Online entertainment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Online entertainment - Research Paper Example Rather, the following analysis will explore, discuss, review, and evaluate some of the major trends, segmentation, business models, business practices, as well as perspective challenges that face the online entertainment segment. Seeking to analyze online entertainment as such would necessarily be a monolithic task which could consume the space of several dissertations. However, for purposes of this analysis, three of the major players within online entertainment will be discussed and analyzed. These players are as follows: Netflix, YouTube, Apple TV, and Blizzard Software’s World of Warcraft. Through such a level of discussion, it is the hope of this author that the reader will be able to come away with a more informed and actionable level of understanding with regards to some of the best practices and constraints that defined the way in which online entertainment is presented to the end consumer. ... As half the years have noted, a dynamic shift has taken place and individuals are no longer as willing to go to the movie theater or to view television shows in their traditional format; through regular broadcast (Graham, 2012). Taking advantage of this industry shipped, Netflix is able to edit the original format; removing a litany of advertisements that had previously helped to pay for the respective entertainment’s production costs, and replace this via standardized monthly subscription fee (Vance, 2013). Although an entire section will be devoted within this analysis to key challenges facing the Netflix level of service provision, it must be noted within this introductory level of approach that Netflix has recently been faced with a series of difficulties negotiating the level of fees with both the primary service providers and the end consumer (with respect to the actual amount of money which they charge for the service). However, due to the name recognition and previous levels of consumer utility that Netflix was able to provide, it appears as if the cost structure difficulties that were faced previously will be weathered by the firm without severe loss of income (LaPorte, 2013). YouTube Overview Since its inception in 2005, YouTube has experienced a meteoric rise to prominence and has become a global leader in online entertainment. Conceived originally as an effective means of storing and sharing media content, YouTube now represents over 10% of global Internet traffic. However, regardless of its overall level of success, YouTube shares a very different business model as compared to Netflix, which has briefly been discussed above (Kelley et al., 2012). Whereas Netflix seeks to reduce and outright removed the many advertising spots and

American History Master Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

American History Master - Essay Example I shall also highlight how the new world order was disrupted by America. Law on the international level is dependent on a state's acceptance to be subjected to the enforcement of laws. States must be willing to subject themselves into the international legal process. In international law, there is no single enforcement mechanism, which sometimes causes individuals to question the validity of international law. They question whether international law is a fundamental requirement of a modern, increasingly independent, global system of states and non-state actors. They question whether international law stops them from pursuing their self-interest (Damrosch etal 2001 p 14). In modern times, because of globalism, international law is a fundamental requirement for international relations. In the last 100 years, history has shown us that the absence of such laws can have detrimental consequences on the entire world. The Bush administration has insisted on its right to unilaterally attack Iraq. To justify this end, the administration either ignored or conveniently reinterpreted UN articles or resolutions. It is no wonder that the vast majority of the international community did not support the Bush administration's conclusions. International opinion was that the attack on Iraq was illegal under the international laws of the UN. (http://www.123helpme.com/view.aspid=18686) The United States has clearly defined their foreign po... Foreign Policy The United States has clearly defined their foreign policy's objectives and goals. While some groups claim that the United States acts as an isolationist body, the government works to improve the international community through negotiation and cooperation The United States maintains relations with nearly every nation state in the international system. The US also conducts frequent relations with many international organizations for a lot of different reasons While the United States has hundreds of goals and objectives of the foreign policy, it's most important goals currently are internationalism and multilateralism, national security, and limiting weapons of mass destruction (Walter 2001 p 2). A divided government within the United States sometimes makes it difficult to create clear strategies both domestically and internationally, nevertheless both groups are willing to compromise in order to deal effectively with any problems Traditional and current foreign policy objectives determine current relationships between the United States and other countries and various international actors. Traditional objectives of international security and trade have always shaped relations in the international system. Today, issues of terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, and Middle East peace also help shape relationships with the US abroad. The current policy objectives shape US international relations. Foreign policy activity and the decision making process have two driving motivations- an external, and a domestic or internal. The external motivation includes foreign activities, politics and policies that have an effect on US foreign policy. For example, external threats such as the Cuban Missile Crisis during the Cold War,

The Role Of The Un In The Contemporary World International Law Essay

The Role Of The Un In The Contemporary World International Law Essay Despite the United Nations many failures and successes it still continues to be the worlds best peacekeeping component and therefore the best hope the worlds got. The above statement creates lots of debate in the modern world however even with the UNs many fails, it still provides many successes and therefore is the best hope the worlds got. Apart from peacekeeping the UN runs many other agencies and funds that aim to improve peace, development, the environment and health among many other things. The international organization known as the UN was founded in 1945 after the already existent League of Nations had failed to live up to its aims as it did not prevent the Second World War. In 1945, 51 countries signed the UNs peace charter in dedicating to maintain international peace and security. Today the United Nations has 192 member states and many peacekeeping operations. The United Nations aims to maintain international peace and security, promoting social progress, provide better living standards and basic human rights to all and to co-ordinate efforts for a safer world for our present and future generations. Evidently the League of Nations did not prevent war after World War One as the UN was a result of World War Two, another main factor that the UN wishes to maintain under control. The UN has a system that is based on five principal organs; it was previously six however the Trusteeship Council is currently suspended since 1994 as it had prepared the 11 countries to govern for themselves. Therefore the five councils are the General Assembly, The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Security Council, The Secretariat, and the International Court of Justice. The General Assembly is the main reasoning assembly. It is composed of all the member states and it is the only time and place when all the members of the UN have an equal vote and when any nation may voice their opinion. All member states have the opportunity to address the assembly. The assembly is run by the Secretary-General (currently Ban Ki-Moon) who is also seen as the leader of the UN. Current issues are discussed such as peace and security actions, elections of members to organs such as heads and semi-permanent members for the Security Council and funding matters. Many positive actions take place due to the UN however as the assemblys resolutions are non binding they cannot force any actions on a state as the members are under no legal obligation. This leaves the UN with little power regarding the co-operation of member states; this problem also persists in the Security Council when the permanent members use their veto power. The Security Council could be seen as the most powerful part of the UN as any organ can make recommendations however the Security Council has the power to make binding decisions. All member states are bound by the UN charter to obey the Council however it is often that the council cannot come to an agreement due to the veto power. The Security Council has 15 members, which five are permanent. These five states are the allied states of World War Two who were seen as winning the war. They include Russia, America, UK, France and China. The other ten members are non permanent and change every two years. The council decides on certain resolutions for peace and security. The five permanent members have a veto power that they may use at any time, and as often as they like if they do not agree with a certain decision e.g. intervening between conflicting countries. Therefore many decisions and resolutions have been rejected as it only takes one permanent member to disagree. This is a huge negative regarding the UN as it has caused many problems e.g. during the Cold War between Russia and the USA the UN could never intervene and come to a decision as either one of the countries would reject a resolutions if they found it would put their country in danger. This explains why the council often cannot come to an agreement. Once the council has agreed and approved for action it first explores actions to settle the dispute peacefully under the terms of the charter, often the UN sends peacekeeping troops to the province where armed conflict would have been caused. The UN does not have army troops therefore they rely on voluntary admission from member states. An example where the UN was not successful was the intervention in the Rwandan Civil War in 1994. The Security Council voted to pull the peacekeepers out of the war, except for the UNAMIR (United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda) its objectives were to supervise and assist the utilization of the Arusha Accords; protocols that were signed to end the Rwandan Civil War. Before the withdrawal of the UN ten Belgian peacekeepers were held hostage and killed. The decisions of the UN could be blamed for the Security Councils indecisive approach. The Economic and Security Council (ECOSOC) stands for the basics of the UNs aims to improve the standards of living and promote international economic and social development, mainly focussing on the worlds poverty stricken groups. The council meets every year and since 1998 twice a year to also discuss the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. The councils main activities oversee the activities of a large number of institutions that are known as the UN system, the system includes specialized agencies, programmes and funds. The UN founders decided that they should lighten the suffering of the worlds poorest as the UN believes that prosperous people do not go to war. This is achieved by the specialised agencies and programmes such as UNICEF and WHO. The United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund was created to provide help for all the suffering children due to World War Two. UNICEF is still active today and cares for children throughout the world by providing health care, food, education and water regardless of their age, gender, religion or race. Unlike non-government organizations UNICEF is an inter-governmental organization and is obliged to governments. These organizations have lots of supervision and rely on contributions from anonymous donors, government and fundraisers. The use of well known sports teams has become a popular way of promoting UNICEF as the teams donate money to the organization and then promote the fund. The fund received criticism from the Vatican and Catholic groups when they used some finances to condone the sterilization and abortion in women. Despite the criticism and difficulties UNICEF, together with WHO, endures, many of their projects have been successful in improving the standards of l iving especially after war destruction and natural disasters. The World Health Organization is a specialized agency that obtained its approval and resources from its predecessor, the Health Organization which had been an agency of the League of Nations. It aims to improve the standard of health throughout the world and tries to assist countries in providing better health services and ending disease spreading from country to country. WHO have also attempted to control the outbreaks and spreading of infectious diseases such as malaria, swine flu, TB and HIV/AIDS. While the organization has had many successes in treating patients around the world there has been controversy with the Catholic church again as they do not believe in the use of contraceptives however WHO responded by stating that it was irresponsible to make statements against the practise of safe sex as there is a global pandemic which has affected many people around the world. The Security Council may not have lived up to its aims regarding the Rwandan genocide however ECOSOC managed to assist refugees as WHO and UNICEF provided the bare necessities such as food, shelter and health. These are perfect examples of the UNs fails and successes as the Security Council cannot make decisions based on peacekeeping however once the damage has been done seeing as the Security Council couldnt stop it, the ECOSOC council manages to restore some failures by providing health etc. and did what it could to enable them to return home. The main problem within the UN lies in the five permanent members of the Security Council. The ability to veto a decision does not make the organization democratic. Therefore the UN needs to plan ways to reform the Security Council.

