Saturday, August 31, 2019

Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis

There are around 5000 languages in use today, and each is quite different from many of the others. Many thinkers have urged that large differences in language lead to large differences in experience and thought. They hold that each language embodies a worldview, which speakers of different languages think about the world in quite different ways. At first I didn’t really understood what was being said, and I was really against it, but after asking myself, really? Knowing a different amount of words to describe things would allow us to better understand and communicate, interesting than as we started the color activity it became clear to me.Then immediately I started making connections to friends of mines form other foreign countries. Sometimes we have difficulties explain things to each other, things that are often the same, but because of where he’s from and the way their communication methods (Grammar, metaphors, Pragmatics, Semantics, Lexicon) are structured makes it difficult, to understand him being I’m form a different part of the world, meaning a different form of communication method, with a different set of rules.Form what I have read and understand the most important discussions of the linguistic relativity hypothesis have focused on grammar and lexicon which seem to be the most valid in my opinion. Why? I’m guessing it have something to do with the way we talk, and the influence it have on a lot of how much we understand, based on our vocabulary choices and makeup. For example a typical word order may vary in English; the common order is subject, verb, and object.In Japanese it is subject, object, and verb, and in Latin several different spin (word order). Languages can differ in whether they make a distinction between intransitive verbs and adjectives; there are many subtler sorts of grammatical difference as well. Grammar here does not mean the grammar we learned in grammar school, but the syntactic structure of a languag e; in the sense that grammar contains a set of rules that can generate all and only the sentences of a given language.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Citizenship of organizations, nations and the planet- Rights and Responsibilities Essay

Man is a social animal. The history of mankind is the history of evolving societies, civilizations and nations. These are the various levels of groups a person exists as a citizen of, where he cooperates with others to fulfil and increase his own needs and potential and therefore developing that group as a whole. Hence, an individual is tied to his social moorings which provide him certain rights for his own self development and also demand from him certain responsibilities for the well being and sustainability of the society as a whole. These rights and responsibilities are indispensable for any organisation to exist and develop. The rights have also evolved as society has progressed. Earlier in the days when democracy did not exist, a king or a dictator did not need to worry much about rights of his citizens. But democracy is based on will of people. In a democratic government, a citizen gets his rights which are fundamental to his well being and growth. Hence, in India our constitution makers provided us with fundamental rights which we did not enjoy when india was not a democratic nation. Similarly, when industrialisation had emerged in western Europe, the rights of the workers was not given much credence to. They lived in miserable conditions, with very long working hours and less leisure. But today, every organisation provides its workers safe working environment as a right. Today, as the twenty-first century enters its second decade the world has shrunk in a space becoming a global village.The ancient Indian notion encapsulated in the sanskrit dictum ‘vasudhaiva kutumbakam’( the world is a family ) has never been truer.Today, its not realistic to think only in terms of one’s own country .The exchange of ideas and goods are taking place everywhere in the world with ever greater frequency,speed and ease.The safety of people everywhere not only depends on local security forces,but also on guarding against terrorism.What happens in other parts of the world affect other nations too. We are becoming citizens of a unified planet. Under this perspective, the united nations formulated the Human rights which  are fundamental for the existence of a citizen irrespective of race, gender or geography like right to live with security, right against slavery. If a government denies its citizens these basic rights for example in a genocide, UN can i ntervene to restore peace and a legitimate government. Likewise it sends directives to its member nations on how they can perform better so that the citizens have better life. A citizen needs to take full responsibility towards Organization, Nation as well as Planet.People everywhere increasingly connected through travel,trade and the internet. World is so closely knitted today that a fire that starts in a remote thatched in one corner of a village can melt the steel girders of the tallest skyscrapers at the other end of our global village. The impact of 9/11 was felt all around the world or the impact of recession that was felt all around the world in 2008 due to the failure of Lehman brothers and Bear stearns .The impact that one citizen, organization or nation creates around the world cannot be ignored in such an interdependent world .We can no longer afford the luxury of not thinking about the impact on the planet in anything we do . The problems that the world is facing today like terrorism ,of the proliferation of weapons of mass destructions,global warming ,contagious disease, poverty, mass illiteracy and massive displacement cannot be addressed by one or a group of country alone .Today nations around the world find them vulnerable to threats from beyond once borders counterfeiters of currency,drug smugglers,child traffickers,pirates ,credit-card crooks and even imported diseases such as swine flu. Such problems required solutions that transcends all boundaries and it can only happen when one think himself as a global citizen and realize their rights and responsibilities towards the planet. Citizenship is the status of a person recognised under the law of a state that bestows on that person the rights and the duties of citizenship. Rights and responsibilities complement each other.It has been rightly said with great power also comes great responsibilities.Rights and respondibilities both should be enjoyed actively .Active citizenship is the  philosopy that citizens would work towards the betterment of society through economic participation, volunteer work and other such efforts to improve life for all citizens. A right has not be enjoyed by an individual at the cost of other’s right. A right pertains to an individual’s liberty but to sustain and develop equality in a society, responsibilities or duties are must to be followed by the citizens. If we have a right to free speech, then it becomes our responsibility to moderate our speech so that it does not incite hatred between groups and communities. Keeping this in view, India incorporated fundamental duties as well in its constitution to complement the rights. Now corporates which thrive on lands and forests occupied earlier by other communities, they have to share their riches with those people in the form of corporate social responsibility. Mahatma gandhi had aptly said that the world has enough to fulfil everyone’s need but not enough to fulfil anyone’s greed. In today’s world where resources are scarce, these words of his have become highly relevant. In the name of development, we are polluting our air and cutting down our forests. We are threatening the livelihood of various communities which sustain on these lands. This has led to widespread social tensions resulting into violence. The corporates and other players are forgetting their responsibilities towards the society. Their rights to do business must be in harmony with the rights of citizens whose livelihood gets affected. Many Management literates have investigated the notion of Citizenship from three perspective-an Organizational Citizenship (where the efforts are undertaken by the employees to behave as good citizens within their organization); from a social perspective with the notion of Corporate Citizenship (where initiatives are undertaken by businesses to act responsibly in society in particular and the Nation in general) and last but not the least from the planet perspective with the notion of Environment Citizenship (where efforts should be undertaken by Individuals/entity to be responsible towards environmental protection). At the organization level citizens should strive for sustainable development . There should be effort towards a future state for human societies in which living conditions and resource-use meet human needs without undermining the sustainability of natural systems and the environment, so that future generations may also have their needs met. Central coalfield Limited(CCL) as a responsible organization in making citizens partner in progress. Major corporate social responsibility(CSR) activity of Central Coalfield Limited (CCL) 1. CCL has adopted 2 villages in the nearby vicinity in which Rs. 50 lac was provided for setting up a Solar Light Generating Unit. 2. CCL has organized 25 medical camps in the adopted villages, in which 2644 persons were benefitted. 3. CCL has constructed/ repaired 17 rural roads, built/ repaired 21 rural schools and 20 community centers have been constructed/ repaired. 4. 11 visually impaired girl students of Brajkishore Netrahin Balaika vidyalia have been adopted by CCL for their education and Health Care. 5. For providing the supply of drinking water, 84 works with respect to digging of hand pumps, installation of hand pumps, wells, ponds etc. were undertaken by CCL giving benefit to 105 villages. 6. 335 health camps were organized in different villages of CCL in which 52309 people were benefited. 7. CCL has started operation JYOTI to eradicate reversible blindness in command areas and 2511 persons have been operated so far. 8. An amount of Rs. 3.70 Cr. was provided to state Government for construction of Bridge on Ray-Tandwa- Khilari Road. 9. Rs. 81.38 lac was provided to Jharkhand state for De-Silting of Kanke Dam, Ranchi.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

“How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife” by Manuel E. Arguilla Essay

Baldo and his older brother Leon were both waiting for their visitor riding a carratela. When Baldo sa his older brother’s wife, who is Maria, he was amazed by her beauty as he narrates their journey to their home in Nagrebcan. Maria was felt a bit anxious because of meeting Leon and Baldo’s parents for the first time, but along their way home, she discovered the differences of the life of the people lived there and the life in the city where she met and fell in love with Leon. Characters Leon/Noel – Maria’s husband, older brother of BaldoMaria – Leon’s wife Baldo – Leon’s younger brother, also the narrator of this story Mother and Father of Leon and BaldoAurelia – Leon and Baldo’s younger sister Labang – the carabaoSetting Nagrebcan, Bauang La Union Plot Leon and Baldo waited for the arrival of Maria at the barrio. Maria was afraid that she will not be accepted by Leon’s father because she may not able to adapt their way of living in the province. Baldo was ignoring to his older brother’s question about why did they have to go to Waig instead of Camino Real. (The reason is that their father wanted to test Maria if she is worthy to be Leon’s wife.) Baldo discussed their travel to his father. Leon’s entire family talked to Maria. 1. Who among the characters in the story you appreciate most? Why? What trait/quality/characteristics you want to this character? Why? For my opinion, I think I appreciate Maria most. Because she accepted and respected Leon for what he really is. She didn’t care what Leon’s life back in Nagrebcan. She was a supportive and a loving wife to Leon. She was so endearing and kind-hearted lady. She was very keen to meet Leon’s family. The fact that the rural is different from the city can be somewhat discouraging but the closer hey get to the house, Maria still manages to overcome any trials.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Integrative Project Assignment 3 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Integrative Project 3 - Assignment Example The primary strength of the company is its strong presence in the market. The brand utilizing the shelter of HP has a high global presence which helps it market the brand effectively. The Palm from HP is a device combining a mobile phone, (a separate product from HP) including touch controls, and a device enabled to communicate through internet (HP Annual Report , 2010). The Palm is based on HP’s Multi-touch user interface giving facilities of fast email, web browsing and many other features at a world class format. The device is compatible with both windows based PCs as well as Macintosh PCs. It also has a searching and maps feature used to give directions by connecting through internet. Palm compared to its competitors has more variety of smartphones compared to that of Apple and HP under its brand name. Recently the company had launched a new operating system named Palm series for smartphones which distinguishes it from the other brands in the same category along with givin g a disntingushed yet powerful experience to its users. Majority of the company’s phones that are launched or had been launched in the market are equipped with multimedia capabilities, having music, high resolution camera, HD playback, high resolution gaming and access to applications with the help of HP App world. The range of smartphones by HP is certainly higher as compared to that of HP’s Palm. Also within every series of HP, there are 2-3 models for the customers to choose from. Strong distribution channel is also one of the characteristic features of the HP. The synchronization of HP is considered to be far better than that of Palm. The best example for this is calendar synchronization. The HP automatically adjusts any changes in time and date whenever such changes are made in the desktop that is connected to the phones whereas synchronizing contact and calendar information in Palm is not an easy process. The primary feature that Palm has a upper hand is its acce ssibility through the use of touch screen which gives the user a real time experience with the picture quality of more than 25K pixels per inch of the smarphone. This can be regarded as the best in the industry. However, HP with faster operating systems and innovative technologies is constantly trying to match with that. The most attractive part of technology is often the much more rapid speed by which it can communicate what its manual counterparts cannot. From their tablet computers, from all over the world, a person can contact clients, business partners, family, and friends. Additionally, it allows for instant updates during communication. While a phone call may require waiting until someone is available on the phone or mailing a letter through the post office, technology allows the interaction and the update to be instant. The speed also enhances the decision-making process. Communication may involve important decisions that need to be made quickly, especially in a business con text. Before, a person may have had to go back to senior executives before finalizing a decision. Now, technology allows instant communication no matter where they are, including scanning and sending relevant documents such as contracts and instant transcription of the conversation if needed. Communication can become faster with the advent of technology. The technologies offer numerous opportunities to save money and increase productivity, thereby increasing the efficiency. The

