are the dark leafy greens, tomatoes, and anything that is yellow, orange, or red color. According to the National Cancer Institute, not enough fruits and vegetables are produced or imported to supply all of the people in the United States for a healthy diet of five servings per person per day. Another problem affecting vegetable growth is bugs and insects. Scientific studies have been conducted that support the claim that insects attack plants that do not receive the proper balance of nutrients. The number of documented outbreaks of human infections associated with raw vegetables and unpasteurized fruit juices has increased in recent years. Most of the outbreaks were identified primarily as Salmonella. Tomatoes, seed sprouts, cantaloupe, apple juice and orange juice are the most recent vegetables to be linked to the Salmonella bacteria. The E. coli infection has been found in lettuce, sprouts, and apple juice. It is very hard to determine the source of contamination for the bacteria for vegetables. Unlike beef and chicken that are thoroughly inspected, methods for fresh produce are not as advanced. The contamination could occur at any point throughout the production process. Some of the potential sources of contamination include soil, feces, irrigation water, dust, insects, and human handling. Recently the Center for Disease Control has had a nationwide recall on alfalfa sprouts with the Salmonella bacteria and for romaine lettuce containing the E. coli bacteria. In conclusion, people have been consuming meats and vegetables since the beginning of time. I am sure many people died back in the beginning of time from the diseases and bacteria we have discovered today. We must consume meats and vegetables to survive. Humans cannot live on water alone. If individuals today will use common knowledge on preparing meats and vegetables, a lot of issues such as the contamination and bacteria would not exist. All in all the meats and vegetables today are safe and nutritious. If consumed in the right amounts, we will have a healthy, long, enjoyable life.

