Assignment 2 MJ Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

2 MJ - Assignment Example The scene then fast forwards to the present day where the first born son named Jamal is older and his son is about to get married and the second born son had fled to America to escape the injustices that were happening in his country. The second born son, Bassam goes back to Abuddin with his American family for the wedding. The president dies during the wedding ceremony and Jamal inherits the presidency. The country is ruled through a lot of fear as the ruling family is known to persecute anyone who threatens to oppose their rule. The royal family lives a lavish lifestyle and has servants at their beck and call. However, the time is when most parts of the world were calling out for the end of dictatorial rule and thus the royal family was under a lot of pressure from a rebel group to hold an election. Bassam, being more accepting of the democratic ways, convinces his brother to go through an election. Jamal is definately authoritative and does whatever he wants to satisfy himself. He does not care much about anyone else or what anyone would say. He does things that only benefit him; satisfy his needs, and his hold onto power. His first action shown in the series is him forcing himself on one of his subject’s wife as the husband waits outside and he does not care about the husband’s feelings and neither those of the children of the woman who are waiting outside. His major aim is to satisfy himself regardless of who gets hurt. Jamal justifies his actions by claiming that his wife had left him and that his subjects are there to please him and do as he wishes whenever he wants. He extends his cruelty to innocent people simply because he has the authority and capacity to do as he wishes and no one is bold enough to face him. Jamal had been brought by his father and taught to be ruthless to people who did not agree with him. From his childhood, he had been forced to go everywhere with his father and even

Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous Essay Example for Free

Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous Essay Philonous, in Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous, attacks Hylas arguments toward the distinction between primary and secondary qualities. The distinction between primary and secondary qualities is a peculiarity between qualities which depend for their existence on the relation between an object and a perceptual device. An example of this would be smell and color, which has properties that an object has independently of any perceiver. What objectively, with out bias, exist and what merely subjectively exist? When something is clear and distinct it is true, and when it is not clear and distinct, like sensations that can be interpreted differently, it is false. Berkeley rejects this notion of primary and secondary quality distinction, which implies that material things exist independently of us. Philonous continues to argue against Hylas when he explains that sensible things are defined as those things that are immediately perceived; therefore, eliminating mediated perception. He gives a case by case examination of sensible qualities; such as heat and cold; sound; and colors. None of these qualities contain the ability of pleasure or pain independently because that is an identify we give it; therefore we give it its existence. He rejects Hylas claim that heat is motion, and he also proclaims that color varies with light. Philonous reminds Hylas that causes of ideas are not immediately perceive, and thus are not perceived at all; this makes them non- sensible things. Berkeley aimed to demonstrate that materialism is artificial because we have no reason to believe in the reality of mind autonomous material objects. He attempted to prove that we have no immediate perception of mind-independent material objects, so we have no source on which to assume the existence of mind-independent material objects from our instant experience. One can not imagine of primary qualities in objects totally separately of their secondary qualities. Therefore, primary qualities must exist in the mind, just as secondary qualities do.

The Use of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Patients with Severe Depression

The Use of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Patients with Severe Depression or Schizophrenia â€Å"In surveys, individuals with both a history of severe depression and a history of physical trauma due to an accident ranked the pain of mental illness as much worse than that of physical trauma† (Isaac 5). Mental illnesses cause immense suffering and potentially even death; in the year 2000, the suicide rate of patients suffering from depression was estimated at fifteen percent. This is a testament to the fact that mental illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia are serious issues, and those suffering from them deserve the most effective treatment available. Many psychiatrists turn to anti-depressants and â€Å"talk-therapy† in attempts to heal their patients; however, there are other options. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), also known as electroshock, or simply electrotherapy, is a controversial treatment of numerous mental illnesses, including depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other mood disorders. The procedure consists of sending an elect ric current through the brain, essentially shocking it and inducing a seizure. There are many known side-effects, including memory loss; however, their prevalence and magnitude are much debated and far over-dramatized, creating a negative reputation. The origin of this reputation lies in electroconvulsive therapy’s questionable history. Many people look at the use of electroshock in the past, rather than the current advancements that have been made, providing an unfair prejudice regarding the procedure’s use today and causing the population to associate electroconvulsive therapy with images of torture. Despite the preconceived notions that the procedure is cruel and often unsuccess... ...lectroconvulsive Therapy is an Effective Treatment for Schizophrenia and Depression.† Mental Illness. Ed. Tamara L. Roleff and Laura K. Egendorf. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2000. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. George Mason University. 28 Sep. 2012.. Kneeland, Timothy W., and Carol A.B. Warren. Pushbutton Psychiatry: A History of Electroshock in America. Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 2002. Sherer, Richard A.  "Kitty Dukakis Book: In Praise of ECT- Despite the Memory Issue.(electroconvulsive therapy)(Shock: The Healing Power of Electroconvulsive Therapy)."  Psychiatric Times  23.13  (Nov 1, 2006):  1.  Expanded Academic ASAP.  Thomson Gale.  George Mason University.  7 Dec. 2012.   . Thackery, Ellen, and Madeline Harris. The Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders. Detroit, Mich.: Gale Group, 2003. The Use of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Patients with Severe Depression The Use of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Patients with Severe Depression or Schizophrenia â€Å"In surveys, individuals with both a history of severe depression and a history of physical trauma due to an accident ranked the pain of mental illness as much worse than that of physical trauma† (Isaac 5). Mental illnesses cause immense suffering and potentially even death; in the year 2000, the suicide rate of patients suffering from depression was estimated at fifteen percent. This is a testament to the fact that mental illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia are serious issues, and those suffering from them deserve the most effective treatment available. Many psychiatrists turn to anti-depressants and â€Å"talk-therapy† in attempts to heal their patients; however, there are other options. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), also known as electroshock, or simply electrotherapy, is a controversial treatment of numerous mental illnesses, including depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other mood disorders. The procedure consists of sending an elect ric current through the brain, essentially shocking it and inducing a seizure. There are many known side-effects, including memory loss; however, their prevalence and magnitude are much debated and far over-dramatized, creating a negative reputation. The origin of this reputation lies in electroconvulsive therapy’s questionable history. Many people look at the use of electroshock in the past, rather than the current advancements that have been made, providing an unfair prejudice regarding the procedure’s use today and causing the population to associate electroconvulsive therapy with images of torture. Despite the preconceived notions that the procedure is cruel and often unsuccess... ...lectroconvulsive Therapy is an Effective Treatment for Schizophrenia and Depression.† Mental Illness. Ed. Tamara L. Roleff and Laura K. Egendorf. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2000. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. George Mason University. 28 Sep. 2012.. Kneeland, Timothy W., and Carol A.B. Warren. Pushbutton Psychiatry: A History of Electroshock in America. Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 2002. Sherer, Richard A.  "Kitty Dukakis Book: In Praise of ECT- Despite the Memory Issue.(electroconvulsive therapy)(Shock: The Healing Power of Electroconvulsive Therapy)."  Psychiatric Times  23.13  (Nov 1, 2006):  1.  Expanded Academic ASAP.  Thomson Gale.  George Mason University.  7 Dec. 2012.   . Thackery, Ellen, and Madeline Harris. The Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders. Detroit, Mich.: Gale Group, 2003.

Confidentiality and Informed Consent

In the article by Martindale, Chambers, and Thompson, we learn that Informed consent and confidentiality. A person should be informed of their right to confidentiality and the treatment they are consenting to in the therapeutic relationship. This study Is significantly Important because we are shown that there has been not very much previous research done on how well we manage consent, how Informed the patient Is, how honest they are, and what they actually know about the policies of the provider. Professionals in many settings create and utilize very ifferent techniques of informed consent and confidentiality.In professions where professionals constantly see people who are troubled. who see the everlasting devastation of grief, pain, and the disparities of people in situations that they cant change, it can be very taxing and wearing on even the most seasoned professional person, but do we actually communicate well to the patient that they have rights? In the article, we see that so many patients are so desperate to receive care that they Instantly Just â€Å"sign papers† so that the can see the psychologist.If a patient Is that esperate, how do we know that mental health professionals are performing to their maximum standards of Informing the patient about their care standards and things like who has the appropriate access to their medical information? We, as counseling psychology graduate students and professionals alike, have a strong moral and ethical responsibility to ourselves, our colleagues. and our clients to make sure that we provide appropriate documentation, informing the patients clearly of their rights and responsibilities, so that we do not potentially negatively affect the lives of other eople.In the article by Martindale, Chambers, and Thompson, In the four themes that emerge, â€Å"being referred; the participant's feelings, mental health difficulties, and their Impact; relationships with workers and carers; and autonomy (Martindale et al, p. 355)†, we see that many clients have concerns about continuing care. I think the most difficult and problematic Issue to handle there Is the patient's mental health and stability. In chapter 5 of the textbook, the ACA Code of Ethics, Section 8. 5. on informed consent states: â€Å"Responsibility to Clients.When counseling minor clients or adult clients who lack the capacity to give voluntary, Informed consent, counselors protect he confidentiality of information received in the counseling relationship as specified by federal and state laws, written policies, and applicable ethical standards. (Welfel, 2012, p. 142)†. It is the professional responsibility of the provider to be aware that the client has good mental standing to be able to know their rights. However, how dowe know upon first seeing the client that they are In a good mental standing to be completely informed? This puts providers in a tough situation.What happens to the clients they counsel who never k now of their consent rights and their confidentiality? How can we test for that if it we have no idea if the client is being honest with us? How do we know the frequency of occurrence? How do we know It Is not happening all the time? That Is why It is absolutely imperative to have open and t Of2 nonest communlcatlons wlt n tne cllent as oTten as posslDle. As graduate students, It is important for us to foster a supportive working relationship with our advisor, so hat we are absolutely sure the client is informed about what comes next in their therapy process.What if clients are too scared to ask how many sessions they have left? What if they are a â€Å"yes† person and can't say no to more or less treatment options? What if they have concerns but are too scared to ask about what is upcoming? I have personally seen a therapist who, after every session, had me fill out a questionnaire about my ability to see things clearly in the session; if I understood what my objectives were , if I understood her clearly, and if there was anything I was ersonally hesitant to share or anything that bothered me about our last session.This was extremely problematic for me because I always answered â€Å"no problems with last session† for fear that I would disappoint my provider or that she would then bring up the issue that I had experienced a problem with. I always felt uncomfortable, but continued to answer the questionnaires and continue care anyway because I needed it. In Martindale, Chambers, and Thompson's article, there are some limitations to the study. Primarily collected data were from mainly white omen.There seemed to be no measure of marginalized communities, under represented populations, or any data from the people who seem to struggle the most: people needing critical care. How would ethnic minorities respond to a provider who may not understand their cultural differences? How do we make sure those people are being informed appropriately? What about m arginalized communities who are in crisis and need care? How do we handle special situations appropriately? What about people who can't consent to appropriate care guidelines?

