Essay on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - 1075 Words

Cognitive behavioural therapy has been proven to be effective in the treatment of child and adolescent depression (Lewinsohn Clarke, 1999; Harrington et al, 1998, March et al, 2004). There is general agreement in the clinical literature that the techniques of cognitive behavioural approaches to therapy are likely to be effective in treating depression (Brewin, 1996; Beech, 2000). In the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic Statistical Manual (APA, 2000) the symptoms of depression are: loss of interest or enjoyment in activities; changing in weight and appetite; changes to sleep pattern; loss of energy; feeling worthless or guilty; suicidal thoughts; poor concentration and being either agitated or slowed up. The†¦show more content†¦Two of these will be described in detail. Behavioural strategy consists of two parts: activity scheduling and graded task assignment. Activity scheduling in CBT for depression is one of the core therapeutic methods. (Beck et al., 1979). The Weekly Activity Schedule (WAS) is an essential tool for activity scheduling. Basically it is a simple timetable with the slot for every hour of every day. The first step in activity scheduling is as a self-monitoring tool starting to use WAS, then the therapist can gather the information about the patient’s activity. The next step would be according to a completed WAS making a plan for the future activity of patient. On the other hand, there is a Graded task assignment as well, which is the best general principle in planning activity. It aims to build up an activity step by step rather than jumping from no activity to being busy all the day at once. Because of depressed patient oversensitivity the therapist have to make sure to make a target which is not going to be a failure for t he patient as it may cause a hopelessness again. The common problems in activity scheduling are: lake of pleasure, excessive standards and vague planning. Which the therapist should pay attention to avoid them. Early cognitive strategies: The goals of these strategies are trying to change the patient’s attitude and behaviour toward NegativeShow MoreRelatedBehavioral Therapies : Cognitive Behavioral Therapy1752 Words   |  8 PagesFrom the lens of a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, an integrated mix of both cognitive and behavioral approaches is best suited the treatment of clients. All the approaches under Cognitive Behavioral Therapy require several different attributes. Some of them being; the need for a positive working relationship between client and therapist, the belief that distress is a cognitive process, treatment is a focus in changing cognitions to create positive change in mood or behavior. Changing irrationalRead MoreBehavioral Therapy And Cognitive Therapy869 Words   |  4 Pagespaper, I will compare and contrast Group Therapy and Cognitive therapy, more specifically, dialectical behavioral therapy, and the differences between assessment types that clinicians use to determine a diagnosis and therapy that would best benefit their client. In the second part of my paper, I will discuss and address different considerations in which a therapist should make in order to provide a safe and effectively therapeutic environment. Though therapy is a largely utilized form of mental healthRead MoreCognitive Behavioral Therapy2168 Words   |  9 PagesBackground Developed in the mid 1960s by Aaron Beck, the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) model theorizes that the interpretation of both external and internal events is biased, and can tap unhealthy underlying beliefs that potentially lead to emotional distress (Beck, 2005). Over the years CBT has accumulated an impressive track record in the treatment of a variety of mood disorders. In 1985, a review of 220 studies using CBT in the treatment of depression concluded that 91% supported the modelRead MoreCognitive Psychology : Cognitive Behavioral Therapy1447 Words   |  6 PagesCognitive Behavioral Therapy Djiedjorm Doe (Dede) Middlesex Community College Cognitive behavioral therapy, commonly known as CBT, is a systematic process by which we learn to change our negative thought into more positive ones. CBT is a combination of two types of therapy, cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy. cognition is our thought, so cognitive behavioral therapy combines working with our thought process and changing our behavior at the same time. Cognitive behavioral therapistsRead MoreCognitive Psychology : Cognitive Behavioral Therapy1502 Words   |  7 PagesCognitive Behavioral Therapy, in its most modern form, was developed in 1960 by Aaron T. Beck. However, CBT has an interesting history dating back to the 1920s in the United States and even earlier in other parts of the world. â€Å"Precursors of certain fundamental aspects of CBT have been identified in various ancient philosophical traditions, particularly Stoicism. Stoic philosophers, particularly Epictetus, believed logic could be used to identify and discard false beliefs that lead to destructiveRead MoreCognitive Behavioral Therapy And Narrative Therapy1706 Words   |  7 Pagesgoing on in his every day life. The two that we have chosen are Cognitive-behavioral therapy and Narrative therapy. We will look into both of these and also as we do that we will find out what the role of the social worker is in both cases. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can help you notice the discouraging thoughts that make you feel bad. These thoughts are sometimes called irrational or automatic thoughts. Using Cognitive-behavioral therapy you can learn to stop these thoughts and replace them with helpfulRead MoreCognitive Behavioral Therapy And Narrative Therapy1706 Words   |  7 Pagesgoing on in his every day life. The two that we have chosen are Cognitive-behavioral therapy and Narrative therapy. We will look into both of these and also as we do that we will find out what the role of the social worker is in both cases. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can help you notice the discouraging thoughts that make you feel bad. These thoughts are sometimes called irrational or automatic thoughts. Using Cognitive-behavioral therapy you can learn to stop these thoughts and replace them with helpfulRead MoreCognitive Behavioral And Behavioral Family Therapy2903 Words   |  12 Pages Week 11 Assignment: Signature Assignment: Cognitive Behavioral Family Therapy Rayon L. Walton Nortcentral University One of the most effective components of MFT is Cognitive Behavioral Family Therapy (CBFT). CBFT incorporates cognitive processes that affect behavior and applies it to the therapeutic process of clients. The foundational principles of CBFT stem from behavioral concepts that were impacted by issues that affected clients such as phobias, anxiety and parenting deficiencies;Read MoreCognitive Therapies And Behavioral Therapy982 Words   |  4 PagesCognitive behavioral therapy, on the contrary, utilizes directive consulting tools to control and guide its patients. These include such things as asking questions, interpreting, and providing direction to a client’s attention and emotions. â€Å"Aaron Beck developed cognitive therapy, an approach that focuses on recognizing and changing negative thoughts and maladaptive beliefs into more realistic and constructive thoughts and beliefs† (Erford, 2014). It is believed that cognitive behavioral therapyRead MoreCognitive Psycholo gy : Cognitive Behavioral Therapy1700 Words   |  7 PagesCognitive Behavioral Therapy Cognitive behavioral therapy is a school of psychotherapy that intends to assist individuals with conquering their emotional issues. A focal idea in CBT is that you feel the way you think. Therefore, CBT focuses on the fact that you can live all the more cheerfully and effectively in you begin thinking with a better mindset. CBT urges you to comprehend that you re thought process or beliefs lie between the occasion and your definitive sentiments and activities. The

The Mean Girls Effect Free Essays

The Mean Girls EffectDavid Jin Mean Girls is a 2004 film about the life of a popular high school girl. The teen comedy is considered by many high schoolers to be a legendary movie that depicts a dream high school that is ideal for many of today’s youth. The film centers around 4 junior girls called the plastics. We will write a custom essay sample on The Mean Girls Effect or any similar topic only for you Order Now They are pretty and preppy, popular and legendary in the school. They are worshipped like goddess by the students of the school because of their fame, riches, and popularity. However, the group of mean girls live up to their name. They are nasty, trashy and downright evil at times. Revenge is their middle name, and they will not hesitate to throw some of their best friends under the bus at a seconds notice, literally throw them under a bus. They gossip, spread terrible rumors and exclude their friends from cliques on purpose. However, this movie has had a big effect on the public, especially the youth and the younger generation. The ideal life of the plastics in high school has created a lust for popularity among teenagers and also has showed teenage girls that being ‘mean’ will get you friends, popularity and fame in the complicated world that is high school. To begin with, Mean Girls has caused teenagers in high school to embark on a quest for popularity, in some cases, an unhealthy quest. Studies show that the depictions of popularity by movies like Mean Girls, where an epitome of perfection is established, cause teenagers to strive for that image. Mean Girls and other similar movies are causing an unhealthy strive for popularity in teenagers. A study shows that after watching mean girls, females 14-16 are more likely to have thoughts of insecurity about their weight, attractiveness and popularity. High schools have also reported increased numbers of cases of eating disorders since the movie has come out, a direct result of the image and message that the movie conveys to the teenagers and high school students watching. In addition, Mean Girls and other movies have glorified being ‘mean’ and nasty which has created a negative image for the teenagers of our time. A society fed by these kinds of movies is teaching teenagers that being aggressive and nasty can boost their social status and also, as depicted by these movies, is the cool and popular thing to do. The movie also commends popular cliques and ‘fakeness’ and sends a message that popularity is everything, and that girls must strive for it always. In regards to Mean Girls and its effect on the younger generation, it has caused a glorification of being trashy and nasty, as made teenage girls insecure about themselves and has also conveyed the message of ‘popularity at all costs’, even if you have no real friends. Mean Girls and other similar movies have become legendary in high schools and have promoted negative images to teenagers everywhere. â€Å"I knew how this could be solved in the real world, but th is was girl world. All the fighting had to be sneaky and nasty. † As shown, the movie (although a really good movie) passes on a bad image to teenagers everywhere and has caused many problems in our society. How to cite The Mean Girls Effect, Essay examples

Coping with Procrastination free essay sample

â€Å"Coping with Procrastination† by Moore, Baker and Packer are suggesting that we must reexamine the reasons of procrastinating in order to stop doing it. You must trust yourself and think that everything is going to be ok; thinking in failure will lead you to procrastinate. A nice way to change this is acting like an athlete, which prefers to prepare themselves surpassing their own â€Å"performance†. Also when you lose your motivation you’ll procrastinate, so you better think about you want and examine again. Pushing yourself exaggeratedly will take you to a burnout and you will end procrastinating, so you better have more than one goal, to evade the burnout. And then you might procrastinate just because you don’t know what to do and the only thing that will evade procrastinating is looking for help. An idea I like to discuss is the burnout idea, because I think it clashes with the idea of surpassing yourself. When you try to surpass yourself you must push yourself to the limits, but this could lead you to a burnout and can cause procrastination to. So by saying burnout we can assume that the authors meant to say that you have to relax sometimes and while rethink all of your strategies. And about surpassing yourself is like you always have to think that you’re doing a good job but you can do it better, without burnout just by examining all what you are and what you want to be. Is a little confusing but it’s understandable. In my personal experience, I have done everything said by the authors that cause procrastination. I have procrastinated for all the reasons explained above. In school when there was an oral presentation or an acting scene. Also I have tried to surpass myself every time I can and that had taken me into a burnout for being obsessed with super achievement. I had even lost all my motivation sometimes, even when we speak of homework, just because I always try my best but when I gave it to the professor it’s like it wasn’t what he or she wanted me to do and that frustrates me. Sometimes I know that I need help but I just don’t want it because I want to do it myself, I want to learn and this is like trying to surpass yourself, but it also takes you to procrastinate. So it’s not so easy to stop procrastinating because the solution of one of your problems might take to another problem. We can say that this article meaning is a bit contradictory. But it can help a lot of people too. Plenty of this information you can gain it in your live just by sitting down and thinking about the past. I have seen that a lot of things that made me procrastinate were easy to repair but you don’t know until you don’t get the experience.