Bskyb Marketing Plan

The target markets of BSkyB are both individual citizens and small business enterprises, where the later will be at the centre in the targeting. BSkyB (Sky) is to segment the targeted markets geographically where the concentration will be small cities in UK. BSkyB (Sky) will concentrate its product/service strategy on SMS texting, apart from other common mobile communication services. BSkyB (Sky) plans competitive pricing to appeal the customers in UK mobile telecommunication sector. When it comes to distribution strategy, BSkyB (Sky) will place its services to the organized retail shops in the UK mobile telecommunication sector. For some markets, the distribute shops will be opened BSkyB (Sky) in malls of the geographically segmented cities. In order to reach the targeted customers in UK mobile telecommunication market BSkyB (Sky) will centrally focus on advertising so far as promotion is concerned. INTRODUCTION BSkyB (Sky) is a comparatively youthful firm in UK telecommunication industry, however has a considerable and rising track in the UK. BSkyB (Sky) offers an array of entertainment and communications services to just about 40% of homes, where its aired television channels are watched by more than half the populace every week in the country, and moreover BSkyB (Sky) employs thousands of group all through the different regions of UK the country. BSkyB (Sky) claims to have changed consumers’ experience of television and home communications in UK, whilst making momentous returns for its shareholders and further confidently contribute to the economy of the country overall. More clearly, overall, BSkyB (Sky) was projected to s put in a ? 5. billion giving to UK GDP in the year of 2011. So far as UK telecommunication industry is concerned, BSkyB (Sky) is fast emerging as a major player in the industry as regards the market segments of broadband and telephony markets, though its performance in these market segments are yet to be acknowledged as leading (CorporateSky, 2013). The major facts about BSkyB (Sky) are presen ted in the Table. Table: Key Facts: BSkyB (Sky) Source: BSkyB (2013) Adjusted operating profit for BSkyB (Sky) is a foremost measure of the underlying business performance. It has increased by 14% in 2012(? m) Source: CorporateSky (2013) Even though BSkyB (Sky) is making substantial profits restricting its operation the solo targeted segment of UK telecommunication market, yet it has ample opportunity to grow and increase profits shifting gears, where there ia an opportunity awaiting in mobile telecommunications services market segment. It is in this context that a marketing planning is developed for BSkyB (Sky) in this report. IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT OF MARKET The marketing process of a firm all concerns to planning and implementation of the research objectives defined in terms of the identified market segment to be targeted. This is what marketing management is described as an order of selecting target markets and further based on marketing planning acquire, carry on, and nurture customers all the way through generating , bringing and communicating advanced customer value. In this framework, marketing practitioners in firms are expected to be possessing proficient skill as per the requirements in the market, and they need to look for controlling the echelon, time, and concerto of demand (Mullins, Boyd and Larreche, 2006). The marketing attempt is connected to not only servicing he customers but as well benefiting the firms. So far as identification and assessment of the market is concerned, the procedure all concerns to analysing marketing opportunities, deciding target markets, planning marketing strategies, extending marketing agendas and finally monitoring and controlling the marketing endeavor that largely connect to marketing planning . However, a foremost component of the marketing planning process is discerning, innovative marketing strategies and plans that may well direct marketing attempts (Kotler and Keller, 2009:80). In this direction, the first and foremost task is to identify the opportunities in the market and find out the prospective segments where a firm can take opportunities to enhance its business and profitability. This report all concerns to identifying and assessing potential segments for BSkyB (Sky) UK telecommunication market. This business organizing operating in UK telecommunication industry is yet to make a mark and achieve a leading position. On the basis of identified market opportunities, it might be suggested to BSkyB (Sky) to concentrate on mobile telecommunications services, which appears a promising market segment, where BSkyB (Sky) huge opportunities to expand its business and so the profitability in order to emerge as a leading player in UK telecommunication industry. It is worth to mention here that UK mobile telecommunications market corresponds to one of the most striking tele-communications markets globally , with the mobile telecommunications services market segment creating just about ? 1 billion of revenue yearly, where yearly growth in this market segment is projected to total ? 900 million yearly. Therefore, BSkyB (Sky) should target acquiring 30% of the yearly revenue by 2018, after five years of systematic implementation of the extended marketing plan. MARKETING PLAN The marketing plan is the most fundamental tool for expressing and integrating the marketing attempts whilst targeting to a specific marke t. The marketing plan functions on two echelons namely strategic and tactical. Firstly when it comes to strategic marketing planning it all concerns to establishing target markets and the value offer for the customers. On the other hand, the tactical marketing planning spells out the product, price, place and promotion as strategies (Kotler and Keller, 2009:80). In the Figure a methodical process of marketing plan model is developed that involves planning, implementation, and controlling. Figure: Marketing Planning Model Source: Kotler and Keller (2006) In order to develop marketing planning for BSkyB (Sky), the both the strategic and tactical approach is adopted where the focus of the marketing efforts is concentrating on marketing mix components in the forms of product, price place, and promotion, apart from segmentation and targeting. Moreover, the marketing planning process for BSkyB (Sky) is developed based on the model extended by Kotler and Keller (2009) as mentioned above. This marketing planning is developed for BSkyB (Sky) to target the mobile telecommunication market segment in UK telecommunication market, so that BSkyB (Sky) could expand its business in the market and emerge as a leading player in the segment with enhancing its profitability for ensuring long term survival and sustainability. The planning involves marketing objectives, segmentation and targeting. The implementation involves marketing mix strategy and finally controlling involves measuring and reviewing the mid term achievements. This marketing plan is developed keeping in mind the duration of five years. Marketing Objectives, Targeting and Segmentation The process and strategy of segmentation all concerns to positioning strategy of a firm in the market, where the firm has already recognized and assessed the targeted customers , and further it is indispensable to determine as what position the firm wishes to engage in the selected market segments (Armstrong and Kotler, 2005). For getting done a thriving positioning, whilst the target customers discover that the product fulfills their wishes and needs, there are strategies the firm needs to peruse in the forms of defining objectives, deciding target markets and for segmentation(Mullins, Boyd and Larreche, 2006; Kotler and Keller, 2009). UK mobile telecommunications market corresponds to one of the most striking telecommunications markets globally, with the mobile telecommunications services market segment creating just about ? 21 billion of revenue early, where yearly growth in this market segment is projected to total ? 900 million yearly. Therefore, BSkyB (Sky) should target acquiring 30% of the yearly revenue from mobile telecommunications services market segment by 2018, after five years of systematic implementation of the extended marketing plan. The target markets of BSkyB are both individual citizens and small business enterprises, where the later will be at the centre in the targeting. BSkyB (Sky) is to segment the targeted markets geographically where the concentration will be small cities in UK. Marketing Mix Strategy The strategy of marketing mix involves deciding strategy about the four components of marketing mix namely product, price, place and promotion. In fact marketing mix strategy is trademark of marketing actions. Marketing mix is in fact a conscious attempt as regards division of a firm to decide on their offered products/services that eventually determine the success/failure of the firm in the market. Hence, the marketing mix strategy should be in line with the point in time, competition and the hope of the customers (Armstrong and Kotler, 2005). Accordingly the marketing mix strategy is developed for BSkyB (Sky). Product/Service BSkyB (Sky) will concentrate its product/service strategy on SMS texting, apart from other common mobile communication services. Price BSkyB (Sky) plans competitive pricing to appeal the customers in UK mobile telecommunication sector. This implies that BSkyB (Sky) will decrease or increase the price of services keeping in mind the movements of competitors, though high pricing strategy will be avoided in order to penetrate the market. Place When it comes to distribution strategy, BSkyB (Sky) will place its services to the organized retail shops in the UK mobile telecommunication sector. For some markets, the distribute shops will be opened BSkyB (Sky) in malls of the geographically segmented cities. Promotion In order to reach the targeted customers in UK mobile telecommunication market BSkyB (Sky) will centrally focus on advertising so far as promotion is concerned. The budgeting of promotion is to be as following: Print Advertising| Electronic Advertising| Internet Advertising | Others| 25%%| 35%| 30%| 10%| Controlling Strategy Yearly or half yearly controlling of marketing plan is suggestive in order to make sure that the firm is not wastefully expending and achieving the marketing objectives as per planning. So far as performance achievement is concerned financially the foremost ratio to watch is marketing expense-to-sales ratio. Moreover, the period-to-period fluctuations in every ratio may well be tracked on a control diagram. The conduct of consecutive remarks even within the higher and lower control limits ought to be looked at (Mullins, Boyd and Larreche, 2006). UK mobile telecommunications market corresponds to one of the most striking telecommunications markets globally , with the mobile telecommunications services market segment creating just about ? 1 billion of revenue yearly , where yearly growth in this market segment is projected to total ? 900 million yearly. Therefore, BSkyB (Sky) should target acquiring 30% of the yearly revenue by 2018, after five years of systematic implementation of the extended marketing plan. The achievement in this regard will be evaluated on yearly basis. Furthermore, period-to-period fluctuations in every ratio will be tracked on a control diagram by the marketing practitioners in BSkyB (Sky). Following is the planning of controlling on yearly basis. 1st year| 2nd year| 3rd year | 4th year | 5th year | %| 5%| 10%| 5%| 5%| In order achieve the marketing objectives, performance evaluation will be conducted on half yearly basis, and in the case of success/failure of achieving targets, further planning will reviewed accordingly. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Even though BSkyB (Sky) is making substantial profits restricting its operation the solo targeted segment of UK telecommunication market, yet it has ample opportunity to grow and increase profits shifting gears, where there ia an opportunity awaiting in mobile telecommunications services market segment. BSkyB (Sky) should target acquiring 30% of the yearly revenue by 2018, after five years of systematic implementation of the extended marketing plan. In order to develop marketing planning for BSkyB (Sky), the both the strategic and tactical approach is adopted where the focus of the marketing efforts is concentrating on marketing mix components in the forms of product, price place, and promotion, apart from segmentation and targeting. BSkyB (Sky) should target acquiring 30% of the yearly revenue from mobile telecommunications services market segment by 2018, after five years of systematic implementation of the extended marketing plan. The target markets of BSkyB are both individual citizens and small business enterprises, where the later will be at the centre in the targeting. BSkyB (Sky) is to segment the targeted markets geographically where the concentration will be small cities in UK. BSkyB (Sky) will concentrate its product/service strategy on SMS texting, apart from other common mobile communication services. BSkyB (Sky) plans competitive pricing to appeal the customers in UK mobile telecommunication sector. When it comes to distribution strategy, BSkyB (Sky) will place its services to the organized retail shops in the UK mobile telecommunication sector. For some markets, the distribute shops will be opened BSkyB (Sky) in malls of the geographically segmented cities. In order to reach the targeted customers in UK mobile telecommunication market BSkyB (Sky) will centrally focus on advertising so far as promotion is concerned. Period-to-period fluctuations in every ratio will be tracked on a control diagram by the marketing practitioners in BSkyB (Sky). In order achieve the marketing objectives, performance evaluation will be conducted on half yearly basis. REFERENCES Armstrong, G. and Kotler, P. (2005), Marketing: An Introduction, 7th Edition, Prentice Hall Inc. , Upper Saddle River, N. J. Company Report (2012), BSkyB (Sky) Industry Report (2012), UK Mobile Telecommunication Industry: Euromonitor International. Kotler, P. and Keller, K. L. (2006), Marketing Management, 12th Edition, Prentice Hall Inc. , Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Mullins, J. W. Walker, O. C. , Boyd, H. W. and Larreche, J. C. (2006), Marketing Management, 5th Edition, McGraw-Hill, New York. BSkyB (2013), â€Å"Key facts figures†. [Online] accessed from http://corporate. sky. com/about_sky/key_facts_and_figures [22 March, 2013] CorporateSky (2013), â€Å"British Sky Broadcasting Group Plc : Unaudited results for the six months ended 31 December 2012†. [Online] accessed from http://corporate. sky. com/documents/pdf/latest_results/q2_press_release_2 01213. pdf [23rd March, 2013] Bskyb Marketing Plan The target markets of BSkyB are both individual citizens and small business enterprises, where the later will be at the centre in the targeting. BSkyB (Sky) is to segment the targeted markets geographically where the concentration will be small cities in UK. BSkyB (Sky) will concentrate its product/service strategy on SMS texting, apart from other common mobile communication services. BSkyB (Sky) plans competitive pricing to appeal the customers in UK mobile telecommunication sector. When it comes to distribution strategy, BSkyB (Sky) will place its services to the organized retail shops in the UK mobile telecommunication sector. For some markets, the distribute shops will be opened BSkyB (Sky) in malls of the geographically segmented cities. In order to reach the targeted customers in UK mobile telecommunication market BSkyB (Sky) will centrally focus on advertising so far as promotion is concerned. INTRODUCTION BSkyB (Sky) is a comparatively youthful firm in UK telecommunication industry, however has a considerable and rising track in the UK. BSkyB (Sky) offers an array of entertainment and communications services to just about 40% of homes, where its aired television channels are watched by more than half the populace every week in the country, and moreover BSkyB (Sky) employs thousands of group all through the different regions of UK the country. BSkyB (Sky) claims to have changed consumers’ experience of television and home communications in UK, whilst making momentous returns for its shareholders and further confidently contribute to the economy of the country overall. More clearly, overall, BSkyB (Sky) was projected to s put in a ? 5. billion giving to UK GDP in the year of 2011. So far as UK telecommunication industry is concerned, BSkyB (Sky) is fast emerging as a major player in the industry as regards the market segments of broadband and telephony markets, though its performance in these market segments are yet to be acknowledged as leading (CorporateSky, 2013). The major facts about BSkyB (Sky) are presen ted in the Table. Table: Key Facts: BSkyB (Sky) Source: BSkyB (2013) Adjusted operating profit for BSkyB (Sky) is a foremost measure of the underlying business performance. It has increased by 14% in 2012(? m) Source: CorporateSky (2013) Even though BSkyB (Sky) is making substantial profits restricting its operation the solo targeted segment of UK telecommunication market, yet it has ample opportunity to grow and increase profits shifting gears, where there ia an opportunity awaiting in mobile telecommunications services market segment. It is in this context that a marketing planning is developed for BSkyB (Sky) in this report. IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT OF MARKET The marketing process of a firm all concerns to planning and implementation of the research objectives defined in terms of the identified market segment to be targeted. This is what marketing management is described as an order of selecting target markets and further based on marketing planning acquire, carry on, and nurture customers all the way through generating , bringing and communicating advanced customer value. In this framework, marketing practitioners in firms are expected to be possessing proficient skill as per the requirements in the market, and they need to look for controlling the echelon, time, and concerto of demand (Mullins, Boyd and Larreche, 2006). The marketing attempt is connected to not only servicing he customers but as well benefiting the firms. So far as identification and assessment of the market is concerned, the procedure all concerns to analysing marketing opportunities, deciding target markets, planning marketing strategies, extending marketing agendas and finally monitoring and controlling the marketing endeavor that largely connect to marketing planning . However, a foremost component of the marketing planning process is discerning, innovative marketing strategies and plans that may well direct marketing attempts (Kotler and Keller, 2009:80). In this direction, the first and foremost task is to identify the opportunities in the market and find out the prospective segments where a firm can take opportunities to enhance its business and profitability. This report all concerns to identifying and assessing potential segments for BSkyB (Sky) UK telecommunication market. This business organizing operating in UK telecommunication industry is yet to make a mark and achieve a leading position. On the basis of identified market opportunities, it might be suggested to BSkyB (Sky) to concentrate on mobile telecommunications services, which appears a promising market segment, where BSkyB (Sky) huge opportunities to expand its business and so the profitability in order to emerge as a leading player in UK telecommunication industry. It is worth to mention here that UK mobile telecommunications market corresponds to one of the most striking tele-communications markets globally , with the mobile telecommunications services market segment creating just about ? 1 billion of revenue yearly, where yearly growth in this market segment is projected to total ? 900 million yearly. Therefore, BSkyB (Sky) should target acquiring 30% of the yearly revenue by 2018, after five years of systematic implementation of the extended marketing plan. MARKETING PLAN The marketing plan is the most fundamental tool for expressing and integrating the marketing attempts whilst targeting to a specific marke t. The marketing plan functions on two echelons namely strategic and tactical. Firstly when it comes to strategic marketing planning it all concerns to establishing target markets and the value offer for the customers. On the other hand, the tactical marketing planning spells out the product, price, place and promotion as strategies (Kotler and Keller, 2009:80). In the Figure a methodical process of marketing plan model is developed that involves planning, implementation, and controlling. Figure: Marketing Planning Model Source: Kotler and Keller (2006) In order to develop marketing planning for BSkyB (Sky), the both the strategic and tactical approach is adopted where the focus of the marketing efforts is concentrating on marketing mix components in the forms of product, price place, and promotion, apart from segmentation and targeting. Moreover, the marketing planning process for BSkyB (Sky) is developed based on the model extended by Kotler and Keller (2009) as mentioned above. This marketing planning is developed for BSkyB (Sky) to target the mobile telecommunication market segment in UK telecommunication market, so that BSkyB (Sky) could expand its business in the market and emerge as a leading player in the segment with enhancing its profitability for ensuring long term survival and sustainability. The planning involves marketing objectives, segmentation and targeting. The implementation involves marketing mix strategy and finally controlling involves measuring and reviewing the mid term achievements. This marketing plan is developed keeping in mind the duration of five years. Marketing Objectives, Targeting and Segmentation The process and strategy of segmentation all concerns to positioning strategy of a firm in the market, where the firm has already recognized and assessed the targeted customers , and further it is indispensable to determine as what position the firm wishes to engage in the selected market segments (Armstrong and Kotler, 2005). For getting done a thriving positioning, whilst the target customers discover that the product fulfills their wishes and needs, there are strategies the firm needs to peruse in the forms of defining objectives, deciding target markets and for segmentation(Mullins, Boyd and Larreche, 2006; Kotler and Keller, 2009). UK mobile telecommunications market corresponds to one of the most striking telecommunications markets globally, with the mobile telecommunications services market segment creating just about ? 21 billion of revenue early, where yearly growth in this market segment is projected to total ? 900 million yearly. Therefore, BSkyB (Sky) should target acquiring 30% of the yearly revenue from mobile telecommunications services market segment by 2018, after five years of systematic implementation of the extended marketing plan. The target markets of BSkyB are both individual citizens and small business enterprises, where the later will be at the centre in the targeting. BSkyB (Sky) is to segment the targeted markets geographically where the concentration will be small cities in UK. Marketing Mix Strategy The strategy of marketing mix involves deciding strategy about the four components of marketing mix namely product, price, place and promotion. In fact marketing mix strategy is trademark of marketing actions. Marketing mix is in fact a conscious attempt as regards division of a firm to decide on their offered products/services that eventually determine the success/failure of the firm in the market. Hence, the marketing mix strategy should be in line with the point in time, competition and the hope of the customers (Armstrong and Kotler, 2005). Accordingly the marketing mix strategy is developed for BSkyB (Sky). Product/Service BSkyB (Sky) will concentrate its product/service strategy on SMS texting, apart from other common mobile communication services. Price BSkyB (Sky) plans competitive pricing to appeal the customers in UK mobile telecommunication sector. This implies that BSkyB (Sky) will decrease or increase the price of services keeping in mind the movements of competitors, though high pricing strategy will be avoided in order to penetrate the market. Place When it comes to distribution strategy, BSkyB (Sky) will place its services to the organized retail shops in the UK mobile telecommunication sector. For some markets, the distribute shops will be opened BSkyB (Sky) in malls of the geographically segmented cities. Promotion In order to reach the targeted customers in UK mobile telecommunication market BSkyB (Sky) will centrally focus on advertising so far as promotion is concerned. The budgeting of promotion is to be as following: Print Advertising| Electronic Advertising| Internet Advertising | Others| 25%%| 35%| 30%| 10%| Controlling Strategy Yearly or half yearly controlling of marketing plan is suggestive in order to make sure that the firm is not wastefully expending and achieving the marketing objectives as per planning. So far as performance achievement is concerned financially the foremost ratio to watch is marketing expense-to-sales ratio. Moreover, the period-to-period fluctuations in every ratio may well be tracked on a control diagram. The conduct of consecutive remarks even within the higher and lower control limits ought to be looked at (Mullins, Boyd and Larreche, 2006). UK mobile telecommunications market corresponds to one of the most striking telecommunications markets globally , with the mobile telecommunications services market segment creating just about ? 1 billion of revenue yearly , where yearly growth in this market segment is projected to total ? 900 million yearly. Therefore, BSkyB (Sky) should target acquiring 30% of the yearly revenue by 2018, after five years of systematic implementation of the extended marketing plan. The achievement in this regard will be evaluated on yearly basis. Furthermore, period-to-period fluctuations in every ratio will be tracked on a control diagram by the marketing practitioners in BSkyB (Sky). Following is the planning of controlling on yearly basis. 1st year| 2nd year| 3rd year | 4th year | 5th year | %| 5%| 10%| 5%| 5%| In order achieve the marketing objectives, performance evaluation will be conducted on half yearly basis, and in the case of success/failure of achieving targets, further planning will reviewed accordingly. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Even though BSkyB (Sky) is making substantial profits restricting its operation the solo targeted segment of UK telecommunication market, yet it has ample opportunity to grow and increase profits shifting gears, where there ia an opportunity awaiting in mobile telecommunications services market segment. BSkyB (Sky) should target acquiring 30% of the yearly revenue by 2018, after five years of systematic implementation of the extended marketing plan. In order to develop marketing planning for BSkyB (Sky), the both the strategic and tactical approach is adopted where the focus of the marketing efforts is concentrating on marketing mix components in the forms of product, price place, and promotion, apart from segmentation and targeting. BSkyB (Sky) should target acquiring 30% of the yearly revenue from mobile telecommunications services market segment by 2018, after five years of systematic implementation of the extended marketing plan. The target markets of BSkyB are both individual citizens and small business enterprises, where the later will be at the centre in the targeting. BSkyB (Sky) is to segment the targeted markets geographically where the concentration will be small cities in UK. BSkyB (Sky) will concentrate its product/service strategy on SMS texting, apart from other common mobile communication services. BSkyB (Sky) plans competitive pricing to appeal the customers in UK mobile telecommunication sector. When it comes to distribution strategy, BSkyB (Sky) will place its services to the organized retail shops in the UK mobile telecommunication sector. For some markets, the distribute shops will be opened BSkyB (Sky) in malls of the geographically segmented cities. In order to reach the targeted customers in UK mobile telecommunication market BSkyB (Sky) will centrally focus on advertising so far as promotion is concerned. Period-to-period fluctuations in every ratio will be tracked on a control diagram by the marketing practitioners in BSkyB (Sky). In order achieve the marketing objectives, performance evaluation will be conducted on half yearly basis. REFERENCES Armstrong, G. and Kotler, P. (2005), Marketing: An Introduction, 7th Edition, Prentice Hall Inc. , Upper Saddle River, N. J. Company Report (2012), BSkyB (Sky) Industry Report (2012), UK Mobile Telecommunication Industry: Euromonitor International. Kotler, P. and Keller, K. L. (2006), Marketing Management, 12th Edition, Prentice Hall Inc. , Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Mullins, J. W. Walker, O. C. , Boyd, H. W. and Larreche, J. C. (2006), Marketing Management, 5th Edition, McGraw-Hill, New York. BSkyB (2013), â€Å"Key facts figures†. [Online] accessed from http://corporate. sky. com/about_sky/key_facts_and_figures [22 March, 2013] CorporateSky (2013), â€Å"British Sky Broadcasting Group Plc : Unaudited results for the six months ended 31 December 2012†. [Online] accessed from http://corporate. sky. com/documents/pdf/latest_results/q2_press_release_2 01213. pdf [23rd March, 2013]