You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen Nobody Likes a Dead Whore Finding her boyfriend tied naked to an upright bed frame, covered in blood, with a dead, blue dominatrix at his feet would be enough to rattle some women's confidence in the stability of their relationship. Some women might even take it as a sign of trouble. But Jody had been single for a number of years – she'd dated rock musicians and stockbrokers – and was conditioned to unusual bumps on the road of romance, so she simply sighed and kicked the hooker in the ribs – more as a conversation opener than a confirmation that the ho was dead – and said, â€Å"So, rough night?† â€Å"Awk-ward,† Abby sang, peeking in the door, then immediately swinging back into the hallway. â€Å"I forgot my safety word,† Tommy said. Jody nodded. â€Å"Well, that had to be embarrassing.† â€Å"She beat me.† â€Å"You okay?† â€Å"Yeah. But it hurt. A lot.† Tommy looked past Jody toward the door. â€Å"Hi, Abby!† Abby swung around the corner. â€Å"Lord Flood,† she said, with a nod and a little grin. Then she looked down at the body, her eyes went wide, and she swung back out into the hall. â€Å"How're your sister's lice?† Tommy said. â€Å"Shampoo didn't work.† Abby called, without looking in. â€Å"We had to shave her head.† â€Å"Sorry about that.† â€Å"It's okay. She looks kind of cool, in a ‘Make a Wish kid' kind of way.† Jody said. â€Å"Abby, why don't you come in and shut the door? If someone walks by and looks in, it might, oh, I don't know, freak them out a little.† † ‘Kay,† said Abby. She stepped in and palmed the door shut behind her, as if the clicking of the door latch might actually be the thing that would attract attention. â€Å"I think I killed her,† Tommy said. â€Å"She was beating me, and she wanted me to bite her, so I did. I think I drained her dry.† â€Å"Well, she's dead all right.† Jody reached down and tossed the blue hooker's arm up. It fell back to the floor. â€Å"But you didn't drain her.† â€Å"I didn't?† â€Å"She'd be dust if you did. Heart attack or stroke or something. Looks like most of her blood went on you and the carpet.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"Yeah, I sort of tore her throat out and she fell before I could finish.† â€Å"Well, what did she expect? You were tied up.† â€Å"You don't seem that bothered by it. I thought you'd be jealous.† â€Å"Did you ask her to bring you here and beat you until you snapped and killed her?† â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"Did you encourage her to beat you until you snapped and killed her?† â€Å"Of course not.† â€Å"And you didn't get off on her beating you until you snapped and killed her.† â€Å"Honestly?† â€Å"You're naked and chained to a bed frame, and I'm just inches away from both a riding crop and your genitals. I think honesty would be a good policy.† â€Å"Well, honestly, the killing part was kind of a turn-on.† â€Å"But not sexual.† â€Å"No way. It was totally homicidal lust.† â€Å"Then we're okay.† â€Å"Really, you're not mad?† â€Å"I'm just glad you're okay.† â€Å"I should feel bad about it, I know, but I don't.† â€Å"That happens.† â€Å"Some bitches just need killing,† Abby said, looking briefly at Tommy, then realizing he was naked under all that blood, looking away quickly. â€Å"There you go,† Jody said. She stepped up and began to undo his restraints. They were double bands of fleece and nylon, with heavy metal shackles locked over them. â€Å"What did she buy these for, to handcuff a grizzly bear? Abby, check the body for a key.† â€Å"Nuh-uh,† Abby said, staring down at the dead blue hooker. Jody noticed that the kid was focused on the breasts, which were defying gravity, and apparently death itself, by standing there at complete attention. â€Å"Those aren't real,† Jody said. â€Å"I knew that.† â€Å"She was a very mean woman,† Tommy said, trying to help. â€Å"With really big but insincere boobs. Don't be afraid.† Abby tore her gaze from the dead woman's chest and looked from Tommy, to Jody, to Jody's chest, and back to the body. â€Å"Fucksocks! Does everybody have big boobs but me? God, I hate you guys!† She ran out the door and slammed it behind her. â€Å"I do not have big boobs,† Jody said. â€Å"Perfectly proportioned,† Tommy said. â€Å"Perfect, really.† â€Å"Thanks, sweetie,† Jody said, kissing him on the lips lightly so as not to get a taste of the whore's blood. â€Å"I think I saw her hang the key in Lash's Forty-Fucking-Niners hat rack by the door.† â€Å"I really need to teach you how to go to mist,† Jody said, retrieving the key. â€Å"Yeah, that would have helped me avoid a lot of this.† â€Å"You know the Animals sold you out, right?† â€Å"I can't see them doing that. She must have blackmailed them or something.† â€Å"Clint told the cops, too. Rivera and Cavuto had our loft staked out.† â€Å"Clint doesn't really count, though. He traded in all his moral credibility in this world when he committed to live forever.† â€Å"Amazing how badly the promise of immortality makes people behave.† â€Å"Like it doesn't matter how you treat people,† Tommy said. â€Å"There!† Jody finally got the shackle on Tommy's right wrist unlocked and started working on the left. They were heavy, but she thought that given the motivation of torture, she could have broken loose, or at least torn apart the bed frame. â€Å"You couldn't just snap these?† â€Å"I guess I need to work out.† He scratched his nose furiously. â€Å"So, should we hide the body or something?† â€Å"No, I think it's a good warning for your buddies.† â€Å"Right.† â€Å"What about the cops?† â€Å"Not our problem,† she said as she twisted the key in the lock and snapped the restraint off his left wrist. â€Å"We don't have a dead blue hooker in our apartment.† â€Å"That's an excellent point,† Tommy said, rubbing his wrist. â€Å"Thank you for rescuing me, by the way. I love you.† He grabbed her and pulled her to him, nearly tumbling over on his face when she stepped back and he encountered the resistance of his ankle restraints. â€Å"I love you, too,† she said, palming his forehead and pushing him back on balance, â€Å"but you are covered with skank oil and you will not get it on my new leather jacket.† In the cab, Abby pouted – sticking out her lower lip far enough that pink was showing above her black lipstick, making her look vaguely like a cat eating a plum. â€Å"Just drop me at my house.† Tommy, who sat in the middle, wearing one of Lash's Forty-Niners jerseys, put his arm around Abby's shoulders to comfort her. â€Å"It's okay, kid. You did great. We are most pleased with you.† Abby snorted and looked out the window. Jody, in turn, put her arm around Tommy's neck and dug her nails into his shoulder. â€Å"Shut up,† she whispered, so soft that only Tommy would be able to hear it. â€Å"You're not helping.† â€Å"Look, Abby,† Jody said, â€Å"it's not something that happens all at once, like in the movies. Sometimes you have to eat bugs for years before you become one of the chosen.† â€Å"I know I did,† Tommy said. â€Å"Beetles, bugs, spiders, mice, rats, snakes, marmosets, OUCH! Stop that, I've been tortured already tonight.† â€Å"You two are just into each other,† Abby said. â€Å"You don't care about anyone else. We're like cattle to you.† The cabdriver, who was a Hindu, looked in the rear-view mirror. â€Å"So what's your point?† Jody said. Tommy elbowed her in the ribs. â€Å"Kidding. Jeez. Abby, we care very deeply about you. We've trusted you with everything. In fact, you may have saved my life tonight.† Tommy reared back and looked at Jody. â€Å"Long story,† the redhead said. Then to Abby again: â€Å"Get some rest and come to the loft tomorrow at dusk. We'll talk about your future.† Abby crossed her arms. â€Å"Tomorrow is Christmas. I'm trapped with the family.† â€Å"Tomorrow is Christmas?† Tommy said. â€Å"Yeah,† Jody said. â€Å"So?† â€Å"The Animals won't be working. I have some issues with them.† â€Å"You were thinking revenge?† â€Å"Well, yeah.† Jody patted the flight bag on the seat, which held all of the money that the Animals had paid to Blue, almost six hundred thousand dollars. â€Å"I think you have that covered.† Tommy frowned. â€Å"I'm beginning to doubt the steadiness of your moral compass.† â€Å"Sure, I'm the one with skewed ethics, when you spent the whole night tied up and beaten by a blue dominatrix and then ripping her throat out.† â€Å"You make everything sound so sleazy.† Abby put her fingers in her mouth and whistled – shrill and nearly deafening in the enclosed space. â€Å"Hello, there's a cabdriver here. Would you two shut the fuck up.† â€Å"Hey,† Jody said. â€Å"Hey,† Tommy said. â€Å"Hey, you, little creepy girl,† said the cabdriver, â€Å"you will not be whistling in my cab again or I will be putting you out on the curb.† â€Å"Sorry,† Abby said. â€Å"Sorry,† Tommy and Jody said in unison. With the exception of the odd serial killer, and car salesmen who think of them as the perfect unit for measuring trunk space, nobody likes a dead whore. (â€Å"Yeah, you can get five-maybe six dead hookers in this baby.†) â€Å"She looks so natural,† said Troy Lee, looking down on Blue. â€Å"Except for the way her arm is bent under her – and the riding crop – and the blood everywhere, I mean.† â€Å"And she's blue,† said Lash. The other Animals nodded mournfully. It was turning out to be a stressful morning for the Animals: cleaning up the mess that Jody had made of the store, getting Drew to the emergency room to get his forehead sewn up where the wine bottle had hit him (they immediately passed around the painkillers he was prescribed, which help to take the edge off), then explaining the broken front window to the manager when he came in, and now this – â€Å"You're the one with almost an MBA,† Barry, the short balding one, said to Lash. â€Å"You should know what to do.† â€Å"They don't cover what to do with a dead hooker,† Lash countered. â€Å"That's a whole different program. Political science, I think.† Despite the dulling they'd given themselves with the painkillers and a case of beer they'd shared in the parking lot at the Safeway, they were all feeling sad, and a little frightened. â€Å"Gustavo is the porter,† Clint said. â€Å"Shouldn't he do the cleanups?† â€Å"Ahhhhh!† said Jeff, the tall ex-jock, as he thumped Clint on the head with a protruding knuckle. Feeling like the knuckle might not quite be enough, he snatched off Clint's horn-rimmed glasses and threw them to Troy Lee, who snapped them into four neat pieces and handed them back to Clint. â€Å"This is all your fault,† Lash said. â€Å"If you hadn't ratted Flood out to the cops, this wouldn't have happened.† â€Å"I just told them that Tommy was a vampire,† Clint whined. â€Å"I didn't tell them he was here. I didn't tell them about your whore of Babylon.† â€Å"You didn't know her like we did,† Barry added, his voice breaking a little. â€Å"She was special.† â€Å"Expensive,† Drew said. â€Å"S, expensive,† added Gustavo. â€Å"She probably could finally afford to go to Babylon,† said Lash. â€Å"Forgive them, for they know not what they do,† Clint said. Troy Lee bent and examined Blue, careful not to touch her. â€Å"It's hard to see bruising through the blue dye, but I guess she broke her neck. The blood must be Flood's. I don't see any marks on her.† â€Å"No bite marks, you mean,† said Clint. â€Å"Of course that's what I mean, nit wit. You know Flood's girlfriend did this, right?† â€Å"How do you know?† Lash asked. â€Å"It could have been Flood.† â€Å"I don't think so,† said Troy Lee. â€Å"Tommy was tied up here – see the orange crap all over the restraints. And these were unlocked, not broken.† â€Å"Maybe when Blue let him go he killed her.† Troy Lee picked something off of Blue's face, as delicately as if he were taking her ghost. â€Å"Except for this.† He held a long red hair up where Lash could see it. â€Å"No reason for her to be here, if Flood was loose.† â€Å"Dude, you're like one of those CSI guys,† Drew said. â€Å"We should call those two homicide cops,† Barry said, like he was the first who might have thought of it. â€Å"And tell them to come help us with our dead hooker,† Lash said. â€Å"Well they know about the vampires,† Barry said. â€Å"Maybe they'll help us.† â€Å"How 'bout we move her to your apartment, and then call them?† â€Å"Well, what are we going to do with her?† Barry said, standing feet apart, hands behind his back, a brave Hobbit ready to face a dragon. Troy Lee shrugged. â€Å"Wait until dark, then drop her in the Bay?† â€Å"I can't bear to touch her,† Barry said. â€Å"Not after the moments we shared.† â€Å"You little puntas,† Gustavo said, stepping up and beginning to roll up the bloodstained rug. He had a wife and five children, and although he had never disposed of a dead hooker before, he thought that it couldn't be any worse than changing the diaper on a gloopy infant. The other Animals all looked at one another, embarrassed, until Gustavo growled at them and they jumped to move the heavy bed frame out of his way. â€Å"I never really liked her that much, anyway,† Barry said. â€Å"She really did take advantage of us,† Jeff said. â€Å"I just went along with you guys so I didn't ruin the party,† said Troy Lee. â€Å"I didn't enjoy even half of those blow jobs.† â€Å"Let's just put her in my closet until tonight, then a couple of us can sneak the bitch out to Hunter's Point and drop her off.† â€Å"On Christmas?† Drew asked. â€Å"Can't believe she took all our money and now she's going to ruin Christmas,† said Troy Lee. â€Å"Our money!† said Lash. â€Å"That bitch!† Nobody likes a dead whore. â€Å"I do like a dead whore now and then,† said the vampire Elijah Ben Sapir, derailing a perfectly good theme. He'd snapped the whore's neck right before she was completely drained so there would be a body. â€Å"But one doesn't want to be too obvious.† He dragged the whore's body behind a Dumpster, and watched as the wounds on her neck healed over. He'd taken her in an alley near Tenth and Mission streets. He'd had the hood up on the oversized tracksuit he was wearing, so she'd been surprised when they'd ventured down the alley and he threw it back to reveal a very pale Semitic man. â€Å"Look at-chew. Thought baby was a playa – † the whore had said, her last words. She'd only had a hundred dollars on her, which, along with the tracksuit and a pair of Nikes, were the complete resources the ancient vampire had at his disposal. He'd come to the city in a yacht worth millions, filled with art worth millions more, and now he was reduced to making kills for petty cash. Of course he owned several homes around the world, and had stashes of cash put away in a dozen cities, but it would take some time to access it. And perhaps it wasn't so bad to have the wolf at the door, for a change. After all, he'd come to the City and taken a new fledgling in order to alleviate his boredom. (It's very hard to feel alive when you've been dead for eight hundred years.) And she had done that. He was not bored – and he felt very much alive. He walked out of the alley and checked the sky. Dawn was threatening – he had perhaps twenty minutes until sunup. â€Å"Where does the time go?† He crossed the street and was buzzed into a hotel with a sign that read for rent, by hour, day, or week. He could smell the cigarettes, sweat, and heroin on the desk clerk, and he kept his head down so the hood covered his face. â€Å"Do you have a room without a window?† â€Å"Twenty-five bucks, like all the others,† the clerk said. â€Å"You want sheets? Sheets are five more.† The vampire smiled. â€Å"No, I don't want to spoil myself.† He paid the clerk, took the key, and trudged up the steps. Yes, he felt very much alive. One really can't appreciate what one has until it's gone. And without a significant loss, how would one enjoy the process of revenge?

