Racial and Ethnic Inequality Essay Example

Racial and Ethnic Inequality Paper Inequality cannot be separated from the concept of poverty, and with other societal issues. There are different kinds of inequality but one of the most prevalent, besides the ones previously mentioned economic disparity, is that of racial and ethnic origin. Racial and ethnic inequalities result from the recognition of physical or cultural differences between groups and attaching social definitions to them. For instance, black and Hispanic students are usually stigmatized as poor in class relative to their Asian and White counterparts. Richard Anderson (2000) from the University of Colorado at Denver confirmed that African American Air Force trainees fare not quite as good with the other students because of the (white) instructors’ alleged lack of faith in their capacities. They are not given as much opportunity to take risk, which is an integral part in their course. Another form of inequality is one inflicted among women. Although prevalent in the Third Worlds of Africa and Asia, gender inequality is definitely a worldwide phenomenon. Nobel laureate Amartya Sen (2001) presented the â€Å"many faces of gender inequality† in his works. The seven types are mortality inequality, natality inequality, basic facility inequality, special opportunity inequality, professional inequality, ownership inequality and household inequality. For modern societies, women’s oppressions typically include the burden of maintaining career and home at the same, as well as roadblocks to occupational or educational success. However, in traditional cultures where women are viewed as mere second-class citizens, domestic abuse, abortion of female babies and foetal-sex change becomes the problem. Just like women, non-heterosexual persons like gays, lesbians, transsexuals and transgender individuals are common victims of inequalities. Often referred to as societal problems due to a person’s sexual orientations, Lucianne Englert (2005) of Indiana University wrote that injustices faced by these people are present everywhere, from work and housing discrimination to lack of tax benefits akin to state-recognized marriages. We will write a custom essay sample on Racial and Ethnic Inequality specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Racial and Ethnic Inequality specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Racial and Ethnic Inequality specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Gay bashings, legal separation from their children and revoked rights to HIV status privacy also occurs. Beloved and Sethe are two characters whose lives are actually greatly influenced, if not altogether determined by circumstances that are established, ironically borne out of another concept of morality. Some people at the time probably have actually believed it right to discriminate, as slavery is borne out of racism which is borne out of ethnocentric perspectives of what is good and evil, such as the association of white to good and of black to evil. The problem starts when only one perspective is forced unto all. What happens to the other side of the story, which is that of the blacks? Poverty and inequality are two of the greatest problems afflicting the world today. They bore the greatest effect on human lives and cannot be separated from other ails afflicting society. Once the public collectively attach labels to the traits distinctive of a particular group or gender, behaviour towards this group is altered. This will eventually shape their roles in the community. The adverse affect of this may range from overt, like a denied admission to a good university, or subtle, like slower customer services. Generally, their parity right to resources and opportunities is breached and due to the differential treatment, they are involuntarily segregated as unwanted members of the population. BIBLIOGRAPHY Anderson, R. H. (2000). Racial and Ethnic Inequality. Retrieved May 24, 2007 at: http://carbon. cudenver. edu/public/sociology/introsoc/topics/ UnitNotes/week07. html Asquith, Stewart. The Role of the Social Worker in the 21st Century. Retrieved May 24, 2007 at: http://www.indiana.edu/~rcapub/v18n2/p23.html

Stories of Scottsboro essays

Stories of Scottsboro essays "Stories of Scottsboro" by James Goodman is an in-depth look at the case and overall events that occurred when nine black men are accused of raping two young white women. The black men range in age from thirteen to nineteen. And the two women whom they are accused of raping are seventeen and twenty-one years old. The men are arrested in March of 1931 at a train depot in Paint Rock Alabama after getting into a fight with a group of white men around the same age on the train earlier that day. They are then taken to a jail in Scottsboro Alabama because Scottsboro is the county seat of Jackson County. They were sentenced to death after a rushed and racially based trial, which caused much controversy within the United States and attracted attention around the globe. "Stories of Scottsboro" is told from a third-person point of view and is written as a narrative. James Goodman is not presenting new information in this book; he is just arranging information that is already known to exist into an easy to follow retelling of the events that occurred during the trials through the eyes of people that were there. Goodman's book is written in an interesting way. The book is divided into fifty-four rather short chapters in which he tells the story from a different perspective in each chapter, but still in the form of a narrative. With this narrative style and division of chapters into different perspectives, the book flows very well and captures the events taking place very thoroughly. He lists his sources in the bibliography and also briefly explains what his sources are in the preface. In the preface he says, "My sources include diaries, memoirs, oral histories, and autobiographies; previous histories of Scottsboro and numerous other works of history " Goodman's goal with this book is to tell the stories of what happened on a more individual level in contrast to solely explaining why the men were arrested and how they were not given a fair t...