The Next Millennium Of Graphic Design Essay Example For Students

The Next Millennium Of Graphic Design Essay A career in graphic design is perfect for a creative individual who has a sense of design. A graphic designer is one who creates ideas that are expressed in words and/or pictures, and generally solves problems of visual communication, says Paul Rand, a professional designer 23. Employment in this profession is projected to increase 29% by the year 2006, which is the highest of any career according to a study done by the American Institute of the Graphic Arts 3. A graphic designer may work in a variety of places including a large firm or corporation, a specific design agency, a magazine or newspaper, or even in his own home as a freelance designer. There are few specific requirements needed to be involved in graphic design. However, there are similar traits and qualities that most designers generally possess, including training, knowledge of specific elements, using criticism positively, and a keen eye for color and balance. The cost of being a graphic designer must also be factored in. We will write a custom essay on The Next Millennium Of Graphic Design specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Graphic design is a career that offers a creative outlet but can be quite stressful, which is why designers must be cooperative and work well with others. A dexterous designer knows how to use criticism positively. Oftentimes criticism is what makes a piece of art better. Depending on the project, job duties may include designing and preparing layouts, sketching out ideas, arranging the materials needed, or putting together the final image. Since there may be different requirements for each client, a graphic designer on average should have the ability to be spontaneous and creative and work well under pressure and stressful in situations. DO NOT be a designer if you stress out easily! says Steve Jones interview. In many cases a designer has deadlines which may not be negotiated with his clients, and therefore he must work productively. There is also the downside of creating an image that is not accepted by the client; the designer must then discuss what is wrong with it and perhaps start over. Any job becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right, or doing it better. Borenstein Certain clients leave the project completely open-ended and up to the designer, while others have a specific idea in mind. It is important for the designer to remember that he is creating a piece of work for someone elses liking, and it may not be exactly what he would do on his own time. Most clients, however, choose their designers by looking at their portfolios or recognizing other pieces they have created. A client usually hires someone with a style he prefers. Other qualities that a designer must have include the ability to make original designs, knowledge of composition, and attention to detail. Social skills play a major role in the profession. While creating a design may be done independently, the final piece is usually presented by the designer to someone else. It is not likely that advanced math will be used, but basic skills such as adding and subtracting quickly and accurately are necessary. There is also not a lot of physical activity essential to the artist. At the end of a project, your brain will feel like it just ran a marathon. Anderson The amount of time it takes to create a piece of graphic art depends on the individual. If he is given a deadline, for instance, the designer will use his time wisely and efficiently to finish the project. A designer often works from his home, which allows them to choose their own hours. An experienced artist is aware of their personal style of creating and finishing a project. Some work well in an office setting, while others work more efficiently at night when it is quiet. Due to the variations in styles and individuals, a graphic designer generally spends around 25-50 hours a week working on projects. Preparing to be a professional graphic designer can vary depending on how much experience is desired by the individual. On average, the minimum amount of education is between two and four years of training in either fine art or design. .uda53f6a3b8823f33bbe7b92687f9d056 , .uda53f6a3b8823f33bbe7b92687f9d056 .postImageUrl , .uda53f6a3b8823f33bbe7b92687f9d056 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uda53f6a3b8823f33bbe7b92687f9d056 , .uda53f6a3b8823f33bbe7b92687f9d056:hover , .uda53f6a3b8823f33bbe7b92687f9d056:visited , .uda53f6a3b8823f33bbe7b92687f9d056:active { border:0!important; } .uda53f6a3b8823f33bbe7b92687f9d056 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uda53f6a3b8823f33bbe7b92687f9d056 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uda53f6a3b8823f33bbe7b92687f9d056:active , .uda53f6a3b8823f33bbe7b92687f9d056:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uda53f6a3b8823f33bbe7b92687f9d056 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uda53f6a3b8823f33bbe7b92687f9d056 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uda53f6a3b8823f33bbe7b92687f9d056 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uda53f6a3b8823f33bbe7b92687f9d056 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uda53f6a3b8823f33bbe7b92687f9d056:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uda53f6a3b8823f33bbe7b92687f9d056 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uda53f6a3b8823f33bbe7b92687f9d056 .uda53f6a3b8823f33bbe7b92687f9d056-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uda53f6a3b8823f33bbe7b92687f9d056:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Technology In Photography And Design EssayMany choose to attend a general university to start with and often transfer to a specific art or design school. High school students are not expected to take classes specifically in graphic design, but advanced art classes will help them in the future. A basic four-year high school curriculum English, math, science, and history is all that is expected to have been taken by a high school student; however, college preparatory classes are beneficial. Since the demand for designers is quickly increasing, finding a job after advanced training is quite simple. Employers will look for those with a strong background, experience, and a large portfolio. A designer may have a natural ability to create an extraordinary piece of design; in this case a lot of training is not necessary. For this reason, students who wish to find work as soon as possible should look into attending an art school after they graduate from high school. Graphic design requires one to have knowledge and experience in working with images and type. Typography is the term used to describe the use of words and type to convey a message Perfect. One who has an intelligent sense of design is familiar with how to incorporate color with type and image to create an emphasis where needed. It is important to be able to catch on to things quickly. A strong vocabulary will be to the designers advantage, because oftentimes words are used as the main focus; any misspellings would not be the clients fault. When looking at advertisements in magazines, for example, the ones that catch the eye have a good balance of image and type; there is not too much of one or the other. Computers are quickly becoming the most popular tool for combining image and type. The materials needed in graphic design can be quite expensive, but the final product will be worth it. As any artist knows, the cost of supplies adds up fast. The images can either be taken from a photograph, a sketch, a painting, or any other type of art. There is also the need for access to a computer, scanner, and printer. Computer programs that are specifically designed for the graphic arts can be quite costly, such as Photoshop about $600. In order to produce a nice piece of work, these materials are necessary. Other computer programs include Quark, Adobe Illustrator, and Corel Draw. In order to be a leading designer in the future, individuals in the profession must have the ability to come up with original and unique ideas. One who enjoys preparing layouts for school projects or arranging art into a final composition would excel in the graphic design field. Not anyone can be a graphic designer; only those who accept responsibility and have a natural ability in design will enjoy this career. Modern-day designers will be the leaders of the next millennium and will produce the designs that will be seen for years to come. The opportunities as a graphic artist are endless.

How to Read and Write Byte Streams in Java

How to Read and Write Byte Streams in Java Reading and writing binary streams is one of the most common I/O tasks a Java application can perform. It can be performed by looking at each individual byte in a stream or by using a more structured buffered approach. Note: This article looks at reading binary data from a example.jpg file. If you try this code then simply replace the name of the example.jpg with the path and name of a jpeg file on your computer. Byte by Byte The java.ioclass was the first Java api to provide Input/Output functionality. It has two methods that can be used to input and output byte streams (blocks of 8 bits) from and to a file. These classes are the FileInputStream and FileOutputStream. These methods provide a basic method of I/O by allowing a file to be input or output one byte at a time.  In practice its better to use a buffered method for binary streams but its good to look at the most basic building block of the Java I/O functionality. Notice how we place the I/O handling inside a try, catch, finallyblock- this is to make sure we handle IO exceptions and to properly close the streams. The catch block will show any I/O exceptions that occur and print a message for the user. In the finally block its important to close the streams explicitly by calling the close method otherwise they will remain open and a waste of resources. There is a check to see if the FileInputStreamand FileOutputStreamare null before attempting to close. This is because an I/O error could occur before the streams are initialized. For example, if the file name is incorrect the stream will not be opened properly.In the tryblock we can add code to read in the bytes:The readmethod reads in one byte from the FileInputStreamand the write method writes one byte to the FileOutputStream. When the end of the file is reached and there are no more bytes to input the value of -1 is returned. Now that Java 7 has been released you can see the benefit of one of its new features- the try with resources block. This means that if we identify the streams to the try block at the beginning it will handle closing the stream for us. This eliminates the need for the finally block in the previous example: The full Java code listings for the two versions of the byte reading program can be found in Binary Stream Example Code.