Essay --

Mao Zedong was born December 26, 1893 and lived until September 9 in 1976 when he died in Beijing China. Mao Zedong died from the Motor neuron disease. Mao Zedong was born into a peasant family in the place Shoshanna near Hunan. During the years of 1928 throughout 1931. Mao Zedong and others that worked with Mao Zedong established armies in the hinterlands and created the Red Army which was known as the most feared â€Å"army† in china during the time of the revolution. During the Cultural Revolution Mao Zedong , people also knew him as Mao Zedong Tse tung was the Chinese ruler. He ruled the country during this time known as Chairman of the Communist Party of China. Moa was very well educated in Western and Chinese traditions. During the year 1918 Mao Zedong had a job as a librarian assistant at Peking University. He would call himself a Marxist in the of 1920 and he helped found the current Chinese Communist party Communist formed an alliance during 1923 with a man called Sun Ya sen and his Nationalist party. After that Mao Zedong quit the current job he had as a teacher to become a poli...

Shadow Kiss Chapter 19

Nineteen LISSA HAD BEEN MY best friend ever since elementary school, which was why keeping so many secrets from her lately had hurt so much. She was always open with me, always willing to share what was on her mind – but then, maybe that was because she had no choice. I used to be that way with her, yet at some point, I'd started locking my secrets in, unable to tell her about Dimitri or the real reason I'd messed up with Stan. I hated it being that way. It ate me up inside and made me feel guilty around her. Today, however, there was absolutely no way I could wiggle out of explaining what had happened at the airport. Even if I made up something, the fact that I was on half-time with Christian would be a huge tip-off that something was going on. No excuses this time. So, as much as it hurt, I gave her and Christian – as well as Eddie and Adrian, who were hanging around – the short version of what had happened. â€Å"You think you saw ghosts?† Christian exclaimed. â€Å"Seriously?† The look on his face showed me that he was already building a list of snide comments to make. â€Å"Look,† I snapped, â€Å"I told you what was going on, but I don't want to elaborate on it. It's getting worked out, so just let it drop.† †Rose †¦Ã¢â‚¬  began Lissa uneasily. A hurricane of emotions was beating through to me from her. Fear. Concern. Shock. Her compassion made me feel that much worse. I shook my head. â€Å"No, Liss. Please. You guys can think whatever you want about me or make up your own theories, but we're not going to talk about it. Not now. Just leave me alone about it.† I expected Lissa to badger me because of her normal persistence. I expected Adrian and Christian to because of their irritating natures. But even though my words had been simple, I realized I'd delivered them with a harshness both in voice and manner. It was Lissa's surprised mental reaction that alerted me to that, and then I needed only to look at the guys' faces to realize I must have sounded incredibly bitchy. â€Å"Sorry,† I mumbled. â€Å"I appreciate the concern, but I'm just not in the mood.† Lissa eyed me. Later, she said in my mind. I gave her a brief nod, secretly wondering how I could avoid that conversation. She and Adrian had met to practice magic again. I still liked being able to be close to her, but I was only able to do so because Christian was hanging around too. And honestly, I couldn't figure out why he stayed. I guess he was still a little jealous, despite everything that had happened. Of course, if he'd known about the queen's matchmaking schemes, he might have had good reason. Nonetheless, it was clear these magic lessons were starting to bore him. We were in Ms. Meissner's classroom today, and he pulled two desks together and stretched out across them, tossing an arm over his eyes. â€Å"Wake me when it gets interesting,† he said. Eddie and I stood in a central position that let us watch the door and windows while also staying near the Moroi. â€Å"You really saw Mason?† Eddie whispered to me. He turned sheepish. â€Å"Sorry†¦you said you didn't want to talk about it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I started to say yes, that was exactly what I'd said†¦but then I saw the look on Eddie's face. He wasn't asking me about this out of perverse curiosity. He asked because of Mason, because of their closeness, and because Eddie wasn't over his best friend's death any more than I was. I think he found the idea of Mason communicating from beyond the grave reassuring, but then, he hadn't been the one to actually see Mason's ghost. â€Å"I think it was him,† I murmured back. â€Å"I don't know. Everyone thinks I imagined it.† â€Å"How did he look? Was he upset?† â€Å"He looked †¦ sad. Really sad.† â€Å"If it was really him †¦ I mean, I don't know.† Eddie looked at the ground, momentarily forgetting to watch the room. â€Å"I've always wondered if he was upset that we didn't save him.† â€Å"There was nothing we could have done,† I told him, reiterating exactly what everyone had told me. â€Å"But I wondered that too, because Father Andrew had mentioned that ghosts sometimes come back for revenge. But Mason didn't look that way. He just seemed like he wanted to tell me something.† Eddie looked back up suddenly, realizing he was still on guard duty. He didn't say anything else after that, but I knew where his thoughts were. Meanwhile, Adrian and Lissa were making progress. Or rather, Adrian was. The two of them had dug up a bunch of scraggly plants that had died or gone dormant for the winter and put them in little pots. The pots were now lined up in a row on a long table. Lissa touched one, and I felt the euphoria of magic burn within her. A moment later, the scrappy little plant turned green and sprouted leaves. Adrian stared hard at it, as though it held all the secrets of the universe, and then exhaled deeply. â€Å"Okay. Here goes nothing.† He lightly placed his fingers on a different plant. Here goes nothing might have been an accurate statement, because nothing actually happened. Then, a few moments later, the plant shuddered a little. A hint of green started to grow in it and then it stopped. â€Å"You did it,† said Lissa, impressed. I could also feel that she was a little jealous. Adrian had learned one of her tricks, but she still hadn't learned any of his. â€Å"Hardly,† he said, glaring at the plant. He was completely sober, with none of his vices to mellow him. Spirit had nothing to stop it from making him feel irritable. With our moods, we actually had something in common tonight. â€Å"Damn it.† â€Å"Are you kidding?† she asked. â€Å"It was great. You made a plant grow – with your mind. That's amazing.† â€Å"Not as good as you, though,† he said, still sounding like he was ten years old. I couldn't help but pipe in. â€Å"Then stop bitching and try again.† He glanced over at me, a smile twisting his lips. â€Å"Hey, no advice, Ghost Girl. Guardians should be seen and not heard.† I flipped him off for the â€Å"Ghost Girl† comment, but he didn't notice because Lissa was talking to him again. â€Å"She's right. Try it again.† â€Å"You do it one more time,† he said. â€Å"I want to watch you†¦. I can kind of feel what you do to it.† She performed her trick on another plant. I again felt the magic flare up, as well as the joy that came with it – and then she faltered. A flash of fear and instability tinged the magic, smacking a little of when her mental state had deteriorated so badly. No, no, I begged silently. It's happening. I knew it would if she kept using the magic. Please don't let it happen again. And like that, the dark spot within her magic went away. All of her thoughts and feelings returned to normal. I noticed then that she'd also made the plant grow. I'd missed it because I'd been distracted by her lapse. Adrian had missed the magic too because his eyes were on me. His expression was troubled and very, very confused. â€Å"Okay,† said Lissa happily. She didn't realize he hadn't paid attention. â€Å"Try again.† Adrian focused his attention back on their work. Sighing, he moved to a new plant, but she gestured him back. â€Å"No, keep working on the one you started. Maybe you can only do it in small bursts.† Nodding, he turned his attention to his original plant. For a few minutes, he just did nothing but stare. Silence reigned in the room. I'd never seen him so focused on anything, and sweat was actually forming on his forehead. Finally, at long last, the plant twitched again. It grew even greener, and tiny buds appeared on it. Glancing up at him, I saw him narrow his eyes and grit his teeth, no doubt concentrating for all he was worth. The buds burst. Leaves and tiny white flowers appeared. Lissa made what could only be called a whoop of joy. â€Å"You did it!† She hugged him, and feelings of delight washed over me from her. She was sincerely happy that he'd been able to do it. And while she was still disappointed at her lack of progress, it inspired hope in her that he'd replicated her abilities. That meant they truly could learn from each other. â€Å"I can't wait until I'm able to do something new,† she said, still a tiny bit jealous. Adrian tapped a notebook. â€Å"Well, there are plenty of other tricks in the world of spirit. You've got to be able to learn at least one of them.† â€Å"What's that?† I asked. â€Å"Remember that research I did on people who'd shown weird behaviors?† she asked. â€Å"We made a list of all the different things that showed up.† I did remember. In her search to find others with spirit, she'd uncovered claims about Moroi demonstrating abilities no one had ever seen. Few people believed the reports were true, but Lissa was convinced they were spirit users. â€Å"Along with healing, auras, and dream walking, we seem to also have some super compulsion going on.† â€Å"You already knew that,† I said. â€Å"No, this is even more hard-core. It's not just telling people what to do. It's also making them see and feel things that aren't even there.† â€Å"What, like hallucinations?† I asked. â€Å"Kind of,† he said. â€Å"There are stories of people using compulsion to make others live through their worst nightmares, thinking they're being attacked or whatever.† I shivered. â€Å"That's actually kind of scary.† â€Å"And awesome,† said Adrian. Lissa agreed with me. â€Å"I don't know. Regular compulsion is one thing, but that just seems wrong.† Christian yawned. â€Å"Now that victory has been achieved, can we call it a night with the magic?† Glancing behind me, I saw that Christian was sitting up and alert. His eyes were on Lissa and Adrian, and he did not look happy about the victory hug. Lissa and Christian had broken apart, though not because they'd noticed his reaction. They were both too distracted by their own excitement to notice his glare. â€Å"Can you do it again?† asked Lissa eagerly. â€Å"Make it grow?† Adrian shook his head. â€Å"Not right away. That took a lot out of me. I think I need a cigarette.† He gestured in Christian's direction. â€Å"Go do something with your guy. He's been terribly patient through all of this.† Lissa walked over to Christian, her face alight with joy. She looked beautiful and radiant, and I could tell it was hard for him to stay too mad at her. The harsh expression on his face softened, and I saw the rare gentleness that only she could bring out in him. â€Å"Let's go back to the dorm,† she said, grabbing his hand. We set off. Eddie walked near guard with Lissa and Christian, which left me with far guard. It also left me with Adrian, who had chosen to lag behind and talk to me. He was smoking, so I got to be the one to deal with the toxic cloud that generated. Honestly, I couldn't figure out why no one in charge had busted him for this. I wrinkled my nose at the smell. â€Å"You know, you can always be our far-far guard and stay behind with that thing,† I told him. â€Å"Mm, I've had enough.