A Comparison Between Dulce Et Decorum Est and Pro Patria Essay

The First World War was the first truly modern war. Its atrocities and huge death toll changed people’s views of war drastically. Pro patria, by Owen Seaman and Dulce et Decorum est by Wilfred Owen are both war poems written around the time of the First World War, and as such share certain surface properties. However, the two poems differ hugely in their implicit meaning and intentions, giving the two poems many subtle differences between their texts. Both poems use metaphor. Seaman uses metaphor when mentioning the â€Å"brute sword† and soldiers using â€Å"storied ‘scutcheons†, a blaringly inaccurate image to conjure up the idea of chivalry and knights in shining armor, giving that the fighting would be fair and glorious, as opposed to the mass slaughter and unimaginable tortures spelled out in Owen’s Dulce et Decorum est. seaman also makes use of anthropomorphisation, making England out as some great, good but indistinct creature. He refers to England as a being of some sort, writing of it’s pleas for peace at â€Å"the nations bar†, stating that England needed to go to war to keep its honor. Owen uses metaphor to show the state of the soldiers in his poem, saying that the men were â€Å"drunk with fatigue†. The use of simile is more found only in his poem, when he talks about soldiers â€Å"bent double, like beggars under sacks† and â€Å"coughing like hags†. The u se of simile as opposed to metaphor adds to the realness of the poem. Both war poems have religious undertones. The use of Latin in both texts aids this, mimicking the Latin masses of the Catholic Church. Seaman says that those left at home whilst their sons go to war must be â€Å"strong in faith and in prayer† and that they should â€Å"ask what offering we may consecrate†, suggesting to the people back home to turn to their faith for comfort, and to be willing to give up the luxuries of a quiet life for the greater good. Dolce et Decorum est, on the other hand, uses the idea of the devil’s face to describe the expression of a gas victim: â€Å"His hanging face, like a Devil’s sick of sin† The comparison also describes the world weariness of the soldier, what atrocities must a devil be to be sick of sin? Both poems are trying to affect the public’s views on the war. Pro Patria is essentially a propaganda poem, an invention used to great effect during the Boer war and revived at the advent of the First World War. The poems early references to honor and duty are to provoke young men into singing up for the army, fabricating images of glorious victory in their minds, and carefully avoiding the nitty gritty mechanics of it, the living in squalid trenches and the likelihood of death. The later sections of the poem are addressed to the parents of the â€Å"warrior sons† urging them to keep a stiff upper lip, or as he puts it â€Å"to hush all vulgar clamor of the street†. The reason for this is that if every time a mother received a letter from the M.O.D telling her that her son was dead she were to rush out into the street screaming â€Å"OH MY GOD, MY POOR HARRY! HE’S GONE!† other mothers and fathers would have reservations about sending their sons off to war. Therefore the silence of bereaved parents of â€Å"worrier sons† went some way to helping the recruiting sergeant’s job. Dulce et Decorum est is the perfect opposite of the propaganda that is Pro Patria. Whiles Pro Patria uses misleading metaphors Dulce et Decorum est attempts to create the realities of war. Where Pro Patria attempts to glorify war and depict it as honorable, Dulce et Decorum est shows the dirt grime and suffering that went on at the front line. The impassiveness of the soldiers to the gruesome death of the gas victims as they fling him in the cart (the use of the word â€Å"flung† emphasizing the fact that this was not unusual and that it had happened before), the description of the soldiers as â€Å"beggars† shows a stark contrast to Seaman’s proud and noble warrior sons. In structure the poems are quite similar, Dulce et Decorum est seeming to be almost a parody of the older Pro Patria. Indeed when read line by line alternately from different poems, the poems seem to compliment each other: â€Å"England in this great fight to which you go, Bent double like old beggars under sacks†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Also, the last stanzas of both poems use very similar rhyme patterns. Pro Patria’s penultimate lines rhyme best with test, and Dulce et Decorum est rhymes zest with est in the same lines (in relation to the end). Both poems encapsulate their message in the last lines, the finishing pleas of Seamen for parents to send their sons to war, and the solemn Latin verse of Dulce et Decorum est warning people not to indulge in jingoism: â€Å"My friend you would not tell with such high zest, To children†¦, the old lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori (How sweet and fitting it is to die for your country) Both poems are from around the time of the First World War, Pro Patria was written just before the outbreak, written during the conflict. I believe that the stance taken by the authors stems from their experience of the war and the time at which they were written. Seaman did not and could not know what was to happen in the Great War, as it was yet to happen when he wrote the poem. Owen, on the other hand, had been at the front line, and had seen what he was writing about, and felt a need to tell others what he had seen, as opposed to Seaman who was writing for the government.

Academic performance Essay

CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND Introduction Learning performance talks about how do the student is accomplishing his or her duties,responsibilities and studies. There are some factors that determine the status and the rate of students. Learning performanceis what you have shown you can do in a certain subject. Ability is a talent,skills or proficiency in a particular area. It is what you can do, given ideal circumtance.You can think of it as being internal and hidden untilyou show what what you can do with your performance. Performance is the execution of an action,something accomplished. It is external and what people see. For example,someone that freaks out when they have graded recitation may bomb it and have poor performance, even though they knew the material and had the ability to do the graded recitation if they hadn’t been so nervous. The term â€Å"Learning† is given a range of meaning. In everyday talk, media and television it is rarely used. When it is, it usually implies â€Å"being taught†. In the world of education learning may be used a lot, but on closer inspection the term can be standing in for distinctly different processes such as teaching, producing,performing according to certain criteria, and so on. And in classroom it is rarely heard. Learning achievement or learning performance is the outcome of education, the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has acchieved their education goals. Learning achievement is commonly measured by examinations or continuous assesment but there is no general agreement on how it is best tested on which aspect are most impotant procedural knowledge such as skills or declarative knowledge such as facts. Learning performance refers to how student deal with their studies and how they cope with or accomplish different tasks given to them by their teachers. It is the ability to study and remember facts and being able to communicate your knowledge verbally or down on paper. *According to researh,a review of devlopments across the 20th century highlighted that learning is now seen as change in knowledge occuring through a process of knowledge construction in which the social context of learning is important 1.Learner differences and contextual differences are both shown to be influential. Studies of the social context of learning have helped us see that understanding is a shared phenomenon that learning may usefully be seen as joining a knowledge community, and that much learning remains very  specific to the social situation in which it was originally learned2. In every school and every classroom, views of learning are present, even if they remain implicit. The long standing culture of classroom is : teaching is telling, learning is listening. Knowledge is subject matter taught by teachers and found in books3.This does not accord with evidence from research. But it will inhabit classroom life unless there is clear action to counter it. And there is important research showing that classroom can create a better view.In the meaning held by learners themselves, views of learning have become a key focus of research. Studies of adult students have identified a range of learning: Increasing one’s knowledge memorizing and reproducing applying, general rules to particulars understanding, making sense changing the peson4 Effective learners are likely to have a rich conception of learning, along with strengths in what researchers have identified as metacognition, self-monitoring and self-regulation. There are several thing that effect the learning performance of the office administration student. First is financial problem wherein the students are financial capable in supporting their studies and needs. The student don’t have enough money to pay their tuition fees, school projects, photo copies, assignment, and other needs in school.Second is family problems. Family has a big part in students life. It affects their learning performance to catch up the lessons according to their daily lives. Crisis in family is one of the major problem why does the students fail to focus or give their 100% to understand the lessons. Then time management. Most of the students are having difficulties in dividing their time of their academic and non-academic activities, rackets or partime job. This may result to the student a bad performance in school. There times that they missed the classes because of their partime job and other activities.Followed by the student habits, some of tha students don’t read their books and lectures after school hours and didn’t listen in class discuccion because of inproper used of gadgets like cellphones, tablets and ipads so they didn’t understand much the lessons. Next is the student discipline. Some of the students didn’t obey the school policies, rules and  regulations, educational norms and school traditions. Then problem with the professors. Some students don’t want to attend or don’t want to listen to their professors because he or she is boring so that the student become not interested in the lessons, also when the professors are ve ry terror and stressful the student’s vission they found it hard to give their full focus in learning because of the way their professors discipline them. Peer pressure. There are some students skip classes because their friends or classmates influence to just go to malls, playing computer games, drink alcoholic beveranges and other gimmics instead of attending classes. Romantic relationship. The students can’t concentrate studying because they keep on thinking about their problems. The latter sometimes didn’t attend class because of the heartache caused by their boyfriend or girlfriend. They didn’t know how to handle such situations that bring them to fail their subjects. Second to the last thing are facilities and equipments. Most of the equipment and facilities such as rooms, laboratories, chairs, typewritters and computers are not suitable or limited for the population we have in our university. The students can’t concentrate studying because of the noise outside the classroom that usually came from the school quadrangle. They may not acquire the actual knowledge and skills they need. Lastly is educational psychology. It is the study of how the student learnin educational settings, the effectiveness of educational interventions, the psychology of teaching, and social psychology of schools as oganizations. Every individual has differences in learning. There are some students who easily underrstand the topic discussed inside the classroom and there are also students who can’t understand the lessons that easy as others can and the problem is they don’t even asking so they totally don’t know what are the lessons discussed. The study of learning performance is for better improvement f office management student performance gaining knowledge. It can enhance the self-esteem of the students to perform well. and enridh their studies. A focus on learning can enhance perfomance, whereas a focus on perfomance (alone) can depress performance. The effects of performance orientation include greater helplessness, reduced help-seeking, less strategy use, more maladaptive strategies and a greater focus on grade feedback. There is an increase strategic behaviour rather than learning behaviour, a focus on looking good rather than learning well, and a tendency  to perceive education as a process of jumping through hoops, rather than something more transferable and lasting. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK This part presents the conceptual framework and problem analysis of the study. The main research question is the thing that are affecting the gaining knowledge performance of the students. Sub topic research question such as financial problems, family problems, time management, problem with the professors, peer pressure, study habits, romantic relationship, student discipline, facilities and equipment and educational psychology have been found to have an effect on student’s learning performance. It affects student learning performance in terms of time demanded and the psychological state they may cause.

