Paper #1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Paper #1 - Assignment Example He termed the use of such secrecy as an abominable precedent. He also thought that rebellions among the citizens were a normal medicine to the political organic body of the new. The bill of rights introduced into the constitutional processes the safeguards and defenses of the rights of the individuals which were more critical to the stability of the confederation. When the bill of rights was introduced, Jefferson believed that the nation would then safeguard individual liberties in a more concrete manner (Nash & Graves 120). When the Bill of Rights was introduced, the ordinary citizens were adequately represented and their rights defended along constitutional lines. Moreover, the laws made it possible for popular participation of the citizens which had the effect of easing some of the tensions and civil unrest or protests. Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton had differences regarding the nature of the confederation in a constitutional sense. However, the question of political parties also pitted the leaders in philosophical differences. Jefferson believed in a weaker central government and stronger and autonomous states. This was contrary to Hamiltonian convictions. As a very prominent and influential secretary of the treasury, always insisted in the strengthening of the federal government and made a lot of financial programs of taxation to modernize the state. Hamilton insisted in some interpretations of the constitution to favor greater federal controls which Jefferson detested. These included the creation of a National, Federal Bank and several taxation laws. Their differences emerged principally on Jefferson’s consideration that the Federal government needed not tax the ordinary citizens too much. d. As president, Jefferson drew back from his weak central government philosophy to engage in some actions that outraged even the Federalists. Discuss some of those actions and the Jeffersonian rationale behind them. As

The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin Essay Example for Free

The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin Essay In The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin, the author tells a short story of harsh irony and a wifes realization of a new life after her husbands death. Chopin introduces the main character, Louise Mallard, as a married woman with a weak heart and a marriage that is complicated and restrictive. In the beginning of the story Louise hears the news of her husbands death in a train accident. She is distraught and filled with grief, so she goes up to her room where she sits in her comfortable armchair and thinks about how her life will change now that her husband is gone. She realizes that his death is the birth of her new found freedom. She can look forward to tomorrow and not feel imposed by his will in her activities. Yet Mrs. Mallards freedom is quickly abandoned as Mr. Mallard comes through the door. At his sight Louise succumbs to her weak heart. When the doctors came they said she died of heart disease-of the joy that kills. However the reader knows that her death is due to shattered dreams of freedom. After the initial onslaught of grief Mrs. Mallard goes to her room. As Louise sits in the armchair staring blankly out of the open window, the narrator observes that, There were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds that had met and piled above the other in the west facing her window. Already, the reader recognizes the blue sky as a sign of hope emerging from a heavy gloominess. Soon the readers suspicions are confirmed as Louise sits in her armchair chanting, Free, free, free. However there were several conflicts in her life that brought her to this point. Louise felt her marriage was restrictive and at times lacking love. She was reminiscing on how difficult it was to love her husband and how demanding their marriage was. As she stares out the window she sees the positive in the negative situation. She, along with nature, has experienced new life and has been rejuvenated by the spring season. Concerning symbols, Chopin uses several throughout the story to create a feeling of comfort within the readers mind. Firstly, the armchair in the story in which Mrs. Mallard sits after hearing about her husbands death is described as comfortable and roomy. The chairs location is also  important. It is facing an open window, and this symbolizes being open to change. The fact that it is open shows that it is somewhat warm outside, suggesting life rather than the cold of winter, symbolizing death. The adjectives comfortable, roomy and sank symbolize a feeling of being embraced by the chair, a feeling of love and warmth. Secondly, through the open window Louise sees many other symbols, furthering the feeling of goodness in the reader. She sees the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life symbolizing a new life to come. The setting of a delicious breath of rain in the air refers to the calmness after a storm when the sun comes back out. The author is using this to refer to the death of Louises husband and the joyous life she will lead now that she is free of him. The Story of an Hour is both a liberating story as well as a tragic one. The author cleverly uses symbols to describe her opinion about womens rights, as well as what sixty minuets can do to a persons life. Overall though, the author does an amazing job of bringing the reader into the mind of the protagonist.

The Biomass Power Plants Environmental Sciences Essay

The Biomass Power Plants Environmental Sciences Essay Biomass is claimed to be the fourth largest energy resource in the world after oil, coal and gas and biomass power plants are becoming one of the most promising alternatives to the established power generation technologies based on fossil fuels. Biomass is defined as any organic material derived from plants, available on a sustainable basis. Generally identified as feedstocks, these materials include: wood, from forestry trimmings or wood processing systems; energy crops, which are crops grown exclusively for energy purposes; agricultural residues; municipal waste such as waste paper, cardboard or food waste; and also animal waste from farms and animal processing industries. The production of electricity from biomass is described as a carbon neutral technology because the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere when plant material is burnt or decomposed during the electricity generation process, is then absorbed again by new growing plant material. This process maintains the atmospheric CO2 levels and is known as carbon cycle. There are currently two main processes used in power plants for the production of electricity from biomass: and they are direct combustion and gasification [2]. Direct combustion is essentially the incineration of dry biomass in the presence of air to produce heat. Gasification is the thermo-chemical transformation of biomass into a combustible gas which is called syngas (synthesis gas) and is a combination of principally carbon monoxide and hydrogen. This process occurs at high temperature (700Â °C to 1000Â °C) in the presence of a limited amount of oxygen [3]. The heat produced by direct biomass combustion can be used to generate electricity using a steam turbine in the same way as in a coal-fired power plant. The biomass material is collected, taken to the power station and then burnt in the boiler. The heat from burning the biomass is used to boil water which generates steam that rotates the turbines. The turbines are connected to generators where the mechanical energy is converted to electrical energy. Plants designed for working just with biomass are called dedicated biomass power plants. However, biomass combustion can be combined with coal combustion in existing coal-fired power plants. This process is called co-firing and is one of the most profitable ways of transforming biomass into electricity because it makes use of the infrastructure of the coal plant and therefore it reduces the total investment. Co-firing power plants can be designed under three concepts: direct, where biomass and coal are mixed and burnt in the same boiler; indirect, where biomass is first gasified before the combustion with coal in the boiler; or parallel, where biomass and coal are burnt in separate boilers and the processes are connected on the steam side [4]. In efficiency calculations, the scale of operation is a very important factor. In systems producing from 10MW to 50 MW, the efficiency is in the range of 18% to 33% [5]. The maximum efficiencies could reach about 45% in large scale plants producing more than 100 MW [6][7]. In co-firing plants, efficiency of 39% can be reached [8]. Biomass gasification process can be couple with a conventional combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant to produce electricity. Biomass feedstock is first dried and then injected into the gasifier. The resulting biogas is purified in a cleaning system and from there the procedure is the same as in a natural gas power plant [9]. To produce from 10 kW to 10 MW, biogas produced in the gasification process can also be used in combustion engines with efficiency of 30% 35% [10]. At larger scales (>20 MW), where gasification-based systems are coupled with combined cycle gas turbines the efficiency increases up to about 45% [11]. There are two others processes which can be used to produce electricity from biomass but they are not commercially developed: pyrolysis and anaerobic digestion. Pyrolysis is a thermo-chemical decomposition of organic material at high temperatures (325Â °C to 500Â °C) similar to gasification but in this case there is no presence of oxygen. This process generates combustible gas and liquid products that could be used in power generation units or upgraded to transport fuel [12]. A carbon-rich residue called biochar is also produced from pyrolysis, and one of the important aspects of biochar is that it is a natural fertiliser that can be used to improve soils quality, which can potentially increase energy crop productivity. The second one, anaerobic digestion, is a natural biochemical process in which the biomass material is broken down by microorganisms in a environment with no air, to produce biogas, which is mainly a mixture of around 60% methane and 40% carbon dioxide. This process can be applied to wet biomass, municipal or animal waste to produce power generation on site [13]. There are a number of technologies that support the different methods for converting biomass material into electricity, which include: drying, pelletisation, briquetting, cleaning and lately carbon capture and storage. Drying is fundamental because in order to increase the energy density of biomass feedstocks, their moisture content needs to be reduced ( Pelletisation and briquetting are technologies to compact feedstocks mechanically, very useful for their transportation and management. Pelletisation is used for example to compress low quality wood, and agricultural residues are compacted through briquetting process [14]. The gas obtained from gasification contains impurities and particulates that need to be removed before using it in power plants, because these contaminants can cause erosion and corrosion in the gas turbine components, and decrease the strength of the system. Conventional methods for removing contaminants from biogas are typically based on physical cleaning processes at low temperatures ( Combining biomass power plants with carbon capture and storage processes (BECCS) to provide negatives emissions [15] is a new approach. When the CO2 emitted during biomass electricity generation is captured and stored, new growing plant material will absorb CO2 from the atmosphere reducing the current high level concentrations. The key advantage of power generation from biomass is that it is based on a CO2 neutral process and it can be a clean and reliable power source if sufficient feedstocks are available. It is also a way to utilise waste materials that otherwise would represent environmental risks. Biomass electricity deployment has also a significant social and economic impact because it can create employment in the agricultural and forestry sector, benefiting rural communities and in general developing countries which economies are based on agriculture [16]. The expansion of biomass power generation faces several challenges such as high costs, low conversion efficiency and availability of biomass material [17]. As any new technology, biomass power generation currently requires financial support which make it less commercially competitive compared to fossil fuel based electricity. Biomass electricity production will depend also on technology improvements in order to increase efficiencies at small and large scale. Major concerns are associated to biomass production (intensive farming, biodiversity conservation) and competition for land with food production. Energy from biomass has been used since fire was discovered from the combustion of wood, and before the industrial revolution wood was used for all of our energy needs. However In 1890 coal began to displace wood used in steam power generation. During the 1980s decades, high prices of oil and the instability caused by the dependence on foreign fossil fuels created new interest in biomass energy in several countries, especially in North America. A large biomass power industry rapidly developed in California, who had 850 MW of installed biomass power capacity by 1985. Due to concerns about greenhouse gases emissions and global warming, governments took a greater interest in using biomass as a renewable and clean alternative to produce electricity. Currently most biomass electricity generation is based on direct combustion in dedicated and co-firing steam power plants. Electricity supply from biomass has augmented gradually since 2000, and in 2010 biomass provided 1.5% of world electricity production approximately. Although biomass power generation is still stronger in developed countries, China and Brazil are also becoming important electricity producers in particular from agricultural residues thanks to support programmes. The models established in these China and Brazil could become a viable way to encourage electricity generation from biomass in other developing countries with similar conditions [18]. According to the International Energy Agency [19], world electricity generation from biomass will multiply by more than 10 times from around 280 TWh in 2010 to 3100 TWh in 2050 and could provide around 7.5% of world electricity generation. China will become the major producer of bioenergy electricity with 920 TWh, above OECD Americas (520 TWh) and OEDC Europe (370 TWh) which will also increase their generation levels.

Linda Loman in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman Essay -- Death Sale

Linda Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman      Ã‚  Ã‚   Linda Loman is the heart and soul of the Loman household.   She loves her family, even though she is all too aware of husband's faults and her sons' characters. She provides a sharp contrast to the seamy underbelly of the world of sex, symbolized by the Woman and the prostitutes.   They operate in the "real world" as part of the impersonal forces that corrupt.   Happy equates his unhealthy relationships with women to taking manufacturer's bribes, and Willy's Boston whore can "put him right through to the buyers." In Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Linda Loman holds the family together through purity and love - she keeps the accounts, encourages her husband, and tries to protect him from heartbreak.   She is the personification of the ideal family, a social unity in which the individual has a real and separate identity. The concepts of Father and Mother are developed when we are b... ... him achieve them. Works Cited and Consulted Baym, Franklin, Gottesman, Holland, et al., eds.   The Norton Anthology of American Literature.   4th ed.   New York: Norton, 1994. Florio, Thomas A., ed. "Miller's Tales." The New Yorker.   70 (1994): 35-36. Hayashi, Tetsumaro.   Arthur Miller Criticism.   Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1969. Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman: Text and Criticism. Ed. Gerald Weales. Viking Critical Library. New York: Penguin, 1996.

