Thursday, October 31, 2019

Energy efficiency rating Math Problem Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Energy efficiency rating - Math Problem Example In comparing the means for both groups, using a 1% significance level, the two-tailed P value, at a 99% confidence interval, equals 0.6543. Thus, there is a 65.43% probability that the observed difference between the salaries between private and GOH nurses are actually more extreme than their true differences. At a 1% level of significance, this implies that there is not enough statistical evidence to indicate that the salaries in private hospitals are greater than those in GOH. b. Comparing the means between the previous and current salaries, the previous salaries' mean is higher than the current salaries. At a 99% confidence interval, the two-tailed p-value equal to 0.4699 indicates that there is no reason to conclude that the means have a significant difference. In addition, the lower confidence limit of -3739.9893 indicates a large decrease in the lower limit coupled with a large increase in the upper confidence limit of 2033.3093. Thus, there is no conclusive evidence that the previous salaries are significantly lower than current ones.

Monday, October 28, 2019

The Rich Keep Getting Richer Essay Example for Free

The Rich Keep Getting Richer Essay Robert B. Reich was born in 1946 and is a Professor, activist, politician, and an author. He graduated from Yale Law School, John F. Kennedy Government School, and was a Rhodes scholar studying at Oxford University. Reich served as secretary of labor in the first Clinton administration and has a reputation of being a conciliator, who can see opposite sides to every question and solve them (Jacobus, 287). He has written many books, such as the Next American Frontier, Work of Nations, and The Wealth of Nations. Robert B. Reich wrote, Why the Rich are getting Richer and the Poor, Poorer to categorize American workers. He divided all jobs into three boats: routine producers, in person servers, and symbolic analyst. Reich continues to explain each job and how they are affecting the economic wave. In his essay, Reich use of deductive reasoning and argument proves valid in the sense that the vessels are preventing change among the social order in todays society. The first sinking vessel, routine producers, is the fastest sinking boats because they face competition from around the globe and from computer robots. Big companies like ATT used routine producers in the US in the 1980s till they found that in Singapore routine producers would do the same job for a fraction of the price (Reich, 291). They fired the US workers and used Singaporeans untill ATT could find another country willing to pay less. Reichs use of evidence is apparent in the example of ATT. The evidence pertains to wages and shows that routine producers are easily replaced and adds to Reichs opinions of the boats. Reich also states that Singaporean replaced U.S. ATT workers for a fraction of the cost and will eventually will be replaced by less costly and more productive means, human or otherwise. His logic shows that with each occurrence another will come about. Thus the relationship formed by Reich appeals logically to his audience about routine producers. Continuing on, Reich depicts the second fastest sinking boat: in person  servers. They do not face global competition but compete with machinery and laid off routine producers. This vessel contains people that are paid at minimum wage or slightly above (Reich 296). In-person servers are sheltered from global competition and are generally doing better than routine producers. In comparison, they also face competition from labor-saving machinery such as automated tellers, computerized cashiers, and so on. According to Reich the demographics are in their favor because of the rate of growth in the American work force is slow and the number of elderly that will increase by the 20th century will ensure in person servers a job in catering to their needs. Reich begins with the assumption that that the in-person servers are in better circumstances than the routine producers, yet they also face competition with machines. Though the in-person server is presented in a lukewarm sentiment, it can be inferred that this boat is not the ideal one in Reichs opinion. The mediocrity of the in-person server is stabilized by the assumptions made by Reich. He shows that in-person servers will indeed live up to their names by serving the elderly community thus ensuring their employment and meager living standard. Though the in-person servers do not face global competition, they face the harsh reality of being replaced by a machine. The idea of a machine replacing a human can draw many emotions. By informing his audience of the this idea, the lack of growth in the work force, and the rising number elderly, he draws appeals on two different emotions: fear and reassurance. The rising boat is the Americas symbolic analysts. Worldwide demand for their insights is growing as the ease and speed of communicating them steadily increases. Some are at the bottom barely hanging on; others on top are doing so well they cant keep track of their earnings. The other ones in the middle are American scientist and researchers who are selling their research and ideas to global enterprise webs. They are not limited to American workers. For example, if one refuses to pay the asking price, someone else will. As noted, American investment bankers and lawyers specializing in financial circumnavigations are selling their insights to  Asians and Europeans who are eager to discover how to make large amounts of money. Almost everyone around the world is buying the skills and insights of Americans who manipulate oral and visual symbols- musicians, sound engineers, film producers, makeup artists, directors, cinematographers, actors and actresses, boxers, writers and designers (Reich 299). The most important reason for this expanding world market and increasing global demand for the symbolic and analytic insights of Americas has been the dramatic improvement in worldwide communication and transportation technologies. Whether in the form or licensing fee, fees for service, salaries, or shares in final profits, the economic result in much the same. Reich uses various examples of symbolic analysts to persuade his audience that this boat is better off than the others, since they use their intellect rather than their labor. The system analyst is always in demand because their thoughts and ways of seeing things are both innovative and unique. He makes the assumption that, unlike the routine producer and the in-person server, the symbolic analyst holds the power in the sense that they will always be needed. They also hold the power to ask for whatever price they see fit. His logic is evident in that he sees this boat as the only one that is truly rising. In conclusion, Reichs views of the American Economy are valid due to his train of thoughts, evidence, examples and facts presented throughout the essay and various assumptions about the economy today. Social orders always will exist and the degree of success will be determined by the where you choose to stand in this order. WORKS CITED Reich, Robert B. Why the Rich Are Getting Richer and the Poor, Poorer. A World Of Ideas, Ed. Lee A. Jacobus. Boston: Bedford Books, 1998. 251-275.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Good Faith and Contract Law

Good Faith and Contract Law the governing principle applicable to all contracts and dealings . This statement was made by Lord Mansfield in 1766 and was an (unsuccessful) attempt to raise good faith to the level of a general principle, the common law as it subsequently developed rejected his initiative. The traditional law of contract, as it became established in England in the second half of the nineteenth century, did not impose or recognise a general duty of good faith. The notion of good faith undoubtedly pervades English law, but there is no single recognised doctrine of general application. The law is generally ready to strike against instances of bad faith: for example where lies are told in pre-contractual negotiations and where the weak are exploited or pressurised the application of concepts of contract law will make such contracts void or voidable,. However, no liability or remedy is to be had against the party who, acting in his own best interests, disengages from the negotiations. Moreover, the traditional view of the law is that during the performance of a contract one partys motivation is not relevant to define contractual rights, nor may (bad) motives increase the scope of express obligations. Aside from specific types of contracts, insurance being the notable example, there is no recognised extra-contractual duty on one party to disclose facts that may turn out to be of importance to another . This can be contrasted with the position i n other countries including Australia and Northern Ireland where the notion of good faith is more readily accepted. Steyn J who foresaw a future for good faith doctrine in English law however such a future has sadly not developed, or if indeed it has developed it has so in a piecemeal fashion. Bingham L.J’s perception has proven to be closer to reality, he stated when speaking with reference to the incorporation of conditions in contracts: The tendency of the English authorities has been to look at the nature of the transaction and the character of the parties to it; to consider what notice the party was given of the particular condition ; and to resolve whether in all the circumstances it is fair to hold him bound by the condition. This may yield a result not very different from the civil law principle of good faith, at any rate so far as the formation of contract is concerned . The classical theory of contract appeared to be hostile to the emergence of a general doctrine of good faith. Sir George Jessel M.R. emphasised that their was a strong public interest in maintaining the notion of freedom of contract which would necessarily exclude the notion of good faith : If there is one thing which more than another public policy requires it is that men of full and competent understanding shall have the utmost liberty of contracting, and that their contracts when entered into freely and voluntarily shall be held sacred and shall be enforced by Courts of justice. Therefore you have this paramount public policy to consider that you are not lightly to interfere with this freedom of contract. A party to a contract could therefore expect that the contract would be enforced according to its terms even if the terms were unfair. Despite these early reluctances to include good faith as part of contract law, it emerged as an important and necessary role in some aspects of contract law. The modern law of contract places more emphasis on conduct which takes account of the interests of the other party to the contract . Some of these specific circumstances will now be considered, The common law imposes a duty of good faith in insurance contracts. The requirement of utmost good faith in insurance contracts requires disclosure by the insured of any fact material to the risk and abstention from misrepresentation. The justification for the creation of the duty is that only the insured knows the material facts and the insurer has no reasonable means of discovering them, although this same argument could be advanced in respect of general contract law. Another aspect of good faith arising out of insurance contracts is the rule that an insurer settling claims under a limited liability policy must act in good faith towards the insured and must have regard to his or her interests both in the defence of actions against the insured and in their settlement . The Supreme Court of Ireland have taken a very different view to the principle of good faith in insurance law and this is best highlighted by the case of Aro Road and Land Vehicles Ltd v Insurance Corporation of Ireland in this case the assured wished to send goods by road via a carrier. At the carriers instigation they effected insurance, the carriers acting as the insurers agents for this purpose. They were asked only for the details of the journey and the value of the goods, and did not volunteer any further information. The lorry carrying the goods was hijacked and set on fire, but the insurers refused to pay out on the policy, pleading that the assured had failed to disclose that their managing director had, some 20 years previously, been convicted of a number of offences of receiving stolen motor vehicles, for which he had served a sentence of 21 months imprisonment. The decision in this case was in summation that this was not reason enough for the insurance policy to be invali dated and the reasoning was that there is no breach of utmost good faith if the proposer has genuinely forgotten a material fact, at least where there is nothing (eg a proposal form) to jog his memory. Utmost good faith, they say, requires a genuine effort at accuracy, but does not require the proposer absolutely to guarantee the accuracy (and by implication the completeness) of his disclosure. This shows an inherent flexibility in the courts of Ireland to utilise and dismiss the notion of good faith in a sensible manner and this is evident in the general application of good faith in Ireland. Again in Contracts for the sale of land the vendor of land is under a duty to disclose material matters relating to the title which are known to the vendor but which the purchaser has no means of discovering . The duty of good faith also exists in the following situations, the mortgagee’s exercise of a power of sale, in relation to the principles of equity governing fiduciaries, undue influence and unconscionable conduct and estoppel, including promissory estoppel and in the duty to refrain from making misrepresentations. More importantly it is suggested that in certain situations there exists a common law duty on the parties to a contract to co-operate in achieving the objects of the contract. Where the parties have agreed that something shall be done which cannot effectively be done unless both parties agree in doing it, there is an implied obligation on each party to do all that is necessary to be done on his or her part for the carrying out of the thing . This can be seen specifically in the case of Meehan v. Jones where performance of the contract was conditional on the purchaser receiving approval for finance on satisfactory terms. Wilson J considered that there was an obligation on the purchaser to make reasonable efforts to obtain finance on such terms, though we doubted that the purchaser was required to do more than act honestly in deciding whether to accept or reject an offer of finance. That approach to the situation gave effect to the expectations of the parties and achieved a fair and se nsible balance of their interests. Another important element of the concept of good faith is that that can be seen in the notion of fiduciary relationships. The principles of a fiduciary relationship require the disclosure of material matters and require the fiduciary to subordinate his or her interests to the legitimate interests of another by reason of the relationship which subsists between the two parties. It can of course be argued that the fiduciary principle is stronger than the good faith doctrine in that it gives primacy to the interests of the party to whom the fiduciary obligation is owed. The good faith doctrine is concerned with those who contract and are on an equal footing. The principle of good faith also finds ground in the doctrine of â€Å"unconscionable bargaining†, this is the situation where relief is granted when a transaction, is so unconscionable that it cannot be allowed to stand. The requirement is thus that there exists an unconscientious taking advantage of the serious disability or disadvantage of the person in the inferior bargaining position by procuring or retaining the benefit in question in a way that is both unreasonable and oppressive . . In Australia, unconscionability has been relied upon as a ground in relieving a purchaser from forfeiture of his equitable interest under a contract of sale pursuant to a notice making time of the essence of the contract leading to rescission of the contract . Once relief against forfeiture was available specific performance of the contract could be ordered. The purchaser had gone into possession under the contract and erected a house on the land but was unable to pay the balance of the purchase price on the due date. This approach was taken further in the case of an instalment contract for the sale of land under which the purchasers had been let into possession, though they were not entitled to possession until completion, and had built a house on the land . Again, the contract had been rescinded, this time for non-payment of an instalment. In this instance the majority likened a terms contract to a mortgage, the forfeiture provision being by way of security for the payment of the purchase price so that there was no need to establish unconscionable behaviour of an exceptional kind. In Australia, the emergence from the shadows of this ground of equitable relief has relegated the doctrine of undue influence to a position of relative unimportance. Unconscionability and undue influence overlap, the latter being more limited in scope, concerned as it is with the exercise by the contracting party of an independent and voluntary will. Perhaps the most important notion of good faith can be found in the law of restitution which transcends the traditional common law causes of action and equitable grounds for relief. General principles are being articulated and refined which may apply indifferently, whether the basis of the claim has its origins at common law or in equity. In Lipkin Gorman v. Karpnale Ltd , it was acknowledged that the underlying principle governing the recovery of money had and received at common law in restitution is unjust enrichment. Here again unconscionability underlies the claim for unjust enrichment and imports into contract law the notion of good faith. Good faith and fair dealing concepts are already substantially in place under English law, though not in contract negotiation. In that area, the application of specific good faith and fair dealing duties, based on the reasonable expectations of the parties, might advance the interests of justice. Furthermore, recognition of good faith and fair dealing concepts would bring greater coherence and unity to the varied array of principles which are presently available in the area of contract performance. Finally as Mason points out â€Å"the criticism of those doctrines may be no more than the reluctance to accept unconscionability as a basis for relief; in other words, the reluctance is in truth an objection to the application by courts of generalised concepts and standards instead of rigid rules† . As to whether or not there exists a future in English Law for the principle of good faith remains to be seen. There are underlying notions of the principle of good faith and it would se em that the sensible notion would be to codify this principle and make it generally applicable to all contractual dealings; it seems unlikely however that English Law is willing to accept such a principle. Bibliography Cases Aro Road and Land Vehicles Ltd v Insurance Corporation of Ireland [1986] IR 403 Bridgewater v. Leahy (1998) 194 C.L.R. 457 Carlish v. Salt [1906] 1 Ch. 335 Carter v. Boehm (1766) 3 Burr. 1905 Devonport Borough Council v. Robbins [1979] 1 N.Z.L.R. 1 Distillers Co. Bio-Chemicals (Aust) Pty. Ltd v. Ajax Insurance Co. Ltd (1974) 130 C.L.R. 1 Interfoto Picture Library Ltd v. Stiletto Visual Programmes Ltd [1989] Q.B. 433 Louth v. Diprose(1992) 175 C.L.R. 621 Mackay v. Dick (1881) 6 App. Cas. 251 McInerney v. MacDonald (1992) 93 D.L.R. (4th) 415. Printing and Numerical Registering Co. v. Sampson (1875) L.R. 19 Eq. 462 Stern v. McArthur (1988) 165 C.L.R. 489. Journal Articles Denning LJ, (1991) The Role of Good Faith and Fair Dealing in Contract Law: a Hair-Shirt Philosophy? Finn, Statutes and the Common Law (1992) 22 U.W.A.L. Rev. 7 Mason A F, (2000), â€Å"Contract, Good Faith and Equitable Standards in Fair Dealing†, Law Quarterly Review 2000 116 66-94 Books Beatson J, (2002), â€Å"Anson’s Law of Contract†, Twenty Eighth Edition, Oxford University Press Denning LJ, (1991) The Role of Good Faith and Fair Dealing in Contract Law: a Hair-Shirt Philosophy? Elliot Quinn, ( 2003) â€Å"Contract Law†, Fourth Edition Forte A (ed), (2001), â€Å"Good Faith in Contract and Property Law†, Sweet and Maxwell McKendrick E, (2003), â€Å"Contract Law†, Fifth Edition, Palgrave McMilliam McKendrick E, (2003), Contract – Text and Materials, Oxford University Press Stone R, (2002), â€Å"The Law Of Contract†, Fifth Edition, Cavendish Publishing