Module 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Module 3 - Essay Example The story is about the son of a man who is a potential arsonist: setting barns on fire. This story is built of a number of characters including Abner the father, Sarty the son and the rest of the family: wife and daughters along with the people this family come in contact with. However, Faulkner uses Barn Burning to be a story that concentrates on the opinion of Sarty Snopes. Though this article is not written from the viewpoint of the character himself, there are certain moments throughout the story that divulge the reader with his emotions. With such a multitude of characters it is impossible for the reader to be unable to gain a true gist of what the story portrays. The concentration on Abner’s character allows a deep understanding of humanity and the instinct which compels each individual to develop an attachment to family. In Barn Burning, Abner is a dark influence on his young son. The protagonist forces his child to delve in a loyalty so deep, that injustice and sin are ignored in the process of protecting one’s own family. The story develops as Sarty begins to see the evil obstacle created by his father in his own growth. His constant belief that the father will change â€Å"Maybe he has done satisfied now, now that he has† However, in the end, the child is forced to give up his loyalty as a sense of righteousness sinks in. Though this confession leads to disastrous consequences, following the death of the very man Sarty has been ardently protecting, the judgment seems to shatter the young man who â€Å"He got up†¦.He did not look back.† Thus, Barn Burning is an evident portrayal of family and the human mind that delves to protect the sacred bond. It also shows the dire consequence that follows when this bond is broken. The Chrysanthemums is another story which concentrates on the importance of character to a story. In this story, the main subject of

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Interaction between business strategy and the use of guanxi in China Research Proposal

Interaction between business strategy and the use of guanxi in China - Research Proposal Example The guanxi business strategy will be measured according to the various aspects of business that can be influenced when it is implemented on individuals in the market. This research aims at collecting data that will be used to analyze the situation and give objective recommendations on the best business strategy to adopt in the whole issue for businesses to be sustainable. INTRODUCTION Background to Guanxi Guanxi is dated to very long in the history of the Chinese where there were many political and social upheavals in which people were killed and resources destroyed (Leung et al, 2011, p801). In those times, people were disintegrated and fought against each other as well as exploiting the weak to gain some properties from them and dominate them (Kang et al, 2007, p45). As a result guanxi was formed, which is a term that means a network through which people relate and help each other to secure favors as individual or in business and hence promote the wellbeing of each other. The Confu cius codified the individual, family and societal ties, which specified the responsibilities of different people in their environment and laid the expectation of the society on different people to ensure they fulfill them. During the times when China face social and political instabilities, the relationships established were important in preventing the spread of injustices and wars among the members who related with each other (Langenberg, 2007, p33). The Chinese society is established in units of families, in which the members have a certain kind of relationship that could be defined by blood, neighborhood, friendship or involving classmates who shared a class in school. All the members in this family are very loyal to each other but on the contrary, they have similar level of distrust on the non-members who could be around them (Tan and Chee, 2005, p204). This means that in order to extend business favor to any person in the Chinese society, the first consideration is the ties a p erson has with the one who possesses it and is ready to give out (Lee, Reiche and Song, 2010, p164). The people who are members of this same family are connected together in relation to a system of reciprocity and equity and that helps them to treat each other well so that they can also receive particular favors from them (Jin, Cheng and Yunjie, 2009, p161). On the other hand, there are different consequences that are associated with disregard to the commitment to one’s family whereby the errant loses his or her social reputation and prestige, which is a very important thing in the relationship of the people with each other (Guan, 2011, p5). Business interactions in China are established on the bases of these ties and they contribute to decisions that a person takes in a transaction or a venture that can extend a certain favor to a person or to both (Ruehle, 2010, p9). Guanxi principles have permeated to the political and other social relations to disrupt laws of justice that are enacted to curb favoritism because personal judgment is the conviction that people have to enable them to have all they need (Luo, 1995, p248 and; Luo and Chen, 1997, p7). In this respect, loyalty to the family becomes a very important thing, more than the loyalty one has on the government or other institution of the society that has similar or contrasting demands

Monday, August 26, 2019

Legal unit2 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Legal unit2 - Case Study Example or in the event that such unemployed individuals did not take steps to apply for available work without a justifiable reason or even failed to accept employment in which they were well suited for. However, distinction is made that any of the above reasons may lead to a denial of benefits and not necessary all of them. This argument has its basis on the usage of the term â€Å"if† in each of the terms. The terms do have exceptions that may have one be admissible for the unemployment benefits. Such exceptions lie mainly in the first clause of leaving employment voluntary. This is only possible in the event that such voluntary leaving of employment was prompted by their being pregnant or experiencing terminated pregnancy, or due to suffering domestic abuse. However, such abuse needs verification and validation via medical examination, backing of a legal document, or by a statement sworn by the claimant as true. The other exception to the statute stands in the event that the quitting of employment by an individual is motivated by the relocation of a spouse serving in the US military or the national guard of New Mexico. Other reasons may occur if the spouse orders to deploy from a unit, activation orders, or orders to change permanently from a

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Panera Bread Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Panera Bread - Essay Example The company main competitive advantage is its ambiance that serves an escape from the daily hustle. Based on the SWOT analysis on Panera Bread, its brand image is strong in the US. By focusing on its competitive advantage, the company has maintained a strong customer loyalty due to its appealing ambiance. Panera Bread core competency is its artisan foods considered the best by its loyal customers. The primary components of Panera Bread value chain include: customer service, operating performance, and inbound logistics. The inbound logistics is more crucial as it acts as a product differentiation mechanism (Srinivasan, 2006). The management should reconsider its strategic measure of refranchising its 73 stores and its attempt to augment its share buyback. The underlying reason is that this will increase the company debt level and thus lowering its future profitability. Panera Bread should instead focus on other effective measures of competing against its rivals such as Starbucks. For Panera Bread to strengthen its competitive position in the global food industry, it should focus on promoting its organic food (Gamble, & Thompson 2012). As earlier mentioned, most people are shifting their consumption pattern to healthy organic foods as they become more conscious of their health. Therefore, this will help strengthen the company competitiveness and its business

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Company Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Company Law - Essay Example Thus the shareholder in a proprietorship company is an individual, the partnership depending upon the number of persons who constitute the partnership and private company (corporation) the number of shareholders who promote and subscribe to the shareholding of that organization. By its nature, conducts of a business obligates its owners to discharge their liabilities to the creditors in the process of running and earning income out of business operations. The degree of responsibilities and viability vary due to the risks involved in accessing capital. Stated otherwise, in certain types of businesses informal rule applies whereas in others informal ones apply but the ultimate objective of all them is to ‘effectively constrain agents (the form of companies here) actions and their growth (North, 1990). The interdependence between the legal and financial rules have further be amplified, for instance, by Cheffins, (2001) and Coffee, (2001) according to whom while the good quality le gal rules could enhance the investments potential for businesses, financial structures can influence the creations of legal norms. In this light, the objectives of this paper is to discuss specific structures under which businesses operate, viz, Sole proprietorship, limited liability, the pros and cons of both the structures and the later in relation to ‘Solomon Case’. This paper would also be finally enlarged with a discussion of limited liability as to how it impacts a company’s directors and shareholders. Discussion An Overview of the UK Corporate Sector The corporate structure of the UK business enterprises is influenced by a number of factors, such as access to bank borrowing, cash, non-debt tax shields, growth opportunities, profitability etc. Business structures are platforms through which capital, goods and persons carry out commercial transactions in a given space wherein the accessibility to capital and size have a distinct impact on the nature of the c orporate forms in which such transactions are facilitated. While one can state that there are three broad choices, via, (i) sole proprietorships, (ii) partnerships (limited liability), (iii) corporations (private or public) for organizing and running of business enterprises. There are various other types of companies such as royal charter, industrial and provident society, company limited by guarantee, community interest company, etc. But proprietorship, partnerships and corporations are the three main types prevalent. Proprietorship Proprietorship businesses are characterized by single owners, at times a one person shows with limited or even the owner performing the role of an employee also. In such a case it acquires the form of self-employment whom for such a reason cannot be classified as real entrepreneurs. Proprietorship entities have certain advantages which makes it a most popular form of business enterprise. Some of such advantages are: a) It facilitates an easy formation b ecause neither is there a need for complying with legal formalities nor any registration of the firm is needed; b) the owner comes up with the requisite capital which ordinarily gets generated either out of their savings and or through the reinvestment of profits generated; c) The owner has total control of the business operations which enables the

Friday, August 23, 2019

Understanding course objectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Understanding course objectives - Essay Example All these objectives should be achieved through the help of the managers (Schwalbe, K. 2010). These objectives will help in improving production, there will be safety in the company and among employees. Use of information technology will also reduce the number of labour workers and this will reduce company’s costs of maintenance and improve profit. However, there are risks or challenges that the managers may encounter if all of these objectives are not accomplished. First, information technology provides privacy and security, if that is not achieved, important information may be easily accessible, hence communication problems. In additional it saves time, money and resources. It reduces the number of employees, reduces cost of movement and paper work is minimized as well. Secondly, a company may face a risk in reduced cost since most advertisements need information technology. This means the managers will encounter issues in making a name for the company. Reduced customers will affect the performance of a company and lower the cost of production, hence a loss is incurred. Lack of information technology may also pose a challenge in decision making, and internal operations of a company as

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Jollibee Essay Example for Free

Jollibee Essay Tony Tan Caktiong’s Jollibee has been one of the most admired, most copied, most innovative and most professionally-run company here in the Philippines. It has been the number one fastfood chain overtaking giants such as Mc Donalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken or KFC. How did a local jolly red bee knocked down a multinational red-haired clown named Ronald? Let’s see another inspiring story of the founder of one of my ideal businesses. With its success, a Jollibee franchise has now a tag price of P25+ Million (US$ 500,000+). Wow! Tony Tan Caktiong’s Life and his Jollibee company is another rags to riches story of an entrepreneur that truly inspires everyone. Tony was the third of seven siblings born to poor parents who migrated from the Fujian province in China to look for a better life here in the Philippines. Tony to return back to Manila and pursue his course Chemical Engineering at the University of Santo Tomas (UST). In 1975, Tony and his colleagues went on a visit to a Magnolia Ice Cream plant located in Quezon City and learned that it was offering franchise when he saw a poster for it. By the month of May, with his family savings, he took P350,000 to grab the franchise opportunity and opened two Magnolia ice cream parlors named Cubao Ice Cream House. They all worked hands-on but as the business propels, they noticed they could not do it all so they started to set up an organization hired store managers, and trained people. Tony started with just two ice cream. Then after two years, he offered chicken and hamburger sandwiches, because customers were telling them they didn’t want to be eating ice cream all the time. They prepared the food in the back kitchen, and soon noticed that people were lining up more for hamburgers than for ice cream. Then in 1978, when they already had six ice cream parlors, they asked themselves: â€Å"Why don’t we change into a hamburger house?† That was also the time they decided to incorporate and realized they needed a brand name. They were looking for a symbol that would represent the group, and because Tony was very impressed with Disneyland characters, they decided on a bee. The bee is a busy creature that produces honey – one of life’s sweetest things. They thought it would be a very good symbol to represent everybody. They decided they would all be very busy and happy at the same time, because if they were busy but not happy, it would not be worth it. That’s why they put the word jolly and just changed the â€Å"y† into â€Å"i† to form a brand name JOLLIBEE. â€Å"It wasn’t long before we heard that the multinationals were coming in – including McDonald’s. Friends started asking us if we were going to get a McDonald’s franchise but I remember saying, if you franchise, you can’t grow outside the Philippines†, says Tony.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

ECPE Essay about single parrent families Essay Example for Free

ECPE Essay about single parrent families Essay The Family structure has changed significantly in the last fifty years. With higher percentages of marriage ending in divorce, and higher rates of childbearing out of wedlock, single parent families are increasing rapidly. Seventy percent of all the children will spend the all or part of their lives in a single-parent household. Studies have shown that the children of these families are affected dramatically, both negatively and positively. It is never a childs decision to only live with one parent. There are many ways that single-parent homes occur. Some of these ways include unplanned pregnancy, divorce, the decision to be a single parent by choice, and death of a spouse. In every case families are disputed greatly. Parents might experience depression, emotional problems etc. but the child is affected the most. It is ideal for a child to be living with both parents for many reasons that will affect the childs emotional development. Even if the parent living away from the child visits often it does not make up for times where the child might have needed the parent. Lack of parental involvement can harm the child in many ways. With less parental influence in single parent homes the children might experience difficulty in school. With a grasp of a healthy marriage of their parents, children might have problems later in life with holding a job and having strong healthy relationships themselves. Studies have shown that children coming from a disrupted family significantly increases a young adults risk of experiencing social, emotional or academic difficulties. Aside from all the negative things a child growing up in a single-parent family might face the child will become more independent and responsible at an earlier age. Being forced at an early age to have more household responsibilities helps children later in life to be mature and make decisions for his/herself. Learning skills early can be applied to them later in life. The children also have higher self-esteem, because they that they are capable of facing problems, and taking on tasks. They know that they cant rely on both parents to meet all their needs. Even though the ideal family is a dual family, children living in a single-parent home might face problems financially and economically which doesnt mean they can fare off as well rounded adults later in life. As long as there are the established kinds of basic support given to the child, we do not need to target mothers or fathers for the breakdown of society. Every type of family has faced problems. As long as we acknowledge parents struggle to fight for their best for the kids and accept that they are not perfect.