Desiree's baby by kate chopin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Desiree's baby by kate chopin - Essay Example Regarding her as Providence’s most beneficial bestowment, Madam Valmonde, the childless rich woman raises her. The nameless little girl becomes Desiree and grows up to be â€Å"beautiful and gentle, affectionate and sincere†. At the age eighteen, Armand Aubigny spots her near the stone pillar at the gateway of Valmonde and falls in love with her and eventually marries her and takes her off to L’Abri, his place. The story begins when Madam Valmonde sets out to see Desiree’s baby. It is four weeks after the birth of the baby that she finally drives to L’Abri to Desiree and the child. The reasons behind this, whatever it may be, are not discussed in the story. Obviously it is not on account of any animosity between the two households. It is made clear in the story by the way Madame Valmonde’s thoughts go about the past fondly recollecting how Desiree landed into her lap and grew up to be her idol. On reading L’Abri, the surrogate mother sees the new mother and child. At the very sight of the four weeks’ old child, Madame Valmonde gets startled but Desiree is unaware of the reasons and she quite naively attributes it to the rapid growth of her dear child. She talks nonstop about how the child has exerted a softening impact on the temperament of its father who is basically imperious and exacting in his ways. Desiree senses trouble only much later, after two months, when she feels her husband’s awkward avoidance of her. It coincides with her noticing of the fact that her child was not white. The moment of this realization is marked in the story thus, â€Å"The blood turned like ice in her veins, and the clammy moisture gathered upon her face†. Having understood the cause of the great change in her husband, Desiree confronts him directly seeking reassurance and solace. But he brutally lets her down by declaring that the child is not white because of her black lineage. She resorts to the next thing she had to do. She writes to Madame Valmonde as soon as

Profiling Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Profiling - Term Paper Example Essentially, there are two types of profiling that are performed by criminologists and criminal investigators in the U.S. Inductive Criminal Profiling is theoretically associated with the creation of a psychological pattern of symptoms and the subsequent evidence of symptoms. This method involves generalizations and deductions based on statistics. Deductive Criminal Profiling is a less common method of profiling. This method puts emphasis on the profiler’s detachment from the situation and their ability to think critically. This discussion first examines the merits regarding the Inductive and Deductive Criminal Profiling methodologies then gives a detailed account of the intrinsic worth of racial profiling. For the purpose of giving a strictly textbook legal definition of criminal profiling, it is described as â€Å"a set of behavioral indicators forming a very characteristic pattern of actions or emotions that tend to point to a particular condition† (Moenssens, Starrs , Henderson & Inbau, 1995: 146). For a more practical description, a good example can be derived from the 1994 court case of the State of Oregon v. Lawson. The defense attorney in this case attempted to convince the judge that his client’s actions were not that of those persons who matched the usual profile observed of offenders that committed a similar type of crime. Therefore, his client could not be found guilty as a result of this logic. Essentially, Inductive Criminal Profiling is logical reasoning based on statistics and generalities resulting from analyzing data. The following (fictitious) example showcases the reasoning and logic involved in this type of profiling. Compiled statistics have shown that 75 percent of serial killers who have attacked nurses do so within 200 yards of a hospital, are white men who live alone, did not attend college, are between the age of 25 and 35 and drive small red cars. A suspect has been questioned by police who they believe to be the offender in the death of a nurse but they do not yet have sufficient evidence to make an arrest. They determine by profiling if this could be a person who is more likely than the majority of the population to have committed such a crime. Though the offender does not drive a red car and the nurse was killed far away from a hospital, the offender is a white male who lives alone and did not attend college, this person still fits the profile and is thus deemed worthy of further investigation (Turvey, 1998). The advantages of the Inductive method of criminal profiling are apparent. Primarily, it is a tool that is straightforward and simple to use. Profilers do not need a formal forensic education or other specialized training in the field of criminal behavioral studies to effectively implement this method. Moreover, general offender profiles can be collected by police agencies without expending a great amount of resources, time or effort and does not require the profiler to possess speci alized abilities. A typical criminal profile is usually a relatively short list illustrating unqualified offender similarities. â€Å"These generalizations can accurately predict some of the non-distinguishing elements of individual criminal behavior, but not with a great deal of consistency or reliability† (Turvey, 1998). Currently, the U.S is collaborating with Canada to integrate the many separate profiling databases via computer link-up. There are obvious disadvantages

Write a paper that explains where I am so far in school and what I Essay

Write a paper that explains where I am so far in school and what I have accomplished - Essay Example Thereafter, I learnt the business mathematics that includes average, mixtures, and computation of interest. In addition, as a part of mathematics, I learnt how to handle discounting of bills, how to calculate percentages, ratios and proportions. Thereafter, there was elementary statistics that included geographical presentation of statistical data, measures of central tendency, measures of dispersion etc. Thereafter, there was introduction to computer that taught how computer is used in the business world, and the purpose of various software. In addition, this gave me an idea on how various programs are effectively used in various business needs. As a part of this, I got a chance to learn more about the practical use of internet and email. Thereafter, there was practical training on typing and keyboarding that helped me gain proficiency in the same. The last part was business office practices and procedures. This part gave an insight into the various common procedures in the business offices, and the ethics one should adhere to in such situations. Now, the remaining parts are business English, business operations essentials, email applications and programs, data processing and spreadsheet skills, presentation application skills, and business office procedures and practices. Business English means the English language used in international business. According to Guffey, it is important to learn this because it enhances ones ability to interact with people from various countries (xv). In addition, the rapid growth in technology made businesses global with business operations around the world. So, it is very important to have good knowledge of business English for effective negotiations. The next part to be covered is business operations skills that will provide more knowledge about different components of an office workstation, various purchasing systems, different ways of charting

Reciprocity in Intergenerational Family Therapy Research Proposal

Reciprocity in Intergenerational Family Therapy - Research Proposal Example Va Satir is regarded as the creator and contributing driver within the developments associated with Experiential Family Therapies. Their basic principle focuses on maximizing the actual understanding, durable transformation, comprehension the actual structure associated with a conversation, reshaping partnership as well as establishing associated self-confidence, and building of congruent lifestyle. Furthermore, its strengths consist of focusing on multigenerational behaviors, prognosis associated with dysfunctional character within family relationships, and appreciating the novel ideas associated with existence. Many experts have belittled this because of its reliance upon therapists’ creativeness, charisma and character, minimal research on its applications, and its presumption that all of the human beings grow along with families (Satir, 1988) Emotionally Focused Therapy is an approach to work with couples and families. Basically, the theory is based on the principles of Emotions Theory and Attachment Theory. Strong points of the theory include the accessing of buried primary emotions, enhancing the emotional bond between partners, and engaging positive change in the couple’s negative interaction sequences.   Focusing on connection and mutuality, and validating both men’s and woman’s need for a sense of secure connectedness, is a weak area because it promotes autonomy.  Ã‚  