Briggs-Rauscher Oscillating Color Change Reaction

Briggs-Rauscher Oscillating Color Change Reaction The Briggs-Rauscher reaction, also known as the oscillating clock, is one of the most common demonstrations of a chemical oscillator reaction. The reaction begins when three colorless solutions are mixed together. The color of the resulting mixture will oscillate between clear, amber, and deep blue for about 3-5 minutes. The solution ends up as a blue-black mixture. Solution A Add 43 g potassium iodate (KIO3) to ~800 mL distilled water. Stir in 4.5 mL sulfuric acid (H2SO4). Continue stirring until the potassium iodate is dissolved. Dilute to 1 L. Solution B Add 15.6 g malonic acid (HOOCCH2COOH) and 3.4 g manganese sulfate monohydrate (MnSO4 . H2O) to ~800 mL distilled water. Add 4 g of vitex starch. Stir until dissolved. Dilute to 1 L. Solution C Dilute 400 mL of 30% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to 1 L. Materials 300 mL of each solution1 L beakerstirring platemagnetic stir bar Procedure Place the stirring bar into the large beaker.Pour 300 mL each of solutions A and B into the beaker.Turn on the stirring plate. Adjust the speed to produce a large vortex.Add 300 mL of solution C into the beaker. Be sure to add solution C after mixing solutions A B or else the demonstration will not work. Enjoy! Notes This demonstration evolves iodine. Wear safety goggles and gloves and perform the demonstration in a well-ventilated room, preferably under a ventilation hood. Use care when preparing the solutions, as the chemicals include strong irritants and oxidizing agents. Clean Up Neutralize the iodine by reducing it to iodide. Add ~10 g sodium thiosulfate to the mixture. Stir until the mixture becomes colorless. The reaction between iodine and thiosulfate is exothermic and the mixture may be hot. Once cool, the neutralized mixture may be washed down the drain with water. The Briggs-Rauscher Reaction IO3- 2 H2O2 CH2(CO2H)2 H ICH(CO2H)2 2 O2 3 H2O This reaction can be broken into two component reactions: IO3- 2 H2O2 H HOI 2 O2 2 H2O This reaction can occur by a radical process which is turned on when I- concentration is low, or by a nonradical process when the I- concentration is high. Both processes reduce iodate to hypoiodous acid. The radical process forms hypoiodous acid at a much faster rate than the nonradical process. The HOI product of the first component reaction is a reactant in the second component reaction: HOI CH2(CO2H)2 ICH(CO2H)2 H2O This reaction also consists of two component reactions: I- HOI H I2 H2O I2CH2(CO2H)2 ICH2(CO2H)2 H I- The amber color results from the production of the I2. The I2 forms because of the rapid production of HOI during the radical process. When the radical process is occurring, HOI is created faster than it can be consumed. Some of the HOI is used while excess is reduced by hydrogen peroxide to I-. The increasing I- concentration reaches a point at which the nonradical process takes over. However, the nonradical process does not produce HOI nearly as fast as the radical process, so the amber color begins to clear as I2 is consumed more quickly than it can be created. Eventually the I- concentration drops low enough for the radical process to restart so the cycle can repeat itself. The deep blue color is the result of the I- and I2 binding to the starch present in the solution.​ Source B. Z. Shakhashiri, 1985, Chemical Demonstrations: A Handbook for Teachers of Chemistry, vol. 2, pp. 248-256.

Research for the Bernard Madoff Case Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

For the Bernard Madoff Case - Research Paper Example Finally, Madoff himself revealed the truth to his sons and they reported this case to the court. Bernard Madoff Investment Securities Scandal involves many ethical issues. Moreover, many stakeholders were also involved in this case. This paper briefly explains some facts, ethical issues and stakeholders involved in Bernard Madoff’s investment securities scandal case. â€Å"Madoff founded the Wall Street firm Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC in 1960, and was its chairman until his arrest on December 11, 2008† (Bernie Madoff’s Investment Scandal Exposed, 2010). Madoff was able to command the respect of the investors because of his huge experiences in Wall Street in different positions. When he offered the customers huge return even on short term investments through his Ponzi scheme, nobody was in any sort of doubt about the fraudulent nature of the scheme. Investors thought that Madoff has got some magical power to multiply their investments because of his huge experiences in Wall Street. Vernon Silver (2009) has mentioned that the returns that Mr. Madoff’s firm provided were consistently good over the years (Silver, 2009). â€Å"Concerns about Madoff’s business surfaced as early as 1999, when financial analyst-whistleblower Harry Markopolos informed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that he believed it was legally and mathematically impossible to achieve the gains Madoff claimed to deliver† (What Has Bernard Madoff Investment Securities Done to Investment Securities?, 2010). These concerns expressed by the financial experts forced Madoff to confess his guilt to his sons in December 2008 which they reported to the court. Even though Madoff revealed that he has started his fraudulent activities in the 1990’s, investigating agencies believe that he has started such activities as early as the eighties itself. â€Å"Madoff told the agents that it was his entire fault, and that he "paid investors with money that

Is the U.S. seeking to contain China Research Paper

Is the U.S. seeking to contain China - Research Paper Example It remains far behind on innovations and development of new technology for advanced weaponry but even then it succeeds in catching up fast with advancements. US maintain first rank as per military spending with 740 billion dollars as compared to China’s 106 billion dollars (â€Å"China Military Budget Tops $100bn† 2). This difference ensures US lead in innovation and advanced strategic weapons which in turn protects the national interest and maintains influence. China has a long way to go to take a lead in military hardware; it is even taking technology for its aerospace industry from Russia. But, with its growing capacity to catch up makes it a contender for a rising new military power. Military capability has conventionally been an indicator of a country’s influence in a region. Chinese military requirements have mainly been offshore defense and its military keeps up with this requirement easily, however, the development projects of fifth generation stealth fig hters and an aircraft carrier demonstrate its ambition for advanced weaponry and perhaps world influence. Containment strategy typically involves surrounding a target country with allies and placing strategic assets to keep physical presence directly or indirectly. If we analyze a decade of policies by the US we do find a pattern indicating containment strategies aimed at China. According to the Washington Post, â€Å"Chinas rise is a significant factor in the Obama administrations moves to strengthen ties with traditional allies, such as  South Korea and  Japan, as well as with Malaysia and Laos and even with Vietnam, a former foe† (Pomfret 1). Similarly, Bush administration started improving ties with India which even involved nuclear cooperation projects. India has long been an adversary to China with military inclination towards Russia. The pacts with these countries indicate a policy to contain China with a group of allies. The pattern is similar to formation of NATO in order to contain