Relationship between BOH tea and consumer behavior

Relationship between BOH tea and consumer behavior BOH Plantation Sdn Bhd was found by John Archibald Russell in the year 1929, together with A.B. Milne, a veteran in tea planting from Ceylon they succeeded in obtaining a concession of land in Cameron Highland in order to start the tea plantation business. Together the duo transforms steep jungles slopes into a tea garden known as BOH Plantations, which is the 1st highland tea garden in the country. BOH Plantations business begins to bloom and currently is the leading tea grower in the country. The plantation expanded and owns four tea gardens, of which three is located 5000 ft above sea level and is situated in Cameron Highlands, and the fourth is centralizing in Bukit Cheeding, Selangor. Collectively, the gardens size in total is 1200ha. BOH Plantation has been firmly entrenched that most Malaysia drinks BOH tea than any other brand. BOH teas are available in 3 different forms (tea packets, tea bags, tea dust). The company currently produces 4 million kg of tea in a year. Malaysian consumes 10million kg of tea which makes BOH tea largest producer locally of black tea, in terms of cuppage, BOH tea produces about 5.5 million per day which almost meets 50% of tea consumption requirement in the country. The success story of BOH Plantation continues to be Malaysias leading brand in tea and is also exporting to Brunei, Japan, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and also the US. Consumer Decision Process BOH tea Consumer Decision Process is basically known as a cognitive process. Consumer is aware of a need or wants and search for possible ways to satisfy it. Awareness of consumer is not an automatic process; it is actually selective external procedure. Example, consumers are expose to thousands of messages that persuades them from advertising, political organization, religious groups , food products and many more other resources. This mass information that seeks out consumer attention then filtered out by individual in order to make the decision in buying a product. In order for a consumer to purchase a product, he or she has to go through the 5 stages of consumer decision process. These 5 stages of consumer decision making process are very important for consumer to make an accurate decision in satisfying their needs and wants. The stages flow in sequence beginning with problem recognition and ending with post-purchase evaluation. The 5 stages are as graph above: Problem Recognition Information Search Evaluation and Selection of Alternatives Decision Implementation Post-purchase Evaluation Problem Recognition The consumer decision process begins when a consumer is aware of satisfying their needs or wants. For the past decade, health benefits have caught the attention of the wide coverage of media. Numerous studies have shown that the antioxidant polyphenols of tea has the anti-cancer properties and also able to reduce the risk of gastric, and also skin cancer. Prevention is better than cure; this statement has drive consumers to seek for healthy product to maintain a healthy lifestyle, likewise tea is a healthy drink. This is where BOH tea as Malaysian leading brand provides high quality tea that contains rich aroma of tea flavors that fills the nose and relishing the taste in the mouth while giving a soothing effect. Below are 2 examples of BOH teas top products. Product 1 (BOH string and tag) Source: https://www.boh.com.my/shop/product_info.php?products_id=71 Most consume product that satisfies the need of consumers that wants to prepare instant pre-pack tea. Product 2 BOH tea leaves Source: https://www.boh.com.my/shop/product_info.php?products_id=29 This product satisfies the needs of consumer that prefers the old fashion tea leave method, as the aroma and taste of tea is stronger. Information Research When consumers identify a problem, they will find ways to solve the problems. Consumer will need to do internal and external research in obtaining the knowledge of products that will satisfy their needs. In the case of BOH tea, since it is the leading tea brand in Malaysia it is important to strengthen the brands leadership by creating awareness for their product through sales promotion and advertising. As internal research, in order for BOH tea to capture the attention of consumer they have come up with a catchy phrase ada Ummph which literally means more than words can describe kind of feeling to show the great quality of tea that is produce by BOH tea. This phrase will strongly register the brands name in the mind of consumer, so that the next time they want to purchase tea, BOH tea will be their 1st choice as the ada Ummph phrase shows that consumer will never regret in consuming their tea. Above is the example of the catchy phrase that is place on the product of BOH tea that always remind people to enjoy the goodness of tea at the same time enjoying a relaxing time, it has specialized BOH tea from different brand of tea such as Twinnings, Chamomile and Lipton. External research allow consumer to access for secondary information from online resources, advertisement, brochures and many more in order to provide them with the excess knowledge to purchase the computer of their choice. Tea drinker in Malaysia will not escape the attention of BOH tea, as their product can be obtained from most retail outlets. BOH tea has also promoted their tea in printed media such as newspaper advertisement, television commercial, and also campaigns. BOH tea promotes their tea with bonding with love ones by creating moments of togetherness with loved ones. This is to show that a cup of tea can unite everyone together without any restriction. One way for BOH tea to educate consumers is by giving away free samplings and by holding contests for consumers. Source:http://old.brudirect.com/public_html/DailyInfo/News/Archive/June05/100605/bb08.htm Above is a picture of a winner who participated in a lucky draw pick that was organized by BOH tea in a shopping mall. This shows that promotion is a very important strategy in order to build consumer knowledge on BOH tea. Evaluation and Selection of Alternatives The following step allows the consumer to evaluate the brands from the information that is obtained. Consumers sees product as a bundle of attributes such as the need, benefits, and attributes in order to make the right decision that satisfy their needs and wants. This bundle of attributes is actually a products objective and subjective factors. Objective factor Strong aroma of tea and relishing taste Subjective factors Comparison of BOH Tea and Lipton tea, BOH tea being the outstanding as product is cheaper then Lipton and has strong aroma that suits consumers taste Purchase Decision Purchasing the brand BOH tea satisfies the entire spectrum of the non-alcoholic beverage in Malaysia and encourages tea to be consumed including, cold, instant, traditional or in any other form that is preferred by consumer. This satisfies the consumer by providing choice of tea consumption according to their taste This is the stage where consumer has decided which brand of product that he or she wants after a making comparison with all the availability of product brands. Consumer will then have to select 2 specific elements which is purchasing the brand choice and purchasing time. Purchasing Time Product can be purchase in most retail outlet in the form of packages. Consumer can also buy it in bundle during promotion period too. Post purchase evaluation In this stage the level of purchase involvement of consumer is very important, it is often known as the level of concern for or interest in the purchase and heavily depends on the extensive information that is seek by the consumer in making a purchase decision. Low purchase involvement process Example, suppose if a buyer buys a certain brand of product (e.g., BOH tea) as a matter of habit, this means the drink is a low purchase involvement situation and consumers do not have to evaluate and seek information extensively. This case consumer will simply buy and consume the product and generates a high level of repeating the same purchase of product. Graph above shows low involvement purchase process that takes place. The benefit of low purchase involvement process is BOH tea has become consumers loyal brand for tea consumption products as repeat purchase has been taking place from time to time. However, if the level of purchase is high and the consumer is involved in extensive decision making, consumer will be more likely to face a more elaborated post-purchase evaluation. High Purchase Involvement process This graph shows that there is a post-purchase dissonance where consumer are unable to commit to the decision of choosing the brand that they want and it will create anxiety among consumers as it is difficult to make alternatives choices. In order for consumer to reduce this dissonance, consumer has to make approaches such as to increase the desirability of the brand that they want to purchase and reject the desirability of rejected alternatives and also reject the negative data on brand purchased. If dissonance is not reduce, the anxiety experience may turn into a dissatisfaction and leads to a new problem. That is why high purchase involvement needs extensive research of information to reduce anxiety and increase the confidence level in purchasing the product they want. Consumer will stay loyal to BOH tea because the company is constantly doing research in order to satisfy the future consumer needs. Psychological Core BOH tea Attention Attention is a concept of cognitive psychology that helps us to actively process information present in our environment. Attention is an unconscious process where consumer can automatically scan the features of the environment surrounding them. Attention can be classified into 2 which are voluntary and involuntary. Selective Attention Selective attention is the study of why people pay attention towards things, and how deep is their attention towards things that they focus. BOH tea pays attention towards animal and environmental conservation and have won numerous awards. Example, the companys packing facility in Bukit Cheeding has receive the ISO 9002 certification, this can further assured of quality tea every time consumer open up a packet of BOH tea. BOH also won the Super brand Excellence Trophy Award in Food Beverage category in 2004. Tea Brands such as Rooibos tea from South Africa although provides lots of benefits but unfortunately they are a bit slow in venturing into environmental conservation. Orientation reflex Orientation reflex is very important in capturing the attention of consumer. The aim of this involuntary action is to create stimuli that surprise the expectation of consumers. Example, BOH Tea is able to capture the attention of their consumer with their advertisement in television which focuses on family bonding where family members can socialize through a cup of tea. Perception Perception is a process that begins with consumer being exposed to information, attended to the information and ending with comprehending the information that is focus on. Perception consists of 5 major elements which is exposure stage, attention stage and comprehension stage. Exposure stage is the beginning process of perception process where consumer is exposing to information in the environment that is observed by the human senses. However, exposure towards surrounding is not enough to give a major impact towards consumers. BOH tea attracts consumer by promoting their products in television commercial, newspaper advertisement, BOH tea website, and also campaign. Example, BOH tea has done numerous televisions commercial by targeting the culture of tea regardless of religious or political options and also not to forget the moment of togetherness by the bonding of family member. The attention stage, is how consumer pays attention towards something, this stage consumer will allocate processing capacity to a stimulus. In order to capture the attention of consumer, BOH tea has involve in animal and environmental conservation. One of their successful stories is when BOH Plantation was the first tea company to be awarded ISO22000 certification, an international standard designed to ensure safe food supply chains worldwide. BOH has also strengthened the leadership of their brand by embarking on numerous marketing campaigns. Consumer will then interpret the information obtain from environment and store it in the memory so that consumer can make the decision at the purchase stage. Different choices of tea X Lipton Tea X Alce Dero X BOH tea X Chayo X Twining X St Dalfour Organic tea Taste/Smell Taste/ Smell X Clear Spring X Alvita Tea X Austral Herbs X Dalhousie X Eden Organic X Nature Cuppa Organics X Sonnetor X Borneo Rainforest Less choices of tea Above is an example of perceptual mapping that helps BOH tea to develop a market positing strategy for their products. This has help us to see how consumer perceive the brands of tea that is available, and also how BOH tea can develop in technology and agriculture in improvising the taste and aroma of tea suits to the mood of consumers. Motivation Motivation refers to an inner drive that reflects the goal of a person, which consist of the urge, wishes, or desire that allow them to strive to achieve the goals and aims that is set. The two motivational theories that is famously know to express the motivation of people are the : Maslows Hierachy of Needs W.J. McGuire psychological motives Abraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Maslows hierarchy of need is actually a theory to satisfy the human needs . In order to be at the peak of the hierarchy, a person has to satisfy the lower needs in order to achieve higher needs in the hierarchy. ( Further explanation of this theory will be explain in the appendix) The next theory is McGuires physiological motives , a very detailed set of motives to understand the specific aspects of consumer behavior. This theory consists of 4 major categories with 16 sub-categories which explain the behavior of consumer.( Further explanation refer to appendix) The 2 criteria that satisfy the 4 main categories are as follow: Is the mode of motivation cognitive or affective? Is the motive focus on preservation of status or on growth? This advertisement has shown us that BOH is targeting bonding between people and at the same time satisfying the need for affiliation (active, external). The pictures shows that two hands of different skin complexion holding the cup of tea basically means, no matter who we might be we can bring people together over an occasion of tea and igniting joy. The tag line Brings people together in the advertisement tells consumers that life are always more meaningful when shared with people who matters the most. Here we can see BOH tea market and targets the satisfaction of building relationship of family members and friends. This advertisement target consume by showing the types of product available for consumers. This has satisfy the needs for stimulation, consumer often seek variety and different out of stimulation, so this advertisement has shown the range of preparation of tea they have such as BOH tea leaves packaging and BOH tea in strings and bags. This way consumer can be satisfied depending on how they want to prepare their cup of tea. The next will be the need of expression; the sentence BOH mother brand range has express others about the distinctive and unique character of BOH tea bursts with freshness and aroma in each cupful. They also want to express that BOH tea satisfy much more than just the aroma and taste by preparing a small plate of cookies to show that their tea can go best with evening tea time meal as to relax our mind and soul. Learning Behaviors that results from repetition experience and thinking have allow consumer to develop automatic response to a situation.( Further explanation of learning process can be found in the appendix ). When consumer has chosen a specific product that satisfies their needs, they rely on what they have learned through previous experience about the products characteristic such as the brand name, ingredients or features. In order for BOH tea to provide knowledge on their tea production, they have come up with different kind of tea thats suits different consumer taste. In order to satisfy different taste of consumer, BOH has produced the instant tea mix with no sugar added as seen in the above image. This product does not contain sugar but with added creamer for a smoothing taste. This product not only allow consumer to experience the robust full flavor of BOH tea, but also easily prepared by adding hot water for a quick and refreshing cup of tea . The learning process has registered consumer that does not take sugar can always buy this product. Green tea product of BOH as seen above soothes refreshes and revitalizes the mind and soul of consumer who needs a boost in energy after a hard day at work. This has allow learning process to take place within consumer who will purchase green tea product of BOH tea, that promises 100% tea that is steamed then rolled and dried in traditional process over the century. The delicate aroma, light and refreshing taste with its natural antioxidant properties gives consumer an opportunity to learn that this green tea does not fail to refresh and revitalize our body and mind. Memory Memory is the ability of the human mind to store, recall information or experience, or retain vital information. (types and further explanation of memory can be found in appendix) In order for BOH tea to strengthen their leadership brand in tea has to target consumer in many ways that possible and advertisement in an interesting way that can transform nature of consumer by setting expectation that influence the way consumer interpret that information In order to target loyal consumer, BOH tea has come up with advertisement and promotions to establish their brand. The image above is an example of promotion strategy use to attract consumers. The promotion is about sharing with love ones where consumer takes pictures with family and friends and post them to BOH tea, and BOH tea will then take all the pictures and form a huge collage that says 1 Ummph, 1 smile which literally means BOH tea puts a smiles on every Malaysian no matter who they are. This promotion strategy not only builds the spirit of patriotic Malaysian and builds the relationship with everyone, but also giving them a chance to win RM5, 000 for grand prize and RM1,000 for conservation prize . In addition, a chance for all Malaysian to make history in making their way in Malaysia books of record for forming the largest collages regarding the value of togetherness. This kind of promotion can allow consumer to always remember BOH tea reaching out to people even though th ey are just a tea brand. It shows how BOH tea cares for the people. Attitude Attitude is feeling or affection against a stimulus; it is stored in the long-term memory. The 4 function of attitude consist of Utilitarian function, which is use to obtain reward and avoid punishment, Ego-Defensive function is self-protection, knowledge function is simplifies decision such as brand, and value expression which is express identify towards others. Beliefs is an important aspect in attitude, in order for consumer to have positive beliefs on BOH tea which is strong aroma and soothing taste they have to differentiate their product to the liking of consumers. Other tea brands such as Twinings and Rooibos tea are very difficult to attract consumer in Malaysia because they do not promote and advertise their product much. They do not approach consumers, and that case has given opportunity to BOH tea to target consumer attitude in the sense of drinking tea with love ones, the bonding and relationship that is created with the people around us Culture The direct definition from textbook about culture is That complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man person as a member of society. (Further explanation of culture can be obtain in the appendix) Tea has been diversified over the years such as lifestyle, customs of tea and not to forget combined social process such as learning, planting, and using tea. Tea culture has struck people of all ages. In the young generation, entertainment on weekend draws young group of enthusiastic customers. Example, young people are more interested on meeting people in coffeehouse while having a cup of tea. The interest in tea drinking among people assures diverse and sophisticated customer base on now and future. As for the older generation, the fact that the price of a cup of tea and snack is relatively modest, they can also meet up with friends and relax and work at the same time. This is benefiting them rather than spendi ng money on alcoholic drink in a bar. Thus, the young generation will be an important target market. Subculture Identification with core culture Identification with a subculture Mass market behaviors Unique market behavior Core culture values and norms Subculture values and norms Individuals A subculture is a section of a larger culture whose members shares distinguish values and pattern behavior. Social history and current situation of the groups generates the unique values and pattern of behavior which they practices in their subculture. One good example of tea subculture in Malaysia is the element of showmanship in preparing teh tarik .A hot beverage prepared and commonly found restaurants and outdoor stalls. Teh tarik literally means tea pouring in a sense. Above is a picture on how Teh tarik is prepared. It is the ability to drag a long stream of tea above the head of the brewer in an amusing way that it draws the attention for locals and tourists alike as an entertainment that we do not usually see elsewhere. The sub culture of this has drive teh tarik brewers to gather for competitions and performance to show their skills. This preparation of tea has recognized as beverage heritage in Malaysia. Group Group can be said that two or more individual who shares the same set of norm, values and beliefs. Reference group A group whose values, norms, attitudes, or beliefs that are use as a guide for behavior. A group whose presumed perspective or values are being used by individual as basis for her or his current behavior in situation. Example, colleagues at work, friends at school, members of clubs and so on Aspiration group is a group where an individual would belong, dissociative group which a person does not want to associated with them. Society Society is made up of individuals who have agreed to work together for mutual benefit. It can be a very broad term, as we can make generalizations about what the whole of Western society believes, or it can be a very narrow definition, describing only a small group of people within a given community. But no matter the size, and no matter the link that binds a society together, be it religious, geographic, professional or economic, society is shaped by the relationships between individuals. Life style influence Lifestyle is a common word to explain complicated consumer behaviors. Lifestyle is a way to segment people into groups based on three things: opinions, attitudes and activities. Lifestyle means the ways groups of consumers spend time and money. Lifestyle can include things like bowling, cooking, car racing, kayaking, attending charity events, having pets, interest in politics, watching sporting events and so on Everyone has two lifestyles-the one they are currently in and the one they want to be in, which is always better than the current one. Marketers exploit this desire to move into a better lifestyle by showcasing people who are better off than the intended target market in their ads. For example most ads targeting children show children that are almost too old for the product, this appeals to younger children who desire to be like them. Marketing strategy ( the 4 Ps ) The goal is to make decisions that center the four Ps on the customers in the target market in order to create perceived value and generate a positive response. Product Decisions Tangible physical products that can be sold to consumer .The decision making of BOH tea are such as brands name, safety, packaging, and also quality. Above the BOH tea brands that comes with the trademark of puts the Ummph in life that literally means enjoy life to the max with just a cup of tea. Below are a few products of BOH tea in their preferred packaging. BOH ice tea with blackcurrent flavor Gold BOH Cameroon blend BOH instant tea mix BOH green tea Pricing decision Below is the pricing decision of BOH tea products which is literally cheaper then their competitor such as Twinings and Roobois tea. Name of Products description Size Price ($) BOH Cameronian-Gold Blend Cameronian-Gold Blend is distinguished for its exceptionally smooth flavor and rich golden color. 50 individual foil sealed teabags x 2g (100g) 6.35 BOH Green Tea Natural green tea that refreshes and soothes the mind 50 individual teabags x 1.5g (75g) 6.35 BOH tea instant mix Pre-blended with tasty creamer with sweetened sugar 30 sachets X 20g ( 600)g 7.35 BOH tea instant mix no sugar Pre-blended with tasty creamer with no sugar. 20 sachets X 11.5g (230g) 5.35 Place distribution BOH tea can easily obtain at any retail outlet in Malaysia, consumer can easily purchase it anywhere without having to trouble themselves to travel far and wide. Promotion BOH has done many advertisement and promotion in order to strengthen their brand in the market of tea in Malaysia. BOH yea has created friendly image that was abkle to strike deep in the consumers heart ensuring popularity and liking among the people BOH embraced the new technology, television by combining it with animation, creating one of the most recognizable advertising icons of the period: Mr. BOH The 1Ummph 1Smile 1Malaysia campaign that was organize by BOH tea was a success as Malaysians step up to the challenge of spreading love to the underprivileged merely through a smile. The campaign was promoted through website, radio, tv stations where photograph of consumers can upload onto the 1Ummph 1Smile Malaysia photo gallery website page. This collage took the creative team over 100 hours to put it up together , it measured up to 33 feet by 75 feet tall. There are also different kinds of variables that can be use for segmentation: Demographic Demographic variables such as income, gender, education, location, ethnicity, and family size are basically tied to subculture and segmentation. The graph above shows the Malaysian population by age group from year 2005 to 2009. From this graph, BOH tea can focus on which group of generation that they want to target, but BOH tea has decided to target people from all ages groups except children because there is no harm drinking tea but provides health benefits so it is highly recommended by every age group.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Good vs Evil :: essays papers