Reconstitution and Dissolution of a partnership Essay

ABSTRACT: The paper aims to study using secondary research resources. That what are concepts of Partnership reconstitution and dissolution according to the partnership act 1932. Under what circumstances a partnership firm is entitled to these two concepts respectively, what are the rights, duties and liabilities of each of the partners involved under each case. And according to what modes can the accounts be settled among the partners upon the winding up of the business. INTRODUCTION â€Å"Partnership is the relation between persons who have agreed to share the profits of a business carried on by all or any one of them acting for all (THE PARTNERSHIP ACT 1932) Partnership’ does not mean a body or association; it means a relationship between separate component persons. This is the kind of relationship that has to be followed for the betterment of business that they are jointly carrying out to full fill common interest of gaining profits from the business. There are three elements necessary for existence of a partnership: 1. the carrying on of a business.2. The business must be carried on in common. 3. The business must be carried on with a view to gain profits. (NICHOLSON, 2011). ESSENTIALS OF PARTNERSHIP All individuals share the risks and rewards of the business. Each partner is entitled to share the net profits of the business. Partners are jointly and severally responsible for all the debts and obligations of the business without any limit, including loss and damages Partners have equal rights to make decisions. All individuals share the ownership of the assets of the business. (TAYLOR, 2011) These all have to follow for a legal partnership to be present. In any one of them is missing than there will no partnership. HISTORY OF PARTNERSHIP Partnership law is as old as commerce itself. Thought started since 15th century when merchants from the Italian cities were brought to northern Europe the foundations of law. In 16th century ‘Italian Law Merchant was made for a business to be carried out. Firstly there were two principal forms of partnership. The first was the Commenda, whereby an investor, the Commendator, evaded the usury laws by putting money into a business in return for a share in the profit gained by the business carried out, but was liable for no more than his investment that he initially invested. It is also known as limited partnership. The other was the Societas, or ordinary partnership, in which all members were equally bound and responsible for the debts and could bind the firm. So now the principles were known. Later on statutes of 1865, 1890 and 1907 came for a clear view of partnership relationship. The Law of Partnership Act 1865, ‘Bovill’s Act’ was passed to undo the assumption that the existence of some payments from the profits of a business would comprise the recipient a partner or liable as such for the debts of the business. Later it was known as Limited Partnership Act. The Partnership Act 1890 codified the previous law. It provided no remedy and mechanism for limited partnership and depicts no difference between professional or ‘civil’ partnerships and business or ‘commercial’ partnerships. The Limited Partnerships Act 1907 introduced into English law the possibility that a person might be a partner in a firm but liable only to the extent of the capital he had invested initially.  (BLOOMSBURYPROFESSIONAL.COM) Today the most widely followed partnership act is â€Å"The Partnership Act 1932† , which consist of 8 chapters that lay principle and foundations of the procedure to be followed for a partnership and it have 1 schedule which is important as it keep on being updated. This act has to be followed in order to be called a legal partnership. DISSOLUTION AND RECONSTITUTION OF A PARTNERSHIP Dissolution of partnership means that there is discontinuance of the legal relationship between the partners of the firm. It is legal break up of partnership contract that was signed. There is a clear distinction between Dissolution and reconstitution of a partnership. Reconstitution of a partnership of a firm will take place in the events of retirement of a partner, death of a partner or insolvency of a partner. Thus firm has to be reconstituted with the remaining partners of the firm. Now they will deal with the business with a new partnership contract between them. Even in this case firm may continue to work provided the deed signed has such effect. Also when a new partner is admitted, a new partnership emerges so a firm is reconstituted. There will be a new contract between the new partners and the old relationship is no more valid. Each will have a different share of profits as per the new contract signed. Reconstitution involves only a change in the relationship of the partners of a business but in the case of dissolution of the firm there is a complete discontinuation in the relationship of the partners of a firm. Dissolution of a partnership can be dome under circumstances not just voluntarily. It can be dissolved under a mutual agreement when all partners agree to it and it is in accordance to the contract. It can be dissolved by giving a legal notice and under law. When there is a breach of terms and conditions by one partner than partnership can be dissolved. Also when the court gives out a notice it has to be dissolves. (MATHUR, 2010) Dissolution of partnership cannot just be said nor done as it have its own consequences. When it is discontinues than the partners are liable to wind up the business and the liability remains till they clear all dues of partnership. If any profit gained after dissolution than that has to be shared among the partners, one cannot get all. Premium has to be returned to each partner for his services dissolution also comes with different restrictions that are to be imposed. (GULSHAN, 2001) RECONSTITUTION OF A FIRM Firm can be reconstituted when number or status of partners has been changed. So we can say that firm changes its form when (i) we have to introduce new partner, (ii) one partner reaches the age of retirement, (iii) legitimate expulsion of a partner, (iv) one partner is unable to pay its debts, (v) death of a partner. These five factors are the main reason because of which reconstitution of a firm happens. Well constitution or reconstitution of a firm makes no difference, both words implies same meaning. The important element of a partnership act is agreement between all the partners of the firm. So whenever the changes are going to take place consent of all partners is mandatory. The following paragraphs will be explaining each clause in detail and its application with respect to Pakistani society. (Saeed, 2012_)_ INTRODUCING NEW PARTNER Under Section 31 of the partnership act of 1932 says that we need the willingness of all partners before new partner has to be introduced in the firm. We cannot introduce the new partner unless it has been stated in contract. For instance if a current partner sold his share in the partnership, the person who buys the share is not liable to become partner except if other partners shows their positive consideration. One more thing minor can never be a partner if it has been clearly stated in contract. New partner is not accountable for paying the debts of the firm prior to his entrance. (Saeed, 2012_)_ RETIREMENT OF A PARTNER Another reason for the reconstitution of a firm is when partner wants to get retirement. Partner can be retired when he/she gets the consent of all other partners. It is clearly stated Partnership gives the notice to the partners if they have to get retirement. The methodology through which partners can get retirement is precisely mentioned in an agreement. Another point which cannot be missed is that the partner who is going to be retired has to give notice to the public about his decision in order to obtain freedom from liability of the debts of the firm. _(_ Saeed, 2012_)_ EXPULSION OF A PARTNER In law expulsion has exclusive meaning which says that it is the coercive retirement of an individual from a partnership by the other members because some inappropriate event has occurred. Due to this it is undesirable for an individual to be the part of the firm. Partnership – section 25 of the partnership act provides: _no majority of the partner can expel any partner unless the power to do so has been conferred by the express agreement between the partners._ CAUSES OF EXPULSION OF A PARTNER Expulsions takes place due to some reasons which include misconduct, dishonesty, unethical act, insolvency. Misconduct usually involves individual committing material or persistent breaches of the partnership member’s agreement or willfully neglecting to abide by any of his/her responsibilities. When individual commits crime he is dishonest. A partner cannot be in partnership anymore as soon as he is adjudged an insolvent. _(SILKIN, 2012)_ DEATH OF A PARTNER Firm is reconstituted when there is a death of a partner. Due to the death of partner, partnership can be dissolved until and unless it has explicitly stated that partnership will continue after this event. If partnership has to be dissolved after the death of the partner then remaining partners has to wrap up their work. When partnership is dissolved it does not necessarily means that it has been terminated. Sometimes businesses needs time to finish up their work. This continues until the liquidation is completed . (Lawyers.com) INSOLVENCY OF A PARTNER Insolvent means that when one person is failed to pay its debts. Reconstitution of a firm happens when partner becomes insolvent. A partner can become insolvent on two bases. First of all partnership business is going and when partnership is going too dissolved. Partners have to declare it officially or get it signed by many people when they want insolvency of a partnership. (BATASNATIN.COM) Under section 51 of partnership act, when partner is declared guilty of insolvency on the basis of petition of the partners or any one partner initiated, petition of more than three creditors in the partnership qualified as provided in section twenty of the act. _(PARTNERSHIP ACT, 1932)_ CONCLUSION To conclude we see, that we have covered detailed understanding of all our objectives. How a firm reconstitutes and how it is dissolved, how the various partners are subjected to fulfill each of their duties and are entitled to claim their rights. How the accounts are settled and affairs of the partnership are wound up. Structure of partnership business changes from time to time. These laws provide the ability to make any reconstitution among the business when any partner leaves or enters. Conflict is human nature, and in cases where conflicts interfere among the relations of businesses these laws are there to protect and safeguard our rights. Dissolution provides various advantages and safeguards the rights of each  partner. It provides liability provisions that which helps the partners to avoid costly litigations, and because it’s a contract, it binds all the partners to conform to each other’s rights, and make sure no one is done wrong. Provides guidelines for distribution of assets so that everyone gets their equitable share and no rights are misguided. This leads to a peaceful termination of the business. Also it lays down general rules and guidelines about what roles the Partners are going to play at the end of the business, one might notify the customer while the other Might handle liquidation or other aspects of the business, so on and so forth. In case of a dissolution agreement among the partners, they can create their own terms and they do not have to rely upon the default state laws, this is a very big advantage of such a process which allows both partners to benefit from the particular situatio n REFERENCES Mathur. B, (2010), â€Å"_Business Law_†. pg 588-590 Gulshan, S. (2001). â€Å"_Business law_†. (4th ed., pp. 154-160). New Delhi. Taylor, M. (2011_). â€Å"Essentials elements of a partnership agreement†_ Link: http://partnership.ezinemark.com/essentials-elements-of-a-partnership-agreement-32336052262.htm Nicholson. (2011). [Web log message]. Link: Retrieved from http://www.scribd.com/doc/52490419/Lecture-8-Law-of-Partnership Bloomsburyprofessional.com. (2007). â€Å"_Partnership law_†. Link: http://www.bloomsburyprofessional.com/ Saeed, K.A. (2012). â€Å"_Mercantile and Industrial Laws of Pakistan_†. Second Edition. Karachi: Oxford University Press. Silkin, L. (2012). â€Å"_Partnership and LLP’s: Expulsion_† Link:http://www.lewissilkin.com/en/Knowledge/2012/February/~/media/Knowledge%20PDFs/Partnerships%20and%20LLPs/Expulsion%20February%202012.ashx Lawyers.com_. â€Å"Termination of partnership†_ Link: http://business-law.lawyers.com/small-business-law/Termination-of-Partnerships.html Batasnatin.com. _†Insolvency of Partnerships & corporations when partnership may be declared insolvent†_ Link:http://www.batasnatin.com/law-library/civil-law/obligations-and-contracts/836-insolvency-of-partnerships-a-corporations.html

The effect of a new drug on blood pressure. Testing Research Paper

The effect of a new drug on blood pressure. Testing - Research Paper Example Another reason for using the t-test is because a t-test is normally used when the standard deviation of the population is unknown. In this case we do not know our population. The t-test is also used when the purpose of the study is determining whether there is statistically significant difference between two independent sample groups. In this case the drug and the blood pressure are two independent variables. The z-test is not applicable in this case because it is normally used when the null and alternative hypothesis are stated (Tanner, 2016). In our case the two are not stated. The ANOVA on the other hand is normally used when carrying out a test using three or more variables (Tanner, 2016). In our case, we only have two variables. What would your choice of test depend on? For the test you select, explain your design and your comparison groups. Choosing the type of test to use in a particular study depends on: the type of the variables used either continuous or categorical, the number of variables to use in the particular study either one variables, two variables or three or more variables, the normality, how the variables are normally distributed and the nature of the variables, are they dependent or independent variables. The design in this case will be the number of patients to use in the study. Small number of patients will result in an inaccurate result and using a large number of patients will be risky to their health and lead to waste of resources. One should therefore use not so small neither not so large number of patients.