Female Circumcision Essay Example for Free

Female Circumcision Essay Societies all over the world view an individual’s transcend from childhood to adulthood as a very important chapter in their life. Many rituals are done as part of the individual’s passage through adulthood. Some are ceremonious, while others involve much pain and suffering. One such painful ritual is female circumcision experienced by females in Africa. For many years, health experts have stressed the various complications that are experienced by females who had undergone the procedure ranging from excessive bleeding to death. Governments have attempted to ban the procedure by passing laws making circumcision illegal. In spite of this, female circumcision is continuous to be rampant among African communities both in Africa and even in African communities outside the country. This paper aims to establish the prevalence of female circumcision in African communities is strongly linked to their cultural beliefs regarding the essence and protection of the femininity of their women and the religious tradition of circumcision as prescribed in Islamic teachings. Look more:Â  foot binding process essay Process of Female Circumcision In order to establish female circumcision as a cultural tradition celebrated by African communities as opposed to the viewpoint of many health experts and human rights activists as an act of mutilation against women, the ritual and process surrounding female circumcision must first be discussed as well as its background in its role of preserving the virginity of the women of African communities. Contrary to the belief that female circumcisions is a tradition rooted among the indigenous African tribes, female circumcisions have been done in Arabia, Egypt and Syria as early as the fifth century BC with evidence provided in Greek documents by ancient historians. Female circumcision was also utilized by the ancient Romans among their female slaves where they would pierce the genitalia of the slaves with pins or fibula. Hence, the name infibulation. This was done by the Romans in order to prevent the female slaves from becoming pregnant by their masters. Female circumcision was also evident in Europe and the United States as a solution for the urge of masturbation and nymphomania (Kouba Muasher, 1985; Walley, 1997; Williams Sobieszczyk, 1997). Currently, female circumcision is being practiced by Muslims, Christians, Falasha Jews and indigenous African religions in Algeria, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Malawi, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Togo, Senegal and Mali as well as in the Southern part of the Arabian peninsula, Malaysia and Indonesia totaling approximately between 80 and 100 million women who have undergone some form of female circumcision with another four to five million children and adolescents undergoing this procedure every year in compliance to both their African cultural tradition of female circumcision as an initiation to womanhood as well as the requirements of their religious belief that circumcision must be done in order to be purified (Kouba Muasher, 1985; Obermeyer, 1999; Walley, 1997). The ritual of female circumcision among the rural African tribes begins with a ceremony where people of all ages would gather within the tribe’s compound and celebrate by drinking and dancing. This is in order for the women who would be circumcised to become tired and eventually numb for the pain that will be a part of the circumcision process. The circumcision rites would be carried out the following day at dawn and held in public without anesthesia with the girl either seated or lying down with her thighs held apart by helpers (Kouba Muasher, 1985; Walley, 1997). Depending on the tribe and preference of the family and woman to be initiated, the severity of female circumcision varies. The least severe form of female circumcision involves pricking the clitoris to cause bleeding. The second form of female circumcision is called the sunna. This procedure removes both the tip and the layer of skin covering the clitoris. The most severe is called the infibulation or Pharaonic type of circumcision. This procedure involves the removal of the entire clitoris, labia minora and most of the labia majora. Whatever is left of the labia majora is then stitched together using thread or thorns leaving only a small opening approximately the size of the head of a match stick to allow both urine and menstrual flow to pass. A powdery substance composed of sugar, gum, herbs, ashes and animal manure will be applied on the area afterwards. While the wound heals, the girls legs are tied together to immobilize her anywhere between fifteen to forty days (Kouba Muasher, 1985; Obermeyer, 1999; Walley, 1997; Williams Sobieszczyk, 1997). In more progressive African communities as well as communities in other countries, the circumcision ritual is less extravagant. There is usually no celebration before the ritual and the procedure is usually performed by medical professionals with the use of anesthesia to perform the infibulation (Kouba Muasher, 1985; Obermeyer, 1999; Walley, 1997; Williams Sobieszczyk, 1997). Health Effects of Female Circumcision Female genital operations is viewed as a major health concern not just because of its geographic distribution but also the number of females involved and the adverse complications resulting from the procedure. A woman who has undergone female circumcision does not only suffer from shock, hemorrhage and injury to the adjacent organs right after the procedure, but becomes susceptible to a number of other infections such as septicemia, tetanus, formation of scars and keloids, urinary infection, cysts and abscesses in the vulva region, pelvic inflammatory disease, infection of the uterus and fallopian tube, painful sexual intercourse, and even death (Kouba Muasher, 1985; Williams Sobieszczyk, 1997). Women who had undergone this procedure, specifically from those who came from rural communities, experience psychological trauma as well as irritability, anxiety, and depression, reduced feelings of femininity, alterations of the personality and the absence of arousal in sexual intercourse (Kouba Muasher, 1985) Childbearing becomes hazardous not just on the part of the mother who has undergone a female circumcision procedure but the baby’s health is placed in danger as well. The formation of scars and keloids after the procedure may contribute to extremely painful labor. The tearing of the scar tissue surrounding the area where the procedure was done may also result to hemorrhage on the part of the mother. There is also a high possibility that the newborn will suffer from brain damage and other malformations since the sutures done on the labia majora of the mother will have to be removed only during the period of the delivery when the baby’s head will be crowning in order for the baby to pass through (Walley, 1997; Williams Sobieszczyk, 1997). Addressing the Issue of Female Circumcision Female circumcision has become an international controversy in reference to human rights and health issues within international conferences. In line with this, various efforts have been done in order to minimize, if not eradicate the proliferation of female circumcision which is now commonly practiced throughout much of Africa and is now being practiced within African expatriate communities in U. S. , Canada and Europe (Walley, 1997; Williams Sobieszczyk, 1997). In 1958, the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women called upon the World Health Organization (WHO) to study the persistence of customs that subject girls to female genital operations rituals as well as to create measures to eradicate it. The strategy being used is similar to that which led to the discontinuation of foot binding in China. This strategy would include education and public health interventions as well as the formation of groups of parents who will pledge that they will not only cease committing their daughters to the female circumcision ritual but to discourage their sons to marry women who have been circumcised (Kouba Muasher, 1985; Obermeyer, 1999; Thomas, 1998; Williams Sobieszczyk, 1997). Slowly, this strategy has been yielding positive results. In Somalia, authorities have begun to make considerable effort through their education system to inform the public about the adverse effects of female circumcision. Due to the increase in education in Africa particularly regarding the adverse effects of the ritual of female circumcisions, more and more young women are beginning to favor less severe types of female circumcision if not oppose the ritual completely (Williams Sobieszczyk, 1997). But in other parts of Africa, the opposite has been happening. Instead of using education to inform the communities of the complications of female circumcision, it has driven communities to continue the procedure with the process carried out no longer by crude and unhygienic measures as they have normally practiced, but utilized the advancement of medicine in carrying out the rituals. Nowadays, more and more hospitals and health clinics in order to prevent the woman initiated from suffering from shock, hemorrhage and injury to the adjacent organs right after the procedure as well as psychological trauma due to the pain since the procedure now utilizes anesthesia and medicine to prevent possible infections (Kouba Muasher, 1985; Williams Sobieszczyk, 1997). Moreover, in spite the government passing legislatures banning the procedures completely, African communities still perform the rituals. For example, the Sudan government passed a law banning female circumcision in 1946. However, about 80% of women within the reproductive age group interviewed between the years 1989 and 1990 in Sudan have still undergone the ritual (Kouba Muasher, 1985; Williams Sobieszczyk, 1997). Another is in Kenya where female circumcision has been considered illegal by the government since 1982. Yet, communities still continue to practice this since they argued that it is part of their custom (Kouba Muasher, 1985; Walley, 1997). In fact, in a study conducted by Williams Sobieszczyk (1997), 90% of all African women both residing in Africa and in African communities in other parts of the world had planned to have their daughters still undergo some form of female circumcision with 50% of them preferring the most severe forms of circumcision. Reasons for the Prevalence of Female Circumcision The African tribes and African communities in other countries who have practiced female circumcision for generations have remained undaunted with the continuance of the ritual of female circumcision in spite of the availability of education and resource materials for them with reference to the adverse effect female circumcision have on the part of the women. What is even more disturbing is that there are some women who request to be circumcised (Walley, 1997). One reason for this is due to the strong ties that female circumcision has in reference to Islam. Islam is the dominant religion in the countries in Senegal, Mali, Somalia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania which have been noted to practice female circumcision. It is the belief of those who practice Islam is that all forms of circumcision is prescribed by the prophet Mohammed and that circumcision would make the woman more radiant and it is sanctioned by the Islam authorities called the ulama. However, scholars on the Islamic faith have determined that although circumcision is prescribed, the most of the severe forms of the practice of female circumcision is not a requirement according to the Quran or the hadith which are the collection of sayings of the prophet Mohammed. In fact, such forms of circumcision are prohibited (Jhazbhay, 2003; Kouba Muasher, 1985; Obermeyer, 1999; Walley, 1997; Williams Sobieszczyk, 1997). Another reason for the continuance of female circumcision is that African communities have viewed female circumcision as an important initiation to adulthood while serving to construct, enhance and reinforce female purity and virginity in connection with the norms that govern family honor, female sexuality and marriage which must be strictly followed. For a woman to turn back from the circumcision rites would amount to disgracing their families and relatives since they will be branded as cowards thus would be isolated by the community. By undergoing female circumcision, they believe that they develop a personal sense of self-confidence and pride as well as public respect. Such is the case among the Sabaot women who are envied by the women of Bukusu since, unlike them; they do not undergo female circumcision since their belief is that circumcision is only for male (Kouba Muasher, 1985; Thomas, 1998; Walley, 1997; Williams Sobieszczyk, 1997). African men also require their brides to be circumcised. Women who are not circumcised are prohibited from bearing children, particularly among the women in Meru (Thomas, 1998). Some tribes view the clitoris as a dangerous organ which could kill the baby during delivery. Others view it as poisonous that it will kill a man during sexual intercourse (Kouba Muasher, 1985). Moreover, women believe that fertility is enhanced after a woman is circumcised. Thus, female circumcision would increase the dowry that the men would pay in order to marry a circumcised woman further increasing the pride and self-confidence of the woman since she is now entitled to be married and bear children (Kouba Muasher, 1985; Thomas, 1998; Walley, 1997; Williams Sobieszczyk, 1997). The importance of patrilineal kin in African families also influences the decision for the younger females to undergo female circumcision since female circumcision was believed to enhance the masculinity of the males and the femininity of the females through the removal of the external genitalia. It is the common belief, especially among the Hofriyati women female circumcision is seen as a symbolism of emphasizing femininity focusing more on fertility rather than sexuality since many tribes believe that if left alone, the clitoris would grow into a penis (Obermeyer, 1999; Walley, 1997). African communities have also perceived the views of many scholars in reference to the importance of their cultural traditions as harmful, coercive, superfluous and regarded as a myth that must be laid to rest and stated that development is the goal of every country today, with development pertaining to the assimilation of Western technology and living patterns. Although there have been a growing number of African women objecting to the practice of female circumcision, they also objected to the manner how feminists from First World countries are handling the matter. African women believed that women from First World countries do not comprehensively understand their experiences involving the matter. This is because most Euro-American studies about female genital operations view African women as thoroughly oppressed victims of a patriarchal society, ignorant, and not seen as social actors in their own right (Walley, 1997). As such, the practice of female circumcision still persists in many parts of the world because it remains as the center of the roles and how they value their women in society. Its continuance is seen as a social standing and a return to African tradition (Walley, 1997; Williams Sobieszczyk, 1997). Conclusion This paper has shown that there is a strong relationship between female circumcision and how African communities measure the worth of an African woman. Female circumcision is equated to courage, honor, family status, eligibility to marry and have children. Those who choose not to be circumcised are ostracized by society and are considered as a disgrace to their families, compelling them to endure this ritual. African communities have also viewed female circumcision as a fulfillment of the requirements of their Islamic faith even if scholars have stressed otherwise. In order to minimize, if not eradicate female circumcision, efforts in educating African communities both in Africa and in other parts of the country should center on ensuring that they properly understand the requirements of Islam regarding circumcision. By re-educating them of the requirements of Islam along with the adverse effects, the tradition would eventually be eliminated. References Jhazbhay, I. (2003, August 30). Islam in Africa. Retrieved on February 19, 2008, from http://www. nuradeen. com/currentissues/IslamInAfrica. htm. Kouba, L. J. Muasher, J. (March 1985). Female circumcision in Africa: an overview. African studies review, 28(1), 95-110. Obermeyer, C. M. (March 1999). Female genital surgeries: the known, the unknown, and the unknowable. Medical anthropology quarterly new series, 13(1), 79-106. Thomas, L. M. (1998). Imperial concerns and womens affairs: state efforts to regulate clitoridectomy and eradicate abortion in Meru, Kenya, c. 1910-1950. The journal of African history, 39(1), 121-45. Walley, C. J. (August 1997). Searching for voices: feminism, anthropology, and the global debate over female genital operations. Cultural anthropology, 12(3), 405-38. Williams, L. Sobieszczyk, T. (November 1997). Attitudes surrounding the continuation of female circumcision in the Sudan: passing the tradition to the next generation. Journal of marriage and the family, 59(4), 966-81.