Good vs Evil The ill-begotten town of Vec is in shambles. The churches have all been burned, and Satan's reign has spread to the top-land through the desire and meddling of five young men. The men call themselves the Satanic Cult of the Spirit. They, alone, are Satan's army brought from the bowels of the Nether regions to take arms against goodness and all that is holy in the world that exists today. The cult ritually performs seances to conjure the demon for further instructions. The body of lead clansmen Brom has been decided the cradle for Satan's spirit as the other members, representatives of the four elementals, form an inverted pentacle with "the spirit" Brom at the zenith. Meanwhile, in the town of Eladamri, the forces of good, led by Master Barrin, prepare for the coming battle. "Noble prophets and oracles, we must now rise for the battle of all ages. You have lived for the love of our Lord, will you now not die for it? We must be strong in our faith to conjure the spirit necessary to defeat the growing evils of Vec. The evil inside the men grows stronger by the hour and we must hold fast. Our belief shall be the lance that pierces the evil of Vec and frees the four men from their satanic shackles." With a dramatic ending to the resounding applause received, Barrin stepped away from the podium and back to his chambers for more meditation. Suddenly, a knock. "Master Barrin, it is I, sir DiTerlizzi. Might I have a word?" "Certainly, certainly...Please, do come in!" And with a little hesitance, DiTerlizzi rushed into the room panting and took a seat. "Sir, word has been spread that one of the oracles envisioned the image of Satan in one of his dreams. It was said Satan has spoken to him stating that he will come to our sitting and ‘flay the skin from the flesh of the townsmen and then flesh from bone scraping [our] bones dry, And still [we] will not have suffered enough for betraying [him].' Might I remind you of the old proverb sir that ‘ The bonds of loyalty can tie one to the grave.' Maybe our belief is to be the destruction of our kind." "Fear not young DiTerlizzi, one tends to overlook the previous prophecy given by the oracle that ‘There shall be vast shout and then a vaster silence. Good vs Evil :: essays papers Good vs Evil The ill-begotten town of Vec is in shambles. The churches have all been burned, and Satan's reign has spread to the top-land through the desire and meddling of five young men. The men call themselves the Satanic Cult of the Spirit. They, alone, are Satan's army brought from the bowels of the Nether regions to take arms against goodness and all that is holy in the world that exists today. The cult ritually performs seances to conjure the demon for further instructions. The body of lead clansmen Brom has been decided the cradle for Satan's spirit as the other members, representatives of the four elementals, form an inverted pentacle with "the spirit" Brom at the zenith. Meanwhile, in the town of Eladamri, the forces of good, led by Master Barrin, prepare for the coming battle. "Noble prophets and oracles, we must now rise for the battle of all ages. You have lived for the love of our Lord, will you now not die for it? We must be strong in our faith to conjure the spirit necessary to defeat the growing evils of Vec. The evil inside the men grows stronger by the hour and we must hold fast. Our belief shall be the lance that pierces the evil of Vec and frees the four men from their satanic shackles." With a dramatic ending to the resounding applause received, Barrin stepped away from the podium and back to his chambers for more meditation. Suddenly, a knock. "Master Barrin, it is I, sir DiTerlizzi. Might I have a word?" "Certainly, certainly...Please, do come in!" And with a little hesitance, DiTerlizzi rushed into the room panting and took a seat. "Sir, word has been spread that one of the oracles envisioned the image of Satan in one of his dreams. It was said Satan has spoken to him stating that he will come to our sitting and ‘flay the skin from the flesh of the townsmen and then flesh from bone scraping [our] bones dry, And still [we] will not have suffered enough for betraying [him].' Might I remind you of the old proverb sir that ‘ The bonds of loyalty can tie one to the grave.' Maybe our belief is to be the destruction of our kind." "Fear not young DiTerlizzi, one tends to overlook the previous prophecy given by the oracle that ‘There shall be vast shout and then a vaster silence.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Alienation Exposed in Richard Wrights Black Boy :: Wright Black Boy Essays