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Essay --

INTRODUCTION Security threats are potential causes of unwanted incident which may result in becoming harmful to the system or organization and assets. The security threats are destruction, modification or unauthorized disclosure of information, destruction or loss of the IT assets, spam and malware. Social networking is a dedicated website or application that enables users to informally communicate with each other by posting, tweet, comment and share. Some example of social networking site is Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr and LinkedIn. A social networking is built on trust. It is designed for communication that allows users to directly interact with each others. Social networking helps to form network of associates, friend, relatives and acquaintances. It enables users to share information about daily life and have intimate relation with others. There are huge numbers of users in social media Facebook is the highest popular rate that has 1.15 billion users and half of it access to the Facebook every day. Based on social media today until November 2013, there are more than 10 million applications developed in Facebook. Twitter becomes the second most popular media social which has more than 500 million users and 288 million are active users. There are about 20 million fake accounts in Twitter. This number of social networking users will increase in time. By this huge numbers of users in social media there is high risk for users to expose to the social networking threats. Cybercriminals have become more smart and crafty in manipulating with advance technology. It is abusing the users in social media by breaking the users trust. They take advantage of user relationship to click on malicious link or advertisement to get to the... ...ing and this gives the chances for malicious links and threats to disguise as one of the advertisement based on the user interest. User unknowingly will click on these links that popped up to close it, but some of them will already have the access to the user information. There are also bot accounts that will post their contents to the user’s wall; some even post the contents to the user’s groups and friends when the user click on the link that pique their interest. 2. Mobile platform The increment of mobile phone users also inspires the growth of social media users. The rise of social media is inextricably linked with the revolution in mobile computing, which has spawned a huge industry in mobile application development. Naturally, whether using their own or company-issued mobile devices, the users will download many mobile applications just because they want to.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Comparison of Two Short Stories by Tobias Wolff Essay

From the weekend fishing trips to complete hatred and denial, father-son relationships can be characterized by many good and bad experiences. After reading the two short stories â€Å"Powder† by Tobias Wolff and â€Å"If the River was Whiskey† by T. C. Boyle, which both feature father-son relationships that are placed under a large amount of stress. There are many similarities and differences between these two relationships that are not apparent upon just a cursory glance. A father can be completely inconsiderate of his sons needs or try his best to meet them and still create turmoil within the relationship. After reading Wolff’s short story â€Å"Powder,† one can conclude that the father tries quite hard to make his son happy. In this story the father takes the son to places the mother would not approve of in order to try and win his affection. Wolff states, â€Å"He’d had to fight for the privilege of my company, because my mother was still angry with him for sneaking me into a nightclub during his last visit, to see Thelonious Monk† (33). Taking his son to these places is his way of forming a father-son connection. Not only does he take his son skiing, he fights his wife for the privilege, and when she disagrees he does it without her knowledge. While this strengthens the father-son relation, the husband-wife relation is weakened. In this case the father is trying more to be the best friend instead of a role model, and in doing so creates conflicts with his wife. This directly affects the son’s well being because what child would be happy to see his parents fighting. In Wolff’s story the father is displayed as being a risk-taker and borderline reckless. This is where the father and son seem to clash in their relationship. Wolff writes, â€Å"I always thought ahead. I was a boy who kept his clothes on numbered hangers to insure proper rotation. I bothered my teachers for homework assignments far ahead of their due dates so I could draw up schedules† (36). Obviously, his father did not plan or think ahead, or he would have planned on leaving the ski lodge early in case they ran into trouble. When they got down the road, the trooper tells them that the road is blocked and the son became annoyed and frustrated with his father’s carelessness. He says to his father â€Å"we should have left before† (35) This comment made his father feel inadequate, and he did not respond to it. His father’s recklessness directly affects their relationship. The boy is more like a man, and the father is more like a boy, showing the â€Å"adult† in a relationship is not always who it seems, but that people can learn about themselves by their relationships with others. The son was very uneasy and nervous when his father started driving down the snow covered road once the trooper left his post. Wolff shows this when he writes â€Å"to keep my hands from shaking I clamped them between my knees† (35). The connection was restored between them when the child decided to stop moping and began to enjoy himself. The child says, â€Å"My father in his forty-eighth year, rumpled, kind, bankrupt of honor, flushed with certainty. He was a great driver. All persuasion, no coercion, such subtlety at the wheel, such tactful pedalwork. I actually trusted him† (37). This was a big turning point in their relationship because the child now sees greatness in his father that he had never seen before. In Boyle’s short story, â€Å"If the River was Whiskey† the same rocky father-son relationship that slowly takes a turn for the better is displayed. The father in Boyle’s story is much worse than the one in Wolff’s story in that he is an alcoholic that did not spend much time with his son. While in Wolff’s story spending time with his son made the father feel good, all the father in Boyle’s story needed was alcohol to feel good, giving no attention to his son. The wife attacks the father by saying, â€Å"We’ve been here two weeks and you haven’t done one damn thing with him, nothing, zero. You haven’t even been down to the lake. What kind of father are you? † (231). Seeing his parents in such an argument affects the son by making him disconnected and hateful toward his father. When the son came home from school he would find his father â€Å"sitting in the dark, hair in his face, bent low over the guitar. There was an open bottle of liquor on the coffee table and a clutter of beer bottles† (231). Coming back to this dreary home life after school and seeing one’s father in this condition would be very traumatic. It shows him that his father doesn’t care about his job and would rather be at home drinking while reminiscing about his past. The relationship between them finally took a turn for the better when his father put down the bottle and decides to go fishing with Tiller and spend some quality time with him. Boyle explains Tiller’s excitement by saying â€Å"It was too much for him all at once–the sun, the breeze that was so sweet, the novelty of his father rowing, pale arms and a cigarette clenched between his teeth, the boat rocking, and the birds whispering–he closed his eyes a minute, just to keep from going dizzy with the joy of it† (233). At this point, one can see that Tiller’s feelings of hate toward his father are diminishing. His father’s attitude also seems to have changed because he is making a conscious effort to not drink and have a good time on the water. When his father finally hooked a fish on his line, it was perhaps the climax of their relationship. Boyle writes, â€Å"Tiller saw something in his eyes he hardly recognized anymore, a connection, a charge, as if the fish were sending a current up the line, through the pole, and into his hands and body and brain† (234). That passage shows that Tiller actually felt him and his father finally connect. He describes it as hardly recognized because they had never really connected in this way before now. After his father pulled the fish up into the boat and Tiller realized it wasn’t a pike, â€Å"already the thing in his eyes was gone, already it was over† (234). This is where Tiller gets the feeling that his father had let him down as he always had before. The connection was once again lost. In both T. C. Boyle’s and Tobias Wolff’s stories the father’s actions create a direct reflection on their son. In T. C. Boyle’s story the father does things that damage his other relationships to try and improve the one with his son, and this is shown to have an equally bad result for the son as the one in Tobias Wolff’s story. In both stories there is a critical element that seems to connect the father and son. In both Wolff and Boyle’s story the sight of ones father performing a certain action creates an exhilarating short lived connection. A father can be completely inconsiderate of his sons needs or try his best to meet them and still create turmoil within the relationship that is occasionally interrupted by a one of kind father-son connection.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Free Essays on Stereotyping