Rhetorical Audience Awareness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rhetorical Audience Awareness - Essay Example Secondly, in connection to traditional metaphysics from antique Greece as well as Egypt, the relationship of the fifth constituent subsequent to fire, water, soil as well as air, is either, or epitome. It is not unintentional that subsequent to the preamble hypercube succession, we observe Nick Fury involved in secret job below NASA at a â€Å"dark power† scheme in an underground station. Apparently far-fetched, there are real profound state black initiatives that rotate just about plasma weapons, principally with H.A.A.R.P., which the Navy has shown off about here. In conventional Greek thinking, not only are there five components, but matter as well passes in and out of four stages: solid, liquid, gas as well as plasma. Third point, audiences of Tesla will make out the similarity between the foreign arms stolen from Fury in the movie, and the aether-oriented plasma physics Tesla used to work on the prospective for limitless free energy, referred to as zero level energy, taken from the atmosphere itself, and also in quantum physics, as Paul Dirac stipulates, energy from the upcoming. It is exciting to observe as well that beneath the enclosure of the â€Å"dark power† name, the real physics Fury along with the military manufacturing complex are partnering with is plasma and aether-oriented, and not normal fare Newtonian structure. It is exactly from this alternating Tesla physics that gives way and clues constantly leak, even in the majority science and movie, as to the authentic concealed metaphysics the establishment’s super weaponry are founded on. Fifth, only the subsistence of a field of energy may account for the movements of the bodies as noted, and its supposition discharges with space curvature. All text on this topic is pointless and destined to forgetfulness. So are all efforts to enlighten the workings of the

How important is curriculum in determining a school's international Essay

How important is curriculum in determining a school's international status - Essay Example Further, for high school students that are graduating, they would often look for schools in other countries to enrol in for their college education. Most of the time, they choose schools by popularity and International status. But the question is, how is curriculum related or is a factor in determining the International status of an educational institution? We will dwell on the answers as we go further along. This paper will also discuss the significance of curriculum, the theories and basis of curriculum, the different approaches to learning, elements of curriculum, effects of changes in curriculum and the relation of curriculum to international acclaim. Curriculum as a Work Plan In every aspect of life, planning is required. Whether it is as simple as planning for a family vacation or things to do during the holiday break, plans play an important role in achieving objectives at the end. And in deciding on education, there should be a formal framework to be followed to ensure that t he end product will come out as planned. Plans are made and drawn to be followed to ensure success. And careful planning is very much needed especially if an educational institution is to offer learning and development to its students for years. Curriculum is the plan for educational institutions (Pinar 2003). ... Not only will it focus on the academics of the students but will include the other aspects of a student’s life like extracurricular activities, social activities, learning ability and other learning needs and (Abbott, Hughes, Williamson 2001) agrees. Further, a curriculum does not only set a plan for its students but for the mentors and teachers too. It will include an estimate measure of time regarding how many sessions should a subject matter take, the workload of teachers and their capability to teach the subject matter at hand. All of these constitute to the curriculum of a school and now, we can move forward and talk about the significance or importance of curriculum in a school setting. Significance of Curriculum in Schools As previously discussed, curriculum serves as a work plan on how a school attains objective goals at the end of a course. So, why is this important in the different levels of schooling namely elementary or grade school, high school and college or high er education. For the elementary level, the curriculum is drawn with consideration of all the learning needs of a child. At this stage (Waller & Clark 2007) says children will still have different learning capabilities and different ways of adapting to teaching methods. Such considerations will be included in the drafting of the curriculum. Students in this level will have no choice on what subjects to take as they are being geared towards studying a universal curriculum. The reason for this is that grade school students should have a complete development regarding all subject matter. In the high school level, there are more choices given to the student. Although the freedom of subjects is still limited, there is still an exercise of

Extortion in prisons Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Extortion in prisons - Research Paper Example In summary, prison extortion has become a serious challenge to modern correctional facilities but all is to be blamed on the prevalent of the prison gangs and security threat groups. A search of the existing literature reveals that extortions occur for monetary gain where the victim offers to pay for protection against violence from senior offenders. On the other hand, the literature review shows that some measures have always been taken to reduce extortions including gang renunciation, proper orientation of the inmates, isolation and reconsidering the jail terms for the petty offenders so as to reduce overcrowding in the prison cells. Therefore, it is recommendable to introduce policies that will hinder the communication between the gang members especially cell phone services. Besides, correctional facilities can only record low number of extortion cases when there are incentives from the government to allocate more resources for staffing. Most importantly, separation and isolation of the inmates is necessary to reduce the extortions.

Catholic Church and Ultima’s mystical folklore Essay Example for Free

Catholic Church and Ultima’s mystical folklore Essay The novel â€Å"Bless Me, Ultima† by Rudolfo Anaya is pastoral, apocalyptic and, at the same time, tragic story revealing the complex nature of human relations and ambiguity of the world. The novel teaches readers not to interfere with the destiny of any person not to change the cosmic order. However, Ultima dares to influence the destiny and her death at the end of the novel is symbolical representation that every person should be responsible for his own actions. The author describes relations between an old healer Ultima and a young boy Antonio who is seeking for truth. The novel can be defined as apocalyptic as the author illustrates that biculturalism leads to inevitable conflict between cultures and religions. I think that the novel belongs to Chicano literature being rather popular in 1965-1975s. However, it can be seen as cultural novel which tends to explore self-development, personality and ethnic identity in the world filled with race and ethnic discrimination. The novel is rich narrative weaving many themes and sub-themes together allowing readers for different interpretations. Therefore, the objectives of the paper are to analyze author’s writing style, relations between Antonio and Ultima, to identify main themes and symbols, and to discuss the question of autobiography. â€Å"Bless Me, Ultima†: Analysis I think that the novel â€Å"Bless Me, Ultima† can be analyzed from different perspectives and from many angles. The novel is a rich literary work dealing with social changes, cognitive and psychological development of main heroes, religious issues, etc. Moreover, the novel weaves cultural conflicts and formation of ethnic identity into believable and coherent story illustrating the smoothes and roughs of Antonio’s life – the main hero. On the one hand, the novel can be seen as romance novel as it discusses societal period through myth creation. On the other hand, the novel can be seen as cultural novel as it describes historical conflict between villages and opposes race discrimination in the United States. Furthermore, the novel can be defined as Chicano literature as it promotes apocalyptic ideas and moods. The novel presents fertile background for analysis as the author uses rich themes and symbols to show the life pass of a young extraordinary boy. Writing Style The author incorporates powerful and vivid images to present the multiplicity and ambiguity of responses. In other words, Anaya uses prophetic dreams, episodes of horseplay among children, idyllic scenes presenting harmony and natural balance, mystical dynamism, scenes of violence and death as imagery to create strong impression and to make people think whether the world we see is real one and what the destiny of the person is. However, the novel tends to reveal whether it is permissible to change human destiny. Anaya uses strong imagery to show that characters and nature are strongly tied together creating so-called natural continuum. Anaya refers to technique of oppression when writing the novel in order to create multi-level conflict. For example, Antonio’s parents have opposing backgrounds, views and aspirations. Further, religious are opposed in their beliefs, values and demands on the individual. Cosmic forced are apposed as they symbolize eternal struggle between the good and the evil. Finally, the author juxtaposes forms of nature saying they can choose whether to make soil dry or fertile. The novel is based on conflicts – social, psychological, physical and cultural. Antonio’s life is also a conflict. The novel is also based on tripartites. It means that all evens and things are occurring in so-called ‘threes’. For example, there are three cultures in the novel, three Trementina sisters, three brothers, three Comanche spirits, three prophetic dreams, three Ultima’s efforts to identify her ethnicity, and three Ultima’s interference in the life of other people. Numerology is central in structure of the plot. Issue of Autobiography I think that â€Å"bless Me, Ultima† can be defined as quasi-autobiographical novel as the narrator refers to ‘I’ style showing that the novel is generated from personal experience or experience of the younger ‘I’. The novel is told by mature Antonio who shares experiences of being a young boy. Moreover, the experiences are transmitted in childish manner and it may seem that the story is told by a six-year-old boy. One more interesting fact is that the author says that he had to refer to his personal experiences and experiences of other children to construct the story. Despite the fact that the novel is quasi-biographical, the readers aren’t allowed to distinguish the real and imagined events as the author represents everything as fiction. I think that the author does base the story on rich expository of personal experiences, but he skillfully hides this fact. Relations between Antonio and Ultima Antonio is the main hero in the novel who decided to reconcile his conflicting religious and cultural identity. Antonio is only six years old, but he is extraordinary child with questioning mind, appreciation of life, and moral curiosity. Antonio is more serious than other children of his age, he is more sensitive to ambiguity of the world and conflicting cultural traditions. Anaya shows that Antonio is troubled about his uncertain destiny and he is willing to understand the world. After the death of one of the town’s residents Antonio seems to plunge into crisis of the faith and for the first time he doubts validity of the Catholic faith. Therefore, desire to reveal the truth can be defined as one of the strongest components of his character as his desire leads to interest in sin, death, innocence, and the nature of God. Antonio is developing to maturity throughout the novel progression and it is Ultima who teaches how to remain morally independent, to receive knowledge from all available traditions and to refrain from prejudices and limitations. Ultima leads Antonio to his physical and psychological maturity. Ultima helps him to resolve many conflicts and to determine his future. Old healer Ultima represents the moral system which Anaya supports. Relationships between Antonio and Ultima are the most important bond in the novel. Ultima is Antonio’s mentor helping him to overcome difficulties and to cope with anxieties and uncertainties. Relations between main characters can be defined even as spiritual. Ultima presents herself as the keeper of Antonio’s destiny and starts playing central role in his life and psyche. She uses her power of influencing to make Antonio think of himself and create his own sense of morality. Ultima incorporates knowledge of both Catholic and indigenous traditions. She thinks that spirituality and life are tied. Nevertheless, we see that Catholic Church rejects her mystical power, and Ultima respects its wisdom attending mass regularly. Ultima teaches to appreciate equally multiple faith and perspectives as each person is entailed with rights to make independent moral decisions. Ultima instills tolerance, open-mindedness and independence in Antonio’s faith. Ultima treats Antonio with respect and understanding, despite he is a small child. At the end of the novel Antonio is treated as spiritual partner and Ultima asks to bury the owl which symbolizes her own death. Ultima dies, but her spirit continues to guide Antonio throughout his life. Main Themes Firstly, the author stresses the importance of moral independence as no one has the rights to interfere with the destiny of others. Anaya emphasizes rights to think independently and to make up moral decisions. In the novel Antonio’s progress is the sign of maturity and self-development. Antonio constantly struggles to make his own decisions and he realizes that complex experience of religion has forced to change his minds. Antonio is really frustrated when he realizes that the church has failed and pressing questions about human morality emerge in his head. We see that Ultima becomes his guide and teaches about morality and independence. Moreover, Ultima explains ambiguity of life stressing that life can be viewed simply in terms of culture and religion. Cultural and religious traditions are important, but they constrain human abilities to be morally independent. Antonio realizes that he should find answers about evil, good, soul, forgiveness and truth himself. Once Antonio has committed fatal mistake, when he believed that the Communion ritual was able to answer all questions. Instead, Ultima teaches Antonio to make decisions and choices himself. Secondly, the author identifies the influence of culture on identity. In the novel Anaya explores the conflict between cultural traditions which fail to co-exist as one culture tends to dominate others and vice verse. However, in the end we see that the author offers new solution – he argues that several cultural traditions are able to create more adaptable identity. For example, Antonio manages to find answers as his life has been influenced by several constantly conflicting cultures. The first conflict was with his parents as Antonio’s mother wanted him to become a priest, whereas his fathers wanted Antonio to ride the llano. The problem was that parents had different cultural convictions. The next conflict is observed within Antonio’s native town where Spanish culture is struggling with other culture. The conflict is presented in tensions between the Catholic Church and Ultima’s mystical folklore. I think that through such conflicts the author explores the influence of culture on identity formation. Anaya shows that many characters in the story are limited by cultural prejudices and they have failed to look beyond their horizon. For example, when people define Narciso as drunkard they didn’t consider his traumatic experiences in the war, although it is known that war may serious distort human psyche. Ultima teaches Antonio to become free from cultural and religious limitations. Instead, she tends to encourage Antonio to think of all cultural influences as it is the only way to become a descent person. Symbolism â€Å"Bless Me, Ultima† is highly symbolical novel. The author uses different colors, figures, numbers and objects to represent abstract ideas and concepts. In the novel the golden carp, Ultima’s owl and the virgin of Guadalupe are provided with symbolic meanings. As for mea, the golden carp is symbolical representation of magical religious order which is hardly associated with Catholicism. The legend about golden carp offers main characters and readers moral guidance, brand of wisdom and comfort. Golden carp supports author’s idea that cultural traditions are different, but they are equally valid. Antonio firstly rejects the golden carp as he thinks that in such a way he abandons God. However, later he realizes that golden carp can help to weave cultural and religious sources together in creating his won identity. Then, Ultima’s Owl represents religious mysticism and life force. One night the owl sings outside Antonio’s windows symbolizing Ultima’s presence in boy’s life. Moreover, owl is the symbol of protective power of magic. In the end of the novel killing of the bird symbolically represents that Ultima’s life force is destroyed and she will die soon. When Antonio buries the bird, he buries Ultima. Finally, the Virgin of Guadalupe represents symbolically understanding, forgiveness and solution of cultural conflict. The story of the Virgin is definitely reconciliation of Antonio’s indigenous culture and European Catholic Church. When Antonio is frustrated, he often turns to Virgin to find a forgiving god. Conclusion â€Å"Bless Me, Ultima† reveals the ambiguous nature of the world and human relations. The author shows that every person has to make independent choices and to appreciate different religious and cultural traditions as it is the only way to become a better person. Ultima teaches Antonio to create his own sense of morality and to remain independent person. Moreover, she teaches him to avoid prejudices and limitation. But the author shows that no one is allowed to interfere with the destiny of other people. Works Cited Anaya, Rudolfo. Bless Me, Ultima. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 1994.