Twelve Days in France and Italy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Twelve Days in France and Italy - Essay Example I learned that the French were quite different in temperament to the Italians and that I preferred the latter's approach to life. But I realized how open I am to the cultures of others, and how much I enjoy learning about them. Our first stop was the French capital, Paris. We arrived there late on a cold, rainy night and I remember how amazed I was, staring out of the window at the colorful Paris avenue, the famous Champs Elysee. As the bus moved through the city, I was impressed with the bustling yet organized activity, and the marvelous architectural structures, like the Arc de Triomphe, the famous museum of the Louvre, and eventually, I saw the Eiffel Tower. Everywhere, lights twinkled through the rain, as if all the city was alive with gentle movement. We had dinner that night in the Eiffel Tower's restaurant and I ate a typical French chocolate crepes. This was my first experience of French cuisine, so I had to take the opportunity and taste it. After dinner, I remember gazing with awe at the incredible lights of the perfectly laid out city of Paris. At last, I was capable of understanding why people refer to Paris as the "city of lights." On our way back to the hotel, I admired the reflection of the E iffel Tower's lights in the River Siene, and this has been an enduring memory of the beauty of the place, for me.The next morning we went to the famous Louvre Museum. It was incredible to see the variety of art that it contained; from ancient Christian sculptures, to the modern, contemporary paintings of Picasso. The museum provided countless artistic perspectives, showing life as seen from and within different cultures. ... Of course, I remember the Mona Lisa, it would have been impossible not to visit the Museum and not take time to gaze on her face.After having lunch at the Louvre, I decided to take a cup of coffee in a nearby restaurant. While in the coffee shop, I was impressed by the French people's elegance and courtesy. However, it seemed strange that it was so silent there. There were no televisions or radios blaring out noise, and people sat alone, having their coffee. Everybody in the coffee shop was silent, reading newspapers - some were even writing poetry. It was certainly very different from my Puerto Rican culture. The people in my country usually have their coffee in groups, listening to the radio or the television news. My impressions of the city were first, how beautiful and well-designed it was, and next, how calm and orderly the place, people and activity there appeared. After spending another five days in Paris, during which my first impressions were confirmed, we headed to our next destination, Italy. Rome was very different from Paris. On our way to the hotel, I could see, far away in the distance, the astonishing structure of the Roman Coliseum. The city was certainly a lot older than Paris. But I was delighted by the way in which the modern and ancient combined, with a lively, more vibrant 'buzz', going on, more chaotic than Paris, but people seemed happy. I was wondering how, in ancient times, the Romans could have constructed such amazing buildings, still standing and intact, after thousands of years. It was magnificent to be able to view all this history and grandeur. We arrived later in the afternoon, exhausted from the long journey. The group

Job analysis 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Job analysis 1 - Essay Example Several studies have explored the close link between job analysis and company performance and conclude that when the analysed jobs suit the employees well, they perform well in their jobs, and this translates to improved company performance in general (Cascio, 1998). It is essential that a job analysis to accurately identify the jobholder’s knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA) because this would decide the operational effectiveness in the provision of quality performance of a worker (Safdar et al., 2010). Cascio (1995) claims that when organizations understand the KSA of their employees, it helps them plan for changes or create new jobs and recruit the qualified candidate accordingly so organizational goals are met. Cornelius et al. (1979) enumerated categories of job analysis methods. One is the task-oriented approach wherein each job is broken down into more basic units called tasks. The focus of analysis for this approach is the work activity itself. Another is the worker- oriented job approach where the unit of analysis is not the task but the human behaviours involved in completing the work. Jobs are described by the processes undertaken by the workers. Third and last is the abilities-oriented approach proposed by Fleishman (1972, 1975). This approach focuses on the underlying abilities and aptitudes of the worker – the qualities he possesses that make him suited for the job. For this particular job analysis project, it will fall under the abilities-oriented approach which corresponds to the competency-focused approach (Siddique, 2004). It will give special attention to competencies such as â€Å"interpersonal skills, conflict resolution skills, innovative thinking, flexibility, decision-making ability and self-motivation (Sherman et al., 1998; Dessler ,2003)† (Siddique, 2004, p. 226). That is why it is important to analyse the jobholder’s skills as it applies to her job. This job analysis is for a secretary/ administrative assi stant. The methods used were interviews and self-reports based on standardized questionnaires taken by the jobholder. These evaluation questionnaires were part of the jobholder’s human resource training conducted recently. Its purpose was to evaluate the jobholder’s skills and its compatibility for her job and her future aspiration to be part of the sales team. The jobs she is currently holding as secretary/ administrative assistant as well as the job she wants in the future in sales both need skills in customer relations. The method of interview with the jobholder initiated the job analysis. I spent one afternoon talking with the jobholder, asking semi-structured questions about her work. Soon, she revealed her own self-analysis which will later be reconciled with the job analysis and if she is in the right job. Summary of Interview Job Description The jobholder’s work as a secretary doubles as the administrative assistant to 2 General Sales Managers. Her job d escription includes assisting her supervisors and the entire sales team of 48 taskforce to manage office administration procedures. Her general administrative duties include correspondence, invoicing, advertisements, calculation of timesheets, petty cash and office equipment maintenance and a full spectrum of secretarial duties. She

Compare two compay Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Compare two compay - Essay Example Financial ratios are extremely important when it comes to analyzing a company, Google has generate a lot of revenue in the last few years, here is a look at their financial ratios and how well they have actually been faring. All these ratios clearly show that Google inc is financially very sound and there is nothing to worry about for the company but they have several competitors and can’t afford to rest on their laurels. Employees are more than willing to work for Google because the organization has established itself as one of the best companies in the world, in the year 2007 and 2008 Google was the top company to work for, it is one of the very best companies across the globe, they treat their employees with a lot of respect and they take special efforts to motivate them. All this success is because of their leadership and cross-functional organizational structure. Google employs the rule of â€Å"70-20-10† this means the employees can communicate directly with each other, this much improved communication system has been the key to success. Formal channels are normally avoided by the company to avoid any misunderstandings, the staff is always highly motivated because they have a sense of belief that they can contribute immensely towards the company, this sense of belief keeps them motivated and inspires them to keep performing for the company. Apple has been a revolution, their products have been selling like hot cakes, â€Å"it was earlier reported that company is more stable than the US Government.† (Apple has More Money than the US Government) The products sold by apple are mainly for entertainment, there is a lot of competition in this filed, apple is undoubtedly the present leader but things may change within no time. Dell, Hp and Lenovo give apple a run for its money when it comes to computer hardware. Media player and Windows operating system are the two main rivals of apple