† He dropped the cigarette and stamped it out, leaving it behind. I hated that almost as much as him smoking in the first place. â€Å"What do you think, little dhampir?† he asked. â€Å"I was pretty badass with that plant, wasn't I? Of course, it would have been more badass if I'd, I dunno, helped an amputee grow a limb back. Or maybe separated Siamese twins. But that'll come with more practice.† â€Å"If you want some advice – which I'm sure you don't – you guys should lay off on the magic. Christian still thinks you're moving in on Lissa.† â€Å"What?† he asked in mock astonishment. â€Å"Doesn't he know my heart belongs to you?† â€Å"It does not. And no, he's still worried about it, despite what I've told him.† â€Å"You know, I bet if we started making out right now, it would make him feel better.† â€Å"If you touch me,† I said pleasantly, â€Å"I'll provide you with the opportunity to see if you can heal yourself. Then we'd see how badass you really are.† â€Å"I'd get Lissa to heal me,† he said smugly. â€Å"It'd be easy for her. Although†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The sardonic smirk faded. â€Å"Something weird happened when she used her magic.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said. â€Å"I know. Could you sense it too?† â€Å"No. But I saw it.† He frowned. â€Å"Rose †¦ remember when you asked about being crazy and I said you weren't?† â€Å"Yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I think I might have been wrong. I think you are crazy.† I nearly stopped walking. â€Å"What the hell does that mean?† â€Å"Well†¦you see, the thing is, when Lissa did the second plant†¦ her aura dimmed a little.† â€Å"That would go along with what I felt,† I said. â€Å"It was kind of like she †¦ I don't know, grew mentally fragile for a moment, kind of like she used to. But it went away.† He nodded. â€Å"Yeah, that's the thing†¦the darkness in her aura went away and into yours. Like, I've noticed before that you guys have a big difference in auras, but this time, I saw it happening. It was like that spot of darkness jumped out of hers and into yours.† Something about that made me shiver. â€Å"What does it mean?† â€Å"Well, this is why I think you're crazy. Lissa isn't having any side effects from the magic anymore, right? And you, well†¦ you've been feeling kind of short-tempered lately and you're, like, seeing ghosts.† He said the words casually, like seeing ghosts was just something that happened from time to time. â€Å"I think whatever harmful thing there is in spirit that screws with the mind is leaking out of her and into you. It's making her stay stable, and you, well†¦ as I said, you're seeing ghosts.† It was like being smacked in the face. A new theory. Not trauma. Not real ghosts. Me â€Å"catching† Lissa's madness. I remembered how she'd been at her worst, depressed and self-destructive. I remembered our former teacher, Ms. Karp, who'd also been a spirit user – and completely out of her mind enough to become Strigoi. â€Å"No,† I said in a strained voice. â€Å"That's not happening to me.† â€Å"What about your bond? You have that connection. Her thoughts and feelings creep into you †¦ why not the madness too?† Adrian's manner was typically light and curious. He didn't realize just how much this was starting to freak me out. â€Å"Because it doesn't make any – â€Å" And then, it hit me. The answer we'd been searching for this whole time. St. Vladimir had struggled his whole life with spirit's side effects. He'd had dreams and delusions, experiences he wrote off to â€Å"demons.† But he hadn't gone completely crazy or tried to kill himself. Lissa and I had felt certain that it was because he had a shadow-kissed guardian, Anna, and that sharing that bond with her had helped him. We'd assumed it was simply the act of having such a close friend around, someone who could support him and talk him through the bad times since they hadn't had antidepressants or anti-anxiety drugs back then. But what if†¦ what if†¦ I couldn't breathe. I couldn't go another single moment without knowing the answer. What time was it anyway? An hour or so before curfew? I had to find out. I came to an abrupt halt, nearly slipping on the slick ground. â€Å"Christian!† The group in front of us stopped and looked back at me and Adrian. â€Å"Yeah?† Christian asked. â€Å"I need to take a detour – or rather, we do since I can't go anywhere without you. We need to go to the church.† His eyebrows rose in surprise. â€Å"What, you need to confess something?† â€Å"Don't ask questions. Please. It'll only take a few minutes.† Concern crossed Lissa's face. â€Å"Well, we can all go – â€Å" â€Å"No, we'll be fast.† I didn't want her there. I didn't want her to hear the answer I was certain I'd get. â€Å"Go to the dorm. We'll catch up. Please, Christian?† He studied me, expression oscillating between wanting to mock me and wanting to help. He wasn't a complete jerk, after all. The latter emotion won out. â€Å"Okay, but if you try to get me to pray with you, I walk.† He and I split off toward the chapel. I moved so fast that he had to scurry to keep up. â€Å"I don't suppose you want to tell me what this is about?† he asked. â€Å"Nope. I appreciate your cooperation, though.† â€Å"Always glad to help,† he said. I was certain he was rolling his eyes, but I was more focused on the path ahead. We reached the chapel, and the door was locked, unsurprisingly. I knocked on it, staring anxiously around to see if any lights shone through the windows. It didn't look like it. â€Å"You know, I've broken in here before,† said Christian. â€Å"If you need inside – â€Å" â€Å"No, more than that. I need to see the priest. Damn it, he's not here.† â€Å"He's probably in bed.† â€Å"Damn it,† I repeated, feeling only a little bad about swearing on a church's doorstep. If the priest was in bed, he'd be off in Moroi staff housing and inaccessible. â€Å"I need to – â€Å" The door opened, and Father Andrew peered out at us. He looked surprised but not upset. â€Å"Rose? Christian? Is something wrong?† â€Å"I have to ask you a question,† I told him. â€Å"It won't take long.† His surprise grew, but he stepped aside so we could enter. We all stopped and stood in the chapel's lobby, just outside the main sanctuary. â€Å"I was just about to go home for the night,† Father Andrew told us. â€Å"I was shutting everything down.† â€Å"You told me that St. Vladimir lived a long life and died of old age. Is that true?† â€Å"Yes,† he said slowly. â€Å"To the best of my knowledge. All the books I've read – including these latest ones – say as much.† â€Å"But what about Anna?† I demanded. I sounded like I was on the verge of hysteria. Which I kind of was. â€Å"What about her?† â€Å"What happened to her? How did she die?† All this time. All this time, Lissa and I had worried about Vlad's outcome. We'd never considered Anna's. â€Å"Ah, well.† Father Andrew sighed. â€Å"Her end wasn't as good, I'm afraid. She spent her whole life protecting him, though there are hints that in her old age, she started growing a little unstable too. And then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"And then?† I asked. Christian was looking between the priest and me, completely lost. â€Å"And then, well, a couple months after St. Vladimir passed on, she committed suicide.† I squeezed my eyes shut for half a second and then opened them. This was what I'd been afraid of. â€Å"I'm sorry,† Father Andrew said. â€Å"I know how closely you've followed their story. I didn't even learn this about her until reading it recently. Taking one's life is a sin, of course†¦but, well, considering how close they were, it's not hard to imagine how she may have felt when he was gone.† â€Å"And you also said that she was starting to go a little crazy.† He nodded and spread his hands out. â€Å"It's hard to say what that poor woman was thinking. Many factors were probably involved. Why was this so pressing?† I shook my head. â€Å"It's a long story. Thanks for helping me.† Christian and I were halfway to the dorm before he finally asked, â€Å"What was that all about? I remember when you guys were looking into this. Vladimir and Anna were like Lissa and you, right?† â€Å"Yeah,† I said glumly. â€Å"Look, I don't want to get between you guys, but please don't tell Lissa about this. Not until I find out more. Just tell her †¦ I don't know. I'll tell her that I suddenly panicked because I thought I had more community service scheduled.† â€Å"Both of us lying to her, huh?† â€Å"I hate it, believe me. But it's also best for her at the moment.† Because if Lissa knew that she might potentially make me insane †¦ yeah, she'd take that hard. She'd want to stop working her magic. Of course, that was what I'd always wanted †¦ and yet, I'd felt that joy in her when she used it. Could I take that away from her? Could I sacrifice myself? There was no easy answer, and I couldn't start jumping to conclusions. Not until I knew more. Christian agreed to keep it secret, and by the time we joined the others, it was almost time for curfew anyway. We had only about a half hour together, and then we all split off for bed – including me, since the part-time field experience agreement said I couldn't do nighttime duty. The Strigoi risk was low in general anyway, and my instructors were more concerned about me getting a full night's sleep. So when curfew came, I walked back to the dhampir dorm alone. And then, when I was almost there, he appeared again. Mason. I came to an abrupt halt and glanced around me, wishing someone else was there to witness this and settle the crazy-or-not thing once and for all. His pearly form stood there, hands in the pockets of his coat in an almost casual way that somehow made the experience that much weirder. â€Å"Well,† I said, feeling surprisingly calm, despite the sorrow that washed over me whenever I saw him. â€Å"Glad to see you're alone again. I didn't really like the extras on the plane.† He stared, expression blank and eyes sad. It made me feel worse, guilt twisting my stomach into knots. I broke. â€Å"What are you?† I cried. â€Å"Are you real? Am I going crazy?† To my surprise, he nodded. â€Å"Which?† I squeaked. â€Å"Yes, you're real?† He nodded. â€Å"Yes, I'm crazy?† He shook his head. â€Å"Well,† I said, forcing a joke through my hurricane of emotions. â€Å"That's a relief, but honestly, what else would you say if you're a hallucination?† Mason just stared. I glanced around again, wishing someone would come by. â€Å"Why are you here? Are you mad at us and looking for revenge?† He shook his head, and something in me relaxed. Until that moment, I hadn't realized how worried I'd been about that. The guilt and grief had been wound up so tightly in me. Him blaming me – just as Ryan had – had seemed inevitable. â€Å"Are you †¦ are you having trouble finding peace?† Mason nodded and seemed to grow sadder. I thought back to his final moments and swallowed back tears. I'd probably have a hard time finding peace too, taken from my life before it began. â€Å"Is there more than that, though? Another reason you keep coming to me?† He nodded. â€Å"What?† I asked. There were too many questions lately. I needed answers. â€Å"What is it? What do I need to do?† But anything other than a yes or no question was beyond us, apparently. He opened up his mouth as though he would say something. He looked like he was trying hard, like Adrian had with the plant. But no sound came out. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I whispered. â€Å"I'm sorry I don't understand †¦ and†¦I'm sorry for everything else.† Mason gave me one last wistful look and then vanished.