Morality of War essays

Morality of War essays In the wake of the destruction of September 11th, 2001, the United States of America were faced with an insecure future. With massive amounts of anti-American sentiments present all over the world, along with the growing threat of more terrorism against the US, President George W. Bush was forced to make a decision on whether or not to send the country to war. The war in Iraq was morally justified because Bush had a moral obligation to protect the interests of US citizens. Iraq presented a great threat to the United States as a whole, with the weapons of mass destruction that American allies believed to exist, posing destruction of insurmountable amounts if utilized by Saddam Hussein against American lives. Hussein, the leader of Iraq, had been killing massive amounts of his citizens in genocide as well. Bush had enough evidence to know that American lives were threatened, so his decision to go to war with Iraq was morally justified. The United States had been subject to terrorism from other countries in the Middle East for years, most notably the attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11. To protect the US from further attacks from the Middle East, Bush led the country into war to put a stop to the terror. In Iraq Bush had a country that had provided aide to terrorism and was openly opposing UN orders regarding the weapons of mass destruction. Bush chose Iraq as a country to make an example of, in order to prevent more terrorism attacks on the US, and thus protect the lives of US citizens. Iraq was setting the stage for other countries to attack the US. In showing that they could sidestep the UN whenever it wanted, Iraq was in essence laying a blueprint to show how to terrorize America. With no strong deterrence from the US or its allies, Iraq was free to terrorize anyone in ways that Hussein saw fit. Bush knew that invading Iraq and taking Hussein out of power was going to be a relatively easy task, which is ...

Beware of the Media essays

Beware of the Media essays Through out the history of the United States of America, the Constitution has constantly been put challenged and tried. The first amendment guarantees freedom of speech and the press. The great founders of this incredible country originally created the first amendment to enable colonists to defy the British and create a new standard of living. The press in the 17th century was generally accurate and informative with little competition among journalists. However, today in the 21st century, the media has evolved into a mass of . Due to incredibly high amount of competition among journalists today, the information is usually exaggerated and slanderous in order to capture a viewing audience. The media is everywhere you turn. You can find the media in various forms such as television, radio, magazines, newspapers, and now on the information superhighway. In the process of capturing ratings, who is the media hurting more? Is it people who are accused of a crime, such as O.J. Simpson, or is it the American publics stupidity for believing everything they hear? Limitations greatly need to placed upon the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution in regard to freedom of the press because presently the media is doing more harm than good. The job of the media is to find the truth and tell it to the people. The media has the power to inform the public, but often the information they receive is distorted. The media has shaped our view of society and the process by which we choose our leaders, make our rules, and construct our values. The media has the power, although indirectly, to encourage people to like or hate the government. The media promotes what it believes is easiest for the public to accept, but in the process it fails to cover the issues adequately. The media can make us wiser, fuller, sure and sweeter than we are. (Orr 61) But, the media can also cloud the publics judgments, and cause confusion and disill...