The Run Away Children Children And Young People Essay

The Run Away Children Children And Young People Essay This chapter to focusing on characterization of the run-away children like on the basis of their activity work at platform, income, available support, reason of run away, their family background, and analyzing their reason of run away and related things. 2.2 Characterizing the runaway children Yardstick used to characterize the run-away children is based on their age, sex, how many times they run away, their parental care at their home, their work at their home and on the platform, their living condition on platform, how they are living in platform etc. based on the sample taken, observation and other process of the study. 2.3 Age of the child Age group Sample of the study restricted up to 6-15, but later at the location some more children added those who are more than age group of 15 but less than 18. Hence NGO working for run away children also considering the age group up to 18 and also we added as per the requirement to add children up to age group of 18. The age group ratio we found on the railway station is as below in table: Available data is clearly showing the status of run-away children; the most them are belongs to the age group of 11-14. Where very less belongs to the age group of 15-18. And the second lessor one from the age group less than age group of less than 10. And that seems more probably due to that they are very small to run away from home or from work place or form any respected place. Another lowest one belongs from the age group of 15-18, mainly due to during the age in case of boy they being mature and they moving from the platform for different work to somewhere else. And in case of girl we don ¿Ã‚ ½t have much information but as from discussion it comes out that brokers are very active as well girls are more vulnerable belongs from these age group. 2.4 Samples separated by Girls and Boys (primary data, N=53) Firstly our sample is biased to tell about run away children on platform based on their sex. Due to permission problem we didn ¿Ã‚ ½t get opportunity to have girl sample. But with help of SATHI we had taken only 25% sample of girl among total number of sample. But through the observation also it was very clear those girls are living very less on the platform. As per the available secondary data from SATHI, it shows that about 33.33% children are girl among all run away. 2.5 Religion of the child Religion of children doesn ¿Ã‚ ½t made any to sense to say that children are run away because they are belongs to XYZ community. But as per sample taken 37 children are Hindu; 13 Muslims; 3 Christians; and 1 Sikh. And according to the CWC secondary data Hindu- 71%, Muslims 14%, Christian 13% and others 2 %.( source: primary data) 2.6 Status of children before run away It is necessary to explore about the run-away children what they were doing before running away. Whether they are studying, working or doing nothing means not studying and not working. Children what do they were doing before they run away? Definitely it is making one sense; it may be a cause for run-away the children. Like children those who were going to school they may have problem to getting into stress because they might disliking to go school. Similarly they might have fear of teacher. Similarly as children those who were working can run away due to exploitation at the work place. In some of the cases children runaway because they sent by their parents for work and they are getting exploited at the workplace in such condition they cannot think to go back and cannot work too. Such kinds of situation also forcing to run away. One thing I noticed common in run-away children is their confidence may be that also one factor because of that they rebel from the situation and run away. We also got cases of sexual exploitation but it ware seldom for male but it was more in case of girl at their respected work place nothing surprising. 2.7 Times of run away Basically run away children comes into two type 1) Habitual run away 2) Fresher; those run away first time. As per the sample 66% children are first time runaway. Habitual children basically having psychological problem. Like in few cases children away several times. Not only from their house or workplace they are running away from anywhere. Among the habitual children some of them are liking platform life so much, even they don ¿Ã‚ ½t want to go back their home. Usually NGOs working for the platform children are conducting rehabitation camp. After the camp most of the children are getting rehabitated. But old children don ¿Ã‚ ½t want to attain camp even they don ¿Ã‚ ½t like to go with such kind of process of the NGO. Besides they are taking opportunity of such facility available for them like shelter and food. The problem not much complicated for those who run away first time but here around 44% children are runaway more than one time, May be because they like the platform life. Some cases also there where children are living on the platform because they don ¿Ã‚ ½t know the way to go back, and children those who run away several times cannot go back because they rejected by the family several times. 2.8 Status of Family Children are running away one of the reason due to the parental care. We got the same result through the primary and secondary data. Through the sample we got from total run away, 32.5% boy are orphan; And among all orphan 14% not having father and mother. 31.25% without mother and 56.25 are without father. At home children without mother and father, feels so lonely, no body taking care of them as father and mother. Once they run away they don ¿Ã‚ ½t wanted to back. And also we found the similar cases among those not having either mother or father. 2.9 Contact with family We have assumptions that run away children means they wouldn ¿Ã‚ ½t have any contact from the family. But it wasn ¿Ã‚ ½t true. Habitual run away children those who are finally settled on platform few of them having contact with their family. Some children having contact with them. Some of the children sending money to their house also. Hence after spending necessary amount of money on their need. They wouldn ¿Ã‚ ½t have anything thing to do. In some cases we found that children sent money to their house upto Rs. 5000. During the study it comes out 3.77% family having contact with their family. We also found some cases in which children going back in bad weather (like extreme cold) they are used to go their home. Discussion with habitual child having contact with family The child front in photo, we meet several time with him throughout the month. Child is habitual to live in platform, and don ¿Ã‚ ½t wanted to go back their home. He knows properly way of their home. After asking the children why you don ¿Ã‚ ½t want to go your home. He replied  ¿Ã‚ ½my family don ¿Ã‚ ½t like me ¿Ã‚ ½ during the discussion he also explained he sent Rs. 5000 to their family last month (March 2012). We asked  ¿Ã‚ ½Why? If they don ¿Ã‚ ½t like you? He replied by being irritating  ¿Ã‚ ½not for my mother and father, I sent that for my sister, her hand was broken when she fallen down ¿Ã‚ ½. I again asked do you visiting your home sometime? He replied yes! Sometimes too meet my sister 2.10 Reason for the run away There are several reasons that may be responsible to run away a children like both psychological and non-psychological. That discussed as below: 2.10.1 Psychological reason In government home through the participatory observation, it came out that so many children are running away due to their psychological reason. They can run away even because of very small reason. Like one boy we found in the government home who run away only due to their parents not allowed him to fly the kites and also to restrict the child they beaten also. Child rebelled against their family and run away. And similar so many cases exist because of the children run away. Some other cases like attraction to go city, dream to earn more money and be a rich person, become more confident and having dream to achieve anything. We also observed some children those who rebelled even in SATHI camp. And also they not getting into control easily. 2.10.2 Non-psychological reason Apart from the psychological reason there are so many non-psychological problems are there because of that children are running away. Like family related problem, physical abuse, sexual abuse, road side dwellers, work related problem, uncaring family, and fear after doing something wrong. From the sample taken and discussion with children following the comes out; see below the table: Figure 7: Reasons of runaway (source: primary data) Also in case of so many children, sometimes one problem may cases of runaway the children and sometimes combination of more than one problem. Like in case of Ismayl he is eldest son in their family. His father and mother bother were suffering from dieses as well they credit on their head that also due to the treatment. To overcome from loan and take care of family his mother sent him for work. For the sake of their family he started to work but later he mingle with the plateform life as well as so much stress due to family and at work place; he left out the place and reached out to New Delhi railway station. Similarly, child having problem like so much family problem; means fight within the family, physical abuse, alcoholic and abuse, parental care like having step mother or step father, illicit relationship among mother and father, insufficient income of the family that forces them to send their children to work on platform. Another problem are like due to peer. We found few cases where children were run away only because of Peer Company. And also in some cases they wanted to visit city and getting support of their friend also pulled them to go out.