Critical Issues in Policing Essay

Many people count the possibility of getting shot as the most significant danger a police officer faces. Officer-involved shootings appear to be on the rise, and there is no shortage of video footage on television or online showing shootouts between officers and criminals. Today’s law enforcement officers face a multitude of dangers during everyday duties that rival the threat of getting shot. Officers are exposed to these dangers on a daily basis such as, foot and vehicle pursuits, responding code three (lights and siren), making an arrest, traffic control, heat stroke, stress, and duty equipment and biohazard or sun exposure. Officers wear ballistic vests and heavy leather belts containing batons, pepper spray, handcuffs, a radio and a handgun. The equipment that is worn can weigh up to 20 pounds, which puts a tremendous amount of stress on the back, hips, knees and feet. Officers must also get into and out of a patrol vehicle up to 20 times a day wearing this equipment. As a result many officers are injured to the point of being unable to work in law enforcement any longer. Officers are also exposed to extreme temperatures for extended periods of time. Officers are at the mercy of whether, whether conducting traffic control at an accident scene in 100 degree heat or providing crime scene security in freezing temperatures. Most time they have not had time to stop at the store or the station before they are sent to the call so they can be standing out there without the proper protection or hydration they might need. In addition to the physical dangers, being ready for the unknown is what officers must deal with, and this can place a significant amount of physical and mental stress on the officer. Officers need to remain vigilant and  prepared for any situation that develops. Rarely does an officer have time to fully prepare for the emergency call for service. Officers have to rely on training and make split second decisions based on an ever changing set of circumstances. But one of the most dangerous aspects of police work is pursuit driving or responding â€Å"code 3.† Not only do the officers have to be in control of their own vehicle, they must be fully aware of the traffic surrounding them. Officers are also responsible for the fleeing suspect even though they have no control over his vehicle. One of an officer’s main priorities when responding â€Å"code 3†, or pursuing a fleeing suspect is to ensure the safety of the public. This takes split-second decision making, s pecific driving skills and an awareness of the motoring public that may not see the officer or the fleeing suspect.

Cómo Declarar la Pérdida de Pasaporte con Visa Americana

Cà ³mo Declarar la Pà ©rdida de Pasaporte con Visa Americana Si usted ha perdido su pasaporte con una visa americana, debe actuar rpidamente para evitarse problemas futuros y no perder su visado. Tenga en cuenta que si usted extravà ­o su documento o le fue robado puede que otra persona lo està © intentando usar para entrar a Estados Unidos (suplantacià ³n de identidad). Reportar la Pà ©rdida Fuera de Estados Unidos: Apenas se de cuenta de la pà ©rdida o robo escriba un correo electrà ³nico al consulado correspondiente siguiendo estas formulas: ciudad del consuladovisasstate.gov o ciudaddelconsuladonivstate.gov Asà ­, para el consulado en Lima el correo serà ­a: limavisasstate.gov o limanivstate.gov. En el asunto del correo escribir: â€Å"Lost† para el caso de visas extraviadas y â€Å"Stolen† para el de robadas y en el cuerpo del correo aà ±adir: Nombre completo del titular de la visa, tal y como aparece en el pasaporte extraviado o robado.Nà ºmero de pasaporte, si se tiene.Fecha en la que se produjo la pà ©rdida o el robo.Nà ºmero de telà ©fono de contacto.Si hay un reporte policial, incluirlo en la comunicacià ³n. Informacià ³n detallada de lo sucedido. Una vez reportado el robo o pà ©rdida la visa ser cancelada y ya no se podr viajar con ella. Reportar la Pà ©rdida Dentro de Estados Unidos: Apenas se de cuenta de la pà ©rdida o robo usted deber: Acudir a la policà ­a y reportar el robo o extravà ­o.Conseguir una copia del reporte policial.Conseguir una copia   del I-94 que indica hasta cuando puede estar usted en Estados Unidos.Contactar con la embajada o consulado del paà ­s de origen y conseguir un nuevo pasaporte o documento que le permita salir de Estados Unidos y entrar a su paà ­s de origen. Reportar el robo o el extravà ­o de la visa a la embajada o al consulado que la emitià ³, siguiendo las instrucciones seà ±aladas arriba para casos de pà ©rdida fuera de Estados Unidos. Si su pasaporte extraviado tiene una visa de turismo B1/B2 vigente usted puede pedir una renovacià ³n de la misma siguiendo los mismos pasos de aplicacià ³n de la visa original. Aquà ­ encuentra un listado de las direcciones oficiales de los consulados en la pgina oficial del gobierno e informacià ³n adicional de cà ³mo reportar  el robo o perdida. Consejos Para Conservar la Visa Americana Una vez recuperada su visa revise la siguiente informacià ³n para conservarla sin problemas: Las 10 situaciones que le pueden traer problemas con su visa.La frecuencia con la que puede  ingresar a Estados Unidos.Consecuencias de estadà ­as ms largas que las permitidas. Informacià ³n en forma de   test sobre visas. Este artà ­culo es meramente informativo y no pretende ser asesorà ­a legal.

outsiders genra essays

outsiders genra essays The word genre is defined as a category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, marked by a distinctive style, form, or content. (www.doctionary.com) Some of these genres are, comedy, horror, thriller, and or action. The novel written by S.E. Hinton titled The Outsiders may fall into a wide variety of different genres. One of the most distinctive genre formation called is bildungsroman. This term arrives from the German word meaning an upbringing or education novel. (Scamurra, note) The Outsiders emanates a sense of tests and tasks, and eventually Ponyboy comes to maturity when he realizes the futility and distinctive life he has been leading. It is this epiphany that makes The Outsiders a Bildungsroman. In the novel The Outsiders Ponyboy Curtis starts off in a state of innocence and immaturity. Ponyboy shows innocence and immaturity every time he mentions the long feud between the Greasers and Socs. Ponyboy believes that Greasers and Socs are completely different individuals: ... Were poorer than the Socs and the middle class. I recon were wilder, too. Not like the Socs, who jump Greasers and wreck houses and throw beer blasts for kicks... (page 6) Ponyboy clearly states Greasers and Socs are different from each other. Another aspect that proves Ponyboys innocence is he is only fourteen years of age; ...treating me as if I was six instead of fourteen... (page 6) very obviously Ponyboy notifies the readers he is fourteen years old. Ponyboy also does not use his integrity sometimes which shows a great deal of immaturity: ...I make good grades and have a high IQ and everything, but I dont use my head...( page 7) Ponyboy says he is a smart person, but he does not use his full potential a...