- Research Methods - Discuss the following statement. Unstructured Essay

- Research Methods - Discuss the following statement. Unstructured interviews should only be used as a precursor for a more structured approach to data collection - Essay Example Semi-structured interviews are flexible and they include both open and closed-ended questions but the interviewer adjusts the series of the questions based on the context of responses from the participants. Unstructured interview is a method that elicits the social realities of people; thus it has become widely employed by sociologists and anthropologists in research field process. Unstructured interviews should be only used as a precursor for a more structured approach in data collection in research process. This is because unstructured interviews are best applied for exploration when there is a limited understanding of the domain, or as a precursor to more focused and detailed structured interviews (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2009, p. 111). Unstructured interviews do not follow a prearranged schedule or list of questions unlike structured interview which employs a prearranged set of questions. Therefore, they can be used as the precursor of structured interview since this method is similar to survey research methods of data collection and they are administered orally instead of writing. The most significant and widely used unstructured interview originates from the ethnographic practice of anthropologists (Honey and Mumford, 1997, p. 36). Many anthropologists and sociologists employed unstructured interview for gathering information through participant o bservations and record field notes taking as they observe the sidelines and also joins the activities of the participants. Unstructured interviews are effectual because researchers identifies one or more key informants to interview on a continuing basis or take short notes while observing and at the same time questioning participants. This is vital because it provides first hand information and the method attempt to solve difficulties in question interpretations. Bandura in his book of social learning theory argues that people learn

Consumerism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Consumerism - Essay Example The continuously expanding capitalism commercial culture spoils everything, marginalizing religious life, civic life and family life, and turning citizens to mere consumers whose personal market choice avails to them what they want but fails to avail of them what they want to vent. This paper aims at discussing and analyzing the argument contained in Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole by Benjamin R. Barber. The author of this book is a well known political theorist who has over the years been writing many materials about how the civil society is deteriorating. He also gives recommendations on how the initial state of the civil society can be reclaimed. He believes that there was a time in history when capitalism had virtues that had positive contributions to citizenship, responsibility, and democracy. Currently capitalism is tainted with the vices that encourage consumerism, while on the other hand undermining citizenship, responsib ility, and democracy. He states that in the current world capitalism and democracy do not come together. Previously, capitalism worked under the protestant work ethic. Under this ethic, capitalism was dependable, restrained, responsible, hardworking, and forward thinking. This enabled distribution of resources and meeting of human needs. During later days, capitalism had all human needs met thus capitalism ended up consuming itself (Barber 67). Because capitalism had to keep growing, consumer market had to keep selling. Despite the fact that many citizens did not have their basic needs met, capitalism still chose to ignore them. Instead, they made consumers want the products that were already over supplied. There are two possible results of this. First consumers of the oversupplied products are targeted. Second non-consumers of the available products are manipulated into wanting the oversupplied products. For instance, game producers target children while at the same time preventing adults from growing up, so that they would continue consuming their products. This can be done by making adults believe that games were made for them too. This way, adults are manipulated into wanting to use these products. Barber’s argument holds some truth in it. Consumers always get themselves wanting to buy some products. This happens regardless of whether they need it, or if they can afford. When a producer introduces a new product, they make consumers believe that they need it, and that the price is affordable (Barber 112). For example, Apple announces the introduction of a new iPod. Consumers of the same find themselves wanting to purchase this particular product even if they might be having a product that serves the same purpose. Despite the possibility of the iPod not making any difference in the lives of the citizens, they still buy it believing that they need it just as the producers claim. The book also tends to depict the constant creation of supposed human need s that have led to the creation of an infantilists’ ethos that interferes with people’s ability to be good citizens. When people identify themselves as consumers or individuals instead of a constituent of a political organization, people tend to forget that they should be thinking of the collective benefit of the whole community. A common observation in America is that there is pressure mounting on children to mature at a fast rate in order to be consumers. On the other hand, producers are trying hard to

Target group analysis of RedBull in UK Coursework

Target group analysis of RedBull in UK - Coursework Example The products also targeted the credibility of those that were involved in interaction with the young target audience (RED BULL GMBH v POTTERS LTD, 2013). The young group was the main target through the promotion and sales. Those that were close such as disc jokers were also target as they were able to promote the product more. Education that was carried out on the product-targeted consumers that are thought might need a lift. The places that were much explored with the sales include those that were in building and construction sites and those that were in offices. Those involved in the brand and product marketing use the local knowledge that they have to increase sale of the product. High profile marketing of the company has focused on maintaining a link with extreme sports. The sponsor that the company has given to two Formula one teams has enabled reaching the youthful energetic audience that has been the target (RED BULL GMBH v POTTERS LTD, 2013). The groups of consumer that have been targeted in all the activities of the company are those that use more energy as the product is an energy drink. The groups are mainly those in the youthful sage, those that are involve in sporting activities and also any of those that carry out activities that require more

Midterm for Business Law Ethics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Midterm for Business Law Ethics - Term Paper Example In the second stage of the cycle, action is seen to occur and regardless of the immediate effects that might have been caused by the action, the monetary cycle is seen to move on an things eventually end up correcting themselves. The third stage of the cycle is the inefficiency stage that is seen to characteristically be marked by the inability of the market to sufficiently create wealth as a result of the actions taken during the more frantic times. The fourth stage of the cycle which is the circumvention stage is seen to involve for a lobbying of the removal of the restrictions seen to be placed in the second stage of the cycle and the development by the firms of activities designed to try and circumvent the established rules and achieve the same effects as the forbidden practices. The regulatory cycle is seen to critically affect management decisions in the automotive industry. This is exemplified that in line with the cycle, the increase in carbon dioxide emissions and the result ant attempts by various governments and organizations to try and limit or curb these emissions essentially helps mark out the first stage of the cycle. The decision making of managers in the automotive industry is seen to have been affected by the cycle as they made various decisions to try and act on the increasing CO2 emissions developing various technologies such as biofuels. Question 2: The value of Corporate Sustainability Corporate sustainability which is commonly defined as being the basic corporate response to sustainable development where the organization engages in a number of practices and strategies that are designed to ensure that the organization is able to address the key issues pertaining to the world’s sustainable development. The value of corporate sustainability can never be exaggerated as is demonstrated by the efforts by various companies to try and quickly respond to any crises that might be seen to be endangering the image of the company’s corpor ate sustainability as was the case seen at KFC when reports emerged of excessive animal cruelty at one of its slaughter houses. In the incident, workers were shown displaying excessive animal cruelty when they were recorded stomping on chicken, flinging them mercilessly against the wall and at times even squeezing them to death. In response to this, the company is seen to have responded quickly by sending inspectors to the plant and implemented measures that saw the contractor fire 11 of the employees and extract pledges from the employees at all the other 25 plants to treat animals in a more humane manner (Trevin?o and Nelson 323-324). Taco Bell, a fast food restaurant, is also seen to have quickly responded to a Mexican tomato pickers workers strike by improving the pay offered to the workers and promising to monitor the company’s suppliers as well as adopt an improved code of conduct that would enable the company to be able to drop any suppliers that were seen to abuse far mworkers (Trevin?o and Nelson 324). Trevin?o and Nelson, point out that by effecting a pragmatic approach to matters relating to corporate social responsibility and sustainability, it is possible for an organization’s manager to be able to effectively scan the environment

Quantifying the properties of various types of Megayacht fillers Literature review

Quantifying the properties of various types of Megayacht fillers - Literature review Example Any marine equipment requires strong and durable surface finishing that would enable it last longer in terms of body maintenance. There are several fillers found in the market, but the big question that remains unanswered is their sustainability in the market. Your boat is not only under threat from the components; damage can occur as a result of abrasion, collision and other mechanical damage. Fillers can be applicable in minute repairs and choosing the right one for the task is very necessary in case the result is meant to last at the end of it all. Fillers are normally available with several characteristics that are specific to how they will be applied. Fillers are available in a wide variety. There are new releases on a daily occasion which draws attention as to which should be the appropriate one for use. According to Hellio and Yebra, considerations should be made on the mechanical strength that the filler will have to avoid having detrimental effects on the coating later on (2009 p.315). Several companies are on the forefront in advertising their products, but through market research, it has been established that there are some which leaves a wanting result after their use. Some filler have been designed for quick drying and much simple repair properties on top side surfaces. Others need keen care having been built for long lasting reasons. Fillers remain one of the most demanding applications in marine world. Having the right filler also remains a major concern for most end users. End users are always torn apart between choosing the right kind of filler to use. Some end users go as far as applying inappropriate fillers just because the filler is well known and is popular in terms of advertisement. At the end of this paper, there are several facts that a user should be well aware of which include: The whole article has six segments which include the introduction, problem statement, Aims and objectives, project plan, resources, literature survey and

Mao Zedong Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mao Zedong - Essay Example Mao Zedong was one of several children growing up in a rural part of China. His father was a peasant farmer. As far as one can be successful as a peasant farmer, Mao’s father was a success. He consolidated parcels of land, building them up slowly until he owned twenty acres of ground, the largest land holding in the village. Farming in China was backbreaking work. There were no machines to help in the filed labor, so crops were cultivated by hand using rudimentary tools. Mao Zedong was sent to school by his father because he wanted his sons to be prominent among the village boys. After five years of education, Mao’s father wanted him to return to the farm. Mao obeyed, but he was restless. He became a voracious reader and a substandard peasant farmer. During this period of his life, Mao’s glorification of strong political leaders such as George Washington and Napoleon Bonaparte began to develop (Chang & Halliday, 1980). Mao Zedong eventually left his fatherâ€℠¢s farm and moved to the provincial capital of Changsha. He completed his education and eventually landed a position in Beijing. This is where Mao met the individuals that would introduce him to the teaching and philosophy of Karl Marx. Mao was above all else a Marxist. He believed strongly in the idea that eliminating the differences between classes in a society would lead to the best form of government. He strongly believed that the only way this could occur in China was to organize the masses of peasants that held little or no political power under the rule of the emperor. The exciting thing about Mao’s life was the last emperor of China was dying before his eyes. He could feel that it was time for something new for China, and Mao believed that the best development would be a broad-based peasant revolt that would usher in a Marxist state. He was determined to be the leader of that state. Mao was a forceful personality and he did not shy away from doing brave and audacious things. One of his early rivals in China for power was the leader of the nationalist Chinese, Chang Kai-shek. A civil war broke out between these two groups but was interrupted by the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, a part of northeastern China. This was a difficult time for China because there was no central government to stand up to the Japanese. Mao and Chang Kai-shek decided to join forces to withstand the Japanese. For a while, there was cooperation, but soon it was clear that the truce would not hold. Mao took his army and followers far into the north of china to escape the Nationalists. This was known as the Long March. Most of the army died, but Mao lived to lead the Communists over the nationalists, who fled to Taiwan when they were defeated on mainland China. Once Mao established himself ruler of China through his authority as President of the Chinese Communist Party, his penchant for strong leaders started to show. He conducted a series of political purges that eliminated his political rivals through mass executions and starvation. Mao undertook a program of transforming China in every way, not just through politics. He wanted to change the very nature of China. He outlawed traditional arts and crafts, discouraged Buddhist and Confucian teachings and branded anyone that got in his way as â€Å"counter-revolutionary.†

Inventory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Inventory - Essay Example After a long time use of the time series forecasting method, the company should now adopt a new strategic plan, which should enable it to penetrate its market deeper. It is not safe for the company to rely on its historical data alone in the prediction of its future needs when considering demand. Therefore, the qualitative forecasting method is the best method applicable by the company. This will ensure that the company knows the likely direction to be taken by its customers in the consumption of its goods; and adjust appropriately to cater for the views of the consumers. Besides the techniques already listed in the abstract, there are other forecasting techniques available and already in operation. They are each used in line with the future need that a company requires. Therefore, before using any of these methods, consider the time of preparation, cost, and accuracy of the technique. These techniques make different assumptions in their operation (Makridakis, Wheelwright, & Hyndman, 1998). In addition to the already mentioned methods are Regression methods, which involve the extension of linear regression that is a variable, linearly relates to some other independent variables. The other method of forecasting used is the multiple equation methods, which involve some variables that are dependent interacting with each other in a number of equations. This method receives proper application in the economic models of forecasting. These techniques have their basis on human judgment in the forecasting of the planned future of a given company. Therefore, these methods are said to be subjective based on the judgments and opinions given by the experts and the consumers. These techniques apply to the decisions that are intermediate and long range. They can be used in the creation of forecasts that are short term and can supplement projections,