The Electoral College System :: essays research papers

The Electoral College System   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  You walk in to the voting booth on the first Tuesday of November to cast your vote for who you think should be president. You take your ballot into the box believing, as most people do, that your vote will be counted along with the rest of the population. You do this because you believe it could be the deciding vote for the presidential race. Well, you are wrong. Your vote only decides who the electors that join the Electoral College in December will be, but the elector can always change his or her vote. How can this be right? What happened to the idea of a democracy where every citizen had his or her say? The Electoral College worked in the beginning because there were no political parties or political campaigns. During the next four presidential campaigns, political parties began to emerge in the United States. During the presidential election of 1800, two candidates from the same party received an equal number of votes. It took the House of Representatives thirty-six tries to break the tie. The tiebreaker involved bribes and other political dealings that the Electoral College was designed to prevent. This all prompted the Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution in 1804.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Amendment requires that each Elector cast one vote for president and another vote for vice president. If that system does not come up with a majority winner, then the House of Representatives selects the winner from the top three contenders. The U.S. Senate selects the vice president from the top two contenders if one candidate does not receive the majority vote.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In a winner take all state; if a candidate receives 51 percent of the vote, he automatically wins the electoral votes for the state. If that state happens to be California, he has won 54 of the 538 possible votes. That is 1/5th of the amount of votes needed to win the presidency. So, if a candidate won only ten of the states' electoral votes, he can win the presidential race without taking into account the other 40 states (Procedural). That is just not the way a democracy is supposed to work. I believe that it is time for the United States Government to start realizing that the campaign process is getting out of control. The majority of presidential candidates only want to win a state's electoral votes. They do not concentrate on the smaller states.

