Monday, September 30, 2019

David Milgaard

l Saskatoon man failed by the Canadian justice system The potential of an innocent person wrongfully being arrested, convicted, and punished has always been a risk and a fear on our justice system. As the justice system is handled by humans, it is bound to make mistakes and such errors can lead to circumstances in which an innocent is found guilty; this is called a miscarriage of justice. Miscarriage of justice means the failure of a judicial system or court in the administration of justice, especially when an innocent is convicted in a crime.An example would be the wrongful conviction of David Milgaard involving the rape and murder of Gail Miller back in 1969. The Canadian justice system failed tremendously wasted millions of dollars and lost the public confidence of the system. More importantly, this even took away two decades of one man’s life. The factors of social perception of deviance, the influence of the media, and the misconception of investigating police and prosecu tion played a substantial role in the resulting miscarriage of justice.The Canadian justice system did indeed fail David Milgaard because there was not enough valid evidence to hold him as guilty in the time since his conviction. Media of all types were a part of this miscarriage of justice as there was misinformation and facts that was being spread around about David Milgaard. There is no valid reason why media sources had to target Milgaard in the eye of the nation and say false information to the rest of the country. All the media was doing was putting fear into the heads of people who lived in Saskatoon.Even the police were pressured knowing that the public wanted a killer to go in to jail. The police already thought it was Milgaard, who was the one that did the raping and killing of Miller but in May of 1969, Saskatoon police were getting desperate to find Miller’s murderer. It had already been four months since the time that she was murdered and since Milgaard had a bad history, it seemed perfect to police to look at him as the suspect. At the time when Miller was murdered, there were a number of other women who were raped throughout Saskatoon.In a coincidence, one of Miller’s neighbours had been sexually assaulted right after Milgaard was arrested there were newspapers that mentioned Miller’s murderer was possibly responsible for up to 3 other rapes in that community that could potentially been Larry Fisher. This was just one way that the media picked on Milgaard, and the fact that the media wanted to push some fear into the community. In the community that Gail was living in, there were posters that were posted publicly. All the posters would have a picture of Miller and just above that it would say â€Å"MURDERER†.It was just a matter of time where everything and everyone seemed to be pointing to one person, David Milgaard. Everything started to go downhill once Milgaard was arrested. The media was the main force behind thi s case. The media know the in and outs of finding unique events and they try to make it like it is an everyday occurrence. The media was feeding on the fact that the community that Miller was murdered in was a quiet community. There were no crimes of this size that was made in that particular community until the day Miller was murdered.Because of this the media made it look like Milgaard a serial rapist. Since all the pressure was on Milgaard, both the community and everyone else in the country wanted him to be locked up in jail. At the time of Milgaard’s arrest, he was only 16 years-old, but at the time of the trial, Milgaard was 17 years-old. Milgaard was tried as an adult. Since Milgaard was tried as an adult, this helped by comforting people’s concerns. In Milgaard’s conviction, the Canadian media and society’s image of deviance played a major role.The professional and institutional misconduct was also held responsible for the major injustice that has fell upon Milgaard and his family. There was barely any evidence for police to arrest Milgaard. The main reason why the police arrested Milgaard was because of they thought that they saw characteristics of a crime, so they decided that a crime control approach would be needed. But clearly, there was no characteristic that was shown by Milgaard that proves that he committed a murder in any way.The Saskatoon police started an investigation into Milgaard’s life once Albert Cadrain (a friend of Milgaard’s, who mentioned that Milgaard was the one who committed the murder). The police wanted to find out if there was any motive as to why Miller may have been killed by Milgaard. The police were unsuccessful on realizing Cadrain's claim. The police did recover illustration of truthful facts. Since police had a fixed mind so they decided to neglect the truth. In the present circumstances police figured Milgaard was a clear suspect.Milgaard was a teenager whose appearance looks like a hippie and he was involved in drugs with his friends. According to Melvyn Green, Milgaard was in the â€Å"eye† of public and police. The police decided to neglect the truth. Police had single vision and they ignored to expand on the investigation and follow the facts which they found. So rather than investigating and discovering the true offender who has committed the act, the Saskatoon police singled Milgaard as prime suspect of the murder of Gail Miller After the trial, Milgaard was then put to life in prison for a crime that both he and his family did not do.The Crown attorney did prosecute a case whose goal was totally wrong. During his time in jail, there were multiple times where Milgaard tried to get a new trial, but was rejected. While in jail, Milgaard's mother tried to reopen the case multiple times; it took roughly twelve years for her efforts to pay off. During those 12 years, the case eventually opened and Milgaard was then released from prison after the courts concluded that he was wrongfully convicted. Furthermore, his mother spent some of the 12 years trying to clean Milgaard’s name. By doing so, his record was cleared.David Milgaard was broken down by the Canadian justice system during the time of his conviction due to lack of accurate evidence claiming that he was guilty. After David Milgaard had gotten out of jail, he had lost 23 years of his life. This tragedy could have been prevented if this case was more thoroughly investigated. This is just one of the few cases that prove to show that the Canadian criminal justice system is not perfect. The public’s opinion of Milgaard was heavily swayed by the media, which had a direct impact on his prison sentence.His bad behavior in high school also made him an easy target. These factors had a profound effect on the jury’s position and the witness testimony. In the prosecution of the case, the trial ended in a guilty verdict due to the misconceptions that the Canad ian criminal justice system created around the case. There were three main issues behind the wrongful conviction of David Milgaard, each and every one of these played their own role in the ruling. Work Cited †¢ CBC News. September26, 2008. Joyce Milgaard ‘delighted' by report recommendations. April 29th, 2012. CBC News. Feburary20th, 2004. Alberta judge to head up Milgaard inquiry. April30th, 2012. †¢ Ryerson University. Wrongful Convictions in Canada. April29th,2012. †¢ Adam, Ann, Betty. June15th, 2005. Commission of Inquiry into the Wrongful Conviction of David Milgaard. April27th, 2012. †¢ Michael Wood. November26th, 2011. Milgaard charged with assault, uttering threats. April28th, 2012. †¢ Murderpedia. Larry Fisher. April26th, 2012 †¢ Adam, Ann, Betty. January19, 2005. Commission of Inquiry Into the Wrongful Conviction of David Milgaard. May1st, 2012.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Success In Modern Bodybuilding EPQ Project Report

Female bodybuilding has risen in popularity, but due to a lack of research and the small size of this project, only male competitors will be addressed. The purpose of this project is to provide readers with the details on what they can do to become a successful bodybuilder. Due to personal interest in the sport the hope is to expand personal knowledge and to share this. My opinion on the research is distinguished in the text; it is presented in italics so it stands out. Readers should be open-minded and draw their own conclusions, as bodybuilding is subjective and there are many debates, it is p to individuals to understand themselves.Former BIBB Pro bodybuilder Ronnie Coleman (pictured above) 1 Diet – A bodybuilders diet stimulates muscle grog. N/the and recovery. Typically, bodybuilders take in frequent meals in small portions to constantly feed muscles. Jay Cutler recommends â€Å"eight meals a day' but sometimes he would have more. The following sections will focus on off -season bodybuilding. Protein: â€Å"Protein is extremely essential†¦ † 3 This phrase sums up the popular view on protein. It's been shown protein enhances the body ability to send vital muscle-building nutrients to damaged muscles.This process helps muscles recover and grow. Leman et al. (1992) recommends 0. Egg/Bib. Of protein per day based on a study where no contrasts in muscle mass were present in subjects on 0. Egg/lb. Or 1. Egg/lb. 4 over a 4-week period. The figures are debated with some bodybuilders taking up to g/Bib. But realistically that is an unnecessary amount and the studies are inevitably correct. Carbohydrates: Charles Lambert found anyone in bodybuilding should have around 55-60% of his or her diet as carbohydrates (carobs). 5 This is because carobs are our main source of energy.The body breaks carobs down so that they can be used or energy. Therefore, they prove as key for workouts and putting on mass due to the filling quality. Within the bodybuildin g community it's widely agreed that carobs should be the highest consumed encountering in the diet. Absentmindedness recommends that egg over bodyweight in pounds of clean carobs should be taken in per day 6 this would include foods such as brown rice, which is considered a ‘good crab'. Bodybuilders steer clear of ‘bad carobs' which consist of foods such as white bread, which the body digests quickly.The original terms are complex and simple carobs. It's impossible to agrees that good carobs' are better, but having a diet full of them is a step too far, occasionally have a few ‘bad carobs'. Bodybuilding encourages everything in moderation. Fats: â€Å"In order to gain mass†¦ You need to be in a caloric surplus†. 7 Fats are argued to be essential to bodybuilders. As the quote says, you must eat more than what is needed to gain muscle. Fats help our body function and contain nine calories per gram. So, they give plenty of calories, and ensure the body can carry out the processes for muscle growth.The ‘Men's health natural bodybuilding Bible' 8 states the key fats to incorporate into a diet are mega-3 and omega-6, as they are most vital in body functions, as well as helping joints. 9 Other foods: â€Å"Steady water intake keeps nutrients moving in your bloodstream and into muscle cells. † 10 Within bodybuilding it is vital to keep hydrated because, as shown by the quote it promotes growth. Muscles feed upon nutrients to grow and recover. Therefore, water enhances this process and allows for greater muscle growth. ‘Obsolescing. Com' recommends that bodybuilders take in 1-2 gallons of water per day. 1 But, don't drink too much; flooding your cells is dangerous. A part of bodybuilding nutrition is also vitamins and minerals. Many agree that the addition of such microinstructions are essential for making progress and figures like Ronnie Coleman (Appendix 3) have created their own brand of multivitamins and minerals. Th ey certainly aren't essential; people like Coleman who have retired have best interests in profit. If you can afford them, then its good, but foods are just as good. 12 Overall, its clear nutrition is one of the most important factors in attaining success.Whilst the intake of microinstructions in terms of amount is often debated, there is no doubt that as a whole, bodybuilding success is largely reliant on nutrition. A lot of people consider nutrition as a difficult topic. Facts are that it's not, just get enough protein in your diet, add plenty of good carobs and occasionally have some fats. Rest – Sleep: It's been shown whilst we sleep, we enter our greatest anabolic state. Human growth hormone is released at the fastest rate whilst sleeping. Thus, it is the best time for muscle to grow and repair. It is one of the only times that muscle can grow as it is rare we enter an anabolic state.Dry. Felicia Stoles states, â€Å"You give your body the chance to repair, recharge, an d regret†¦ † 13 So sleep is the only way we can build substantial amounts of muscle. The same argument follows that if sleep allows for the longest anabolic State, then one should utilities that Breed Bernstein recommends 7-8 hours sleep for the average person, but to also have short naps where possible and extend sleep. 14 In reality you probably get less than the recommended hours because of school, work or other things in your life. So don't feel you must get exactly eight hours, just have little naps for sleep that you miss.Rest between workouts: Rest is also taken between workouts. When working out muscle fibers break down and this can cause delayed onset muscle soreness (DOOMS). Our bodies ill use nutrients to repair muscles, which in turn causes groom as they are repaired bigger. But muscles need time to fully recover before they can be efficiently worked again. ‘Cobol 961' recommends that after two years of being in the gym, you should only be training each muscle type once a week intensely. He adds anyone under this can target muscles two to three times a week less intensely. 5 Bodybuilders usually train six times a week and use one day as a rest day as muscles can be targeted sufficiently, but also have the chance to recover. Whilst it's hard to disagree with Scoops, bear in mind even if your muscles are a little sore you can still train them lightly. An interpretation of ‘Cobol 961 ‘s advice -? presented in graph form showing progress is made within the gym up to a certain point. Pictured above 16 Rest between sets: During a workout rest is needed between sets and this can influence the muscle gained. The common goal of a bodybuilder is to build muscle, and when they are cutting it's to burn fat.So, the common view held by participants within the sport is that 60-90 seconds break is optimal. For example, Phil Heath (Appendix 4) states rest periods should be between one ND three minutes depending on the intensity of the p revious set. 17 Anything above this is geared towards strength as mechanical tension suffers. But if a bodybuilder is cutting they may shorten these rest periods to as low as 30-45 seconds. 18 However, recent research by fitness experts within the field have made changes to several views. Brad Schoenberg and Men Homelands reviewed many studies that focused on rest intervals between working sets.They concluded â€Å"you can self-select a rest period that allows you to exert the needed effort into your next set without compromising hypertrophied results. 19 1 would go the research here; there are very few people who actually count the seconds between sets. Rest is a big debating point in bodybuilding and a lot of research has gone into the topic. In my opinion, you need the correct rest. Sleep is vital; overstraining is a problem one must avoid, and rest between sets must be made appropriate for the individual. I agree with Antonio De Carnival in the belief that rest is one of the ke y factors for success in bodybuilding.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Challenges in International Business