There is a tendency among many people to categorize individuals who look, act, and come from the same background as "us", and to categorize those who differ from this group of people as "They." However, people who are considered to be "they" in their perspective consider "us" as "they". This is an explanation of how stereotypes are created. Stereotypes affect the manner in which people interact with others of a different race or ethnicity, age group, religious background, or sexual orientation. Gender stereotypes are also prevalent within the mass media. A stereotype is an oversimplified generalization about a certain class of people. When people say that all members of a specific nationality, religion, race or gender are "cheap," "lazy," "criminal" or "dumb," they are expressing stereotypes. All groups have both cheap and generous individuals and those who commit crimes. To label an entire group based on the action of a few is to engage in stereotyping. The most common stereotypes t hat exist today have negatively impacted various groups of people In our society, there are many stereotypes created about nationalities that in return underestimate the power of each individual of a group. People from different nationalities are considered to be â€Å"they". For example, Asians may be stereotyped as being disciplined, hard-working people who excel in mathematics, while African Americans or Mexicans may be viewed in a more negative light. In "Mother Tongue", Amy Tan was trying to disprove the existing stereotype about Chinese people being good at precise science, so she went against the existing opinion and became a famous American writer. Richard Rodriguez in "Complexion," tried to prove that the Mexicans could excel in a field other than a physical labor; therefore, he became a highly intelligent person. The only way for Amy Tan and Richard Rodriguez to destroy the myth about their national belonging was to successfully accomplish their own ... Free Essays on Stereotyping Free Essays on Stereotyping There is a tendency among many people to categorize individuals who look, act, and come from the same background as "us", and to categorize those who differ from this group of people as "They." However, people who are considered to be "they" in their perspective consider "us" as "they". This is an explanation of how stereotypes are created. Stereotypes affect the manner in which people interact with others of a different race or ethnicity, age group, religious background, or sexual orientation. Gender stereotypes are also prevalent within the mass media. A stereotype is an oversimplified generalization about a certain class of people. When people say that all members of a specific nationality, religion, race or gender are "cheap," "lazy," "criminal" or "dumb," they are expressing stereotypes. All groups have both cheap and generous individuals and those who commit crimes. To label an entire group based on the action of a few is to engage in stereotyping. The most common stereotypes t hat exist today have negatively impacted various groups of people In our society, there are many stereotypes created about nationalities that in return underestimate the power of each individual of a group. People from different nationalities are considered to be â€Å"they". For example, Asians may be stereotyped as being disciplined, hard-working people who excel in mathematics, while African Americans or Mexicans may be viewed in a more negative light. In "Mother Tongue", Amy Tan was trying to disprove the existing stereotype about Chinese people being good at precise science, so she went against the existing opinion and became a famous American writer. Richard Rodriguez in "Complexion," tried to prove that the Mexicans could excel in a field other than a physical labor; therefore, he became a highly intelligent person. The only way for Amy Tan and Richard Rodriguez to destroy the myth about their national belonging was to successfully accomplish their own ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

The Pay It Forwards film report

The Pay It Forwards film report Pay It Forwards is the film made in 2000 which can be regarded as a curious illustration of the Oedipus Conflict. Apparently, it is often difficult to define roles in real life settings. Likewise, the film reveals complex relationships between people.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on The Pay It Forwards film report specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Trevor, a boy of eleven, is obviously a conventional child figure as he is a kid. He is brought up by his mother as she left Trevor’s father who had an alcohol abuse history. Trevor is attached to his mother a lot. Arlene, Trevor’s mother, is the main mother figure in the film. However, being a single parent she sometimes takes a role of a father figure. She tries to set some rules and keep her child away from danger. However, she is still a conventional mother figure as she tends to comfort Trevor and support him rather than punish him. Ricky, Trevo r’s biological father, can hardly be called the father figure as he does not take part in Trevor’s upbringing. Trevor does not see him as an authority. Eugene, Trevor’s teacher, can be regarded as the main father figure in the film. He guides Trevor and sets some rules. He says what is right and wrong. As for the Oedipus Conflict, it is really specific. The child figure seeks for eros concepts. He desires to obtain independence. The project he starts is the way to show he is independent and he is grown up. He tries to help his mother develop proper relationships with her own mother and with the worthy man, Eugene. He makes decision for grown-ups and this makes him feel a grown-up, i.e. free and independent. The conflict ends up in a success and a failure, at the same time. On one hand, Trevor’s project has positive results as the chain does work and people help each other. On the other hand, Trevor is killed by a kid when he tries to help a smaller child in a fight. Trevor’s death proves he was not prepared to become independent. Thus, even though the child figure does make the world better, the Oedipus Conflict ends in an unhealthy manner as the kid is killed.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

How to Write a Research Essay on Applied Anthropology in Real Life

How to Write a Research Essay on Applied Anthropology in Real Life Writing a research essay is a more scientific rather than creative task, one which you will be assigned many times throughout the duration of your academic career. This type of writing is one which forces you to focus your efforts on the following: 1) Narrow down a Topic The topic you select has to be something that you can cover in the span of pages or word count allotted to you. This is one of the most challenging items for students, as often the first topic selected is too broad. You cannot, for example, write about â€Å"the differences between Hmong and western medicine† in five pages; people have written books hundreds and thousands of pages in length and still not covered everything in this topic. You would instead, have to narrow it down to one aspect of medicine, or one area of conflict, such as the treatment of an infection with antibiotics versus herbal teas, or how effective some herbal remedies are to traditional ailments, even though they are not always sponsored by western doctors. Note: You should search for something that is interesting to you if you can. The more passionate you are about the topic, the more that passion will flow through your work and the more your teacher will notice. Scan the topics we suggest, maybe you’ll find something you’ll write about. 2) Research Your Topic The research here is one of the most important components. Any claim you make needs to be backed by scientific evidence or fact of some kind. This is often what makes such a piece stand out compared to more creative writing tasks where you can make your personal claims without substantiation. If you make the claim that a specific culture cannot tolerate the medicinal treatment of another culture, the Hmong and Western medicine for example, you need to provide facts to prove this (check out interesting facts on applied anthropology that can become handy while writing a research essay). Your word is insufficient. You must provide: stories from ethnographic studies or interviews quotes from people who are viable interviewees (such as the Hmong people who have avoided or sought medical treatment, western doctors who have provided treatment, or cultural advisors/interpreters who have worked with such cases) statistics such as the high statistical prevalence of the Hmong women visiting ER’s to deliver babies compared to the low statistical prevalence of the Hmong women seeking pre-natal care during their pregnancy For each claim you make, you must present support so that the reader can side with your argument. 3) Draft Your Paper Once you have the key elements you want to present in the form of an outline, you should write out the evidence for each of your claims. You want a well-balanced paper, so you should have roughly equal facts for each claim you make. Once this is one, it is time to start writing. The more comprehensive your outline is, the easier the first draft will be. Make sure you properly cite all of your sources including the page number in accordance with the format requirements laid out by your teacher. This should be explained in the assignment, and if not, you can always ask them. If you need custom essay writing assistance from professional writers you can always contact CustomWritings.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Things a Service Business Must Get Right Assignment

Things a Service Business Must Get Right - Assignment Example This paper illustrates that the business strategies that are applicable in a commodity market are totally different from those applicable from the service markets, owing to the tangibility of the commodity as opposed to a service. While promoting a product, it is much easier for the customer to inspect and try out the product before making a purchase decision, since the product is tangibly available for inspection. This is different with a service market since the prospective buyer cannot try out a service before he/she purchases it. Thus for a service business to earn good profits, more efforts in strategizing must be applied as opposed to a business dealing in goods. This forms the subject of this Journal Article review, covering a brief summary, critique of the article and offering concluding thoughts. The fundamental reason for choosing this article is the realization that the service industry operates completely different from a commodity market. While some business strategies a re applicable to any form of business whether product or service business, there is some uniqueness in the service industry that calls for applying different strategies. This article is relevant to advance this realization, since it covers four things a service business must get right, in order to survive and succeed. Most of the management tools that have been established over time have specialized in addressing the challenges of the product companies. Although such management tools are of considerable value to managers operating in the service businesses, they fall short of the requirement for effective and efficient management of such businesses to enhance successful growth and profitability. Frei has introduced four main elements that would help see the service business grow towards profitability. These elements, which constitute the new management tool for the service industry, are the design of the offering, employee management, customer management, and the funding mechanism, which collectively forms the service model. To start with, the service offering by any service business should be well designed, tailor-made to meet the desires and the needs of the most attractive customer groups.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Political Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Political - Assignment Example Defending his action, President Obama, said that the house of congress had refused to bring to vote the Bipartisan Immigration Bill that would ‘legally’ address the issue of immigration in the United States. He dared the republicans to bring the bill to the floor of congress and pass it; which is after passing in the senate in 2013 has stagnated in the congress (Knowlton 1). The republicans were quick to point out that President Obama was acting unconstitutionally and was using his executive powers in allowing undocumented immigrants to remain in the country without the threat of being deported. They continued to accuse the president of â€Å"damaging the presidency† by abusing the office’ power. By using executive powers, they claimed, that he was destroying the legal system of passing the Bipartisan Bill. In response, President Obama, together with his democratic sympathizers, majority of who were lawmakers released a letter with 10 scholarly views on the legality of the executive order the president issued. The scholars, in the letter, insisted that the president had not gone beyond the powers of his office. Maricopa County’s Sherriff, Mr. Joe Arpaio, filed a suit in the federal district court challenging President Obama’s order and power to execute such a directive. In his suit, the Sherriff wanted the Court to guide the President on how to act ‘accordingly’ and obey the United States constitution. Elsewhere, Scott Pruitt, the Attorney General of Oklahoma, stated that president Obama’s order was â€Å"ill-advised, unworkable, unlawful and brazenly political†. The republicans continued to accuse the president of pitting them against the Hispanic community, as they formed the majority of the house of congress. The republicans were keen in their utterances in order to avoid the party’s standing with Latino voters, who have become the fastest growing minority voters. They know that their

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 17

Reflection - Essay Example According to Fairman (2012), well trained nurses are the need of an hour for the industry to play its due role in the betterment of the society, because world population is increasing. On the other side, death rate is decreasing; so, when we take this into account, the net impact is growing number of patients in the medical facilities. The humanity requires well equipped medical staff to meet the future healthcare needs; I am looking forward to become an asset to my field, by training in the best way for the future. I need to become a highly competent medical professional, who could help people in healing. In the process of patient recovery, medication alone is not sufficient; I should also be able to demonstrate compassion towards those who are suffering. In this way, patients will realize that they are important and their will to live will increase significantly, however, this compassion will have to be kept within the limits of professionalism. In the future of nursing, my ability to lead, will be the most crucial attribute in my career (Fights, 2012), because at that time, technology will eliminate unnecessary jobs. As a result, every individual will be placed strategically in various departments of the hospital; so, everyone will enjoy certain degree of job autonomy, but in parallel responsibility will also mount significantly. English nursing association launched a training program for their nurses, to foster skills that are needed in the future. This particular program includes training of leadership in a practical scenario, multitasking and modern life saving techniques and medication (Brearley, 2012). This program also focuses on giving medical staff higher degree of job autonomy, which cannot be done, without decentralization of the authority within healthcare organizations. However, the role of nursing staff is going to be extremely significant in the coming days, because doctors will