What do you find most effective in Hardys technique Essay Example for Free

What do you find most effective in Hardys technique Essay What do you find most effective in Hardys technique as a writer of short stories featuring the supernatural? Give consideration to his portrayal of character and his use of narrative development. By: Zahrah Macci Throughout literature history writers have made use of peoples fascination with the macabre. Hardy like many other Victorian writers enjoyed writing short stories which have a lot to do with his fascination with the supernatural. He was an eminent writer who wrote in different types of genres. Two of the famous novels written by Hardy are The Return of the Native and Jude the Obscure. The word supernatural is defined as things that cannot be explained according to natural laws the Withered Arm is full of inexplicable events such as Rhodas vision and Conjurer Trendles way of intuiting that Gertrudes ailment was the work of an enemy. The withered arm like many of Hardys stories has an unexpected ending mainly due to complex relationships between the main characters. Hardy tries to convey the idea of Wessex as a historical landscape by using personification and thereby comparing things to the human anatomy. For example Rhodas cottage which has channels of depressions which are reminiscent of the skin of an aged person. The simile the thatch above a rafter showed like a bone protruding through the skin gives the impression the rafter is rather like a human being. Egdon Heath is a brooding and mysterious place; it has an un-hospitable landscape, very few people choose to live there. The dark countenence of Egdon heath seems to look down on the main characters. Although many would describe Casterbridge as an enlightened city it is the exact antithesis of what we would expect from a so-called civilised place, where hanging is a form of entertainment. It is every bit as barbaric as the old fashioned and superstitious country side. In a good short story there is usually one narrative thread and a focus on 2 or 3 main characters and themes. The three main characters in The Withered Arm are Farmer Lodge, Rhoda Brook and Gertrude Lodge. There are complicated love affairs which lead to retribution. Hardy introduces protagonists through the conversations of pirifial characters. He also tries to raise some questions in the readers mind as to what will happen next. Hardy presents Rhoda Brook as a woman who was once beautiful but has aged prematurely. The milkmaids with whom she worked with made her feel ostracised. She was a social pariah due to her illicit liaison with Farmer Lodge twelve years previously which caused her to become pregnant and have an illegitimate son. Her home was apart from the other milkmaids, it was above the water meads. Rhodas incipient jealousy manifests itself when she asks her son to spy on his step-mother so she can compare herself to her; she wanted him to report back to her about his step-mothers deminior. Gertrude Lodge is a complex character with facets to her personality which transpire as the story progresses. Hardy uses a number of techniques to convey her character. He uses the gossip and rumours spread by the minor characters. From the conversations of the milkmaids we find that Gertrude Lodge is a rosy cheeked, girl with a tisty tosty little body. Gertrude is years younger than farmer Lodge. There are passages of conventional character description of her external appearance, her face too was fresh in colour, soft and evanescent. Hardy employs the narrative device of Rhodas son as a spy to convey more information about her; he reports to his mother about his impression of Gertrude, his description of her suggests she is a lady complete with lightish hair and a face which is as comely as a live dolls. Hardy emphasizes the way Gertrude has a personal impact on other major characters, she has a deep impact on Rhoda when they first meet, she made a favourable impression and Rhoda reproached herself for ever being malevolently jealous in the first place. Gertrudes own actions imply much about her personality at the beginning of the story. She is philanthropic in her attitude towards the poor. She gives things away; she even gave Rhodas son better boots. There are also direct authorial comments which leave us in no doubt as to Gertrudes virtues. Hardy describes her as an innocent young thing who, was so indescribably sweet. Therefore, the initial impression we have as a combination of all these techniques is of an innocent, virtuous young women who is the victim of Rhodas jealousy. However Gertrudes character changes significantly as the affliction on her arm deteriorates. Consequently she becomes involved with the world of superstition and witchcraft. The condition of her had bought up question marks on her marriage to farmer lodge especially when she suggests her husband could have struck her there which demonstrates an element of physical abuse Gertrude receives from farmer Lodge. After visiting Conjuror Trendle with Rhoda she had began using wizardry hoping it would cure her arm after having visited the conjurer for a second time he told her a remedy which was infallible he said she must touch with the limb the neck of a man whos been hanged, as it will turn the blood and change the constitution because of this Gertrudes character changes incredibly as she begins to pray for no reprieve which shows how evil she has become. Conjurer Trendle, another interesting character created by Hardy, lives alone, well away from society in general. His house is five miles away from Holmstoke and it is in the heart of Egdon heath he is reputed to be able to cure illnesses that are the work of the devil. He is described as an exorcist who has infallible powers. The atmosphere in the location where he lives is sinister. Egdon Heath is reminiscent to the heath in king Lear with its associations with insanity thick clouds made the atmosphere dark though it was as yet only early afternoon. The conjurer does not like his business to be well known or given any kind of publicity. He did not profess his remedial practices openly after he had cured something he would always say perhaps its just chance. He makes a living by selling local products his direct interests being those of a dealer in furze, turf, sharp sand he can deal with ailments that are beyond the reach of ordinary medicine, he has the power to make watts miraculously disappear he does not accept any financial remuneration. He has a distinctive appearance, he is a grey bearded man, with a reddish face as soon as he examines Gertrude there is a suggestion of his paranormal powers, and he is able to tell immediately it was the work of an enemy. The intensification of Rhodas jealousy of her rival in love culminates into a night-marish vision. Rhodas dream occurred a fortnight after Gertrudes return with farmer lodge. She went to bed with a picture of Gertrude in her head. She had a vision of her enemy, it was so vivid she was unsure weather it was real or a dream. She saw Gertrude holding her left hand out mockingly to show Rhoda her wedding ring to make her feel jealous. Gertrudes face changed dramatically. Her features were shocking, distorted and wrinkled by age she was sitting upon Rhodas chest as if she was trying to suffocate her. Rhoda then swung out her right hand and threw the figure of her by grasping the left arm and whirled it backward to the floor Gertrude also had a night marish vision at the same time as Rhodas. As a result of this vision the discolouration on Gertrudes arm had appeared it corresponded exactly to what Rhodas hand would look like. At this point hardy creates a sense of ambiguity in that the reader is not sure as to whether or not Rhodas vision was real or a dream. At the end of the story hardy brings together the three main characters in a tragic denouement. Attentive readers would realise Gertrude turns into a vicious person. As anticipated there is a twist in the tale, the victim of the execution is Rhodas son, which creates a tragedy for the three main characters. Rhoda cursed Gertrude after seeing her near the corps of Rhodas son she said this is the meaning of what Satan showed me in the vision! You are like her at last! Gertrude did not know the identity of the victim this was partly because she had not attended the execution, the shock of touching the corps turned her blood but it affected her so profoundly, it was too much for her constitution to take, Gertrude unfortunately passed away 3 days later due to the previous events. All the lives of the main characters were blighted because of their belief of superstition. After the hanging farmer Lodge becomes a benefactor to young boys such as his son by giving up the farms in Holmstoke and selling it. The money gained he left for young boys and Rhoda however Rhoda did not accept the money. According to some people Hardy is the master of short stories. Most of these short stories have a focus on one main narrative thread. The Withered Arm is mainly about Gertrude Lodge and when she became involved with the supernatural. The three main characters in the Withered Arm are, Farmer Lodge, Gertrude Lodge and Rhoda Brooks. Short stories have limited amounts of characters as this builds up to the unexpected endings. Hardy uses various techniques to arouse the readers sense of intrigue and thereby compel the reader to its natural conclusion. At the time the Withered Arm was written, women in this rural society were either tied to the land like Rhoda or to their husbands like Gertrude. Furthermore, women had relatively few rights of property and movement and therefore enjoyed rather little freedom. The story reveals the life, beliefs and values of a countryside community. In Hardys time there was no access to the modern media which resulted to oral tradition which was the art of story telling. Stories which include supernatural tales, such as this one were popular with the reading public in late Victorian Britain. Personally I enjoyed reading the Withered Arm mainly because of the situation of Rhoda Brooks which grabs attention due to her illegitimate son. I particularly found it interesting because of Gertrudes beliefs in the supernatural. I thought it was worth reading to the end of the story.