GunungRapatHiongPiahSdn. Bhd. (579801-M) PHYSICAL CHALLENGES Since the Gunung Rapat Hiong Piah Sdn. Bhd. is responsible for the food manufacturing, wholesale distribution, and export of Yee Hup products, it is facing physical challenges in international business on products, workforce and even physical distribution challenges. For the products challenge, it may face the problem on warranty since there are no warranty available for this products. Everyone is know about the Yee Hup is a local business in Malaysia and it needs to spend certain of time to export such products to oversea such as Southeast Asia, Oceania, Middle East, Eastern Asia and Western Europe. When the products are on the way shipping to the particular country, it may has the probability to encounter damage such as crushes because of the unpredictable cases and it is unrealized since the biscuits are packaging in a package, but even in a carton size. The Yee Hup biscuits are selling to the customers without realized that the products are crushes and the customers are not available to get the warranty or compensation after they bought the products. It considered a challenge of this company because on the customers’perception, no warranty offered is bring the meaning that the company has no confident on their own products. Since the ‘customers are always right’, Yee Hup may lose the sales because of the products deficiency. For the workforce challenge, although the company is almost full automated in the production process, skilled staffs are still needed. For example, retail assistants as Yee Hup required such retail assistant with previous retail experience because the full trainingis not necessary will be provided. In this case, Yee Hup is facing the shortage of workforce although the labor market is enough large. Moreover, the number of R&D staff is merely less than five people. It becomes the stones in designing products since people are more pay attention in packaging nowadays. And lastly is about the physical distribution challenge. It is talking about what transportation is using by the company to move a large volume of products to other countries. It simple means that handling, movement, and storage of goods from the point of origin to the point of consumption or use, via various channels of distribution. Since one of the responsibility of GunungRapatHiongPiahSdn. Bhd. is wholesaledistribution and export of Yee Hup products, if the products failure to reach the destination within a fixed time, the company have to blamed for it. SOCIAL CHALLENGES How Yee Hup going to expand its target market consider as a social challenge. For example, age and gender. Since ‘HiongPiah’ is a famous products of Yee Hup with a long established reputation, majority of youth in local still do not know on this famous products,even thoughin global market. Yee Hup has to solve the problem on difference age group. How Yee Hup is going to change the youth customers’ perception since they feel that‘HiongPiah’ is traditional Chinese snacks, no tasty and the outlooks are not attractive? For the old generation, how Yee Hup is going to attract them to buy such sticky products? COMPETITIVE CHALLENGES Khong Guan and Mr. Christie are the main competitors to Yee Hup. Khong Guan is one of the most well known Malaysian cookie brand in Canada. The Khong Guan organization spans South East Asia and exports its cookies around the world. Khong Guan manufactures a wide range of cookies and as a result its products have become a popular demand in supermarkets. Khong Guan would pose a risk to Yee Hup’s product lines because Khong Guan is a well established brand which means they have established a mass market clientele. Mr. Christie is a well known Western brand in Canada which poses a risk to Yee Hup’s product lines. Many customers might consider eating a Western cookie rather than an Asian cookie since some consumers are not familiar with this type of product and might be hesitant to try something new. This could lead to less sales of the product.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Safeguarding Adults Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Safeguarding Adults - Outline Example nt that social workers receive better advice in addition to further knowledge on criminal justice matters in order to handle criminalization of vulnerable adults that is on the increase. Safeguarding Reg and Lisa is a responsibility for everyone. Every person including Reg has a right to live his or her personal life free from exploitation, abuse, and neglect. This explained why Anne did not have another option but to move in with his father after his accident that affected him both physically and mentally. This right is envisaged by the role on public agencies in the Human Rights Act (1998) to get involved adequately to protect the rights of people. They include Article 2: ‘the Right to life’; Article 3: ‘Freedom from torture’; and Article 8: ‘Right to family life’. Legally, the responsibility became even bigger when Reg lost his wife. The law provides that people with disabilities such as Reg and Lisa have a right to exercise their political, civil, cultural, and economic rights equally as others. The Health and Social Care Act 2008: This calls on registered providers to take ‘reasonable steps to identify the chances of abuse and prevent it before it occurs’ They cover all types of disability whether transitional, terminating, or terminal (Gann, 2003, 147). The two Reg and Lisa have the following rights; the right to non discrimination, equality in the eyes of the law, equality in chances available to them, accessing independent living, integration into the society and family fully, as well as safety and protection. All these are in Human Rights Act 1988, Mental Capacity Act 2005, Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act 2004.The law uses equalization of opportunities as the clarion call for holding the right of the disabled. Anne and the rest of the society including the state has an obligation of us ing resources at their disposal to make sure that Reg and Lisa have equal opportunities within the family and community. Anne is in a double

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Consumer Decision Making Process Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Consumer Decision Making Process - Assignment Example From this paper it is clear that  considering the case of Williams, it seems that personal and psychological characteristics influence his buying behavior more than cultural and social factors. According to Tehran and Tehran, personal characteristics including occupation, age, education, and sex can have great influence on consumer behavior. Evidently, occupation of an individual is directly linked to the price and brand of the product they purchase. To illustrate, a part-time worker in a retail store is not likely to purchase Rado watches. In this case, Williams is a professional self-employed person who needs to travel across the globe to meet his business clients.  This study outlines that  age and sex of the individual would affect the consumer behavior. For instance, when a teenager is interested to buy Cargo Jeans, an elder adult is less likely to do so. Similarly, young males may be more excited to own 800cc cruiser motorcycles while young females in the same age may not do so. Surveys indicate that young men are more interested in technical features of computer products. Since Williams is in his early 30s, technical features of the product are more likely to influence his buying behavior. Psychological factors including individual needs, motivation, image, attitude, and lifestyle also affect consumer behavio.  Williams is a self-employed professional and his occupational status indicates that he is a business-minded person motivated by the desire for unlimited income.... In this case, Williams is a professional self-employed person who needs to travel across the globe to meet his business clients. Probably, his business meetings include visual presentations and hence he may like to purchase expensive and top-branded device. Since William’s majority of clients are highly reputed professionals, he would not like to use any kind of cheap device to make presentations. Furthermore, as he works in the online business sector and makes business trips all over the world, he may pay particular attention to functionality of the device. The price factor is not likely to affect this purchase because Williams is a global level businessman. In addition, age and sex of the individual would affect the consumer behavior. For instance, when a teenager is interested to buy Cargo Jeans, an elder adult is less likely to do so. Similarly, young males may be more excited to own 800cc cruiser motorcycles while young females in the same age may not do so. Surveys indic ate that young men are more interested in technical features of computer products. Since Williams is in his early 30s, technical features of the product are more likely to influence his buying behavior. Psychological factors including individual needs, motivation, image, attitude, and lifestyle also affect consumer behavior (ibid 2006, p.193). Williams is a self-employed professional and his occupational status indicates that he is a business-minded person motivated by the desire for unlimited income. Hence, he strives to enhance his career development. In short, he has a positive attitude towards life because he has been self-motivated. As a result, he will certainly wish to make his presentations appealing to clients and therefore he may purchase a functionally

Administrative Perspective Matrix (Evolution of Management Class) Essay

Administrative Perspective Matrix (Evolution of Management Class) - Essay Example 2. According to Sridhar (2010), the administration of an organization under the consideration of administrative perspective does not restrict management of the organization within the organization but on a large-scale stage. Therefore, the second characteristic of administrative perspective is to consider the development of the organization not on a micro level but on a macro level. 3. Administrative perspective and scientific management are quite contrasting from one another because of their location in the hierarchy. Administrative perspective is the approach that is set upside down due to which, it is categorized as top-down while scientific management develops from downside up due to which, it is considered bottom-up approach. Henry Fayol and Chester Bernard can be considered as major theorists who contributed in determining administrative perspective. They can be regarded as authoritative figures because of their most important involvement in structuring theories for administrative perspective. 1. Henry Fayol showed interest in running the organization as one unit due to which, he structured miscellaneous groups with partitioned organizational functionalities. According to the theorist, the handling of organization as one unit with dissimilar groups is manageable and convenient. The theory by Henry Fayol is based on division of organizational functions. 2. Chester Bernard emphasized on development of organizational objectives because it is only because of the organizational objectives due to which, the organization prospers. The administration of an organization should be able to make certain that all the set goals of the organization must be accomplished. The theory of Chester Bernard is based on accomplishment of organizational goals. The relevance of administrative perspective to today’s managers cannot be negated as it enables today’s managers to give

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Homeland security Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Homeland security - Assignment Example By increasing the strictness of immigration policies and not allowing immigrants to enter the United States the terrorist plots can be foiled. This is because most of these plots are created by immigrant populations who enter the United States with the aim of harming the nation. By implementing these policies terrorist such as Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev who were immigrants in United States and planned the bombings that took place in Boston can be stopped from entering the nation (Abad-Santos, 2013). Another step that can be taken by the United States is that it needs to relax its firearm ownership laws and provide law abiding citizens with guns so they can protect the nation on their own. It has been proven that strict laws regarding ownership of guns cannot stop terrorist attacks. This is quite evident in the terror attack that was conducted in France when terrorist attacked Charlie Hebdo (Taylor, 2015). Furthermore the United States need to monitor as well as control the terror ists easy access to bomb making technologies and devices. In the Boston Bombings the terrorist used easily accessible materials for developing the bombs (Boesveld, 2013). By making it difficult for terrorists to access such materials, United States can easily avert future terrorist attacks. Abad-Santos, A. (2013). Who Is Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the Man at the Center of the Boston Manhunt?. The Wire. Retrieved 26 February 2015, from http://www.thewire.com/national/2013/04/who-is-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-boston/64382/ Boesveld, S. (2013). Pressure cooker bombs seized in B.C. used in Boston Marathon, Mumbai train attacks. National Post. Retrieved 26 February 2015, from http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/07/02/pressure-cooker-bombs-seized-in-b-c-used-in-boston-marathan-mumbai-train-attacks/ Taylor, A. (2015). France has strict gun laws. Why didn’t that save Charlie Hebdo

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

CUSTOMERS PORTFOLIO AS MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENT Essay

