As Time Goes By Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

As Time Goes By - Movie Review Example In a scene at Rick's Cafà © Amà ©ricain, Ilsa asks Sam to play the song ‘As Time Goes By’ on the piano and Sam replies that he is a little rusty on the air but when Ilsa insists, and she hums the song for him, Sam plays the song. Ilsa then further insists that Sam sing the song, and he does. As Sam plays the tune, Ilsa is in a moony state as if the song brings up some memories (Langkjà ¦r). Shortly Rick walks into the Cafà © and scolds Sam for playing the song, but when he sees Ilsa the two look at each other for a while as the song continues to play in the background. It then becomes quite clear to the viewer, that this song is not just another soundtrack, but a tune that emphasized the love affair between Rick and Ilsa. From this moment on the song ‘As Time Goes By’, becomes part of the functional soundtrack music of the movie. The song on its own told the story of love when it played out again in the flashback sequence in Paris when Rick is in blue me mories, and every time Ilsa and Rick were together. The song ‘As Time Goes By’ became a natural hummable tune that left a lasting memory on the viewer(s) and reminded them of the striking romance between the two lovers in the movie Casablanca. In the movie, we see the theme of valor when Lazlo seeks to obtain the letters of transit from Rick even when he is aware that Major Strasser came to Casablanca to ensure that he does not succeed. On the other hand, we see the theme of sacrifice when Rick lets go of Ilsa, the love of his life and urges her to go with her husband Victor.

Deviant and Criminal Behavior in the Workplace Dissertation

Deviant and Criminal Behavior in the Workplace - Dissertation Example It is important because effective teamwork helps the organization to meet its set objectives. Communication among employees needs to be effective for smooth coordination of activities in the workplace (Härtel, Zerbe & Ashkanasy, 2005). Effective communication in the workplace helps individuals become more productive. Individuals having their roles well defined characterize a well-organized institution. Organizational behavior studies how individuals behave in organized settings. A good management team needs to identify the roles of their employees in the workplace. It will enable them to monitor the behavior of their employees. The monitoring of employee behavior enables organizations to understand their functions easily (Elias, 2013). The behavior of most individual results from the culture of the organization. The culture an organization affects how the employees act in the workplace. Most corporations have their own unique culture that is different from other companies. It means that employees will act differently depending on the organization. Most experts argue that organizational behavior results from the structure of a company. The structure and culture of an organization are linked together to explain employee behavior. Structural formation of an organization involves the management of the corporation. Managers have the capability of controlling the behavior of their employ ees (Sims, 2002). For example, there are companies that have programs in their systems that help their employees solve their problems. A strategy improves the behavior of employees in an organization. The study of employee behavior involves scientific, human relations and contingency approach. Adoption of the contingency approach means that the company is recognizing that employee behavior is a complex issue. Managers have the responsibility of developing ideas that will enable the organization to achieve its target.  