Leadership and the art of encouraging people

Leadership and the art of encouraging people Leadership is the art of encouraging a group of people to act towards achieving a common goal. Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it (Dwight D. Eisenhower). Being a leader is an adventure because one can never be sure whether he will achieve the goal. Leadership is fun, excitement, adventure but more over it means responsibility. A good leader doesnt do different things, but he does the same things differently. The two important things that the leader should deal with are the job and the group. The job: what is to be done, it doesnt mean work but it could be getting innovative ideas. Thus its the leaders responsibility to get the work done at the right time. The group: The people who do the job thus the effective leader should be able to manage the team and make everyone work together in peace. In business, leadership is linked to performance. Active leaders are those who increase their companys bottom lines. Role of a Leader: Leader is the guy who makes the team go. Leader should be self-motivated as they have to help others to do the right things. Once the task has been assigned the leader must set direction, built a simulating idea and produce something unique. Leadership is all about plotting where you need to go to achieve victory as a team or an organization. It is inspiring, dynamic and vibrant. Leader should also use management skills to direct their team, to accomplish the target in a discipline and in an efficient way. Leader vs. Manager: Leaders are people who do the right things, Managers are people who do things right. (Professor Warren G. Bennis) If manager has got traits of leader in them then he can be a true manager. At every stage manager are expected to be the leader of the work group so that the team members willingly participate, accept guidance and carry instruction. As stated by John Kotter Leadership and management are two distinctive and complementary system of action. Both are necessary for success in an increasingly complex volatile business environment. The fact is that leadership and management are both important. They are two distinctive systems of action, both are necessary and each seeks to do different task. Thus one needs to be good in leading and then managing. Personal experience: Leadership is what I have been practicing since childhood. I was the captain of my school volley ball team. Effective communication with the team mates, inspiring them to achieve targets is what I was good at. Later in my higher secondary school I was elected the Students Secretary where I got to show more of my leadership skills. Organizing events, interacting with different people, getting things done in time were some of the skills which I was good at. Working in group helps you to be a good listener. I enjoyed working in team which helped me to become a good team member along with a good leader. Creativity was another quality which I learnt through various technical programmes which were organized, managed and hosted by me. I always think of the broader perspective while performing any task. I see to it that while working in teams, all the team members are willing to work with enthusiasm. Different leadership model: Leadership models are structured approaches to providing actual guidance and decision making within an organization. Various types of leadership theory have developed programs aimed at classifying different models, sometimes explaining when and where certain models are likely to work best for a given situation. Leadership Models: Functional, situational, transformational, inspirational, etc. based on Mullins (2010) Framework of Leadership. Why Situational Leadership Model: As a group we decided to select Situational Leadership model as it is easy to understand and use. Adaptability and versatility are two key requirements needed from a leader using the situational leadership method. Leadership is a skill. The ideal scenario is for a leader to have vast flexibility. The requirement to change ones leadership style according to the circumstances is one of the critical principles underlying standard models such as Situational Leadership (develop by Blanchard and Hersey in the late 1960s). The models examine the needs of the situation youre in, and then use the most suitable leadership style. Based on employees capabilities in their task areas and promise to their tasks, leadership style differs. Condition of situational leadership: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Leaders should adjust their style to follower maturity, based on how willing and ready the follower is to perform required tasks (competence and motivation). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ There are 4 leadership styles that match the 4 combinations of high/low willingness and readiness. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The 4 styles suggest that leaders should put more or less focus on the task in question and/or the relationship between the follower and the leader. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Assumes that leadership based on how the boss makes judgments. Application of situational leadership: The Air Force professional military education (PME) schools rely completely on the Situational Leadership model to help teach military leadership and management. For more than 40 years, the Center for Leadership Studies (CLS) has trained individual, corporate leaders and trainers on Situational Leadership, the approach that produces todays most preferred, adaptable and strong leaders. Others opinion: After attending the Situational Leadership workshop, our managers are better equipped to lead their employees in taking on projects and/or responsibilities. (Kris Sakowicz, Motorola) Group Activity: A leadership style and quality Questionnaire will help to sort individual leadership style and map it against the leadership requirement of various sectors/ industries. In order to understand the leadership qualities well, we had a group discussion and came across with some good skills a good leader must hold. They are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Communication skills: Interaction, presenting ideas clearly and effectively, listening and explanation skills are also important. It also includes proper eye contact and body language. Good communication can be through thorough listening and commenting. It helps the leader to get connected to his fellow members with trust while boosting the moral while performing a specific task. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Empathy: To show empathy is to identify with anothers feelings. Leaders should have a perspective of the fellow team mates to take a wise decision. This is a quality which a leader should have to be able to judge his people for effective outputs. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Inspiration: Its about helping others to achieve their goal and boosting their confidence. Leaders should communicate this thorough action. An inspirational leader has many followers. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Integrity: A person of integrity is the same on the inside and on the outside, such individual can be trusted, a leader must have the trust of followers. It can be gained by good behavior with the team members. Each team member should be treated with respect and the leader should be willing to listen to all the team members suggestions. This will eventually help to achieve the integrity of people and will help the leader to perform efficiently in the long run. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Magnanimity: Giving credit where it is due, thus magnanimity helps team member feel good about them and bind the team close together. Rewards should be given by leaders for outstanding performances. These rewards inspire people to perform efficiently. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Creativity: Ability to think differently, its the ability to see things that others have not imagine thus this is how lead supporter in new direction. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Sense of Humor: To relieve tension and boredom in order to energize follower. To provide some control over the work environment humor is essential. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Organizational awareness: Understand organizational culture and aims then apply different strategies to achieve the goal. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Team work: Treat all members equally, should be fair to each and every team member. Interact with them in order to gain loyalty, trust and keep positive spirit in the team. Feedback: My group members rated me in different leadership qualities. According to them my communication skills are good as I clearly listen to what other person has got to say and then put my view forth but they failed to observe that I have little stage fear no matter how confident I am. I was also rated as a good motivator as I inspired my team members to participate with zeal throughout the group discussion sessions. Creativity was what they think I am good at. I was rated on an average scale in terms of my sense of humor, it is little difficult for me to work on it. They also rated me good at magnanimity, as I appreciated the views and points put forth my team members. I have always been a good team member since childhood and this was rated as my best quality by my team mates, however sometime due to lack of patience I miss out some important points which might affect my efficiency and I often get irritated when things do not work out well but my team mates believe that I can overcome my weaknesses. Conclusion: Leadership is a quality by which you can drive people to achieve targets. It is a human science which helps you to communicate effectively, teaches you to be a good listener, be a good team player. Situational Leadership models to improve the decision making process. The feedback by my team members will help me to analyze my strengths and my weaknesses and finally will guide me how to work upon it. This Leadership capability was a truly learning session which helped me to improve my leadership skills.

Alien and Sedition Act :: essays research papers

You are back in the year 1798, the government has just passed a law saying what ever they do and create it will be the standard. You have no say or any comment on it, because frankly they just don’t care. You are now placed back in the year 2001, would it be possible to apply a law of such magnitude to our society today? I don’t think so. Our country is based upon individual rights, we are allowed to say what we feel, and do what we want. It is what has shaped our country into what it is today. The saying rubber makes things perfect is one such example. It is a pliable material and can be formed or molded into whatever shapes you need it be. Just as our nation is today, it is pliable to our society’s needs. The Alien and Sedition Act demolished this moral standard by passing 4 acts that deny the power of people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The United States at this time was faced with such economic and political problems domestically. Such economic problems as a trade barrier created such turmoil. In the text it is described that Spain, England and France on conditions of trade by saying that â€Å"Immediately following the war, Britain, France, and Spain are all restricted from American trade with the colonial states.† Our nation was also faced with one such problem as debt. The wars and battles our great nation has gone through in the past has created such a debt at this point in time that is almost not comprehendible for any normal human. In order to regain a financial balance the federalist came up with 3 solutions. They created an executive cabinet made up of heads of departments and they created a Judiciary Act of 1789. The Judiciary Act allowed for laws to be declared unconstitutional and put power back at a National level instead of state.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hamilton came up with 3 reports to also help out with the debt our nation was facing. His first report was upon Pubic Credit, it stated that the nation would consolidate the debt at a national and state level, paying off the debt in face value, and would shift the power to the National Government. In Hamilton’s second report, he continued to set apart and distinguish between lower class and the aristocracy of the nation. Hamilton accomplished his separation by instating the First Bank of the United States.