Alienation Exposed in Black Boy  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From the early days of Richard’s childhood, Richard was always alienated from his environment.   Even though he tried to distance himself from the prejudice all around him, the white people still tried to turn him into the stereotypical southern black person.   However, throughout the story Richard is also alienated by his own people and perhaps even more then from the white people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Richard was always a rebel, from his boyhood to his older teenage years.   Richard’s grandmother was always excessively beating him.   From the beginning, Richard would not subdue himself to the white man like the other black people around.   The white people knew that he was different from other black men.   Whites were scared because Richard challenged the system that they had created to insure white supremacy.   They feared Richard, and some of the white people felt it necessary to act out their racist feelings in order to cover up their fear.   White coworkers beat Richard because his boss was kind to him. Richard later had to leave a good job because those racist co-workers would â€Å"kill† him.   When the principal at Richard’s school had asked Richard to give a speech to a large audience of white and black people, Richard refused to read the principal’s prepared speech. By reading the principal’s speech, Richard was saying what the white power wanted him to say and to Richard this would be giving in to the very thing he hated so much.   Richard was willing to leave school without a diploma instead of this.   White people alienated Richard from his environment because he did not accept the way of life that other black people did.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Richard’s relatives never understood Richard and because of this he was alienated from his family and his own people.  Ã‚   Shorty is the young black boy who gets beat by the white people and jokes about it.   Richard hates Shorty because he accepts what Richard finds so disgusting.   Richard goes over in his mind the different choices he can make to deal with the feelings he has.   Richard does not want to â€Å"give in† and be a slave to the white people.   He would never give in and become a slave because he has hated that idea since day one.   Richard contemplates transferring his hatred and frustration out on other blacks, but knows that will not aid the situation.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Comparing Women´s Images in The Yellow Wallpaper and The Awakening :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Women ´s Images in The Yellow Wallpaper and The Awakening The aim of this essay is analyse women ´s images in The Yellow Wallpaper and in The Awakening, since the two readings have become the focus of feminist controversy. Both stories were written by women, Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Kate Chopin. But is this fact important to understand the aim of every story? Would they have had the same effect if the had been written by men? I will explore these matters. I also considered it could be rather interesting to study and compare how heroines act, how they are constricted by patriarchy, how their husbands treat them, and if they triumph or not, in every story. There is no doubt that the literary written by men and women is different. One source of difference is the sex. A woman is born a woman in the same sense as a man is born a man. Certainly one source of difference is biological, by virtue of which we are male and female. â€Å"A woman ´s writing is always femenine† says Virginia Woolf But we all know that Western societies have normally divided many human activities labelling some of them as masculine and others as feminine. So women are naturally femenine, and men are naturally masculine, and this fact should be reflected in their writings. I don ´t agree with this assertion, a woman is naturally female, and by means of every culture, she is femenine. The same happens with men. According to nature all human beings should write in the same way, but according to culture women are forced to write in a different way. And this difference â€Å"must be sought ( in Miller ´s words) in the body of her writing and not the writing of her body† ( Showalter:252) The two stories I am going to study were written by women. I think it is virtually imposible to tell, without previous knowledge, that these stories were written by female authors. Virginia Woolf says that â€Å" the first words in which either a man or a woman is described are generally enough to determine the sex of the writer† . I don ´t agree with this point, that is very difficult, and it must be also very difficult for specialists. But I must say that there are always something inherently different. Women have a different way of viewing the world, because of the culture not the nature. They tend to write diaries, autobiographies, poetry†¦because the cultural context in which they write asks for that kind of literature .

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Career Development

The relationship between early career success and participating in an undergraduate field internship extends earlier research on the effects of formal marketing education on career success. Career focus includes the recognition of the personal valued, work-related outcomes and the vocational abilities and interests are important to attain work satisfaction. (Taylor, 1992) Interns benefit from developing career aspirations and self-concept. (Madoch, 1980) Undergraduates who have completed their internship program have a greater sense of responsibility and career development. (Borzak, 1979); (Williams, 1990); (Eyler, 1992).Internship helps to decide career choice and future job satisfaction. (Taylor, 1992) A survey of intern and non-intern business of a north eastern US public university indicated significant early career advantages for undergraduate with internship experiences advantage included less time to obtain first position increase monitory compensation, and grater overall job satisfaction. In addition to the career benefits provided to the students. ( (gualt, redington, & schlager, 2000)CompensationCompensated interns have more successful internships. Compensation is strongly recommended to make the experience realistic (Madoch, 1980) Offering compensation is a sign of support to interns. (Berger, 1992)Although compensation for an intern's work can be a certain unit of academic credit, but the best way to pay is still monetary reward, and survey shows the interns who received payments evaluated their internships higher. (Bacow, 1993). ). Even if it is a minimum wage, compensation acts as a reminder that students are in the â€Å"real world† where they are supposed to think and feel like â€Å"employees /professionals†. The National Association of Colleges and Employers says interns who get paid are almost twice as likely as their unpaid counterparts to get a job offer when they graduate. (Herships, 2013) Paid internship may also create a more competitive applicant pool. (University, n.d.) Furthermore, by paying the interns, the sponsoring organization can demonstrate its commitment in making the internship meaningful. (Hamilton, 1992).And also Paid internships offer students a way to gain relevant knowledge and the skills required to succeed in a specific career field while making some money through an hourly wage, weekly salary, or stipend over the course of the internship. (LORETTO, 2018) The number of paid internships being offered by employers are increasing in the Universities across America. According to the employers it is due to the high amount of lawsuits regarding interns being used to performing menial chores (like taking out the trash) that have been filed over the past few years. Companies wants to protect their companies, therefore they try to are keep a watchful eye on these lawsuits. The companies think that paying their interns seems like the first step in doing the right thing and taking the responsibility to compensate someone (no matter how young and inexperienced) for tasks performed.so, the no of job offers has increased as well as the undergraduates have got the opportunity to do a paid internship. Paid internship helps to motivate the undergraduate interns. (LORETTO, 2018) Therefore, Compensation is positively associated with the successfulness of internship program.  Industry Exposure/Experiential EducationThere's no substitute for hands-on experience. (LORETTO, 2018)An experiential education can be described as â€Å"all programs that are designed to expand the setting of learning experiences beyond the traditional school environment to occupational and community settings and these programs use planned experience to promote cooperation between traditional educational institutions and business, industry, labor, government and community groups to suppo rt learning†. (Miller) Experiential Learning is important for the interns. It is also a crucial factor to the successfulness of internship program. As for our research area we only try to finalize the Student perspective factors of successful internship program. We are going to check whether the above discovered student perspective factors are accurate and match with the student perspective of KDU Undergraduates.  Chapter SummaryThe above literature shows that most of the foreign researchers were concerned about this issue and they have done their studies regarding this issue in the global context. Success of the internship program depends upon the influences or factors which affected for the internship program. The competency and motivation of all parties involved are indispensable for a successful internship programs. As we mentioned above the identified three perspectives are Organizational Perspective, University Perspective and Student Perspective. According to our study area we discovered Skill Development, Self-confidence and Attitudes, Academic Preparedness and Evaluation, Career Development, Compensation and Industry Exposure as the Student Perspective factors from those previous researches. Those are essential to the undergraduates who have to participate in the internship program in the near future.Research methodologyIntroduction This Chapter provides an outline for the research methodology of this study to answer the research questions. This contents of the Research Design, Research Approach, Sampling Method, Data Collection Method and Data Analysis Method etc. Research Design, Approach and Method The purpose of this research is to explore the factors affected on successful internship program on student perspective of KDU. So this Experimental study is done based on Positivism. We developed a hypothesis based on the existing theory and designing the research strategy to test the hypothesis, therefore our study is according to the Deductive Approach. And also this study is a Cross-sectional Study. We collected numerical data that are analyzed using mathematically based methods, therefore our research method is Quantitative. Conceptual Framework According to the study, it is mainly considered that what factors affecting on successful internship program of Student Perspective. The following figure shows the conceptual framework of this study.Independent Variables Dependent VariableSource:- Developed by the Researchers For the success of an internship program they are the essential factors according to the student perspective that need to be developed by the Intern Undergraduates. In here, the dependent variable is Successful Internship program. There are five independent variables which affect for the successfulness of the internship program, namely Skill Development, Self-confidence and Attitudes, Academic Preparedness and Evaluation, Career Development, Compensation and Industry Exposure. Therefore, those factors are the positive influences affected for the successful internship program. Operationalization Source; Developed by the Researchers We selected the sample size as 80 Undergraduates from the population Simple random sampling technique was employed in the selecting the sample from the targeted population. We sent the structured questionnaires to the respondents as google forms using online social medias to access easily and filled out the questionnaires so that the true responses could be obtained. Data Collection Method To measure how those independent variable factors' relationship with the dependent variable: successful internship program we collected adequate information by using Questionnaires as primary data. As Secondary data we collected by means of extensive literature study that includes textbooks, journal articles, internet based web searches and research data bases. Data analytical Tool. In order to transform information in to quality data and to check reliability of them, Completed questionnaires and answers used to inspect and editing. Then Data would be analyzed using analytical tools such as Excel, mean, median, skewness measures depending on the nature of the data set. And also we used IBM SPSS Software (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) to analyze the data. Descriptive statistics based on frequency tables, graphs and charts used to provide information. The Descriptive Statistics which have used in this study are based on tables frequency distribution, and graphical presentation with the respect to the information of the respondents. Conclusion This study is designed to be quantitative that collect data using Questionnaires as Primary data and textbooks, journal articles, internet based web searches and research data bases as secondary data This is an Experimental study which is based on positivism. And also it is in deductive approach. This study has done according to the correct guidelines in order to achieve the core purpose of this Research.