Bridge to Terabithia :: essays research papers

Bridge to Terabithia† is set in rural Virginia in the mid-1970's. The story revolves around characters; the Aarons, the Burkes, the students and faculty in the elementary school. Jess Aaron, is one of the central characters. He has four sisters, two older and two younger leaving him in the middle. Brenda and Ellie are the older teenage sisters that have a strong bond with their mother and don’t pay much mind to Jess. Joyce Ann and May Belle are his little sisters that look up to Jess. Mr. Aarons is always away from home working in a city nearby leaving Mrs. Aarons to hold many of the responsibilities. Since she believes in the men taking care of the men jobs Jess always has work to do in place of his father. The girls never seem to have to do any work and Jess feels he is unappreciated and the black sheep of the family. The Burkes move from Washington D. C to rural Virginia. They are well off and move to the area to re-evaluate their family values. Leslie is the other main character who is looking for a sense of belonging and friendship. Bill and Judy are here parents that are writers. They are consumed with their work and don’t pay much attention until their book is completed. Jess and Leslie attend the same Elementary school where they become friends resulting from a race that Leslie won. The two become inseparable and have a special place in the woods called â€Å"Terabithia.† To get to their perfect imaginary world you must swing across the creek on a rope. The lake becomes flooded from the constant rainfall and starts to concern Jess. He continues to be quite and swing across the dangerous water since Leslie is so fearless and he doesn’t want to look like he is afraid of anything. Later, Jess’s music teacher invites him to spend a day in Washington D.C. while Leslie travels to Terabithia without him and the rope breaks and she drowns. Jess returns home that night to find out that his best friend Leslie is dead. Jess goes through the emotions of grieving, angry, to upset, from this incident. A few days later he returns to Terabithia so he can place a funeral wreath for Leslie. Without Jess knowing May Belle has followed him but cries for help since she was stuck in the creek.

Aunt Polly in Huck Finn

In the book Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Aunt Polly is a minor character but her role is very important. She is Tom Sawyer’s aunt and also his guardian. Aunt Polly is a sharp woman who tries to keep Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn out of trouble. She is a character that is fearsome, respectable, and loved. When Huck Finn sees Aunt Polly at Aunt Sally’s house he say she was â€Å"looking as sweet and contented as an angel half-full of pie, I wish I may never! † (1460). Huck Finn describes Aunt Polly in a loving way but he also expresses his fear in seeing her. Huck fears her so much that he hides under the bed (1460). As soon as Aunt Polly tells Huck to come out from under the bed, he does so timidly which indicates he respected her enough to do what he was told immediately (1461). Aunt Polly demands that Tom should give her the letters that she wrote to Aunt Sally. Tom acts as if he does not know what she is talking about. Aunt Polly responds by saying, â€Å"I be bound if I have to take a holt of you I’ll –â€Å" (1461). She doesn’t have to finish her sentence because Tom interrupts her where they are. He does this because he fears Aunt Polly. When Aunt Sally wrote to Aunt Polly about Tom and Sid arriving safely she was puzzled because Sid was with her. She wrote to Aunt Sally several times with no response. Aunt Polly made the 100 mile trip to Aunt Sally’s because she knew that something wasn’t right. This shows just how sharp Aunt Polly was. When Aunt Polly arrives at Aunt Sally’s she looks at Tom, â€Å"-kind of grinding him into the Earth, you know. † And this indicates that Aunt Poll was an intelligent woman because she knew that Tom and Huck had tricked Aunt Sally (1460). When Aunt Polly arrives Huck Finn disappears under the bed and Aunt Sally does not know where he is. â€Å"Come out from under the bed Huck Finn. †, says Aunt Polly (1461). She had only been there briefly but could easily assess the situation. Evidently Aunt Polly is a sharp character. She is feared by Tom and Huck. It is clearly shown that she is a respectable person. Aunt Polly is a very important character because she helps the story come together at the end. She is the one who puts an end to Tom and Huck’s charade. I believe Aunt Polly to be a stern but kind person. She loves Tom and Huck and they love her.