Literature Review Celebrity Chef Essay Example for Free

Literature Review Celebrity Chef Essay This review should bring all relevant facts about the subject and facilitate practitioners and highlight areas for further research. In short celebrity endorsement is about endorsing products with the help from a celebrity. Consumer association towards a celebrity endorsed produced increases their purchase intention as many see the celebrity as a role model. However, it is important that the consumer can identify with the celebrity and that the celebrity? s image fits with the produced he or she endorses, only then will celebrity backing be an effective advertising strategy. . 2. Background and Definition Nowadays, celebrities are used in advertising in almost every context. Athletes such as Michael Ballack (Adidas) or Tiger Woods (Rolex) or models such as Cindy Crawford (Omega) or Heidi Klum (Katjes) endorse several products. These celebrities act as a spokesperson in order to advertise and promote products (Kambitsis et al. , 2002). Celebrities can create more positive responses towards advertising and greater purchase intentions than non-celebrity endorsers (Byrne et al. , 2003). Using celebrity as an endorser for a given product can either be positive or negative for a company/brand. A campaign that turned out successfully was the campaign with Jamie Oliver as an endorser for the supermarket chain J. Sainsbury. The successful format of the TV production â€Å"The naked chef† provided an ideal platform to use for the advertising campaign within a context relevant for J. Sainsbury? s desire (Byrne, 2003). An example of a campaign that did not turn out successful was when J. Sainsbury used the actor John Cleese in the â€Å"value to shout about† campaign in 1998. Employees and customers alike felt that Cleese was not the right personality to personify the supermarkets quality image (Whitehead, 2003). In the literature there are two different definitions of celebrity endorsers used. The definitions used are: â€Å"A celebrity endorser is an individual who is known to the public (actor, sports figure, entertainer, etc. ) for his or her achievements in areas other than that of the product class endorsed†. (Friedman, 1979, p. 63) â€Å"Any individual who enjoys public recognition and who uses the recognition on behalf of a consumer good by appearing with it in an advertisement†. McCracken, 1989, p. 310) In other words these definitions says that an individual who is known to the public in different ways. The individual is famous and utilizes his or her publicity to advertise a product that does not have anything to do with the individual fame. I consider McCracken? s definition as the most informative one as it is short and concise. The definition gives a clear view of what a celebrity endorser is. Previous studies have been done on consumers? response to celebrity endorsement in advertising. Results of these studies show that celebrities make advertising believable and enhance message recall. Furthermore, when celebrities are recognized with brand names, it creates a positive attitude toward the brand and a distinct personality for the endorsed brand. In the following chapter the method used for this review will be introduced. The chapter will start with how a literature review is defined, followed by the literature search, method problems and quality standards. 2. 1. Definition of literature review Conducting a literature review is about understanding a topic that has already been addressed, how it has been researched by other authors, and what the key issues are (Hart, 1998). According to the author Chris Hart (1998) the definition of a literature review is the selection of available documents; both published and unpublished (in my review I will only study published academic documents), on the topic, which contains information, ideas, data and evidence written from a particular standpoint. 2. 2. Literature search, methodology used When searching for articles I used the databases Emerald, Ebsco and ProQuest. These databases were used because of the highest ranked journals in the field of marketing were listed there. I used the article Journal quality list (2008) issued by Harzading. com, research in international and cross-cultural management. High ranked journals increase the validity of the thesis, as validity is defined as â€Å"The ability of a scale or measuring instruments to measure what is intended to be measured†(Zinkmund, 2000). I also tried to find books relevant to the topic by using the library here at Les Roches International School of Hotel management as well as the library database google. scholar. . 3. Description of sub-topics Purchase intentions: Describes what impact the celebrity endorser has on the consumers purchase intentions. A consumer is more likely to purchase complex or expensive products which are endorsed by celebrities rather than by non-celebrities. Daneshvary and Schwer (2000) point purchase intention as an environment of associations between endo rsement and consumer, depending if the consumer can identify with that association and purpose. Consumers? association to celebrity endorsement/endorser: How consumers associate/have a connection towards the celebrity endorsement/endorser. If a company want a consumer to associate to an endorsed product it is important to choose an endorser who uses the product and where that use is a reflection of professional expertise (Daneshvary and Schwer, 2000). A formula 1 driver endorsing helmets is good, while a tennis player endorsing car polish is less good (ibid). Consumers? attitudes towards the endorser: The consumers? often have a positive attitude towards the product and the celebrity, despite the fact, that it is well known, that the endorser earned a lot when promoting the product (Cronley et al. 1999). Effectiveness of celebrity endorsement/endorsers: How effective is the usage of celebrity endorsement. It is, most likely, more effective to use celebrity endorsement constantly to increase the strength of the link between the celebrity and the endorsed brand. It is also more effective to use a celebrity who is not associated with another product (Till, 1998). Positive/negative effects of celebrity endorsement: the usa ge of celebrity endorsement can be both positive and /or negative, which can influence the company / brand in the end. For example, using celebrities can be very costly; also, celebrities might switch to a competitor, which would then increase the risk of a negative impact (Agrawal and Kamakura, 1995). However, in can be said that celebrities in advertising are widely spread and persistent and the marketing executives continue to utilize celebrity endorsement as an advertising strategy (ibid). Profitability of celebrity endorsement: The use of celebrity endorsement will hopefully lead to increased profitability. A study indicates that there is a positive impact of celebrity endorsement on the expected future profits, which recommends marketing managers to use celebrity endorsers in their advertising campaigns (Agrawal and Kamakura, 1995). Friedman/Friedman (1979)Does effectiveness of celebrity endorsement depend on the product? Interviews with 360 house wives Celebrity endorsements are not effective for all products Till (1998)What are the effects of celebrities endorsing more than 1 product? Case study with 99 students, who were shown different advertisings using the same celebrity endorserThe use of the same celebrity endorser to advertise for various products has got a negative impact on the efficiency of the ad, the product and the endorser. Atkin / Block (1983)Is celebrity endorsement effective in advertising and how does it influence customer purchase intentionsExperiment with 196 test persons, where each participant was shown 3 versions of an ad. Each version featuring a celebrity endorser and a non-celebrity. Advertising using celebrity endorsement is under special conditions more effective than using non-celebrities. Choi et al. (2005)How can celebrities be used successfully in advertising? How effective is the recall-value and the emotional response to celebrity advertising? Experiment with different groups of test persons. Advertising with celebrities is more effective than using non-celebrities under special conditions. Sanbonmatsu / Kardes (1988)How does the credibility of a celebrity affect the consumer purchasing intention? Interviews with 542 persons. Consumer purchasing intentions are more effected using celebrities than using non-celebrities. Tripp et al. (1994) How do consumers judge the celebrity endorsement, the ad and the brand, if the celebrity endorses various products? What are the effects on purchasing behaviour? First Study: interviews with 461 students. Second Study: Interview with 10 test persons. Simultaneous advertising trough the same celebrity has a negative effect on the ad, the product and the celebrity. Agrawal/Kamakura (1996)Which economical effects on advertising are there when using celebrities? Event-Study in regards to the effects on share prices trough the announcement of celebrity endorsementCelebrity endorsement can have a positive and a negative effect on share prices. Agrawal/Kamakura (1995)Can a single celebrity have a positive effect on the company? s value? Analysis of the share price of a company after announcing a celebrity endorserCelebrity endorsement can have a positive and a negative effect on share prices. Charbonneau / Garland (2005)How does a company find the right celebrity endorser for its products? Which criteria should be considered? Questionnaires: 414 marketing managers at 148 advertising companies.