Friday, August 16, 2019

A Strategic Management Case Study on the Walt Disney Company Essay

When brothers Walt and Roy Disney moved to Los Angeles in 1923, they went there to sell their cartoons and animated shorts. One could only dream that their name would one day be synonymous with entertainment worldwide. But then again, that is how The Walt Disney Company has made their fortunes over the last several decades: making â€Å"dreams† come true. The Disney brothers began creating countless cartoons (some successful and others not so much), and in 1928, introduced Mickey Mouse to the world in the animated short, Steamboat Willie—widely described as the first animated film to be synchronized with post-produced music. The Mickey Mouse character gained enormous popularity, and Walt and Roy enjoyed incredible success thereafter with feature films both related and unrelated to the Mickey Mouse character. The Walt Disney Company produced several of its animated classics throughout the 1940s such as Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, and Bambi; and in 1955, Disneyland opened its doors as the Disney brother’s first amusement park. In 1966, Walt Disney died leaving Roy as the new President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board of The Walt Disney Company. Walt never had the opportunity to witness his namesake creation (Roy rebranded Disney World as Walt Disney World in honor of his late brother) as Walt Disney World opened five years later on October 1, 1971. Since that first day of October in ‘71, The Walt Disney Company has expanded exponentially. The Company owns media networks such as ABC, ESPN, the Disney Channels, SOAPnet, and A & E (television networks); ABC Radio and The Radio Disney Network (online and satellite radio station); and Hyperion Books (literary publishing company). The Company has spread its parks across the world to Paris, Hong Kong, and Tokyo and has taken to sea with four Disney ocean liners. The Walt Disney Company continues to grow with a major expansion to Walt Disney World currently underway and several feature films currently in production in the Disney-Pixar Animation Studio (the result of the Company’s 2006 acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios.) Though profits have been stagnant for the last two fiscal years, the company’s revenue continues to increase. Purpose of Strategic Management Strategic management is a management function that consists of three distinct actions. They are (1) formulating, (2) implement, and (3) evaluate cross-functional decisions that enable an organization to achieve its objectives. Strategic management is vital for companies wishing to prosper in such a dynamic world. With globalization at an all time high, the practice of strategic management among a company’s top executives (at the very least) is an absolute necessity. Considering that â€Å"communication is a key to successful strategic management† and that the empowering of employees is â€Å"a great benefit of strategic management,† it is recommended that strategic management is implemented at a company-wide level. Simply put: successful, polished, professional companies perform strategic planning. A large percentage of the companies that fail in America each year do not perform strategic planning. Company Mission Statement The mission statement can also be defined as a company’s â€Å"statement of purpose.† The current mission statement for the Walt Disney Company is: To be the world’s leading producers and providers of entertainment and information. Using our portfolio of brands to differentiate our content, services and consumer products, we seek to develop the most creative, innovative and profitable entertainment experiences and related products in the world. Objectives The objectives of a company are the same as a company’s goals. When setting goals, an organization is determining what results they expect to achieve in both the short-term and the long-term. What is the goal of this company? Of this division? What do we want to have accomplished within the next year? Within the next five years? Generically, the answers to these questions would be a compiled list of objectives of which a company should strive to obtain. Given the current economic climate, setting objectives (or goal-setting) is difficult. As with every company, The Walt Disney Company should set goals for the company as a whole and along functional lines that pressure the company to greatness yet are obtainable. Measurability should be constantly remembered in setting these objectives, and precise and unambiguous language should be used to eliminate all hints of confusion. The Walt Disney Company does not publish its corporate objectives. Strategies Strategies are a company’s methods to reaching its established objectives. Just because a company may have a final destination in mind (an objective or goal) doesn’t mean that every path to that destination is a good one. After setting strategically sound objectives, it is imperative that strategically sound strategies are generated to provide the means of transportation for said objectives. The courses of action on which an organization decide to embark affects all divisions and aspects of said organization. Strategies should be formulated and implemented only once all internal and external factors are assessed. Only then can a strategy be deemed â€Å"safe† for a company for implementation. Internal Audit Strength All companies have actions that they perform more than capably. All companies (at least all those that have been around for a period of time) have past successes on which to build. A company’s â€Å"strengths† are such factors: the positive components of a company’s collective portfolio that have made the company better in one way or another. The strengths for The Walt Disney Company are detailed below. A Vast and Diverse Portfolio The Disney brothers began drawing cartoons long before moving to Hollywood. The Missouri natives spent the majority of their lives imagining characters to which to introduce to the world. Along with the Disney’s impressive collection of new adaptations of old classics such as Robin Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, and Alice In Wonderland; the Company has created countless characters to star in their feature films. Disney’s original characters include Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto, Chip &Dale, Simba, Buzz Lightyear, Belle, and Aladdin (to name only a very limited few.) The Walt Disney Company’s huge portfolio is the single best strength of the entire organization. Diversification Disney has moved well beyond its cartoon-oriented roots. Though the company is still involved the production of original feature films and other related media (and though the media network division of the Company is still the organization’s leading generator of revenue) the company has long since stopped being your typical â€Å"animation studio† or â€Å"film production company.† In 1951, with the opening of Disney’s first theme park (Disneyland, in Anaheim, California) the Company made a dramatic shift from a media-oriented company to the broader category of an entertainment-oriented company. In the midst of the rollercoaster’s and hot dog stands in sunny California, the Company found also a unique market place for consumer products and a chance to entwine and implement the Organization’s already impressive portfolio of film characters into the parks attractions. The Walt Disney Company also began launching and purchasing media outlets for which their productions and promotions to air. Disney owns now several media broadcasting networks television as well as several radio stations for terrestrial, satellite, and online hosts. Incredible Customer Service The Walt Disney Company prides itself in many things and rightfully so. If you ask the average person what Disney is known for â€Å"Mickey Mouse† or â€Å"the castle† might quickly be their reply. Ask any business professional, however, and one thing is certain to be heard time and time again—â€Å"Customer service.† Disney demands nothing less than stellar customer service from their employees. If you have never experienced the â€Å"Disney Difference,† I urge you to travel to one of their many theme parks or retail stores worldwide. Their level of customer service takes those who know to look for it back. Former customer service experts and teachers for Disney have written very successful books on the topic and their experiences from the â€Å"holy grail† of customer satisfaction. Acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios In 2006, The Walt Disney Company made an acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios. Until 2006, Pixar had collaborated with Disney on multiple occasions to produce such award winning films such as Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Monsters, Inc. Because of the partnership involved in these movies, however, Disney had limitations on the rights to use and reuse the characters contained within the films. The Company saw this as a negative. Too, seeing as Disney produces the majority of its films without collaboration or partnership, the Disney-Pixar relationship was an enigma around which to carefully navigate. In addition, as Disney’s traditionally produced animated films (with pen and color artists) being left in the shadows in comparison to the progressively produced animated films (with CGI and digital artwork, it seemed like the best approach that could be taken in order to â€Å"catch up with the times.† Weaknesses With the fact that all companies have actions that they perform more than capably, the fact also arises that there are some internal factors that are of a negative consequence. Even companies as successful as The Walt Disney Company have attributes and characteristics that are not at all positive. A company’s â€Å"weaknesses† are those such factors: the negative components of a company’s collective portfolio that have made the company worse in one way or another. The weaknesses for The Walt Disney Company are detailed below. The Constant Need of Successful Creative Material Any analyst should be quick in stating that Disney is wonderful at generating â€Å"successful creative material†Ã¢â‚¬â€œwhich they are. The weakness associated with this factor, however, is of great importance. The key words in this factor are â€Å"constant need.† Though The Walt Disney Company is possibly the world’s greatest generator of successful creative material, the constant need to churn out successful film after successful film and wonderful attraction after wonderful attraction is daunting at the very least. The fact that there could be a flop at the box office, or a ride that is negatively reviewed is terrifying for the Company that prides itself in its perfection. High (and Increasing) Cost of Operation Unfortunately for the Disney Company, their industry is one with astronomical costs and expenses. Needless to say, it is quite expensive to produce or successful feature film or build a theme park. With recently diminishing profits and the economic recession, the company’s realization to the increasing costs of doing business has been mundane. This weakness is not to be confused with â€Å"high barriers for entry,† which might be viewed as an opportunity. That would be considered an external factor. From an internal point of view, however, the high (and increasing) costs to operate are doubtlessly a weakness for The Walt Disney Company. Lack of Developmental Property The Walt Disney Company Parks and Resorts Division has expanded drastically over the last three decades. With the first international park being established in Tokyo in 1983, the Paris, Hong Kong, and Shanghai parks began to fall in place shortly after. At the Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, the Company owns several square miles of land that will surely be apportioned for park editions in the long term. Outside of the extra property in Florida, however, The Walt Disney Company has little acreage elsewhere. Future developments in California’s Disneyland Resort are very unlikely due to the rapid pace at which property was bought in the forties when the â€Å"new theme park project† hit the news, limiting Disney’s land around the resort. Lack of developmental property within a company that survives due to its innovation is a serious issue and a strong internal weakness of this organization. Lagging Consumer Products Revenue The consumer products division of The Walt Disney Company is handedly the smallest division within the organization. While revenues continue to trend upward for the division, they do so at a slower rate to the other Disney divisions, proportionally. Consumer products should be a division of the Company that performs, proportionately, as well as the other three divisions of the company. If a consumer watches and really thoroughly enjoys Disney’s new studio release, Cars 2, than it is safe to say that the viewer might also want a Cars 2 t-shirt or action figure. The same is true for the media networks or parks and resorts divisions: a consumer who has experienced the products of any division of the Organization should be prone to purchase consumer products related to such products. The fact that the increasing revenue of the consumer products division is doing so at a slower rate of the other divisions shows a lack of marketing and promotion put on the division. Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) Matrix The Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) Matrix is an Input State (State 1) strategic management tool that that helps with the summarization and evaluation of the major strengths and weaknesses in the functional areas of an organization. Internal factors (namely strengths and weaknesses) are compiled, given weights as it relates their relative importance, and assigned a rating. The weighted scores [weight (x) rating] are totaled to comprise a total weighted score for the IFE Matrix. The figures generated in the IFE Matrix are used in a multitude of other strategic management tools and matrices.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove Chapter 26~27