The Return: Midnight Chapter 21

Someone was still knocking on Stefan's door. â€Å"It's a woodpecker,†Elena said when she could speak. â€Å"They knock, don't they?† â€Å"On doors inside houses?†Stefan said dazedly. â€Å"Ignore it and it wil go away.† A moment later the knocking resumed. Elena moaned, â€Å"I don't believe this.† Stefan whispered, â€Å"Do you want me to bring you its head? Unattached from its neck, I mean?† Elena considered. As the knocking continued, she was getting more worried and less confused. â€Å"Better see if it is a bird, I guess,†she said. Stefan rol ed away from her, somehow got on his jeans, and went reeling to the door. In spite of herself, Elena pitied whoever was on the other side. The knocking started again. Stefan reached the door and nearly wrenched it off its hinges. â€Å"What the – â€Å"He stopped, suddenly moderating his voice. â€Å"Mrs. Flowers?† â€Å"Yes,†Mrs. Flowers said, deliberately not seeing Elena, who was wearing a sheet and directly in her line of vision. â€Å"It's poor dear Meredith,†Mrs. Flowers said. â€Å"She's in such a state, and she says she has to see you now, Stefan.† Elena's mind switched tracks as suddenly and smoothly as a train. Meredith? In a state? Demanding to see Stefan, even if, as Elena was sure she must have, Mrs. Flowers had delicately indicated just how†¦busy Stefan was at the moment? Her mind was Stillsolidly linked with Stefan's. He said, â€Å"Thank you, Mrs. Flowers. I'l be down in just a moment.† Elena, who was slipping into her clothes as fast as she could, while crouching on the far side of the bed, added a telepathic suggestion. â€Å"Maybe you could make her a nice cup of tea – I mean, a cup of tea,†Stefan added. â€Å"Yes, dear, what a good idea,†Mrs. Flowers said gently. â€Å"And if you should see Elena, perhaps you could say that dear Meredith is asking for her, too?† â€Å"We wil ,†Stefan said automatical y. Then he turned around and hastily shut the door. Elena gave him time to put his shirt and shoes on, and then they both hurried down to the kitchen, where Meredith was not having a nice cup of tea, but pacing around like a caged leopard. Stefan began, â€Å"What's – â€Å" â€Å"I'l tel you what's wrong, Stefan Salvatore! No – you tel me! You were in my mind before, so you must know. You must have been able to see – to tel – about me.† Elena was Stillmindlocked with Stefan. She felt his dismay. â€Å"To tel what about you?†he asked gently, pul ing out a chair at the kitchen table so Meredith could sit. The very simple act of sitting down, of pausing to respond to civility, seemed to calm Meredith slightly. But StillElena could feel her fear and pain like the taste of a steel sword on her tongue. Meredith accepted a hug and became a little calmer yet. A little more herself and less like a caged animal. But the struggle was so visceral and so clear within her that Elena couldn't bear to leave her, even when Mrs. Flowers deposited four mugs of tea around the table and took another chair Stefan offered. Then Stefan sat down. He knew Elena would stand or sit or share a chair with Meredith, but whatever it was, she would be the one to decide. Mrs. Flowers was gently stirring honey into her mug of tea and then passing the honey along to Stefan who gave it to Elena who put just the little bit that Meredith liked into Meredith's mug and stirred it gently, too. The ordinary, civilized sounds of two spoons quietly clinking seemed to relax Meredith Stillfurther. She took the mug Elena gave her and sipped, then drank thirstily. Elena could feel Stefan's mental sigh of relief as Meredith floated down another few levels. He politely sipped his own tea, which was hot but not burning hot and made from natural y sweet berries and herbs. â€Å"It's good,†Meredith said. She was almost a human now. â€Å"Thank you, Mrs. Flowers.† Elena felt lighter. She relaxed enough to pul over her own cup of tea and squeeze lots of honey in and stir it and take a gulp. Good! Calming down tea! That's chamomile and cucumber, Stefan told her. â€Å"Chamomile and cucumber,†Elena said, nodding wisely, â€Å"for calming down.†And then she blushed, for Mrs. Flowers's bright smile had knowledge in it. Elena hastily drank more tea and watched Meredith have more tea and everything began to feel almost al right. Meredith was completely Meredith now, not some fierce animal. Elena squeezed her friend's hand tightly. There was just one problem. Humans were less frightening than beasts but they could cry. Now Meredith, who never wept, was shaking and tears were dripping into the tea. â€Å"You know what morcillo is, right?†she asked Elena at last. Elena nodded hesitantly. â€Å"We had it sometimes in stew at your house?†she said. â€Å"And for tapas?†Elena had grown up with the blood sausage as a meal or a snack at her friend's house, and she was used to the bite-sized pieces as a delicious food only Mrs. Sulez made. Elena felt Stefan's heart sinking. She looked back and forth from him to Meredith. â€Å"It turns out my mother didn't always make it,†Meredith said, looking at Stefan now. â€Å"And my parents had a very good reason for changing my birthday.† â€Å"Just tel it al ,†Stefan suggested softly. And then Elena felt something she hadn't before. A surge, like a wave – a long gentle swell that spoke right into the center of Meredith's brain. It said: Just tell it and be calm. No anger. No fear. But it wasn't telepathy. Meredith felt the thought in her blood and bones, but didn't hear it with her ears. It was Influence. Before Elena could brain her beloved Stefan with her mug for using Influence on one of her friends, Stefan said, just to her, Meredith's hurting, feeling scared and angry. She has reason to, but she needs peace. I probably won't be able to hold her anyway, but I'll try. Meredith wiped her eyes. â€Å"It turns out that nothing was like what I thought happened – that night when I was three.†She described what her parents had told her, about everything that Klaus had done. Tel ing the story, even quietly, was undoing al the calming influences that had helped Meredith maintain herself. She was beginning to shake again. Before Elena could grab her, she was up and striding around the room. â€Å"He laughed and said that I'd need blood every week – animal blood – or I'd die. I didn't need much. Just a tablespoon or two. And my poor mother didn't want to lose another child. She did what he told her to. But what happens if I have more blood, Stefan? What happens if I drink yours?† Stefan was thinking, desperately trying to see if in al his years of experience he'd come across anything like this. Meanwhile he answered the easy part. â€Å"If you drank enough of my blood you'd become a vampire. But so would anyone. With you – Well, it might take less. So don't let any vampire trick you into blood exchange. Once might be enough.† â€Å"So I'm not a vampire? Now? Not any kind? Are there different kinds?† Stefan answered seriously. â€Å"I've never heard of ‘different kinds'of vampires in my life, except for Old Ones. I can tel you that you don't have a vampire's aura. What about your teeth? Can you make your canines sharp? Usual y it's best to test over human flesh. Not your own.† Elena promptly stuck out her arm, wrist vein-side up. Meredith, eyes closed in concentration, made a great effort, which Elena felt through Stefan. Then Meredith opened her eyes, mouth also open for a dental inspection. Elena stared at her canines. They looked a little bit sharp, but so did anybody's, didn't they? Careful y Elena reached a fingertip in. She touched one of Meredith's canines. Tiny pinch. Startled, Elena pul ed back. She stared at her finger where a very smal drop of blood was well ing up. Everyone watched it, mesmerized. Then Elena's mouth said without pausing to consult her brain, â€Å"You have kitten teeth.† The next moment Meredith had brushed Elena aside and was pacing wildly al around the kitchen. â€Å"I won't be one! I won't be! I'm a hunter-slayer, not a vampire! I'l kill myself if I'm a vampire!†She was deadly serious. Elena felt Stefan feeling it, the quick thrust of the stave between her ribs and into the heart. She would go on the Internet to find the right area. Ironwood and white ash piercing her heart, Stilling it forever†¦sealing off the evil that was Meredith Sulez. Be calm! Be calm! Stefan's Influence flooded into her. Meredith was not calm. â€Å"But before that I have to kil my brother.