Donald Trump Quotes From the 2016 Election

Donald Trump Quotes From the 2016 Election Donald Trumps campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination was occasionally perplexing,  often controversial but  always entertaining. Theres a reason some news organizations relegated coverage of the ultrawealthy businessman to its entertainment pages. The milestones in Trumpss campaign, though, were the outrageous and controversial comments he made with the intention of generating news coverage - whether positive or negative. As the old saying goes: All publicity is good publicity. Indeed, Trumps popularity rarely suffered and often surged following many of these remarks. Trumps Most Outrageous Statements During the 2016 Election Heres a list of Trumps 10 most outrageous and controversial statements on the campaign trail for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. 1. Picking a Fight With the Pope Its not every politician who will take on the Pope. But Trump isnt your  average politician. And he had no trouble taking a shot at the man admired by tens of millions of Catholics and Christians across the worlds. It all started, though, when Pope Francis was asked about Trumps candidacy in February 2016. Said the Pope:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian.† Not a Christian? Trump didnt take kindly to the Popes remarks  and said the pontiff would believe differently if ISIS were to attempt violence against the Vatican. â€Å"If and when the Vatican is attacked, the pope would only wish and have prayed that Donald Trump would have been elected president,† Trump said. 2. Blaming Bush for Terrorist Attacks Trump was jeered during a February 2016 Republican presidential debate when he attacked former President George W. Bush, who was in office during the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Its a line of attack hes used many times. You talk about George Bush, say what you want, the World Trade Center came down during his time. He was president, okay? Dont blame him or dont blame him, but he was president, the World Trade Center came down during his reign, Trump said. 3. Banning Muslims From Entering the U.S. Trump enraged when he called for  Ã¢â‚¬Å"a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what’s going on† in December 2015. Wrote Trump: Without looking at the various polling data, it is obvious to anybody the hatred is beyond comprehension. Where this hatred comes from and why we will have to determine. Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life. If I win the election for President, we are going to Make America Great Again.   Trumps call for a temporary ban following a claim that he witnessed Arab Americans cheering the fall of the World Trade Center towers in New York City after they were attacked on Sept. 11th, 2001.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I watched when the World Trade Center came tumbling down. And I watched in Jersey City, New Jersey, where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down. Thousands of people were cheering,† Trump said, though no one else saw such a thing. 4. On Illegal Immigration Another of Trumps controversial remarks of the 2016 presidential campaign came on June 17, 2015, when he announced he was seeking the Republican nomination. Trump managed to infuriate Hispanics and further alienate his party from minorities with these lines: The U.S. has become a dumping ground for everybody else’s problems. Thank you. It’s true, and these are the best and the finest. When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people. 5. On John McCain and Heroism Trump got under the skin of the Republican U.S. senator from Arizona by questioning his status as a war hero.  McCain was a prisoner of war for more than five years during the Vietnam war. He also enraged other POWs with these remarks about McCain: â€Å"He’s not a war hero. He’s a war hero because he was captured? I like people who weren’t captured. 6. The Cell Phone Incident One of the goofiest things Trump did was give out the personal cell phone number for Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina during a rally there. Trump claimed the lawmaker had called him begging for a good reference to be on Fox. Trump, holding up Grahams number on a sheet of paper, read the number before a crowd of supporters and said: He gave me his number and I found the card, I wrote the number down. I dont know if its the right number, lets try it.  Your local politician, he wont fix anything but at least hell talk to you. 7. Mexico and The Great Wall Trump proposed building a physical barrier between the United States and Mexico and then forcing our neighbors to the south to reimburse us for construction. Some experts, however, said Trumps plan to make his wall impenetrable along the  1,954-mile border would be extraordinarily expensive and, in the end, is possible. Nonetheless, says Trump: I will build a great wall. And nobody does walls better than me. Very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border and I will have Mexico pay for that wall. 8. Hes Worth TEN BILLION DOLLARS! Not wanting to put too fine a point on his wealth, the Trump campaign announced in a July 2015 filing with the Federal Election Commission that: As of this date, Mr. Trump‟s net worth is in excess of TEN BILLION DOLLARS.† Yes, the Trump campaign used capital letters to stress his net worth. But we dont really know, and probably never will know, what Trump is really worth. Thats because federal election laws dont require candidates to disclose the exact value of their assets. Instead, they require office-seekers to provide only an estimated range of wealth. 9. Picking a Fight With Megyn Kelly Trump faced some pretty direct questions about his treatment of women from Fox News journalist and debate moderator Megyn Kelly in August 2015. After the debate, Trump went on the attack. You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her ... wherever,  Trump told CNN, apparently suggesting she was menstruating during the debate. 10. Hillary Clintons Bathroom Break Clinton was a few moments late getting back onstage during a December 2015 televised debate with her Democratic presidential rivals because she had gone to the bathroom. Yes, Trump attacked  her for it.  I know where she went. Its disgusting, I dont want to talk about it. No, its too disgusting. Dont say it, its disgusting, he told a cheering crowd of supporters.

Insurance and Cancer Survival Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Insurance and Cancer Survival - Essay Example When they issue the first policy, the first premiums are usually high since that is the period that the insurance company has the greatest risk. Most cancers have lower risks of coming back when more time goes. The cancer patient often has to talk over the case with their insurance company, which can explain how it will personally affect the cancer patient. When the cancer patient already had a life insurance policy before they were diagnosed with cancer, the insurance company ought to tribute it as normal if the patient were honest about the medical history when they took the policy. The cancer patient might find it quite challenging to increase the value of his policy for some time (Fesen, 2009).  It will be easier for the patient to do this than begin a new insurance policy after the cancer diagnosis. If the cancer patient may wish to increase his cover, he could ask his adviser o how to use the option of â€Å"special event†. Some insurers provide this, but not all of it. This means that the cancer patient can increase the cover without underwriting, considering some events that takes place in his life, for example, moving house, marriage or birth of a

Evaluation Methods Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Evaluation Methods - Coursework Example t will first provide a brief overview of evaluation design and methodology followed by discussing the importance of strategic questioning, interview techniques, and evaluation design. Eventually, the student will examine the different types of research evaluation designs and methodologies by comparing and contrasting each of the widely used research evaluation and methodologies. Based on the scope and limitation of each research evaluation design and methodology, the type of research study wherein each of the research evaluation design and methodology is proven to be effective will be discussed prior to the conclusion. There are a lot of evaluation design and methodology to consider when conducting a research work. In order to develop a good research study, the researcher should be able to effectively mix-and-match the methodological designs which can either be (1) experimental; (2) quasi-experimental; or (3) non-experimental evaluation with the use of either descriptive, normative, or causal methodological approaches (Grosshans & Chelimsky, 1991); together with the different available evaluation approaches like: (1) theory-based; (2) goal free; or (3) constructivist. (Weiss, 2005) When conducting a sample survey, researcher may chose from evaluation designs like cross-sectional or panel. (Grosshans & Chelimsky, 1991) Depending on the main goal of the researcher, other approaches like quantitative, qualitative methods or both can be used when conducting a sample survey. In general, the type of evaluation design and methodology used in a research study is highly dependent on the main purpose of the study. (Rutman, 1980) For example: A quasi-experimentation design and analysis is highly recommended for field settings. (Campbell & Cook, 1979: p. 405) Other types of evaluation design suitable for field experiment includes: (1) true experiment – also known as the experimental approach; (2) non-equivalent comparison group; or (3) time-series. (Grosshans &

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Reflection - Essay Example A conclusion to the essay will then be given which will discuss my reflection skills, acknowledge my teaching skills and show my personal and professional development. The first stage of Gibbs (1988) model of reflection requires description of events. I was placed into a group with four members. I will refer to my group members as A, B and C due to confidentiality (NMC 2004). As a group, we discussed the topics that we had chosen to teach our fellow colleagues. After discussing our options, we finally agreed as a group to teach Anorexia Nervosa. We chose this disorder as we found the subject to be challenging and we wanted to become more knowledgeable about it. At this time, it was necessary to research the topic that was selected and then section the topic into parts. Member C chose to be responsible for the ethical portion of the project. Member B wanted to work on the legal aspect of the project. Member A and I therefore investigated care management followed by a discussion concerning our group meetings. The group meetings consisted of the group discussing its plans for the teaching session, sharing ideas as well as sharing research. The group had several meetings. On many occasions, there was no progress on our group work. The teaching plans were conducted on an individual basis. After discussing teaching plans in our group meetings, we agreed to combine the teaching plans in order to create one comprehensive teaching plan. The teaching plan that we developed as a group involved member A putting the plan together. It is noteworthy to mention that Member C spent a good bit of time discussing another topic which was unrelated to the plan. It was not unusual for member C to interrupt member A. Member C would then begin work on an entirely different and unrelated project. This consistently disrupted the group and caused unnecessary hardship to the group. As a group, we had only one