Cunto invertir para obtener visa E-2 de inversionista

Cunto invertir para obtener visa E-2 de inversionista   Las leyes de inmigracià ³n de Estados Unidos no dicen especà ­ficamente quà © cantidad de dinero hay que invertir en un negocio para que se obtenga la aprobacià ³n de la visa E-2 por inversià ³n. Simplemente una inversià ³n sustancial para el negocio que se desea emprender. Pero,  ¿cunto una inversià ³n es sustancial? Para la mayorà ­a de los abogados de inmigracià ³n Muchos de los expertos que se han especializado en este tipo de visas consideran que las inversiones a partir de los $100,000 tienen oportunidades reales de ser aprobadas y que a partir de los $250,000 es, realmente, un caso muy fuerte para su obtencià ³n.  ¿Es posible obtener la visa E-2 con una inversià ³n inferior a los $100,000? Sà ­, hay numerosos casos en los que se ha obtenido con inversiones en torno a los $40,000-$50,000. Depende del tipo de negocio e Inmigracià ³n no va a pedir a un posible inmigrante extranjero que invierta una cantidad superior que la que invertirà ­a un ciudadano americano para el mismo tipo de negocio. En estos casos se recomiendan dos cosas: primero, contar con un buen abogado que crea en el proyecto. A la hora de elegirlo es posible que se tenga que realizar entrevistas previas con varios de ellos. Y segundo, tener un excelente plan de negocios y entenderlo y buscar el tipo jurà ­dico de empresa correcto de los 10 posibles en Estados Unidos. Es fundamental arriesgar dinero real y estar dispuesto a ello (se trata de un negocio), tomarse el tiempo para estudiar quà © se quiere hacer, en dà ³nde, cules son los posibles clientes, cà ³mo obtenerlos, quà © diferencial puede ofrecer el negocio, etc. A la hora de confeccionar el plan de negocios y la carta de presentacià ³n que le acompaà ±a es muy comà ºn contar con la ayuda de profesionales que entienden de nà ºmeros y los aspectos tà ©cnicos. Pero aà ºn en los casos en los que se encarga la redaccià ³n del plan de negocios es fundamental entenderlo, tomarlo como un asunto propio. Otra buena opcià ³n es abrir una franquicia con un modelo de negocio probado. Estas son las 10 franquicias consideradas como las mejores en USA. Si se est pensando en una inversià ³n inmobiliaria, es muy importante asesorarse bien ya que debe tener forma de negocio real y activo para que pueda calificar.  ¿Dà ³nde es frecuente que surjan problemas en el proceso de tramitacià ³n de la E-2? Una vez que el Servicio de Inmigracià ³n y Ciudadanà ­a (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) aprueba la solicitud, es necesario pasar una entrevista en el consulado (o Embajada) del paà ­s en el que se reside.   La entrevista es dura. El oficial consular (llamado cà ³nsul en algunos paà ­ses), va a querer quedar convencido de que la persona que solicita la visa tiene capacidad para sacar adelante un negocio, que lo entiende, y para eso va a hacer preguntas en profundidad sobre el plan de negocios. Asimismo, va a querer quedar convencido del origen legal de la inversià ³n y evitar casos que persigan actividades delictivas como blanqueo de dinero.  ¿Cunto cobra de media un abogado de inmigracià ³n por completar planilla de solicitud de E-2? Unos $5,000, generalmente se puede negociar pagarlo en distintos plazos. Adems, hay que sumar el pago por llenar las planillas de cada miembro de la familia que acompaà ±e al inversor.   Asimismo hay que tener en cuenta que se pueden generar otros gastos, como por ejemplo, la elaboracià ³n del plan de negocios, que puede costar en torno a $2,500 dependiendo de las circunstancias de cada caso. Otros gastos que pueden influir son los relacionados con la creacià ³n de la empresa, si todavà ­a no se ha hecho y se encarga al mismo despacho de abogados. Los precios por lo general estn fijados, pero van a variar un poco si se contratan varias gestiones como presentacià ³n papeles visa, creacià ³n de empresa y elaboracià ³n de plan de negocios o sà ³lo una. Tambià ©n influye en el precio si el abogado debe buscar papeles o se le proporcionan todos y si ya estn en inglà ©s o los hay que traducir. Tambià ©n es comà ºn que se cobre una cantidad por la consulta que puede oscilar habitualmente entre los $200 - $400 y, si se sigue adelante, se descuente del total. Es decir, saldrà ­a gratis pero sà ³lo si se sigue el caso con ese despacho de abogados. Puede resultar de interà ©s cunto  cobra un abogado de inmigracià ³n para otros asuntos. Tener en consideracià ³n que eso son medias y que existen grandes diferencias segà ºn el prestigio de los despachos y tambià ©n segà ºn el lugar donde radian. De interà ©s para emprendedores que desean emigrar a USA La visa E-2 es parecida, pero diferente, a la E-1 para comerciantes de importacià ³n/exportacià ³n. Si se tiene un negocio de ese tipo. Si ese es el caso, explorar esa posibilidad. Otras opciones son estas  8 posibles visas para crear un negocio en Estados Unidos  y si se tiene al menos medio millà ³n de dà ³lares, explorar cà ³mo obtener la  green card por inversià ³n: EB-5. En todo caso, antes de invertir informarse sobre las leyes en diferentes estados porque la regulacià ³n es muy distinta en diferentes partes del paà ­s siendo estos los 10 mejores estados para hacer negocios. Si se est abierto a otras opciones diferentes a Estados Unidos, estos son 20 paà ­ses en los que es posible adquirir la ciudadanà ­a (pasaporte) y/o la residencia por inversià ³n. Las condiciones y las cantidades son muy diferentes de un paà ­s a otro. Y si la decisià ³n es elegir los Estados Unidos, estas son 10 cosas que saber antes de emigrar o si se es recià ©n llegado. Conocerlas facilitar mucho la vida. Empezando por el principio Es comà ºn que personas que desean emigrar a los Estados Unidos y no tienen un familiar que es residente o ciudadano que consideren la inversià ³n como el camino a explorar para hacer realidad su sueà ±o de mudarse. Pero o se tiene al menos medio millà ³n de dà ³lares para comenzar a calificar para una green card por inversià ³n por la visa de inmigrante EB-5 o bien, si lo que tiene pensado es una visa temporal E-2, que es de la que trata este artà ­culo, tiene que comenzar por el principio, es decir, asegurarse de que tiene un pasaporte de un paà ­s que ha firmado un tratado de inversià ³n con los Estados Unidos. Si falla ese requisito, no aplica la visa E-2, aunque se cumplan todos los dems requisitos. Por lo tanto, verificar el listado, que nada tiene que ver con el de paà ­ses que han firmado con los Estados Unidos un tratado de libre comercio. Favor de evitar esta confusià ³n. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Student Investment Management Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Student Investment Management Report - Essay Example The firm sells its products to over 175 countries which gives it a very, wide, firm market share. The firm’s objective is to make use of electrical, mechanical and hydraulic power more efficient, reliable and sustainable. The sectors the company deals in include; Aerospace, hydraulics, filtration and vehicle. Eaton’s 2013 revenue was $ 22 billion. Eaton’s business segments include; Aerospace, hydraulics, vehicle and sale of electrical products. Sale of electrical products accounts for the largest revenues followed by vehicles. The Aerospace segment is a leading supplier of aerospace fuel, hydraulic and pneumatic systems for commercial and military use. Products produced in the aerospace segment include; motors, pumps and hydraulic power units. The hydraulics segment is a leader in hydraulics components, systems and services for industrial and mobile equipment. The hydraulic segment made 15% of its sale in 2013 to 4 large distributors of electrical products and electrical systems and services. The vehicle and automotive segment is a leading supplier of powertrains and drivetrain systems for fuel economy, efficient performance and safety of commercial vehicles. Components supplied in hydraulic systems include; valves, cylinders and electronic controls. The electrical products and electrical systems and services accounts for the highest revenues for the company. Eaton has a competitive position in this segment. The firm’s competitive advantage includes its leading in aerospace energy efficient systems. Eaton’s hybrid electric power train combine a diesel engine and electric motor to drive the vehicle which is unique and gives the product a competitive advantage. Also Eaton’s diversification into aerospace, automobile, hydraulics and electrical businesses have also reduced the business risk of the company. Eaton has also made a number of acquisitions which have increased the firm’s competitive edge. Eaton acquired Westinghouse

Personal Philosophy paper Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Philosophy paper - Personal Statement Example However, sadly, the knowledge and the education that is being imparted in schools today is nothing but ‘ignorance’, because rather than making the students wise and happy, it is making them into robots who are hungry for ‘achievement’, ‘success’ and ‘power’. In today’s fast paced life and in hurry to reach the top, teachers have forgotten the real essence of education. Life is not about ‘power’ or ‘achievement’ but is about finding the unique purpose in life and in being happy and content. In psychologist Abraham Maslow’s words, life is about being a ‘self-actualized’ human being, i.e. achieving the highest potential that one is capable of achieving (Malsow, 1971, p.169). Today’s education system thinks that its job is complete by making students ‘qualified’ and ‘intellectuals’. However, the fact is that although educational qualification does help in achieving professional success, it is not enough to attain the complete potential in life. Hence, in my opinion, the purpose of education should be to mold the children into being wise, mature and intelligent human beings, rather than just making them ‘intellectual’ and ‘qualified’ human beings. The purpose of life has been a matter of interest for experts from different fields like psychology, philosophy, religion and spirituality. Different philosophical theories and ideas came into existence with the aim of making this world a better place to live and to help human beings attain happiness and bliss. However, as human being is not just an individual but is a part of the society, the attainment of satisfaction and happiness has become difficult for him. His actions and his behavior depend on people around him. Before taking any action, he spends a lot of time thinking about what others will say if he does it. Hence, human beings have lost touch with spontaneity and natural behavior. In an attempt to

Native People of North America Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Native People of North America - Assignment Example This are spirits being used in the western religious practices and pueblo cosmology. There are personification spirits of things existing in the real world. It can represent anything in the natural world from location, concept, and revered ancestor to an element or a quality. There are more than 300 kachinas in pueblo culture. Real Hopi katsinas/kachinas have changed to suit the contemporary world. Today, curving have been termed Hopi katsinas/kachinas for business purposes changing the meaning and originality of the culture of the Hopi people. Natchez are Native American people who are believed to have a Mississippi origin. They have unique language that has isolated them from their close relatives. They have a distant resemblance to the Muskogean languages. Thus, their unique language is a facet towards maintaining their originality. The other unique characteristic of the Natchez is the unusual social system. The system is composed of exogamous marriage and nobility classes. The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin was given the rights to the nation by the government’s legal process known as the Indian Treaties. These treaties were granted by the house of congress. Congress vested its powers to overthrow all the historical Indian treaty legislation. This took place when they refused to agree to its promise of granting the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin treaty rights to own their lands in 1830. The congress legislation to eliminate the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin overrode all Indian Treaties. This is an example of plenary authority. Their accomplishments are preserving their native culture and language, improving their educational opportunities and protecting their environment. 3. Reservation gaming helps nationwide collection of revenues from fee charged from gaming projects. This revenue is used to build schools and colleges as we as investing in drug and alcohol treatment programs. 2. Despite that

Evidence-Based Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Evidence-Based Practice - Essay Example The client has osteoarthritis that has manifested in both knees. Mr. Miller reports mild elevation in his blood pressure to averaging 160/94 mmHg during his past two visits. The patient is a regular searches of the internet for answers to his health care questions, with his wife encouraging him to take megadoses of fish oil for his heart and vitamin E. St John’s Wort to help him cease smoking, and glucosamine for his knees, based on health care information gained through internet searches. Proactive approach in individualized health care concern has been on the rise with Mr. Miller portraying a typical example of such a patient. Through the internet and computer technology, patients today have unprecedented access to information about their diagnoses and treatment options. Challenges may however manifest in an event that patients do not fully understand the material they read or are influenced in their decision-making by inadequate or inaccurate information (Jennifer, 2010). In the united states and in the global market, there has been a contemporary use of over-the-counter medications and natural botanicals in particular are associated with significant problems including: commonly held but incorrect assumptions about a product or agent; a lack of oversight and regulation resulting in products with claims without substantiation; and problems with the product itself including side effects and interactions with other drugs, Unknown active ingredients of varying dilution and potentially contaminated products (Jennifer, 2010). In an intrinsic manner, this paper will analyze clinician-patient communication strategies; drawing inference for the use of Mr. Miller’s choice of OTC formulations and medication available to aid smoking cessation; in summary, the paper will propose a multivariate strategy care plan to address Mr. Miller’s health problems. Inferring to his educational

Federal Emergency Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Federal Emergency Management - Case Study Example It is considered a must-have in every fire department and a must read for all fire chiefs so as to help prevent future firefighter fatalities. The Charleston tragedy was both predictable and preventable but due to a sequence of ill-preparedness and ill-advised strategic ideas lives were lost. One of the most important lessons in preparedness that is outlined in the report and forms the focus of this study is the training of firefighting officers at all levels and rank. They should be trained in incident management systems, how to assess the risks involved, formulate and implement strategies and tactics and in the effective use and care of life-saving equipment. The report found that in addition to the risks posed by the building itself such as highly combustible materials in a large area next to a smoking zone and with no warning signs, the large area covered by the loading dock area, no firewalls or sprinklers, among other shortcomings relating to the training of the officers at the Charleston Fire Department also contributed to the unfortunate events of that evening. The officers at the Charleston Fire Department were poorly trained in incident management systems. The firefighting protocol is that the highest ranking officer that arrives at the scene first assumes the position of Incident Commander and initiates operations. The identity of the commander can change during the operation but there can only be one at a time. The Fire Chief and the Assistant Fire Chief did not formally assume command or establish a fixed command post immediately they arrived. They proceeded to join the other firemen already on the scene without an incident management system that would have provided command, control, and coordination of the emergency. Since there was no one that was officially in command, there were two teams that were not to be working in tandem at different areas of the warehouse.