Blood Promise Chapter Sixteen

Denis and his two unpromised friends, Artur and Lev, were ecstatic that I was going to be part of their posse. But if they expected me to share their crazy enthusiasm for reckless Strigoi hunting, they were about to be sorely disappointed. In fact, it didn't take long after I joined them before they realized that I was approaching the hunt very differently than they were. Denis's friend Lev had a car, and we took turns driving to Novosibirsk. The drive was about fifteen hours, and even though we stopped at a hotel for the night, it was still a lot of continuous time to be cooped up in a small space with three guys who couldn't stop talking about all the Strigoi they were going to kill. In particular, they kept trying to draw me out. They wanted to know about how many Strigoi I'd slain. They wanted to know what the battle at the Academy had been like. They wanted to know my methods. Anytime my mind turned to those topics, though, all I could think of was blood and grief. It was nothing I wanted to brag about, and it took about six hours on the road for them to finally figure out that they weren't going to get much information from me. Instead, they regaled me with tales of their own adventures. To be fair, they'd slain several Strigoi-but they'd lost a number of their friends, all of whom had been in their teens, like these guys. My experiences weren't that dissimilar; I'd lost friends too. My losses had been a result of being outnumbered, though. Denis's group's casualties seemed to have been more due to rushing in to without thinking. Indeed, their plan once we got to Novosibirsk wasn't really that solid. They reiterated that Strigoi liked to hunt at places that were crowded at night, like dance clubs, or in remote places like alleys, that made for easy pickings. No one noticed as much when people disappeared from those kinds of places. So Denis's plans mostly involved trolling those hot spots in the hopes that we'd run into Strigoi. My initial thought was to immediately ditch this group and strike out on my own. After all, my main goal had been to simply get to Novosibirsk. With everything I'd learned now, it seemed logical that Siberia's largest city would be the next best place to look. Then, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that jumping into the Strigoi scene alone would be as stupid as one of the unpromised gang's plans. I could use their backup. Plus, since I didn't actually know where Dimitri was yet, I had to come up with a method of getting some information. I'd need help for that. We made it to Novosibirsk at the end of the second day of driving. Despite hearing about its size, I hadn't imagined it would be anything like Moscow or Saint Petersburg. And true, it turned out to be not quite as large as they were, but it was still just as much a city, complete with skyscrapers, theaters, commuters, and the same beautiful architecture. We crashed with a friend of theirs who had an apartment downtown, a dhampir named Tamara. Her English wasn't very good, but from the sounds of it, she was another unpromised one and just as excited as everyone else to rid the world of Strigoi. She was a little older than the rest of us, which was why she had her own place, and was a cute brunette with freckles. It sounded as though she waited until whenever the guys came to town to hunt, which I took as a small blessing. At least she didn't go out alone. She seemed particularly excited to have another girl around, but like the others, she quickly picked up that I didn't share their enthusiasm. When our first night of Strigoi hunting came around, I finally stepped up into a leadership position. The sudden change in behavior startled them at first, but they soon listened with rapt attention, still caught up in my superstar reputation. â€Å"Okay,† I said, looking from face to face. We were in Tamara's tiny living room, sitting in a circle. â€Å"Here's how it's going to work. We're going to hit the nightclub scene as a group, patrolling it and the alleys behind it for-â€Å" â€Å"Wait,† interrupted Denis. â€Å"We usually split up.† â€Å"Which is why you get killed,† I snapped. â€Å"We're going as a group.† â€Å"Haven't you killed Strigoi by yourself, though?† asked Lev. He was the tallest of the group, with a long and lanky figure that was almost Moroi-like. â€Å"Yes, but I got lucky.† That, and I also just thought I was a better fighter than any of them. Call me arrogant, but I was a damned good guardian. Or near-guardian. â€Å"We'll do better with all five of us. When we find Strigoi, we've got to make sure we take care of them in an isolated place.† I hadn't forgotten Sydney's warnings. â€Å"But before we kill them, I need to talk to them. It'll be your job to restrain them.† â€Å"Why?† asked Denis. â€Å"What do you have to say to them?† â€Å"Actually, it's what they have to say to me. Look, it won't take long. And you'll get to make your kill in the end, so don't worry about it. But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This next part went against my grand plans, but I knew I had to say it. I wouldn't get them killed for the sake of my own quest. â€Å"If we get ourselves in a situation where you're trapped or in immediate danger, forget the talking and restraining. Kill. Save yourself.† Apparently, I seemed confident and badass enough that they decided to go along with whatever I said. Part of our plan involved going â€Å"undercover,† so to speak. Any Strigoi who was close or got a good enough look would immediately recognize us as dhampirs. It was important that we not attract any attention. We needed a Strigoi scanning for victims to pass right over us. We needed to look like other human club-goers. So we dressed the part, and I was a bit astonished at how well the guys cleaned up. Denis, crazy or not, was particularly good-looking, sharing the same dark gold hair and brown eyes that his brother Nikolai had. My few changes of clothes weren't quite up to partying standards, so Tamara delved into her wardrobe for me. She seemed to take a lot of delight in finding things for me to wear. We were actually similar in size, which was kind of amazing. With her tall, super-slim build, Lissa and I had never been able to share clothes. Tamara was my height and had a similar body type. She first offered me a short, tight dress that was so similar to the one Viktoria had worn that I just shook my head and handed it back. The memories of our argument still hurt, and I wasn't going to relive that night or in any way play blood whore dress-up. Instead, Tamara settled for dressing me in black jeans and a black tank top. I consented to hair and makeup too, and studying myself in the mirror, I had to admit she did a good job. As vain as it was, I liked looking good. I especially liked that the guys looked at me in a way that was admiring and respectful-but not like I was some piece of meat. Tamara offered me jewelry too, but the only thing I'd wear was the nazar around my neck. My stake required a jacket, but she found a sexy leather one that didn't take away from the rest of the outfit's appeal. Setting out around midnight, I couldn't help shaking my head. â€Å"We're the goddamned hottest vampire hunters ever,† I muttered. Denis led us to a club where they'd found Strigoi before. It was also apparently where one of their unpromised friends had been killed. It was in a seedy part of town, which I guess added to its appeal for Strigoi. A lot of the people there were middle- and upper-class young people, apparently drawn in by the â€Å"dangerous† aspect. If only they'd known just how dangerous it was. I'd made a lot of jokes to Dimitri about Russia and Eastern Europe being ten years behind in music, but when we entered, I discovered the ground-thumping techno song playing was something I'd heard in the U.S. just before leaving. The place was crowded and dark, with flashing lights that were actually a little annoying to dhampir eyes. Our night vision would adapt to the darkness and then be blasted when a strobe light kicked on. In this case, I didn't need my sight. My shadow-kissed senses didn't feel any Strigoi in the area. â€Å"Come on,† I said to the others. â€Å"Let's dance for a while and wait. There are no Strigoi nearby.† â€Å"How do you know?† asked Denis, staring at me in wonder. â€Å"I just do. Stay together.† Our little circle moved to the dance floor. It had been so long since I'd danced, and I was a bit surprised at how quickly I found myself getting into the rhythm. Part of me said I should have stayed ever vigilant, but my Strigoi alarm system would immediately snap me awake if any danger came. That nausea was kind of hard to ignore. But after an hour of dancing, no Strigoi had appeared. We left the dance floor and started circling the club's edges, then moved outside to sweep that area too. Nothing. â€Å"Is there another club nearby?† I asked. â€Å"Sure,† said Artur. He was stocky, with close-shaved hair and a ready smile. â€Å"A couple blocks over.† We followed him and found a similar scene: another secret club hidden in a run-down building. More flashing lights. More crowds. More pounding music. Disturbingly, what started to bother me first was the smell. That many people generated a lot of sweat. I had no doubt even the humans could smell it. To us, it was cloying. Tamara and I exchanged looks and wrinkled our noses, needing no words to convey our disgust. We moved to the dance floor again, and Lev started to leave to get a drink. I punched him in the arm. He exclaimed something in Russian that I recognized as a swear word. â€Å"What was that for?† he asked. â€Å"For being stupid! How do you expect to kill something that's twice as fast as you while drunk?† He shrugged, unconcerned, and I resisted the urge to hit him in the face this time. â€Å"One won't hurt. Besides, there aren't even any-â€Å" â€Å"Be quiet!† It was creeping over me, that weird stirring in my stomach. Forgetting my cover, I stopped dancing, scanning the crowd for the source. While I was relying on my senses to feel Strigoi, spotting them in the crowd was a bit harder. I took a few steps toward the entrance, and my nausea lessened. I moved toward the bar, and the feeling increased. â€Å"This way,† I told them. â€Å"Act like you're still into the music.† My tension was contagious, and I saw the anticipation sweep them-as well as a little fear. Good. Maybe they'd take this seriously. As we headed in the bar's direction, I tried to keep my body language oriented toward it, like I was seeking a drink. All the while, my eyes swept the crowd's periphery. There. I had him. A male Strigoi was standing off in a corner, his arm around a girl close to my age. In the dim lighting, he almost seemed attractive. I knew closer examination would reveal the deathly pale skin and red eyes that all Strigoi had. The girl might not have been able to see them in the darkened club, or the Strigoi might have been using compulsion on her. Probably both, judging from the smile on her face. Strigoi were able to compel others just as well as a spirit user like Lissa could. Better, even. Before our eyes, I saw the Strigoi lead the girl down a small, unnoticed hallway. At the end, I could just make out a glowing exit sign. At least, I presumed it was an exit sign. The letters were Cyrillic. â€Å"Any idea where that door goes?† I asked the others. The guys shrugged, and Denis repeated my question to Tamara. She answered back, and he translated. â€Å"There's a small alley out back where they keep trash. It's between this building and a factory. No one's usually there.† â€Å"Can we get to it by going around the club?† Denis waited for Tamara's response. â€Å"Yes. It's open on both sides.† â€Å"Perfect.† We hurried out of the club by the front door, and I divided our group into two. The plan was to come at the Strigoi from both sides and trap him in the middle-provided he and his victim were still out back. It was possible he could have led her elsewhere, but I thought it more likely he'd want to subdue her and get his blood right there, particularly if it was as deserted as Tamara said it usually was. I was right. Once my group had split off and peered around behind the club, I saw the Strigoi and the girl lurking in the shadow of a trash can. He was leaning over her, mouth near her neck, and I silently swore. They didn't waste any time. Hoping she was still alive, I came charging down the alley, the others on my heels. From the alley's other side, Denis and Lev also came running. As soon as he heard the first footfall, the Strigoi reacted instantly, his staggeringly fast reflexes kicking in. He immediately dropped the girl, and in the space of a heartbeat, he chose Denis and Lev over Artur, Tamara, and me. Not a bad strategy, really. There were only two of them. Because he was so fast, he probably hoped to incapacitate them quickly and then turn on us before we could flank him. And it almost worked. A powerful hit sent Lev flying. To my relief, a couple of trash cans blocked him from the building's wall. Hitting them wouldn't feel good, but if I had the choice, I'd rather hit metal cans than solid bricks. The Strigoi pounced on Denis next, but Denis proved remarkably fast. Unfairly, I'd assumed none of these unpromised had any real fighting skills. I should have known better. They'd had the same training as me; they just lacked discipline. Denis dodged the blow and struck out low, aiming for the Strigoi's legs. The hit landed, though it wasn't strong enough to knock him over. A flash of silver showed in Denis's hands, and he managed to partially swipe the Strigoi's cheek just before a backhanded slap knocked the dhampir into me. A cut like that wouldn't be lethal to the Strigoi, but the silver would hurt, and I heard him snarl. His fangs gleamed with saliva. I sidestepped Denis quickly enough that he didn't knock me over. Tamara grabbed his arm, holding him so that he wouldn't fall either. She was fast too and had barely steadied him before leaping up at the Strigoi. He swatted her away but didn't manage to hit her hard enough to push her far. Artur and I were on him by that point, our combined force knocking him against the wall. Still, he was stronger and the pinning was brief before he broke free. A responsible voice in my head-that sounded suspiciously like Dimitri's-warned me that that had been my window to kill him. It would have been the smart and safe thing to do. I'd had the opening, and my stake was in my hand. If my crazy interrogation plan failed, the others' deaths would be on my head. As one, Artur and I leapt out again. â€Å"Help us!† I yelled. Tamara threw herself against the Strigoi, landing a swift kick to the stomach as well. I could feel him starting to shake us off, but then Denis joined in too. Between the four of us, we wrestled the Strigoi down so that he lay back-first on the pavement. But the worst wasn't over. Keeping him down wasn't easy. He thrashed around with incredible strength, limbs twisting everywhere. I heaved myself up, trying to throw my body's weight across his torso while the others restrained his legs. Another set of hands joined us, and I looked up to see Lev lending his strength too. His lip was bleeding, but his face was determined. The Strigoi hadn't stopped moving, but I felt satisfied he wouldn't break away anytime soon, not with all five of us holding him. Shifting forward, I placed the point of my stake at his neck. It gave him pause, but he soon resumed his struggle. I leaned over his face. â€Å"Do you know Dimitri Belikov?† I demanded. He shouted something incomprehensible at me that didn't sound very friendly. I pressed the stake in harder and drew a long gash against his throat. He screamed in pain, pure evil and malice shining out from his eyes as he continued swearing in Russian. â€Å"Translate,† I demanded, not caring who did it. â€Å"What I said.† A moment later, Denis said something in Russian, presumably my question since I heard Dimitri's name in there. The Strigoi growled back a response, and Denis shook his head. â€Å"He says he isn't going to play games with us.† I took the stake and slashed at the Strigoi's face, widening the gash Denis had made earlier. Again, the Strigoi cried out, and I prayed club security wouldn't hear any of this. I gave him a smile filled with enough malice to match his own. â€Å"Tell him we're going to keep playing games with him until he talks. One way or another, he dies tonight. It's up to him whether it happens slowly or quickly.† I honestly couldn't believe those words had come out of my mouth. They were so harsh†¦ so, well, cruel. I'd never in my entire life expected to be torturing anyone, even a Strigoi. The Strigoi gave Denis's translation another defiant response, and so I kept on with the stake, making gashes and cuts that would have killed any human, Moroi, or dhampir. Finally, he shot off a string of words that didn't sound like his usual insults. Denis immediately translated. â€Å"He said he's never heard of anyone named that and that if Dimitri's a friend of yours, he'll be sure to kill him slowly and painfully.† I almost smiled at the Strigoi's last effort at defiance. The problem with my strategy here was that the Strigoi could be lying. I'd have no way of knowing. Something in his response made me think he wasn't. He'd sounded like he thought I was referring to a human or a dhampir, not a Strigoi. â€Å"He's useless then,† I said. I leaned back and glanced at Denis. â€Å"Go ahead and kill him.† It was what Denis had been dying to do. He didn't hesitate, his stake striking hard and swift through the Strigoi's heart. The frantic struggling stilled a moment later. The evil light faded from the red eyes. We stood up, and I saw my companions' faces watching me with apprehension and fear. â€Å"Rose,† asked Denis at last. â€Å"What are you hoping to-â€Å" â€Å"Never mind that,† I interrupted, moving over to the unconscious human girl's side. Kneeling down, I examined her neck. He'd bitten her, but not much blood had been taken. The wound was relatively small and bled only a little. She stirred slightly and moaned when I touched her, which I took as a good sign. Carefully, I dragged her away from the trash can and out into the light where she'd be most noticeable. The Strigoi, however, I dragged into as dark a place as I could, almost completely obscuring him. After that, I asked to borrow Denis's cell phone and dialed the number I'd kept crumpled in my pocket for the last week. After a couple of rings, Sydney answered in Russian. She sounded sleepy. â€Å"Sydney? This is Rose.† There was a slight pause. â€Å"Rose? What's going on?† â€Å"Are you back in Saint Petersburg?† â€Å"Yes†¦ where are you?† â€Å"Novosibirsk. Do you guys have agents here?† â€Å"Of course,† she said warily. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Mmm†¦ I've got something for you to clean up.† â€Å"Oh dear.† â€Å"Hey, at least I'm calling. And it's not like me ridding the world of another Strigoi is a bad thing. Besides, didn't you want me to let you know?† â€Å"Yes, yes. Where are you?† I put Denis on the phone briefly so that he could explain our specific location. He handed the phone back to me when he finished, and I told Sydney about the girl. â€Å"Is she seriously injured?† â€Å"Doesn't look like it,† I said. â€Å"What should we do?† â€Å"Leave her. The guy who's coming will make sure she's okay and doesn't go telling stories. He'll explain it when he gets there.† â€Å"Whoa, hey. I'm not going to be here when he arrives.† â€Å"Rose-â€Å" â€Å"I'm out of here,† I told her. â€Å"And I'd really appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone else that I called-say, like, Abe.† â€Å"Rose-â€Å" â€Å"Please, Sydney. Just don't tell. Or else†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated. â€Å"If you do, I'll stop calling when this happens. We're going to be taking down a few more.† God, what next? First torture, now threats. Worse, I was threatening someone I liked. Of course, I was lying. I understood why Sydney's group did what they did, and I wouldn't risk the exposure. She didn't know that, though, and I prayed she'd think I was just unstable enough to risk revealing us to the world. â€Å"Rose-† she tried yet again. I didn't give her the chance. â€Å"Thanks, Sydney. We'll be in touch.† I disconnected and handed Denis the phone. â€Å"Come on, guys. We're not done tonight.† It was clear they thought I was crazy to be interrogating Strigoi, but considering how reckless they were sometimes, my behavior wasn't quite weird enough for them to lose their faith in me. Soon they grew enthusiastic again, high on the idea of our first kill on this trip. My uncanny ability to sense Strigoi made me even cooler in their eyes, and I grew confident they'd pretty much follow me anywhere. We caught two more Strigoi that night and managed to repeat the procedure. The results were the same. Lots of insults in Russian. No new information. Once I was convinced a Strigoi had nothing to offer us, I'd let the unpromised go in for the kill. They loved it, but after that third one, I found myself growing weary both mentally and physically. I told the group we were going to go home-and then, while cutting around the back of a factory, I sensed a fourth Strigoi. We jumped him. Another scuffle occurred, but we eventually managed to pin him as we had the others. â€Å"Go ahead,† I told Denis. â€Å"You know what to-â€Å" â€Å"I'm going to rip your throat out!† the Strigoi snarled. Whoa. This one spoke English. Denis opened his mouth to begin the interrogation, but I shook my head. â€Å"I'll take over.† Like the other Strigoi, he swore and struggled, even with the stake against his neck, making it hard for me to talk. â€Å"Look,† I said growing impatient and tired, â€Å"just tell us what we need to know. We're looking for a dhampir named Dimitri Belikov.† â€Å"I know him.† The Strigoi's voice was smug. â€Å"And he's no dhampir.† Without realizing it, I'd called Dimitri a dhampir. I was tired and had slipped up. No wonder this Strigoi was so pleased to talk. He assumed we didn't know about Dimitri turning. And like any arrogant Strigoi, he was happy to tell us more, clearly in the hopes of causing us pain. â€Å"Your friend has been awakened. He stalks the night with us now, drinking the blood of foolish girls like you.† In a split second, a thousand thoughts raced through my head. Holy crap. I'd come to Russia thinking it would be easy to find Dimitri. I'd had those hopes dashed in his hometown, nearly causing me to give up, and I'd swung the other way, resigning myself to the near impossibility of my task. The thought that I might be close to something here was staggering. â€Å"You're lying,† I said. â€Å"You've never seen him.† â€Å"I see him all the time. I've killed with him.† My stomach twisted, and it had nothing to do with the Strigoi's proximity. Don't think about Dimitri killing people. Don't think about Dimitri killing people. I said the words over and over in my head, forcing myself to stay calm. â€Å"If that's true,† I hissed back, â€Å"then I've got a message for you to deliver to him. Tell him Rose Hathaway is looking for him.† â€Å"I'm not your errand boy,† he said, glowering. My stake slashed out, drawing blood, and he grimaced in pain. â€Å"You're anything I want you to be. Now go tell Dimitri what I told you. Rose Hathaway. Rose Hathaway is looking for him. Say it.† I pressed the point to his neck. â€Å"Say my name so I know you'll remember.† â€Å"I'll remember it so I can kill you.† The stake pressed harder, spilling blood. â€Å"Rose Hathaway,† he said. He spit at me but missed. Satisfied, I leaned back. Denis watched me expectantly, stake poised and ready. â€Å"Now we kill him?† I shook my head. â€Å"Now we let him go.†