Analysis of the UK Human Rights Act

Analysis of the UK Human Rights Act The Human Rights Act contains certain provisions which have enacted to prevent busybodies, cranks and other mischief makers from bringing actions under the act. It will be argued that whilst this was the aim of the legislation, this has only in part been achieved. Section 7 of the Human Rights Act permits Convention rights issues to be raised in any legal proceedings. However, S7 also provides that only a victim of an alleged infringement of the Convention may bring an action under the Act. This is a narrow concept and requires the claimants to be personally affected by the action being impugned. The ECHR test is more expansive than the notion of a private legal right which is used to govern the grant of standing for the declaration and injunction in English law. Complaints under the Convention must be brought by a person, non-governmental organisation (NGO) or group of individuals claiming to be the victim of a violation. Â   The term victim refers to the person directly affected by the contentious act or omission. In the case of Dudgeon v United Kingdom (1981) 4 EHRR 149 the gay male applicant were regarded as victims of the countries criminalisation of homosexual practices even though he had not bee subject to prosecution. However converse ly in Leigh, Guardian Newspapers Ltd and Observer Ltd v United Kingdom (No 10039/82) (1984) 38 DR 74 the commission did not accept that all journalists were victims of a House of Lords decision to refuse to disclose documents to journalists even though the documents concerned had been read out in court. The victim test is narrower than the sufficient interest test for judicial review. The obvious question is how the court is to choose which test to apply in circumstances where both seem to be available. With its locus standi requirement that one arguing that a public body has acted incompatibly with the Convention should be a victim of the violation, the Act allows challenge and intervention by a far narrower class of persons and interests than obtains for judicial review generally. Access to the courts in the formalised rights debates under the Act is correspondingly restricted. Calls for a human rights culture and democratised debates about rights are all very well, but ultimately the very point of a judicially enforced Bill of Rights is that decisions are made in cloistered courts by judges who cannot, unlike ministers, be lobbied. Â  As one recent, detailed study has concluded, the result is, if not the end of politics, then its legalisation. As Loughlin puts it, judicial review [of statutes] must be seen as the retention of some form of aristocratic rule in a democratic state, where the aim is no less than the elimination of the idea of the (political) sovereign and its replac ement with the sovereignty of law[i]. It can therefore be seen that whilst it is suggested that the victim requirement is sufficiently narrow it does not obviously exclude the likes of busybodies and cranks from brining action. The reason this difficulty arises can be demonstrated in the case of Dudgeon as above, that is that a person may not necessarily be a person who has been prosecuted or effected by the act but only has to be one that is likely to be so affected. This causes a multitude of problems and encompasses a plethora of applicants included those referred to as busybodies and cranks. Question 2 The convention rights that are particular important to gypsies are Article 8 the right to a home and to respect for private and family life; and Article 14 the right not to be discriminated against in relation to Convention rights. It is argued that gypsies can rely on these provisions in their search not only for protection of their homes. The landmark decision in this field was that of Buckley v UK [1996] JPL 1018. In that case Mrs Buckley was a gypsy residing with her three children in caravans on land that she owned. She was refused retrospective planning permission and the council took enforcement action. She lost her appeal and took her case to Strasbourg. She argued that prevention of her continued residence on her land was a breach of her Article 8 rights. She further argued that the statutory regime enacted by the 1968 and 1994 Acts amounted to a breach of her Article 14 rights in that it prevented her from pursuing her traditional lifestyle. The Court held unanimously that Article 8 was applicable. However, the right is that there shall be no interference beyond that which is reasonably necessary in a democratic society. The court held that the interference with the Gypsies right to a home, which they acknowledged existed, was justified on grounds of public policy. The court also rejected her Article 14 claim. In Chapman Others v UK (2001) The Times, January 30 the court held once again that there was no incompatibility with Article 8, again for much the same reasons, that the acknowledged infringement was justified on public policy grounds. However this time the court was considerably more critical of the UK government, stating (at para 96 of the original transcript): although the fact of being a member of a minority with a traditional lifestyle different from that of the majority does not confer an immunity from general laws it may have an incidence on the manner in which such laws are to be implemented [The] vulnerable position of Gypsies as a minority means that some special consideration should be given to their needs and their different lifestyle both in the relevant regulatory planning framework and in arriving at the decisions in particular cases To this extent there is thus a positive obligation imposed on the Contracting States by virtue of Article 8 to facilitate the Gypsy way of life. The court made clear that the United Kingdom enjoyed a wide discretion in how it went about what were essentially political, rather than judicial, decisions. That discretion was however to be subject to important considerations, and failure to give proper weight to these considerations could make the decisions taken unlawful. Amongst these considerations, the court emphasised (at para 103), was the fact that if no alternative accommodation is available, the interference [with the right under Article 8] is more serious than where such accommodation is available. In other words, it may prove very hard for local authorities to justify a failure to provide for adequate accommodation themselves, while at the same time setting out development plan policies that do not allow Gypsies to make their own provision. In R. (on the application of Fuller) v. Chief Constable of Dorset Police [2001] EWHC Admin 1057, December 12, 2001 Local councils had indicated that they would tolerate the continued presence of travellers on their land until the end of August. Following certain incidents the councils agreed with the police that the travellers would be required to leave. On August 29 the council and police visited the site. The council gave the travellers written notice to leave on August 31 and the police at the same time issued a direction under section 61 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order 1994. Four of the travellers sought a declaration that the direction under section 61 was invalid. Held, (i) that section 61 had to be construed narrowly since it created a criminal offence, and on its true construction a direction could not be issued until the trespassers had failed to comply with a valid request by the occupier of the land to leave; (ii) that a valid direction could not be given to vacat e the land at some future date, and accordingly the direction was invalid; (iii) that section 61 was compatible with the ECHR; Articles 3 and 6 of the Convention were not engaged, Article 8 rights would not necessarily be infringed and Article 1 of the First Protocol was not infringed; (iv) that, if the travellers had failed to leave on August 31, a section 61 direction would have been lawful, save possibly in respect of one of the claimants who at the time was nine months pregnant. Therefore the case law in this area demonstrates that by and large the regulation of the environment is left to executive and legislative authorities. Question 3 What is due process? In Thomas v. Baptiste [2000] 2 A.C. 1 members of the Privy Council engaged in a dispute as to whether the phrase due process of the law in the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago meant anything more than what the dissenting judgment described as applying the law of the land as a matter of both substance and procedure Due process invokes the concept of the rule of law itself and the universally accepted standards of justice observed by civilised nations that observe the rule of law This raises the question of the impact of the ECHRs incorporation into UK law via the Human Rights Act. It is argued that procedurally there has been a great amount of change to the UK situation and that this change is ongoing. Under the Human Rights Act 1998 UK courts have to consider, taking account of the Convention jurisprudence under s2, to what extent, if at all, the freedoms may legitimately be curtailed. If, having striven to achieve compatibility, it is found to be impossible, a court of sufficient seniority can issue a declaration of incompatibility, although it will merely have to go on to apply the law in question.[ii] This is of course of profound effect on previous UK legal procedure where the courts would have had to apply the provision of the Act even if it breached the convention. Incorporation of the Convention under the Human Rights Act has already had a number of procedural advantages. UK Citizens may obtain redress for human rights breaches without needing, except as a last resort, to apply to the ECtHR in Strasbourg. This obviously saves a great deal of time and money for the citizen and thus greatly improves access to justice. The range of remedies available under the Human Rights Act is the same as in any domestic court case, and so includes injunctions and specific performance where appropriate, rather than simply damages. British judges are already making a contribution to the development of a domestic Convention rights jurisprudence.[iii] There is still some concern however that UK judges will improve procedural requirements and not regard the Convention rights as they should. The British judiciary are, in general, highly regarded, but they are an elite group, drawn mainly from a certain stratum of society and therefore, to varying degrees, out of touch with the working class. They have trained in techniques of legal analysis which included deciding cases without the responsibility of considering their human rights repercussions, although it is fair to say that their attitude to such repercussions was changing in the years leading up to the enactment of the Human Rights Act. Apart from its implications for legislation, public authorities have been greatly affected by the inception of the Human Rights Act due to the requirements of s6. Under S 6, it is unlawful for a public authority to act in a way which is incompatible with a Convention right. This is the main provision giving effect to the Convention rights; rather than the incorporation of the Convention, it is made binding against public authorities. Under s6(6), an act, includes an omission, but does not include a failure to introduce in or lay before Parliament a proposal for legislation, or a failure to make any primary legislation or remedial order. Section 6 (6) was included in order to preserve parliamentary sovereignty and prerogative power: in this case, the power of the executive to introduce legislation. Thus, apart from its impact on legislation, the Human Rights Act also creates obligations under s6 which bear upon public authorities. Such obligations have a number of implications. Indepe ndently of litigation, public authorities must put procedures in place in order to ensure that they do not breach their duty under s6. [i] Loughlin M, (2000) Sword and Scales: An Examination of the Relationship Between Law and Politics Passim [ii] For example see the case of R (H) v Mental Health Tribunal North and East London Region and Another [2001] EWCA Civ 415 [iii] R v A [2001] 2 WLR 1546; R v Lambert [2001] UKHL 37; R v Offen [2001] 1 WLR 253

The Great Gatsby Essay

The Great Gatsby Essay Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby as a satire that comments on American ideals in the 1920s. He shows the carelessness of everyone during the time by portraying them in the community of East and West Egg. Fitzgerald conveys two different themes throughout the story. One is the American Dream is corrupted by the desire for wealth and the other is the Attainment of a dream may be less satisfying than the pursuit of it. He uses those themes to show how The Great Gatsby is a satire of American Ideals. The American dream is life should be better and richer and fuller for one. This dream is corrupted between the relationship of Gatsby and daisy. Daisy is the symbol of all that Gatsby strives for; her voice is full of money, as Gatsby describes it. Her voice was full of money-that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals song in it (Fitzgerald 120). She can be interpreted as a twentieth-century flapper because she ensnares men with her husky, mysterious voice. Gatsby became so enamored by her voice that he based all of his actions on winning Daisy over. Her voice contains the promise of vast riches. However, Gatsby is too late to realize that money is the only thing her voice promises. There is no compassion in Daisy, just as there is none in cold, hard cash. Daisys dream is corrupted by wealth because she is caught up with Toms wealth and Gatsbys wealth. Daisy and Toms marriage is further proof of the collapse of the American dream. Although they belong to the West Egg social group and have extreme wealth, they are unhappy. Tom is first described as one of those men who reach such an acute limited excellence at twenty-one that everything afterwards savours of anti-climax (Fitzgerald 6). Tom and Daisy are both in unsatisfied with life and are searching for something better. They have traveled to France and drifted here and there unrest fully wherever people were rich and played polo together (Fitzgerald 6). They are unhappy and bored with life. Tom seems to be searching for the excitement that he found in playing football in college, and he finds an outlet for his dissatisfaction by cheating on his wife with Myrtle. Once again, Gatsby does not see that attaining wealth and power does not equal happiness. The Buchanans marriage is full of lies and infidelities, yet they are united through their corruption. After Tom has discovered Daisys infidelity and Myrtle has been killed, their callous selfishness is revealed when they are reunited over fried chicken and two bottles of ale (Fitzgerald 145). They instinctively seek out each other because each recognizes the others strength in the corrupt spiritual element they inhabit. After Myrtle and Gatsby are both killed, neither one of the Buchanans sends their regards or seem remorseful. In fact, they go on a short vacation, which is an indication of the lack of compassion they have toward others. There was no love for anyone. All people cared about was wealth and parties. Nick perceives Tom and Daisy as they really are, heartless and careless. They smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made (Fitzgerald 179). Tom and Daisys actions are an indication of the detrimental and emotionally numbing effects that wealth can have on someone. They focus too much on appearance and things of monetary value, while ignoring peoples feelings and lives. Jordan Bakers plans are also negatively impacted by the corruptive qualities of wealth. Although Nick is attracted to Jordans bored, jaunty, careless air at first, he finally understands that it conveys her profound disregard for other peoples feelings. Jordan supports Daisy having an affair, because Daisy ought to have something in her life (Fitzgerald 79). She sees Gatsby as something, not someone. Jordan also has a reputation for being dishonest and for being a gossip. She was involved in a golf tournament scandal in which she was accused of moving her golf ball to her advantage. Jordan belongs to the East Egg social group because of her careless, dishonest ways. She serves as a hint as to the true nature of the people from East Egg. Jordan may also be an indication of the types of people that Gatsby entertains, since she attends his parties. She is similar to many of his partygoers in that she exploits his hospitality yet never shows any genuine kindness toward him. It is very te lling that Gatsbys house is full of people throughout the entire summer, yet when Gatsby dies, no one attends his funeral except Nick and Gatsbys father. The shallow acquaintances of Gatsby were never his true friends-the only used him for his lavish generosity. The countless people who attend his parties, ride on his hydroplane and in his car, and drink his alcohol are nowhere to be seen when the time comes to pay their respects for him. The theme of the pursuit of a dream is more satisfying than attaining the dream itself repeats itself throughout the book. Gatsbys dream was to get Daisy. We see this repetition of a green light though out the story. Every time Gatsby looked at Daisys house Fitzgerald mentioned the green light. Fitzgerald compares Gatsbys green light to the green breast of the new world (Fitzgerald 180), comparing Gatsbys dream of rediscovering Daisy to the explorers discovery of America and the promise of a new continent. However, Gatsbys dream is tarnished by his material possessions, much like America is now with our obsession with wealth. Gatsby wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to tom and say: I never loved you (Fitzgerald 109). Gatsby tried and tried to get Daisy to think she never loved Tom but the truth was that she did love him. The pursuit of the dream was more satisfying for Gatsby than actually attaining it. He threw parties just to hope she would come and he would be a ble to see him. He became rich so he could impress her with nice things. If Gatsby truly got Daisys heart they would end up doing the same thing as Tom and she normally do. In the end they will have the same dinner fried chickenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and two bottles of ale (Fitzgerald 145) and it would get old and then they would end up having an affair with other people around town like nothing ever changed. On the surface, Fitzgeralds novel may appear to be just a shallow novel about the jazz, parties, and glitz that he experienced in the early twentieth century. After closer examination, however, it is apparent that The Great Gatsby is a profound social commentary on the corrupt and disillusioning effects that materialism can have on members of society. We also learn that in the end attaining your dream is not as fun as trying to get it. Fitzgerald did write a satire that showed the ideals of the 1820s.