Gangsterism in the 1920’s

â€Å"The Roaring Twenties,†; what a perfect aphorism. It was certainly roaring with music and dance, but it also was roaring with gangsters. In the aspect of gangsterism, the thirties were also roaring. Americans in this time period tolerated criminals, especially those involved in bootlegging. Bootlegging is the smuggling of illegal substances. Bootlegging could have possibly been tolerated because of the recent outlaw of alcohol during this time period, known as the Prohibition. Gangsters were involved in bootlegging, prostitution, gambling, organized crime, and racketeering. Al â€Å"Scarface â€Å" Capone, Bonnie and Clyde, and John Dillinger were the headliners of this era. Gangsterism provided a risky job but maximum rewards in a time when jobs were scarce and our country was in the midst of a depression. When Congress passed the eighteenth amendment, alcohol was banned in every way from America. People who were addicted to alcohol and even those who were accustomed to the casual drink still had a demand for it. Many would pay top dollar for a drink, they didn’t think obtaining alcohol would be too immoral because it was legal just a few years back. Citizens would hold private socials and would serve alcohol to all of the guests, this was usually done by the wealthy because of the high cost of alcohol. This opened up many opportunities for those who were willing to take risks and bootleg illegal alcohol to the country. With money flowing like water to many of these gangsters, greed began to grow rapidly among them. They began to explore more demoralizing fields of work. These gangsters began to open speakeasies, which were like old west taverns with prostitution, gambling, and of course, drinking. Speakeasies always had cover charges ranging from five dollars to twenty-five dollars, depending on the price of alcohol at the time. America’s obsession for alcohol allowed the owners to charge any price they wanted. Thousands of speakeasies were located in Chicago, which meant that tens-of-thousands of speakeasies were spread around the country, with most in the large cities. So many Americans were sneaking around under the law that moral values began to dwindle. Gangsters moved up in the ranks and began more vicious crimes such as murder and massive theft. Most of these crimes were necessary to keep business alive. Murder was widespread because some people who would be paid to keep quiet would talk, in return they would be dealt with†¦very harshly. In 1929, gangsters from across the country gathered in Atlantic City, New Jersey to meet with one another. Leaders from all of the major crime syndicates attended. At the meeting, they made agreements on boundaries and a their â€Å"government† to make sure relations between groups were peaceful. Anyone who broke these rules were, again, dealt with†¦very harshly. One of the most famous crime bosses ever was Al Capone. His nickname was â€Å"scarface. † which is used as a nickname in many mobster movies. He had his own army†¦seven thousand strong. He owned ten thousand speakeasies, and he was involved in all of the traditional gangster activities such as prostitution and gambling. Many politicians and police officers were on the payroll of Capone. Because of his one-hundred million dollar annual income, he had no problem maintaining this kind of lifestyle. Capon’s most famous quote is â€Å"When I sell liquor, it’s bootlegging. When my patrons serve it on silver trays on Lake Shore Drive, it’s hospitality. † In 1929, a rival boss, Bugs Moran, began to infringe on Capone’s territory. He sent some of his â€Å"boys†, disguised as police officers, to one of Moran’s drop-off spots for alcohol. They disarmed Moran’s men and then sprayed many rounds in to their bodies, ending Moran’s career as a gangster. This is known as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. After the Massacre, Capone’s freedom and iron-fisted control was on the decline because of the Public Enemies List. Law enforcement tried to nail him for any offense for which they could get proof, the only one was tax evasion. Capone served eleven years in prison and left wrecked by syphilis. He died peacefully in his home and was buried next to his father and grandfather in Chicago’s west side. Other criminals took advantage of corrupt law enforcement and went on sprees of killing and looting. Bonnie and Clyde are two famous sidekicks who drove over the country committing murder after murder and robbery after robbery. After eight years of ludicrous behavior, the couple was gunned down outside of Arcadia, Louisiana by law enforcement. Because it was as if the law was a minority, the couple’s bodies were displayed as if they were prizes. Another criminal was John Dillinger, he was a pioneer in organized crime. He would time switching of guards, find escape routes, and always have a safe house. He had many informants on the â€Å"inside† that were paid to assist him. One particular time in Wisconsin, the FBI and police officers had him surrounded in a lodge and charged in to capture him and he mysteriously vanished eaving the government embarrassed. Dillinger was finally killed when he and his girlfriend were exiting the movie theatre and was met by several rounds of ammunition fired by awaiting law enforcement. Law enforcement of the day was struggling badly. It had police who were under the payroll of organized crime, police who would participate in illegal activities themselves, and morale was hard to come by. Police would not cooperate with one another and share information. The men with the still-good hearts had a desire for personal glory, the hero. he Federal Bureau of Investigation began massive manhunts to destroy gangsterism, and they finally were successful by sending many undercover agents in to the mobs themselves and secretly in to the speakeasies. The success is remembered by an image the FBI has today. It is known as the country’s premier law enforcement agency. Gangsterism was a powerful part of the twenties and thirties. Gangsterism was caused by a domino effect, beginning with Prohibition. Unlike most at the time, they received the Prohibition with open arms. It meant monopoly on liquor, which meant opportunity for money. Greed and lust for power fed these â€Å"czars† of cities, commanders of armies. Prohibition ceased after 1933 with the passing of the twenty-first amendment, which legalized alcoholic beverages. Gangsters began to fade along with their prominent source of income†¦liquor. Some of these gangsters were thrown in jail and others quit before they could be caught. When Capone was apprehended, he said, chuckling, â€Å"All I ever did was supply a demand,†

Gladioli by Monet

Gladioli by Monet Free Online Research Papers Painted circa 1876, by Claude Monet, Gladioli is an oil on canvas and it is currently covered with protective glass. The paintings dimensions are 22 x 32.5 inches and is surrounded by a ten inch thick ornate gold frame making the entire work measure a substantial 30 x 20 x 3 7/8 inches. The painting depicts a women in blue, strolling along a path, in a formal garden, shaded by a green parasol. Pink, red and purple gladiolas, in full bloom, are in the right foreground. They are bordered by a low growing, coral colored flowers and small shrubs line the path. White moths fly amongst the flowers, and the angular dark shadow of a nearby building, that is just outside of the painting, lies in the left foreground. Behind the women in blue there are red roses growing up a lattice and a picket fence or gate is located just behind the gladiolas in the background. The path is interrupted by the square shadow of a nearby building, perhaps a gardening shed or the artists workshop. Up close this painting appears to be abstract, with small brush strokes and dots of color. From close up, one also notices that the paint appears to heaviest on the flowers. One can see the large dollops of paint, which contrast the light brush strokes in both the figure and the low bushes and walk. The women in blue holds a green parasol this is outlined with light yellow, this appears to represent light reflecting on to the parasol, but also serves to outline the umbrella from its green background, which is also green. The figure is Monets first wife Camille, apparently she was a common model for Monets other works as well. One can begin to more fully understand the painting after one has understood more about the artist. Claude Monet was born November 14, 1840, in Paris, France, the son of lower-middle class parents. He spent his youth in Le Havre, where he learned to do caricatures and landscapes. For the next sixty years Monet explored the effects of light on outdoor scenes. At age 19 he studied in Paris at the Atelier Suisse and served two years in the French military. In 1862 he joined a well known studio with other impressionist painters, such at Renoir, Sisley and Bazille. They gave public exhibitions of their work at a studio of a Paris photographer. Monet exhibited a painting called Impression: Sunrise, this painting lent its name to a new style of painting: Impressionism. His name continued to grow throughout the 1870s as he developed his unique painting style and proceeded to sell his own paintings, forming his own group of collectors. Monet loved to not only depict the outdoors, he felt that it was necessary to be outdoors when painting a scene that was outside. From 1871 to 1878 M onet lived at Argenteuil, a village on the Seine near Paris, here he painted some of the most joyous and famous works of the Impressionist movement, including Gladioli. In 1878 he moved to Vetheuil and in 1883 he settled at Giverny, also on the Seine, but about 40 miles from Paris. Having experienced poverty, Monet began to be successful, in 1890 he was able to buy his house in Giverny, which he had previously rented. In 1892 married the mistress, with whom he had begun an affair in 1876, three years before the death of his first wife. This was the same year that Gladioli was painted. Monet died December 5, 1926. The Gladioli, although, impressionistic in style, is also representational, because it is clear that this is a painting of a women, in blue, taking a stroll in a garden full of gladiolas. Monet uses line in several ways in this painting, for example: the short hedges curve along the path clearly dividing the painting left of center. Monet uses to both define parameters and invoke mood. Although very few straight lines are used in Gladioli, the viewer is able to recognize the formal setting, which straight, neat lines normally imply. The hedge rows are neatly trimmed, and do not stray onto the path, the roses, though not as obvious, also seem to know their place, as does the women in blue. The bold use of color in Gladioli, the bright greens, reds, pinks, corals and blues, are neither unnatural, nor do the detract from the form or style of the painting. The artist accomplishes this by his painting technique. The very small brush strokes and the impasto method of applying paint to his canvas, tends to mute his colors, giving them an almost blurry, soft quality, typical of the impressionistic style. The artists perspective is also relevant in Gladioli. One can clearly picture oneself sitting back and watching the woman in blue stroll along the path of her garden. Later in his career, after Gladioli was painted, Monet concentrated heavily on small portions of larger images, his water lilies, for example were detailed works of much larger subject matter. In Gladioli it is easy to see that the artist is not showing the viewer the entire picture. The garden clearly extends farther back and to the right. The viewer cannot see the structure to the left of the painting, which is close enough to cast its shadow across the garden path. The path is much larger and longer than the viewer is shown, in fact the path continues up to the edge of the canvas. The viewer can imagine the garden area continuing out past the canvas. In Gladioli, the space is primarily filled with the main gladiola and hedge lined flower bed. The mounded flowers occupy the foreground and are the main focus of this piece. The little open space that there is in this painting, Monet uses to emphasize to the viewer the light source to the left of the scene. Although filled to capacity with flowers and surrounded by a lattice wall, the space beyond the scene also plays an important role in this piece. At first viewing the painting has relatively realistic proportions. The women in blue is clearly behind the flowers, further back in the painting on the path, while the gladiola bed is clearly closer up the path in front of her. Upon further review the hedge lined gladiola bed seems to be larger than life, when compared to the women in blue. The viewer may ask themselves: is it the women who is too small or is it the flowers that are too big? The diminishing size of the women in blue makes her appear farther back on the garden path than she may actually be. The vanishing point in Gladioli is very clear, one can make out a distinct line where the lattice wall meets the garden gate, slightly to the right of the center of the painting. The lattice wall seems to be over eight feet high, when compared to the height of the women in blue. This may be the case, but it would seem highly improbable, considering it would make the adjoining half gate over six feet tall. The white moths f lying around the mound of flowers are all relatively the same size and also contribute to the effect. One may speculate that Monet used this technique to emphasize all of the detail in the gladiolas, and perhaps the diminished size of the women in blue, his wife at the time, is representational of his diminishing feelings for her. The year Gladioli was painted is the same year that Monet met his mistress, which he later married, three years after the death of his wife. Monet was a fanatic about light and his light sources, it is said that once when creating a landscape, he would not paint even the leaves in the background unless the outside light had turned to his exact specifications. The light plays an important role in Gladioli, it helps determine the time of day, the season, and the placement of objects not in direct view. One can tell from the shadows cast on the pathway, that it is either early in the morning or later in the afternoon. Upon examination of the flowers, it would not be outrageous to suggest that it is indeed later in the afternoon, as all of the petals on the flowers are open and the moths have gathered, as is the norm for this time of day. One may also deduce the time of year to be late summer, the gladiolas are in full bloom as are the roses, that would narrow down the time of year that Gladioli was painted to be late summer to no later than early fall. So with this information one may reasonably assume that the piece was painted on sunny afternoon, sometime in August or September. Monets use of light also contributes to the mood of the painting. While Gladioli, may seem at first to be a pleasant representation of a women taking a late afternoon stroll in her garden, one may be able to ascertain the feelings the artist was experiencing while he was working on this painting or the feelings he may have wanted to invoke in the viewer. The shadows play an important role in conveying both mood emotion. The shadow of the unseen building that falls across the pathway suggests a looming mass that the women in blue is walking towards. The figure is looking away from the shadow on the path which may suggest that she is either unaware of the threat or unwilling to confront acknowledge the threat. As earlier stated the women in blue is Monets wife Camille, perhaps Monet is using this painting to work out the difficulties him and his wife were facing at the time. Perhaps the shadow directly represents Monets mistress. The women in blue keeps her distance from the shadow and well as averts her eyes, perhaps this was also how his wi fe dealt with the other. Gladioli appeals to the viewer on many different levels, the subject matter is pleasant and familiar, and the concept is simple. The painting method that Monet uses is intricate and complicated, using large amounts of paint with small and precise brush strokes. One can either enjoy the image exclusively for its subject matter, or try to interpret a deeper or hidden meaning that the artist was trying to convey. Whichever way the viewer chooses to contemplate Gladioli, or any of Monets other works for that matter, there is no doubt that they will not be disappointed in both the skill level the artist possesses, or in the beautiful images he created with his unique technique. Research Papers on Gladioli by MonetThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementWhere Wild and West MeetHip-Hop is ArtMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductThe Spring and AutumnDefinition of Export Quotas19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraMind TravelInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males