Twenty-six Val and Gabe entered the bar, then stepped out of the doorway and stood by the blinking pinball machine while their eyes adjusted to the darkness. Val wrinkled her nose at the hangover smell of stale beer and cigarettes; Gabe squinted at the sticky floor, looking for signs of interesting wild life. Morning was the darkest part of a day at the Head of the Slug Saloon. It was so dark that the dingy confines of the bar seemed to suck light in from the street every time someone opened the door, causing the daytime regu-lars to cringe and hiss as if a touch of sunshine might vaporize them on their stools. Mavis moved behind the bar with a grim, if wobbly, determin-ation, drinking coffee from a gar-goyle-green mug while a Tarryton extra long dangled from her lips, dropping long ashes down the front of her sweater like the smoking turds of tiny ghost poodles. She went about setting up shots of cheap bourbon at the empty curve of the bar, lining them up like soldiers before a firing squad. Every two or three minutes an old man would enter the bar, bent over and wearing baggy pants – leaning on a four-point cane or the last hope of a painless death – and climb onto one of the empty stools to wrap an arthritic claw around a shot glass and raise it to his lips. The shots wer e nursed, not tossed back, and by the time Mavis had finished her first cup of coffee, the curve of the bar looked like the queue to hell: crooked, wheezing geezers all in a row. Refreshments while you wait? The Reaper will see you now. Occasionally, one of the shots would sit untouched, the stool empty, and Mavis would let an hour pass before sliding the shot down to the next daytime regular and calling Theo to track down her truant. Most often, the ambulance would slide in and out of town as quiet as a vulture riding a thermal, and Mavis would get the news when Theo cracked the door, shook his head, and moved on. â€Å"Hey, cheer up,† Mavis would say. â€Å"You got a free drink out of it, didn't you? That stool won't be empty for long.† There had always been daytime regulars, there always would be. Her new crop started coming in around 9 A.M., younger men who bathed and shaved every third day and spent their days around her snooker table, drinking cheap drafts and keeping a laser focus on the green felt lest they get a glimpse of their lives. Where once were wives and jobs, now were dreams of glorious shots and clever strategies. When their dreams and eyesight faded, they filled the stools at the end of the bar with the day-time regulars. Ironically, the aura of despair that hung over the day-time regulars gave Mavis the closest thing to a thrill she'd felt since she last whacked a cop with her Louisville Slugger. As she pulled the bottle of Old Tennis Shoes from the well and poured it down the bar to refill their shot glasses, a bolt of electric loathing would shoot up her spine and she would scamper back to the other end of the bar and stand there breathless until her stereo pacemakers brought her heartbeat back down from redline. It was like tweaking death's nose, sticking a KICK ME sign on the head of a cobra and getting away with it. Gabe and Val watched this ritual without moving from their spot by the pinball machine. Val was cautious, just waiting for the right moment to move to the bar and ask if Theo had called. Gabe was, as usual, just being socially awkward. Mavis retreated to her spot by the coffeepot, presumably out of death's reach, and called down to the couple. â€Å"You two want something to drink, or you just window-shopping?† Gabe led them down the bar. â€Å"Two coffees please.† He looked quickly to Val for her approval, but she was fixated on Catfish, who was seated across from Mavis near the end of the bar. Just beyond him was another man, an incredibly gaunt gentleman whose skin was so white it appeared translucent under the haze of Mavis's cigarette smoke. â€Å"Hello, uh, Mr. Fish,† Val said. Catfish, who was staring at the bottom of a shot glass, looked up and forced a smile through a face betraying hangdog sorrow. â€Å"It's Jefferson,† he said. â€Å"Catfish is my first name.† â€Å"Sorry,† Val said. Mavis made a mental note of the new couple. She recognized Gabe, he'd been in with Theophilus Crowe a number of times, but the woman was a new face to her. She put the two coffees in front of Gabe and Val. â€Å"Mavis Sand,† Mavis said, but she didn't offer her hand. For years she'd avoided shaking hands because the grip often hurt her arthritis. Now, with her new titanium joints and levers, she had to be careful not to crush the delicate phalanges of her customers. â€Å"I'm sorry,† Gabe said. â€Å"Mavis, this is Dr. Valerie Riordan. She has a psychiatric practice here in town.† Mavis stepped back and Val could see the apparatus in the woman's eye focusing – when the light from over the snooker table caught it right, the eye appeared to glow red. â€Å"Pleased,† Mavis said. â€Å"You know Howard Phillips?† Mavis nodded to the gaunt man at the end of the bar. â€Å"H.P.,† Gabe added, nodding to Howard. â€Å"Of H.P.'s Cafe.† Howard Phillips might have been forty, or sixty, or seventy, or he might have died young for all the animation in his face. He wore a black suit out of the nineteenth century, right down to the button shoes, and he was nursing a glass of Guinness Stout, although he didn't look as if he'd had any caloric intake for months. Val said, â€Å"We just came from your restaurant. Lovely place.† Without changing expression, Howard said, â€Å"As a psychiatrist, does it bother you that Jung was a Nazi sympathizer?† He had a flat, upper-class British accent, and Val felt vaguely as if she'd just been spat upon. â€Å"Ray of sunshine, Howard is,† Mavis said. â€Å"Looks like death, don't he?† Howard cleared his throat and said, â€Å"Mavis has come to mock death, since most of her mortal parts have been replaced with machinery.† Mavis leaned into Gabe and Val as if guarding a secret, even as she raised her voice to make sure Howard could hear. â€Å"He's been cranky for some ten years now – and drunk most of that time.† â€Å"I had hoped to develop a laudanum habit in the tradition of Byron and Shelley,† Howard said, â€Å"but procurement of the substance is, to say the least, difficult.† â€Å"Yeah, that month you drank Nyquil on the rocks didn't help either. He'd drop off at the bar stool sittin' straight up, sit there asleep sometimes for four hours, then wake up and finish his drink. I have to say, though, Howard, you never coughed once.† Again Mavis leaned into the bar. â€Å"He pretends to have consumption sometimes.† â€Å"I'm sure the good doctor is not interested in the particulars of my substance abuse, Mavis.† â€Å"Actually,† Gabe said, â€Å"we're just waiting for a call from Theo.† â€Å"And I think I'd prefer a Bloody Mary to coffee,† Val said. â€Å"Ya'll ain't goin to talk me into chasin no monster, so don't even try,† Catfish said. â€Å"I got the Blues on me and I got some drinkin to do.† â€Å"Don't be a wuss, Catfish,† Mavis said as she mixed Val's cocktail. â€Å"Monsters are no big deal. Howard and me got one, huh, Howard?† â€Å"Walk in the proverbial park,† Howard said. Catfish, Val, and Gabe just stared at Howard, waiting. Mavis said, â€Å"Course your drinking started right after the last one, didn't it?† â€Å"Nonstop,† Howard said. Theo It occurred to Theo, as he tried to keep a safe distance from the sheriff's Caddy turning into the ranch, that he had never been trained in the proper procedure for tailing someone. He'd never really followed anyone. Well, there was a sixth-month period in the seventies when he had followed the Grateful Dead around the country but with them, you just followed the trail of tie-dye and didn't have to worry about them killing you if they found out you were behind them. He also realized that he had no idea why, exactly, he was following Burton, except that it seemed more aggressive than curling into a ball and dying of worry. The black Caddy turned through a cattle gate onto the section of the ranch adjacent the ocean. Theo slowed to a stop under a line of eucalyptus trees beside the ranch road, keeping the sheriff in sight between the tree trunks. The grassy marine terrace that dropped to the shoreline was too open to go onto without Burton noticing. He would have to let the Caddy pass over the next hill, nearly half a mile off the road, before he dared follow. Theo watched the Caddy bump over the deep ruts in the road, the front wheels throwing up mud as it climbed the hill, and suddenly he regretted not having driven the red four-wheel-drive truck. The rear-wheel-drive Mercedes might not be able to follow much farther. When the Caddy topped the hill, Theo pulled out and gunned the Mer-cedes through the cattle gate and into the field. Tall grass thrashed at the underside of the big German car as rocks and holes jarred Theo and threw Skinner around like a toy. Momentum carried them up the side of the first hill. As they approached the crest, Theo let off the gas. The Mercedes settled to a stop. When he applied the gas again, the back wheels of the Mercedes dug into the mud, stuck. Theo left Skinner and the keys in the car and ran to the top of the hill. He could see more than a mile in every direction, east to some rock outcrop-pings by the tree line, west to the ocean, and across the marine terrace to the north, which curved around the coastline and out of sight. South, well, he'd come from the south. Nothing there but his cabin and beyond that the crank lab. What he could not see was the black Cadillac. He checked the battery in his cell phone and both pistols to see that they were loaded, then he set out on foot toward the rocks. It was the only place the Caddy could have gotten out of sight. Burton had to be there. Twenty minutes later he stood at the base of the rock outcroppings, sweating and trying to catch his breath. At least maybe he'd get some lung capacity back, now that he wasn't smoking pot anymore. He bent over with his hands on his knees and scanned the rocks for any movement. These were no gentle sedimentary rocks formed over centuries of settling seas. These craggy bastards looked like gray teeth that had been thrust up through the earth's crust by the violent burp of a volcano and the rasping shift of a fault line. Lichen and seagull crap covered their surfaces and here and there a creosote bush or cypress tried to gain a foothold in the cracks. There was supposed to be a cave around here somewhere, but Theo had never seen it, and he doubted that it was big enough to park a Cadillac in. He stayed low, moving around the edge of the rocks, expecting to see the flash of a black fender at every turn. He drew his service revolver and led around each turn with the barrel of the gun, then changed his strategy. That was like broadcasting a warning. He bent over double before peeking around the next corner, figuring that if Burton heard him or was waiting, he would be aiming high. The vastness of what Theo didn't know about surveillance and combat techniques seemed to be expanding with every step. He just wasn't a sneaky guy. He skirted a narrow path between two fanglike towers of rock. As he prepared to take a quick peek around the next turn, his foot slipped, sending a pile of rocks skittering down the hill like broken glass. He stopped and held his breath, listening for the sound of a reaction somewhere in the rocks. There was only the crashing surf in the distance and a low whistle of coastal wind. He ventured a quick glance around the rock and before he could pull back, the metallic click of a gun cocking behind his head sounded like icicles being driven into his spine. Molly Molly was sorting through the piles of clothing the pilgrims had left by the cave entrance. She had come up with two hundred and fifty-eight dollars in cash, a stack of Gold Cards, and more than a dozen vials of antidepressants. A voice in her head said, â€Å"You haven't seen this many meds since you were on the lock-down ward. They have a lot of gall calling you crazy.† The narrator was back, and Molly wasn't at all happy about it. For the last few days, her thinking had been incredibly clear. â€Å"Yeah, you're helping a lot with my mental health self-image,† she said to the narrator. â€Å"I liked it better when it was just me and Steve.† None of the pilgrims seemed to notice that Molly was talking to herself. They were all in some trancelike state, stark naked, seated in a semicircle around Steve, who lay in the back of the cave, where it was dark, with his head tucked under his forelegs, flashing sullen colors across his flanks: olive drab, rust, and blue so dark that it appeared more like an afterimage on the back of the eyelid than an actual color. â€Å"Oh yeah, you and Steve,† the narrator said snidely. â€Å"There's a healthy couple – the two greatest has-beens of all time. He's sulking, and you're robbing people who are even nuttier than you are. Now you're going to feed them to old lizard lick over there.† â€Å"Am not.† â€Å"Looks like none of these people has had any sun or exercise since high school gym class. Except for that guy who came in Birkenstocks, and he has that Gandhi-tan vegetarian starvation stare that looks like he'd slaughter a whole kindergarten for a Pink's foot-long with sauer-kraut. You feel okay about making them strip and prostrate themselves before the big guy?† â€Å"I thought it would make them go away.† â€Å"The lizard is using you.† â€Å"We care about each other. Now just shut up. I'm trying to think.† â€Å"Oh, like you've been thinking so far.† Molly shook her head violently to try and dislodge the narrator from her mind. Her hair whipped about her face and shoulders and stood out in a wild mess. The narrator was quiet. Molly pulled a compact out of one of the pilgrims' purses and looked at herself in the mirror. She certainly couldn't have looked much crazier. She braced for the narrator's comment, but it didn't come. She tried to get in touch with the warm feeling that had been running through her since Steve had appeared, but it just wasn't there. Maybe the pilgrims were using up his energy. Maybe the magic had just passed. She remembered sitting on a deck in Malibu, waiting for a producer who had just made love to her, only to have his Hispanic maid show up with a glass of wine and an apology that â€Å"The mister had to go to the studio, he very sorry, you call him next week please.