†She flung down a photograph on Mrs. Flowers's kitchen table. â€Å"It turns out that Klaus or someone has been sending these since Cristian was four – on my real birthday. For years! And in every picture you could see his vampire teeth. Not ‘kitten teeth.'And then they stopped coming when I was about ten. But they had shown him growing up! With pointed teeth! And last year this one came.† Elena leaped for the photo, but it was closer to Stefan and he was faster. He stared in astonishment. â€Å"Growing up?†he said. She could feel how shaken he was – and how envious. No one had given him that option. Elena looked at the pacing Meredith and around at Stefan. â€Å"But it's impossible, isn't it?†she said. â€Å"I thought that if you were bitten, that was it, right? You never got any older – or bigger.† â€Å"That's what I thought too. But Klaus was an Old One and who knows what they can do?†Stefan answered. Damon will be furious when he finds out, Elena told Stefan privately, reaching for the picture even though she'd already seen it through Stefan's eyes. Damon was very bitter about Stefan's height advantage – about anyone's height advantage. Elena brought the picture to Mrs. Flowers and looked at it with her. It showed an extremely handsome boy, with hair that was just Meredith's dark color. He looked like Meredith in his facial structure and olive skin. He was wearing a motorcycle jacket and gloves, but no helmet, and he was laughing merrily with a ful set of very white teeth. You could easily see that the canines were long and pointed. Elena looked back and forth from Meredith to the picture. The only difference she could see was that this boy's eyes seemed lighter. Everything else screamed â€Å"twins.† â€Å"First I kil him,†Meredith repeated tiredly. â€Å"Then I kil myself.†She stumbled back to the table and sat, almost knocking over her chair. Elena hovered near her, snatching two mugs from the table, to prevent Meredith's clumsy arm from sweeping them to the floor. Meredith†¦clumsy! Elena had never seen Meredith ungraceful or clumsy before. It was frightening. Was it somehow due to being – at least partly – a vampire? The kitten teeth? Elena turned apprehensive eyes on Stefan, felt Stefan's own bewilderment. Then both of them, without consultation, turned to look at Mrs. Flowers. She gave them an apologetic little-old-lady smile. â€Å"Gotta kil †¦find him, kil him†¦first,†Meredith was whispering as her dark head lowered to the table, to the pil ow of her arms. â€Å"Find him†¦where? Grandpa†¦where? Cristian†¦my brother†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena listened silently until there was only soft breathing to be heard. â€Å"You drugged her?†she whispered to Mrs. Flowers. â€Å"It was what Ma ma thought best. She's a strong, healthy girl. It won't harm her to sleep from now through the night. Because I'm sorry to tel you, but we have another problem right now.† Elena glanced at Stefan, saw fear dawning on his face, and demanded, â€Å"What?†Absolutely nothing was coming through their link. He'd shut it down. Elena turned to Mrs. Flowers. â€Å"What?† â€Å"I'm very worried about dear Matt.† â€Å"Matt,†agreed Stefan, looking around the table as if to show that Matt wasn't there. He was trying to protect Elena from the chil s racing through him. At first Elena wasn't alarmed. â€Å"I know where he might be,†she said brightly. She was remembering stories that Matt had told of being in Fel ‘s Church while she and the others had been in the Dark Dimension. â€Å"Dr. Alpert's place. Or out with her, making the rounds of home visits.† Mrs. Flowers shook her head, her expression bleak. â€Å"I'm afraid not, Elena dear. Sophia – Dr. Alpert – cal ed me and told me she was taking Matt's mother, your own family, and several other people with her and escaping Fel ‘s Church entirely. And I don't blame her a bit – but Matt wasn't one of those going. She said he meant to stay and fight. That was around twelve thirty.† Elena's eyes automatical y went to the kitchen clock. Horror shot through her, flipping her stomach and reverberating out to her fingertips. The clock said 4:35 – 4:35 P.M.! But that had to be wrong. She and Stefan had only joined minds a few minutes ago. Meredith's rage hadn't lasted that long. This was impossible! â€Å"That clock – it's not right!†She appealed to Mrs. Flowers, but heard at the same time Stefan's telepathic voice, It's the mind-blending. I didn't want to rush. But I was lost in it too – it's not your fault, Elena! â€Å"It is my fault,†Elena snapped back aloud. â€Å"I never meant to forget about my friends for the entire afternoon! And Matt – Matt would never scare us by keeping us waiting for his cal ! I should have cal ed him! I shouldn't have been – â€Å"She looked at Stefan with unhappy eyes. The only thing burning inside her right now was the shame of failing Matt. â€Å"I did cal his mobile number,†Mrs. Flowers said very gently. â€Å"Ma ma advised me to do so, al the way back at half past twelve. But he didn't answer. I've cal ed every hour since. Ma ma won't say more than that it's time we looked into things directly.† Elena ran to Mrs. Flowers and wept on the soft cambric lacework at the old woman's neck. â€Å"You did our job for us,†she said. â€Å"Thank you. But now we have to go and find him.† She whirled on Stefan. â€Å"Can you put Meredith in the first-floor bedroom? Just take off her shoes and put her on top of the covers. Mrs. Flowers, if you're going to be alone here, we'l leave Saber and Talon to take care of you. Then we'l keep in touch by mobile. And we'l search every house in Fel ‘s Church – but I guess we should go to the thicket first†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Wait, Elena my dear.†Mrs. Flowers had her eyes shut. Elena waited, shifting impatiently from one foot to the other. Stefan was just returning from putting Meredith in the front room. Suddenly, Mrs. Flowers smiled, eyes Stillshut. â€Å"Ma ma says she wil do her utmost for you two, since you are so devoted to your friend. She says that Matt is not anywhere in Fel ‘s Church. And she says, take the dog, Saber. The falcon wil watch over Meredith while we are away.†Mrs. Flowers's eyes opened. â€Å"Although we might plaster her window and door with Post-it Notes,†she said, â€Å"just to make sure.† â€Å"No,†Elena said flatly. â€Å"I'm sorry, but I won't leave Meredith and you on your own with only a bird for protection. We'l take you both with us, covered in amulets if you like, and then we can take both animals, too. Back in the Dark Dimension, they worked together when Bloddeuwedd was trying to kil us.† â€Å"Al right,†Stefan said at once, knowing Elena well enough to realize that a half-hour-long argument could ensue and Elena would never be moved an inch from her position. Mrs. Flowers must have known it too, for she rose, also immediately, and went to get ready. Stefan carried Meredith out to her car. Elena gave a tiny whistle for Saber, who was instantly underfoot, seeming bigger than ever, and she raced him up the stairs to Matt's room. It was disappointingly clean – but Elena fished a pair of briefs from between bed and wal . She gave these to Saber to delight in, but found she couldn't stand Still. Final y, she ran up to Stefan's room, snatched her diary from under the mattress, and began scribbling. Dear Diary, I don't know what to do. Matt has disappeared. Damon has taken Bonnie to the Dark Dimension – but is he taking care of her? There's no way to know. We don't have any way to open a Gate ourselves and go after them. I'm afraid Stefan will kill Damon, and if something – anything – has happened to Bonnie, I'll want to kill him too. Oh, God, what a mess! And Meredith†¦of all people, Meredith turns out to have more secrets than all of us combined. All Stefan and I can do is hold each other and pray. We've been fighting Shinichi so long! I feel as if the end is coming soon†¦and I'm afraid. â€Å"Elena!†Stefan's shout came from below. â€Å"We're al ready!† Elena quickly stuffed the diary back under the mattress. She found Saber waiting on the stairs, and fol owed him down, running. Mrs. Flowers had two overcoats covered in amulets. Outside, a long whistle from Stefan was met by an answering keeeeeeee from above and Elena saw a smal dark body circling against the white-streaked August sky. â€Å"She understands,†Stefan said briefly, and took the driver's seat of the car. Elena got into the backseat behind him, and Mrs. Flowers into the front passenger seat. Since Stefan had buckled up Meredith into the middle of the backseat, this left Saber a window to put his panting head through. â€Å"Now,†Stefan said, over the purring of the engine, â€Å"where are we going, exactly?†