Church History Seven Churches in Bible Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Church History Seven Churches in Bible - Essay Example According to their belief whatever is mentioned in the bible is the word of God (Kwintessential, nd). According to the concept of Dever (nd), the Church plays an important part in the development of the Christian culture and religion. In his review he pointed out the fact that the principleadopted by the church is a vitalfactor of Christian truth. According to his opinion It is the most noticeable part of Christian theology as well, and it is vitally connected with every other part of the Christian culture. (Dever, nd).In this paper, the main objective is to discuss about the initial stages of the development of Christian culture and religion. The main objective of this paper is to analyze the initial stages of the development of the Christian culture across the globe, how it able to spread all over and what are the impact of this concept and thought process in the society. Research Questions: This is mainly a research paper which has the focus on the Christian religion and culture a cross the globe. In present world the Christian religion is the largest and has its presence all over the globe in all the countries. But the situation was not like that in the initial stage. The research questions of this paper are as follows: 1. How the Christian religions develop across the globe with the time? 2. Over the years of the development, what are the problems that the people who believe in this religion and culture have to face and how they able to combat those. 3. How the seven churches mentioned in the bible able to spread the thought of Christ in the society? 4. What according to the modern age people are the key behind the success of the religion? Background: Development of the Topic: The church is the backbone of the development of the Christian religion over the world. At the beginning there were lots of objection from the people who were the ruling authority of the society. But despite their objection the thought process started to gain popularity all across the globe. According to the analysis of Patheos Library (nd), Christianity developed from the thought process of Judaism in the 1st Century C.E. The concept of Christian religion is entirely based on the life, teaching ideology death, and resurrection of the Jesus Christ. According to the review of the Patheos Library, there are several branches of the Christianity, each of the branches has variety in their beliefs and practices, but most importantly the basic principle was always the same. There are three major classes or branches available in the Christian religion; these are Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. There are several sub-categories also in all these three branches. The tradition belief of the Christian community is there is one and only God in the world, they used to believe that the Jesus was the divine and he was send by the all mighty to save this world. Having faith in Christ is the basic thought process of the religion. The basic text where the e ntire concept and the thought process of Christ were noted is the Bible. It includes both the Hebrew Scriptures  and the New Testament. The Hebrew Scriptures is also known as the Old Testament. The basic concept of the Christian is mainly based on worship, fellowship, study of the God, and also by the engagement with rest of the

Information Searches Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Information Searches - Research Paper Example Some of the purchases that entail low involvement decisions are made without any previous though or planning and involve impulse buying. Medium involvement involves limited problem solving where the consumers already have some information about a good or a service and the continue searching for more information.Most of high involvementpurchases are not often purchased but are very vital to the consumer. Marketers should provide enough information concerning the attributes of the product. The marketers should also consider pricing their products in a manner that will entice the consumers into making a purchase decision. Medium involvement is the kind of involvement that falls between high involvement and low involvement purchasing decisions. This kind of medium involvement involves limited problem solving where the consumers already have some information about a good or a service and the continue searching for more information. High involvement purchases involve a lot of risks to the buyers if at all they fail and they are complex in nature and have high price tags. Some of the examples of high involvement purchases include a house, a car and insurance policy. Most of these purchases are not often purchased but are very vital to the consumer. While making a purchase decision, a buyer engages in an extended problem solving where they take a lot of time comparing different features, i.e. the feature of the prices, products and warranties. Every marketer has to analyze and consider the buying behavior of the customers therefore before making any decision; one has to consider the consumer’s level of involvement so as to come up with the sales strategy. As in the case of low involvement purchases, the marketers should use sales and promotion as a strategy since this will spur them into making purchase decisions. As discussed earlier, low involvement purchasers always make impulse buying therefore appealing sales promotions motivates them to buy more of the com pany’s products and services. Furthermore, the use of sales promotions like use of coupons can reach may customers at the same time therefore spurring into making a purchase decision. On the other hand, the marketers should also consider pricing their products in a manner that will entice the consumers into making a purchase decision. The company should also ensure that are low involving are available in most outlets as much as possible For, the case of medium involvement purchasers, most of them are considering the alternatives of the products. Understanding the choices made by this group assists the marketers in coming up with a sales strategy. Medium involvement consumers are in the third stage of evaluation of the alternatives before a purchase decision. The marketers should provide enough information about the product and its attributes. They should provide more of the advantages of the product or a service so as to entice the consumer into making a purchase decision. Th e customers who fall into the category of high involvement should be handled with a lot of care since they tend to make more and lengthy decisions before making a purchase. Since any purchase made by consumer requires extensive information, marketers should develop a strategy that is tailor made for this group. For example, when it comes into buying a car, the marketer must employ in broad problem solving techniques and also be willing to consider different types of brands. Since buying a car involve high involvement, brand name is very important for them. This is the reason as to why most of the manufacturers of those goods that require high involvement decisions cannot become satisfied about the value of their brands and

Strategic Marketing Plan Master Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategic Marketing Plan Master - Essay Example Therefore business strategy includes all activities a company undertakes to achieve its mission, marshal its resources to derive competitive advantage within a dynamic environment. Organizations, which can continuously anticipate, adapt and innovate to meet changing trends in the environment and customer expectations are said to have a vision. This vision, otherwise known as long term focus enables them to be continuously successful and deliver value to their stakeholders. Johnson et al. include two additional features, one, the long-term focus, the other, defining its scope, in their definition of strategy. They define strategy as "the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term which achieves advantage for the organisation through its configuration of resources within a changing environment and to fulfil stakeholder expectations" (2004:10). Radiant Services Company Inc. (RSC) is a taxation consultancy servicing individuals and business organizations by offering them advice all areas of taxation. ... RSC considers that its service offering of tax planning would help it build long-term relationships with its customers by making the company an indispensable integral part of management and financial planning. RSC's customers appreciate the value of taxation and financial planning and are cognizant of the lost opportunity costs if they do not seek expertise in these areas. Changes in the market dynamics like increased competition, simplification of tax laws, the advent of information technology solutions to complex problems pose a long term threat to the company especially because of high dependence on one area of financial consulting. The company realises the necessity to diversify to achieve stability and sustain growth in the dynamic environment. The company's customer base may be categorized into three categories. The first is the individual taxpayer category, which offers consistent revenues. Of this again 20% consists of customers who seek advice on tax planning and investment portfolios. The rest seek advice only tax planning. The second category comprises of organizations that employ less than forty employees. These organizations have annual sales in the range of $250,000 to $3,000,000, privately owned, mostly around San Francisco and are the fastest growing segment within RSC's customer base. RSC considers that it would be a profitable long-term strategy to hitch to these organizations and grow along with them. The third and most important segment for RSC's current revenues comprises the organizations that employ more than forty employees. They generate the highest revenues on 'per-hour' basis and seek the widest range of consultancy services from RSC in the areas of taxation

Information Searches Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Information Searches - Research Paper Example Some of the purchases that entail low involvement decisions are made without any previous though or planning and involve impulse buying. Medium involvement involves limited problem solving where the consumers already have some information about a good or a service and the continue searching for more information.Most of high involvementpurchases are not often purchased but are very vital to the consumer. Marketers should provide enough information concerning the attributes of the product. The marketers should also consider pricing their products in a manner that will entice the consumers into making a purchase decision. Medium involvement is the kind of involvement that falls between high involvement and low involvement purchasing decisions. This kind of medium involvement involves limited problem solving where the consumers already have some information about a good or a service and the continue searching for more information. High involvement purchases involve a lot of risks to the buyers if at all they fail and they are complex in nature and have high price tags. Some of the examples of high involvement purchases include a house, a car and insurance policy. Most of these purchases are not often purchased but are very vital to the consumer. While making a purchase decision, a buyer engages in an extended problem solving where they take a lot of time comparing different features, i.e. the feature of the prices, products and warranties. Every marketer has to analyze and consider the buying behavior of the customers therefore before making any decision; one has to consider the consumer’s level of involvement so as to come up with the sales strategy. As in the case of low involvement purchases, the marketers should use sales and promotion as a strategy since this will spur them into making purchase decisions. As discussed earlier, low involvement purchasers always make impulse buying therefore appealing sales promotions motivates them to buy more of the com pany’s products and services. Furthermore, the use of sales promotions like use of coupons can reach may customers at the same time therefore spurring into making a purchase decision. On the other hand, the marketers should also consider pricing their products in a manner that will entice the consumers into making a purchase decision. The company should also ensure that are low involving are available in most outlets as much as possible For, the case of medium involvement purchasers, most of them are considering the alternatives of the products. Understanding the choices made by this group assists the marketers in coming up with a sales strategy. Medium involvement consumers are in the third stage of evaluation of the alternatives before a purchase decision. The marketers should provide enough information about the product and its attributes. They should provide more of the advantages of the product or a service so as to entice the consumer into making a purchase decision. Th e customers who fall into the category of high involvement should be handled with a lot of care since they tend to make more and lengthy decisions before making a purchase. Since any purchase made by consumer requires extensive information, marketers should develop a strategy that is tailor made for this group. For example, when it comes into buying a car, the marketer must employ in broad problem solving techniques and also be willing to consider different types of brands. Since buying a car involve high involvement, brand name is very important for them. This is the reason as to why most of the manufacturers of those goods that require high involvement decisions cannot become satisfied about the value of their brands and