Photography Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Photography - Research Paper Example The first factor that was known by the historians was the effects of the light on the darker space that is opened through to a pin hole. Due to this, the invert picture of the object was formed placed in the lighted area on the floor of the darker space. In 1400, it was written in the papers that in order to make the inverted image clearer and vivid, a lens was used at the hole. The term used to describe this latest invention was â€Å"camera obscura† that was widely used by painters to draw the sketches using the same technique without drawing it from their own mind (Davenport 4). The item was projected on a paper from a dark box and the painter drew the outlines of that object. The other factor of the present day camera that was known during that times was the presence of the material that are likeable for the changes when came in contact with light. All these light sensitive chemicals were dealt for many centuries but there was no success to make a coat on the surface. However, it was very hard to place the both factor at one place. In 1800, there was an experiment conducted to make the pictures on the surface of paper which was coated with light sensitive material. The experiment was a success though, there were many logistic issues occurred that required possible solutions. The initial problem was to make the permanent image on the chemical coated surface. The issue was solved through daguerreotype picture that made a revolution across the globe and became global in 1839. Nevertheless, there were other problems still there that needed to be resolved. The daguerreotype picture did come on the paper but there was an immediate loss of the image when the chemical surface got damaged. Moreover, the time of exposure was very large as compared to normal portraiture that was in high demand. As the latest ideas were coming for the better future, people were working on the errors and malfunctions that occur during the process.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Cultural dimension Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cultural dimension - Assignment Example The application of in-depth questions in the semi-structured questionnaires drew the study towards the acquisition of the required outcomes since the interviewees were not coerced to answer in a particular controlled manner. Therefore, the research process established the prevalence of a civilised culture in the Japanese society before the documentation of the Austrian culture. 2.1 Two students from Japan and Austria were selected for the interview, which involved the use of open-end questionnaires. The students were chosen because they possessed the most dominant and influential cultures in the history of civilization. With the use of open-end questions and semi-structured questionnaires, they were asked many questions; hence, they stimulated the opportunity of acquiring a wide range of answers in the absence of research bias. This was done by using the most important issues about their cultures. In this questionnaire, the participants were enquired to rate the most significant and particular issues. These questions helped in understanding concepts that hold significance to the respondents, and allowed critical decisions about the countries’ cultures. The two students answered the questions in accordance to their societal perspectives; hence, the results influenced the study to establish that the Japanese and Austrian societies were embracing democratic practices in leadership, with the common objective being the improvement of the lifestyles and economic progression. 2.2 The  next section represents an analytical approach that evaluates the information gathered during the study. Since the application of the qualitative method of survey enhanced the level of participation among the chosen sample population, it was noted that there were many differences and similarities between the Japanese and Austrian cultures. The Japanese culture is exceedingly older than the Austrian culture

Using GIS Profiling to Solve Serial Burglaries Research Paper

Using GIS Profiling to Solve Serial Burglaries - Research Paper Example It then elaborates on GIS tool and its appropriateness in solving serial crime using geographic profiling. More significantly, the paper relates geographic profiling to solving serial burglaries. Serial crimes are illegal acts that warrant punishment based on criminal law. They are crime defined by repetitive nature. Serial crimes include murder, rape, arson, bombing, and robbery. Serial criminals frequently develop behaviors of committing the same type of crime in a similar manner. Sequence of crimes committed by the same lawbreaker constitutes serial crimes that law enforcement agencies files. Studies relate serial criminals to immoral upbringing or environment. Advancements in technology have contributed to increased serial crimes around the globe. Criminals are highly innovative and frequently adopt emerging technology advancements before criminal agencies acquire such technologies. Such innovative criminals have also acquired similar crime tracking devices used by law enforcement agencies. For instance, innovative criminals have encrypted radio communication networks of state agencies.’ Insecurity cases have increased around the globe because of innovativeness of criminals. Criminals have devised advanced systems of committing a crime and escaping from law enforcement agencies. For instance, Serial killers and terrorists use modern communication technologies such as satellite imagery, night vision goggles and smart phones in locating their targets and enemies. Evidence also exists of terrorists who have formed operations centers for monitoring social networks, videos, and global news broadcasts. Serial killers such as the 2008 Mumbai terrorists used modern weapons such as AK-47s, hand grenades, and explosives (Goodman, 2014, p. 1). The terrorists employed use of search engines in planning the attacks and in identifying specific hostages.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Photography Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Photography - Research Paper Example The first factor that was known by the historians was the effects of the light on the darker space that is opened through to a pin hole. Due to this, the invert picture of the object was formed placed in the lighted area on the floor of the darker space. In 1400, it was written in the papers that in order to make the inverted image clearer and vivid, a lens was used at the hole. The term used to describe this latest invention was â€Å"camera obscura† that was widely used by painters to draw the sketches using the same technique without drawing it from their own mind (Davenport 4). The item was projected on a paper from a dark box and the painter drew the outlines of that object. The other factor of the present day camera that was known during that times was the presence of the material that are likeable for the changes when came in contact with light. All these light sensitive chemicals were dealt for many centuries but there was no success to make a coat on the surface. However, it was very hard to place the both factor at one place. In 1800, there was an experiment conducted to make the pictures on the surface of paper which was coated with light sensitive material. The experiment was a success though, there were many logistic issues occurred that required possible solutions. The initial problem was to make the permanent image on the chemical coated surface. The issue was solved through daguerreotype picture that made a revolution across the globe and became global in 1839. Nevertheless, there were other problems still there that needed to be resolved. The daguerreotype picture did come on the paper but there was an immediate loss of the image when the chemical surface got damaged. Moreover, the time of exposure was very large as compared to normal portraiture that was in high demand. As the latest ideas were coming for the better future, people were working on the errors and malfunctions that occur during the process.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Using GIS Profiling to Solve Serial Burglaries Research Paper

Using GIS Profiling to Solve Serial Burglaries - Research Paper Example It then elaborates on GIS tool and its appropriateness in solving serial crime using geographic profiling. More significantly, the paper relates geographic profiling to solving serial burglaries. Serial crimes are illegal acts that warrant punishment based on criminal law. They are crime defined by repetitive nature. Serial crimes include murder, rape, arson, bombing, and robbery. Serial criminals frequently develop behaviors of committing the same type of crime in a similar manner. Sequence of crimes committed by the same lawbreaker constitutes serial crimes that law enforcement agencies files. Studies relate serial criminals to immoral upbringing or environment. Advancements in technology have contributed to increased serial crimes around the globe. Criminals are highly innovative and frequently adopt emerging technology advancements before criminal agencies acquire such technologies. Such innovative criminals have also acquired similar crime tracking devices used by law enforcement agencies. For instance, innovative criminals have encrypted radio communication networks of state agencies.’ Insecurity cases have increased around the globe because of innovativeness of criminals. Criminals have devised advanced systems of committing a crime and escaping from law enforcement agencies. For instance, Serial killers and terrorists use modern communication technologies such as satellite imagery, night vision goggles and smart phones in locating their targets and enemies. Evidence also exists of terrorists who have formed operations centers for monitoring social networks, videos, and global news broadcasts. Serial killers such as the 2008 Mumbai terrorists used modern weapons such as AK-47s, hand grenades, and explosives (Goodman, 2014, p. 1). The terrorists employed use of search engines in planning the attacks and in identifying specific hostages.