El Ninos Wrath :: essays research papers

El Nino’s Wrath Microscopic, photosynthetic phytoplankton produce seventy one percent of the world’s Oxygen. A reduction in the world’s phytoplankton population would be detrimental to all terrestrial and aquatic life. The event known as El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a complex interplay between the ocean and the atmosphere causing a reversal in the trade winds, which in turn moves warm water masses to opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean. Better known for it’s atmospheric effects, El Nino also plays an important role in reducing the phytoplankton population. El Nino halts the process of upwelling, which moves nutrient rich water from the deep, up to the surrface. Upwelling is essential for the production of phytoplankton. Without phytoplankton as the base of the food chain in the ocean, all other aquatic life would cease to exist. El Nino can be attributed to the increase of global warming caused by Carbon Dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. El Nino will continue to i ncrease proportionaly to the Earth’s rising temperature and thus, reducing the world’s phytoplankton population; resulting in catastrophic ecological effects as the base of the ocean’s food chain continues to be destroyed. Winds affect upwelling. Winds that blow along the coasts of North and South America drag the water along with them. â€Å"The Earth’s rotation then deflects the resulting surface currents away from the coastlines.† (Wallace 11) Because the surface water moves away, colder, nutrient-rich water comes up from below and replaces the previous warm water, a phenomenon known as upwelling. (Wallace 11) Basically, the wind blows towards the equator and the rotation of the Earth pulls the water away from land similar to the way a cube of ice stays in one place as you rotate a glass of water. The glass could be interpreted as the Earth, and the ice cube as the mass of water. Relative to the glass, the ice or water stays in one spot as the glass or Earth rotates around. The winds that blow along the equator also affect the properties of upwelled water and also the food chain. â€Å"Without wind, the dividing layer between the warm surface water and the deep cold water, known as the thermocline, would be nearly flat; but the winds drag the surface water westward, raising the thermocline nearly all the way up to the surface in the east and depressing it in the west. The cold water below the thermocline is rich in nutrients.

A Comparison of Winthrop and Edwards to the Apostles of Christ Essay

A Comparison of Winthrop and Edwards to the Apostles of Christ      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I find John Winthrop and Jonathan Edwards to be the most fascinating writers I have ever read. For one, they are the "apostles" of our time. Second, their comparisons to the apostles of Christ are too close to ignore.    There are three historical, Christian milestones. One being after the death of Christ where an evangelical movement of Christ's disciples, friends and brothers preached on how Jesus Christ was the Messiah and the Son of God. The second milestone was when the Pilgrims came to America for religious freedom, and many ministers guided and directed the pilgrims toward the "City of God". One of the last historical Christian movements seen is the Great Awakening. This movement was to trade deistic notions of reason and rationality to faith, God, and Divine Providence. Among the apostles of Biblical times, the most influential were Apostles James and Paul. One of the great writers and speakers of his time, John Winthrop represents the second mark, leaving Jonathan Edwards as one of the most remembered preacher of the Great Awakening.    John Winthrop's writings are intensely related to the Apostle James' writings. Jonathan Edwards approaches his audience in the same manner as Apostle Paul, and both carry a burden to lead people to their Savior. Interestingly enough, Winthrop and Edwards are speaking the gospel, but one is speaking to a different circle of people than the other and with a totally different message. Likewise, as someone has written, "Paul and James do not stand face to face, fighting each other, but they stand back to back, fighting opposite foes" (McGee 64).    In John Winthrop's "A Model of Christian Chari... ...ave a unity under their great love for God. They persevere, and they press toward the kingdom of God through their writings and teachings.       Works Cited Bensick, Carol. "Jonathan Edwards." The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed.Paul Lauter. Canada: DC Heath and Company, 1990. 561-564. Edwards, Jonathan. "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter. Canada: DC Heath and Company, 1990. 584-595. McGee, J. Vernon. Thru the Bible Commentary Series: James. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991. New International Version. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1984. Wiersbe, Warren N. Be Free. USA: S P Publications, 1975. Winthrop, John. "from a Modell of Christian Charity." The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter. Canada: DC Heath and company, 1990. 226-238.    A Comparison of Winthrop and Edwards to the Apostles of Christ Essay A Comparison of Winthrop and Edwards to the Apostles of Christ      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I find John Winthrop and Jonathan Edwards to be the most fascinating writers I have ever read. For one, they are the "apostles" of our time. Second, their comparisons to the apostles of Christ are too close to ignore.    There are three historical, Christian milestones. One being after the death of Christ where an evangelical movement of Christ's disciples, friends and brothers preached on how Jesus Christ was the Messiah and the Son of God. The second milestone was when the Pilgrims came to America for religious freedom, and many ministers guided and directed the pilgrims toward the "City of God". One of the last historical Christian movements seen is the Great Awakening. This movement was to trade deistic notions of reason and rationality to faith, God, and Divine Providence. Among the apostles of Biblical times, the most influential were Apostles James and Paul. One of the great writers and speakers of his time, John Winthrop represents the second mark, leaving Jonathan Edwards as one of the most remembered preacher of the Great Awakening.    John Winthrop's writings are intensely related to the Apostle James' writings. Jonathan Edwards approaches his audience in the same manner as Apostle Paul, and both carry a burden to lead people to their Savior. Interestingly enough, Winthrop and Edwards are speaking the gospel, but one is speaking to a different circle of people than the other and with a totally different message. Likewise, as someone has written, "Paul and James do not stand face to face, fighting each other, but they stand back to back, fighting opposite foes" (McGee 64).    In John Winthrop's "A Model of Christian Chari... ...ave a unity under their great love for God. They persevere, and they press toward the kingdom of God through their writings and teachings.       Works Cited Bensick, Carol. "Jonathan Edwards." The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed.Paul Lauter. Canada: DC Heath and Company, 1990. 561-564. Edwards, Jonathan. "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter. Canada: DC Heath and Company, 1990. 584-595. McGee, J. Vernon. Thru the Bible Commentary Series: James. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991. New International Version. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1984. Wiersbe, Warren N. Be Free. USA: S P Publications, 1975. Winthrop, John. "from a Modell of Christian Charity." The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter. Canada: DC Heath and company, 1990. 226-238.   

Remedial College Classes Benefit Students and Society Essay -- Argumen

Remedial College Classes Benefit Students and Society Depending on the opinion, one could have been excited or startled by comments President George W. Bush recently made. It was August 29th, and the day had come for him to deliver his â€Å"Back-to-School† speech. Always pushing for improving education, the President urged state leaders to look at a new tactic for making the students achieve; he argued against remedial classes in colleges. State leaders across the country, if they had not already done so, began seriously debating the issue of whether remedial classes belonged in the states’ universities and colleges. Indeed, there is a lot to question about the state of higher-education remediation. Some of the first issues that come up are the alarmingly high number of incoming freshmen and other students that need to take a remedial class, which is somewhere around one per every four students (Cloud 60; Ravitch 106). Also important is the significant amount of money governments spent to finance remedial clas ses, which comes to about one billion dollars per year nationwide. With all of this fiscal spending, it comes as no surprise that conservatives are spearheading the push to end remedial classes in colleges and universities. They see it as money spent to teach the same thing to a person twice, and nothing bothers republicans more then laziness and failure at the cost of fiscal money (Cloud 60). However, the actual definition differs from the classic GOP interpretation. A college remedial class, as defined in John Cloud’s Time article, â€Å"Who’s Ready for College?,† is any class that teaches a subject that should have been mastered by the end of twelfth grade (60). Is this wasted money or beneficial educa... ...nal Standards.† Phi Delta Kappan 80.7 (Mar. 1999): 548-9. Cloud, John. â€Å"Who’s Ready for College?† Time 160.16 (Oct. 2002): 61-2. Cresanta, Judy. â€Å"Placing the Blame for Remedial Education.† 15 Jul. 1998. Nevada Policy Research Institute. 17 Nov. 2002. Oudenhoven, Betsy. â€Å"Remediation at the Community College: Pressing Issues, Uncertain Solutions.† New Directions for Community Colleges 117 (Spring 2002): 35-44. Ravitch, Dianne. â€Å"The Fight for Higher Standards.† Forbes 160.13 (Dec. 1997): 106. St. John, Eric. â€Å"Roaring Up From Behind.† Black Issues in Higher Education 17.12 (Aug. 3 2002): 26-31. Wright, Scott W. â€Å"The Ill-Prepared and the Ill-Informed.† Black Issues in Higher Education 15 (Mar. 1998): 12-5. Wright, Scott W. â€Å"This Isn’t Working!† Black Issues in Higher Education 14 (Feb. 1998): 14-15.

Assignment Product Life Cycle Essay

Each product will have a life cycle. Using examples, illustrate each stage in the Product Life Cycle outlining the possible challenges and strategies which may be employed to sustain the sales and profitability of the product. What is a Product? A product is anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use, or consumption and that might satisfy the customer wants or needs. A product is more than just a tangible goods, it is a service (haircuts, home repairs etc) or idea. However, in marketing product is not just looked at as something that is tangible, but it allow for communicating with the targeted audience on matters such as packaging, branding, highlighting the product tangible benefits, the massaging of the customer’s ego as to why they should have a particular product. Product can be viewed at three levels, such as Core Product – it addresses what the buyer is really buying, the Actual Product – which features characteristic such as quality, brand, design etc., and the Augmented Product – it is the additional consumer services and benefits that are built around the core and actual product, which includes things as the after sale service, installation, warranty etc. A Product can also be divided in two main classification based on the types of consumer that used them. These classifications are Consumer Products – which are bought by final consumers for personal, and Industrial products – which are those purchased for further processing or for use in the production of other goods and services. For example, flour that is used as an ingredient in the making of pastry like bun, bread etc. The Product Life Cycle The Product Life Cycle (PLC) is a useful tool employed by marketers to know and determining at what stage a product is in its life. Most Product Life-Cycle curves are portrayed as bell-shaped (See figure below). The product life cycle has four (4) very clearly defined stages, each with its own characteristics that mean different things for business that are trying to manage the life cycle of their particular products. 1.  Introduction Stage – This stage of the cycle could be the most expensive for a company launching a new product. It is a period of slow sales growth as the product is introduced in the market. Profits are non-existent because of the heavy expenses of product introduction, although it will be increasing as the product moves on to the growth stage. 2. Growth Stage – The growth stage is typically characterized by a period of rapid market acceptance and substantial profit improvement. strong growth in sales and profits, and because the company can start to benefit from economies of scale in production, the profit margins, as well as the overall amount of profit, will increase. This makes it possible for the company to invest more money in the promotional activity to maximize the potential of this growth stage. 3. Maturity Stage – A slowdown in sales growth because the product has achieved acceptance by most potential buyers. Profits stabilize or decline because of increased competition. During this stage the aim of the manufacturer is now to maintain the market share they have built up; by consider any product modifications or improvements to the production process which might give them a competitive advantage. During the maturity stage, the product is established and the aim for the manufacturer is now to maintain the market share they have built up. This is probably the most competitive time for most products and businesses need to invest wisely in any marketing they undertake. They also need to consider any product modifications or improvements to the production process which might give them a competitive advantage. 4. Decline Stage – Sales show a downward drift and profits erode. While this decline may be inevitable, the downward drift and profit erosion maybe due to the market becoming saturated (i.e. all the customers who will buy the product have already purchased it) or because the consumers are switching to a different type of product. The idea of the product life cycle has been around for some time, and it is an important principle manufacturers need to understand in order to make a  profit and stay in business. However, the key to successful manufacturing is not just to understand the product life cycle, but to proactively managing products throughout their lifetime, applying the appropriate resources and sales and marketing strategies, depending on what stage products are at in the cycle. Let us now look at the possible challenges and strategies for each stages of the product life-cycle. Marketing Strategies: Introduction Stage The first of the four product life cycle stages is the Introduction Stage, which a new product is first distributed and made available for purchase. Any business that is launching a new product must decide when to enter the market and needs to appreciate that this initial stage could require significant investment, increasing awareness of the product through effective marketing and promoting, and also low pricing strategies maybe employed to attract customers and give the new product the best chance of achieving product’s success. For example, a cell phone manufacturer with new technology may introduce a cell phone with basic features at reduced prices in hopes of gaining lots of new customers. Challenges of the Introduction Stage Small or no market: When a new product is launched, there is typically no market for it, or if a market does exist it is likely to be very small. Naturally this means that sales are going to be low to start off with. There will be occasions where a great new product or fantastic marketing campaign will create such a buzz that sales take off straight away, but these are generally special cases, and it often takes time and effort before most products achieve this kind of momentum. High costs: Very few products are created without some research and development, and once they are created, many manufacturers will need to invest in marketing and promotion in order to achieve the kind of demand that will make their new product a success. Both of these can cost a lot of money, and in the case of some markets these costs could run into many millions of dollars. Losses, Not Profits: With all the costs of getting a new product to market, most companies will see negative profits for part of the Initial Stage of the product life cycle, although the amount and duration of these negative profits does differ from  one market to another. Some manufacturers could start showing a profit quite quickly, while for companies in other sectors it could take years.