† Molly had really liked the guy. She'd broken her foot kicking his spare Ferrari as she left and had to eat painkillers through the filming of her next movie, which eventually put her in detox. She never heard from the producer again. That was being used. This was different. â€Å"Right,† said the narrator sarcastically. â€Å"Shhhhh,† Molly said. She heard someone scuffling on the rocks outside the cave. She snatched up the assault rifle and waited just inside the cave mouth. Twenty-seven Val Val was wishing she had a video recorder to preserve the gargantuan lie that Mavis Sand and Howard Phillips had been telling over the last hour. According to them, ten years ago the village of Pine Cove had been visited by a demon from hell, and only through the combined effort of a handful of drunks were they able to banish the demon whence it came. It was a magnificent delusion, and Val thought that she could at least get an aca-demic paper on shared psychosis out of it. Being around Gabe had ignited her enthusiasm for research. When Mavis and Howard wrapped up their story, Catfish started in with his tale of being pursued through the bayou by a sea monster. Soon Gabe and Val were spouting the details of Gabe's theory that the monster had evolved the ability to affect the brain chemistry of its prey. Tipsy after a few Bloody Marys and taken by the momentum of the tale, Val confessed her replacement of Pine Cove's supply of antidepressants with placebos. Even as she unburdened herself, Val realized that her and Gabe's stories were no more credible than the fairy tale Mavis and Howard had just told. â€Å"That Winston Krauss is a weasel,† Mavis said. â€Å"Comes in here every day acting like his shit don't stink, then overcharges the whole town for something they ain't even gettin. Should'a known he was a fish-fucker.† â€Å"That's in strictest confidence,† Val said. â€Å"I shouldn't have mentioned it.† Mavis cackled. â€Å"Well, it ain't like I'm gonna run tell Sheriff Burton on you. He's weasel with a capital Weas. Besides, girl, you increased my business by eighty percent when you took the wackos off their drugs. And I thought it was old Mopey down there.† Mavis shot a bionic thumb toward Catfish. The Bluesman put down his drink. â€Å"Hey!† Gabe said, â€Å"So you believe that there really is a sea monster on that ranch?† â€Å"What reason would you have to lie?† said Howard. â€Å"It would seem that Mr. Fish is an eyewitness as well.† â€Å"Jefferson,† Catfish said. â€Å"Catfish Jefferson.† â€Å"Shut up, you chickenshit,† Mavis spat. â€Å"You could have helped Theo when he asked you. What's that boy think he's doing following that sheriff out to the ranch anyway? It's not like he can do anything.† Gabe said, â€Å"We don't know. He just left and told us to come here and wait for his call.† â€Å"Ya'll some heartless souls,† Catfish said. â€Å"I lost me a good woman because of all this.† â€Å"She's smarter than she looks,† Mavis said. â€Å"Theo has my Mercedes,† Val added, feeling out of place even as she said it. Suddenly she felt more ashamed of looking down on these people than she did about all of her professional indiscretions. â€Å"I'm getting worried,† said Gabe. â€Å"It's been over an hour.† â€Å"I don't suppose you thought about calling him?† Mavis asked. â€Å"You have his cell phone number?† Gabe asked. â€Å"He's the constable. It's not like he's unlisted.† â€Å"I suppose I should have thought of that,† said Howard. Mavis shook her head and one of her false eyelashes sprung up like a snare trap. â€Å"What, you three got thirty years of college between you and not enough smarts to dial a phone without a blueprint?† â€Å"Astute observation,† Howard said. â€Å"I ain't got no college,† Catfish said. â€Å"Well, cheers to you for being just naturally stupid,† Mavis said, picking up the phone. The daytime regulars at the end of the bar had snapped out of their malaise to have a laugh at Catfish. There's nothing quite so satisfying to the desperate as having someone to look down on. Theo The gun barrel was pushed so hard into the spot behind Theo's ear that he thought he could hear bone cracking. Burton reached around and took the .357 and tossed it aside, then he took the automatic from Theo's waistband and did the same. â€Å"On the ground, facedown.† Burton kicked Theo's feet out from under him, then put his knee in the constable's back and handcuffed him. Theo could taste blood where his lip had split hitting the rock. He turned his head to the side, raking his cheek on some lichen. He was terrified. Every muscle in his body ached with the need to run. Burton smacked him across the back of the head with his pistol, not hard enough to knock him out, but when the white-hot light of the blow faded, Theo could feel blood oozing into his right ear. â€Å"You fucking stoner. How dare you fuck with my business?† â€Å"What business?† Theo said, hoping ignorance might buy his life. â€Å"I saw your car at the lab, Crowe. The last time I talked to Leander he was on his way to see you. Now where is he?† â€Å"I don't know.† The pistol smacked Theo on the other side of the head. â€Å"I don't fucking know!† Theo shrieked. â€Å"He was at the lab, then he was gone. I didn't see him leave.† â€Å"I don't care if he's alive or dead, Crowe. And it doesn't make any difference to you either. But I need to know. Did you kill him? Did he run? What?† â€Å"I think he's dead.† â€Å"You think?† Theo could feel Burton rearing back to hit him again. â€Å"No! He's dead. He's dead. I know it.† â€Å"What happened?† Theo tried to think of a plausible explanation, something that would buy him a minute, a few more seconds even, but he couldn't clear his head. â€Å"I'm not sure,† he said. â€Å"I?CI heard gunfire. I was in the shed. When I came out, he was gone.† â€Å"Then how do you know he's dead?† Theo couldn't see any advantage to telling Burton that Molly had told him. Burton would track her down and put her in the same shallow grave that he was going to end up in. â€Å"Fuck you,† Theo said. â€Å"Figure it out.† The pistol whipped across the back of Theo's head and he nearly passed out this time. He heard a ringing in his ears, but a second later he realized that it wasn't in his ears at all. His cell phone was ringing in his shirt pocket. Burton rolled him over and put the barrel of the gun on Theo's right eyelid. â€Å"We're going to answer this, Crowe. And if you fuck up, the calling party is going to hear a very loud disconnect.† The sheriff bent down until his face was almost touching Theo's and reached for the phone. Suddenly a series of deafening explosions went off a few feet away and bullets whined off the rocks like angry wasps. Burton rolled off Theo and into a shallow crevice just below them. Theo felt someone grab his collar and pull him to his feet. Before he could see who it was, a dozen hands closed on him and dragged him out of the sun. He fell hard on his back and the gunfire stopped. His phone was still ringing. A cloud of bats was swirling above him. He looked up to see Molly Michon standing over him with a smoking assault rifle, and in that second, she looked like what he had always ima-gined an avenging angel might look like, except for the six naked white guys standing behind her. â€Å"Hi, Theo,† she said. â€Å"Hi, Molly.† Molly pointed to the phone in his shirt pocket with the barrel of her rifle. â€Å"You want me to get that?† â€Å"Yeah, it might be important,† Theo said. There was a gunshot and a bullet whined off the edge of the cave entrance and ricocheted into the darkness. Theo could feel the roar that rose up out of the back of the cave vibrating in his ribs. The Sheriff Burton reached over the edge of the crevice and fired a shot in the general direction of the cave, then braced himself for return fire from the AK-47, but instead he heard a roaring that sounded like someone had dropped the entire cast of The Lion King in a deep fryer. Burton was not a coward, not by any means, but a man would have to be insane not to be frightened by that noise. Too much weirdness, too fast. A woman in a leather bikini and thigh-high boots firing an AK-47 while six naked guys dragged Crowe into a cave. He needed time to regroup, call in backup, drink a fifth of Glenlivet. It seemed safe here for the time being. As long as he didn't move, no one could get a firing angle on him without making a target of himself. He pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket, then paused, trying to figure out who to call. A general officer-in-trouble call could bring anyone, and the last thing he needed was television helicopters hovering around. Besides, his goal wasn't to arrest the suspects, he needed them silenced for good. He could call in the guys from the crank lab, if he could get hold of them, but the vision of a bunch of untrained illegal immigrants running around on this hill with automatic weapons didn't seem like the best strategy either. He had to call SWAT, but only his guys. Eight of the twenty men on the SWAT team were in his pocket. Again, he couldn't go through dispatch. They'd have to be called in on private lines. He dialed the number that rang into the information center deep in the basement of the county justice building. The Spider picked up on the first ring. â€Å"Nailsworth.† â€Å"It's Burton. Listen, don't talk. Call Lopez, Sheridan, Miller, Morales, O'Hara, Crumb, Connelly, and LeMay. Tell them to come in full SWAT to the Beer Bar Ranch north of Pine Cove, the northern access road. There's a cave here. Pull up whatever maps you need and give them directions. Do not use open channels. They are not to log in or report to anyone where they are going. There are at least two suspects in the cave with automatic weapons. I'm pinned down about ten yards from the west-facing entrance. Have them meet south of the rocks, they'll see them, then have Sheridan call me. No aircraft. Find out if there's another entrance to this cave. I need everyone in place ASAP. Can you do it?† â€Å"Of course,† the Spider said. â€Å"It's going to take them a minimum of forty minutes, maybe more if I can't find them all.† Burton could hear the Spider's fat fingers blazing on his keyboard already. â€Å"Send whoever you can find. Tell them to come in separate cars. Tell them to avoid sirens if possible on the way up, definitely once they hit the ranch.† â€Å"Do you have descriptions of the suspects?† â€Å"It's Theophilus Crowe and a woman, five-eight, one twenty, twenty-five to forty years old, gray hair, wearing a leather bikini.† â€Å"Twenty-five to forty? Pretty specific,† the Spider said sarcastically. â€Å"Fuck you, Nailsworth. How many women do you think are running around these hills wearing a leather bikini and shooting an AK? Call me when they are on the way.† Burton disconnected and checked the battery on the phone. It would last. Since the roaring sound had come from the cave, it had been quiet, but he didn't dare peek over the edge of the crevice. â€Å"Crowe!† he shouted. â€Å"It's not too late to work this out!† Theo The naked guys were standing over Theo, wearing dazed smiles, as if they'd all just shared a big pipe of opium. â€Å"Jesus, was that it?† Theo asked, Steve's roar still ringing in his ears. â€Å"Him,† Molly corrected, holding up a finger to shush Theo as she pressed the answer button on his phone. â€Å"Hello,† she said into the phone. â€Å"None of your business. Who is this?† She covered the mouthpiece and said, â€Å"It's Gabe.† â€Å"Tell him I'm okay. Ask him where he is.† â€Å"Theo says he's okay. Where are you?† She listened for a second, then covered the mouthpiece again. â€Å"He's at the Slug.† â€Å"Tell him I'll call him right back.† â€Å"He'll call you back.† She disconnected and tossed the phone in the pile of clothing by the door. Theo looked up at the naked guys. He thought he recognized a couple of them, but didn't want to acknowledge that he did. â€Å"Would you guys back off a little?† Theo said. They didn't move. Theo looked at Molly. â€Å"Can you tell them to go somewhere? They're making me nervous.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Molly, I don't know if you've notice, but all these guys are in a – a state of arousal.† â€Å"Maybe they're just glad to see you.† â€Å"Would you tell them to back off, please?† Molly motioned for the naked guys to move away. â€Å"Go. Go. Back to the back of the cave, guys. Go. Go. Go.† She poked at a couple of them with the assault rifle. Slowly they turned and ambled farther back into the cave. â€Å"What in the hell is wrong with them?† â€Å"What do you mean, wrong? They're acting like all guys do, they're just being more honest about it.† â€Å"Molly, seriously, what did you do to them?† â€Å"I didn't do anything. That's how they've been acting since they saw Steve back there.† Theo looked to the back of the cave, but could only see the partially lit backs of a group of people sitting on the cave floor. â€Å"It's like they're in a trance or something.† â€Å"Yeah, isn't it cool? They came to help me get you when I asked, though. So they're not total zombies. I'm, like, in charge.† Blood was dripping out of Theo's scalp, matting his hair and leaving spots on his shirt. â€Å"That's great, Molly. Could you get these handcuffs off me?† â€Å"I was going to ask you about those. Every time I see you, you're in handcuffs. Do you have a fetish or something?† â€Å"Please, Molly, there's a key in my front pocket.† â€Å"He gave you the key?† â€Å"It's my key.† â€Å"I see,† Molly said with a knowing smile. â€Å"Handcuffs all use the same key, Molly. Please help me get out of these.† She knelt and reached into his pocket, keeping her eyes locked on his through the process. His head throbbed when he rolled over so she could get to the cuffs. As she pulled them off, they heard Burton call from outside. â€Å"Crowe! It's not too late to work this out!† Once his hands were free, Theo threw his arms around Molly and pulled her close. She dropped her rifle and returned his embrace. Another roar emanated from the back of the cave. A couple of the pilgrims shrieked and Molly let go of Theo and stood up, gazing back into the darkness. â€Å"It's okay, Steve,† she said. â€Å"What in the hell was that?† Burton shouted from outside. â€Å"That was Steve,† Molly shouted back. â€Å"You were asking what happened to Joseph Leander. Well, that was it. Steve ate him.† â€Å"How many of you are in there?† Burton asked. Molly looked around. â€Å"A bunch.† â€Å"Who in the hell are you?† â€Å"I am Kendra, Warrior Babe of the Outland.† She shot a silly grin at Theo, who was trying to follow what was going on up here, while listening to some disturbing stirring noises going on in the back of the cave. â€Å"What do you want?† Burton asked. Without a beat, Molly said, â€Å"Ten percent of the gross on all my films, retroactive fifteen years, an industrial-strength weed-whacker with gas, and world peace.† â€Å"Seriously. We can work this out.† â€Å"Okay. I want sixty peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, a couple of gallons of Diet Coke, and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She turned to Theo, â€Å"You want anything?† Theo shrugged. Hell, as long as they were stalling. â€Å"A new Volvo station wagon.† â€Å"And a new Volvo station wagon,† Molly shouted. â€Å"And we want it with two cup holders, you bastard, or the deal's off.† She turned and beamed at Theo. â€Å"Nice touch.† â€Å"You deserve it,† Molly said. Suddenly her eyes went wide as she looked past Theo. â€Å"No, Steve!† she screamed. Theo rolled over to see a huge pair of jaws descending over him.