Take-Home Exam final exam DIRECT MARKETING Term Paper - 1

Take-Home Exam final exam DIRECT MARKETING - Term Paper Example h agnostic channel of advertisements such as short messages services, mobile telephone, email, websites, flyers, online ads, magazines and newspapers, outdoor adverts, promotion letters and catalogs. It is a direct response form of communication as used in the MADD campaign. The marketing strategies used in the creation of the advert give an individual the urges to read the advert from top to the end. It is clear that the advert is for youths who are fond of driving under the influence of alcohol in the society. The mode of advertisement is online. The marketing strategy is important in designing and implementing a successful campaign in the social market. MADD has established appropriate elements of marketing o the social media to meet its objectives as far as the campaign is a concern. On the other hand, it has also minimized its ideas for easy understanding of the advert. This gives individual time and understanding of their main objective. The campaign advert is clear enough to give the organizational goal in regards to the targeted group. The first impression in relation to this campaign advert is that it gives individual full information on what is required. MADD identifies various problems related t drinking and driving. The campaign advert gives a robust strategy in setting out of the main points in regards to their requirements. Since the advert has no urgency in any way, the organization has taken time to state all their requirements and qualifications so as not to hire people who will not make their campaign a success. Since their main objective is to fight drunkard in the society especially on the road, they have highlighted it as the main point in every category of individuals they wish to hire. Even though they have faced criticism from various governmental and private bodies, they stood firm towards such critiques thus considers them challenges for their success. MADD mode of advertisement is up to standard as far as online marketing is concerned.

Federal Emergency Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Federal Emergency Management - Case Study Example It is considered a must-have in every fire department and a must read for all fire chiefs so as to help prevent future firefighter fatalities. The Charleston tragedy was both predictable and preventable but due to a sequence of ill-preparedness and ill-advised strategic ideas lives were lost. One of the most important lessons in preparedness that is outlined in the report and forms the focus of this study is the training of firefighting officers at all levels and rank. They should be trained in incident management systems, how to assess the risks involved, formulate and implement strategies and tactics and in the effective use and care of life-saving equipment. The report found that in addition to the risks posed by the building itself such as highly combustible materials in a large area next to a smoking zone and with no warning signs, the large area covered by the loading dock area, no firewalls or sprinklers, among other shortcomings relating to the training of the officers at the Charleston Fire Department also contributed to the unfortunate events of that evening. The officers at the Charleston Fire Department were poorly trained in incident management systems. The firefighting protocol is that the highest ranking officer that arrives at the scene first assumes the position of Incident Commander and initiates operations. The identity of the commander can change during the operation but there can only be one at a time. The Fire Chief and the Assistant Fire Chief did not formally assume command or establish a fixed command post immediately they arrived. They proceeded to join the other firemen already on the scene without an incident management system that would have provided command, control, and coordination of the emergency. Since there was no one that was officially in command, there were two teams that were not to be working in tandem at different areas of the warehouse.

There Is No Truth in Advertising Essay Example for Free

There Is No Truth in Advertising Essay Advertising is omnipresent and inescapable in today’s world. It is claimed that an average person is exposed to 2000 advertisements every day. Due to its all-pervasive nature, advertising has a huge impact on our minds, both consciously and unconsciously. However, the credibility of today’s advertisements should be questioned. As media companies and advertising agents become increasingly profit-driven, advertisements now contain false information, promote biased ideas and sometimes even deveice consumers, in order to sell products. Even some non-commercial advertisements are not telling the complete truth, in order to grab people’s attentions. Many advertisements tend to tell â€Å"partial truth† about their products, which equates to false information that would mislead viewers. To increase revenue and maximise profits, advertising agents use the tactic of â€Å"partial truths† that make use of viewers’ assumptions. Advertising agents skillfully design the advertisements that will only reveal the seemingly appealing characteristics of the product, and deliberately leave the necessary elaboration and explanation, which is the other half of the truth, unmentioned. An advertisement for some cat food purported that it contains a substaintial level of phosphorus, which would lead the viewers to think that more phosphorus is good for cats. But what the advertisements did not mention was that cats actually do not need phosphorous in their diet. Another cigarette advertisement in Bangladesh said that smoking helped to relieve the pain of giving birth, which is true because somking decreases the size of babies. Its detrimental effect on babies was deliberately ignored by the advertising agent. These â€Å"partial truth† are not truths at all. They are misleading lies which, if the consumers believe blindly, may even harm their health. Also, advertisements always ignore the moral truth of gender equality. They contain some stereotypes about gender roles most of the time. While men are usually portrayed as strong and masculine, women are almost always depicted as fragile, weak and feminine. Some advertisements convey the idea that women should devote a lot of money, time and effort into the pursuit of ideal beauty, to please men. There is even objectification of women that turns women into things and objects, which is dehumanising and unrespectful. One advertisement writes â€Å"If I did not lose 49 pounds, I could never be married by now†, which is saying that women should focus on their figure in order to find a husband. Another beer advertisement turns a lady into a robot that contains beer in its belly. While these â€Å"innovate† advertisements may be effective in promoting the products, they are without doubt instilling people with the wrong idea that women and men are not equal in this society, that women is somewhat inferior, which are not the truth. [However, they do reflect and reinforce existing ideas of gender roles and inequality, which is the sad reality.] Furthermore, advertisements deceive us into believing that by buying certain products, we are able to obtain a desirable lifestyle, gain social status or get into certain social community. Advertisements are not selling merely products, but also the lifestyles, ideas, calues and status that the company want to associate the product with. By constantly linking the products with a certain lifestyle, the advertisements make the consumers believe that buying the product is one easy way to get that desired lifestyle. For instance, Louis Vuitton’s advertisements always show celebrities holding their handbags, enjoying themselves on holiday. This makes many nouveau riche think that having one of such bags would get themselves into the moneyed class and the lifestyle of the rich. However, it is without doubt that buying certain products does not change who you are or where you belong to. It is just a deception created by the advertisements. Some people may argue that advertisements for some cutting-edge technical products that truly benefit people, such as tablets and smartphones, do contain truths. I do not deny that these advertisements do contain some facts, such as the new features of the products, the improved functions and so forth. However, being advertisements, they are more or less exaggerated in order to achieve the ultimate goal of selling. Advertisements of this kind, such as the advertisement for the new iPad, always contain the key words like â€Å"all new†, â€Å"revoluntionary† or â€Å"unprecedented†, but never mention the limitations and the flaws [built-in obsolescence]. Only after a few months when the company launches a newer model would it start to point out what flaws the previous model has. This is the nature of advertising. There is no complete truth. Non-commercial advertisements are believed by many to be absolute true. They argue that these advertisements campaigning for good causes have no motive to lie. However, in order to create greater influence and to raise people’s awareness, non-commercial advertisements also tend to exaggerate and oversimplify the situation. For instane, the advertisements that help Project Hope in China to raise fund often show children who are eager to learn sitting in shabby wooden classrooms, dressed poorly. Though there are many children like this in the rural area, not all of them are passionate about learning, and not all classrooms are in such poor condition. In order to grab public attention, these advertisements are wise to show the pooresr scene to the public. But this kind of oversimplified version is definitely not the complete truth. [emotional manipulation] In all, advertising by nature aims to grab public attention. In oder to do this, there is always some extent of exaggeration. This is how advertisements work. As long as there are no false information or deceptions that mislead people, advertising with some extent of exaggeration is acceptable. People should learn to be discriminating views ant not just believe advertisements blindly.