Antidiabetic Effect of Momordica Charantia

Antidiabetic Effect of Momordica Charantia Effect of Momordica charantia fruits on Diabetic Complications Introduction    Momordica Charantia (Cucurbitaceae) or Bitter Melon, is a Tropical vegetable, is a common food in Indian cusine and has been used extensively in folk medicine (Dasgupta, 2011). In Ayurveda, the fruit is considered as tonic, stomachic, stimulant, emetic, antibilous, laxative and alterative. Bitter melon has been used in various Asian traditional medicine systems for a long time. Like most bitter-tasting foods, bitter melon stimulates digestion. While this can be helpful in people with sluggish digestion, dyspepsia, and constipation, it can sometimes make heartburn and ulcers worse. The fact that bitter melon is also a demulcent and at least mild inflammation modulator, however, means that it rarely does have these negative effects, based on clinical experience and traditional reports (Kumar et al., 2010; Patel et al., 2010; Sharma et al.,2011). In the initial study, significant antihyperglycemic activiy of crude powder of M.charantia fruits was observed in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Among the various extracts aqueous extract showed significant effect on postprandial hyperglycemia in normal as well as STZ diabetic rats after oral administration of sucrose and also showed significant lowering of fasting blood glucose in STZ diabetic rats. Therefore the aqueous extract was subjected to the fractionation and two different fractions namely butanol and aqueous fractions were obtained. The fractions were again administered to the STZ diabetic rats in which both the fractions showed significant antihyperglycemic although the activity was greater in aqueous fraction treated group. The present chapter mainly illustrates the long term multiple dose effect of aqueous fraction of M.charantia in high fructose diet fed low dose STZ-induced diabetic rats (HFD-STZ) and high dose STZ induced diabetic rats. Multiple dose study in the animal models provide the better understanding about the overall effect of the selected fraction on the various symptoms and associated compilcations of diabetes mellitus. Prior to the in vivo study, the aqueous fraction has also subjected to the in vitro study using L6 cells to find out its effect on the cellular glucose uptake and insulin signaling. Design of study Aqueous fraction of aqueous extract of T.belerica fruits were subjected to in vitro study using L6 cells to see the effect of fraction on glucose uptake, and insulin signaling. In vivo study was performed using high fructose diet fed low dose STZ-induced diabetic rats (HFD-STZ) and high dose STZ-induced diabetic rats. HFD-STZ rats were selected and grouped on the basis of elevated plasma triglycerides and cholesterol level while the high dose STZ-induced diabetic rats were grouped on the basis of their glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level. Multiple dose of aqueous fraction was carried out for one month and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and biochemical analysis including plasma lipid profile analysis and hepatic and renal function tests were performed at regular intervals. Since chronic complications are more pronounced in high dose STZ rats, therefore at the end of the experiments the animals were sacrificed and the kidney of treated as well as untreated control groups were collec ted for the study of the effect of aqueous fraction on the molecular markers involved in oxidative stress induced diabetic nephropathy. Results: (1) Concentration dependent effect of aqueous fraction of aqueous extract of M.charantia fruits on glucose uptake in L6 cells: Treatment of aqueous fractions led to increase of basal as well as insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in concentration dependent manner in L6 cells. Figure 1 shows significant increase of 1.41-fold (p (2) Effect of aqueous fraction of M.charantia on mRNA expression of insulin signaling gene in L6 cells: Gene expression profile suggest that the expression of IRS-1 (Insulin receptor substrate, PI3K (Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase), AKT2 (Protein kinase-B) and GLUT4 genes were upregulated by the treatment of aqueous fraction. Thus it is clear that the aqueous fraction of M.charantia stimulates the genes of insulin signaling pathway which may lead to the antihyperglycemic effect of the fraction. (3) Effect of aqueous fraction of aqueous extract of M.charantia on IRS-1, AKT and GLUT4 proteins in L6 cells: Insulin signaling pathway can influence glucose uptake by the translocation of GLUT4 containing vesicles to the plasma membrane and thus facilitates in the transportation of glucose across the plasma membrane. Drugs affecting the insulin signaling may modulate the glucose uptake in this manner. In the present study, it was observed that similar to the gene expression profile, treatment of aqueous fraction increases the protein expression of of p-IRS-1, p-AKT and GLUT4. Thus it is clear that aqueous fraction of M.charantia do effect insulin signaling pathway in in vitro and as a consequence increase glucose uptake by cells. (4) Effect of aqueous fraction of aqueous extract of M.charantia fruits on fasting blood glucose, oral glucose tolerance and plasma insulin level of High fructose diet fed low dose Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats Table 1 shows the remarkable effect of aqueous fraction on fasting blood glucose of treated animals. Highly significant improvement of 31.8% (p (5) Effect of aqueous fraction of aqueous extract of M.charantia