CUSTOMERS PORTFOLIO AS MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENT - Essay Example The implementation of these strategies must however be done in a manner that can guarantee that the strategic management plans of the companies are up to date with changing situations on the market (Levinsohn and Williams, 2004). This means that the search and implementation of strategic management plans must be undertaken as a holistic process that includes all stakeholders who have a role to play in the success of the company. In relation to this argument, Labovitz (2005), identifies the place of the customer in having a very formidable strategic management plan for the modern global economic market. It has been said that the customer is no longer a passive member of the corporate society but an active member of it (Khurana, 2002). Because of this, the need to always include customers in the planning of the company is very relevant and inevitable. With this understanding in mind, the current report is prepared to identify the place of the customer in a typical modern business and o utline ways in which companies can make use of the all new concept of customer portfolio to maximise the benefits they can make of their customer base. 2.0 Theoretical Framework A waterfall approach to the theoretical understanding of the concept of customer portfolio is developed. This approach involves the strategic review of what exists in literature as the place of customers in business entities. After this understanding has been developed, there will then be a deduction of what the definition of customer portfolio is, based on what is deduced in literature. 2.1 Customers as assets Writing on the place of customers in a typical business entity, Kets de Vries (2003) explained that the best way for companies to make the best out of their customers is to understand the place of customers as assets to the company. Commonly, the assets of companies are judged as either being tangible or intangible, with much emphasis and focus on those things that can be utilised by the company for r evenue generation purposes (Nutt, 2004). Labovitz and Rosansky (2007) laments that hardly are customers envisioned and classified as having the potential of generating revenues for the company. What companies have done over the years is to see the customer as the source of revenue, rather than a generator of revenue. But this perception is said to be erroneous, especially in cases where companies want to make the best out of their customers. As assets, customers will be seen as tangible resources that ought to be managed so as to ensure that they are transformed into revenues (Morrison and Milliken, 2000). Giving a practical explanation of how customers could act as assets, Roberts, Swanson and Dinneen, J. (2004) said that every company that has a formidable database of its customers would realise that each customer has a specific fiscal wealth they account to the customer. Since assets are also quantified as fiscal wealth, customers can be said to be assets. 2.2 Customers as stakeh olders Farrell (2004) joins a school of thought that argues that customers may best be seen as stakeholders if companies want to make the most of them. As stakeholders, customers have been explained as people, having a say in the planning and decision making process of the company. This way, customers may be included in decision making in two major ways. The first of these ways is active inclusion, which requires companies to have a mechanism by which views of customers will be collected and considered while taking management level decisions (Sankar, 2003). There is also a passive inclusion of customers as stakeholders in decision making, where the company uses a strategy to identify the views and thoughts of customers about the company and make decisions that

Monday, September 23, 2019

John Brown's Raid at Harper's Ferry Research Paper

John Brown's Raid at Harper's Ferry - Research Paper Example Following his execution after the raid on Harpers Ferry, Brown was hailed as a martyr among the opponents of slavery. Moreover, his actions were deemed as one of the causal factors of the American Civil War. John Brown disgust for slavery stemmed back during his childhood. Evidently, he was conceived in Torrington, Connecticut on 9th May 1800 (West Virginia Archives and History). Furthermore, he was brought up with strict religious values in which his father taught him that slavery was against God’s will and sinful. Moreover, after Brown’s family relocated to Ohio, he witnessed the brutality meted against slaves by their masters and became a strong opponent of slavery. To this end, Brown passion of eliminating slavery grew to the point of advocating for violence as an end to slavery. Brown believed that the roots of slavery had grown so deep in society and only violence offered the best solution to its end. Interestingly enough, John Brown gained support from other oppo nents of slavery who had grown frustrated of the peaceful method. His first violent exploits against slavery were established on Kansas which became known as bleeding Kansas. In 1856 of May, Brown is reported to have led his sons in an attack against proponent of slavery at Pottawatomie Creek in Kansas. Consequently, Brown set his objectives his anti slavery war higher by contemplating to start a slavery uprising in the South. To this end, Brown commenced his plans of a raid and capture of a federal armoury at Harpers Ferry in Virginia. To accomplish this, he moved into a farm in nearby Potomac River, Maryland (Lieutenant Green & Major Russell). He was with his sons and loyal followers where they were trained in military tactics. Brown’s option to attack Harpers Ferry was founded on two notions. Foremost, he believed that he would be able to gain access to weapons that would be used in violent revolts against the southern slavery proponents. Second, he aimed to distribute the weapons among the enslaved negroes and eventually succeed in ending slavery. To this end, Brown conducted a night raid on Harpers Ferry on Sunday, October 16. His group was composed of 5 Negroes and 16 whites. Evidently, Brown’s initial raid was successful as they began by slashing off telegraph wires. This was a tactical moved aimed at cutting off communication between the town and the outside world. Moreover, Brown and his men seized the rifle manufacturing plant, arsenal and local armoury. They further proceeded to hold up 60 hostages from the town. A key hostage in the raid was George Washington’s great grand nephew, Colonel Lewis Washington. However, the efforts to isolate the town by cutting of communication were not successful. The apparent blunder was caused by the detention and release of a B&O train passing through the town. Upon the train’s arrival in Baltimore, the federal troops led by Colonel Robert E. Lee, were notified and sent over to Harpers F erry. Meanwhile, the local militia had barricaded the town and blocked any possible escape routes for the raiders. Consequently, John Brown marshalled his small contingent and hostages to tiny engine house next to the armoury. Upon the arrival of the federal forces, they raided the fire engine, overpowered Brown and killed most of his men. To this end, 15 insurgents and 5 citizens were killed, 3 insurgents were wounded while 5 insurgent

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Impact of Arrival of Television on Electioneering In England Essay Example for Free