Advantages and Disadvantages of Waitrose Technology Essays

Advantages and Disadvantages of Waitrose Technology Essays Advantages and Disadvantages of Waitrose Technology Paper Advantages and Disadvantages of Waitrose Technology Paper The Handy scan (quick check) was brought into action in 1995 to improve till efficiency and other promotions. When we look at the handy scan (quick check) we can see that it seams very basic and simple to use and function. We can see that it can bring a lot of advantages internally and externally, but also disadvantages. Waitrose know that there are many advantages that can benefit the company internally. One of these advantages is that it will improve queuing times at the tills. This means that if more people have the handy scan (quick check) and are going around the store packing their shopping while they are shopping then it reduces the queuing times and provided a more customer efficient till service for other customers that are using the tills. Waitrose also know that many people dont like filling out surveys and carrying out market research. But the handy scan (quick check) acts as a way of carrying out market research for Waitrose, they do this by looking at the things that customers using the handy scan (quick check) buy and list what is being brought more or whats not. This is a good way of carrying out their market research but I think that this is a dishonest way because customers may not want to participate in market research, but they have no choice. Waitrose have placed a lot of trust in their customers to be honest in their shopping and scan every thing they place in their bags. Waitrose do this because they know that if the company place trust in the customer then they are building up a stronger customer relationship and customers like to feel valued, Waitrose know this so and thats why people come back to Waitrose because of the trust aspect. Another internal advantage is that the handy scan (quick check) cuts staffs from the tills into working somewhere were they are needed the most. Waitrose know that if one till can take 10 people and 10 people have the handy scan (quick check) then they have saved upon one member of staff to be place in the replenishments. Staff can be used where they are most needed. But there are advantages for the customer externally. The first advantage for the customer is that the customer can calculate their shopping while they are shopping. If they didnt have the handy scan (quick check) while shopping, as many people dont at the moment, they wouldnt be able to calculate how much they are spending is they are on a budget. But with the handy scan (quick check) they have control on the amount they spend. Many customers dont like spending to much time in the store, when they go shopping they want to be in and out thats why Waitrose brought in the handy scan (quick check), they did this so that the customer can limit the time spent shopping. Although the store would benefit from customers being in the store for one hour, Waitrose are placing the customers needs first, which a lot of supermarkets dont do. Waitrose are mostly interested in the customer efficiency and the store efficiency to make shopping for the customer as less painful as possible. A repeated external advantage for the customer is that the customer likes to feel trusted. The customer likes to feel that they are shopping in trust. Customers want to do their shopping and not queue, but I only see one problem, the problem is that if the customer is dishonest then Waitrose will fall in profit. One way that Waitrose beats this is by carrying out random bag searches. The key advantage for Waitrose is the fact that the system is completely wireless, communicating directly to the handy scan (quick check) PC over the RF network. The whole store design can be far more flexible because the need for cabling between the PC and the scanning rack is completely eradicated. Once an RF network is installed, it may be used for other equipment, providing the opportunity, for example, for additional temporary points-of-sale. Scanner racks can be mounted against a wall (not possible with batch handsets); and scanners do not need to be returned to the original location. In terms of service to customers, RF scanners have access to more information because they are not restricted to the product file downloaded to the batch scanner overnight. Information to customers given via the scanner may also be personalised to reflect data provided at time of registering for an account e. g. allergy sufferers can be alerted to traces of nuts in products they have scanned. Security (CCTV)- Introduced 1995 With this technology we couldnt really get a lot of information mainly because Waitrose feel this is a very private subject to discuss because they need to keep certain things private and confidential to the store in the interest of the customers and the staff. Waitrose in Surbiton is a big superstore and it would become very expensive to have security guards to cover the whole store. Waitrose have come up with a better idea, they have chosen to have CCTV (close circuit TV) covering the whole store. Waitrose have installed CCTV for the customers peace of mind and the stores peace of mind. Waitrose will always use CCTV for prosecuting someone who as been caught shoplifting because as we know the camera never lies. CCTV has saved the store a lot of money through not employing physical staff so the money that they are saving from security can be used in other parts of the store. CCTV comes in many shapes and sizes, as we know cameras are getting smaller and know cameras are getting small enough to hide. This is in Waitrose internally and customers externally benefit, because the store can catch more people thieving from inside the store be it products or personal belongings. Waitrose constantly are trying to look after their staff and customers, Waitrose have a policy of their employees and customers have the right to work and shop in safety and not in fear of being harmed or robbed. Electronic weighing scales With this technology there isnt really many advantages and disadvantages to the store internally or externally to the customers. The electronic weighing scales system was introduced in 1996 (when Waitrose in Surbiton was first introduced) to make the customers shopping more quicker and accurate, Waitrose also introduced the weighing scales because the old fashioned ones werent reliable enough and as the 20th century went on so did the stores technology. Waitrose knew that if they introduced electronic weighing scales then store efficiency ratings would rise and this is the main reasons why customers comeback to the store. There are a number of advantages and disadvantages affecting the store internally. One of these advantages is that it cuts queuing times. When they had their old system of the old weighing scales the till person would have to weigh the produce and type the code in to the till, now all the staff have to do is barcode the produce into the till and pass it on, this way of tilling is more efficient to the staff and customers. Another internal advantage is that it is quick. With the electronic weighing scales it saves time for till service and customer time. Another advantage is that with the old Weighing scales it used to round it up to the nearest whole number and this could mean that the store could be loosing money or making profit but now with the new electronic scales Waitrose can be guaranteed that they are not going to make a loss if anything they are going to make a profit mainly because they know that the electronic weighing scales are going to round it up to the nearest penny not down. But with advantages there comes disadvantages. The first disadvantage is that people could deceive the store by placing their first page upon the weighing scales, getting their first price and then adding more produces. This means that Waitrose losses out on profit, the only way that I see that Waitrose can battle this problem is by randomly weighing the products to see if the customer is being honest. But what are the advantages externally, the customer? Well there are many and the first one is that the customer feels responsible and this makes the customer come back. Another could be that it will save till services and queuing times because the customer isnt waiting for the till person to weigh the produce and then type the code in. Another would be that the customer can see what and how much they are spending on their shopping because the electronic scales gives out a sticker of the weight and price of the produce so that the customer can see what they are paying. But there are disadvantages externally. Customers who come into the store for the first time may not realise how to use the electronic weighing scales efficiently and safely. I think that if Waitrose are going to carry on with their technology then they may want to give demonstrations to people or new customers.