fruits on lipid profile of High fructose diet fed low dose Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats High fructose diet generally cause disturbances in lipid profile leading to dyslipidemia which get further deified by the low dose treatment of STZ causing highly elevated plasma triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL level and decreased plasma HDL level. Table 2 shows that the treatment with aqueous fraction for one month significantly improved plasma lipid profile and the significant declination of triglycerides, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol was found to the tune of 35.7% (pM.charantia was found sufficiently effective against diabetic dyslipidemia caused by high fructose and low dose STZ in animals. (6) Effect of aqueous fraction of aqueous extract of M.charantia fruits on Hepatic and Renal parameters of High fructose diet fed low dose Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. High fructose diet may cause dyslipidemia, hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance which are the characteristics of diabetes type 2 and the extent of severity may get increased by the low dose of STZ which may further add the symptoms like hepatic and renal dysfunction in the experimental animals. Table 3 and 4 shows that in the present study treatment of aqueous fraction was found to improve the plasma level of hepatic and renal function markers. It is clear from Table 3 that there was significant decline of plasma AST and ALT level at ever time interval and the lowering of 31.2% (p (7) Effect of aqueous fraction of aqueous extract of M.charantia fruits on fasting blood glucose, oral glucose tolerance and plasma insulin of high dose streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats Most of the beta cells get destroyed in high dose STZ-induced diabetic rats and therefore animals display high level of fasting blood glucose and intolerance towards external glucose administration. Table 5 shows that treatment of aqueous fraction for one month significantly improved the fasting blood glucose level to the tune of 15.4% (p Elevated fasting blood glucose and reduced glucose tolerance are characteristic of STZ-induced diabetic rats. Table 5 shows that the treatment with Aqueous fraction for 30 consective days improved glucose tolerance of the treated animals to the tune of 18.0% (pth and 28th day of treatment respectively. Fasting blood glucose was declined to 15.0% (pth day and 28th day respectively. Plasma insulin level in treated group was found elevated to 42.3% (p (8) Effect of Aqueous fraction of Aqueous extract of M.charantia fruits on glycated haemoglobin level of high dose streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Glycated haemoglobin or HbA1c reflects the average concentration of glucose in blood for a prolonged period of time and HbA1c level are generally found elevated above normal in the untreated or late diagnosed diabetes. Hence the reduction in HbA1c level reflects the effect control of blood glucose level. In the present study animals showing HbA1c level 10 and above were selected for study. Figure 10 shows that the oral administration of Aqueous fraction of M.charantia declined the HbA1c level to the tune of 24.1% (pth day. (9) Effect of Aqueous fraction of Aqueous extract of M.charantia fruits on lipid profile of high dose streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. High dose STZ-induced diabetic animals which develop high HbA1c level and other complications in long duration are generally lean animals with disturbed lipid profile also but the level of triglycerides and cholesterol are not as much elevated as in diet induced model. In the present model medium elevation of triglycerides, total cholesterol and LDL was noticed and slight declination of HDL level. Table 6 shows that the plasma triglyceride level was found reduced by 25.4% (p (10) Effect of Aqueous fraction Aqueous extract of M.charantia fruits on Hepatic and Renal parameters of Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats It is evident from Table 7 and 8 that Aqueous fraction treated group showed marked decline in plasma AST and ALT as well as urea, uric acid and creatinine level which clearly reflects improvement in hepatic and renal performance as compared to the untreated control group. Effect of aqueous fraction of M.charantia fruits on activated stress signaling pathway in the kidney of STZ-induced diabetic rats: To determine the effect of hyperglycemia in the kidney of STZ-induced diabetic rats treated with aqueous fraction of M.charantia, the expression of p-PKCÃŽ ´ was studied and figure 11 shows no significant change of expression in M.charantia treated rats in comparison to STZ-untreated rats. Effect of aqueous fraction of M.charantia fruits on expression of pp-38(MAPK) ,ERK1/2 and JNK1/2 in the kidney of STZ-induced diabetic rats The effect of M.charantia treatment on glucose-induced changes in MAPK family members was also studied. MAPKs have been identified as transducers linking high glucose to biochemical deficits in diabetes. p38 mediates responses to osmotic stress including the regulation of genes such as aldose reductase together with JNK which is activated by oxidative stress (208). Aldose reductase-sensitive phosphorylation and nuclear migration of p38 MAPK has been demonstrated in DRG sensory neurons of diabetic rodents and specific inhibition of p38 prevents Na+ channel phosphorylation (346). Figure 12 demonstrates a clear increase in pp38 MAPK in response to increasing glucose. (Yuan et al 2009).But on the contrary no change was observed in