McDonald case Essays

McDonald case Essays McDonald case Essay McDonald case Essay We apply Porters 5 Forces as an analytical framework for assessing McDonalds competitiveness strategies In fast food market. 1. Threat of New Entrants: Low Although It Is not too expensive to start up a fast food restaurant, but fast food Industry Is already a well-established market. Therefore, Infant businesses which want to enter into this market would have to face huge challenges: McDonalds is one of the worlds strongest and most recognizable brands for its worlds best quick service restaurant service experience (Evanescence and Mark), so their products are noninsured to be one of the most famous and familiar with customers. They have gained a huge number of loyal customers who are satisfied with their products. While new entrants have to wait for a long time to build brand recognition and customer base. In 2012, McDonalds remained number one with $35. 6 billion in sales, almost one-quarter of all sales by the top-50 restaurants and almost three times the sales of its closest competitor. Obviously, they own a significant market share which will create difficulty In gaining economy of scale for new entrants to enter the market. New entrants also find that they are faced with price competition from existing chain restaurants. If there Is no consumer switching cost which means consumers will not have to bear any additional cost when they switch to a new products, there are some order to make sure the menu stays affordable and trying to maintain the pricing. 2. The Bargaining Power of Customer: Moderate Since the fast food industry is well saturates the buyer are in a situation where many different suppliers are offering similar products. McDonalds must pay more attention to customers needs to attract new buyers and maintain loyal customers. Therefore, consumers have more power over buying McDonalds products because they can demand what type of products they want to see from them. If the fast food industry does not match the demands of the buyers and the general consumer trends, the buyers can choose not to buy their product and convince others to do the same. Today, consumers are demanding healthier food and beverage choices from fast- food restaurants such as McDonalds. After the documentary film Supervise Me by Morgan Spurious came out in 2004, a film displayed the health risks that were posed y traditional fast food from MAC Donas. A rise in awareness of the high fat content of most of the products offered by McDonalds from the whole market created a large change in consumer preferences and brand preferences, and this made McDonalds face some lawsuits with loyal customers. Consequently, McDonalds started providing nutrition information on the packaging of their products; and tried to provide more offerings that were likely to be perceived by customers as being healthier such as fruits and salads. However, because of low customer switching costs which are nearly ere. McDonalds are highly competitive with their product pricing compared to Burger King, Wendy, among other competitors; and they already offer selections at various price points that cater to all budgets. Thus, fast food industry does not worry about customers loyalty. And customers are a lot of individuals, so they will have no pressure to force company to pass on the decrease in price or accept a higher quality of product service. 3. The Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Low According to Confession (2005), there are 3,700 new outlets being built each year in the U. S. Meaning the power of suppliers is not an issue for McDonalds. Restaurants can simply switch to another supplier offering the same product. This means McDonalds can put pressure on suppliers to reduce costs, offer better products, reduce delivery times or provide higher volume. For example, there are many substitute suppliers out there that can replace current suppliers (I. E. , Pepsi could replace Coca Cola) without a sign ificant drop in quality. Furthermore, McDonalds is also considered to be a very important customer of any of these suppliers so in contrast, it will gain influence over the suppliers. 4. Threats of Substitute Products: High Because the consumers switching costs are low that means that there is a low barrier stopping the consumer from purchasing the substitute. Variety of similar products and healthier alternatives are available that people can chose. Another thing is that fast food industry is unhealthy to its customers health. The customer always tends to find another product comparable or better in terms of the quality of fast food products. Fast food restaurants keep a major advantage over other firms selling substitute products through the lower prices and a quick, convenient service. However, since the market consists of many differentiated fast food companies, the customers are used to having the option of choosing the best value products. The food industry normally targets. Furthermore, it offers healthy alternatives to match the consumer needs and wishes. The threat of substitutes is greater now more than ever with the convenience food industry growing. More convenience food stores are offering similar products as the fast-food restaurants. The convenience store / gas station sells many food items such as hot dogs, egg rolls, pizza, and beverage. The preferences between McDonalds and their others competitive are services of delivery that is Mac Delivery that give a good service, faster and make customer easy to buy from any kind of set of menu at McDonalds. 5. The Intensity of Rivalry among Competitors in an Industry: High When exit barriers are low, weak firms are more likely to leave the market, which will increase the profits for the remaining firms. Low exit barriers are a positive for McDonalds; it will help eliminate small firms that cannot take market share in this industry. However, main concern that McDonalds has to take precaution is major corporations. Although McDonalds serves around 68 million customers daily in 119 countries across 35,000 outlets, it has a number of fast food outlet competitors across the countries. However, Burger King and Wendy are considered as the main and biggest competitors to McDonalds. Sustainable competitive advantage through innovation is a key factor that McDonalds considers as main competitive advantage to compete with rivals. By attributing useful speed of services, types of products, prices of products and level of service, McDonalds has been doing great keeping up with the industry and even leading in fast food industry. McDonalds have led to improvement in its sales and profits by effort of top level management include Jim Skinner, the concepts of the late Charles Bell, and the late James Cantaloupe. James Cantaloupe was a former vice-chairman who had overseen McDonalds successful international expansion in the sasss and sasss. He was instrumental in developing a strategic plan called Plan to Win which was the starting point for the turnaround at the beginning of 2003. Today sales are strong in domestic markets and even higher in the global markets. The plan focuses on existing customers and by changing their image to promote healthier menu items. This was the long term goal set by Cantaloupe, followed by Bell and now Skinner. B) The general environment consists of all conditions in the external environment that forms a background context for managerial decision making. In other words, general environment is the outer layer that is widely dispersed and indirectly affected on level of organizations success. Although a business cannot control what takes place in the general environment, evaluating the general environment can allow businesses the opportunity to predict changes and identify future opportunities. The general environment includes Demographic Trends, Socio-cultural, Economic, Technological, Political and Legal, Global. The external environment will continue to change?and that change may be unpredictable in terms of timing and strength?a firms management is challenged to be aware of, understand the implications of, and identify patterns represented in these changes by taking actions to improve the firms competitive position, improve operational efficiency, and to be effective global competitors. 1. Demographic The number of people living in a region, their ethnicity, age, gender, race, sex and so on would be important factors to consider for any business organization. An with invaluable pointers towards launching new products, pricing, marketing strategies, etc. Most important for fast food industry that depends highly on people: The customer base for fast food franchises and restaurants includes the entire population, every day nearly 68 million customers served by McDonalds. ; in which the population aged between 12 and 30 years of age averages the greatest frequency of patronage in fast food establishments as they are the category with the greatest disposable income. McDonald segmenting their services based on consumer age and consumer beliefs in certain country. Demographic segmentation divides the market into groups based on variables like gender, age, nationality, religion, family life cycle and family size. McDonald offered their services by segmented their customer based on age, religion and family life cycle. For example, McDonalds offers different products like Happy Meal which includes a free toy for kids. 2. Coloratura. Values and beliefs vary from culture to culture, McDonalds have understood its customers based on their characteristics and must study the socio-cultural environment of a country thoroughly to avoid costly mistakes. Consumers around the world become more health conscious; they now substitute healthy food for a quick cheap meal, a healthy diet; it actually hurts McDonalds profits. Under pressure to provide healthier meals, McDonalds announced that it would no longer market some of its less nutritional options to children and said it also planned to include offerings of fruits and vegetables in many of its menu. It plans to make the changes to its menu in 20 of the companys largest markets, but it will take three years or more to put them into place in about half the restaurants in those markets, and which it is estimated would cost about $35 million to suit contemporary tastes and to try to address health concerns raised for years. 3. Economic Economy is important factor which is impacting McDonalds. McDonalds has global presence that would be affected by the changes in inflation and the exchange rates. Hence, these chains may have to adapt to the issues and the effects of the economic environment. Company always need to thing about profitability, growth to expand of company. So, they need to consider countries demand, supply, production, distribution, exchange rate, business cycles, and differential economic growth rates round the world. Besides, the economic situation is slowing down and facing with high unemployment rate, so branches and franchises of McDonalds have a tendency to experience a hardship when consumers have to cut down their spending. On the other hand, McDonalds could have potential opportunities in developing countries, developing countries economies are growing, and buying power of people from developing countries is increasing. 4. Global issues Thanks to globalization, the world has become smaller and closer. It provides for McDonald a good chance to approach new potential market and valuable production actors such as pool of cheaper and skilled labor, diversified sources of raw materials. However, it also brings again some threats such as new competitors such as threats from sushi and burritos. Question 2 Internal Environment Analysis 1 . Tangible resources Finical resources over two years from 2006 to 2008 decrease slightly, the amount of money changes from 2,136,400 to 2,063,400 thousand dollar. In contrast, both the total revenue and gross profit in Exhibit 1 increase gradually from 21 to 23,522,400 thousand dollar (total revenue). In addition, gross profit also goes up from 6,984,300 to 8,639,200 thousand dollar. At that time, the McDonalds the fast food chains performance impressive rivals KEF and Wendy had to have face with the spending downturn and the economic also drops. McDonalds keeps going and achieve a growing up thanks for the strategy of CEO Jim Skinnier Plan to Win. This is an excellent and successful strategy aims to increasing sale at existing location by improving the menu, re decorating the outlets, and extending hours. Some snacks and drinks are added in their menu and McDonalds tries to maintain the price and makes sure to give customers an affordable menu without hurting the firms profit margin. Cost of material still increases but Skinner does well when he keeps providing unchanged price. As the result, in 2008 McDonalds has a strong financial capacity and they can raise equity, revenue and profit. Physical recourse McDonalds does great work in physical recourse. Looking at Exhibit 4, during the period 2004 to 2008, it is clear that the total of number of outlet increases step by step from 30,496 to 31 ,967. The number of outlets Company owned decreases significantly, meanwhile the total of franchise in a lot of areas around the world increases steadily from 22,317 to 25,465. There is more than 75 percent of its outlets re owned franchise and other affiliates. This is a strength point of McDonalds, this firm has more opportunities to highlight its brand as well as help customers recognize the brand easily. Furthermore, continuing to develop franchise is more economical than establishing a new place. In addition, as a part of turnaround strategy, McDonalds spends time to be concentrate on refurbish all the outlets over the world to make their places more beautiful aims to attract customers such as: the interiors feature arm chairs and sofas, modern lighting, large television screen, wireless Internet access. Skinner also creates feature include music aimed at queuing vehicle etc, customers can see meals being prepare from their cars. This is a very modern creative design and customers feel exciting about that. Technological resource As a part of innovation, McDonalds has a good idea to design a touch activated screen which is comfortable and convenient to customers. By watching and following meal being prepared from their cars, customers can know about the component in McDonalds production. It allows customers can order food without queuing. Basing on the website of McDonalds, customers can research about menu, nutrition, urination, store location and price. Moreover, inside the outlets is equip wireless internet access, it is very convenient to customers when they go to inside outlets, they can enjoy their meal and check the menu or access the internet to connect with friends, relatives or entertain. With this channel creation, Skinner has more and more royal and potential customers. 2. Intangible recourses. Organizational resource. McDonalds has built a good structure organization and effectively managing which is head of by CEO and the broad of director in each areas in detail such as: Greece, Asia everything concerns about finance, human, accounting etc. Under CEO, there are divided unit functional department about finance, marketing, HER etc. CEO can manage each department through manager of each department and franchise. Each department has exactly manager so manager can report all things to CEO. McDonalds serves about 52 million customers through 100 countries per day with over 30,000 outlets and 25,000 franchises. Each franchise operates like a subsidiary and be managed by an general manager who manages and guide employee. He/she also has task and responsibility to report to the CEO and Broad of director. This structure brings the effectiveness and the smooth interaction between department and the CEO. Human resource. McDonalds brings thousand of Job for American population and there is a clearly kind of employee: restaurant workers, corporate staff and franchise owners. Most of Skinner local restaurant employee are in 50 and 65, McDonalds also hire in par time position to reduce expenses. However, the firm has to face with the problem when the labor market is tighter; Skinner tends to cut back on training as it struggled hard to find new recruit, a policy that led a dramatic falloff in the skill of its employees. As a result, Skinner has to spend money to train necessary skill for employees to take back smile from customers. Moreover, McDonalds payment salary does not make their employees satisfied so it has some bad impacts to employees morale. There is no distinguishing position and the task. Managers receive salary lightly higher than crew employee, meanwhile they have to do more complicated tasks, take more responsibilities. In addition, employees do not receive bonus when they have to do extra hours as well as done tasks perfectly. These make them disappointed and easy to q drop the Job. As the result, McDonalds has to waste time to recruit and train. Innovation McDonalds has a good step innovation when Skinner put raising profit and maintaining potential customers on company top priority. For example, they make a small changing in the component of their food but they protect unchanged taste. They remove trans- fatty acids in the oil which is used for French fries. For instance, they also introduce some new meal for customers in various kinds of order such as: Miscarried breakfast sandwich, offering a couple of syrup-drenched pancakes and a sandwich filled with eggs, cheese, sausage and bacon in three different of ambition. By this way, Mac can meet customers satisfaction, they would like to come to inside the restaurants to enjoy their meal easier. Furthermore, Mac provides available internet inside and smart screen attract more customers. Choosing meal and then order them online easier instead of queuing are a great innovation of Skinner. Reputation. McDonalds is one of the most famous fast food brands with hamburger and cheeseburger over the world from time to establish to now. Passing over 50 years, Mac has a lot of achievement and has been still famous today. Sine 1940, the number of outlets and franchises increase appreciably. At first, Mac only was a single outlet in nondescript Chicago sunburn then today Mac becomes a largest chain of outlet spread out the globe. To be built and maintained the reputation, McDonalds should improve the quality of food to ensure that their customers will be healthy and happy customers in which Mac can update all products information, the customer feedbacks to response on time. Furthermore, they also highlight their reputation by doing charity to serve and protect social, it is one kind of code of ethics. Organizational Capabilities. An organizational capability of Mac is a great combination of both tangible and intangible recourse to run business effectively. Financial stability, human recourses and management skills will be a good basic help Mac maintain and develop its value and satisfy the customer expectations. Mac also focuses and invests to train skill for managers to build a good model with high quality of leader. When a leader is good, he/she can train their employee better. That is reason to make firm existent and keep competitive of rivalry in competition of fast food industry. In addition, to be more strong and developed, Mac should focus on technology and demography changing. The company should pay attention on the customers taste in specific country to adapt the market quickly. To achieve this goal, Mac should take a research before entering in a new market. Question 3 A combination of cost leadership and differentiation strategy. A combination of cost leadership and differentiation are the two recommended strategies that McDonald should because of following reasons. Firstly, for cost leadership, due to the fact that McDonald had a wrestling about increasing cost in production process and the company also remained their products price, this would make the company in lower their profit margin in return. With low products price although McDonald had a competitive advantage in attracting customers with their competitors, this would also a challenges for the company in getting profits in return. It is widely known that input costs for production process will increase more and more, therefore; if McDonald do not have a strategy in lowering its production costs, it will be a possibility for the company to run-out of fast food business industry. Secondly, it is believed that making something unique and different with competitors is also a recipe for the companys success in outdoing competition with their strong rivalries such as KEF, Pizza Hurt. Therefore, differentiation strategy should be applied by McDonald. McDonald should make their products healthier for their customers because fast food is widely known that it is not decent for people health. If McDonald can create healthier products for their customers, this will make the company different with their competitors, which is a good way for the company to attract more customers. Besides, McDonald should also improve their menu by creating new products such as cookies that their competitors do not have in their menu in order to increase customers choice and to achieve competitive advantage in customers attraction impaired with their rivalries. Therefore, the more and more customers come to the company, the more profits they will make. In conclusion, in my opinion, McDonald should apply the combination strategy above because when they follow the strategy, the company can create good customers relationship so that they can last long in the fast food industry by making more profit. Furthermore, this will be a trend for the company to compete with their rivalries and to construct a high entry barrier for new industry entrants in competing with the company in the fast food industry.