Plot and Themes of J.R.R. Tolkiens Book The Hobbit

Plot and Themes of J.R.R. Tolkien's Book 'The Hobbit' The Hobbit: Or, There and Back Again was written by J.R.R. Tolkien as a childrens book and first published in Great Britain in 1937 by George Allen Unwin. It was published just before the outbreak of WWII in Europe, and the book acts as a prologue of sorts for the great trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. While it was originally conceived as a book for children, it has been accepted as a great work of literature in its own right. While The Hobbit was by no means the first fantasy novel, it was among the first to combine influences from multiple sources. Elements of the book draw from Norse mythology, classic fairy tales, Jewish literature, and the works of 19th century Victorian childrens authors such as George MacDonald (author The Princess and the Goblin, among others). The book also experiments with a variety of literary techniques including forms of epic poetry and song. Setting The novel takes place in the fictional land of Middle Earth, a complex fantasy world which Tolkien developed in detail. The book contains carefully drawn maps showing various parts of Middle Earth including the peaceful and fertile Shire, the Mines of Moria, the Lonely Mountain, and Mirkwood Forest. Each area of Middle Earth has its own history, characters, qualities, and significance. Main Characters The characters in The Hobbit include a wide range of fantasy creatures, most drawn from classical fairy tales and mythology. The hobbits themselves, however, are Tolkiens own creation. Small, home-loving people, hobbits are also called halflings. They are very similar to small human beings except for their very large feet. Some of the main characters in the book include: Bilbo Baggins, a quiet, unassuming Hobbit and the protagonist of the story.Gandalf, a wizard who initiates Bilbo’s journey with the dwarves. Gandalf causes Bilbo to set aside his reputation for cautious respectability and go on an adventure that will change the hobbit forever.Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of a group of 13 dwarves who wish to recover a treasure horde stolen by a dragon.Elrond, a wise leader of the elves.Gollum, a once-human creature who found and is governed by a great ring of power.Smaug, the dragon and antagonist of the story. Plot and Storyline The story of The Hobbit begins in the Shire, land of the hobbits. The Shire is similar to a pastoral English countryside, and the hobbits are represented as quiet, agricultural people who shun adventure and travel. Bilbo Baggins, the protagonist of the story, is surprised to find himself hosting a group of dwarves and the great wizard, Gandalf. The group has decided that now is the right time to journey to the Lonely Mountain, where they will retake the dwarves treasure from the dragon, Smaug. They have nominated Bilbo to join the expedition as their burglar. Though initially reluctant, Bilbo agrees to join the group, and they head off far from the Shire into the increasingly dangerous sections of Middle Earth. Along the journey, Bilbo and his company meet up with a wide range of creatures both beautiful and terrible. As he is tested, Bilbo discovers his own inner strength, loyalty, and cunning. Each chapter involves an interaction with a new set of characters and challenges: The group is captured by trolls and nearly eaten, but are saved when sunlight strikes the trolls and they are turned to stone.Gandalf leads the group to the Elven settlement of Rivendell where they meet the Elvish leader, Elrond.The group is caught by goblins and driven deep underground. Although Gandalf rescues them, Bilbo gets separated from the others as they flee the goblins. Lost in the goblin tunnels, he stumbles across a mysterious ring and then encounters Gollum, who engages him in a game of riddles. As a reward for solving all riddles Gollum will show him the path out of the tunnels, but if Bilbo fails, his life will be forfeit. With the help of the ring, which confers invisibility, Bilbo escapes and rejoins the dwarves, improving his reputation with them. The goblins and Wargs give chase, but the company is saved by eagles.The company enters the black forest of Mirkwood without Gandalf. In Mirkwood, Bilbo first saves the dwarves from giant spiders and then from the dungeons of the Wood-elves. Nearing the Lonely Mountain, the travelers are welcomed by the human inhabitants of Lake-town, who hope the dwarves will fulfill prophecies of Smaugs demise. The expedition travels to the Lonely Mountain and finds the secret door; Bilbo scouts the dragons lair, stealing a great cup and learning of a weakness in Smaugs armor. The enraged dragon, deducing that Lake-town has aided the intruder, sets out to destroy the town. A thrush has overheard Bilbos report of Smaugs vulnerability and reports it to Lake-town defender Bard. His arrow finds the chink and slays the dragon.When the dwarves take possession of the mountain, Bilbo finds the Arkenstone, an heirloom of Thorins dynasty, and hides it away. The Wood-elves and Lake-men besiege the mountain and request compensation for their aid, reparations for Lake-towns destruction, and settlement of old claims on the treasure. Thorin refuses and, having summoned his kin from the Iron Hills, reinforces his position. Bilbo tries to ransom the Arkenstone to head off a war, but Thorin is intransigent. He banishes Bilbo, and battle seems inevitable.Gandalf reappears to warn all of an approaching army of goblins and Wargs. The dwarves, men, and elves band together, but only with the timely arrival of the eagles and Beorn do they win the climactic Battle of Five Armies. Thorin is fatally wounded and reconciles with Bilbo before he dies. Bilbo accepts only a small portion of his share of the treasure, having no want or need for more, but still returns home a very wealthy hobbit. Themes The Hobbit is a simple tale when compared to Tolkiens masterpiece  The Lord of the Rings. It does, however, contain several themes: It explores the process by which an untested individual develops the insight and skills to become a leader;It guides the reader to question the value of wealth as opposed to peace and contentment;It builds on Tolkiens personal experience in World War I to consider the question of whether victory, though desirable, is worth the price of war.

Same Business, Different Countries Research Paper

Same Business, Different Countries - Research Paper Example It has a unique status in the consumer market due to the continuous inventions and introduction of latest technology. For instance, it is acknowledged for inventing light bulbs, audio cassettes, C.T. scan machines etc. (Company Profile, 2013). In comparison to this Hitachi is located in Japan and it typically deals in electronic systems in trains, power tools, elevators, construction machinery, medical equipment etc. The core values of the company include harmony and sincerity within the corporation and with the outside world. Moreover, it aspires to make an immense contribution to the society through facilitating its members with the latest technology. Both companies commonly deal in televisions, refrigerators, multimedia projectors etc. (Hitachi Group Identity, 2013). Comparative Analysis One of the biggest challenges faced by both the organizations is that of technology. In the contemporary world, technology has taken precedence over every other business issue due to the fact that today companies dealing in electronic products need to bring an innovation far before their competitors. In addition to this once the new technology is introduced by either Hitachi or Philips, it becomes easier for other competitors to produce its replica (Dubbink, 2011). Although both the organizations are located at entirely different places since the world has now become a global village, companies operating even at different places but with similar products face same problems. This is primarily due to immense competition and same consumer market. For instance, home appliances of Hitachi and Philips are available in western and eastern countries with the same frequency. Therefore when one of them introduces a new technology the competitor has to come up with more advanced products so as to maintain its market share and profits. Otherwise, the competing organization would lose its consumers which can also destroy the overall prestige of the company (Dubbink, 2011). Excelling in t he current business environment needs extra managerial skills and abilities. Although Hitachi and Philips are operating in the same industry on the international level both of them have distinctiveness on the country level and therefore their decision-making style and management strategies vary from one another. Following are most common differences between them: Social: As discussed above Hitachi gives huge importance to the social welfare and overall progress of the society. In Japan, they work while considering the future issues of the society and its variable needs hence when it comes to decision making Hitachi considers the benefits of its society, employees and other related members of the organization (Hitachi Group Identity, 2013). In contrast to this Philips has a major focus over the improvement of lives all over the world which means that their business strategies do not only cover the homeland rather they plan for the welfare of people across the borders (Company Profile , 2013). Political: Political conditions in Japan and Netherlands are better than the eastern parts of the world. However, the political turmoil in countries with consumers actually influences the overall strength and managerial decisions of Hitachi and Philips (Ferdinand & Grapperhaus, 2009). Ethical: Business ethics play a vital role in the overall success of any organization.  Ã‚