Impact of Arrival of Television on Electioneering In England Essay INTRODUCTION The invention of television marked he beginning of a new epoch. The age of information technology made information available at the push of a button. Facts and distortion of facts are the tools of the entertainment industry. Exaggeration is the premise on which the advertizing agency works. It is confluence of the audio visual impact which is one of the most powerful influences that is experienced by the individual. It left no human endeavor untouched .The fate of democracy is determined by the elections. Television was utilized for campaigning of the candidates participating in the election. It brought about a complete revamping of the election campaign. Local issues were sidelined and an emphasis on the national campaign was     the dominant feature of the election process.[1]Mass media had completely mesmerized both the masses and the persons responsible for planning and execution of the election campaign. The recent proliferation of the media channels has led to a depletion of issues that can be aired on these channels .therefore there has been a shift from national to local politics. The impact of the television is not just limited to what is going to be at the forefront but it has led to complete overhaul of the process. The campaigns are more articulate and well planned .The concept of negative publicity has been inducted like it was done never before. The elections are loosing personal touch as there is more emphasis on the how to air the campaign. Consequently the expenditure on the elections is rising partly because of infalation and partly because the campaigns are conducted on grand scale. British Law permits each party to air its programme, policies and agendas on the national channels across England for 20 minutes without paying any tariff for putting it on air. Each party is given a maximum of five repeat telecast. HISTORY OF POLITICAL BROADCAST Political broadcasting started in Britain in 1924 on radio with a20 minute allocation time for each party. it was started on television in 1951.   It was an unpaid time slot of 15 minutes that was allocated to each party. The political broadcasts are regulated by the 1990 Broadcasting Act and the Political Parties, Elections and Referendum Act 2000.The initial directives of the act forbade that the political advertisement should not be purely political in nature. In 2001 general election the   three major political parties were given five chances to broadcast their political campaign where as the minor political parties were given one chance if they were contesting one sixth of the total seats. 5 and 10 minutes of political advertisements were replaced by 240, 340 or 440and a stricture is placed on them so that they should not violate decency and good taste. All the political electoral broadcast by various party are simultaneously aired .These are either preceded or followed by   previews and reviews by the major news paper daily and there fore the messages are a kind of reinforced. Currently there is ongoing debate on whether the system of political broadcast should be completely scraped or it should be revised with a provision of paid commercials. Since time immemorial it has been stated that effective governance is related to whether the voters have made an informed choice. It is privileged class who will try different means to gather information about the party and candidates standing in the election. The masses either do not makes a conscious effort to gather information or they rely on effortless means to gain information about the political parties. What the media is representing can differ. On the one hand it can be balanced objective on the other hand it can be preferential[2] It has been observed that commercial broadcasting system can have ulterior motives as they are there to maximize their benefits. The national broadcasting system is more conducive to producing objective information   Ã‚  about the political parties[3]. Political advertising in England is more party oriented where as in America the emphasis is on the candidate .Lot of attention is being paid to the effect of use of media in the election .It is very difficult to conclusively prove that what results it is going to produce .England is a very old democracy and all the parties have their particular image .Media cannot altogether alter the image of the party   .It can highlight the achievement of the party and it can make the manifesto more lucrative. This premise is in accordance with the earliest studies of the impact of television on the electoral outcomes by Blumler and McQuail.[4] The party campaign through the media is expected to effect the voter turn out. It can bring to the forefront various campaign issues. It can create an enthusiasm for gathering more information about the party programmes.[5]These early studies reflected that voting for political parties were a matter of class and the election campaign served very little purpose. [6]The conservative and the Labour party were dividing the voters on the basis of who did manual labour and who didn’t work with their hands i.e the managers and the employers and the middle class The voters who changed their loyalties from one party to another were primarily for a short term. It has been observed that this faction was to swing back its support to he party which it originally adhered to.   It can be said that these floating voters can be influenced by the televised transmission of the electoral campaign. This can be contended because the labour part lost three elections in a row in 1959 although the class that does manual labour constitute major chunk of the electorate. The material prosperity entailed a spread of the middle class values and hence the conservatives won the election. The messages that are aired during the political campaigns in election are not the only information available to the electorate. The long term memory of the people might be short. That doesn’t mean that the events political debates     press conferences, by- elections etc preceding the election campaign have no consequence. The election campaign through the media is of two kinds. One in which the focus is on the image building or the achievement of the party .The other kind deals with the character assassination of the opponent. If the attack broadcasting is exaggerated and is not substantiated then it can create sympathy for the opponent. The conservative party campaign nick named ‘Demon eye’ of 1997 was counter productive It created an image of Labour as leftwing radicals. The electorate had experience a moderate labour party government under the leadership of Tony Blair. A caricature of Mr. Bust and Mr. Boom was used to depict the economic condition of England .The facts that Britain had experienced a spurt in the economy in 1980 under the leadership of Thatcher. This kind of media campaign has to be used with great caution as it is either counterproductive or it does not have any effect on the target audience. If there are fractions within the party then it can bolster unity among the contending fractions. The persuasive propaganda is more useful and almost all the parties realize that it is the best way to campaign .It pays attention to detailing the ideology of the party. It is oriented on the fact that the achievement of the party is highlighted. Moreover it is presented in manner that it appears more entertaining so as to keep the audience hooked on to it. It can be proved that the parties are more interested in this positive kind of advertisement by looking at the percentage of the campaign allocated to the political advertisement. Negative references were a small and similar proportion of the total literature of all three parties: 8.7 per cent Conservative, 10.4 Labour, 9.8 per cent Liberal Democrat. The televised broadcast of the political party programmes is useful tools because the minor political parties get a chance to make themselves felt. This is true for most of the countries who have democracy and who have televised political advertisement.[7] Even .The liberal democrats were able to make themselves felt through their advocacy strategy. In 1951 the minor parties had around 10% to 3% of the vote share. This vote share increased in the 1997 and almost one fourth of the total share of the vote. There are many reasons for the increase in the vote share of the relatively new and unknown political parties like social class. Education of the voter as it determines whether it is an informed choice or not. Media especially the print media is specially tilted in favor of conservative parties IT was in the I970s that the researches were conducted and it reflected that a change had occurred in the political environment of Britain .The voters were not holding to the rigid class bias of the political parties due to the influence of the television. The other factor that is responsible for this change was the economic affluence in England as that was responsible for mitigating the gap between the rich and the poor.[8]Other researches argue that this doesn’t mean that class politics has changed rather it can be seen as both the parties are going out of favor. Heath et al argue â€Å"analysts have mistaken changes in behavior by voters for changes in their motivation without asking first whether or not the political stimulus they have received is still the same or not. They suggest, for example, that variations in the strength of the class alignment may well reflect changes in the distance between the parties on class-based issues†.[9] The voters are not taking their decisions in vacuum there are certain political and social issues that are motivating the voters to vote for apolitical parties. The short term shift in the voters preference is based on the perception of the competence of the parties,. The parties in power can effectively utilize the print as well as the television in advertizing its achievement .There have been fears that   the hegemony of the media was responsible for the conservatives winning the election as they have the hegemony over the press. It has been time and again proved television is not the sole deciding factor in determining the outcome of the election. The 1980s saw a shift from the national to regional politics .There was a variation in the voting patterns from one region to another. If television has been the main sway in the elections then the entire country should have shown a similar pattern. Local campaign did make a difference The surveys conducted by the Labour party showed that Its percentage of votes was directly related to number of people working for the party [10] Local campaign play an important role in persuading the voters to vote for a particular party. It is very difficult to find out what was the ultimate reason for voting as the preferences of an individual are shaped in the recesses of an individuals mind. Television came second in the list of what influenced the voters of the survey conducted by MORI .The regional television can be utilized to create amore local and specific advertisement for the electorate. This area has yet to be explored by the political party..   The labour party topped the list of frequency of the reference of the constituencies and it made almost 28.7 per cent of sentences referring to local provision. The Conservatives made 16.5 per cent and made the Liberal Democrats 10.2 per cent references to the local issues. This means the elections are by and large fought on national issues which are effectively transmitted through the television. The lab our party has thrice lost elections till 1997. This reflects that though they made more references to the local electoral constituencies they were unable to convert the voters in their favour. CONCLUSION It is seen that the advent of television had completely changed the way in which we look at the different issues .Things which are of relatively lesser importance can be presented in an innovative method .The election process in England has its own peculiarities.   Television didn’t bring about a complete transformation of the election process of Britain. England is one of the oldest proponents of the institution of democracy. The two major parties the lobour and conservatives have their peculiar images .Television cannot completely alter the public perception. The older generation is more difficult to mould as its ideas are set .The televised broadcasting of the party manifesto can be aimed at the youth which is more likely to change its preferences. A perceptible shift is seen in the support base of the two major political parties the Labour party was supported by the people doing manual labour and the conservatives were supported by the middle class. The class distinction was thought to be the basis of the voting pattern. Now this distinction is becoming less and less important as media and economic affluence has reduced the gap between the rich and poor.   The influence of television has backfired on the two major parties .The minor political parties have increased their vote percentage. The major beneficiary is the Liberal Democratic Party. Although it has been the pristine premise that the informed electorate   can lead to the formation of more effective and responsible government .It can be said with certainty that the voters of the present age are more informed but there is difference between having knowledge and judicious use of knowledge..The other aspect of this election scenario of England is that there is no alternative to the present parties on the national level .Even if the voter is aware of the shortcomings of the present parties, he has no choice. The voters have to choose the lesser evil. REFERENCES Blumler, Jay G. and Denis Mc Quail. 1968. Television in Politics: Its Uses and Influence. London: Faber Faber.n.p Bonham, J. (1954), The Middle Class Vote (London: Faber)pp 56-62 Butler, D. and Stokes, D (1974) Political Change in Britain(2nd. edition) pp54-78(London: Macmillan) Evans, G. Heath, A., and Payne, C. (1999), ‘Class: Labour as a Catch-All Party?’ in Evans, G. and Norris, P. (eds.), Critical Elections: British Parties and Voters in Long-Term Perspective n.p   (London: Sage) Kaid, Lynda Lee and John C. Tedesco. 1993. ‘A comparison of political television advertising fromthe 1992 British and American campaigns.’ Informatologia 25(1-2): 1-12 Kavanagh,   The British General Election of 2001. Basingstoke n.p: Palgrave Macmillan News on Party Images in the 1997 British General Election. British Elections and Parties Norris, 2001. Ed. Britain Votes 2001.n.p   Oxford: Oxford University Press. Norris et al .1999; Norris and Sanders 2000   pp 110-120 Sanders, David and Pippa Norris. 1998. Does Negative News Matter? The Effects of Television Semetko , holi .A 1996 The Media In Comparing democracies edited by Lawerence   Le Duc,Richard Niemaand Pippa Norris London:Sage   pp254-279 Seyd, P. P. Whiteley (2002) New Labour’s Grass Roots: The Transformation of Labour Party Membership, Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan.pp10-38 Zaller John2003†Anew standerd of the news quality: Burglar alarm Monitorial Citizens†Political communication20 109-130 [1] (Kavanagh, (1970). The British General Election of 2001. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan News on Party Images in the 1997 British General Election. British Elections and Parties n,p [2] Zaller John2003†Anew standerd of the news quality: Burglar alarm Monitorial Citizens†Political communication20 pp109-130 [3] Semetko , holi .A 1996 The Media In Comparing democracies edited by Lawerence   Le Duc,Richard Niemaand Pippa Norris London:Sage   pp254-279 [4] Blumler, Jay G. and Denis McQuail. 1968. Television in Politics: Its Uses and Influence. London: Faber Faber.n.p [5] Norris et al .1999; Norris and Sanders 2000   pp 110-120 [6] Bonham, J. (1954), The Middle Class Vote (London: Faber)pp 56-62 [7] Kaid, Lynda Lee and John C. Tedesco. 1993. ‘A comparison of political television advertising from the 1992 British and American campaigns.’ Informatologia 25(1-2): pp1-12 [8] Butler, D. and Stokes, D (1974) Political Change in Britain(2nd. edition) pp 54-78(London: Macmillan) [9] Evans, G. Heath, A., and Payne, C. (1999), ‘Class: Labour as a Catch-All Party?n.p Norris, P. (eds.), Critical Elections: British Parties and Voters in Long-Term Perspective (London: Sage)n.p [10] Seyd, P. P. Whiteley (2002) New Labour’s Grass Roots: The Transformation of Labour Party Membership, Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan pp.10 38

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Study of Effect Rollings Process

Study of Effect Rollings Process 1.1 Introduction Aluminum composites are favored building material for car, aviation and Due to the elite demands, another sort of, supposed, innovative materials which are utilized as a part of air ship, rocket or car industry, for high voltage electrical links, need a decent mix of properties underling statics with elements stacking. One gathering of materialls thats could meeting suches necessities were metallizing composites witches comprise metallics lattice (metalling or combination) strengthened whist hairs or directional lying arranged strands auxiliary phases [1]. Presently days with the cutting edge improvement need of advancements of cutting edge building materials for different designing applications continues expanding. for meeting suches requests metal framework composite is one of solid source. Composite material is one of the solid answers for such requirement [2]. Those were an extraordinary improvement of one classes of composites with aluminum combination lattice best as knowing samespasmodically strengtmhened aluminum materials (DRA). These materials comprise of aluminum compound network fortified on artistic particales [1]. Through the course of analysts in late decades to discover contrasting options to customary building materials and supplant it consolidates light weight mechanical and physical details that empower these Material s work in various conditions with high proficiency has been the utilization of composite materials with a metal base and strengthened by various types of high mechanical particulars material materials .Aluminum framework composites for these highest quality to weighting proportion, minimal effort and highest wears resistance are broadly fabricated , utilized as a part of auxiliary applications alongside aviation and vehicle industry. Additionally a Straight forward and financially savvy strategy for assembling of the composites is exceptionally fundamental for extending those applications. Fortifications likes particulates alumina, silicon carbide, graphite, fly fiery debris and so on†¦ can without much of a stretch be joined in the dissolve utilizing shabby and broadly available[2]. A Composite material is shaped when at least two materials are consolidated on a naturally visible scale, So that the properties of composite are distinctive (typically better) from those of the individual constituents. Lattice is the materiales works to tie the fortifying material together with a specific end goal to make a composite material that can convey loads or stresses [3]. Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) blends of pottery and metals (Primary Phase, for example, established carbides and different cermets that serves to Provides the mass type if parts on item made of the composite material, holding imbeddeds stage set up, generally encasing and regularly hiding it. At the point when a heap is connected, the lattice imparts the heap to the optional stage, now and again disfiguring so that the anxiety is basically conceived by the fortifying operator. While Reinforcings Phases (Secondaryes Phases) was the Functionfor fortify essential stage Imbeddeding stage is most generally one of the accompanying shapes, filaments, particles and Flakes [4]. Meaning of composite material, as indicated by Broutman and Krock, contained in publications [5] is as per the following: A composite material is shaped by a nearby blend of no less than two artificially and physically unmistakable materials which ought to stay isolated and particular while a decent and persistent interface between them is kept up; the strengthening segments in the entire volume of the lattice ought to be as uniform as could reasonably be expected. The vast majority of the Al-compounds utilized contain magnesium; this is on the grounds that lights, modest, financially practical possessesing great erosion resistances. utilization of TiC same a support offeres a highest softening points, to a great degree high hardness, is moderately reasonable and shows great wetting qualities by aluminum and its combinations [6] . The most critical prerequisite fluid metal to been drawing fired preform by capillaritys was wettings of the strongest substrates. fluid stage wets a strong when ÃŽ ¸b90 °. At the points where there is a decent wettings in a metal ceramic framework undeingr satisfactory states on temperatures. [6] Expansion highest modulus and high quality unmanageable molecule to the low malleable framework produces composite whose properties are in the middle of lattice and support. In this properties are enhanced by controlling the handling conditions, dispersion of support and relative sum, appropriate concoction organization, shape, estimate, etc.[7] Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) are routinely manufactured utilizing diverse procedures, for example, powder metallurgy, press throwing, semi-strong mixing process. Mix throwing is thought to be best technique to get ready substantial amount of composites because of its preparing straightforwardness, adaptability and low cost [8]. Whats more, the optional procedure is metal shaping and which are an imperative assembling operation. It appreciates mechanical significance amongst variousing productions operationes because of its points of interest, for example, cost adequacy, improved mechanical properties, adaptable operations, higher profitability, significant material sparing. Materials were changed over into completed items however extraordinary assembling forms. Producing procedures were grouped into molding [casting], framing, joining, covering, partitioning, machining of altering materials property [9].Rollingwas one of forming process knew of fourteenth century. Leonardo da Vinci for moving golds ,silverwasplanned the main moving plants in 1480. By around 1600, lead and tin was icy moved by physically moving plants. In Europe, press bars were moved forsheets on eighteenth centuries. Afterward, the present day moving began from 1783 when England issued patent for utilizing notched moves to create the iron bars [10]. Forces and deformations during the hot. (Typically, recrystallization temperattures to materials range from 0.5 Tm to 0.8 Tm, when Tm was melting temperatture on materiales) and cold metal forming depend upon mechanical properties of processed materials, which in their turn depend upon the nature (chemical composition, structure) of metal as well as upon the deformation conditions (temperature, degree and rate of deformation)[11].And finally the relay process can be considered as composite materials have many features including: Prodect costs wasreduce. Composites may be made by a wide wide for prodection [12], Increment in yield quality , rigidity at room temperature or more while keeping up the base flexibility or rather sturdiness, Increases in crawl resistance at higher temperatures contrasted with for traditional compounds, increment in weakness quality, particularly at higher temperatures, Improvement warm stun resistance, Improvement erosion resistances ,Greater resistance to chemicals and weathering (not rust). Increases in Youngs moduelus, Redueses of warm elongationing. lighting weightes, performances at higherest temperattures, highest strengthen, lowest densities , betters wears [13]. While the Disadvantages the reinforcement of metals as: Composite was most breakthan wrought metals whats more, subsequently were all most effortlessly harmed. Thrown metals additionally have a tendency been weak, change of their mechanical properties and physical properties faster than traditional materials under different conditions, Age shorter than the age of traditional materials and itsthermal resistance is still low (despite the existence of studies of the existing experience in this regard, it is enough to say that the introduction the space shuttle is made of material composed, which bear the bulk of the resulting,chemicals harmful to the environment often cannot be remanufactured and hard to get rid of them[12]. 1-2 Aim of the Research: The main aim of this work lies on: 1- research aims to study effect rollings process to resist wears tear to using differents proportions of formingat differenes temperatures to reach the best values were obtained from which good mechanicall propertiess. 2- researches aims to producing composite materials using alumminum alloyed by vortex techniques disperse TiC particales in the lattice of alloyed containing 4.5 Mg. 3- research aim to study effects TiC contents sizes on micarostructure, densities, haradness weasr resistances of Al-Mg lattice compoisites were fabricated using casting method, below specific of Tic. In this study, it was important to have a fundamental understanding of mechanism effect of forming on wears Resistances of Al-Mg composites. 1-3 Objective of the Research Titanium carbide (TiC) powdering was picked as fortification due to its higher haradness (near jewel) than traditional routinely utilized support, for examples, SiC, Al2O3,†¦ and so forth. Composites of TiC particaulates in alumminum combinations have been effectively created by throwing methods. It has been exhibited that critical changes in firmness, quality, weariness break proliferation, crawl quality, wears resistances were accomplished as contrasted unreinforced aluminum compounds. Furthermore, they can likewise be molded by customary metals working procedures, for example, expulsion, producing, rolling or super plastic framing into complex auxiliary parts. Thus, theywere economical to create contrasted other metal grid composite frameworks. The comparative reports of used the Tic particles as the reinforced material are not available. This research area is still vacant and scope for work in this particular field. The made for TiC as a reinforcements offered a highest meltings points, was relative yes shows great wet qualities by aluminum and its combinations. AlMg/tic composite has the advantages be so lights metallic. And to study the effect of weight percentage of titanium carbide on mechanical behavior of aluminum metal matrix composite. 1-4 Thesis Layout This thesis includes in addition to the foreground and objective search for another six seasons, where Chapter II deals with the private theoretical side Special matrix aluminum- magnesium and Phase Diagram and its properties behavioral her addition to the overlapping materials and their properties The third chapter deals with the scientific research of mineral compounds and the effect of the minutes and specifications on the characteristics of behavioral article basically deals Chapter IV configuration process on the cold and their properties as well as the way the casting and The fifth chapter deals with the practical part of the way that sample preparation and tests related to research and Chapter VI deals with the results of tests that were made and discussed and the seventh and last chapter deals with the most important conclusions and recommendations.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Lebanese Arabic Conversational