Analysis of felda jengka settlement analysis

Analysis of felda jengka settlement analysis Pick any rural area that you are familiar with. Describe its socio economic background including approximate broadband penetration. Describe occupations that are existing there, demographics and geographies lay out including major buildings and geographical locations. What are rural areas? According to an online source, the definition of rural areas is areas that are largely isolated in an open country with low population density. Many people often have a misconception between the terms countryside and rural areas. Countryside is often referred to rural areas that are open. Areas such as forest, wetlands and others that have low population density are associated with rural areas. However the definition between the terms countryside, rural and urban areas differ from one country to another. In Malaysias early days, urban areas often equated to gazetted administration districts with a population of 1000 or more inhabitants where most of its economy are mainly professional-based. Most of the people living in urban areas work as Figure : Malaysia Rural Populationdoctors, lawyers, engineers and others. However, this definition is no longer applicable in todays world. In Malaysia, the economy of the rural areas on the other hand is mainly agricultural-based. Most of the settlers are smallholder operators in agricultural sector and labourers. The smallholder agricultural sector includes oil palm plantation, rubber plantation, fishermen, and estate workers, just to name a few. From Figure : Malaysia Rural Population graph, it can be seen that there are many rural settlers in the 90s. However, according to World Bank statistics, it is reported that in the year 2008 itself, the population of rural settlers was 8007029.29 people. From the graph itself, it can be seen that after the year 2000, the rural populations start to decrease. One of the reasons that cause the reduction of rural population is the migration of rural settlers to urban areas. Since decades ago, the main occupations of the rural settlers in Peninsular Malaysia are fishing or farming. Most of these settlers live in villages which are often known as kampongs. These villages consist of houses that are built on stilts with wooden or bamboo walls and floors, and thatched palm roofs. However, just as urban areas, there are higher income earners too in these villages. Higher income earners are often to live in houses that have either tin or tile roofs. Since the main occupation of these villages is farming, most of the rural settlers grow rice. Thus, rice will be their staple food. In Malaysia, most of the rural settlers are farmers due to the ideal climate and environment in Malaysia throughout the year that allows paddy to be planted. Besides paddy cultivating, fresh vegetables plantation and fishing in nearby streams or rivers are part of their daily chores. Raising rubber trees for rubber collection is carried out to increase the family income. Those living a long the coast will earn their living through fishing. In Sabah and Sarawak, the rural settlers differ from Peninsular Malaysia. In the western of Malaysia, most of the people live in isolated villages. They preferred to stay together in a large long house that can accommodate lots of families. Their daily chores include raising vegetables, hunting, fishing and gathering edible plants in the jungles. In most rural villages whether in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah or Sarawak, there will a few shops that will be operated by Chinese merchants. These shops will sell items that rural settlers could not produce. They include coffee, milks, utensils and others. However, in Sabah and Sarawak, some Chinese peddlers are willing to travel to the isolated villages by boat. Once they reached the isolated villages, they will exchange their goods with the forest products that the rural settlers have. Most of the rural settlers live in poverty. There are many factors that drive poverty among the rural settlers. One of the factors is multidimensional in nature ranging from social to economic factors. One of the researchers, Ungku Aziz (1964) stated that poverty is usually associated with lack infrastructures, low income, low productivity and unemployment. In conclusion, poverty in rural areas is due to lack of infrastructure development, welfare programmes and agricultural development. Figure 1: Jengka Triangle LocationUntil today, in Malaysia there are many rural areas that are scattered around. In this write up, the rural area that is picked is FELDA Jengka. FELDA Jengka or Bandar Pusat Jengka is located in the state of Pahang, Peniinsular Malaysia as shown in Figure 1. Bandar Pusat Jengka is one of the major cities and is located in the centre of the triangle Jengka which is also known as Felda Jengka. Bandar Pusat Jengka is under the supervision and administration of FELDA. It is located near to Gunung Senyum Recreational Forest which serves as a tourist destination. Gunung Senyum is believed that since Mesolithic era, there are human settlements in this area. Next to Gunung Senyum is Gunung Puyuh which consists of 18 caves. FELDA stands for Federal Land Development Authority which is established in 1st July 1956 by the Malaysian Government to handle the resettlement of rural poor to much more developed areas. FELDA provide the initial models to the rural settl ers to start their career in farming. This scheme is only applicable to ethnic Malays. Currently, according to a study carried out, FELDA is one of the worlds largest plantation owners. FELDA has about 811140 hectares of oil palms across Peninsular Malaysia. The location of Jengka Triangle or FELDA Jengka where 25 settlements are found in this Triangle. Figure 1: Location of Jengka Triangle Development Area http://www.nzdl.org/gsdl/collect/ccgi/archives/HASH9312.dir/80636e01.gif Figure 2: Jengka Triangle Development Area Jengka was first found in the year 1967 and today its population is reaching almost 300 thousand people. Jengka is located in between three regions namely Temerloh, Maran and Jerantut. This small town obtained its name from a nearby river called Sungai Jengka. According to some residents there, this river obtained its name from a story where a woman by the named Yang Jangka who drowned in this river. The Lembaga Kemajuan Wilayah Jengka (LKWJ) administered this town from the year 1967 to 1997. Then from 1997 until today, Jengka is administered by Majlis Daerah Maran (MDM). Bandar Pusat Jengka got its name from Jengka town. Jengka town originally is a settlement that specially built for workers who work in Kilang Syarikat Jengka Sdn. Bhd. (SJSB) in 1969. Kilang Syarikat Jengka Sdn. Bhd. (SJSB) is a subsidiary of the Pahang State Government. Jengka settlers came from all over Malaysia since 1986. They are the poor people who have the living standard of below poverty level. According to a study done, the majority of the FELDA Jengka settlers ancestors are mostly deployed from the northern states such as Perak, Perlis, Kedah and Penang. However, there are some who came from eastern states and southern states such as Kelantan, Melaka, and Selangor, just to name a few. This will leads to a blend of different cultures and traditions as different settlers from different states will try to preserve their ancestry customs and culture. Besides the majority Malays settlers, there are also Chinese and Indians settlers. Table 1 shows the breakdown of the Jengka settlers by state origin. It can be seen that most of the settlers are from the state of Pahang itself. Table 1: Jengka Settlers by state of origin Today under the administration of FELDA, in Bandar Pusat Jengka itself, there are about 25 FELDA settlements. They include FELDA Anggerik Jengka 1, FELDA Cempaka Jengka 2, FELDA Dahlia Jengka 3, FELDA Kemboja Jengka 4, FELDA Kekwa Jengka 5, FELDA Keembong Jengka 6, FELDA Kenanga Jengka 7, FELDA Kesidang Jengka 8, FELDA Kesumba Jengka 9, FELDA Mawar Jengka 10, FELDA Melati Jengka 11, FELDA Melor Jengka 12, FELDA Puteri Malu Jengka 13, FELDA Raya Jengka 14, FELDA Semarak Jengka 15,FELDA Sena Jengka 16, FELDA Seri Pagi Jengka 17, FELDA Seroja Jengka 18, FELDA Siantan Jengka 19, FELDA Tanjung Jengka 20 ,FELDA Teratai Jengka 21, FELDA Terkis Jengka 22, FELDA Tonkin Jengka 23, FELDA Jengka 24, and FELDA Jengka 25. These FELDA settlements are located a few kilometres away from each others. In each settlement there are about 300 to 500 of settlers occupying. Each of the male settlers is known as Peneroka FELDA and their wives are known as Penerokawati. The wives of the settlers are under the supervision of a manager that is appointed by the FELDA. For example in FELDA Jengka 25, there are about 152 families living in this settlement. FELDA Jengka 25 opened its door in the year 1986. The years before that, which is in between the year 1983 and 1984, development and deployment in FELDA Jengka 25 begin. In this settlement, farming land is divided into two categories which are Level 002 and Level 004. Level 002 consists of 95 people and Level 004 consists of 57 people. Level 003 do not have any settlers. The main occupations of the FELDA settlers are mainly agriculture based as more than half of the populations in FELDA Jengka are involved in agricultural activities. Table 2 shows the distribution of settlers in the FELDA Jengka Triangle according to scheme. From Table 2, it can be seen that FELDA Jengka settlers are mainly involve in oil pl antation and rubber. Thus, it can be concluded that in Jengka Triangle the main crops are oil palm and rubber. FELDA Jengka 24 is one of the 25 settlements in FELDA Jengka. It is found that up to year 2008, the population of this settlement is about 5000 people. Most of the settlers are involved in small businesses through the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) which was established few years back. Most of the older generations that settle in this settlement are involved in land cultivating, and working in farms and orchards. The younger generations have further their studies at the tie tertiary level in other states. Some of the younger generations seek jobs in big cities like Kuala Lumpur. As stated in the beginning of the writing, plantation sector is the source of income for most settlers in Jengka Triangle. Most of the settlers in FELDA Jengka 24 and also others settlements in the Jengka Triangle regions are involved in oil palm plantation. Besides involving in oil palm plantation, the settlers are brave enough to take the risk of investing in agarwood tree plantation. Agarwood is said to be one of the most expensive and good quality plant product. It is said that this plants required eight months to reap and a total of five years are needed for the trees to be cut. All the settlers work very closely with FELDA in this sector. Mature oil palms will be collected by the settlers and will be transported to FELDAs Oil Palm Processing Plant to be processed. FELDA play an important role in ensuring that the settlers will be paid for their hard work. Besides, it is also found that there is an average of 13 shops per scheme. Most of the shops sell basic necessities such as rice, sugar, canned food and others. There are also shops that operate as coffee shops that sell various types of cakes, drinks and noodles. Sundry shops and coffee shops are commonly found in the settlements. Besides, sundry shops and coffee shops, there are shops that repair motors, hardware shops, bookshops and others. Recently, a youth from FELDA Jengka involved in aquaculture field. Leech farming has been initiated by Mohd Khairul Nizam Che Anuar and his friends. They will rear leeches in canvas containers and after 60 days, they will sell these leeches at the price of RM200 per kilogram. These leeches will be processed into leech oil. Table 2: Distribution of Jengka Settlers based on the scheme In Bandar Pusat Jengka, there are about eight schools, two colleges and a university. The Government realized that education is really important in shaping the future of the younger generations. Besides, in Malaysias constitution, every citizens of Malaysia have the right to obtain a proper education. Thus, schools such as Sekolah Kebangsaan Jengka Pusat, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Jengka Pusat, Maahad As-Sultan Ahmad Shah Ad-Dini, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Jengka 6 and others were built. FELDA too provides monetary support for the settlers children who are furthering their studies to tertiary level. Besides, the Universiti Teknologi Mara  (UiTM) Cawangan Pahang Kampus Bandar Jengka was built so that standard of living of the settlers in Bandar Pusat Jengka can be improved. The Government have been developed Bandar Pusat Jengka by introducing new facilities to accommodate the needs of the people living in Bandar Pusat Jengka. The Government realized that new facilities should b e built in rural areas like Bandar Pusat Jengka to ensure that the rural settlers are not left behind in the countrys development. Bandar Pusat Jengka has been given many public facilities. They include Jengka Hospitals, Masjid Sultan Ahmad Shah, Bandar Jengka, public library, bus terminal Nadi Kota Bandar Pusat Jengka and Urban Community Polyclinic Jengka. Besides these facilities, the Government too have bring some of the Government agencies such as , Islamic Council and the Office of Customs Pahang , police station, Fire and Rescue Department , National Registration Department, Department of Road Transport, Office of  National Energy and Office of the  NSW Department of Water Supply to this area so that the rural settlers need not need to travel to the nearest town some 40 kilometres away to make a visit to any of these agencies. In addition to that, the Government too built some sports facilities such as golf courses, sports complex and mini stadium to allow the rural settle rs to involve themselves in sports. Financial institutions such as Maybank, Bank Rakyat, Tabung Haji and Affin Bank just to name a few have established in Bandar Pusat Jengka. These financial institutions provide facilities such as loans, financial management and others to help the rural settlers to increase their crops production. The welfare and safety of the settlers in each settlement in FELDA Jengka is well taken care of by the Scheme Development and Security Committee (JKKR) which is formed under FELDA entrusted. The Scheme Development and Security Committee (JKKR) will uphold a high responsibility in giving co-operations and help to the settlers so that the settlers will be able to progress further which is part of the governments aspirations. In the recent Budget, the Government has allocated a huge amount of allocation to develop the rural areas around Malaysia. This is to ensure that the settlers in the rural areas will be able to obtain adequate facilities. It can be seen that in most rural areas, most of the residents are able to enjoy electricity and water supply in their homes. Currently the one of the Government inspirations is to connect the rural areas with the urban areas. In order to achieve this, penetration of broadband should be introduced to rural areas. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Centre Line Community (CBC) is introduced to FELDA Jengka 23 and 25 in April 2010. This main aim of this facility is to help the younger generations in the rural settlement to be ICT literacy and to fill their leisure time. By having internet facility in the rural settlements, the younger generations will be able to communicate with the outside world as bridging between the rural and urban community coul d be formed. This will able to widen their knowledge. CBC was introduced to rural settlements due to the inspiration from the Government to ensure that all Malaysians have knowledge about the internet and are able to connect to the world. Besides, this will bring changes to the mentality of the FELDA younger generations settlers. According to CBC FELDA Jengka 23 Manager, Mohd Shahrir Md Yusof, he said that this facility is a joint venture project between the Government with Suruhanjaya Komunikasi Dan Multimedia Malaysia (SKMM) and Telekom Malaysia. Broadband penetration in rural areas such as FELDA Jengka has brought changes to the living standard of the settlers. With the internet facility at Centre Line Community (CBC), the settlers are able to save time, money and energy. Moreover, their daily activities such as paying monthly utility bills, business online payment (money transfer), communicate with outstation family members and products ordering by consumers; just to name a few will be easier to be carried out. With this broadband penetration in FELDA Jengka, the settlers need not need to travel more than 40 kilometres to the nearest town such as Termerloh to carry out their activities. Currently in FELDA Jengka 23 itself, the Government and other organizations have allocated 20 units of computers. The settlers are able to use the facility from 9am to 6pm throughout the week. Besides, the CBC too provides basic computer classes to educate the settlers on the operations of the computer and some of the programmes. According to Mohd Shahrir, there is a high respond from the settlers on this facility where the average users of the facility are more than 100 settlers per day. Besides FELDA Jengka 23, other settlements such as FELDA Jengka 24 too are equipped with the broadband facility. In FELDA Jengka 24, the CBC is located together with the Rural Clinic. According to Khairul Nizam Che Anuar or Along who is a youth living in FELDA Jengka 24, he said that he us ually visit the CBC to surf the internet and to learn more about leech farming. CBC too can surf as a place where the settlers are able to meet up and communicate with other settlers. Thus, this will leads to a better bonding between the settlers. In FELDA Jengka 24, there are only two computers, a scanner and printer. In conclusion