The author of the Withered Arm Essay Example for Free

The author of the Withered Arm Essay In this assignment, I am going to discuss how Thomas Hardy makes the incredible events appear credible. To do this I will be examining: the historical contents of the story, with the language used, together with the way the story was structured and by the way that the characters relate to each other. I will also be examining the moral attitudes of when the story was written. Which will enable me to show how it was possible for Hardy to make the advents appear credible. The Withered Arm is an example of prose. Prose is speech or writing without rhyme or metre (Collins Dictionary), as opposed to verse, which is stanza or short subdivision of poem or the Bible, (Collins Dictionary). The story was written in 1888, and set around the 1820s within a rural community. Hardy refers to this period in time by writing the Enclosure Acts had not taken effect (p19), which occurred in 1836 and when he refers to a boy due to be hung, he writes only just turned eighteen, and only present by chance when the rick was fired (p21). This again indicates the date was around this period as the gradual reforms of the Penal Codes came into effect by 1861, which meant that only serious crimes such as treason and murder carried the death penalty (mastering econ social history). Hardy adds realism to the story in several ways. He uses his vast knowledge of the mass changes within the rural areas during this period, for example: Egdon was much less fragmentary in character than now and farmers wives rode on horseback then more than they do now (p19). With what appears to be direct speech from a third party narrator, he also adds factual event such as tis sold by the inch afterwards (p19) as this is where the expression of money for old rope stems from and dates back to when the hangman would sells inch long souvenirs after the execution (www. rootsweb). This not only adds to the authenticity of the story, but also leads the reader into believing it is a factual account rather than a fictional story. Hardy also adds to the possibility of the story being credible by establishing the history and preconceived ideas of the characters through the milkmaids. This is done by the milkmaids talking not only in slang but also using local dialect such as pinking and milchers (p2) which would only be relevant within the countryside, they also refer to the farmer as he (p1), which would indicate that the farmer has social standing. This is then confirmed when we are introduced to Rhoda and learn that her isolation from the rest of the milkmaids was due to her having a child out of wedlock with the farmer. This is illustrated within the text by: milked somewhat apart from the rest and their course lay apart from that of the others, to a lonely spot high above the water-meads (p2). Although the milkmaids seem to have some compassion for Rhodas plight, the following conversation: Tis hard for she and He hant spoke to Rhoda Brook for years (p2) seems to have been contrived to show that due to the differences in class, Rhoda has been forced to solely take the burden of the affair which was a typical Victorian attitude towards the morals of unmarried mothers. In addition to this, by the use of dramatic irony as well as the complex relationship between Farmer Lodge and Rhoda, Hardy is able to strengthen any sympathies the reader may feel for Gertrude. This is established when, the Farmer refuses to acknowledge the boy in town and we can see by the conversation that he has with his new wife, that he has no intension of divulging his secret: one of the neighbourhood. I think he lives with his mother a mile or two off (p4). Again giving credence to Gertrudes vulnerable nature at being the only person who does not know about the affair. Hardy also uses the descriptions of the two women to support the incredible elements of the story. Rhoda and Gertrude are not only given contrasting personalities but psychical appearances as well, whereas Gertrude is described as: Her face too was fresh in colour, but it was of a totally different quality soft and evanescent, like the light under a heap of rose-petals (p4). The contrast of Rhodas description is: pale cheek, and made her dark eyes, that had once been handsome (p3). Gertrude is seen to be quintessential, which is reinforced with in the text by not only using adjectives such as youthful, but also by being referred to colour and light (p2). However, the adjectives that are used to descript Rhoda are dull, fading and she is always referred to in declining light (pg 4-5). As Rhoda, is depicted as having many undesirable qualities, this makes it easier for the reader to assume the side of Gertrude. Believing that due to Rhodas jealousy, she would be able and indeed want too afflict some harm to the new bride: This innocent young thing should have her blessing and not her curse (p8). Again by using the prejudices of this era Hardy, is able to add further credibility to the story. He does this by showing Rhodas own sense of guilty at the deterioration of Gertrude arm: the sense of having been guilty of an act of malignity increase, affect as she might to ridicule the superstition (p10). However, it appears that Rhodas guilty stems from the time that she fell pregnant with her son and the change in attitudes towards her from the villagers: she knew that she had been slyly called a witch since her fall (p9) and that there must exist a sarcastic feeling among the work-folk that a sorceress would know the whereabouts of the exorcist. They suspected her, then. (p11). Through the structure of the story, Hardy is able to continue to infuse the incredible ideas of Witchcraft and curses with realty. With references such as: the surgeon had not seemed to understand the afflicted limb at all (p10). This could have been an indication of the lack of medical knowledge at the time. However, the reader is mislead into believing it is due to it being cursed. This is also reinforced by Farmer Lodges reaction: as if some witch, or the devil himself, had taken hold of me there, and blasted the flesh (p10). By the clever use of literate devices, such as last desperate effort at deliverance and turn the blood (p16); along with the limited information given to the reader in each of the chapters and suggestive headings such as A Vision (6), Hardy is able to increase not only the tension within the story but also ensure that the reader only focuses on the supernatural aspects. Additionally, the use of linear writing allows Hardy to create real life validity, for the characters. When the reader rejoins the Lodges it is evident that they have both under gone huge personal and psychical changes: married experience sank into prosiness, and worse (p14). Farmer Lodge has become: gloomy and silent (p14). He attributes the decline in his married as judgement from heaven upon him (p15), for the affair he had with Rhoda. This again would be another indication of the morals of the era. Gertrude is now described as: the once blithe-hearted and enlightened Gertrude was changing into an irritable, superstitious woman (p15). With many references to her desperate attempts to cure her affliction: She named to him some of the hundred medicaments and counterspells which she had adopted from time to time (p16). Once again Hardy gives the reader the sense of unjustness that has be felled Gertrude, by allowing them to know that it was Rhoda Brooks who had blighted the Lodges married life by inflicting this curse on her: for the indistinct form he had raised in the glass had undoubtedly resembled the only woman in the world who as she now knew, though not then could have a reason for hearing her ill-will (p15). By using the deterioration of their relationship, Hardy again adds to the credibility of the story, so when Conjuror Trendle tells Gertrude that: you must touch with the limb the neck of a man whos been hanged and It will turn the blood (p16). Although this appears incredible to the reader, we can see that Gertrude is now a desperate superstitious women, who is willing to try anything to rid herself of her affliction and win back her husbands affections: And then she thought of the apparent cause If I could only again be as I was when he first saw me (p15). Credibility is also added by way of the climax of the story. Hardy begins to limit the readers focus, as the tension is built. By Hardy now only writing of Gertrude, he is able to concentrate on her actions and behaviours: Turn her head she would not and her knees trembling so that she could scarcely walk (p23). Thus ensuring that the reader has no or indeed very little thought of the other main characters. Hardy again is able to add credibility to the story in the way he describes the execution: the execution was over; but the crowd still waited to see the body taken down (p23). This suspends the reader with the thoughts will she, wont she? and not a thought for the young boy. However, by concluding the story the way he does: Immediately Brook had loosened her hold the fragile young Gertrude slid down against the feet of her husband (p23) she never reach home alive (p24), Hardy leaves the reader with the sense of pity at Gertrudes troubled life and not that she had in fact become the epitome of Rhodas dream: This is the meaning of what Satan showed me in the vision! You are like her at last! (p23). Hardy centres the story on the incredible events of the dream; he is able to add credibility to this by using powerful imagery such as: eyes peered cruelly into her face and the incubus, still regarding her, withdrew to the foot of the bed (p7). Also by choosing words like phantom, ghastly, spectre and vision, this adds to the connotations that it involves the supernatural. This is validated by the fact that Rhoda can still feel the affects of the dream the next day: her hand had not calmed even yet, and still retained the feel of the arm (p7). In addition to this, Hardy adds the coincidences of the boy hearing the disturbance and Gertrudes sudden affliction which all occurred simultaneously. This reference by: she had named the night and the hour of Rhodas spectral encounter, and Brook felt like a guilty thing. The artless disclosure startled her she did not reason on the freaks of coincidence and all the scenery of that ghastly night returned with double vividness to her mind (p9). Which leads the reader into believing that this was more than a dream. To conclude, I believe that Hardy was able to make the incredible appear credible, by setting the story sixty years before it was written. This was a time of great social and economic changes and until Darwins theory of Evolution, which was published in 1859. (The Origin of Species). It was commonly thought that God had the divine right of birth. The church played an important part in the lives of both the rich and the poor, sermons would preach evil and Satan, giving people superstitions and the belief in witches and the supernatural. Hardy was also able to play the ignorances of peoples knowledge of the countryside to add authenticity. Even today the reader can believe in its credibility, as there is still a fascination with the supernatural and the unknown. Bibliography Collins, Shorter Dictionary and Thesaurus, Published 1999, St Helens Darwin, Charles, The Origin of Species in 1859, 11/09/03 http://www. nettlesworth. durham. sch. uk/time/victorian/vpeople. html, Some Important People of Victorian Times. Hardy, Thomas, A Withered Arm. 25/02/02, http://www. adrianfox. demon. co. uk/lit/wither/wither. htm Taylor, David, Mastering social and economic History, Macmillan Master Series, Published 1988 Whats the Meaning of this? , 10/18/02, http://www. rootsweb. com/~genepool/meanings. htm.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Global Standardisation Or International Adaptation

Global Standardisation Or International Adaptation In the International Marketing field, the debate of standardisation as against adaptation has been significantly researched in the past and is still a highly debatable issue. This debate commenced in 1961 as indicated by Vignali and Vrontis, (1999). Initially this debate mainly focussed on international standardisation with regards to advertising. However, recently, this debate has been extended from just advertising to promotions mix and now to all the seven Ps of the marketing mix (Kanso, A., et.al, 2004). A brief review of literature also indentifies adaptation and standardisation as the two main tactics by international marketers for business longevity (Vrontis, D., et al, 2009). In the last four decades, according to Ryans (2003), there has been extensive academic research done in the field of international marketing standardisation. However in the past, economic development was concentrated on surplus of exports as compared to imports and hence, firms mainly focused on merely minimising costs to increase their exports. However, in this increasingly competitive and changing international market, firms have realised that cost minimisation is not just enough for gaining a competitive advantage. Nowadays, firms have become more consumers oriented and have developed techniques to satisfy and understand customer preferences and needs. (Vrontis, D., et al, 2009) The objective of this essay is to understand the issue of whether a business should adopt an international marketing mix strategy which is standardized globally or adapted internationally as per individual markets. In the quest to expand their presence worldwide, acquire higher market share, increase profitability and overcome market saturation issues, internationally oriented firms continually seek for new growth opportunities (Vrontis, D., et al, 2009). According to Vrontis (2006) whenever a firm decides to market their products internationally the fundamental decision for marketers is whether to use a global marketing strategy with a standardized marketing mix or whether to adjust and adapt the elements of the marketing mix according to the unique local target market. However, Vrontis (2006) suggests that according to the literature companies make contingency choices, which relate to key determinants in each circumstance (Vrontis, D., et al, 2009, p.3). The primary distinction between global standardisation or global marketing and international adaption in international marketing management is orientation. Standardisation forms the basis of global marketing management which views the world a s a single market where as on the other hand international marketing management is guided by an adapted marketing strategy (Cateora Graham, 1999). The basis of standardization in marketing as argued by Chung, 2007, is the comparison of a firms domestic and international marketing operations. In standardization, firms standardize all their marketing mix components. Chung further suggested that the extent to which the firms should standardize their marketing functions should be assessed. He has also highlighted in his research paper, the interaction method which helps to identify the influencing factors in selecting the standardization strategy (Ryans, J., et al., 2003). Buzzell (1995) have stated that the dissimilarities amongst countries have led international firms to redesign their marketing planning according the country in which it is operating. However, he further said that this situation is changed and he recognized potential gains for firms who adopt standardization of marketing practices. Chung (2007) further argued that culture has a major effect on just the promotional element of the marketing mix. This suggests that firms should use an adapted promotional approach when entering a different cultural environment (Vrontis, D., et al, 2009, p.3) and culture has a very minimal effect on product, price and place. Backhaus and Van, J., (2007) claims that standardisation is a trade off between the possible economic benefits of a standardised approach, as well as the performance gains attained by adapting to the needs of local markets. Marketers who support global standardisation tactics argue that consumers live in a globalized world in which nation-states are not the major determinants of marketing activities; and in which consumer tastes and cultures are homogenised and satisfied through the provision of standardised global products created by global corporations (Vrontis, D., et al, 2009; Dicken, P., 1998). Levitt, 1983 said that multinational firms have moved from customising items to offering globally standardised products which are better, more reliable and lower in price. According to Levitt, multinational firms who concentrate on particular consumer preferences become puzzled and are unable to see the big picture. Levitt strongly recommends that standardisation will bring success in the long term by concentrating on what majority wants (Levitt, T., 1983). The main reasons as suggested by Papavassilou and Stathakopoulos (1997) that add values to Levitts thesis is because it allows international firms to maintain brand identity globally and helps firms to maintain a consistent global image. It also reduces the confusion with regards to perceptions of travelling customers or buyers allowing firms to adopt a single tactical approach and enables them to reduce production costs by taking advantage of economies of scales in production. Levitts, 1983 suggests that standardisation on a tactical level is very important for global markets. He further argues that global firms which operate on standardised functions, at lower cost, can consider the entire world to be a single market and can sell product in the same manner globally. Keegan Green, (2000) supports Levitt by stating that standardised global marketing is similar to mass marketing in one country involving similar marketing mix strategies. This approach of global standardisation of the marketing mix is opposed by the researchers who support international adaptation approach. According to Vrontis et al, 2009, Supporters of adaptation declare that the assumptions underlining global standardisation philosophy are contradicted by the facts. Jain, (1989, p. 71) has stated that, Standardisation is at best difficult and, at worst, impractical (Jain, S., 1989, p. 71). According to Ruigrok and Tulder (1995), Globalisation seems to be as much of an overstatement as it is an ideology. Ruigrok and Tulder (1995) further stated that it is not possible to effectively market by using standardized marketing mix methods everywhere. Helming (1982) and Youovich (1982) challenged the basic assumption of the standardisation approach and argues that similar buying motives of international consumers may, at best, be simplistic and at worst, dangerous(Vrontis, D., et. al, 2009, p.3). Hence, supporters of international adaptation argue that minor or major adaptations in the elements of the marketing mix are vital and necessary in meeting the target market demands. According to them, different international markets are subject to different micro and macro-environmental considerations and hence standardisation of the marketing mix is not feasible. The marketing mix consists of seven components namely product, price, place, people, process, positioning and promotion. Any possibility of a global marketing mix suggests that the same configuration of the seven Ps could be applicable internationally, regardless of cultural and conditional differences. Some businesses do focus on global standardization; however, current data suggests the need for local adaptation. This may be achieved by carefully analyzing the regional market segmentation (Semenik, R., et.al, 1995). Hassan, Craft and Kortam (2003) has distinguished three important market segmentations namely, those group of countries which have a similar product demand, different countries in different region which already have the same product and Universal segment which are present in most countries. The other drivers considered by multinational companies with respect to segmentation and operating in the international markets can be divided into macro factors such as political, e conomic, technological, geographic, etc. and micro factors which include consumer tastes, preferences, lifestyles, attitudes, etc. Lipman (1988) has supported international adaptation strategy because in his view, the global-marketing theory itself is bankrupt and bunk (Vrontis, D., et.al, 2009, p.3). The standardization concept which once rushed executives to reconfigure their marketing strategies are now feeling duped. The differences in the customer characteristics, climatic conditions, culture, consumer behaviour and other factors are in the ascendency and having a single global marketing strategy is a vague concept. On the other hand, the huge costs involved in adaptation and the benefits of standardisation, may not allow adaptation to be used extensively (Vrontis, D., 2005). Adaptation and Standardisation are two extreme schools of thought. The view of adopting any one of these two strategies is rejected by researchers, authors and marketers who have found it difficult to apply these strategies in practice. For them, global standardisation and international adaptation is not a proposition, but a matter of degree. Diversity amongst countries does not permit global standardisation. They have stressed on the necessity of simultaneously using both international adaptation and global standardisation wherever necessary. (Sorenson, R., et.al, 1975; Prahalad, C., et.al, 1986; Boddewyn, J., et al., 1986; Douglas, S., et.al, 1987; Kim, W., et.al, 1987; Choi, K., et.al, 1996; Terpstra, V., et.al, 1997; Vanaij, W., 1997; Hennessey, J., 2001; Vrontis, D., 2003; Vrontis, D., et.al, 2005). The best example of an effective international marketing firm which adopts an integrated approach of standardisation and adaptation is McDonalds. The firm has expanded internationally by branding globally and adapting to the local tastes. (Vignali, C., 2001). Successful multinational firms should incorporate elements of both approaches. Hence, incorporating both concepts means that global firms must try to standardise as many elements of the marketing mix as possible and also follow necessary adaptation in order to satisfy market needs. To conclude, the goals of market complexity and cost reduction may influence firms to consider standardisation where as customer orientation may lead them towards adaptation but by incorporating both will help firms gain a competitive advantage and above average returns. References: Backhaus, K. and Van, J., (2007), Consumer perceptions of advertising standardisation: a cross-country study of different advertising categories, International Management Review, Vol. 3 No. 4, p. 37. Boddewyn, J., Soehl, R., and Picard, J., (1986), Standardisation in international marketing: is Ted Levitt in fact right?, Business Horizons, Vol. 29, pp. 69-75. Buzzell, R., Quelch, J., and Bartlett, C., (1995), Global Marketing Management, Cases and Readings, 3rd ed., Addison-Wesley, New York, NY. Choi, K., and Jarboe, T., (1996), Mass customization in power plant design and construction, Power Engineering, Vol. 100, No. 1, pp. 33-6. Chung, H., (2007), International marketing standardisation strategies analysis:a cross-national investigation, Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing, Vol. 19 No. 2, pp. 145-67. Dicken, P., (1998), Global Shift, Transforming the World Economy, 3rd ed., Paul Chapman, London. Douglas, S., and Wind, Y., (1987), The myth of globalization, Columbia Journal of World Business, Vol. 22, pp. 19-29. Hassan, S.S., Craft, S. and Kortam, W. (2003), Understanding the new bases for global market segmentation, Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 20, No. 5, pp. 446-62. Helming, A. (1982), Pitfalls lie waiting for unwary marketers, Advertising Age, n.d., p. M-8. Hennessey, J., (2001), Global Marketing Strategies, 5th ed., Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA. Jain, S.C. (1989), Standardisation of international marketing strategy: some research hypotheses, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 53, pp. 70-9. Kanso, A., and Kitchen, P., (2004), Marketing consumer services internationally: localisation and standardisation revisited, Marketing Intelligence and Planning, Vol. 22, No. 2, pp. 87-94. Keegan, W., and Green, M., (2000), Global Marketing, 2nd ed., Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Kim, W., and Mauborgne, R., (1987), Cross-cultural strategies, The Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. 7, pp. 31-40. Levitt, T., (1983), The globalization of markets, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 61, pp. 92-102. Lipman, J., (1988), Marketers turn sour on global sales pitch Harvard guru makes, Wall Street Journal, 12 May, p. 17. Papavassiliou, N., and Stathakopoulos, V., (1997), Standardisation versus adaptation of international advertising strategies: towards a framework, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 31 No. 7, pp. 504-27. Prahalad, C., and Doz, Y., (1986), The Multinational Mission: Balancing Local Demands and Global Vision, the Free Press, New York, NY. Ruigrok, W., and van Tulder, R., (1995), The Logic of International Restructuring, Routledge, London. Ryans, J., Griffth, D., and White, D., (2003), Standardization/adaptation of international strategy: necessary conditions for the advancement of knowledge, International Marketing Review, Vol. 20 No. 6, pp. 588-603. Semenik, R., and Bamossy, G., (1995), Principles of Marketing, a Global Perspective South Western, Cincinnati, USA. Sorenson, R., and Wiechmann, U., (1975), How multinationals view marketing standardisation, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 53, pp. 38-48. Terpstra, V., and Sarathy, R., (1997), International Marketing, 7th ed., Dryden Press, Fort Worth, TX. Vanraij, W., (1997), Globalisation of marketing communication?, Journal of Economic Psychology, Vol. 18, No, 2/3, pp. 259-70. Vignali, C., 2001, McDonalds: think global, act local the marketing mix, British Food Journal, Vol. 103, No. 2, p. 97. Vignali, C., and Vrontis, D., (1999), An International Marketing Reader, The Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester. Vrontis, D., (2003), Integrating adaptation and standardisation in international marketing, the AdaptStand modelling process, Journal of Marketing Management, Vol. 19, No. 3/4, pp. 283-305. Vrontis, D., (2005), The creation of the AdaptStand process in international marketing, Journal of Innovative Marketing, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 7-21. Vrontis, D., and Papasolomou, I., (2005), The use of entry methods in identifying multinational companies AdaptStand behaviour in foreign markets, Review of Business, Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 13-20. Vrontis, D., Thrassou, A., and Lamprianou, I., (2009), International marketing adaptation versus standardization of multinational companies, Journal of International Marketing Review, Vol. 20, No. 4/5, pp. 477-500. Vrontis, D., Thrassou, A., and Vignali, C., (2006), The country-of-origin effect, on the purchase intention of apparel opportunities and threats for small firms, International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Vol. 3, Nos 3/4, pp. 459-76. Youovich, B., (1982), Maintain a balance of planning, Advertising Age, n.d., p. M-7.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Susan Glaspells Trifles - Little Things Mean a Lot :: Trifles Essays