Lebanese Arabic Conversational Question 1: Describe a â€Å"conversational routine† from a language other than English (but not a greeting). Include some detail on how it may vary and the situations in which it is appropriate. Then discuss in some depth how this routine reflects cultural assumptions or values. Language: the Mirror of Cultural Values Introduction Having a deep faith that culture is the way of life of people or in other words what crafts their â€Å"lifestyle,† beliefs, customs and practices, a person attains that the language articulated by the people possess culture embedded traits learnt since childhood. That is why language is a very essential component in culture because it reflects the important cultural assumptions and values of a society. Lebanese is a language with a rich vocabulary that includes a large number of cultural keywords; these key words are words that reflect cultural values, beliefs and even history. Therefore this paper will be focusing and accessing a particular Lebanese Arabic conversational routine, where one can learn about a particular culture by studying its language, moreover clearly noticing the presence of cultural assumptions and values in it. Cultures Impression on Language Language is highly influenced by the culture of the speaker and they seem inseparable. Language is what Kramsch and Widdowson () say â€Å"expresses cultural reality†¦. made up of signs that in them have cultural value †¦. Speakers view their language as a symbol of their social identity.† Thus I depend on their quote that â€Å"language symbolizes cultural reality† Being aware that culture is a very complex issue, with many different definitions. Defining culture is far beyond the aim of this paper, but for this purpose it will suffice to quote a few definitions to point to the main elements of the relevant senses of the word here in this essay. Culture is defined by Frow and Morris (1993 cited in June 2002 Center for cultural research) as the â€Å"the whole way of life of a social group †¦.. it is a network of representations texts, images, talk, codes of behavior and narrative structures †¦. shaping every aspect of social life.† Another usage in the Merriam Websters Collegiate Dictionary stressing the social aspect of culture and defines it as 5 a/b:â€Å"the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations b:the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group; also :the characteristic features of everyday existence (as diversions or a way of life} shared by people in a place or time.† Considering the above, cultures language reflects the things that are important in that culture and judging on Sapirs (1956 cited in wikepedia) hypothesis that culture is â€Å"to a large extent built upon the language habits of the group,† below I will give a simple introduction to the Lebanese culture in order to explain the culture embedded language . Lebanese Background Lebanon has accumulated thousands of years of culture in its 1042 m2 of land because of hundreds of empires having passed by its lands and with each passing the people grasped the essence of their knowledge. Also its people were migrating to western countries because of political upheavals and the Civil War. Affirming this Dr Mora () declares that cultural values are formed from â€Å"environmental adaptations, historical factors, social and economic evolutions and contact with other cultural groups.† It would need a more in depth study of the Lebanese culture. Nevertheless, here is a rough and ready introduction to some of there customs/cultural norms. As indicated in Khalidi and Mcllorys Culture Dictionary (2003), Lebanon is a small country that has its basis on religion. It is made up of Christians, Muslims, and Armenian and their various factions. Hence it is made up of many communities and all in all has 18 recognized dominant religions and despite 4000 years of occupation we arent wiped of the map (Medley 2007). Depending on experience and Medley (2007), Lebanese people are extremely sociable people in streets and at home. Also, they are identified as a â€Å"collectivistic culture† (based on Triandas definition cited in Neuliep 2000a) due to religious facets (Ayyash 2001) and because you are never alone in your burdens. Emphasizing that every one knows everyone, we convey closeness, respect and conciliation through physical touching unlike the West (Ronowiez 1995 and Wierzbicka 2003) and we tend to treat all unrelated people as family because to us family is the â€Å"nucleus of culture.† So you can be addressed by the strange taxi man at the airport as â€Å"uncle.† Proclaiming the sensibility of warmth and kindness are the most striking features in our country and especially in our language because our vocabulary is ample with thanks and blessings reflecting the blessings of God. Looking at it from this religious angle, the Lebanese tend to be like this because they are to be judged on their behaviors later in the Afterlife. Looking into another matter, it should be noted that the Arabic language Fos ha is used in legal matters, parliamentary issues, news reports, biblical references and the Quran and official speeches etc. because the language was closely linked with Islam in the past. This supports and is based on what Bessley (1998) stated, â€Å"many language communities adopt their standard orthography more or less by historical accident.† On the contrary, most Lebanese use a modern Lebanese dialect in daily conversations, bulletin boards, shop titles, internet chatting etc. and dont speak the language they write, which dramatically differs from Fos ha (Medley 2007). Below I will demonstrate in the conversational routine per se this modern spoken Lebanese vernacular. Conversational Routines In the field of linguistics the term routine refers to a â€Å"formulaic utterance† used in certain ordinary situations (greetings, parting, thanks, apologizes etc.) that can be as short as an utterance to as long as a phrase (UNE Course notes). Upon this definition, then one can state that a conversational routine is when a certain word or phrase is commonly used and soon becomes a habit. And as time goes, more and more of these routines are thought up and applied. In every culture, there are several, but the actual number is too great to be counted. The Lebanese culture has allowed the use of many conversational routines. Some examples are: Yaani = I mean Ya aami = Uncle or hey Yii ya allah = Oh! My God Mashi = ok or walking Ya zalameh = Yo! Man Yalla = coming or ok! Inshallah = hopefully Habiibii = lover or my beloved Shoo = what These are all words and phrases used in peoples daily lives and on a regular basis. Integrating conversational routines such as these and others helps reveal the Lebanese â€Å"ethnic and hybrid† identity stated by Tabar (2007). Succeeding this, I will exemplify the conversational routine â€Å"Walla† in its different contexts/meanings in five different dialogues and uncover its impinging religious and cultural elements. Other conversational routines are also used here, but I will stress on one to be concise. Note that I have attempted to Romanize the Lebanese Arabic into English phonetics instead of Arabic scripts to represent the Lebanese vernacular of Arabic and the abbreviations below imply the following: First Speaker (S1) and Second Speaker (S2). 1st usage: S1: â€Å"Laykee habiib sheftee shou sar la Hilda? Ya haram, rahet aala al mestashfa.† (Honey, Did you see what happened to Hilda? Poor Hilda, She was hospitalized.) S2: â€Å"Shoo, Walla! Leish? shou sar?† (What? Really! Why? What happened?) 2nd usage: S1: â€Å"Khalast darssak, ya sabii?† (Did you finish your studies boy? S2: â€Å"Walla, drasset kolou.† (I swear by God, I finished all my studies.) 3rd usage: An incident where a child accidentally falls and the observer says: â€Å"Wa-allah yehmeek† meaning ‘And God protect you. 4th usage: S1: â€Å"Btekhidinee aala al souk?† (Will you take me shopping or to the mall?) S2: â€Å"Walla, inshallah aaboukra.† (I promise, hopefully tomorrow.) 5th usage: When someone is hosting you with a drink or appetizer and you refuse shyly by saying: â€Å"La wallah† meaning â€Å"No thank you.† I have demonstrated from personal experience the usages of â€Å"Walla† as: ‘Really, ‘I swear, ‘I promise, ‘God protect, and ‘No thanks and there are many more functions. Equally interesting and stimulating, Peeters (2002) reviewed Traversos (2002) analysis of the word ‘Walla in the spoken Arabic. In her line of research, she examines how it â€Å"underscores the complexity of the relationship between language and cultures† and shows not only what Arabic grammarians see as a â€Å"corroboration device i.e. emphatic marker meaning ‘by God but â€Å"operating as a grammaticalized discourse particle comparable to the English particle such as ‘really and ‘truly (Wierzbecka cited in Peeters 2002.) Peeters (2002) adds that it is a â€Å"key word† like Wierzbeckas ‘a la` â€Å"because of it frequent use and its cultural specificity† (cited in Peeters 2002.) Similarly to Tabars (2007) study of the word ‘Habiib it has a common core with ‘Walla that is they both refer to a form of bonding between the speakers â€Å"on a basis of ethnicity or religion.† This theory also applies that when Arab origins use these terms they reveal a sense of â€Å"closeness† illustrating the ethnical element and friendship/family nature of the Lebanese Arab cultures. Overall, a conversational routine can be used everywhere. It doesnt exactly have a specific place to be put in, but a clue on how to use them according to the Lebanese would be that most express exclamations, surprises, frustrations, anger etc. and if not, then their second most common use would be to fill up a place where you have nothing to say or when you are trying to think of something to say. Rationalizing on what Thorton (1988:26 cited in Language and Cultures) proposed then we should not ask â€Å"what culture is but what culture does† to our language. In conclusion, this paper bought to light that the cultural norms of the interlocutors language are exposed through it. And that this intertwined relationship between language and culture aimed to point that they largely depend on each other to reflect and determine the cultural assumptions and values of a specific social culture in order to address and build a better understanding world for all.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Comparing Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story :: comparison compare contrast essays