Narrative on Culture Essay Example

Narrative on Culture Essay Example Narrative on Culture Essay Narrative on Culture Essay Culture Crossing Do you ever look at a complete stranger and immediately categorize that person? I will be the first to admit that I have done so more than I would care to acknowledge. I was definitely raised to look down upon people, especially the Jewish, in spite of what my parents will tell you. Although I was never actually told not to like or associate with a Jewish person, the adults in my family made it known that it was unacceptable by saying unpleasant things about them. I heard the jewish would come to nice neighborhoods, take them over, and ruin them. I also heard that they killed Jesus. It was inevitable that I too would see Jewish people as inferior to me. With all the bad things I heard, it only seemed natural. I thought Jewish people were arrogant, greedy, conniving, and uneducated. I thought they should leave our country because their religion and cultural beliefs were un-American. From the time I was a little girl through my early twenties I looked down upon Jewish people until I met Joel one day while I was working. It was a typical Friday at the Department of Motor Vehicles. It was fifteen minutes until closing time and the place was packed. I was about to call my next customer when a short man dressed in black and white from head to toe with long chin-brushing curls as sideburns wearing a black hat approached my window. He was a Hasidic Jew and I was not happy. I acknowledged him. Yes? Are you going to call this ticket number? Nope. Have a seat, I said annoyed. Im sorry to have bothered you. As he was sitting back down I noticed the ticket number he had in his hands. It was a dealer ticket. We stop calling dealers at 4:30 p. m because its time consuming. I was contemplating if I was going to tell him this or let him find out the hard way. There was a big sign by the ticket machine that clearly states that we dont accept dealer paperwork after 4:30 p. m. Some of my coworkers noticed him and started making fun of his clothes, yiddish accent and, stupidity for not reading the sign. Although I tended to agree with them, I decided to be nice and help this man because I was sick and tired of hearing my coworkers ridiculing him. He was, after all, in hearing distance. I motioned the Hasidic man up to my window with my index finger. Sir, I normally would not help you because we dont accept dealers after 4:30 p. m but, I see you only have one deal so I will help you just this one time. He smiled from ear to ear and thanked me. I knew from experience that Hasidic men are not allowed to touch an object at the same time as someone from the opposite sex so, I was very surprised when he handed me the papers through the bars rather than sliding th em underneath the window barrier. I didnt know what to do. Should I let the papers fall to the desk? I did not want to be impolite so I took the papers from him. After looking at his papers I soon realized that I would be unable to process the transaction and I delivered the bad news to him. Expecting the worst, I was ready for the hostile reply I usually get from anyone I give unpleasant news to. Instead, he was polite and humble. He thanked me over and over for taking him. I was pleasantly surprised and smiled. I told him the additional papers he needed and even wished him a good evening. He was walking away when he turned and asked, What is your name? Ann I suspiciously replied. My name is Joel. Have a great weekend Ann! I will see you first thing on Monday, he said cheerfully as he walked towards the door. I wondered what was wrong with him. I had never came across a Hasidic man like him. As the metal gates lifted to the D. M. V entrance Monday morning, I noticed Joel was the first in line. He waved. Oh, geez. That was weird. My coworkers took notice of him and started to tease me. Look, theres Annies special friend, said one. Annies curly locks is here, snorted another. I chose to ignore their snide remarks and called him up to my window. Good Morning Ann! How was your weekend? Joel asked. He placed a small tin of cookies on the counter. These are for you. They are from my brothers bakery in Brooklyn, he joyfully said as he slid the tin underneath the window bars. I told him that I couldnt accept them and thanked him. You have kids? Yes? Please take them home to your children then, he insisted. I took the cookies and hid them in my desk draw. Thank you Joel, that was very kind of you. My children will love the cookies. I hoped no one noticed the exchange. I did not want to be teased my coworkers. While editing and processing his paperwork, Joel started telling me jokes. They were funny but I didnt dare laugh because they were about the Jewish. Not all Hasidics are extremists, Ann, he laughed. I didnt know how to respond. I never met a Hasidic man that was as friendly and talkative as Joel. I wondered if he was from Kiryas Joel, the village within the town of Monroe where its residents strictly observe the Torah and its commandments. If he is, Im thinking he shouldnt be talking to me like this. Hasidic men are proscribed from associating with woman who are not their wives or relatives. What if another Hasidic witnessed him talking to me? Joel, do you live in Kiryas Joel? I shyly asked. Yes, I do. Why do you ask? Um, cant you get in trouble for talking to me? I had a hard time getting the words out. I was embarrassed. I have many rules but it doesnt mean that I follow them to a T? I was intrigued. I knew little about Hasidism. I determined this would be an excellent opportunity to learn. Would you mind if I asked you questions about your religion? I quietly asked. Joel gave me permission to ask him anything. As time went on, I called him right up to my window. None of my coworkers wanted to help him anyway and, I looked forward to our conversations. I asked him questions about everything from having sex through a hole in the sheet to having a holiday that they are ordered to get drunk. Joel eagerly shared his experiences in detail leaving nothing out. He explained holidays, the importance of tradition, and beliefs. I learned the life of a Hasidic from birth through marriage. Joel educated me on why they dress all in black, what kind of education they receive, gender roles, acceptable entertainment, and any other aspect that I thought to ask him about. He explained the discipline involved to abstain mainstream American culture. When he spoke about his arranged marriage, I began to understand and respect the idea behind it. It did seem safer in the big picture because partners were picked that were good for a lifetime not short infatuations. I was amazed how open-minded I was becoming. I had gained respect for his religion and became quite fond of Joel. I saw him as a whole person rather than the Hasidic Jew I once seen. My religious and cultural upbringing fostered my ignorance. I grew up feeling superior to people outside my culture and religion because I simply didnt know any better. Meeting Joel changed my view on culture and religion. Through sharing his traditions and beliefs, I realized that other cultures interact differently and its often misconceived as rudeness, anger and, foolishness. Getting to know Joel made me see that our cultural and religious beliefs didnt make us any less or any more of a person. Based on our common humanity, I learned to respect cultural and religious diversity.