The Cold War :: American America History

The Cold War A war that has created controversy amongst two of the greatest world leaders, United States of America and The Soviet Union, is known as The Cold War. A dispute between once allied countries arose in the Post-WWII era. The United States and the Allied Powers faced many challenges at the end of WWII. America's policy was one that contained the spread of communism in Eastern Europe. Russia, under Lenin's rule called for a world revolution and brought the United States into it. It was not until after WWII, that the cold war really began, when the political power of the world shifted from the center of Europe to Moscow and Washington. The Cold War began after the collapse of Germany in May 1945(http://www.coldwar.org/indexrus.html). The creation of the cold war came from the disagreements for postwar Europe and the Far East. Each superpower, the United States, Britain, France and Russia had their own idea of how postwar Europe should look, and many of their ideas clashed. The Cold War arose not from one isolated event, but from the different ideologies and interests between the Soviet Union and the west. Also the Russian government was seeking revenge on the United States because the United States did not enter the war effort soon enough and that caused for more Russian casualties. After WWII After WWII, Germany was divided into four zones and occupied by Britain, France, the United States, and the Soviet Union. Berlin itself was occupied by the western powers; however, it was surrounded by the Soviet zone. Between 1947 and 1948 cooperation between these powers broke down. The west decided to create a separate government in their zones. To prevent this, the Soviet's increasingly harassed the western traffic to and from Berlin. Russia was trying to spread communism, abolish democracies, and spread poverty. Thus creating the Berlin Blockade, which forced America to create the Berlin Airlift. This created a greater controversy between the United States. This controversy's caused spies to enter into the opposition's country. Russia V.S. United States The most visible part of the cold war was the arms race. Massive and expensive militarization movements, especially nuclear weaponry on the part of both nations involved caused a new psychology to develop. The theory of total destruction of the other country was based on three ideas. One: both nations have enough weapons do destroy the other, two: both nations can detect a first strike before it arrives, and three: both nations are able to respond adequately before they are hit by the first strike. The Cold War :: American America History The Cold War A war that has created controversy amongst two of the greatest world leaders, United States of America and The Soviet Union, is known as The Cold War. A dispute between once allied countries arose in the Post-WWII era. The United States and the Allied Powers faced many challenges at the end of WWII. America's policy was one that contained the spread of communism in Eastern Europe. Russia, under Lenin's rule called for a world revolution and brought the United States into it. It was not until after WWII, that the cold war really began, when the political power of the world shifted from the center of Europe to Moscow and Washington. The Cold War began after the collapse of Germany in May 1945(http://www.coldwar.org/indexrus.html). The creation of the cold war came from the disagreements for postwar Europe and the Far East. Each superpower, the United States, Britain, France and Russia had their own idea of how postwar Europe should look, and many of their ideas clashed. The Cold War arose not from one isolated event, but from the different ideologies and interests between the Soviet Union and the west. Also the Russian government was seeking revenge on the United States because the United States did not enter the war effort soon enough and that caused for more Russian casualties. After WWII After WWII, Germany was divided into four zones and occupied by Britain, France, the United States, and the Soviet Union. Berlin itself was occupied by the western powers; however, it was surrounded by the Soviet zone. Between 1947 and 1948 cooperation between these powers broke down. The west decided to create a separate government in their zones. To prevent this, the Soviet's increasingly harassed the western traffic to and from Berlin. Russia was trying to spread communism, abolish democracies, and spread poverty. Thus creating the Berlin Blockade, which forced America to create the Berlin Airlift. This created a greater controversy between the United States. This controversy's caused spies to enter into the opposition's country. Russia V.S. United States The most visible part of the cold war was the arms race. Massive and expensive militarization movements, especially nuclear weaponry on the part of both nations involved caused a new psychology to develop. The theory of total destruction of the other country was based on three ideas. One: both nations have enough weapons do destroy the other, two: both nations can detect a first strike before it arrives, and three: both nations are able to respond adequately before they are hit by the first strike.

Dont Drink and Drive :: Legal Issues, Social Issues, Informative

Topic: Don’t Drink and Drive Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that action is needed to deal with the problem caused by motorists’ who drink and drive. General Purpose: Solving the problems caused by drinking and driving will require action by friends, family, and law enforcement. Thesis Statement: Drinking and driving not only endanger your life, it endangers the lives of the innocent victims whose path you cross. Introduction: While watching TV one night, a special news report came on. There was a terrible accident in Marshal County involving a drunk driver. Six children were killed in the crash, a man driving a blue sedan had hit head-on with a mini van, carrying six children and their grandmother. All the children were pronounced dead at the scene, the grandmother and the man driving the sedan were the only survivors. Body: A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Don’t drink and drive, period. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The cemeteries are full of people who thought they were â€Å"Ok to drive† along with the innocent victims whose paths they crossed. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Support law enforcement. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Don’t complain that an officer gave your kid an MIP, DUI, or DWI†¦ thank them. Transitions: Now that we’ve seen how drinking and driving are serious problems for motorists’ and their communities, let’s look at some causes. B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"It causes the deaths of over 16,000 people in America every year, an average of 44 each day, one every 33 minutes.† Conclusion: â€Å"Drinking and driving and alcohol abuse are claiming the lives of thousands of young people each year. If you critically injure or kill someone after making

The Restaurant that I’m Going to Own

It has always sounded extraordinary exiting to me to build my own restaurant. I can picture in my mind exactly how it would look and feel to my customers. I will be able to put my personality into my restaurant. I am thinking now about my restaurant’s interior, exterior, and, of course, menu. The interior of the restaurant that I am going to own its going to be big and spacious with an extra room for special events. It’s going to have nature decorations like plants, flowers, and fruits. It’s going to have nature colors like light brown, dark brown, green (gardenia green color). It’s going to have a light hardwood floor that will make the costumer feel very comfortable, the music that will be played its going to be relaxing instrumental music and live music on Saturday nights. It will have three different sizes of tables like 4 people tables, 6 people table and group tables ( 10 -12 chairs). The waiters are going to wear a comfortable uniform that will represent the restaurant colors. The exterior of my future restaurant it going to have a big and decorative sign that will be visible from long distance. It will be located in front of the beach and the walls are going to be made of wood and bamboo with the nature color of them, the roof will be made as a Hawaiian style. The principal door will be made of bamboo with a small glass window. Its decoration will represent an exotic Hawaiian style with a lot of leafs and flowers, and a beautiful fountain, and a big palm tree in front of the restaurant that will give to the customers the feeling of being in an island. It’s going to have a big parking lot for the customers and another one for the staff. We are going to offer a delicious and exquisite menu to our customers, offering Hawaiian food and exotic beverages. There will be a variety of Hawaiian food in our menu like Kalua Pork, Hawaiian BBQ Chicken, Saimin, Seafood, Salads, Mahi Mahi Burger, and much more. The prices will vary on the menu, but they will be affordable for everyone who wants to enjoy of our Hawaiian menu. Our main dishes will be the Kalua Pork, Hawaiian Chicken Teriyaki, steamed rice, vegetables, and salad. We will have some variety of dessert like ice cream, Lime Jello Cheesecake, Pies, and exotic fruits. Our menu will include free water and a delicious variety of appetizers that will make the customers feel happy to be in our restaurant. I have enjoyed preparing to construct my own restaurant. Of course, it is a lot of work, but it is overall a completely enjoyable experience. I hope everyone can find something they love to do as I have.