Class Actinopterygii Facts and Examples

Class Actinopterygii Facts and Examples The group of ray-finned fishes (Class Actinopterygii) encompasses over 20,000 species of fish that have rays, or spines, in their fins. This separates them from the lobe-finned fishes (Class Sarcopterygii, e.g., the lungfish and coelacanth), which have fleshy fins. Ray-finned fishes make up about half of all known vertebrate species. This group of fish is very diverse, so species come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. The ray-finned fishes include some of the most well-known fish, including tuna, cod, and even seahorses. Classification Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Feeding Ray-finned fishes have a wide variety of feeding strategies. One interesting technique is that of the anglerfish, which entice their prey toward them using a movable (sometimes light-emitting) spine that is above the fishs eyes. Some fish, such as the bluefin tuna, are excellent predators, speedily capturing their prey as they swim through the water. Habitat and Distribution Ray-finned fishes live in a wide variety of habitats, including the deep sea, tropical reefs, polar regions, lakes, rivers, ponds and desert springs. Reproduction Ray-finned fishes may lay eggs or bear live young, depending on the species. African cichlids actually keep their eggs and protect the young in their mouth. Some, like seahorses, have elaborate courtship rituals. Conservation and Human Uses Ray-finned fishes have long been sought for human consumption, with some species considered overfished. In addition to commercial fishing, many species are recreationally fished. They are also used in aquariums. Threats to ray-finned fishes include overexploitation, habitat destruction, and pollution.