Romeo and Juliet versus West Side Story      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story, two timeless dramas that will live forever.   Although both of these stories have many similarities, there are also many differences.   These differences include the differences in sililoquy, the fact that Maria doesn't die, the fact that we never see Tony or Maria's parents, as well as the issues of marriage, the importance of gangs and families to each story.   To understand these differences, I have read and/or watched both Romeo and Juliet, and the similar tragedy, West Side Story.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Above, I named a few of the many differences between William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and Ernest Leaman's screenplay, West Side Story. One main difference is that in Romeo and Juliet the sililoquy is spoken while in West Side Story there is sililoquy, but it is in song.   While both equally express the character's feelings at the moment, it is my feeling that West Side Story's musical style brings the viewer/listener further into the play and makes the play more effective.   An example of this is when, in Act II, Scene II, of Romeo and Juliet, otherwise known as the balcony scene, Romeo expresses his thoughts in a sililoquy until Juliet shows up.   While in Romeo and Juliet all of this is spoken, in West Side Story, this is written as music shared between Maria and Tony.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another major difference between these two stories is that in Romeo and Juliet, Juliet sees Romeo dead and decides to kill herself.   While, in West Side Story, Tony (the Romeo of the play) does die - shot by Chino- Maria is not so stricken and overshelmed that she decides to kill herself.   This is very important because in Romeo and Juliet, neither Romeo or Juliet is allowed to move on with their lives.   In West Side Story, however, I'm sure Maria, although not shown in the film, moves on and gets over Tony.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   My theory on why the above is true, is that Romeo and Juliet are kept apart by family ties or blood; Juliet a Capulet and Romeo a Montague.   Blood ties are what family is all about and tend to be very strong bonds.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Christmas, Retailers, And The Santa Claus Conspiracy :: essays research papers

Christmas, Retailers, and the Santa Claus Conspiracy Well it looks like it's that time of year again, when colourful lights are hung on trees, families spend time together, and retailers swim naked through their money. You guessed it, I'm talking about Christmas, one of the many holidays that have lost their meaning to commercialization. Forget the memory of Jesus Christ, now's the time to pay homage to the almighty buck. Nowadays when someone thinks of Christmas or Easter the idea of Christianity is one of the last to come into their mind (although I don't think it could have been made much easier -- "Christ"ianity, "Christ"mas -- what kind of minds are we dealing with?). It's far more likely that their first thoughts will be about buying the perfect gifts, having the most eye-damaging house decorations on the block, or having a hairy old fat man in red underwear arrested for putting their child on his lap and whispering to them to tell him what they "really" want (strangely enough there are some parents out there who actually pay money each year to have this abuse inflicted upon their children). The whole idea of Santa Claus is one of the scariest I've come across and yet we embrace it. The entire story sounds like something you should threaten your kid with if he doesn't want to eat his veggies. As I understand it he's supposed to be a fat man wearing red underwear who is capable of sliding down your chimney unharmed in order to quietly slip into your house while you're sleeping. If he really existed I'd be sitting up with a loaded shotgun every Christmas Eve, not dreaming of gifts while this lunatic could be slicing the throats of everyone in my house! And to add to the horror he is said to use "elves" to manufacture "toys" in a little "workshop" in the North Pole. This entire elf story sounds like a softening cover-up fed to us as propaganda. The truth of the matter is there's a Mafia hitman out there named Santa the Claw who runs a sweatshop using illegal child labour to manufacture products in a remote location where he can't be easily apprehended; or so that's what my skills of deductive reasoning tell me. So why the cover-up? Simple. The retailers, businessmen, and all the other bad people are all in on it since they realized long ago the amount of money they could make by marketing the "Santa Claus" idea. So like everything about the holiday, it reverts to money.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

How did Eratoshenes Measured the Circumference of the Earth? Essay

About a matter of two hundred decades ago, Greek astronomers valued the erudition that the shape of the Earth is correspondingly a sphere. And as the moon passes through the shadow of the earth, or that which is called a lunar eclipse, the Greeks have observed the circular shadow casted by the Earth. Since that time, it was already an established intellect that only spherical objects cast a circular shadow, thus, the conclusion that the Earth is likewise spherical in shape. The mere conclusion of the Earth’s shape, nevertheless, did not achieve contentment to the Greeks. A Greek astronomer by the name Eratoshenes discovered a possible way in measuring the Earth’s circumference. It started when he had heard some reports from one of Egypt’s city, Syene, which was located on the equator of the earth. The reports have informed Eratosthenes that the sun shows vertical wells down on Syene during the first day of summer. However, the astronomer did not observe any similar phenomenon anywhere by his home; therefore he arrived at the supposition that in his home, Alexandria, which lies 7 degrees north of the city of Syene, the sun never does reach zenith. Eratoshenes further presupposed that the sun is in line with the potential measurement of about 7 degrees south of his residency’s zenith during summer solstice or the first day of summer. Provided such conclusion, the distance from Alexandria and Syene was believed to be 7/360 or 1/150 that of the circumference of the Earth ( a complete circle has a 360 degree measure). Additionally, way back Eratoshenes’ time, â€Å"stade† was the known standard unit of measurement, which then is equal to 1/6 of a kilometer. Consequently, there are 5,000 stades from Syene to Alexandria and from such logic, the Earth’s circumference was calculated to be: 50 x 25,000 stades = 42,000 kilometers. Accordingly, the accepted modern value of the Earth’s circumference is 40,000 km, hence Eratosthenes was correct. References â€Å"The Earth and Moon, Size of the Earth cont. † Publication retrieved on 10 Sept 2007 from http://inkido. indiana. edu/a100/earthmoon7. html

Monday, September 16, 2019

Sonstitution of india Essay

There shall be paid to the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India a salary at the rate of *four thousand rupees per mensem. (2) The person who was holding office immediately before the commencement of this Constitution as Auditor-General of India and has become on such commencement the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India under artcle 377 shall in addition to the salary specified in subparagraph (1) of this paragraph be entitled to receive as special pay an amount equivalent to the difference between the salary so specified and the salary which he was drawing as Auditor-General of India immediately before such commencement. The rights in respect of leave of absence and pension and the other conditions of service of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India shall be governed or shall continue to be governed, as the case may be, by the provisions which were applicable to the Auditor-General of India immediately before the commencement of this Constitution and all references in those provisions to the Governor-General shall be construed as references to the President. The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India shall be paid a salary equal to the salary of the Judges of the Supreme Court vide s. 3 of the Comptroller and Auditor-General’s (Duties, Powers and Conditions of Service) Act, 1971 (56 of 1971). The salary of Judges of the Supreme Court has been raised to Rs. 30,000 per mensem by the High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Conditions of Service) Amendment Act, 1998 (18 of 1998), s. 7 (w.e.f. 1-1-1996). THIRD SCHEDULE [Articles 75(4), 99, 124(6), 148(2), 164(3), 188 and 219]* Forms of Oaths or Affirmations Form of oath of office for a Minister for the Union:— â€Å"I, A. B., do swear in the name of God solemnly affirm that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established, 1[that I will uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India,] that I will faithfully and conscientiously discharge my duties as a Minister for the Union and that I will do right to all manner of people in accordance with the Constitution and the law, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will.† Form of oath of secrecy for a Minister for the Union:— â€Å"I, A.B., do swear in the name of God solemnly affirm   that I will not directly or indirectly communicate or reveal to any person or persons any matter which shall be brought under my consideration or shall become known to me as a Minister for the Union except as may be required for the due discharge of my duties as such Minister.† Form of oath or affirmation to be made by a candidate for election to Parliament:—â€Å"I, A.B., having been nominated as a candidate to fill a seat in the Council of States (or the House of the People) do swear in the name of God solemnly affirm that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established and that I will uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India.† * See also arts. 84(a) and 173 (a). Ins. by the Constitution (Sixteenth Amendment) Act, 1963, s. 5. THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA Form of oath or affirmation to be made by a member of Parliament:— â€Å"I, A.B., having been elected (or nominated) a member of the Council of States (or the House of the People) do swear in the name of God solemnly affirm that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established, that I will uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India and that I will faithfully discharge the duty upon which I am about to enter.† Form of oath or affirmation to be made by the Judges of the Supreme Court and the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India:— â€Å"I, A.B., having been appointed Chief Justice (or a Judge) of the Supreme Court of India (or Comptroller and Auditor-General of India) do swear in the name of God solemnly affirm that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established, 1[that I will uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India,] that I will duly and faithfully and to the best of my ability, knowledge and judgment perform the duties of my office without fear or favour, affection or ill-will and that I will uphold the Constitution and the laws.† Form of oath of office for a Minister for a State:— â€Å"I, A.B., do swear in the name of God solemnly affirm that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established, 1[that I will uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India,] that I will faithfully and conscientiously discharge my duties as a Minister for the State of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.and that I will do right to all manner of people in accordance with the Constitution and the law without fear or favour, affection or ill-will.† Form of oath of secrecy for a Minister for a State:— â€Å"I, A.B., do swear in the name of God solemnly affirm that I will not directly or indirectly communicate or reveal to any person or persons any matter which shall be 1 Ins. by the Constitution (Sixteenth Amendment) Act, 1963, s. 5.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Bloodlines Chapter Twenty-Five