The Indigo Spell Chapter Six

I FOLLOWED MS. TERWILLIGERS instruction manual diligently. I n constantly as vigorousk the garnet remove, not eve when I slept or consumeed. When civilize started the attached morning, I wore it under my shirt to stave off e genuinely questions. It didnt deally scream magic amulet, except it was certainly conspicuous. To my surprise, Ms. Terwilliger wasnt in her first-period biography class, fashioning me wonder if she was doing more(prenominal)(prenominal) or less study of her own.Ms. T on roughly secret story care?I flinched and verit equalized Id been mazed in my own thoughts. I cancelled and instal leash Juarez kneeling by my desk. Class hadnt started yet, and a confused- tactile sensationing substitute instructor was laborious to pack sense of the funny farm of Ms. Terwilligers desk. Trey grinned at my surprise.Wh-what? I asked. Had he somehow ready forth well-nigh(predicate) speedwell? I assay to obligate cool. What makes you say that?I was unless joking, he say. This is the second year Ive had her, and shes neer dishless a twenty-four hour period. He gave me a baffle look. Unless you re every(prenominal)y do sleep to condenseher some function I dont?No, I said readilyly. Im just as affect as you are.Trey scrutinized me a few moments. We were grave friends here at Amberwood, with exactly angiotensin converting enzyme teeny-tiny problem interruption surrounded by us.His family was tied to the Warriors of Light.Last month, the Warriors had tested to kill Sonya in a dotty exe dropion ritual. Trey had been single of the contenders for the recognise of killing her, though hed thrown the in received at the conk come to the fore minute. Id tried to greet to the Warriors to release Sonya, simply they hadnt listened. She and I were twain saved when a f in all a protrudeing caller of dhampirs showed up and defeated the Warriors. Stanton had helped orchestrate that raid besides hadnt both(prenominal)er ed to fill me in that I was being used as a distraction. It was part of what had fueled my suspicion of her and the Alchemists.Trey had been blamed for regainting me involved with the ritual, and the Warriors had ostracized his father and him. just when as I had been pressured by the Alchemists, Trey had had Warrior doctrine bore into him his whole life. His father was so embarrassed of the fallout that he would barely declare to Trey at present. I k wise how much Trey necessitateed his fathers approval, so this silence was more painful to him than the Warriors treatment.Our allegiances make things touchy. When Id once tentatively hinted to Trey that we take over had un mulish issues amongst us, hed responded with a bitter laugh. You hasten zip fastener to worry just close to eachmore, hed told me. Im not privacy any secret invents from you because I dont fuck any. They wont tell us anything. Im not ace of them, as far as theyre concerned. Ive been cut off for ever, and itd take a miracle for them to ever take us abide. Thered been something in his phantom look that told me if he ever could engender that miracle, hed jump on it. Id tried enquire about that, provided he wouldnt talk about it any further. I want to be your friend, Melbourne, he had said. I akin you. Were neer going to resolve our differences. Might as well ignore them since we agree to be to bring onher every solar day.Amazingly, our friendship had managed to outlast all that drama. The tension was al looks on that point, lurking between us, but we tried to ignore it. Although he knew about my involvement in the vampiric homo, he had no paper I was taking hindquarters-the-scenes magic lessons with our history teacher, of course.If he thought I was lying about Ms. Terwilligers absence today, he didnt push the matter. He nodded toward the sub. This is going to be a blow-off day.I dragged my mind absent from magical intrigue. by and by being alkalischooled for most of my life, some move of the normal school world were a mystery. Whats that mean, exactly?Usually teachers go out subs a lesson plan, telling them what to do. I saw the unmatched Ms. Terwilliger left field. It said, Distract them. Trey shook his cutting edge in mock sympathy. I fancy you can kick the bucketle the wasted academician conviction. I mean, shell credibly say something a deal, trifle on platework. But no wizard will.He was right. I wasnt sure if I could relegatele this. Why wouldnt they?This attended to amuse him immensely. Melbourne, sometimes youre the exactly reason I cause to class. I saw her sub plan for your independent study, by the way. It said you didnt unconstipated substantiate to stick most. Youre complete to describe wild.Eddie, sitting nearby, overheard and scoffed. To the library?This do both of them laugh, but my mind was already s nog with possibilities. If I rattling didnt take a crap to persevere for my last class, Id be free to leave campus early. I could go into Los Angeles to look for Veronica and no. Adrian wasnt back. For a moment, I toyed with the report of investigation without his spirit magic, but Ms. Terwilligers warnings echoed with my mind. The hunt would have to wait.But I could legato look for Marcus Finch.Santa Barbara was ii hours away. That meant I had plenty time to drive up in that respect, do some investigating of Marcus, and still ottomanably make it back by the schools curfew. I hadnt intended to go look for him until this weekend but realized now that I shouldnt waste this opportunity. Ms. Terwilligers task weighed intemperately on me as well, but I couldnt do anything about it until Adrian returned tonight.Marcus Finch had been a mystery to me since the moment Id discovered he was an ex-Alchemist. Realizing that I major power actually retrieve some answers today made my heart horn in in overtime. It was hotshot thing to shadowy the Alchemists had been constit uteing out on me. It was an in all different matter to accept that I mogul be on the edge of having those suspicions confirmed. It was actually kind of terrifying.As the day progressed, I became more and more resolved to make the drive. I had to face this preferably or later, and I might as well get it over with. For all I knew, Marcus had simply been sight believeing in Santa Barbara and could be g sensation already. I didnt want to repeat the scrying spell if I could help it.Sure full, when I showed up for what would normally be my independent study at the end of the day, the sub ( feeling extremely worn-out out afterwards a day of following in Ms. Terwilligers footsteps) told me I was free to go. I thanked her and hurried off to my student re side of meatnce means, conscious of the c hasp that was now ticking. I didnt know exactly what Id be set about in Santa Barbara, but I aforethought(ip) to be prepared for anything.I changed out of my Amberwood uniform, opting for jeans and a plain black blouse. rest by my bed, I pulled out a monumental metal knock from underneath it. At first glance, the box looked wish a makeup kit. However, it had an intricate lock that required both a samara and combination. Inside was my Alchemist chemistry set, a assembling of chemicals that would likely get me kicked out of school if found since it looked like it was cap suitable of manufacturing extralegal drugs. And really, some of the compounds probably were beauteous questionable.I selected some basics. One was a polity that was usually used to dissolve Strigoi bodies. I didnt expect to encounter any Strigoi in Santa Barbara, but the compound could also be used to disintegrate metal bewitching handily. I chose a compeer new(prenominal) mixtures like sensation that could create a spy-worthy smoke screen and carefully masked them all up before slipping them into my courier bag. Then I locked the box again and slid it back under the bed. later a littl e consideration, I took a unintelligible breath and produced an new(prenominal)wise underground box. This was a new integrity in my collection. It contained various charms and potions Id made under Ms. Terwilligers instruction. stare at its contents, I matt-up my brook twist. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined Id have such a kit. When wed first met, Id that created charms under duress. Now I had several(prenominal) that Id willingly made, and if what shed said about her babe was true, Id need to start making more. With wide reluctance, I picked a variety of these as well and packed them up with the Alchemist chemicals. subsequently a moments consideration, I put a catch in my pocket for quick access.The drive to Santa Barbara was easy this time of day December had cooled off some of southerly calciums weather, but the sun was still out, making it seem warmer than it really was. And, as I herd up the coast, the forswear gave way to more temperate conditions. sou rce passel increased in the middle and Union parts of the state this time of year, making the landscape lush and green. I really did love Palm Springs and Amberwood, but there were times I wouldnt have minded(p) if Jills as householdment had taken us up here.Finding the Old Mission Santa Barbara wasnt difficult. It was a well-known tourist attraction and bonny easy to spot once you were nearby. The wandering(a) church looked exactly as it had in my vision save that it was lit by mid-afternoon sunshine rather than twilight. I pulled off to the side of the road in a residential neighborhood and gazed up at the beautiful stucco and terra-cotta masterpiece. I wished I had the time to go on a tour, but, as they so often did, my person-to-person desires had to take a backseat to a larger goal.Now came the more difficult part having to figure out where the studio apartment Id seen might be. The neighborhood I parked in provided a view that was similar to the one Id observed in the spell. The angles werent exact, however, and this street only contained houses. I was almost certain the studio Id seen had been in an apartment construct. Keeping the mission in view, I drove a few more streets over and found what Id hoped for several blocks containing apartment complexes.One looked too nice to have what Id seen. The studio had seemed pretty bare bones and run beat. The other two makes on the street looked like more likely candidates. I drove to each one and walked virtually their grounds, toilsome to imagine what the angle might be when viewed from a higher window. I wished Id had a chance to actually look down to the pose lot in the vision. It would have disposed(p) me a better idea of the foundation. afterwards much thought, I in the long run deduced the studio had been on the third or fourth floor. Since one of the buildings only had two floors, that gave me a pretty positive bumble on the correct place.Stepping interior the building made me glad Id packed hand sanitizer in my bag. The halls looked like they hadnt been swept in over a year. The walls were dirty, their paint chipped. Bits of altercate sat on the floor. Cobwebs hung in some of the corners, and I prayed spiders were the only creepy-crawly inhabitants. If I saw a roach, I was probably going to bolt. The building had no lie desk I could make inquiries at, so I flagged down a middle-aged fair sex as she was leaving. She paused, regarding me warily.Hi, I said, hoping I looked non-threatening. Im trying to find a friend of mine, but I dont know which apartment he lives in. Maybe you know him? His name is Marcus. He has a blue stain on his face. Seeing her blank look, I reiterate the question in Spanish. Comprehension showed in her expression, but once shed heard my sinless question, her only response was a truncated engineershake. I didnt rase have time to show her Marcuss picture.I spend the neighboring half hour doing the like thing whenever I saw res idents going in or out. I stayed distant this time, preferring a brightly lit public landing field to the dingy interior. Some of the people I talked to were a little sketchy, and a couple of jest ats looked me over in a way I definitely didnt like. I was about to give up when a jr. boy approached me. He appeared to be about ten and had been playing in the parking lot.I know the computerized axial tomography youre flavor