MGT 470 Take home exam Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MGT 470 Take home exam - Coursework Example These are presented in the following sections of the book (blue shaded headings): As a whole, these entrepreneurial qualities (skills, intentions, and behaviors) include opportunity recognition, acquiring social networks, effectuation and bricolage, self-efficacy, optimism, regulatory focus, alertness and more. Each one holds potential for being more innovative, creative and enterprising in your profession (and your life). Note that in the following two questions, the more variety of qualities you have in your answers, the better i.e. four different qualities are better than two, each done twice). A. Which of these (three at most)Â  are ‘most important’ for being an entrepreneur? For each one, explain in one or two sentences (max) why they are particularly influential in the process and to the outcomes. [12 points] Acquiring social networks- this allows the entrepreneur to attract new business customers across a variety of verticals thus increasing customer base. It helps in reaching targeted audiences quickly thus generating more sales/leads and profits. B. Choose one or two of these entrepreneurial qualities that are most interesting or meaningful to you. What intrigues you about it – why are you drawn to these qualities? Briefly suggest one way you could cultivate this skill or behavior in your work. (1 page double spaced max) [20 points] This entrepreneurial quality enables an individual in going out in the world to invoke change through their actions. Self-motivated individuals are good risk takers and are often not afraid of failure; they have strong inner drive to make progress. Self-motivation helps in working tirelessly in solving problems that confront them. Entrepreneurs are more able to adapt pretty well to the changing situations without unraveling. The quality enables an entrepreneur to help their teams change with

Glam Metal Scene Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Glam Metal Scene - Essay Example As MTV appeared, a new instrument became available for music bands seeking popularity and recognition. Sunset Strip in Los Angeles was the place of birth for this music and visual genre, for early 1980s’ populated local clubs and concert halls with a great number of heavy metal bands that desperately sought ways to stand out among others (Batchelor 165). Due to availability of video clips’ rotation, the bands put their stakes on extravagant visual image as a means of being distinguished among others: MTV made glam metal â€Å"very much a whole visual and stylistic thing† (Popoff 217). While many heavy metal bands were using rather extravagant elements of visual image like leather, spandex and teased hair, these elements were exaggerated and extreme in glam metal bands, for their members were typically dressed in bright and even womanly clothes, created big teased hairstyles, wore tons of makeup and jewelry. However, their generally androgynous look ran contrary t o their image of outstanding males with enormous sexual appetites and their lifestyle involving heavy drinking, multiple sexual contacts and even drug abuse, whereby Nikki Sixx can be mentioned as a heavy heroin addict at the time of hair metal’s extreme popularity. However, androgyny of hair metal bands of eighties was different from that cultivated by the glam rock bands that influenced the discussed genre: glam metal scene used androgyny as the instrument of entertainment rather than irony, being more explicitly heterosexual (Moore 105).

Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Control - Essay Example In addition, the system indicates if teaching is meeting the needs of the students. Lavigne (96) argued that implementing diagnostic control system is through giving out anonymous online evaluations and surveys so the professor will be able to understand which area he or she can improve on. I support the diagnostic control system since it is confidential and free from external influence. The system gives the best judgment and evaluation of the professor by the students. It is, however, prone to students’ personal prejudice and attitude towards the professor. Many students tend to rate highly those professors whose courses perform well (Lavigne 100). The diagnostic control system, as a result, favors exam based learning where students mainly learn how to pass exams. However, I argue that a good professor should not only teach but also be instrumental in his or her students’ excellent performance in class. It is only through the excellence in class and a mastery of the course by the students that the same students can measure a professor’s

The film Captain Phillips, Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The film Captain Phillips, - Essay Example Storming is characterized by competition and conflicts in the personal relations. The third stage is norming where interpersonal relations are characterized by cohesion. Performing is the next stage but not all groups attain this stage. Here there is true interdependence in interpersonal relations while at the same time members can act independently in their subgroups. The final stage is adjourning which entails terminating task activities and disengaging from the relationships. Richard Phillips, the captain of unarmed MV Maersk Alabama, and his crewmen exhibit the above mentioned stages of group development. Wary of Piracy activities in Somali coastline, the team conducts drills that clearly portray the unity and dependency that members have on each other. Storming stage sets in soon afterwards as some crewmen are engaged in conflicts with both Phillips and among themselves. It is apparent that they might not work in unity for long. However, this stage does not last for so long. It appears to have been triggered by the eminent pirate attack and the groups once again state acting cohesively. Performing, a stage characterized by true interdependence and members working independently sets in afterwards. Captain Phillips risks his life to engage with the pirates. On the other hand, one of the crewmen turns off the power of one of the rooms as a strategy to shield themselves. The last stage is adjourning after the capture of the pirates and the group terminates the task at hand as well as disengage from established

BENEFITS OF ISO-9001 COMPLIANCE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

BENEFITS OF ISO-9001 COMPLIANCE - Essay Example Volumes of research have shed light on the positive implications of using the managerial system; this volume intends to discuss the benefits delivered by the use of the ISO 9001 unified management system. There are a number of organizational benefits that lay in support of the use and implementation of the ISO 9001. Studies reveal that, while the motivating force behind certification of company quality may be in relation with the markets the advantages are that come along with the general organizational improvement. Under this system, the operations of diverse organizational functions are integrated and optimized. Organization owners further benefit from time saving in functions engineering due to dissemination of product standardization. The system brings efficiency of product processes through better working instructions. The managerial system also helps in achieving quality and boosts the sales revenues and customer confidence in the organization.When organizations employ the use of the ISO 9001 management system, their customers are privileged with a number of benefits. The customers benefit from services and products that conform to their requirement. Secondly, the customers get the trade commodities on a very reliable and dependable basis. Furthermore, the clients of such companies with ISO 9001 are assured that the services and products are ever available on their request. The customers additionally get quality products from these organizations and lastly products that are maintainable.

Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

Education - Essay Example The American government has put in place a body that sees to it that before a school is mandated to operate; whether as a private or public school, the school undergoes certain assessment process to ensure that it meets laid down criteria and standard. This assessment process is known as accreditation. Accreditation is important in ensuring that the freedom given to people to start schools is not abused and that parents and guardians get value for the money they spend in educating their wards. One area that the issuance of accreditation has become most popular and gained a lot of public attention is at the higher education level in the US. Higher Education System in US There are several types of higher education institutions in the United States. Some of these include: Research Universities, Doctorate-Granting Universities, Master's (Comprehensive) Universities and Colleges, Baccalaureate (Liberal Arts) Colleges, Associate of Arts Colleges, Professional Schools, Specialized Instituti ons, Postsecondary Vocational and Technical Schools. According to the U.S. Network for Education Information (USNEI), Washington (2001), â€Å"current data indicate that there are some 2,819 institutions offering a Bachelor's or higher degree; 2,657 institutions offering at least an associate's degree but less than a bachelor's degree; and 4,927 institutions offering shorter non-degree programmes of less than two years duration.† These schools offer educational credentials such as High School Diploma, Associate Degree, Certificate, Bachelor's Degree, Diploma, Education Specialist, First Professional Degree, Post-Bachelor's Diploma, Master's Degree, Certificate of Advanced Study and Doctorate. Thelin, J.R., Edwards, J.R & Moyen, E (2011) see the higher education system to be just more than a set of institutions that impart knowledge. To them, higher education in the United States is an established ‘knowledge industry’ that represents about 3 percent of the gross n ational product. To this effect, they claim that â€Å"virtually every governor and legislature across the nation evokes colleges and universities as critical to a state's economic and cultural development.† It is for the sake of this important role that higher education plays to the United States that it is important to ensure that products that are produced by higher education institutions are products worth the ‘market force’. Accreditation Agencies for Higher Education Accreditation of schools in the United States dates back to the 1800s. According to the Accrediting Council for Independent Schools and Colleges, ACICS (2011), â€Å"The first regional accrediting agencies formed in the 1880s with particular focus on educational standards and admissions procedures.† The agencies kept changing till in 1996, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation took over accreditation in the United States to oversee the works of accreditation agencies like ACICS and other public and private accreditation agencies. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is generally responsible for accreditation of higher education

The film Captain Phillips, Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The film Captain Phillips, - Essay Example Storming is characterized by competition and conflicts in the personal relations. The third stage is norming where interpersonal relations are characterized by cohesion. Performing is the next stage but not all groups attain this stage. Here there is true interdependence in interpersonal relations while at the same time members can act independently in their subgroups. The final stage is adjourning which entails terminating task activities and disengaging from the relationships. Richard Phillips, the captain of unarmed MV Maersk Alabama, and his crewmen exhibit the above mentioned stages of group development. Wary of Piracy activities in Somali coastline, the team conducts drills that clearly portray the unity and dependency that members have on each other. Storming stage sets in soon afterwards as some crewmen are engaged in conflicts with both Phillips and among themselves. It is apparent that they might not work in unity for long. However, this stage does not last for so long. It appears to have been triggered by the eminent pirate attack and the groups once again state acting cohesively. Performing, a stage characterized by true interdependence and members working independently sets in afterwards. Captain Phillips risks his life to engage with the pirates. On the other hand, one of the crewmen turns off the power of one of the rooms as a strategy to shield themselves. The last stage is adjourning after the capture of the pirates and the group terminates the task at hand as well as disengage from established

Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

Education - Essay Example The American government has put in place a body that sees to it that before a school is mandated to operate; whether as a private or public school, the school undergoes certain assessment process to ensure that it meets laid down criteria and standard. This assessment process is known as accreditation. Accreditation is important in ensuring that the freedom given to people to start schools is not abused and that parents and guardians get value for the money they spend in educating their wards. One area that the issuance of accreditation has become most popular and gained a lot of public attention is at the higher education level in the US. Higher Education System in US There are several types of higher education institutions in the United States. Some of these include: Research Universities, Doctorate-Granting Universities, Master's (Comprehensive) Universities and Colleges, Baccalaureate (Liberal Arts) Colleges, Associate of Arts Colleges, Professional Schools, Specialized Instituti ons, Postsecondary Vocational and Technical Schools. According to the U.S. Network for Education Information (USNEI), Washington (2001), â€Å"current data indicate that there are some 2,819 institutions offering a Bachelor's or higher degree; 2,657 institutions offering at least an associate's degree but less than a bachelor's degree; and 4,927 institutions offering shorter non-degree programmes of less than two years duration.† These schools offer educational credentials such as High School Diploma, Associate Degree, Certificate, Bachelor's Degree, Diploma, Education Specialist, First Professional Degree, Post-Bachelor's Diploma, Master's Degree, Certificate of Advanced Study and Doctorate. Thelin, J.R., Edwards, J.R & Moyen, E (2011) see the higher education system to be just more than a set of institutions that impart knowledge. To them, higher education in the United States is an established ‘knowledge industry’ that represents about 3 percent of the gross n ational product. To this effect, they claim that â€Å"virtually every governor and legislature across the nation evokes colleges and universities as critical to a state's economic and cultural development.† It is for the sake of this important role that higher education plays to the United States that it is important to ensure that products that are produced by higher education institutions are products worth the ‘market force’. Accreditation Agencies for Higher Education Accreditation of schools in the United States dates back to the 1800s. According to the Accrediting Council for Independent Schools and Colleges, ACICS (2011), â€Å"The first regional accrediting agencies formed in the 1880s with particular focus on educational standards and admissions procedures.† The agencies kept changing till in 1996, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation took over accreditation in the United States to oversee the works of accreditation agencies like ACICS and other public and private accreditation agencies. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is generally responsible for accreditation of higher education

Does Internet Help Spread Democracy Essay Example for Free

Does Internet Help Spread Democracy Essay How invention of the Internet changed the world? How it contributes to the spread of democracy? Does it have any impact on it? These questions are under debate till nowadays. In this paper, I will try to express my viewpoint on this dispute. To begin with, let briefly look at the Egyptian revolution which was held in 2011. It was the first revolution where social media and Internet played the crucial role. † After 30 years of living in a â€Å"fake democratic system† under Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian people had had enough† (Pritamkabe, 2011). After fake election in 2010, people, especially young generation, decided to make a protest in order to create a real democratic system. â€Å"There was no freedom of assembly in Egypt, and protests or political activism was banned† (Pritamkabe, 2011), but social media helped people to band together . Using Twitter and Facebook, people were discussing and organizing protests against the government. Government was not happy about this and later it shut down access to the Internet for 5 days. It made situation even worse and people started to show their disappointment on the streets. A lot of videos were posted on the Youtube and the whole world could be aware about the following circumstances. All in all, the new elections were held and citizens had an opportunity to elect the new president. From this revolution, we can see how much power Internet has nowadays and that this type of media can provide actual and not fake information for other countries. One of the key elements of democracy is the good governance that means that government should focus on public interest and act in behalf of its citizens. Everybody would agree that due to the Internet, it is easier to access information you need. It enables governments, political parties and other political organizations to interface with citizens and present their ideas that lead to an increase in political participation and stimulate democracy. In addition, it allows you as the citizen to meet and exchange the views all the parties concerned. Moreover, Internet and other media help people to be aware what is going on around the world and to be up-to-date about global events. It makes people more educated and helps to make rational decisions. The other element of democracy is a freedom of opinion, speech, press and mass media. Internet is a place, where all these things became possible. Due to the Internet, people can speak their mind, share their own opinions and the most importantly – they would be heard. Now people have an opportunity to come together online and discuss on worldwide problems, provide advices and try to find solutions. Here even long distance does not play a role and it is a huge advantage of the Internet. Government accountability, and have checks and balances in a constitutional system, are crucial elements required for the functioning of a real democracy† (Pritamkabe, 2011). In order to build a good relationship between state government and its citizens, there must be transparency of governmental actions. As the result, it builds trustworthy relationship between people and government that leads to better political participation and fair elections, better observation of election results and reduction of corruption. In fact, Internet and e-governance helps to create it. Certainly, Internet has its negative side. It can be used to promote violence in the world, such as terrorist attacks. For instance, â€Å"terrorist groups like Al Qaeda have been using internet for spreading extremist and anti-American view† (Pritamkabe, 2011). There are still a lot of gang-related videos in such sites as a Youtube, which promote violent actions and incorporates more and more people. Moreover, from the Egypt example, we can see that government have a power to turn off Internet connection with respect to its own interests. It seems to be a violation of democratic system, there freedom of speech, press and mass media have to exist. To conclude, even that Internet have a negative effects on the spread of democracy, generally its positive factors overweight the negative side. I estimate that Internet possibilities, such as we know them today, are not available in non-democratic states. The development of the Internet is a result of joint actions among governments, commercials companies and individuals. It is the result of free movements of ideas and international cooperation on a global scale. In fact, these actions are heavily restricted in non-democratic countries. In authoritarian countries, Internet is used as a tool for the democratic opposition. It is used by the people who are fighting for human rights, free elections and political freedom. Therefore, Internet is a tool for spreading democracy and rooting out authoritarian rule.

Advertising Journey Of Mcdonalds Marketing Essay

Advertising Journey Of Mcdonalds Marketing Essay It is not too much to say that McDonalds is one of the largest corporations that can even represent the United States of America. It still secures its dominant position that outruns Burgerking overwhelmingly in fast food industry. In 1940, Dick and Mac Mcdonald founded a restaurant called McDonalds Bar-B-Q in California. It was common drive-in restaurant. By 1948, the brothers decided to improve their restaurant to make differentiation from other similar businesses. They have introduced Speedee-Service-System, which is more like automobile assembly system, to make their food faster and cheaper. It was revolutionary shift which led the restaurant more famous. One day, a guy called Ray Kroc visited the Mcdonald brothers and the Kroc was fascinated by the fast food systemic restaurant. In 1954, the Kroc was determined to take over franchising for McDonalds. By 1955, he opened his first franchised McDonalds in Illinois. Since then till now, there are more than 34,000 franchised McDonalds restaurants are running over 119 countries. Advertising campaign of McDonalds is based on their brand identity. McDonalds is not just fast food restaurant where people order the food and have it but the place where people enjoy the time with their friends or families. For the last 50 years, 23 different slogans were presented in the United States of America. There were a few more slogans created in other countries and regions. Regardless of various different slogans and media, Mcdonalds have been maintaining their corporate philosophy in their advertising which is Be the fun, friendly, place for families. C:Documents and SettingsDanbiDesktopw334.jpg In early stage of the brand, the advertising was mainly focused on print advertising. In the 1960s, TV advertising was the most effective media in advertising industry. However, in 1974, there was ground breaking advertising emerged which could be considered as an integrated advertising. That campaign was designed to promote the product called BigMac. At that time, the slogan was Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun. In TV commercial, the slogan was used as a jingle that could be sung by people, namely, the jingle was a big idea in the campaign. The jingle was appeared on not only TV commercial but also in newspapers, on T-shirts and the radio. Since it has been created sensation, there was rewarding event for customers. The customers who were able to sing the jingle, they could get a free BigMac. Although the jingle was not an ordinary song, it was the most requested song by the radio audiences. Needless to say, the campaign was successful. Dean Barrett, McDonalds senior vice president of global marketing, said The campaign was the expression of McDonalds in its own time, in terms of the fun attitude. Through this integrated advertising, McDonalds could imprint their brand image to the customers. The brand image was that they concerns about communication with the customers and the happiness of the customers. Also, they are the brand which offers fun and entertainment experience. Since 2003, McDonalds are concentrated on creating youthful images under the global marketing strategy which is the slogan Im lovin it. Hence, they have presented several marketing campaigns that reminds of youthful images by associating with Hip-Hop music, Sports and Musicians. C:Documents and SettingsDanbiDesktopmcd_co_940x3601.pngC:Documents and SettingsDanbiDesktopdissertationimageMcD_Coinoffers_05_Coin_Collect_871x490px.jpg C:Documents and SettingsDanbiDesktopdissertationimageMcD_Coinoffers_06_Coin_Collect_871x490px.jpgC:Documents and SettingsDanbiDesktopMcD_Coinoffers_04_AppStores_871x490px.jpg Problem and Solution In 2011, DDB Copenhagen was asked by McDonalds to create advertising campaign with using new platform media that aims teenager and young adults. The campaign is named Coinoffers. The coin offers a range of products that can be purchased for. However, there was a problem that many voucher and price-saving sites offer some discounting or similar service as coin-offer. Therefore, the company decided to make its own digital currency. This digital currency need to be earned by customers participation. Also, there should be branding device that represents McDonalds. Brief explanation of the campaign The coins were traditional QR codes transformed into pixel codes of a range of products such as hamburgers, fries and so on. McDonalds have distributed one million coins over the country through a wide range of media television, radio, out-door posters, digital screen of buses and trains, facebook ads, games. There are some other unconventional media choices. For example, the paper shit on the tray which has got the code on it. People have to fold the paper to get it. To collect all those coins, consumers needed to download mobile application which can scan those pixel codes as the coins. Also, the mobile app has got sound detecting function which detaches the sound from the radio and converts the sound as a coin. This mobile application was built as the central element in this campaign that is placed in the middle of circulation of earning, paying and owning. Consumers collected the coins with the application whenever they came across the codes. Once they have collected some amount of coins, they can drop by the restaurant and get the products. It is possible because each digital code have got value of one virtual coin. Result The result was fruitful. This campaign reminds people that McDonalds have always been providing fun food at a low cost. As soon as the application had been released, it became the fastest downloaded application in Denmark which has reached number 1 on iTunes app store and Android market within a day. The one million coins were collected in just 26 days that means McDonalds had to put an end to the campaign unexpectedly 2 weeks earlier that they have planned. Conclusion There are two facts that can be inferred about creating integrated campaign. This will be illustrated below. The first one is simple idea is the best in this type of advertising strategy. In this campaign, it shows that how the simple idea can be expanded broadly with various media channels. If it was a story-based idea, it must be difficult to apply that idea on print advertising. In other words, complicated idea have possibility of losing its media choice such as poster an billboard. The second one is entertaining elements can draw peoples attention. This campaign would not be successful without participation of the customers. Therefore, entertaining requisite have played key role to arouse peoples engagement. For example, the idea itself which give money to people, games. It is originally called coin hunting but it is also an up-to-date version of playing hide-and-seek for the customers. To sum up, two conditions needed to be satisfied for the success of creating integrated advertising. Firstly, big idea should come from simple thought in order to broaden media choice. Therefore, it can affect wide range of target audiences. Secondly, interesting activity should be given owing to catching peoples eyes. Regardless of advertising strategy, the intention of advertising itself is making the brand noticeable. Thus, the more people join the campaign the larger the brand become.