You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 2~3

Chapter Two The Last Poop â€Å"So that was it?† â€Å"Yep.† â€Å"Never again?† â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"Not ever?† â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"I feel like I should save them or something.† â€Å"Would you just flush and come out of there.† Chapter Three I am Poor and My Cat Is Huge Jody walked a step or two behind Tommy, just watching him, as they made their way up Third Street toward Market. She was watching his reaction to his new senses, giving him some room to look around, whispering hints about what he was experiencing. She'd gone through this herself only a couple of months ago, and she'd done it without a guide. â€Å"I can see the heat coming off the streetlamps,† Tommy said, looking up and spinning as he walked. â€Å"Every window in every building is a different color.† â€Å"Try to just look at one thing at a time, Tommy. Don't let it overwhelm you.† Jody was waiting for him to comment on the aura that each person was giving off. Not a heat aura, more of a life force. So far they'd only seen healthy red and pink ones – not what she was looking for. â€Å"What's that noise, like running water?† Tommy asked. â€Å"That's the sewers running under the street. All that stuff will fade after a while – you'll still hear it, but you won't notice it unless you focus.† â€Å"It's like a thousand people are talking in my head.† He looked around at the few pedestrians who were out on the street. â€Å"Televisions and radios, too,† Jody said. â€Å"Try to focus on one thing, let the rest fall back.† Tommy stopped, looked up at an apartment window four floors up. â€Å"There's a guy up there having phone sex.† â€Å"Figures you'd zero in on that,† Jody said. She focused on the window. Yes, she could hear the guy panting and giving instructions to someone on the phone. Evidently he felt the caller was a dirty little slut and therefore needed to apply varieties of hot salsa to her body. Jody tried to hear the voice on the other end of the phone, but it was too faint – the guy must have been wearing a headset. â€Å"What a freak,† Tommy said. â€Å"Shhhh,† Jody said. â€Å"Tommy, close your eyes and listen. Forget the salsa guy. Don't look.† Tommy closed his eyes and stood in the middle of the sidewalk. â€Å"What?† Jody leaned against a â€Å"No Parking† sign and smiled. â€Å"What's just to the right of you?† â€Å"How do I know? I was looking up.† â€Å"I know. Focus. Listen. Two feet from your right hand, what is it?† â€Å"This is dumb.† â€Å"Just listen. Listen to the shape of the sound coming from your right.† â€Å"Okay.† Tommy squinted, showing he was concentrating. A couple of androgynous students dressed in black with severe hair, probably from the Academy of Art on the next block, walked by and barely gave them a look until Tommy said, â€Å"I can hear a box. A rectangle.† â€Å"Acid noob,† said one of the students, who sounded like it might be a guy. â€Å"I remember my first trip,† said the other, who was probably a girl. â€Å"I wandered into the men's room at the Metreon and thought I was in a Marcel Duchamp installation.† Jody waited for them to pass then asked, â€Å"Yes, a rectangle, solid, hollow, what?† She was a little giddy now, bouncing on the balls of her feet. This was better than buying shoes. â€Å"It's hollow.† Tommy tilted his head. â€Å"It's a newspaper machine.† He opened his eyes, looked at the newspaper box, then at Jody, his face lit up like a toddler who has just discovered chocolate for the first time. She ran into his arms and kissed him. â€Å"I have so much to show you.† â€Å"Why didn't you tell me?† Tommy asked. â€Å"How could I? Do you have words for what you're hearing? For what you're seeing?† Tommy let her go and looked around, took a deep breath through his nose, as if checking the bouquet of a wine. â€Å"No. I don't know how to say these things.† â€Å"See, that's why I had to share this with you.† Tommy nodded, but looked a little forlorn. â€Å"This part is good. But the other part†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What other part?† â€Å"The foul, dead, blood-drinking part. I'm still starving.† â€Å"Don't whine, Tommy. Nobody likes a whiner.† â€Å"Hungry,† he said. She knew how he felt, she was feeling some of it herself, but she didn't know how to solve the feeding problem. Tommy had always been her go-to blood guy; now they were going to have to hunt. She could do it, she had done it, but she didn't want to do it. â€Å"Come on, we'll figure this out. Don't pout. Let's go watch people on Market Street. You'll like it.† She took his hand and dragged him up the street toward Market, where rivers of tourists, shoppers, and freaks were flowing up and down the streets and sidewalks. Rivers of blood. â€Å"Everyone smells like whiz and feet,† Tommy said, standing on the sidewalk in front of a Walgreens drugstore. It was still early in the evening and the convention crowd from the hotels was flowing down the sidewalks like a great migrating herd, looking for dinner or a watering hole. Out on the edges, hustlers, homeless, and hangers-on worked their angles, playing the secret path of eye contact to the pocket, while the herd defended itself by paying rapt attention to their companions, their cell phones, or a spot on the sidewalk twelve feet ahead. â€Å"Feet and pee,† Tommy continued. â€Å"You get used to it,† Jody said. â€Å"Is there a clean pair of underwear anywhere on this street?† Tommy shouted. â€Å"You people are disgusting!† â€Å"Would you settle down,† Jody said. â€Å"People are looking. They think you're crazy.† â€Å"Which makes me different, how?† She looked up the street – for the three blocks she could see there were about three people per block shouting at passersby, wild-eyed and angry, and obviously bat shit. She nodded. He had a point, but then she snatched his shirt collar and pulled his ear down to lip level. â€Å"The difference is that you aren't living anymore and it's not a good idea to attract attention to yourself.† â€Å"Which is why you chose to wear that delightful ensemble from the skank-wear collection at Hoes-N-Thangs?† â€Å"You said you liked it.† Jody had become a little more provocative in her dress since becoming a vampire – but she saw it more as an expression of confidence, not a means to attract attention. Was it a predator thing? A power thing? â€Å"I did – do like it, but every guy who passes is staring at your cleavage. I can hear their heartbeats go up. Did you have to turn to mist to get into those jeans? You did, didn't you?† A tap on Tommy's shoulder. A young man in a white, short-sleeved dress shirt and a black tie had sidled up to him, holding out a pamphlet. â€Å"You sound troubled, brother. Maybe this will help.† The pamphlet proclaimed rejoice! on the cover in big green letters. Jody covered her mouth and turned away so the guy wouldn't see her giggling. â€Å"What?!† Tommy said, turning on the guy. â€Å"What? What? What? Can't you see I'm trying to discuss my girlfriend's – uh – well, those.† Tommy gestured to Jody's shoulder, which was now where those had just been. â€Å"Show him, Jody,† Tommy said. Jody shook her head and started to walk away, her shoulders shaking with laughter. â€Å"There's a message here,† said the tie guy. â€Å"It can bring you comfort – and joy.† â€Å"Yeah, well, I was trying to show you some examples of that, but there she goes with them.† â€Å"But this is a joy that goes beyond physical – â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, like you'd know,† Tommy said, cupping his nose and mouth as if covering a sneeze. â€Å"Listen, I'd love to discuss this with you, buddy, but right now you have to GO HOME AND WASH YOUR ASS! You smell like you're smuggling a stockyard back there!† Tommy turned and strode after Jody, leaving the tie guy blushing and crumpling his pamphlet. â€Å"It's not funny,† Tommy said. Jody was trying so hard not to laugh, she snorted. â€Å"Yes, it is.† â€Å"Can't they see we're damned? You'd think they could tell. At least you. We are damned, aren't we? » â€Å"No idea,† Jody said. She hadn't really thought about it. â€Å"Didn't cover that in your advanced vampire course with the old guy?† â€Å"Forgot to ask.† â€Å"No problem,† Tommy said, with no effort at all to suppress sarcasm. â€Å"Minor detail. Anything else you might have forgotten to ask?† â€Å"I thought I'd have more time, for follow-up,† Jody said. â€Å"I didn't realize that the man I love was going to bronze us that first night.† â€Å"Yeah – well – okay. Sorry.† â€Å"Where's the trust?† Jody said. â€Å"You killed me,† Tommy said. â€Å"Oh, there you go again.† â€Å"Please, folks. I need a dollar,† said a voice from the left. Jody looked down to see a guy sitting against the granite wall of a closed bank. He was dirty beyond age or race, sort of grimy to the point of shine, and on his lap was an enormous long-haired cat. There was a cup on the sidewalk in front of him and beside it a hand-printed sign that read I AM POOR AND MY CAT IS HUGE. Tommy, who was still fairly new to the city and hadn't learned to look past this sort of thing, stopped and started digging in his pocket. â€Å"That is sure a huge cat.† â€Å"Yeah, he eats a lot. It's all I can do to keep him fed.† Jody nudged Tommy, trying to get him back into the pedestrian flow. She liked that he was a nice guy, but it could really be irritating sometimes. Especially when she was trying to teach him the profundities of being a creature of the night. â€Å"Mostly fur, though, right?† Tommy asked. â€Å"Mister, this cat weighs thirty-five pounds.† Tommy whistled and handed the guy a dollar. â€Å"Can I touch him?† â€Å"Sure,† the guy said. â€Å"He doesn't care.† Tommy knelt down and poked the cat gently, then looked up at Jody. â€Å"This is a huge cat.† She smiled. â€Å"Huge. Let's go.† â€Å"Touch him,† Tommy said. â€Å"No thanks.† â€Å"So,† Tommy said to the cat guy, â€Å"why don't you give him to a shelter or something?† â€Å"Then how am I supposed to make a living?† â€Å"You could print up a sign that says ‘I'm poor and I lost my huge cat'? That would work on me.† â€Å"You may not be the best sample,† said the cat guy. â€Å"Look,† Tommy said, standing now and digging into his pocket. â€Å"I'll buy the cat. I'll give you, uh, forty – â€Å" The cat guy shook his head. â€Å"Sixty – â€Å" Furious head shaking†¦ Tommy untangled bills from a wad he'd pulled out of his pocket, â€Å"One hundred – â€Å" â€Å"No.† â€Å"And thirty†¦ two – â€Å" â€Å"No.† â€Å"And thirty-seven cents.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"And a paper clip.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"That's a great offer,† Tommy insisted. â€Å"That's like four bucks a pound!† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Well screw you, then,† Tommy said. â€Å"I don't feel sorry for you and your huge cat.† â€Å"You can't have your dollar back.† â€Å"Fine!† Tommy said. â€Å"Fine!† said the cat guy. Tommy took Jody by the arm and started to walk away. â€Å"That's a huge cat,† he said. â€Å"Why were you trying to buy it? We're not supposed to have pets in the loft.† â€Å"Duh,† Tommy said. â€Å"Dinner.† â€Å"Yuck.† â€Å"It's a stopgap,† Tommy said. â€Å"You know that the Masai of Kenya drink the blood of their cattle with no apparent ill effect to the cow.† â€Å"Well, I'm sure it violates our lease if we get a cow.† â€Å"That's it.† â€Å"What's it?† â€Å"A lease.† Tommy swung her around and brought her back to the cat guy. â€Å"I want to rent the cat,† Tommy said. â€Å"You could use a break and I want to show the huge cat to my aunt who is an invalid and can't come down here.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"One night. One hundred and thirty-two dollars and thirty-seven cents.† The cat guy raised an eyebrow, the grime over that eye cracked a little. â€Å"One fifty.† â€Å"I don't have one fifty, you know that.† â€Å"Then I want to see the redhead's hooters.† Tommy looked at Jody, then back at the cat guy, then back at Jody. â€Å"No,† Jody said calmly. â€Å"No,† Tommy said indignantly. â€Å"How dare you suggest it?† â€Å"One hooter,† countered the cat guy. Tommy looked at Jody. She gave him the wide, green-eyed expression that she would have described as I will slap you so far into next week that it will take a team of surgeons just to get Wednesday out of your ass. â€Å"No way,† Tommy said. â€Å"The redhead's hooters are not on the table.† He grinned, looked back at Jody, then looked away, really fast. The cat guy shrugged. â€Å"I'll need some kind of security deposit, like your driver's license – â€Å" â€Å"Sure,† Tommy said. â€Å"And a credit card.† â€Å"No,† Jody said, pulling her jacket closed and zipping it up to her neck. â€Å"Nothing kinky,† said the cat guy. â€Å"I'll know.† â€Å"Going to show him to my aunt, and I'll have him back tomorrow, this time.† â€Å"Deal,† said the cat guy. â€Å"His name is Chet.† â€Å"You first,† Tommy said. They stood in the great room of their loft on either side of the futon, where the huge cat, a crossbreed between a Persian, a dust mop, and possibly a water buffalo, was actively shedding. Tommy had decided that he was going to be very cool about the whole blood-drinking thing, despite the fact that he was so amped he felt as if he could run up and down the walls. In fact, he wasn't sure that he couldn't run up and down the walls, that was part of what was freaking him out. Still, since coming to San Francisco a couple of months ago, he had spent entirely too much time overreacting, and he wasn't going to do it now – not in front of his girlfriend. Not at all, if he could help it. â€Å"You should go first,† Jody said. â€Å"You've never fed before.† â€Å"But you gave the old vampire some of your blood,† Tommy said. â€Å"You need it.† It was true, she had given the vampire her blood to help heal him from the damage Tommy and his friends had caused by blowing up his yacht and so forth, but he hoped she would say no again. â€Å"No, no, no, after you,† Jody said, with a very bad French accent. â€Å"I insist.† â€Å"Well, if you insist.† Tommy leapt to the futon and bent over the huge cat. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to go about this, but he could see the healthy red life aura around Chet, and he could hear his little kitty heart pounding. There was a crackling noise inside of his head, like someone was popping bubble wrap in his ear canal, and then there was pressure on the roof of his mouth, painful pressure, and more crackling. He felt something give and two sharp points poking his lower lip. He pushed back from the cat and grinned at Jody, who yelped and jumped back a step. â€Å"Fangth,† Tommy said. â€Å"Yes, I can see that,† Jody said. â€Å"Why'd you jump? Do they look thupid?† â€Å"You startled me, is all,† Jody said, looking away from him like he was an arc welder or a total eclipse and full eye contact might blind her. She waved him on. â€Å"Go, go, go. Be careful. Not too hard.† â€Å"Right,† Tommy said. He grinned again and she shied away. Tommy turned back, braced the cat, who seemed much less freaked by this process than the two vampires in the room, and bit. â€Å"Thuppt, thuppt, ack!† Tommy stood up and started brushing at his tongue to remove cat hair. â€Å"Yuck!† â€Å"Hold still,† Jody said, going to him and brushing the loose, damp cat hair away from his face. She went to the kitchen counter and came back with a glass of water and a paper towel, which she used to wipe at Tommy's tongue. â€Å"Just use the water to rinse. Don't swallow it. You won't be able to keep it down.† â€Å"I'm not going to thwollow it, my mouf is full of cat hair.† Once he had rinsed, Jody picked the last of the hairs from his mouth, and in doing so, she pricked one of her fingers on Tommy's right fang. â€Å"Ouch.† She pulled her finger away and put it in her mouth. â€Å"Oh, jeez,† Tommy said. He pulled her finger out of her mouth and put it in his. His eyes rolled back in his head and he moaned through his nose. â€Å"Oh, I don't think so,† Jody said. She grabbed his hand and bit into his forearm, attaching herself to him like a remora to a shark. Tommy growled, flipped her around, and threw her facedown on the futon, his arm still in her mouth. She flipped her hair to the side and he sank his teeth into her neck. She screamed, but the shriek was muted, bubbling out on Tommy's bloody forearm. Chet, the huge cat, hissed and bolted across the room, through the bedroom door, to wedge himself under the bed, as the sounds of straining leather, tearing denim, and screaming predators filled the loft. The irony, that it sounded like a huge catfight, was completely lost on the huge cat.