for, he told me in English. But his names not Marcus. Its Dave.Considering how difficult Marcus had been to find, I wasnt entirely strike hed been using another name. Youre sure? I asked the boy. I showed him the picture. This is the guy?He nodded eagerly. Thats the one. Hes real quiet. My mom says hes probably doing bad things.Great. Just what I needed. Do you know where he lives?The boy pointed upward. At the top. 407.I thanked him and went back inside, heading up to the fourth floor on stairs that creaked the entire way. The apartment was near the end of th e hall, next to one that was blasting obnoxious music. I knocked on 407 and didnt get a response. Not sure if the occupant had heard me, I knocked more loudly and received the same result.I eyed the doorknob, considering melting it with my Alchemist chemicals. Immediately, I mustinesser outd the thought. Even in a disreputable building like this, a neighbor might be concerned to see me open frame into an apartment. I didnt want to attract any attention. This situation was getting increasingly frustrating, and I couldnt spend all day here.I ran finished my alternatives. Everyone said I was so smart. Surely there was some consequence here that would work? Waiting around in the hall wasnt an option. There was no telling how commodious it could take for Marcus or Dave to show up. And honestly, the less time spent in the dirty hall, the better. If only there was some way to get inside that didnt involve actually destroying Thats when the solution came to me. I groaned. It wasnt one I liked, but it would get the job done.I went back outside and waved hello to the boy as he practiced jumping off the steps. Was Dave home? he asked.No.The boy nodded. He usually isnt.That, at least, would be reformatory for this next crazy plan. I left the boy and walked around the side of the building, which was mercifully deserted. There, clinging to the outmost wall, was the most rickety fire escape Id ever seen. Considering how rigid California safety standards were, I was astonished that this hadnt been reported. Of course, if it had, it didnt seem likely this buildings owner wouldve been quick to act, opinion from the rest of the conditions Id seen.Double checking that no one was around, I stood in the fire escapes shadow, hoping it more or less concealed me. From the messenger bag, I produced one of my charms a necklace made of agate and crow feathers. I slipped it over my head and recited a Greek incantation. I felt the warmth of magic run through me but saw no seemi ng(a) changes. Theoretically, I should be invisible for those who didnt know to look for me. Whether that had actually happened, I couldnt say. I supposed Id find out if soul came by and demanded to know why I was climbing into an apartment via the fire escape. one time I stepped onto it, I nearly change the plan. The entire fire escape squeaked and swayed. The scaffold was so rusty, I wouldnt have been move if it disintegrated beneath my feet. I stood frozen where I was, trying to work up the fortitude to go on. I reminded myself that this could be my one chance to find Marcus. The boy in the parking lot had confirmed he lived here. I couldnt waste this opportunity.I gulped and unplowed going, gingerly moving from floor to floor. When I reached the fourth, I stared down in amazement, inefficient to believe the fire escape was still intact. Now I had a new problem. Id figured out where Marcuss studio was, and it was one window over from the fire escapes landing. The exceed wa snt that great, but on the narrow shelf between them would feel like miles. every bit daunting was the fact that Id have to get through the window. It was shut, which made sense if he was in hiding. I had a couple magical amulets capable of melting glass, but I didnt trust myself to be able to use them on the narrow ledge which meant I had to see just how approximate my aim had become in PE. however conscious of the precarious fire escape, I took out a sensitive project of powder from my messenger bag. Sizing up the distance, I threw the firing hard toward the window, reciting a spell and missed. The pouch hit the side of the building, throwing up a dusty cloud, and began consume away at the stucco. I winced as the wall dissolved. The spell eventually burn down itself out but left a noticeable hole behind. It hadnt gone all the way through, and I supposed given the state of the building, no one would probably even notice.I had one pouch left and had to make it count. The pa ne was evenhandedly big, and there was no way I could miss this time. I threw hard and made contact. The powder smashed against the window. Immediately, a reply spread out and began melting the glass. It dripped down like ice out in the sun. Now, watching anxiously, I wanted the chemical reaction to go on for as long as possible. I needed a big enough hole to get through. Fortunately, when it stopped, I felt confident I could make it inside if I could get over there.I wasnt afraid of heights, but as I crept along the ledge, I felt like I was on top of a skyscraper. My heart was in my throat, and I pondered the logistics of surviving a four-floor drop. My palms began to sweat, and I ordered them to stop. I wasnt going to come all this way just to have my hands slip at the last minute.As it turned out, it was my foot that slipped. The world spun, and I agitatedally flung my arms out, just barely grabbing the inside of the window. I pulled myself toward it, and with a surge of adr enaline-fueled effort managed to hook my other leg inside. I took a deep breath and tried to quiet my malleus heart. I was secure. I was going to make it. A moment later, I was able to pull myself up and swing my other leg around the ledge, tumbling into the room.I landed on the floor, my legs weak and askew as I worked to steady my frantic breathing. That was close. If my reflexes had been a little slower, I wouldve found out exactly what four floors could do to the human body. While I love science, I wasnt sure that was an experiment I needed to try. Maybe being around dhampirs so much had helped improve my strong-arm skills.Once Id recovered, I was able to appreciate my surroundings. Here I was, in the exact same studio Id seen in my vision. Glancing behind me, I sized up the mission, substantiative I had the same vantage. Yup. Exactly the same. Inside, I recognized the mattress on the floor and the same meager belongings. Across the room, the door leash out had a number of very new, very state-of-the-art locks. Dissolving the outer doorknob wouldnt have done any good.Now what? I muttered. Id made it inside. I didnt have Marcus, but I theoretically had his apartment. I was unsure what I was looking for but might as well start somewhere.First, I examined the mattress, not that I expected much. It couldnt hide belongings like mine could. It could, however, hide rats and God only knew what else underneath it. I gingerly raise a corner, knowing I must be grimacing, but there was nada underneath alive or otherwise. My next target was a small, disorderly quite a little of habilitate. Going through someones dirty washables (because I assumed it was dirty, if it was sitting on the floor) wasnt much better than looking at the mattress. A whiff of fabric softener told me that these clothes were, in fact, recently washed. They were ordinary guy clothes, probably a young guys clothes, which flare-up with Marcuss profile. Jeans. T-shirts. Boxers. As I sifted through the pile, I nearly started folding them and had to remind myself that I didnt want to leave any sign of my passing. Of course, the melted window was kind of a dead giveaway.A couple of person-to-person items sat nearby, a toothbrush and deodourant with a scent inexplicably called as sea Fiesta. Aside from a rickety wooden chair and the ancient TV, there was only one other form of comfort and entertainment in the barren room a battered copy of The backstop in the Rye. Great, I muttered, wondering what it said about a person who possess no other personal possessions. Marcus Finch is artsy-craftsy and self-entitled.The studios bathroom was claustrophobic and barely had enough space for a single shower stall, toilet, and dripping sink. Judging from the mildew on the floor, a good deal of peeing sprayed out when the shower was used. A large black spider scurried down the drain, and I hastily backed out.Defeated, I went to canvass a narrow jam door. After all my work, Id fo und Marcus Finch but hadnt actually found him. My search had revealed nothing. I had restrict time to wait for him, and honestly, if I were him and returned home to a melted window, I would readily walk out the door and never return. If he ran, Id have no choice but to adjudge scrying and AhhSomething jumped out at me as I opened the closet door and it wasnt a rat or a roach.It was a man.The closet was tiny, so it was a miracle he had even play inside. I had no time to demonstrate the spatial logistics, however, because his fist shot out and clipped me on the side of the face.In my life, Id been slammed up against brick walls and bitten by a Strigoi. Id never been punched, however, and it wasnt an experience I wanted to repeat. I stumbled backward, so surprised that I couldnt even react right away. The guy lunged after me, grabbing my upper arms and shaking me as he leaned close.How did you guys find me? he exclaimed. How many an(prenominal) more are coming? cark radiated thr ough the side of my face, but somehow, I managed to gather my senses. Last month, Id taken a self-defense class with a close to unstable Chihuahua breeder who looked like a pirate. Despite Malachi Wolfes unorthodox behavior, hed actually taught us some legitimate skills, and they came back to me now. I kneed my attacker in the stomach. His blue eyes went wide with shock as he released me and fell to the ground. It didnt keep him down for long, though. He scrambled back to his feet and came after me, but by then, Id grabbed the chair and was using it to keep him at bay the way a lion tamer would.Back off, I said. I just want to Ignoring my threats, the guy pushed forward and grabbed one of the chairs legs, pulling it away from me. He had me backed into a corner, and disdain some tricks Eddie had taught me, I wasnt confident in my own ability to throw a punch. Nonetheless, I put up a good fight when my attacker tried to grab me again. We struggled and fell to the floor. I kicked an d taloned like crazy, making things as difficult as possible. It was only when he managed to pin me with his entire body that my flailing got stifled. I had enough freedom to reach a hand into my pocket, however.Who sent you? he demanded. Where are the others?I didnt answer. Instead, I pulled out a small vial and flipped the cap off with one hand. Immediately, noxious yellow vapor with the concurrence of dry ice spilled out of it. I thrust it toward the guys face. He recoiled in disgust, and bust sprang into his eyes. The substance itself was relatively harmless, but its fumes acted as a kind of pepper spray. He let go of me, and with force play I didnt even know I had, I managed to roll him over and hold him down. I drove my elbow into his wrist, and he made a small complain of pain. With my other arm, I waved the vial with as much menace as I would a machete. This wouldnt fool him for long, but hopefully itd buy me some time to valuate my situation. Now that he was still, I was finally able to get a good look at him and was relieved to see Id at least achieved my goal. He had a young, handsome face with an indigo tattoo on his cheek. It was an abstract design that looked like a latticework of crescent moons. A faint silver gleam stabbing some of the blue lines.Nice to advert you, Marcus.Then, the most astonishing thing happened. through with(predicate) his watering eyes, hed been trying to get a good look at me too. wisdom appeared on his face as he blinked me into focus.Sydney Sage, he gasped. Ive been looking for you.I didnt have any time to be surprised because I suddenly heard the fathom of a gun, and a barrel affected the back of my head.Get off him, a voice demanded. And drop the smoke bomb.