Silas Marner: The Effect of Choice :: Character Analysis, Godfrey Cass, Eppie, Molly

3,847,295 dominoes were toppled on November 15, 2002 breaking the world record according to The Guiness Book of World Reocords. When dominos are placed in a line, standing on end, and one is pushed over, a chain reaction begins and the dominos fall as each is pushed over by its neighbor. Similarly, actions people take in life influence others and the domino effect continues. Silas Marner shows that each person’s choices affect themselves and others. First, Godfrey Cass makes unsound decisions and causes problems for people. Initially, Godfrey secretly marries Molly; he would have been better off if he had married her in the open or had not married her at all. Dunstan uses Godfrey’s marriage to threaten him and says, â€Å"‘I might tell the Squire how his handsome son [is] married to a nice young woman, Molly Farren and [is] very unhappy because he [can’t] live with his drunken wife’†(24). Godfrey’s disgraceful marriage was a bad decision. Later, Molly is unhappy about their marriage because Godfrey resides in his fine house while she dwells in a dingy, small room. Molly hated that â€Å"her husband would be smiling and smiled upon, hiding her existence in the darkest corner of his heart† (108). Then, many years after Molly succumbs to her drug addiction, Godfrey unwisely decides to try to adopt his daughter Eppie who grew up with Silas. When Godfrey breaks the news to Eppie that h e is her father, she â€Å"turns quite pale† (171) and replies, â€Å"But I can’t leave my father† (170). She is shocked that Godfrey had neglected her all of her life. It would have been nobler of Godfrey to claim Eppie as his own and reveal his marriage, but he was afraid of losing his reputation. Godfrey’s decision to marry Molly and not to claim Eppie creates turmoil in Raveloe. Additionally, Molly’s choices eventually bring Eppie to Silas, and Eppie makes decisions that make her happy. Molly sets off on her way to the Red House: â€Å"The journey on New Year’s Eve was a premeditated act of vengeance which she had kept in her heart† (108). Molly is unhappy because of her opium addiction and her marriage. When Molly collapses from the drugs, â€Å"The little one, rising on its legs, [toddles] through the snow†¦[toddles] on to the open door of Silas Marner’s cottage and right up to the warm hearth† (110). Because Molly yields to her addiction, Eppie is placed in the hands of Silas who raises Eppie happily.

muslim teachings Essay -- essays research papers

Islamic teachings   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Islamic teachings about the care of the body have some similarities to our own culture. The guidelines of the care of the body are stricter in the Muslim life than in our culture. The care of the body is an important standard in the social behavior of their divine law.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Muslims believe that their body belongs to God and not to the person. That body needs to be very clean and washing the body is part of their religious rituals. Muslim has standards and guidelines for the type of clothes they wear; it has to be simple and not overly seductive or luxurious. They are allowed to dress according to the newest fashions as long as they keep it simple. Clothing is one of the big differences in our culture. First is not required by any law of God the way we dress. In our culture some people dresses with luxury and that is a sign of wealth. Overly seductive clothes is not seen well by society, but is just a sign of bad taste and not forbidden by any law of the church. We dress the way we feel more comfortable with as long as it is with taste and within the moral standards of our society. Another aspect of the Muslim care of the body is perfumes. The good aroma of perfumes reminds Muslims of paradise. The three joys mentioned by Muhammad were the company of women, prayers and the perfume. This is one of the physical joys that Muslims enjoy. The good smell of perfume, the right clothes and the cleanliness o...