Little Things Mean a Lot in Trifles Susan Glaspell's play, Trifles, explores the fact that women pay attention to the little things that may lead to the solving of a bigger problem. Why are women so into the little things? The attention to detail seems to be the starting point to solving the bigger problem. Think of the little things as pieces of a puzzle. When the small pieces come together you see the bigger picture. In the play Trifles the men seem to think the women only worry about the little things, or trifles. What the men do not realize is that the women are actually solving the murder by worrying, or trifling, over the small details. To really understand this aspect we have to look at the play itself. The first example of the attention to detail is the fruit preserves. In lines seventy-eight to seventy-nine Mrs. Peters says, "She worried about that when it turned so cold. She said the fire'd go out and her jars would break." To which the Sheriff replies, "Well, can you beat the women! Held for murder and worri n' about her preserves." In line eighty-three Mr. Hale says, "Well, women are use to worrying over trifles." If Mrs. Wright had not been preoccupied, she could have started a fire to keep the preserves from freezing. Another example of trifling is noticing that Mrs. Wright did not awake while her husband was being strangled to death. Unless the Wrights slept in separate beds, Mrs. Wright should have felt the struggle between her husband and the murderer. Even though Mrs. Wright said she was a deep sleeper, she still should have heard the gasping for air and the struggle that was going on right next to her. Another thing that seemed very strange to everybody was that there was a gun in the house. Why not use the gun? Why use the rope? According to the essay, On Susan Glaspell's Trifles, the author notes, "The strangling of Mr. Wright, which perplexes all when a gun was handy, is reminiscent of the strangling of that bird (1)." The third example of noticing the small things is the pie cing of the quilt. The women were wondering if she was going to knot it or quilt it. The Sheriff over hears the conversation and says to the County Attorney in line one hundred and sixty-three, "They wonder if she was going to quilt it or just knot it!" In lines one hundred and sixty-six to sixty-seven Mrs.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Romeo And Juliet, An Affair To Remember And Moulin Rouge - the Path O :: essays research papers

The path of true love never did run smooth. Three such love stories from our time are ‘Romeo and Juliet’, ‘An Affair to Remember’ and the recent movie ‘Moulin Rouge’. These great well-known stories depict the path of true love littered with tragedy, other people trying to sabotage love and other disasters befalling the star-struck lovers. Nothing in love goes smoothly all the time, there are always hiccups along the way. This is the key factor that makes these stories and other great love stories, so popular and unforgettable. A story about true love is never complete without tragedy and troubles dogging the lovers’ every step. In the story ‘Romeo and Juliet’, two powerful families have feuded for generations. Romeo from one family falls in love with Juliet from the opposing family. Romeo and Juliet arrange secret meetings and then decide to get married. Wrongful accusations, misunderstandings and plots going awry plague the pair. The story ends with the very last misunderstanding where Romeo, believing Juliet to be dead when really sleeping, kills himself. Juliet wakens and seeing her lover dead, takes her own life. This story is one of the greatest love stories of all time. There would not be too many people who have not heard of it. The story would not be as popular if Romeo and Juliet met, their families made up, they married and lived happily ever after. We love the tragic element of this story. It makes us cry, it makes us feel deep emotions, it stirs up feelings like no other love story. The path of this true love is not smooth, but the path with its roughness and obstacles, seems to be the best way of showing the nobility and strength of true love. In the story ‘An Affair to Remember’, of the late fifties, two people meet on a cruise and fall in love. They decide to meet at the Empire State building in six months when they will both be free to pursue a life together. On that day the man, Nickie waits atop the Empire State building. Terry, the woman is rushing to get there but in her haste of looking up at the building is tragically run over and becomes a paraplegic. The man thinks that she does not love him so he becomes depressed and starts painting pictures and he paints one of her. She sees this painting and buys it.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 37~38