Management Information and Communication System Essay

Management Information and Communication System - Essay Example Because of this capability, the buying and selling of goods and services are expedited and streamlined. Producers and consumers could now directly transact with each other, making it possible to eliminate middlemen, in the process. This is called e-commerce or e-business and it could take the form of several models. The businesses that operates an internet business model primarily to establish and maintain relationships with other businesses is called B2B business model. Here, the emphasis is for the Internet to facilitate transactions between business organisations. For instance, there is the case of Dell, who manufacture computers according to specifications provided other business organisations. Through the Internet, sales transactions between the company and its corporate clients take place, beginning with the placement of order details, the manufacture according to the specifications and the delivery of goods. Pride, Hughes and Kapoor (2011, p.484) explained that in this B2B pro cess, Dell reduces storage and carrying costs and avoids unsold inventory while consumers who directly transact with them eliminate costs associated with wholesalers and retailers. This latter aspect in the model receives more emphasis on the other business model called B2C or business to consumer model. Business organisations such as Amazon.com and Landsend.com are examples of companies using the B2C model. They primarily cater to individual consumers. In addition to product and service offering provided 24 hours every day and 7 days a week, B2C firms often attempt to build long-term relationships with their consumers (Pride, Hughes and Kapoor, p. 484). This is the reason why a core element in the online strategies of these organisations is customer services and extensive analysis of consumer data. The above models demonstrate how the Internet can provide innovations. The transactions that transpire over the web are electronically documented, which makes it easily organized and acc essed for consumer analysis, market research among other initiatives to determine consumer behavior and needs. These data inform business organisations to create new and effective products that can be successfully marketed and sold to the market. The information gathered over the web could help address emergent consumers needs and requirements as well as solve problems and challenges. For example, back in 1990s, Wal-Mart introduced its Retail Link system, an integrated and store-shelf data made more powerful by the Internet in automatically triggering manufacturing orders to its suppliers when stocks were low (Wailgum, 2007, p.50). Since then, Wal-Mart was able to introduce pioneering systems in supply-chain management such as the evolution of its revolutionary point of sale system and the communication of information therein. The above variables are just some of the many instances wherein Internet contributes to the competitive advantage of a business organisation. The fact is that this technological breakthrough is a fundamental component in the manner by which it can create consumer value. Because of this platform, the organisation can respond immediately to problems and challenges in the trading process. In addition, the Internet is an

Corrections and Treatment Essay Example for Free

Corrections and Treatment Essay Community-based treatment The three community-based treatment efforts which I would like to focus attention on are Intensive Outpatient Counseling Services, abbreviated as (IOP) next, a community based program known as: Child Mental Health and lastly Emergency Crisis Response. Community-based treatment efforts vary between states however, the purpose and importance of these treatment efforts are identical. Larry J. Siegel, Brandon C. Welsh authors of: Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Practice, and Law quote the purpose: â€Å"Provide care, protection, and treatment for juveniles in need†. Institutionalization Issues affecting institutionalized juveniles reflects possible detrimental successful compliance with respect: to community-based efforts. Likewise, institutionalized juveniles are faced with the reality of prison life and a concern is introduced to wither or not juveniles will learn criminal behaviors. Lastly, the opportunity to provide individualized and/or group counseling even more so education is a separate affecting issue of institutionalized juveniles. The juvenile justice system should be concerned with those issues, because it clearly represents foreseeable safety issues for incarcerated juveniles and staff. Separately, the potential for reoccurrence: entry or criminal charges to the justice system leading to overcrowding. With that a final concern to the justice system might reflect mental health issues that are not able to be diagnosed in incarcerated juveniles, this would impact cost or funding within the justice system. Two of the three Intensive Aftercare Programs discussed in Juvenile Delinquency. The Core that I would like to focus attention on are Juvenile Boot Camps and Wilderness Programs, the importance of aftercare programs  offer the opportunity for juveniles to have a safe place to go. Another aspect that can be considered aftercare programs, redirect negative attitudes in juveniles and: potential for reoccurrence criminal behavior. In the reading materials, The Core the following statement is provided â€Å"exposure to a wholesome environment; where the  concepts of education and the work ethic are taught and embodied in adult role models, troubled  youth can regain a measure of self-worth.†

Buying Behavior In The Mauritian Supermarkets Marketing Essay

Buying Behavior In The Mauritian Supermarkets Marketing Essay To identify the different types of sales promotion used on the Mauritian supermarkets/hypermarkets. To analyze the awareness of sales promotion among the Mauritian consumers. To evaluate the different types of buying behavior that arises due to sales promotion. To examine the impact of different types of sales promotion such as coupon, free sample, buy-one-get-one-free, bonus pack, price discount on the buying behavior of consumers in the Mauritian supermarkets. 2.0 Introduction This chapter provides a review of past literatures on sales promotion and the different types of sales promotion, such as coupons, free sample, buy-one-get-one-free, bonus pack and price discount. It also relates consumer response towards sales promotional tools in the Mauritian supermarkets. 2.1 Sales promotion defined Sales promotion is a direct inducement or incentive to the sales force, the distributor or the consumer with the primary objective of creating an immediate sale. (Schultz and Robinson, 1882). Quelch (1989) defines sales promotion as temporary incentives targeted at the trade (trade promotions), or at end consumers (consumers promotions). Sales promotion is one of the four ingredients of the promotion mix. The other three are personal selling, publicity and advertising. According to Quelch, sales promotions differ both in role and nature from advertising. Sales promotions are typically viewed as an easily executed means of boosting short-term sales whereas advertising is seen as building brand image. Shimp (2003) stated that sales promotion refers to any incentive used by a manufacturer to induce the trade (wholesalers, retailers, or other channel members) and consumers to buy a brand and to encourage the sales force to aggressively sell it. Retailers also use promotional incentives to encourage desired behaviors from consumers. Sales promotion is more short-term oriented and capable of influencing behavior. The objectives of any promotional strategy are to increase sales; maintain or improve market share; create or improve brand recognition; create a favorable climate for future sales; inform and educate the market; create a competitive advantage, relative to competitors products or market position; improve promotional efficiency. (Rowley, 1998). 2.2 Types of sales promotion According to Smith (1998), there are three main categories of sales promotion: Customer promotions (Premiums, gifts and prizes) Trade promotions (Special terms, point-of-sale materials and free pens, diaries, and competitive prizes among others) Sales force promotions (Incentive and motivation schemes) Tellis (1998) brings further that, in practice, there two types of sales promotion: Monetary and Non-monetary sales promotions. Monetary promotions are for example, shelf-price discounts, coupons and sampling. They tend to provide fairly immediate rewards to the consumer and they are transactional in character. On the other hand, non-monetary sales promotions include free gifts, contests and sweepstakes for instance. It tends to involve delayed rewards and are more relationship-based. 2.3 Supermarkets and Hypermarkets defined A supermarket is relatively large, low cost, low margin, high-volume self service operation design to serve the consumers general needs for food, laundry and household maintenance products (Kotler and Armstrong, 2001). The area covered by a supermarket can be about 400 2500 square meters. Examples of supermarkets in Mauritius are Winners, Spar, Way and Dream Price, Value Max and Lolo supermarket among others. Hypermarkets are larger than supermarkets and offer a large assortment of routinely purchased food products, non-food items and services which meet the consumers total need. Hypermarkets can have at least 50,000 square feet of selling and can handle more than 40,000 products. These outlets are usually located on the outskirt of towns or cities and are complemented with 30 to 50 shops, specialized in various product lines. The hypermarkets and combination of shops thus offer customers a one-stop shopping. For instance in Mauritius, Shoprite, Jumbo, Super U and Intermart are categorized as hypermarkets. 2.4 Supermarkets and Hypermarkets of Mauritius It is no doubt that during the past decades considerable changes have been occurring in the Mauritian retail market. Unprecedented growth in new retail formats, changes in competition, consumers, technology and takeovers are occurring throughout virtually every corner of the Mauritian retail industry and many types of retail institutions have been appearing from corner shops to hypermarkets. There have been major developments in the retail sector of Mauritius. For instance, the arrival of Dream Price, Value Max and Lolo supermarket in different location of Mauritius have intensify the level of competition. 2.5 Consumer response towards sales promotions Promotions arouse two reactions in people. Firstly, it is an increase in consumption, that is, more quantity of a product is acquired. Secondly, it is the storage of the product for the future, that is, the consumer acts in anticipating his purchases. Promotions have been shown to affect consumers directly in a variety of ways, leading to: Brand switching Brand loyalty Purchase acceleration Stockpiling Product trial 2.5.1 Brand switching According to Gupta (1993), it is possible that consumers who do not buy a brand will want to acquire it because they are attracted by the sales promotion. But, Brandweek (1994) found that some people who change brand due to a promotion, change back to their favourite brand due to a promotion change back to their favourite brand when buying that category of product later. 2.5.2 Brand loyalty Brand loyalty is an important concept in understanding consumer buying behavior. It is a deeply held commitment to re-buy or re-patronise a preferred product/service consistently in the future, thereby causing repetitive same brand purchasing, despite situational influences and marketing efforts having the potential to cause switching behavior (Oliver, 1999) 2.5.3 Purchase acceleration Two aspects of purchase acceleration should be considered: Increased quantity and Decreased interpurchase time (Neslin, Quelich, Henderson 1982). However, there is a very important question on how these two aspects will influence each other due to the stockpiling effect. Purchase acceleration is predominantly exhibited in increased purchase quantities rather than shortened interpurchase time (Gupta, 1988) 2.5.4 Stockpiling Research has found that promotions have a negative effect on brand equity (Jedidi et al., 1999), increase variability and volatility in sales and thus increase inventory management problems, increase consumer price sensitivity which leads to increased purchases made on deals, and produce stockpiling behavior (buying in all volumes that decreases long-term sales volume). 2.5.5 Product trial Peter and Olson (1996) put forward that trial ability refers to the degree to which a product can be tried on a limited basis or divided into small quantities for an inexpensive trial. Banks (2003) wrote that with sales promotion, brands have a chance to quickly affect consumer choice and behavior by adding value through an on-pack offer, by achieving incremental display or by encouraging trial via sampling and/or coupons. According to the trial and repeat model mentioned by Thomas (1993), it is generally assumed that of all potential buyers in a given time period, only those who are aware of the new product could potentially try it (trial), and only those who try it could potentially buy it again (repeat). 2.6 Sales promotional tools 2.6.1 Coupons Coupons are easily understood by the consumer and highly useful for trial purchase (Cook, 2003). According to Blackwell et al. (2001), a manufacturer might utilize coupon incentives to encourage consumers to try a new flavored product at a discounted price, instead of buying the same flavor they normally do at full price. Cheong (1993) found that supermarket coupons increase the number of items bought without increasing the total amount spent. 2.6.2 Price reduction It is well-known that price reduction produces a short-term volume gain for the brand being promoted. After studying the effects of price reduction on the sales of 25 products in four countries, Ehrenberg et al. (1994) determined that short-term peaks in sales were due primarily t purchases made by occasional users of a brand rather than by new customers. Also, after taking advantage of the price reduction, consumers mostly return to their favorite brands in their portfolio rather than buy the promoted brand at full price. 2.6.3 Free sample Free sample is another important promotional tool often used by marketers. Marketers often mail free samples of products to consumers so that they can try the products for themselves, rather than just hear about the products (Kardes, 1999). But, Gilbert and Jackaria (2002) found that a free sample as a promotional tool often had no significance on consumers reported buying behavior. 2.6.4Bonus pack and Buy-one-get-one-free Lee (1963) mentioned that factory bonus pack is used to increase consumer trial of the brand. Since more of the product is included at no extra cost, consumers can be persuaded to buy the product if they feel it represents a deal that produces the greatest value for their money. According to Gilbert and Jackaria (2002), packs with Buy-one-get-one-free may not increase brand awareness before trial purchase because the customer will only come across the product once in the store (unlike samples or coupons), however, it the promotion is noticeable, it will facilitate brand recognition and brand recall for future purchases. Since an additional amount is given for free, consumers may be persuaded to buy the product if they feel it represents a fair deal that provides value for money. 2.6.5 In-store display In-store display is the product featuring and display in-store (Pramataris, 2001). Display promotions could be an important part of an integrated marketing communication programme. Good display material leads to better attention, especially for brands driven by recognition awareness. Percy et al. (2001) advised that display must be consistent with consumer promotion and advertising, eith the same look and feel, in order to increase recognition at the point of purchase. 2.7 Summary Due to high profitability, many retail outlets have entered the retail industry in Mauritius. The arrival of supermarkets and hypermarkets seems to continue to emerge and exist, but they are however facing greater competition. Distance is no more a problem in Mauritius since many people have their own transport facility and the local transport service is as well more efficient as compared to long ago. One main analysis in the literature is that little research has been carried out on the marketing tools in Mauritius. As such, this provides room for a thorough research to be carried out on several types of sales promotional tools adopted in our supermarkets/hypermarkets; and the responded behavior of the consumers towards the tools utilized.