Reservoir Dogs Essays (633 words) - Concept Albums, Feces

Reservoir Dogs Essays (633 words) - Concept Albums, Feces Reservoir Dogs Gangsters, violence, murder and corruption !!!!! If these are some of the things that you're into, then this is your kind of movie. Be ready to watch it more than once to be sure to get all the movie has to offer because it jumps from subject to subject and can be a little confusing. The movie on the whole was really great. It was filled with some pretty gory scenes and extreme violent content, Tarantinos' trademark. The way he portrays the real life aspects of crime and violence are unbelievable. I wonder if he experienced some of these things himself and that's why he has a realistic view of them. Then again, I can't really gauge how realistic any of these themes are because after watching this kind of movie it makes me feel like I lead a really sheltered lifestyle. Why does all the violence in Tarantinos' movies become so attractive to us normal people? I think it's because most of his material is underworld stuff. He deals with things we can barely relate to. Topics that are so far fetched to a "normal" person that they kind of hypnotize us into watching. Things happen in his movies that are so bizarre, we can't begin to imagine them happening to us in real life. The weird part is, many of these things DO happen every day. We all know there really are gangsters, mobsters and really low-life people that involve themselves in what we think of as underworld crime. Drug deals.... on a level so great... amounts we can't begin to comprehend. Murders, for whatever reason. Even the thought of hiring someone to kill someone else gives us a goose bump or three. In his movies it's almost like borrowing a cup of sugar from your next door neighbor. Chopping off someone's ear would repulse me and probably make me want to spew my lunch. Tarantinos' characters chop off ears then talk into them as if they were using ma bell. His characters attitudes are totally ruthless. They could give a shit if you were the cousin of the president or a nanny. They have a job to do and they do it. No holes barred, no questions asked, no thought given to actions or consequences. They are almost like robots, zombies of the underworld that have no emotions or respect for the value of life. You would think these characters are drugged or brainwashed, but they're not. It amazes me that people do this kind of shit as if it were just another day. It's as second nature to them as brushing our teeth every morning is to us. Belonging. Everyone likes to feel like they fit in. There is a certain comfort level in belonging to something, anything. Even if it is to a gang of criminal types. I think that's another reason we all relate or get captured by viewing these kinds of movies. I can only compare it to a fraternity; fraternity brothers all belong to an organized group. They have similar interests, goals and acquaintances. All Tarantinos' characters have these things in common. Although they aren't exactly what we would consider acceptable, they all still feel this common bond. It's a sick kind of thing though. When you think of all the things life has to offer, why would you want to involve yourself in all this complicated criminal shit? They jeopardize their own existence because even though they are considered members of the organization, they would snuff each other out in the blink of an eye if the right person told them to do it !!!! I have to admit I was totally awed by his movie. I couldn't wait for the next scene to start. As a movie maker, his ideas and the way he presents them are phenomenal. He definitely captures his viewers. You don't even want to blink for fear of missing something. I would like to see him do a movie about topics that aren't so bizarre just to see if the movies would be as good.

Aggressive Marketing and Consumption Culture Term Paper

Aggressive Marketing and Consumption Culture - Term Paper Example This paper seeks to evaluate through analysis in which critical marketing ideas would improve education in marketing and general practice and in the end link the outcome to the idea of people being what they consume. The case will, therefore, integrate the findings of a primary research based on a combination of the same theme areas and create an analysis in the literature. Improvement of any marketing idea is based on the subject getting the knowledge, transforming the theoretical perspectives and putting it into practice (Mort, 1997, p. 20). Marketing knowledge is wide and a basic idea to the business world. Improvement of this knowledge is based on the idea of improving the knowledge of the components of marketing. It, therefore, means that the improvement of the knowledge and practice can only be done if there is a collection of all components, paradigms, and strategies that will create a positive impression on the recipient of the knowledge for improvement. The most important target, however, is the consumer (Penington, 2000, p. 321). The creation of the ideas belying real production and satisfaction of the consumer is the ultimate goal of marketing. The end consumer behavior will determine the success of the knowledge created or the failure of the same. According to Caterral, Maclaran, and Stevens (1999), the improvement can be done by a focus on the marketing paradigms which start with ways of attracting a customer to the creation of the culture of consumption in the customer. This issue is supported by Christine (2013) who highlighted five critical areas of focus to improve marketing knowledge. The areas are; relationship marketing, network, diversity, evangelism, and culture creation. The latter is always the expected and intended outcome.

Marketing Plan Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing Plan Critique - Essay Example However, these marketing plans have some shortcomings that should be identified and corrected if greater success is to be achieved. This essay is a critique of some marketing plans of Colgate-Palmolive Company. It seeks to provide some recommendations that address the solutions to the issues identified. The Marketing Plan of this company is structured to focus on promoting the brand in overseas market as well as ensuring product differentiation and positioning in order to best serve its customers and at the same time beat both its local and regional competitors. To meet these objectives, the company has used the technique of market segmentation in which it has sectioned its products as oral, personal care and household items. Although the company has made efforts to diversify, its major competitors such as Unilever have trimmed their products much more giving them greater advantages over Colgate. Consequently, Colgate has sought to promote its brand through advertisements. Unfortunately, the company does not do these adverts in local languages, unlike its competitors. Advertising in local languages makes the companies identify themselves with the target audiences (Cadogan, 2009, p. 112). Its geographic segmentation strategy in which it has sought to extend its operations to more th an two hundred nations has not been so beneficial because it has adopted a style in which it restricts sales of the same commodity in every country. Every country has a distinct product. This creates a gap as most customers are cut off from accessing products they could have seen or heard of in other countries. Colgate-Palmolive is a distinct profit-making organization that has got most of its plans and strategies right except a few that needs to be reconsidered. With such an incredible market share in top economies, the company can achieve more than what it has if the following recommendations are taken into consideration. First, the company should