37 Bombs and Bribes The itching started a week after the first flight. It began on his scalp and a few days later, as the wounds on his arms, legs, and genitals healed, Tucker would have stripped off his skin to escape it. If there had been some other distraction, something to do besides sit in his bungalow waiting to be called for a flight, it might have been bearable, but now the doctor came only once a day to check on him, and he hadn't seen Beth Curtis since they landed. He read spy novels, listened to the country western radio station out of Guam until he thought that if he heard one more wailing steel guitar, he'd rip the rest of his hair out. Sometimes he lay under the mosquito net-ting, acutely aware of his comatose member, and tried to think of all the women he had had, one by one, then all the women he had ever wanted, including actresses, models, and famous figures from history (the Marilyn Monroe/Cleopatra double-team-in-warm-pudding scenario kept him dis-tracted for almost an hour). Twice a day he cooked himself a meal. The doctor had set him up with a double hot plate and a pantry full of canned goods, and occasionally one of the guards dropped off a parcel of fruit or fresh fish. Mostly, though, he itched. Tuck tried to engage Sebastian Curtis in conversation, but there were few subjects about which the missionary was not evasive, and most re-minded him that he had left some pressing task at the clinic. Questions about Kimi, the guards, the lack of cargo, his personal history, his wife, the natives of the island, or communication with the outside world evoked half-answers and downright silence. He asked the doctor for some cortisone, for a television, for access to a computer so he could send a message back to Jake Skye, and while the doctor didn't say no outright, Tuck was left empty-handed except for a suggestion that he ought to go swimming and a reminder of how much money he was making for reading spy novels and scratching at scabs. Tuck wanted a steak, a woman (although he still wasn't sure he could do anything but talk to her), and a chilled bottle of vodka. The doctor gave him some fins, a mask and snorkel, and a bottle of waterproof sunscreen. When, one morning, Tuck spent an empty hour trying to will his member to life by mentally wrapping his fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Nelson, in Saran Wrap, only to find his fantasy foiled by her insistence that he had no lead in his Number 2 pencil, he grabbed the snorkeling gear and made his way to the beach. Two of the guards followed at a distance. They were always there. When he looked out the window, if he tried to take a walk, if he wanted to check on the Lear, they clung to him like stereo shadows. They stood over him as he sat in the sand, pulling the fins on. â€Å"Why don't you guys go put on some trunks and join me? Those jumpsuits have to be pretty uncomfortable.† It wasn't the first time he'd tried to talk to them, and it wasn't the first time he'd been ignored. They just stood there, as silent as meditating monks. Tuck hadn't been able to discern if they understood a word of English. â€Å"Okay, then, I'm going to do the Cousteau thing, but later let's get together for some raw fish and karaoke?† He gave them a wink. No reaction. â€Å"Then let's play some cards and talk about how you guys recite haiku while blowing each other every night?† Tuck thought that might do it, but still there was no reaction. As he started toward the water, Tuck said, â€Å"I heard the Japanese flag was modeled after a used sanitary napkin. Is that true?† He looked over his shoulder for a response and his fin caught and bent double on a rock. An instant later he was facedown on the beach, sputtering to get the sand out of his mouth, and the guards were laughing. â€Å"Asshole,† he heard one say, and he was on his feet and looming over the Japanese like a giant rabid duck. â€Å"Just back off, Odd Job!† The guard who had spoken stood his ground, but his companion backed away looking lost without his Uzi. â€Å"What's the matter, no submachine gun? You chickenshits so busy crawling up my back that you forgot your toys?† Tuck poked the guard in the chest to punctuate his point. The guard grabbed Tuck's finger and bent it back, then swept the pilot's feet out from under him and drew a Glock nine-millimeter pistol from a holster at the small of his back and pressed the barrel to Tucker's forehead hard enough to dent the skin. The other guard barked something in Japanese, then stepped forward and kicked Tuck in the stomach. Tucker rolled into a ball in the sand, instinctively throwing one arm over his face and clenching the other at his side to protect his kidneys as he waited for the next blow. It didn't come. When he looked up, the guards were walking back to the compound. Getting them to leave him alone had been the desired result, but the process was a little rougher than he'd expected. Tuck wiggled his finger to make sure it wasn't broken and examined the boot toe print under his rib cage. Then the anger unlocked his imagination and plans for revenge began. The easiest thing to do would be to tell the doctor, but Tuck, like all men, had been conditioned against two responses: You don't cry and you don't rat. No, it would have to be something subtle, elegant, painful, and most of all, humiliating. Tuck almost skipped into the water, running on his newfound energy: adrenalized vengeance. He paddled around at the inside edge of the reef, watching anemones pulse in the current while small fish in improbable neon colors darted in and out of the coral. The ocean was as warm as bathwater, and after a few minutes with his face in the water, he felt de-tached from his body and the color and movement below became as meaningless as the patterns in a campfire. The only reminder that he was human was the sound of his breath rushing through the snorkel and the images of cold revenge in his mind. He looked down the ragged curve of the reef and saw a large shadow moving across the bottom, but before fight-or-flight panic could even set in, he saw it was the shadow of a loggerhead turtle flying through the water like a saurian angel. The turtle circled him and cruised by close enough for Tuck to see the movement in the creature's silver-dollar-sized eye as it studied him, and a message there: â€Å"You don't belong here,† it said. And that part of Tuck that had recognized the saltwater as its mother re-belled and he felt alien and vulnerable and cold, and a little rude, as if he had been attending a black-tie dinner only to realize as dessert was served that he was wearing pajamas. It was time to go. He lifted his head, took a bearing on the chain-link fence that ran to the edge of the beach, and started a slow crawl toward shore. As the water went shallow, he banged his knee on a submerged rock, then stood and slogged through the lapping surf as his fins tried to drag him back off the beach. Once clear of the water, he fell in the sand and tore the fins off his feet. He threw them up the shore without looking and a half a breath later a deafening explosion lifted him up and he landed ten feet away, stunned and breathless, as damp sand and pieces of swim fin rained down upon him. Tucker stormed through the clinic door trailing sand and water across the concrete floor. â€Å"Mines! You have fucking land mines on the fucking beach?† Sebastian Curtis was seated at a computer terminal. He quickly clicked off the screen and swiveled in his chair. â€Å"I heard the explosion, but birds and turtles have set them off before. Was anyone hurt?† â€Å"Other than I'm going to hear a high-pitched wail for the rest of my life and my sphincter won't relax until I'm dead a couple of years, no, no one was hurt. What I want to know is why you have mines on the beach.† â€Å"Calm down, Mr. Case. Please sit down.† The doctor gestured to a folding metal chair. â€Å"Please.† He looked sad, not at all confrontational, not like the kind of man who would mine a tropical beach. â€Å"I suppose there are some things you need to know. First, I have something for you.† He opened a drawer under the keyboard, withdrew a check, and handed it to Tuck. Tucker's rage dropped a level when he looked at the amount. â€Å"Ten grand? What's this for?† â€Å"Call it a first-flight bonus. Beth said you did very well.† Tucker fingered the check, then brushed the sand off it and read it again. If he had any self-respect, he'd throw it in the doctor's face. He didn't, of course. â€Å"This is great, Doc. Ten grand for picking up a case of wine. I'm not even going to ask you what was in the cooler she gave that guy, but I was almost killed on the beach a few minutes ago.† â€Å"I'm very sorry about that. There's a lot of Japanese ordnance scattered around the island. The area at the edge of the fence used to be a minefield. The staff and the natives all know not to go there.† â€Å"Well, you might have mentioned it to me.† â€Å"I didn't want to alarm you. I told a couple of members of the staff to keep an eye on you and steer you away from there. I'll speak to them.† â€Å"They've been spoken to. I spoke to them myself. And I'm a little tired of being watched by them.† â€Å"It's for your own safety, as I'm sure you can see now.† â€Å"I'm not a child and I don't expect to be treated like one. I want to go where I want, when I want, and I don't want to be watched by a bunch of ninjas.† The doctor sat bolt-upright in his chair. â€Å"Why do you refer to them as ninjas? Who told you to call the staff that?† â€Å"Look at them. They're Japanese, they wear all black, they know martial arts – hell, the only thing they're missing are T-shirts that say, ‘Ask me about being a ninja.' I call them that because that's what they look like. They sure as hell aren't medical staff.† â€Å"No, they're not,† Sebastian said, â€Å"but I'm afraid they are a necessary evil, and one that I can't do much about.† â€Å"Why not? It's your island.† â€Å"This island belongs to the Shark People. And even this clinic isn't mine, Mr. Case. As I'm sure you've guessed, we are not financed by the Methodist Mission Fund.† â€Å"Yeah, I kinda figured that.† â€Å"We do have some very powerful corporate sponsors in Japan, and they have insisted that we keep a small contingent of security men on the island if we want to keep our funding.† â€Å"Funding for what, Doc?† â€Å"Research.† Tuck laughed. â€Å"Right. This is the perfect environment for research. No sense using some sterile high-tech facility in Tokyo. Do your R and D out on the asshole of the Pacific. Come clean. What's really going on?† The doctor pointed to the check Tucker was holding. â€Å"If I tell you, Mr. Case, that's the last one of those you will see. You make the choice. If you want to work here, you have to work in the dark. There is no compromise. It's research, it's secret, and the people who are paying for it want it to stay that way or they wouldn't have hired the guards and they wouldn't allow me to pay you so well.† He pushed back his gray hair and stared into Tucker's eyes, not threatening, not challenging, but with the compassion of a physician concerned about the welfare of a patient. â€Å"Now, do you really want to know what we're doing here?† Tuck looked at the check, looked back at the doctor, then looked at the check. If it was good, it was the largest amount of money he'd ever possessed at one time. He said, â€Å"I just want the guards to lighten up, give me some room to breathe.† The doctor smiled. â€Å"I think we can do that. But I need your word that you won't try to leave the compound.† â€Å"To go where? I've seen this island from the air, remember? I can't be missing much.† â€Å"I'm only interested in your safety.† â€Å"Right,† Tucker said, as sincerely as he could muster. â€Å"But I want a TV. I'm going nuts sitting around in that room. If I read one more spy novel, I'll qualify for a Double-O number. You guys have a TV, so I know you have one of those satellite dishes hooked up. I want a TV.† Again the doctor smiled. â€Å"You can have ours. I'm sure Beth won't mind.† â€Å"You gave him what?† The Sky Priestess looked up from a copy of Us magazine. She was draped in a white silk kimono that was untied and cascaded around her into a shimmering pool at the foot of her chair. Her hair was pinned up with ivory chopsticks inlaid with ebony dragons. The Sorcerer stood in the door of her chambers. He'd felt rather proud of himself until the tone in her voice struck him like an ice pick in the neck. â€Å"Your television. But it's only temporary. I'll have another one waiting for you at the airstrip on the next flight.† â€Å"Which is when?† â€Å"As soon as I can set up an order. I promise, Beth.† â€Å"Which means that I also have to do a performance without my soaps. I depend on my soaps to practice my sense memories, Sebastian. How do you expect me to play a goddess if I can't find my emotional moment?† â€Å"Maybe, just this once, you could try emotions that don't come by satellite feed.† She dropped her magazine and bit her lip, looking off to the corner of the room as if considering it. â€Å"Fine. Give him the TV.† â€Å"I gave him ten thousand dollars, as well.† Her eyes narrowed. â€Å"What does he get if he blows himself up again, a night with the Sky Priestess?† â€Å"If I can bargain him down to that,† the Sorcerer said. He turned and walked out of the room smiling to himself. 