Strategic Human Resource Management Essay -- Employment, Change Proces

Writing Assignment #4 Strategic human resource management can be defined as the linking of human resources with strategic goals and objectives in order to improve business performance and develop organizational culture that foster innovation, flexibility and competitive advantage. In an organization SHRM means accepting and involving the HR function as a strategic partner in the formulation and implementation of the company's strategies through HR activities such as recruiting, selecting, training and rewarding personnel (Sinha, 2007). This is the effective way of organizing the workforce by the adoption of a specific strategy, where employees' performance can help to achieve the planned organizational targets, such as increasing revenue or improving the profit margin. However, there is no common strategic human resource definition that fits every situation (Lotinggi, 2008). This paper will focus on strategic human resource management at Smarte Carte, Inc. and attempt to make a determination if the co mpany uses SHRM effectively or if there are areas where improvements could be made. Smarte Carte Inc., is a vending services company that specializes in unattended vending in four segregated markets: luggage carts for rent at airports, shopping carts and baby strollers at shopping malls, electronic locker storage at a variety of locations such as transportation facilities, ski resorts, theme and water parks, and massage chairs located in airports, malls, fitness centers, and now even Wal-Mart. They have operations throughout the U.S. and Canada and a growing presence in Australia and New Zealand. Smarte Carte’s corporate office is located in St. Paul, MN where they employ 65 employees while employing approximately another ... ...ing enough in internal training and compliance audits to lower their risk in expensive employee litigation. Two key strategies that Smarte Carte has implemented in the recent past is a greater reliance on expert outside legal counsel for fighting and resolving labor law cases and adding employment practices liability insurance to prevent or cap large settlements in labor law disputes. With employment law becoming an increasingly complicated dimension of the employment relationship, it is more likely that managers unversed in the changing aspects of laws may commit violations (Mello, 2011). The reality of it boils down to even when you’re correct and did everything right in handling an employee situation, it costs an organization a significant amount of money defending itself. Smarte Carte’s strategy for utilizing outside counsel and EPLI is a good strategy.

Pakistan China Relation Development

MARIAM ABBAS 15-10079 The Major Developments in Pakistan’s Relations with China Almost sixty years have lapsed since Pakistan and China established diplomatic relationship. The relationship between the two countries are time tested, an unbridled relationship which continues to grow and strengthen with passage of time. The area in which the two nations reside has undergone numerous Geo-strategic changes namely Sino-Indo relations, the collapse of Soviet Union, 9/11 with Pakistan becoming front line state in the war against terror and so on.In context to all these developments, China and Pakistan find themselves on the same page , each strongly supporting each other at every forum thus exhibiting exemplary and unique brotherly relationship. The intensity of the relationship can be gauged by the frequency of the visits by the two heads of the state which continue unabated. President Zardari stated on his second visit to China in February 2009, within a year of taking over the pre sidency, â€Å"Perhaps no relationship between two sovereign states is as unique and durable as that between Pakistan and China.On the Pakistan side of the Himalayas, the mighty range that separates the two countries, China is seen as a true, time tested and reliable friend that has always come through for Pakistan. That the Pakistan-China friendship is higher than the peaks of Himalayas is now a truism without exaggeration. I am certain that on the Chinese side a similar sentiment exists for Pakistan. It is a friendship rooted in the hearts and minds of the people of the two countries. 1 An insight into the significance of developments of relationships between the two nations are outlined below: â€Å"In 2005, China and Pakistan signed a land mark Treaty of Friendship and Co-operation, whereby they committed that neither party will join any alliance or bloc which infringes upon the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of either nation, while simultaneously positing tha t both parties would not conclude Treaties of this nature with any 3rd party. †2 The above agreement is manifest of the deep rooted friendship between the two states.The security and territorial integrity of any nation is the most vital element for existence for any nation. Pakistan China relationship were based on these foundations. Having build a solid foundation of friendship, China provided physical, technical and financial support to Pakistan on a number of vital projects bringing huge economic benefit. The infrastructure projects of Karakoram highway and Gwadar Port are a few significant developments. The construction of Gwader Port will bring immense economic activity in the area.It will also afford a strategic entrance to the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean thus gaining a considerable influence in the region. The People's Republic of China enjoys strong defence ties with Pakistan. China fully supported Pakistan in its 1965 war against India. China's source of military equipment to Pakistan has steadily increased over the years. Ever since the dependence on American military equipment has become unreliable and prone to undeclared conditions, the induction of Chinese hardware has increased. China has helped to establish ammunition factories, provided technological assistance in modernizing existing facilities.Joint ventures such as development of JF-17 Thunder fighter air craft, AWACS system, Al-Khalid tanks, Babur cruise missiles are symbol of deep rooted military co-operation. China has also a vital strategic interest in developing relationship with Pakistan. Ever since the China – India skirmish in the sixties over border dispute which resulted in India building up its forces along the disputed border leading to Chinese military intervention, China has opted for strong partnership with Pakistan to check any hemoginistic designs of India in the region.This analogy can best be summed up by Lisa Curtis in an article titled â€Å"Extent of Pakistan China Relationship† as under: â€Å"Pakistan and China have long-standing strategic ties, dating back five decades. China maintains a robust defence relationship with Pakistan and views a strong partnership with Pakistan as a useful way to contain Indian power in the region and divert Indian military force and strategic attention away from China.The China-Pakistan partnership serves both Chinese and Pakistani interests by presenting India with a potential two-front theater in the event of war with either country. Chinese officials also view a certain degree of India-Pakistan tension as advancing their own strategic interests, as such friction bogs India down in South Asia and interferes with New Delhi’s ability to assert its global ambitions and compete with China at the international level. †3 China is fast emerging as the biggest economic super power.Economic trade between China and Pakistan is rapidly increasing at a fast pace. Chinese products have f looded the Pakistani market. â€Å" Current trade between both countries is at $ 9 billion, making China the second largest trade partner of Pakistan. † 4 China has also played a significant role in the development of nuclear power plants for peaceful purposes. The material and technical support provided by China in the completion of Chasma Nuclear Power Complex is a manifest of the deep rooted relationship.This has been despite the fact of increasingly stringent export controls in western countries and opposition by major super powers thus it is true to state that Pak-China relationship is â€Å"Time tested and All weather. † In Chinese, Pakistan found a best and most reliable friend. China always helped Pakistan economically and militarily when there was no hope for external help. On the diplomatic front, Pakistan always find China firmly standing behind its back.As a reciprocal, Pakistan was not only the first country to recognize China but it always supported China 's claim to the Chinese seat in the United Nations. Pak-China friendship is an all weather and time tested relationship based on mutual trust and respect. Both the countries enjoy convergence of views on all bilateral regional and international issues. To conclude it can be said without any doubt that Pak-China relationship is exemplary, which continues to grow and is envy for others. It is a friendship which is rooted in the hearts and mind of the peoples.