pp38 and its associated members (JNK1/2 and ERK1/2 ) Effect of aqueous fraction of M.charantia fruits on the expression of IKKÃŽ ², NFÃŽ ºÃŽ ² and antiinflamatory AKT in the kidney of STZ-induced diabetic rats In order to assess the effect of aqueous fraction of M.charantia on IKKÃŽ ² expression in the STZ induced kidney, the immunoblotting of IKKÃŽ ² and NFÃŽ ºÃŽ ² were performed and its effect on anti-apoptotic molecules such as AKT was also analysed. As it is clear from figure 13, that the fraction did not showed any significant effect in expression level of IKKÃŽ ², NFÃŽ ºÃŽ ² and phosphorylated AKT . Effect of aqueous fraction of M.charantia fruits on apoptotic markers (caspase-3, pp53 and cleaved PARP-1) High glucose concentrations found in diabetic patients trigger cellular apoptosis. As given such an elaborated knowledge of effect of pro-apoptotic molecules the effect of the fraction on these apoptosis triggered protein expression that is activated–caspase-3 was studied and the results in figure 14 and 15 indicates no change in expression of active-caspase-3 and cleaved PARP-1 in treated group when compared to untreated STZ induced rats. Discussion: Momordica charantia is a native to tropics (Hamissou, 2013) and its medicinal properties are mentioned in ancient literatures (Kumar, 2010). It also forms the part of many polyherbal antidiabetic formulations and also known for anticancer, antibacterial, antiulcer, antifertility, antihelminthic, antimalerial, antipsoriasis and immunomodulatory activities (Dasgupta, 2011; Sharma, 2011). The previous study confirmed the significant antihyperglycemic effect of aqueous extract in various animal models and therefore it was further fractionated to obtain butanol and aqueous fraction. Both these fractions showed significant antihyperglycemic activity in STZ-induced diabetic rats although higher activity was observed in aqueous fraction and therefore the same was selected for the study of secondary complications of diabetes. Aqueous fraction treatment in L6 cells enhanced basal as well as insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in concentration dependent manner. GLUT4 translocation and distribution is vital in the glucose upatake by cells (Leney and Tavare, 2009). Effect of aqueous fraction on GLUT4 expression was studied by treating L6 myotubes with aqueous fraction and as a result expression of GLUT4 significantly increased at both mRNA and protein level. Hence the increase in glucose uptake was due to the upregulation of the GLUT4 expression by L6 myotubes. Present study also suggests that the aqueous fraction increased tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 in L6 myotubes and also increased the mRNA level of the same. PI3K xpression was also found increased in treated L6 myotubes. Beside this the aqueous fraction also increased mRNA level of AKT in L6 myotubes and also stimulated the phosphorylation of AKT at Ser-473 suggesting that the stimulatory effect of aqueous fraction of A.indica on glucose uptake is med iated via PI-3-K/AKT pathway. Further the aqueous fraction was subjected to the multiple dosing in HFD-STZ rat model which shares some characteristics with human type 2 diabetes (Salama et al., 2013). Fasting blood glucose level and oral glucose tolerance was markedly improved in aqueous fraction treated group which supports the outcome of in vitro study showing increased glucose uptake by treated cells. Dyslipidemia is the characteristic feature of HFD-STZ rats (Panchal and Brown, 2011) and aqueous fraction effectively restored the lipid profile of treated rats by the significant lowering of triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL and enhancing the plasma HDL level. Declined level of hepatic transaminases and plasma level of urea, uric acid and creatinine indicates towards hepato and reno protective action of aqueous fraction. Since the diabetic complications are more severe in low dose STZ-induced diabetic rats with untreated hyperglycemia of several weeks reflected in elevated level of HbA1c. Therefore the aqueous fraction was also studied in low dose STZ-induced diabetic rats showing abnormally high level of HbA1c. Such animals were treated with aqueous fraction for one month and there was significant improvement in fasting blood glucose level and oral glucose tolerance of treated animals. The improvement in fasting blood glucose was well reflected in the declination of HbA1c level of the treated animals by the significant extent. Plasma triglycerides, total cholesterol and LDL were significantly reduced and HDL-level was raised significantly which confirms the antidyslipidemic effect of aqueous fraction in diet induced model. There was also marked lowering of hepatic transaminases and plasma level of urea, uric acid and creatinine indicating towards the hepato and reno protective activity of aqueous fr action of M.charantia. Further study was carried on to see the effect of M.charantia on kidney of STZ-induced rats .The study revealed that M.charantia does not showed any significant effect on any of pro-apoptotic or stress-inducing pathway. Thus indicating that this fraction does not exerts significant effect on oxidative-stress induced nephropathy, therefore it was not relevant to move forward towards compounds elucidation and study. Therefore it may be concluded that aqueous fraction of aqueous extract of M.charantia fruits is moderately effective in control of diabetic hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia and also improves hepatic and renal function but less effective against secondary complications like nephropathy.