38 Native Customs Tucker Case spent the next week watching the compound, trying to get a clue to what was going on. The doctor had brought the TV as he promised, and even loaned Tucker a seven iron, but since then Tuck had only seen him from a distance, making his way back and forth from the clinic to one of the small bungalows at the other side of the beach. The guards still watched him, following him at a distance when he went for a swim or a search-and-destroy mission for roosters, but there had been no sign of Beth Curtis. If indeed the doctor was doing some sort of research, there was no hint as to what it involved. Tuck tried stopping by the clinic several times, only to find the door locked and no response when he knocked. Boredom worked on Tuck, pressed down on him like a pile of wet blankets until he felt as if he would suffocate under the weight. In the past he had always fought boredom with alcohol and women, and the trouble that ensued from that combination filled the days. Here there was nothing but spy novels and bad Asian cooking shows (the doctor had refused to let him hook up to the satellite dish) and although he was pleased that he now knew nine different ways to prepare beagle, it wasn't enough. He needed to get out of the compound, if for no other reason than because they told him he couldn't. Fortunately, over the years, Tuck had acquired an encyclopedic knowledge of women-in-prison movies, so he had at his disposal a plethora of escape strategies. Of course, many of them weren't applicable. He immediately rejected the idea of seducing and shiving the large lesbian matron, and faking menstrual cramps would only get him sent to the clinic with a Mydol IV, but strangely enough, as he was acting out the gratuitous shower scene, his plan burst forth: soap-slathered, silicone-enhanced, and in total defiance of time, gravity, and natural proportion†¦ The shower drain opened directly onto the coral gravel below. He could see it down there, the ground, and a small hermit crab scuttling to escape the soapy water. He'd lost weight, but not enough to slide down the drain. The entire bottom of the shower was no more than a tray of gal-vanized metal. He bent, grasped the edge, and lifted. It didn't come free, but it moved. A little time, a little patience, and he'd have it free. Planning and patience. Those were the keys to a successful escape. So he could get out of the bungalow without being seen. The next obstacle would be the fence. Tuck found out early on that the fence around the compound was electrified. He'd found a rooster stuck to the wires, doing a convulsive imitation of the funky chicken while its feathers smoldered and sparks shot from its grounded foot. Satisfying as the discovery was, Tuck realized that there would be no going over the fence, and the gate to the airfield was locked with a massive chain and padlock. The only way past the fence was around it, and the only place to get around it was at the beach. Sure, he could swim out and come in farther down the beach, but how far did the minefield extend? He began testing it by hitting rocks into the minefield with his seven iron under the auspices of practicing his swing. He managed to produce several impressive craters and scare the guards with the explosion before finding the edge of the minefield some fifty yards down the beach. He decided to risk it. He picked up a coconut on his way back to the bungalow, then climbed into bed and waited for darkness to fall. After the sun set and the three-quarter moon rose, Tuck waited for the guard to peek through the window, then as he heard him crunch away, began building the decoy (a trick he learned from Falling Fingers: Leper Bimbos Behind Bars II). Two pillows and a coconut head made for a reason-able likeness, especially when viewed by moonlight through mosquito netting. He slipped out of bed and crawled below window level to the bathroom, where he had left his mask, fins, and a candle. He shoved a towel under the door to keep the light from leaking out, then lit the candle and began working the metal shower tray out of its frame. After five minutes of tugging, stopping for a moment when he heard the guard's boots crunching outside, he released the shower tray and leaned it up on its side. Tuck blew out the candle and dropped to gravel four feet below, then reached back and pulled his fins and mask through the opening. The coral gravel felt like broken glass on his tender feet, but he decided to endure the pain rather than risk the noise of shoes. Tuck heard the guard coming again and dropped to the ground where he could look out under the bungalow into the courtyard. The guard thumped up the steps, paused as he looked through the window, then, satisfied that Tucker was asleep, walked across the compound to the guards' quarters and sat in a folding chair outside the door. Tuck checked behind him, then scrambled out of the crawl space into the grove of coconut palms. He paused and caught his breath, then planned his path to the beach. He would have to cover fifty yards between his bungalow and the clinic, fifty yards that weren't completely open but visible from where the guard sat. He could hop from tree to tree, but if the guard happened to be looking that way, he was done. A lizard scampered up the tree he was leaning on and Tuck felt his heart stop. What was he thinking? There could be scorpions out here, sharks and barracudas and other creepy stuff in the dark ocean. And what happened when he got to the other side of the fence? More sand and scorpions and possibly hostile natives. He was waiting, thinking about how easy it would be to crawl back through the shower and go to bed, when a lighter flared across the compound and he saw the guard's face illuminated orange, and Tuck bolted for the rear of the clinic building, hoping the lighter would blind the guard long enough for him to cover the fifty yards. Halfway across, he dropped a fin, then fell to the ground beside it and looked up. The guard was smoking peacefully, watching blue streams of smoke rise in the moonlight. Tuck grabbed the fin and crawled on his belly the final ten yards to the clinic, fighting the urge to cry out as the gravel dug into his elbows. A hermit crab scuttled over his back sending a bolt of the electric willies shooting up his spine to speed him to cover. The guard didn't look up. Tuck climbed to his feet, dusted himself off, and made his way to the beach. A light breeze rattled the palm leaves and Tuck could hear the surf crashing out on the reef, but at the shore the waves lapped only shin high. Tuck waded into the warm water carrying his fins. When he was waist deep, he crouched and slipped them on, then paddled out on his back, looking back toward shore. There were lights on in both of the Curtises' bungalows. He could see Beth Curtis moving past the windows. She appeared to be naked, but from this distance he couldn't tell for sure. He tore himself away and swam out past the surf line to make his way down the beach. It was an easy swim to the fence, the biggest challenge being to keep his mind off what might be lurking under the dark water. He swam another hundred yards down the beach, then started toward shore. When his hand brushed a rock, he reached down and pulled off his fins. He gritted his teeth as he put his feet down to stand, expecting the shooting pain of an urchin or a ray. He cursed himself for not bringing his sneakers. As he slogged up the beach, Tuck heard a rustling in the trees and looked up to see a flash of color in the moonlight. He ran up the beach, dove behind a log at the high-tide line, and lay there watching as tiny crabs clicked and crawled around him. She emerged from the trees only ten yards from where Tucker lay. She was wearing a purple lavalava, which she unwrapped and dropped on the sand. Tuck stopped breathing. She walked by him, only a few feet away, her body oiled and shining in the moonlight, her long black hair playing behind her in the breeze. He risked lifting his head and watched her walk into the water up to her knees and begin washing, splashing water on her thighs and bottom. From the time he had left Houston he had carried images in his head of what it would be like to live on a tropical island. Those images had been buried by cuts and scrapes, typhoons and humidity, sharks and ninjas and enigmatic missionaries. This was why he had come: a naked island girl washing her mocha thighs on a warm moonlit beach. He felt a stirring under him and almost leaped to his feet, thinking he was lying on some sea creature. Then he realized that the stirring came from within. It had been so long since he'd felt signs of an erection that he didn't recognize it at first. He almost burst out laughing. It still worked. He was still a man. Hell, he was more than just a man, he was Tucker Case, secret agent, and for the first time in months, he was packing wood. The girl walked out of the water and Tuck ducked his head as she passed. He watched her wrap the lavalava around her hips and disappear into the trees. He waited until she was gone, then followed her, enjoying the tension in his trunks as he crept into the trees. Malink looked up from pouring tuba for the men at the drinking circle to see Sepie coming down from the village. This was an outrage and an em-barrassment. No women were allowed near the drinking circle. It was a place for men. â€Å"Go home, Sepie!† Malink barked. â€Å"You are not to be here.† Sepie ignored him and kept coming, her hips swaying. Several of the young married men looked away, feeling regret that they wouldn't be bedding down in the bachelors' house tonight. â€Å"There's a white man following me.† Malink stood. â€Å"You talk nonsense. Now go home or you'll have another week away from the ocean.† He noticed that the ends of her hair were wet and drops ran off her legs. She'd already broken her punishment for talking with the Japanese guards. â€Å"Fine,† Sepie said. â€Å"I don't care if a white man is sneaking around in the bushes. I just though you would want to know.† She flipped her hair as she turned and made her way back up the beach. As she passed the tree that Tuck had ducked behind, she said in English, â€Å"The fat loud one is chief. You go talk to him. He tell you who I am.† And she walked on, head high, without looking back. Tuck felt his face flush and his ego deflate along with the swelling in his pants. Busted. She'd known he was there all along. Some secret agent. He'd be lucky to get back into the compound without getting caught. He watched the men on the beach passing around the communal cup. From the way they moved he could see that some of them were pretty drunk. He remembered the warning of Jefferson Pardee about not drinking with these latent warriors, but they looked harmless, even a little silly with their loincloths and shark tattoos. One young man reached to take the cup from the old guy who was pouring and fell on his face in the sand. That did it. Tuck stepped out from behind his tree and started toward the circle. Whatever was being poured from those jugs was probably not gin and tonic, but it would definitely get you fucked up, and getting fucked up sounded pretty good right now. â€Å"Jambo,† Tuck said, using a greeting he'd heard in a Tarzan movie. The whole group looked up. One man actually let out an abbreviated scream. The fat old guy stood up, a fire in his eyes that cooled as Tuck moved out of the shadows. Mary Jean had always said, â€Å"Doesn't matter if it's a senator or a doorman. No one is immune to a warm smile and a firm handshake.† Tuck held out his hand and smiled. â€Å"Tucker Case. Pleased to meet you.† Malink allowed the white man to shake his hand. As the others looked on, still stunned, Malink said, â€Å"You are looking better than the last time I saw you. The Sorcerer made you well.† Tuck's eyes were trained on the three-gallon jugs of milky liquid at the center of the circle. â€Å"Yeah, I'm feeling on top of the world. You guys think you could spare a sip of that jungle juice?† â€Å"Sit,† Malink said, and he waved the young men aside to make space for Tuck on one of the sitting logs. Tuck stepped in and sat as Favo handed him the coconut shell cup. Tuck downed the contents in one gulp and fought to keep from gagging. It tasted of sulfur, sugar, and a tint of ammo-nia, but the alcohol was there, and the familiar warmth was coursing through him before he'd even stopped shuddering from the taste. â€Å"Good. Very good.† Tuck smiled and nodded around the circle. The Shark men smiled and nodded back. Malink sat beside him. â€Å"We thought you died.† â€Å"So did I. How about another belt?† Malink looked embarrassed. â€Å"The cup must come around again.† â€Å"Fine, fine. Drink up, boys,† Tuck said, smiling and nodding like a madman. â€Å"How you come here?† Malink asked. â€Å"A little stroll, a little swim. I wanted to get out and meet some people. You know, get to know the local customs. Gets pretty boring up at the clinic.† Malink frowned. â€Å"You are the pilot. We see you fly the plane.† â€Å"That's me.† â€Å"Vincent said you would come.† â€Å"Who's Vincent?† The men, who had been whispering among themselves, fell si lent. The pouring and drinking stopped as they waited for Malink's reply. â€Å"Vincent is pilot too. He come long time ago, bringing cargo. He send the Sky Priestess until he come back. You see her with the Sorcerer. At hospital. She have yellow hair like yours.† Tuck nodded, as if he had any idea what the chief was talking about. Right now he just wanted to see the cup finish its lap and get back to him. â€Å"Yeah, right. I've seen her. She's the doctor's wife.† Abo, who was drunk and for once not angry, laughed and said, â€Å"She is nobody's wife, you fuckin' mook. She's the Sky Priestess.† Tuck froze. A plane crash and a talking bat rose like demons, ruining his oncoming buzz. Malink looked apologetic. â€Å"He is young and drunk and stupid. You not fuckin' mook.† â€Å"Where'd you hear that?† Tuck asked. â€Å"Where'd you hear ‘fuckin' mook'?† â€Å"Vincent say that. We all say that.† â€Å"Vincent? What's Vincent look like?† The young men looked to Favo and Malink. Favo spoke. â€Å"He is American. Have dark hair like us, but his nose point. Young. Maybe as old as you.† â€Å"And he's a pilot? What's he wear?† â€Å"He wear gray suit, sometimes a jacket with fur here.† Favo mimed a collar and lapels. â€Å"A bomber jacket.† Malink smiled. â€Å"Yes, Sky Priestess is bomber.† Tuck snatched the cup from one of the Johns and drained it, then handed it back. â€Å"Sorry. Emergency.† He looked at Malink. â€Å"And this Vincent said I was coming?† Malink nodded. â€Å"He tell me in a dream. Then Sarapul find you and your friend on the reef.† â€Å"My friend? Is he around?† â€Å"We no see him now. He go to live with Sarapul on other side of island.† â€Å"Take me to him.† â€Å"We drink tuba now. Go in morning?† â€Å"I have to be back before morning. And you can't tell anyone that I was here.† â€Å"One more,† Malink said. â€Å"The tuba is good tonight.† â€Å"Okay, one more,† Tuck said.