I HAD MOCKED KEITH when we first came to Palm Springs, teasing him for freezing up around Moroi. But as I stood there now, face-to-face with the stuff of nightmares, I knew exactly how he felt. I had no right to judge anyone for losing all rational thought when confronted with their greatest fears. That being said, if Keith was here, I think he would've understood why Moroi weren't as big a deal to me anymore. Because when compared to Strigoi? Well, suddenly the little differences between humans and Moroi became negligible. Only one difference mattered, the difference between the living and the dead. It was the line that divided us, the line that Adrian and I firmly stood together on one side of – facing those who stood on the other. I had seen Strigoi before. Back then, I hadn't been immediately threatened by them. Plus, I'd had Rose and Dimitri on hand, ready to protect me. Now? There was no one here to save us. Just ourselves. There were only two of them, but it might as well have been two hundred. Strigoi operated at such a different level than the rest of us that it didn't take very many of them to tip the odds. They were both women, and they looked as though they'd been in their twenties when they became Strigoi. How long ago that was, I couldn't guess. Lee had zealously gone on and on about how being Strigoi meant you were â€Å"forever young.† Yet in looking at these two monsters, I didn't really think of them that way. Sure, they had the superficial appearance of youth, but it was marred with evil and decay. Their skin might be wrinkle free, but it was a sickly white, far whiter than any Moroi. The red-ringed eyes that leered out at us didn't sparkle with life and energy, but rather an unholy sort of reanimation. These people weren't right. They weren't natural. â€Å"Charming,† said one, her blond hair in a pixie cut. Her facial structure made me think she'd been a dhampir or human before being turned. She was eyeing us the same way I'd often seen my family's cat watch birds. â€Å"And exactly as described.† â€Å"They're soooo pretty,† crooned the other, a lascivious smile on her face. Her height said she had once been Moroi. â€Å"I don't know which one I want first.† The blonde gave a warning look. â€Å"We'll share.† â€Å"Like last time,† agreed the other, tossing a mane of curly black hair over one shoulder. â€Å"No,† said the first. â€Å"Last time you made both kills. That wasn't sharing.† â€Å"But I let you feed from both afterward.† Before she could counter back, Lee suddenly recovered himself and staggered forward to the blond Strigoi. â€Å"Wait, wait. Dawn. You promised me. You promised you'd awaken me first before you do anything.† The two Strigoi turned their attention to Lee. I was still frozen, still unable to move or really react while being so close to these creatures of hell. But somehow, through the thick and overwhelming terror surrounding me, I still managed to feel small and unexpected pity for Lee. There was a little hate there too, of course, considering the situation. But mostly I felt terribly sorry for someone who truly believed his life was meaningless unless he sacrificed his soul for hollow immortality. Not only that, I felt sorry for him for actually thinking he could trust these creatures to give him what he wanted. Because as I studied them, it was perfectly clear to me that they were deciding whether or not to make this a three-course meal. Lee, I suspected, was the only one who didn't realize this. â€Å"Please,† he said. â€Å"You promised. Save me. Restore me to how I was.† I also couldn't help but notice the small red patch on his face where I'd hit him. I allowed myself to feel a bit of pride over that but wasn't cocky enough to think I possessed any noteworthy fighting skills to battle my way out of this situation. The Strigoi were too close, and our exits were too few. â€Å"I know where more are,† he added, beginning to look uneasy that his â€Å"saviors† weren't immediately jumping in to make his dreams come true. â€Å"One's young – a dhampir.† â€Å"I haven't had a dhampir in a while,† said the curly-haired Strigoi, almost wistfully. Dawn sighed. â€Å"I don't really care, Jacqueline. If you want to awaken him, go for it. I just want these two. He doesn't matter to me.† â€Å"I get the dhampir all to myself, then,† warned Jacqueline. â€Å"Fine, fine,† said Dawn. â€Å"Just hurry up.† Lee turned so radiant, so happy†¦ it was sickening. â€Å"Thank you,† he said. â€Å"Thank you so much! I've been waiting so long for this that I can't believe it's – ahh!† Jacqueline moved so quickly that I hardly saw it happen at all. One moment she was standing in the doorway, the next she had Lee pinned against the recliner. Lee gave out a semi-muffled scream as she bit into his neck, a scream that soon quieted. Dawn shut the door and nudged us forward. I flinched at her touch. â€Å"Well,† she said with amusement. â€Å"Let's get a good view.† Neither Adrian nor I responded. We simply moved into the living room. I dared a glance at him but could discern little. He was so good at hiding his true feelings in general that I supposed I shouldn't be surprised he could mask abject terror just as easily. He offered me no encouragement with either his expression or words, which I actually found kind of refreshing. Because really, I didn't see any good end to this situation. Up close, forced to watch Jacqueline's attack, I could now see the blissful expression that had settled over Lee's face. It was the most awful thing I'd ever witnessed. I wanted to squeeze my eyes shut or turn away, but some force beyond me kept me staring at the grisly spectacle. I'd never seen any vampire feed, Moroi or Strigoi, but I now understood why feeders like Dorothy could so willingly sign up for their lifestyles. Endorphins were being released into Lee's bloodstream, endorphins so strong that they blinded him to the fact that he was having his life drained away. He instead existed in a joyous state, lost in a chemical high. Or maybe he was just thinking about how happy he'd be once he was a Strigoi again, if it was possible to have any sort of conscious thought under these circumstances. I lost track of how long it took to drain Lee. Each moment was agonizing for me, as though I was taking the pain Lee should have been feeling. The process seemed to last forever, and yet there was also a weird sense of speed to it. It felt wrong that someone's body could be drained in so short a time. Jacqueline drank steadily, pausing only once to remark, â€Å"His blood's not as good as I expected.† â€Å"Then stop,† suggested Dawn, who was starting to look bored. â€Å"Just let him die and have these two with me.† Jacqueline looked as though she was actually considering it, again reminding me what a fool Lee had been to put his trust in these two. After a few minutes, she shrugged. â€Å"I'm almost done. And I really want him to get me that dhampir.† Jacqueline resumed drinking, but as she'd said, it didn't take much longer. By this point, Lee was nearly as pale as the Strigoi, and there was a strange, stretched quality to his skin. He was perfectly still now. His face seemed frozen in a grin that was nearly as much shock as it was joy. Jacqueline lifted her face and wiped off her mouth, surveying her victim with pleasure. She then pushed up her shirtsleeve and rested her nails on his wrist. Before she could tear her own flesh, however, she caught sight of something. â€Å"Ah, much neater.† She stepped away and leaned down, retrieving Lee's knife. It had slid under the love seat in our altercation. Jacqueline took it and effortlessly slashed her wrist, causing deep red blood to well out. Part of my brain didn't think their blood should look so similar to mine. It should be black. Or acidic. She placed her bleeding wrist against Lee's mouth and tipped Lee's head back so that gravity could help the blood flow. Every horror I'd witnessed tonight had been worse than the last. Death was terrible – but it was also part of nature. This? This was no part of nature's plan. I was about to witness the world's greatest sin, the corruption of the soul through black magic to reanimate the dead. It made me feel dirty all over, and I wished I could run away. I didn't want to see this. I didn't want to see the guy I'd once regarded as something like a friend suddenly rise up as some perversion of nature. A touch to my hand made me jump. It was Adrian. His eyes were on Lee and Jacqueline, but his hand had caught hold of mine and squeezed it, even though he was still cuffed. I was surprised at the warmth of his skin. Even though I knew Moroi were as living and warm-blooded as me, my irrational fears always expected them to be cold. Equally surprising was the sudden comfort and connection in that touch. It wasn't the kind of touch that said, Hey, I've got a plan, so hang in there because we're going to get out of this. It was more like the kind of touch that simply said, You aren't alone. It was really the only thing he could offer. And in that moment, it was enough. Then, something strange happened. Or rather, didn't happen. Jacqueline's blood was pouring steadily into Lee's mouth, and while we didn't have many documented cases of Strigoi conversions, I knew the basics. The victim's blood was drained, and then the killing Strigoi fed his or her blood back into the deceased. I didn't know exactly how long it took to work – it certainly didn't require all of the Strigoi's blood – but at some point, Lee should be stirring and getting up as one of the walking dead. Jacqueline's cool, smug expression began to change to curiosity and then became outright confusion. She glanced questioningly at Dawn. â€Å"What's taking so long?† Dawn asked. â€Å"I don't know,† Jacqueline said, turning back to Lee. With her free hand, she nudged Lee's shoulder as though that might serve as a wake-up call. Nothing happened. â€Å"Haven't you done this before?† asked Dawn. â€Å"Of course,† snapped Jacqueline. â€Å"It didn't take nearly this long. He should be up and moving around. Something's wrong.† I remembered Lee's words, describing how all his desperate attempts at taking innocent lives hadn't converted him back. I only knew a little about spirit – and even less about it restoring Strigoi – but something told me there was no force on earth that would ever turn Lee Strigoi again. Another long minute passed as we watched and waited. At last, disgusted, Jacqueline backed away from the recliner and rolled up her sleeve. She glared at Lee's motionless body. â€Å"Something's wrong,† she repeated. â€Å"And I don't want to waste any more blood figuring out what it is. Besides, my cut's already healing.† I wanted nothing more than for Dawn and Jacqueline to forget I existed, but the next words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. The scientist in me was too caught up in a revelation. â€Å"He was restored – and it affected him permanently. The spirit magic left some kind of mark, and now he can't be turned again.† Both Strigoi looked at me. I cringed under those red eyes. â€Å"I never believed any of those spirit stories,† said Dawn. Jacqueline, however, was still clearly puzzled by her failure. â€Å"There was something wrong with him, though. I can't explain it†¦ but the whole time, he didn't feel right. Didn't taste right.† â€Å"Forget him,† said Dawn. â€Å"He had his chance. He got what he wanted, and now I'm moving on.† I saw my death in her eyes and tried to reach for my cross. â€Å"God protect me,† I said, just as she lunged forward. Against all odds, Adrian was there to stop her – or, well, try to stop her. Mostly, he just got in her way. He didn't have the speed or reaction time to effectively block her and was especially clumsy with his cuffed hands. I think he'd just seen what I had, that she was going to attack, and had preemptively moved in front of me in some noble but ill-fated attempt at protection. And ill-fated it was. With one smooth motion, she shoved him aside in a way that looked effortless but knocked him halfway across the room. My breath caught. He hit the floor, and I started to scream. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain against my throat. Without a pause, Dawn had promptly grabbed me and nearly lifted me off my feet to get access to my neck. I mustered another frantic prayer as that pain spread, but within seconds, both prayer and pain disappeared from my brain. They were replaced by a sweet, sweet feeling of contentment and bliss and wonder. I had no thoughts, except that I was suddenly existing in the happiest, most exquisite state imaginable. I wanted more. More, more, more. I wanted to drown in it, to forget myself, to forget everything around me – â€Å"Ugh,† I cried out as I suddenly and unexpectedly hit the floor. Still in that blissful haze, I felt no pain – yet. Just as quickly as she'd grabbed me, Dawn had dropped and pushed me away. Instinctively, I reached out an arm to break my fall but failed. I was too weak and disoriented and sprawled ungracefully on the carpet. Dawn's fingers were touching her lips, a look of outrage twisting her already-horrific features. â€Å"What,† she demanded, â€Å"was that?† My brain wasn't working properly yet. I'd only had a brief taste of endorphin, but it was still enough to leave me addled. I had no answer for her. â€Å"What's wrong?† exclaimed Jacqueline, striding forward. She looked from me to Dawn in confusion. Dawn scowled and then spit onto the floor. It was red from my blood. Disgusting. â€Å"Her blood†¦ it was terrible. Inedible. Foul.† She spit again. Jacqueline's eyes widened. â€Å"Just like the other one. See? I told you.† â€Å"No.† Dawn shook her head. â€Å"There's no way it could be the same. You would never have been able to drink that much of her.† She spit again. â€Å"It didn't just taste weird or bad†¦ it was like it's tainted.† Seeing Jacqueline's skeptical look, Dawn punched her on the arm. â€Å"Don't believe me? Try her yourself.† Jacqueline took a step toward me, hesitant. Then Dawn spit again, and I think that somehow convinced the other Strigoi that she wanted no part of me. â€Å"I don't want another mediocre meal. Damn it. This is becoming absurd.† Jacqueline glanced at Adrian, who was standing perfectly still. â€Å"At least we've still got him.