Essay --

Dante’s Judgment of Edward Teach In Dante Alighieri’s The Devine Comedy, he explains his nine stages of hell based on different sins. They are limbo lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. In Alighieri’s epic, limbo was the least serious level of sins and treachery was the highest level of sin. Edward â€Å"Blackbeard† Teach was a famous pirate who would have been considered to commit all of these sins. In Alighieri’s eyes Teach would have been put in the highest level of hell for committing all of the sins including treachery. Edward â€Å"Blackbeard† Teach was born in Bristol, England around 1960. Most likely has name may have actually been Edward Drummond but he introduced himself as Teach. He took the sea when he was a teenager and was recruited as a privateer for Queen Anne’s War. (Minster, â€Å"Biography of Edward â€Å"Blackbeard† Teach†). The time of Blackbeard’s life took place during the early 18th century and was referred as â€Å"The Golden Age of Piracy†. In order to stay a successful pirate, he wanted to be intimidating. Teach would always carry multiple weapons...

Caffeine :: essays research papers

Caffeine As can be seen above, caffeine consists of two carbon/nitrogen rings with oxygen and methyl groups as substituents. The fused rings are similar to those in adenine only the substituents differ. Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, and many soft drinks. There is also some amount of caffeine in chocolate, as well as a closely related stimulant, theobromine. The caffeine in sodas is generally produced from the cola berries, and is either a by-product of the cola flavoring or is added for flavor and stimulant effect. There are four ways in which caffeine stimulates the nervous system. Of these, one is of primary improtance. Another has some level of importance, and the other two only occur at unrealistically high levels of caffeine in the body. The first of these methods, and the most important, is blocking adenosine receptors. As caffeine has a similar structure to the adenosine group, but also has more heavily electrophilic and nucleophilic functional groups than adenosine as, for instanc e, seen in cyclic AMP. This means that caffeine will fit adenosine receptors as well as adenosine itself will. Thus, cyclic AMP remains active, rather than being broken down. Second among the effects of caffeine is phosphodiesterase inhibition. The phosphodiesterase class of enzymes includes a number of enzymes responsible for breaking down cyclic AMP, thus depriving the body of an energy supply. Caffeine fools phosphodiesterase into attacking it instead, which inhibits the breakdown of cyclic AMP. However, the concentration of caffeine required for this effect to become significant is sufficiently high that the adenosine blocking remains the dominant factor. The other two laboratory effects of caffeine have been judged insignificant in actual biochemical situations. Caffeine can increase the speed of rapid information processing by 10% 1, and a cup of regular (caffeine-containing) coffee after lunch helps to counteract the normal ‘post-lunch dip’ in ability to sustain concentration, aiding alertness 2. Research has also shown that a couple of cups of coffee help to improve alertness and concentration during night shift hours 3.

Zoe’s Tale PART I Chapter Seven

Here's what I did when my dad took me down to Phoenix: I visited my own grave. Clearly, this needs an explanation. I was born and lived the first four years of my life on Phoenix. Near where I lived, there is a cemetery. In that cemetery is a headstone, and on that headstone are three names: Cheryl Boutin, Charles Boutin and Zoe Boutin. My mother's name is there because she is actually buried there; I remember being there for her funeral and seeing her shroud put into the ground. My father's name is there because for many years people believed his body was there. It's not. His body lies on a planet named Arist, where he and I lived for a time with the Obin. There is a body buried here, though, one that looks like my father and has the same genes as he does. How it got there is a really complicated story. My name is there because before my father and I lived on Arist, he thought for a time that I had been killed in the attack on Covell, the space station he and I had lived on. There was no body, obviously, because I was still alive; my father just didn't know it. He had my name and dates carved into the headstone before he was told I was still around. And so there you have it: three names, two bodies, one grave. The only place where my biological family exists, in any form, anywhere in the universe. In one sense, I'm an orphan, and profoundly so: My mother and father were only children, and their parents were dead before I was born. It's possible I have second cousins twice removed somewhere on Phoenix, but I've never met them and wouldn't know what to say to them even if they existed. Really, what do you say? â€Å"Hi, we share about four percent of our genetic makeup, let's be friends†? The fact is, I'm the last of my line, the last member of the Boutin family, unless and until I decide to start having babies. Now, there's a thought. I'm going to table it for now. In one sense I was an orphan. But in another sense†¦ Well. First, my dad was standing behind me, watching me as I was kneeling down to look at the headstone my name was on. I don't know how it is with other adoptees, but I can say that there never was a time with John and Jane that I didn't feel cherished and loved and theirs. Even when I was going through that early puberty phase where I think I said â€Å"I hate you† and â€Å"Just leave me alone† six times daily and ten times on Sunday. I would have abandoned me at the bus stop, that's for sure. John told me that back when he lived on Earth, he had a son, and his son had a boy, Adam, who would have been just about my age, which technically made me an aunt. I thought that was pretty neat. Going from having no family on the one hand to being someone's aunt on the other is a fun trick. I told that to Dad; he said â€Å"you contain multitudes,† and then walked around with a smile for hours. I finally got him to explain it to me. That Walt Whitman, he knew what he was talking about. Second, there were Hickory and Dickory to the side of me, twitching and trembling with emotional energy, because they were at the gravesite of my father, even if my father wasn't buried there, and never was. It didn't matter. They were worked up because of what it represented. Through my father, I guess you could say I was adopted by the Obin, too, although my relationship to them wasn't exactly like being someone's daughter, or their aunt. It was a little closer to being their goddess. A goddess for an entire race of people. Or, I don't know. Maybe something that sounds less egotistical: patron saint, or racial icon or mascot or something. It was hard to put into words; it was hard to even wrap my brain around most days. It's not like I was put on a throne; most goddesses I know about don't have homework and have to pick up dog poop. If this is what being an icon is all about, on a day-today basis it's not terribly exciting. But then I think about the fact that Hickory and Dickory live with me and have spent their lives with me because their government made it a demand of my government when the two of them signed a peace pact. I am actually a treaty condition between two intelligent races of creatures. What do you do with that sort of fact? Well, I tried to use it once: When I was younger I tried to argue with Jane that I should be able to stay up late one night because I had special status under treaty law. I thought that was pretty clever. Her response was to haul out the entire thousand-page treaty – I didn't even know we had a physical copy – and invite me to find the part of the treaty that said I always got to have my way. I stomped over to Hickory and Dickory and demanded they tell Mom to let me do what I wanted; Hickory told me they would have to file a request to their government for guidance, and it would take several days, by which time I would already have to be in bed. It was my first exposure to the tyranny of bureaucracy. What I do know that it means is that I belong to the Obin. Even at that moment in front of the grave, Hickory and Dickory were recording it into their consciousness machines, the machines my father made for them. They would be stored and sent to all the other Obin. Every other Obin would stand here with me, as I knelt at my grave and the grave of my parents, tracing their names and mine with my finger. I belong. I belong to John and Jane; I belong to Hickory and Dickory and every Obin. And yet for all that, for all the connection I feel – for all the connection I have – there are times when I feel alone, and I have the sensation of drifting and not connecting at all. Maybe that's just what you do when you're this age; you have your stretches of alienation. Maybe to find yourself you've got to feel like you're unplugged. Maybe everyone goes through this. What I knew, though, there at the grave, my grave, was that I was having one of those moments. I had been here before, to this grave. First when my mother was buried, and then, a few years later, when Jane brought me here to say good-bye to both my mother and father. All the people who know me have gone away, I said to her. All of my people are gone. And then she came over to me and asked me to live with her and John, in a new place. Asked me to let her and John be my new people. I touched the jade elephant at my neck and smiled, thinking of Jane. Who am I? Who are my people? Who do I belong to? Questions with easy answers and no answers. I belong to my family and to the Obin and sometimes to no one at all. I am a daughter and goddess and girl who sometimes just doesn't know who she is or what she wants. My brain rattles around my head with this stuff and gives me a headache. I wish I were alone here. I'm glad John's with me. I want to see my new friend Gretchen and make sarcastic comments until we burst out laughing. I want to go to my stateroom on the Magellan, turn off the light, hug my dog, and cry. I want to leave this stupid cemetery. I don't ever want to leave it because I know I'm never coming back to it. This is my last time with my people, the ones who are already gone. Sometimes I don't know if my life is complicated, or if it's that I just think too much about things. I knelt at the grave, thought some more, and tried to find a way to say a last good-bye to my mother and father and to keep them with me, to stay and to go, to be the daughter and goddess and girl who doesn't know what she wants, all at once, and to belong to everyone and keep myself. It took a while.