Bloodlines Chapter Twenty-Four

IT'S WEIRD how you react in moments of immediate danger. Part of me was pure panic, complete with racing heart and rapid breathing. That hollow feeling, the one that felt like a hole had opened in my chest, returned. Another part of me was able to still inexplicably think along logical lines, mostly something like, Yup, that's the kind of knife that could slit a throat. The rest of me? Well, the rest of me was just confused. I stayed where I was and kept my voice low and even. â€Å"Lee, what's going on? What is this?† He shook his head. â€Å"Don't pretend. I know you know. You're too smart. I knew you'd figure it out, but I just didn't expect you to do it so soon.† My mind spun. Once again, someone thought I was smarter than I was. I supposed I should be flattered by his faith in my intelligence, but the truth was, I didn't know what was going on yet. I didn't know if betraying that would help or hinder me, though. I decided to play cool for as long as I reasonably could here. â€Å"That's you in the picture,† I said, careful not to make it a question. â€Å"Of course,† he said. â€Å"You haven't aged.† I dared a quick look at the picture, just to ascertain that for myself. It still baffled me. Only Strigoi were ageless, staying immortal at the age they'd turned. â€Å"That's†¦ that's impossible. You're Moroi.† â€Å"Oh, I've aged,† he said bitterly. â€Å"Not a lot. Not enough that you can really spot it, but believe me, I can. It's not like how it used to be.† I was still clueless, still not sure of how we had reached a point where Lee – starry-eyed and lovesick for Jill – was suddenly threatening me with a knife. Nor did I understand how he looked exactly the same as he did in a five-year-old picture. There was only one terrible thing I was beginning to be certain of. â€Å"You†¦ killed Kelly Hayes.† The fear in my chest intensified. I lifted my gaze from the blade to look into his eyes. â€Å"But surely†¦ surely not Melody†¦ or Tamara†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He nodded. â€Å"And Dina. But you wouldn't know her, would you? She was only human, and you don't keep track of human deaths. Only vampires.† It was hard not to look at the knife again. All I kept thinking about was how sharp it was and how close it was to me. One swipe, and I'd end up just like those other girls, my life bleeding away before me. I groped desperately for something to say, wishing again I'd learned the social skills that came so easily to others. â€Å"Tamara was your cousin,† I managed. â€Å"Why would you kill your own cousin?† A moment of regret flashed across his features. â€Å"I didn't want to – I mean, I did†¦ but, well, I wasn't myself when I came back. I just knew I had to be awakened again. Tamara was there at the wrong place and the wrong time. I went for the first Moroi I could get†¦ but it didn't work. That's when I tried the others. I thought for sure one of them would do it. Human, dhampir, Moroi†¦ none of them worked.† There was a terrible desperation in his voice, and despite my fear, some part of me wanted to help him†¦ but I was hopelessly lost. â€Å"Lee, I'm sorry. I don't understand, why you'd need to ‘try others.' Please put the knife down, and let's talk. Maybe I can help you.† He gave me a sad smile. â€Å"You can. I didn't want it to be you, though. I wanted it to be Keith. He certainly deserves to die more than you do. And Jill†¦ well, Jill likes you. I wanted to respect that and spare you.† â€Å"You still can,† I said. â€Å"She – she wouldn't want you to do this. She'd be upset if she knew – â€Å" Suddenly, Lee was on me, pinning me to the chair with the knife at my throat. â€Å"You don't know!† he cried. â€Å"She doesn't know. But she will, and she'll be glad. She'll thank me, and we'll be young and together forever. You're my chance. The others didn't work, but you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He trailed the knife's blade near my tattoo. â€Å"You're special. Your blood is magic. I need an Alchemist, and you're my only chance now.† â€Å"What†¦ chance†¦ are you talking about?† I gasped out. â€Å"My chance for immortality!† he cried. â€Å"God, Sydney. You can't even imagine it. What it's like to have that and then lose it. To have infinite strength and power†¦ to not age, to know you'll live forever. And then, gone! Taken away from me. If I ever find that bastard spirit user who did this to me, I'll kill him. I'll kill him and I'll drink from him since after tonight, I'll be whole once more. I'll be reawakened.† A chill ran down my spine. In light of everything, you would have thought I'd already be at maximum terror level. Nope. Turns out there was still more to come. Because with those words, I began to put together a fragile theory of what he might be talking about. â€Å"Awakened† was a term used in the vampire world, under very special circumstances. â€Å"You used to be Strigoi,† I whispered, not even sure if I believed it myself. He pulled back slightly, gray eyes wide and glittering feverishly. â€Å"I used to be a god! And I will be again. I swear it. I'm sorry, I really am. I'm sorry it's you and not Keith. I'm sorry you found out about Kelly. If you hadn't, I could have found another Alchemist in LA. But don't you see? I have no other options now†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The knife was still at my throat. â€Å"I need your blood. I can't go on like this†¦ not as a mortal Moroi. I have to be changed back.† A knock sounded at the door. â€Å"Not a word,† Lee hissed. â€Å"They'll go away.† Seconds later, the knock repeated, followed by: â€Å"Sage, I know you're in there. I saw your car. I know you're pissed off, but just listen to me.† Dingdong, distraction calling. â€Å"Adrian!† I screamed, jumping up from the chair. I made no attempt to disarm Lee. My only goal was safety. I pushed past him before he could react, heading for the door, but he was more prepared than I'd expected. He leapt toward me and tackled me to the ground, the knife catching me in the arm as I fell. I yelped in pain as I felt the tip of the blade dig into my skin. I struggled against him, only succeeding in making the knife tear into me more. The door suddenly opened, and I was grateful that I'd left it unlocked after letting Lee in. Adrian entered, coming to a standstill as he took in the scene. â€Å"Don't come closer,† warned Lee, pushing the knife against my throat again. I could feel warm blood oozing from my arm. â€Å"Shut the door. Then†¦ sit down and put your hands behind your head. I'll kill her if you don't.† â€Å"He's going to do it anyway – ahh!† My words were cut off as the knife pierced my skin, not enough to kill me yet but enough to cause pain. â€Å"Okay, okay,† said Adrian, holding up his hands. He looked more sober and serious than I'd ever seen. When he was settled on the floor, hands behind his head as directed, he said gently, â€Å"Lee, I don't know what you're doing, but you need to stop it now before it goes any further. You don't have a gun. You can't really hold us both here under the threat of a knife.† â€Å"It's worked before,† Lee said. Still keeping the knife on me, he reached into his coat pocket with his other hand and produced a pair of handcuffs. That was unexpected. He slid them over to Adrian. â€Å"Put these on.† When Adrian didn't react right away, Lee pushed on the knife until I yelped. â€Å"Now!† Adrian put the handcuffs on. â€Å"I'd meant them for her, but you coming by might be a good thing,† said Lee. â€Å"I'll probably be hungry once I'm reawakened.† Adrian arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Reawakened?† â€Å"He used to be Strigoi,† I managed to say. â€Å"He's been killing girls – slitting their throats – to try to become one again.† â€Å"Be quiet,† snapped Lee. â€Å"Why would you cut their throats?† asked Adrian. â€Å"You have fangs.† â€Å"Because it didn't work! I did use my fangs. I drank from them†¦ but it didn't work. I didn't reawaken again. So then I had to cover my trail. The guardians can tell, you know. Moroi and Strigoi bites? I needed the knife to subdue them anyway, so then I cut their necks to hide the trail†¦ make them think it was a crazy Strigoi. Or a vampire hunter.† I could see Adrian processing all this. I don't know if he believed it or not, but he had the potential to roll with crazy ideas regardless. â€Å"If the others didn't work, then Sydney won't either.† â€Å"She has to,† said Lee fervently. He shifted so that I was rolled onto my back, still pinned by his greater body weight. â€Å"Her blood's special. I know it is. And if it doesn't†¦ I'll get help. I'll get help reawakening, and then I'll awaken Jill so we can always be together.† Adrian jumped to his feet, full of a surprising fury. â€Å"Jill? Don't hurt her! Don't even touch her!† â€Å"Sit down,† barked Lee. Adrian obeyed. â€Å"I wouldn't hurt her. I love her. That's why I'm going to make sure she stays exactly the way she is. Forever. I'll awaken her after I'm reawakened.† I tried to catch Adrian's eye, wondering if I could pass some silent message. If we both surged at Lee together – even with Adrian cuffed – then maybe we had a chance at subduing him. Lee was seconds away from tearing into my throat, I was certain, in the hopes that†¦ what? That he could drink my blood and become Strigoi? â€Å"Lee,† I said in a small voice. Too much movement in my throat would result in a bite from the knife. â€Å"It didn't work with the other girls. I don't think the fact that I'm an Alchemist matters. Whatever that spirit user did to save you†¦ you can't go back now. It doesn't matter whose blood you drink.† â€Å"He didn't save me!† roared Lee. â€Å"He ruined my life. I've been trying to get it back for six years. I was almost ready for the last resort†¦ until you and Keith came along. And I've still got that last option left. I don't want it to come to that, though. For all our sakes.† I wasn't the last resort? Honestly, I didn't really see how any other alternative plans here could be much worse for me. Meanwhile, Adrian still wasn't looking in my direction, which frustrated me – until I realized what he was trying to do. â€Å"This is a mistake,† he told Lee. â€Å"Look at me, and tell me you really want to do this to her.† Cuffed or not, Adrian didn't have the speed and strength of a dhampir, someone who could leap over and disarm Lee before the knife could do its damage. Adrian also didn't have the power to wield a physical element, say, like fire, one that could be used as a concrete weapon. Adrian did, however, have the ability to compel. Compulsion was an innate ability all vampires had and one that spirit users in particular were adept at. Unfortunately, it worked best with eye contact, and Lee wasn't playing ball. His attention was all on me, blocking Adrian's efforts. â€Å"I made my decision a long time ago,† said Lee. With his free hand, he dabbed his fingers in the bloody patch on my arm. He brought his fingertips to his lips, a look of grim resignation on his face. He licked the blood from his hand, which wasn't nearly as gross to me as it would've been under other circumstances. With so much going on right now, it was honestly no more terrible than the rest and just rolled off of me. A look of total shock and surprise crossed Lee's features†¦ soon turning to disgust. â€Å"No,† he gasped. He repeated the motion, rubbing more blood on his fingers and licking it. â€Å"There's something†¦ there's something wrong†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He leaned his mouth to my neck, and I whimpered, fearing the inevitable. But it wasn't his teeth I felt, only the lightest brushing of his lips and tongue at the wound he'd created, like some sort of perverse kiss. He jerked back immediately, staring at me in horror. â€Å"What's wrong with you?† he whispered. â€Å"What's wrong with your blood?† He made a third attempt to taste my blood but was unable to finish. He scowled. â€Å"I can't do it. I can't stomach any of it. Why?† Neither Adrian nor I had an answer. Lee sagged in defeat for a moment, and I suddenly allowed myself to think he might just give up and call all this madness off. With a deep breath, he straightened up, new resolve in his eyes. I tensed, half-expecting him to say he was going to try to drink Adrian now, even though a Moroi – two, if you counted Melody – had apparently been on the menu of his past failures. Instead, Lee pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, still keeping the knife at my throat and preventing me from attempting any sort of escape. He dialed a number and waited for an answer. â€Å"Dawn? It's Lee. Yes†¦ yes, I know. Well, I have two for you, ready and waiting. A Moroi and an Alchemist. No – not the old man. Yes. Yes, still alive. It has to be tonight. They know about me. You can have them†¦ but you know the deal. You know what I want†¦ yes. Uh-huh. Okay.† Lee rattled off our address and disconnected. A pleased smile crossed his face. â€Å"We're lucky. They're east of LA, so it won't take them long to get here – especially since they don't care much about speed limits.† â€Å"Who are ‘they'?† asked Adrian. â€Å"I remember you calling some Dawn lady in LA. I thought she was one of your hot college friends?† â€Å"They're the makers of destiny,† said Lee dreamily. â€Å"How delightfully enigmatic and nonsensical,† muttered Adrian. Lee glared and then carefully studied Adrian. â€Å"Take off your tie.† I realized I'd spent so much time with Adrian now that I was ready for some comment like, â€Å"Oh, glad to know things aren't so formal anymore.† Apparently, the situation was dire enough – and the knife at my throat serious enough – that Adrian didn't argue. He'd handcuffed his wrists in front of him and, after some complex maneuvering with his hands, was finally able to undo the tie he'd donned for Jill's show. He tossed it over. â€Å"Careful,† Adrian said. â€Å"It's silk.† So, not completely devoid of snark. Lee rolled me over to my stomach, finally freeing me of the knife but giving me no time to react. With remarkable skill, he soon had my hands tied behind my back with Adrian's tie. Doing so required some pulling and restraining of my arms, which hurt quite a bit after the stabbing. He backed off when finished, allowing me to gingerly sit up, but an experimental tug of the tie showed that I wasn't going to undo those knots anytime soon. Uneasily, I wondered how many girls he'd tied up before in his sick attempt to become Strigoi. Weird, awkward silence fell as we waited for Lee's â€Å"makers of destiny† to show up. The minutes ticked by, and I frantically tried to figure out what to do. How long did we have until the people he'd called arrived? From what he'd told me, I'd guess at least an hour. Feeling bold, I finally attempted communication with Adrian, again hoping maybe we could covertly team up on Lee – even though our success rate had just become that much lower with both our sets of hands bound. â€Å"How did you even get here?† I asked. Adrian's gaze was fixed on Lee, still hoping for direct eye contact, but he did spare a quick, wry glance at me. â€Å"Same way I get around everywhere, Sage. The bus.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Because I don't have a car.† â€Å"Adrian!† Amazing. Even with our lives in danger, he could still infuriate me. He shrugged and returned his focus to Lee, even though his words were obviously for me. â€Å"To apologize. Because I was a total asshole to you at Jailbait's show. Not long after you left, I knew I had to come find you.† He paused eloquently and glanced around. â€Å"No good deed goes unpunished, I guess.† I suddenly felt at a loss. Lee turning psychopathic certainly wasn't my fault, but it troubled me that Adrian was now in this situation because he'd come to apologize to me. â€Å"It's okay. You weren't†¦ um, that bad,† I said lamely, hoping to make him feel better. A small smile played over his lips. â€Å"You're a terrible liar, Sage, but I'm still touched you'd attempt it for my sake. A for effort.† â€Å"Yeah, well, what happened back there seems kind of small, in light of the current situation,† I muttered. â€Å"It's easy to forgive.† Lee's frown had been growing as he listened to us. â€Å"Do the others know you're here?† he asked Adrian. â€Å"No,† said Adrian. â€Å"I said I was going back to Clarence's.† I didn't know if he was lying or not. For a moment, I didn't think it would matter. The others had heard me say I was coming here, but none of them would have any reason to come seeking us. No reason, except the bond. I caught my breath and met Adrian's eyes. He looked away, perhaps for fear of betraying what I'd just realized. It didn't matter if the gang had known where I was earlier. If Jill was connected to Adrian, she would know now. And she would know that we were in trouble. But that was assuming it was one of the times when she could see into his mind. They'd both admitted it was inconsistent and that high emotion could bring it out. Well, if this didn't count as a highly emotional situation, I couldn't think what would. Even if she realized what was happening, there were a lot of if's involved. Jill would have to get here, and she couldn't do it alone. Calling the police would bring the fastest response, but she might hesitate if she knew this was vampire business. She'd need Eddie. How long would it take to get him if they were back in their dorms? I didn't know. I just knew that we had to stay alive because if we did, one way or another, Jill would get help here. Only, I no longer knew our odds of survival. Adrian and I were both confined, trapped with a guy who wasn't afraid to kill with a knife and who desperately wanted to become a Strigoi again. That was a bad combination, and it threatened to get worse†¦ â€Å"Who's coming, Lee?† I asked. â€Å"Who did you call?† When he didn't answer, I made the next logical leap. â€Å"Strigoi. You have Strigoi coming.† â€Å"It's the only way,† he said, tossing his knife from hand to hand. â€Å"The only way left now. I'm sorry. I can't be like this anymore. I can't be mortal anymore. Too much time has already passed.† Of course. Moroi could become Strigoi in one of two ways. One was by drinking the blood of another person and killing them in the process. Lee had tried that, using every combination of victims he could get ahold of, and had failed. That left him with one last desperate option: conversion by another Strigoi. Usually, it happened by force, when a Strigoi killed someone and then fed their own blood back to the victim. That was what Lee wanted done to him now, trading our lives to the Strigoi who would convert him. And then he wanted to do it to Jill, out of some crazy misguided love†¦ â€Å"But it's not worth it,† I said, desperation and fear making me bold. â€Å"It's not worth the cost of killing innocents and endangering your soul.† Lee's gaze fell on me, and there was a look of such chilling indifference in it that I had a hard time connecting this person before me to the one I'd smiled indulgently on as he courted Jill. â€Å"Isn't it, Sydney? How would you know? You've deprived yourself of enjoyment for most of your life. You're aloof from others. You've never let yourself be selfish, and look where it's got you. Your ‘morals' have left you with a short, strict life. Can you tell me now, just before you're about to die, that you don't wish you'd maybe allowed yourself a little more fun?† â€Å"But the immortal soul – â€Å" â€Å"What do I care about that?† he demanded. â€Å"Why bother living some miserable regimented life in this world, in the hopes that maybe our souls go on in some heavenly realm, when I can take control now – ensure that I live forever in this world, with all of its pleasures, staying strong and young forever? That's real. That's something I can put my faith in.† â€Å"It's wrong,† I said. â€Å"It's not worth it.† â€Å"You wouldn't say that if you'd experienced what I have. If you'd been Strigoi, you never would've wanted to lose that either.† â€Å"How did you lose it?† asked Adrian. â€Å"What spirit user saved you?† Lee snorted. â€Å"You mean robbed me. I don't know. It all happened so fast. But as soon as I find him I'll – ahh!† A yearbook is not the greatest of weapons, particularly one the size of Amberwood's, but in a pinch – and with surprise – it'll do. I'd noted earlier that I wasn't going to be able to undo the knots in the tie anytime soon. That was true. It had taken me this whole time, but I'd done it. For whatever reason, knot-making was a useful skill in the Alchemist curriculum, one I'd practiced growing up with my father. As soon as I was free of Adrian's tie, I reached for the first thing I could: Kelly's junior yearbook. I sprang up and slammed it into Lee's head. He cringed back at the impact, dropping the knife as he did, and I used the opportunity to sprint across the living room and grab Adrian's arm. He needed no help from me and was already trying to get to his feet. We didn't get far before Lee was right back on us. The knife had slid somewhere unseen, and he simply relied on his own strength. He caught hold of me and ripped me from Adrian, one hand on my wounded arm and one in my hair, causing me to stumble. Adrian came after us, doing his best to hit Lee, even with bound hands. We weren't the most efficient fighting force, but if we could just momentarily delay Lee, there was a chance we might make it out of here. Lee was distracted by both of us, trying to fight and fend us off at the same time. Unbidden, Eddie's lesson came back to me, about how a well-placed punch could cause serious damage to someone stronger than you. Sizing up the situation in seconds, I decided I had an opening. I closed my hand the way Eddie had taught me in that quick lesson, positioning my body in a way that would direct the weight in an efficient way. I swung. â€Å"Ow!† I yelled in pain as my fist made contact. If this was the â€Å"safe† way to punch, I couldn't imagine how much a sloppy one hurt. Fortunately, it seemed to cause just as much – if not more – pain to Lee. He fell backward, hitting the comfy chair in a way that made him lose his balance and collapse to the ground. I was stunned at what I had done, but Adrian was still in motion. He nudged me to the door, taking advantage of Lee's temporary disorientation. â€Å"Come on, Sage. This is it.† We hurried to the door, ready to make our escape while Lee shouted profanities at us. I reached for the knob, but the door opened before I could touch it. And two Strigoi entered the room.