A Reaction and Analysis of “Saving Grace” by Lee Smith

Lee Smith’s Saving Grace is a novel that features the story of Florida Grace Shepherd, a young Appalachian girl who is brought up in an environment that oppresses the rights and freedom of young women based on the expectations of its very religious nature. Grace, who is also the narrator of the story, tells her own tale about her quest for identity and freedom as well as her ultimate religious awakening. She shares her story as she goes through her childhood despising her father Virgil and the reality that unlike other children, she is growing with insufficient love and care from the people she expects to receive it. Grace’s childhood is bound by religious rules and codes since her father is their community's popular charismatic preacher and serpent handler. She is not free to do what other kids can do, and she is not even free to read anything except for the Bible. Grace and her siblings are not even allowed to read the newspaper as their father stresses that the only news they need to know about is the good news from the Holy Scripture (Smith, 2008). Grace also knows that she is an abused child. Aside from the insufficient affection she gets from home, she also suffers painful maltreatments from her father, whom she wants to respect and adore, but he treats her with coldness instead (Smith, 2008). Because of the absurd religious limitations that prevent her from doing what she wanted as a kid, and due to the agony that she suffered from the hands of her father acting as an honorable man, Grace grows up carrying a bitter resentment toward the home she grew up in. She also becomes pessimistic about the good possibilities in life, and she grows up envying everything that made other girls of her age happy (Smith, 2008). Smith's ability to capture the Appalachian way of life and the reality of growing up in an environment full of bizarre religious traditions has been highly regarded by her critics. Moreover, her ability to mold characters based on the known stereotypes in the society has also made her earn the admiration of critics and readers (Town, 2004). Saving Grace is seen by many as a work filled with symbolisms reflected in the names of the characters. Florida Grace Shepherd is in itself a name full of meanings. Florida is based on the place where Grace was born, while Grace stands for the Grace of God. Her last name, Shepherd, can be interpreted as a reminder of her family’s role as shepherds of their community since they represent the people's shepherd, Jesus, in the eyes of their neighbors (Town, 2004) However, while this is the popular impression about their family, Smith (2008) adds an inner conflict in Virgil’s character. Although considered as a sacred and honorable man, Virgil is inclined to bed a lot of women aside from his wife. He also seems to be incapable of controlling his emotions, particularly his bad temper and rage, which he often takes out on Grace. This sinner-saint conflict in Virgil’s character is the greatest confusion for Grace as well. Yet, despite this conflict on Virgil's personality and attitude, he is still able to win the respect of the people in their church because of his devotion and loyalty to what he preaches. Although he can be seen as a man with normal lustful desires, his ability to strengthen other people’s faith in the Lord remains unquestionable, making him respected despite his worldly sins. In the end, the readers would realize that the title of this novel completely explains Grace’s story. Aside from the fact that the story is indeed about saving the main protagonist from losing her faith and her strength to carry on with life, the title may also say that in all the obstacles and trials Grace faced, there is one saving grace which lifted her spirits up and made her hold on to her faith—her strong desire to repent, to change, and to believe that there is really a Supreme Being who governs and looks after her. The ending appears to be open-ended for the author does not clearly state how Grace chose to carry on with her life. However, as she wanted to start anew, it can be inferred that Grace has met her saving grace which made her realize that being doomed and oppressed for a long time can never be good reasons to give up; rather, they are valuable lessons she can carry with her on her journey to rebuild her new life.

Music on the Bamboo Radio

How does Nicholas change and grow During the novel? â€Å"Music on the Bamboo Radio† is a historical fiction novel written by Martin Booth sets in the time of 1941 when the imperial Japanese Army invades Hong Kong. The main character of this novel, Nicholas Holford, a British boy who disguised as a Chinese and survived through the war, but on the way, he faced a lot of challenges and difficulties to his new life which transform Nicholas into a brave and mature young man.Nicholas changes and be more matures in many ways, one of Nicholas’s most obvious change that he demonstrated in this novel, is that he turned to be more independent and started to make his own decisions. He was a boy who relies on his parents a lot and rarely needs to make his own decisions. At the start of the novel, Nicholas’ parents were sent away to join and work in the war, which they left Nicholas alone with their servants, Tang, Ah Mee and Ah Kwan.Tang urged for Nicholas and the other serv ants to leave and hide from the Japanese Soldiers, but Nicholas refuses to leave and insists on waiting for his parents. â€Å"We must wait, when my parents get back. † (Page 4) He does not realize that refusing to leave will bring them into huge danger, he is also not brave and mature enough to make decisions. However, as the novel progressed, Nicholas became much more independent and starts making his own decisions. In Nicholas’ new life, he has to live with a Chinese family and help them to do housework which chores became his daily routine.Unfortunately, Tang was sick from a mosquito bite after selling fish in the market one day, and in order to same Tang’s life, Nicholas and Ah Mee has to risk a trip to Kowloon to take the medicine, Quinine, which is the only way to save Tang’s life. After the tough and difficult journey, they finally took the medicine they need, but on their was back home, Ah Mee becomes too exhausted and tired that she couldnâ€⠄¢t walk anymore. The time is ticking away, they must bring the medicine back home as soon as possible to save Tang’s life. â€Å"Nicholas knew there was nothing for it.Tang’s life depend on him now. â€Å" (Page 52) Nicholas ran back home with the Quinine, he decided to leave Ah Mee behind after serious and carful thoughts. â€Å" You’ll be safe here,’ Nicholas declared. ‘ The people will look after you while you sleep. † (Page 52) These show that Nicholas is now able to make good and thoughtful decisions. Unlike before, Nicholas thought carefully rather should or should not run back home and leave Ah Mee here, he is able to consider both sides and determine the importance on each side before making the decision, so he takes out his bravery and made this decision.In the middle of the novel, Major Fox, from the British Army Aid Group have been asked for the helps from Nicholas to deliver a package of a bottle of vaccine and a bar of gold. T his bottle of vaccine could save hundred of human lives, and this task could only be done by Nicholas. After thinking deeply, â€Å"When he had been considering going with Tai Lo Fu to destroy the†¦ his voice quite and resolute. â€Å"I’ll deliver it. ’ â€Å" (Page 109/110) Nicholas decided to help deliver the package.This mission is very risky and dangerous for Nicholas, he might get caught by the Japanese soldiers and possibly get killed by them, but Nicholas know that he could not rely on anyone this time, instead, he has to help others in need and make this decision himself. Making this decision also showed that Nicholas became very independent and he is able to make mature decisions. Another major change that Nicholas demonstrated in this novel, is that he protects and helps other in need and became considerate of others.Nicholas grown up in a wealthy family, he has a gardener, cook and servants. (Page 3/4) He doesn’t really need to do chores for h imself, regardless the fact that he wouldn’t even need to help and protect others. However, as Nicholas begins his new life, living in a Chinese Family. He starts to take his own responsibilities, and even helping his new family do chores and housework. (Page 26) Nicholas also shows his protection of others when he and Ah Mee went on the trip to get Quinine for Tang.Nicholas and Ah Mee walk past some Japanese soldiers And the prisoners on their way back home, but Ah Mee stumbled and dropped her bundle beside them, this caught the Japanese soldiers attention and they thought Ah Mee was trying to communicate with the prisoners, which caused the soldiers to shout and took out their rifles pointing at them, but Ah Mee was too wear to stand up. Nicholas suddenly thought of an idea, he thought that the Japanese will not understand Cantonese either, so he made up nonsense with Cantonese and imitates the Chinese accent, trying to protect and change the Japanese soldier’s focus . Page 49/50) Although Nicholas did to succeed at the end and was saved by Ah Kwan, he had tried his best to protect Ah Mee in times of danger. Nicholas also became a lot wiser and smarter, and also became much more trustworthy. At the beginning of this novel, Nicholas saw two Japanese soldiers in less than seventy meters from him. â€Å" He wanted to scream, jump up, shout out, it’s alright. It’s only me. Don’t shoot. I’m only eleven. â€Å" (Page 3) Nicholas didn’t realize that doing that will only cause more attention from the Japanese soldiers and caused them to kill him straight away.The right thing he should so, is quietly leave without causing any attention and hide. However, Nicholas changed as he faces more challenges. When Nicholas went on a trip with Ah Kwan and Tai Lo Fu, he met a few Japanese soldiers walking past him, again, but he reacted wisely. Although he was very afraid and scared, he stayed quiet and still, not causing any att ention, (Page 65) This incident showed that Nicholas became much more wise and smart, knowing how to keep himself safe in times of danger and also learning from his mistakes.Before Nicholas went on this trip with Ah Kwan and Tai Lo Fu, he has to keep a secret first. The purpose of this trip, is for Nicholas to do a huge favor for the East River Column Army, which fight against the Japanese secretly. The army wanted Nicholas to translate a english note from the British for them, but if the Japanese find out about this Army, they will kill all of them immediately. So Nicholas has to keep this great secret and help finish this mission without letting anyone know. â€Å"Nicholas nodded. Any sense of flattery evaporated. (Page 61) As the novel progress and Nicholas went on his mission, we can see that Nicholas kept his promise and the secret only to himself. This showed that Nicholas is not a wise and trustworthy young man. Through this war, Nicholas changed dramatically in many ways, b oth mentally and physically. He faced many difficulties and tough challenges, but it’s only these challenges that can transform Nicholas into a mature young man. Nicholas also surprised and amazes me because of his significant change and transformation and he also sets a great example for us to learn and experience from.