† â€Å"If he's not ruined too,† Dawn muttered. My senses were coming back to me, and for half a second, I wondered if there was some insane way we might survive this. Maybe the Strigoi would write us off as bad meals. But no. Even as I allowed myself to hope that, I also knew that even if they didn't feed off of us, we weren't going to leave here alive. They had no reason to simply walk off. They'd kill us for sport before they left. With that same remarkable speed, Jacqueline sprang toward Adrian. â€Å"Time to find out.† I screamed as Jacqueline pinned Adrian against the wall and bit his neck. She only did so for a few seconds, just to get a taste. Jacqueline lifted her head up, pausing and savoring the blood. A slow smile spread over her face, showing her bloody fangs. â€Å"This one's good. Very good. Makes up for the other.† She trailed her fingers down his cheek. â€Å"Such a shame, though. He's so cute.† Dawn stalked toward them. â€Å"Let me try before you take it all!† Jacqueline ignored her and was leaning back toward Adrian, who had gone all glassy-eyed. Meanwhile, I was free enough of the endorphins that I was thinking clearly again. No one was paying attention to me. I tried to stand and felt the world sway. Staying low, I managed to crawl toward my purse, lying forgotten near the living room's edge. Jacqueline had drunk from Adrian again, but only briefly before Dawn pulled her away and demanded a turn so that she could wash the taste of my blood out of her mouth. Startling myself with how fast I moved, I rustled through my cavernous purse, looking desperately for anything that might help. Some cold, logical part of me said there was no way we could get out of this, but there was also no way I could just sit there and watch them drain Adrian. I had to fight. I had to try to save him, just as he'd tried for me. It didn't matter if the effort failed or if I died. Somehow, I had to try. Some Alchemists carried guns, but not me. My purse was huge, full of more stuff than I really needed, but nothing in the contents resembled a weapon. Even if it did, most weapons were futile against Strigoi. A gun would slow them down but not kill them. Only silver stakes, decapitation, and fire could kill a Strigoi. Fire†¦ My hand closed around the amulet I'd made for Ms. Terwilliger. I'd shoved it in my purse when she gave it to me, unsure what I should do with it. I could only assume blood loss and scattered thoughts made me draw it out now and consider the possibility of using it. Even the idea was ridiculous. You couldn't use something that didn't work! It was a trinket, a worthless bag of rocks and leaves. There was no magic here, and I was a fool to even think along those lines. And yet, it was a bag of rocks. Not a heavy one, but surely enough to get someone's attention if it hit her in the head. It was the best I had. The only thing I had to slow Adrian's death. Drawing back my arm, I aimed at Dawn and threw, reciting the foolish incantation like a battle cry: â€Å"Into flame, into flame!† It was a good shot. Miss Carson would have been proud. But I had no chance to admire my athletic skills because I was too distracted by the fact that Dawn had caught on fire. My jaw dropped as I stared at the impossible. It wasn't a huge fire. It wasn't like her entire body was engulfed in flames. But where the amulet had struck her, a small blaze ignited, spreading rapidly through her hair. She screamed and began frantically patting her head. Strigoi feared fire, and for a moment, Jacqueline recoiled. Then, with grim determination, she released Adrian and grabbed a throw blanket. She wrapped it around Dawn's head, smothering the flames. â€Å"What the hell?† Dawn demanded when she emerged. She immediately began charging toward me in her anger. I knew then the only thing I'd accomplished was to speed up my own death. Dawn grabbed ahold of me and slammed my head against the wall. My world reeled, and I felt nauseous. She reached for me again but froze when the door suddenly burst open. Eddie appeared in the doorway, a silver stake in his hand. What was truly amazing about what followed was the speed. There was no pausing, no long moments to assess the situation, and no snarky banter between combatants. Eddie simply charged in and went for Jacqueline. Jacqueline responded with equal quickness, rushing forward to meet her one worthy foe here. After she'd released him, Adrian had slumped to the floor, still in the throes of the Strigoi endorphins. Keeping low to the ground, I scurried over to his side and helped drag him back to the â€Å"safety† of the far side of the living room while Eddie clashed with the Strigoi. I spared them only a moment's glance, just enough to take in the deadly dancelike nature of their maneuvering. Both Strigoi were trying to get a grip on Eddie, probably in the hopes of breaking his neck, but were careful to stay away from the bite of his silver stake. I looked down at Adrian, who was dangerously pale and whose pupils had reduced to the size of pinpoints. I had only a sketchy impression of how much Jacqueline had drunk from him and didn't know if Adrian's state was more from blood loss or endorphins. â€Å"I'm fine, Sage,† he muttered, blinking as though the light hurt. â€Å"Quite the high, though. Makes the stuff I've used seem pretty soft-core.† He blinked, as though fighting to wake up. His pupils dilated to a more normal size and then seemed to focus on me. â€Å"Good God. Are you okay?† â€Å"I will be,† I said, starting to stand. Yet even as I spoke, a wave of dizziness hit me, and I swayed. Adrian did his best to support me, though it was pretty awkward with his bound hands. We leaned against each other, and I almost laughed at how ridiculous the situation was, both of us trying to help the other when neither of us was in any condition to do it. Then something caught my eye that chased all other thoughts away. â€Å"Jill,† I whispered. Adrian immediately followed my gaze to where Jill had just appeared in the living room's entry. I wasn't surprised to see her. The only way Eddie could be here was if Jill had told him what was happening to Adrian through the spirit bond. Standing there, with her eyes flashing, she looked like some fierce, battle-ready goddess as she watched Eddie spar with the Strigoi. It was both inspiring and frightening. Adrian shared my thoughts. â€Å"No, no, Jailbait,† he murmured. â€Å"Do not do anything stupid. Castile needs to handle this.† â€Å"She knows how to fight,† I said. Adrian frowned. â€Å"But she doesn't have a weapon. Without one, she's just a featherweight in this.† He was right, of course. And while I certainly didn't want Jill endangering her life, I couldn't help but think if she were properly equipped, she might be able to do something. At the very least, a distraction might be a benefit. Eddie was holding his ground all right against the two Strigoi, but he wasn't making any progress against them either. He could use help. And we needed to make sure Jill didn't rush into this with only her wits to defend her. Inspiration hit me, and I managed to stay on my feet. The world was spinning even more than before, but – despite Adrian's protests – I managed to stagger to the kitchen. I just barely was able to get to the sink and flip the faucet on before my legs gave out underneath me. I caught hold of the counter's edge, using it to keep me upright. â€Å"Jill!† I yelled. She turned toward my shout, saw the running water, and instantly knew what to do. She lifted her hand. The stream coming from the faucet suddenly shifted, shooting out of the sink and across the living room. It went to Jill, who collected a large amount of it between her hands and magically forced the water into a long cylindrical shape. It held itself in the air like that, a rippling but seemingly solid club of water. Gripping it, she hurried toward the fight and swung her weapon of water into Jacqueline's back. Drops flew off of the â€Å"club,† but it held on to its rigidity enough for her to get a second hit in before completely exploding into a spray of water. Jacqueline spun around, her hand swinging out to strike Jill. Jill had expected as much and dropped to the floor, dodging in exactly the way I'd seen Eddie teach her. She scurried backward, out of Jacqueline's way, and the Strigoi pursued – giving Eddie an exposed shot on her back. Eddie took the opportunity, evading Dawn, and plunged his stake into Jacqueline's back. I'd never given it much thought before, but if shoved hard enough, a stake could pierce someone's heart just as easily from the back as the chest. Jacqueline went rigid, and Eddie jerked his stake out, just managing to avoid the full force of a strike from Dawn. She still caught him a little, and he stumbled briefly before quickly regaining his footing and setting his sights on her. Jill was forgotten and hurried over to us in the kitchen. â€Å"Are you okay?† she exclaimed, peering at both of us. That fierce look was gone. She was now just an ordinary girl concerned for her friends. â€Å"Oh my God. I was so worried about you both. The emotions were so strong. I couldn't get a fix on what was happening, just that something was horribly wrong.† I dragged my gaze to Eddie, who was dancing around with Dawn. â€Å"We have to help him – â€Å" I took two steps away from the counter and started to fall. Both Jill and Adrian reached out to catch me. â€Å"Jesus, Sage,† he exclaimed. â€Å"You're in bad shape.† â€Å"Not as bad as you,† I protested, still worried about helping Eddie. â€Å"They drank more from you – â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, but I don't have a bleeding arm wound,† he pointed out. â€Å"Or a possible concussion.† It was true. In all the excitement, I was so full of adrenaline that I'd all but forgotten about where Lee had stabbed me. No wonder I was so dizzy. Or maybe that was from getting my head smacked into the wall. It was anyone's guess at this point. â€Å"Here,† said Adrian gently. He reached for my arms with his cuffed hands. â€Å"I can take care of this.† A slow, tingling warmth spread through my skin. At first, Adrian's touch was comforting, like an embrace. I felt my tension and pain begin to ease. All was right in the world. He was in control. He was taking care of me. He was using his magic on me. â€Å"No!† I shrieked, pulling away from him with a strength I didn't know I had. The horror and full realization of what was happening to me was too powerful. â€Å"Don't touch me! Don't touch me with your magic!† â€Å"Sage, you'll feel better, believe me,† he said, reaching toward me again. I backed away, clinging to the edge of the counter for support. The fleeting memory of that warmth and comfort was being dwarfed by the terror I'd carried my entire life for vampire magic. â€Å"No, no, no. No magic! Not on me! The tattoo will heal me! I'm strong!† â€Å"Sage – â€Å" â€Å"Stop, Adrian,† said Jill. She approached me tentatively. â€Å"It's okay, Sydney. He won't heal you. I promise.† â€Å"No magic,† I whispered. â€Å"For God's sake,† growled Adrian. â€Å"This is superstitious bullshit.† â€Å"No magic,† Jill said firmly. She took off the button-up shirt she'd been wearing over a T-shirt. â€Å"Come here, and I'll use this to wrap it so that you don't lose any more bl – â€Å" An earsplitting shriek jerked us all back toward the living room. Eddie had made his kill, driving his stake right into the middle of Dawn's chest. In my brief scuffle with Adrian and Jill, Dawn must have gotten some shots in on Eddie because there was a large red mark on one side of his face, and his lip was bleeding. The expression in his eyes was hard and triumphant, however, as he pulled the stake out and watched Dawn fall. Through all the confusion and horror, basic Alchemist instincts took over. The danger was gone. There were procedures that needed to be followed. â€Å"The bodies,† I said. â€Å"We have to destroy them. There's a vial in my purse.† â€Å"Whoa, whoa,† said Adrian as both he and Jill restrained me. â€Å"Stay where you're at. Castile can get it. The only place you're going is to a doctor.† I didn't move but immediately argued with that last statement. â€Å"No! No doctors. At least, you have to – you have to get an Alchemist one. My purse has the numbers – â€Å" â€Å"Go get her purse,† Adrian told Jill, â€Å"before she has a fit here. I'll bind the arm.† I gave him a warning look. â€Å"Without magic. Which, by the way, could make this ten times easier.† â€Å"I'll heal on my own,† I said, watching as Jill retrieved my purse. â€Å"You realize,† added Adrian, â€Å"you're going to have to get over your dieting fixation and consume some major calories to fight the blood loss. Sugar and fluids, just like Clarence. Good thing someone bagged up all this candy on the counter.† Eddie walked over to Jill, and she paused as he asked if she was okay. She assured him she was, and although Eddie looked like he could kill about fifty more Strigoi, there was also a look in his eyes†¦ something I couldn't believe I'd never noticed before. Something I was going to have to think about. â€Å"Damn it,† said Adrian, fumbling with bandages. â€Å"Eddie, go search Lee's body and see if there's a key for these goddamned handcuffs.† Jill had been caught up in talking to Eddie but froze at the words â€Å"Lee's body.† Her face went so pale, she could have been one of the dead. In all the confusion, she hadn't noticed Lee's body in the chair. There'd been too much movement with the Strigoi, too much distraction by the threat they presented. She took a few steps toward the living room, and that's when she saw him. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out right away. Then she sped forward and grabbed his hands, shrieking. â€Å"No,† she cried. â€Å"No, no, no.† She shook him, as though that would wake him. In a flash, Eddie was by her side, his arms around her as he murmured nonsensical things to soothe her. She didn't hear him. Her whole world was Lee. I felt tears spring to my eyes and hated that they were there. Lee had tried to kill me and then had summoned others to kill me. He'd left a trail of innocents in his wake. I should be glad he was gone, but still, I felt sad. He had loved Jill, in his insane way, and from the pain on her face, it was clear she'd loved him too. The spirit bond hadn't shown her his death or role in our capture. Right now, she simply thought he was a victim of Strigoi. Soon enough, she'd learn the truth about his motives. I didn't know if that would ease her pain or not. I was guessing not. Weirdly, an image of Adrian's Love painting came back to me. I thought of the jagged red streak, slashing through the blackness, ripping it apart. Staring at Jill and her inconsolable pain, I suddenly understood his art a little bit better.