Women Finding Their Voices in Jane Smileys A Thousand Acres :: Smiley Thousand Acres Essays

Women Finding Their Voices in A Thousand Acres "Women, just like nature or the land, have been seen as something to be used,' says Smiley.'Feminists insist that women have intrinsic value, just as environmentalists believe that nature has its own worth, independent of its use to man'" (Duffy 92). Larry Cook, the senile, old power holder and father in Jane Smiley's A Thousand Acres, is a prime example of a man who believes that women and land are nothing more than objects that exist on this earth only so that he can control them. Larry's obsession with control begins in his marriage. In Larry's mind the only thing his wife was necessary for was cooking and cleaning. Larry also becomes obsessed with controlling his daughters, not only through disciplinary actions but also through molestation. He continues to control Ginny and Rose well into their adult lives. Because of their mother's premature death, Ginny and Rose are forced to take over the household. Their main jobs are to look after their little sister, Caroline, and to cook and clean. Rose and Ginny continue to look after Larry on a daily basis well after they are both married and have lives and children of their own. Even though neither of the daughters really wants to cook and clean for Larry, both feel obligated to look after him because he has instilled so much fear into them. Ginny tells the reader of this obligation: "My job remained what it had always been-to give him what he asked of me, and if he showed discontent, to try and find out what would please him" (Smiley 115). Besides forcing his daughters to take care of him, Larry also controls Ginny and Rose through molestation. As one critic observes, "The implication is that the impulse to incest concerns not so much sex as a will to power, an expression of yet another way the woman serves the man" (Duffy 92). The women in this novel are fairly passive and tend to let the men manipulate them. According to Martha Duffy, Smiley sees a link between the exploitation of women and that of the land. The land is stronger than the women in this novel in that despite the fact that men manipulate and attempt to change it as much as possible, it is still its own entity. This presents a contrast to what occurs when the women are dominated.

The Big Change

I was waiting for Nick Mondo, Nick is also a pro wrestler and my favourite opponent and we have been best friends since we were kids. Nick and I had just had a main event spot in Combat Zone Wrestling's main pay per view of the year â€Å"Walk way to Hell†. CZW is where Nick and I work, Nick and I have been working there for about three years and we were both being paid about $75,000 a year. Nick and I grew up in England and at the age of 18 when we left collage we both moved too Philadelphia in the USA. Walk way to Hell† is our favourite ppv of the year because that is when we both made our first appearance 3 years ago. Nick was at the hospital ward after getting parts of a light strip in his eye after he hit me with one in our match, I was fine just a few scratches. The match was great but there was one mistake near the end and this mistake is the one, which ended Nick's career. Nick threw me out of the ring and then came out after me, he snap suplexed me on the concrete floor and then went to get a light strip. The fans were screaming and so was the announcer Joey Styles but when Nick brought the light strip back over his head for a big swing, the top of the strip smashed on the turnbuckle and glass flew everywhere, unfortunately for Nick glass flew in his eye and the rest cut a 12 year old fan at ring side. The cut gashed the small boy all down his left cheek and as you can imagine his parents were not happy so they forced to sue CZW, for this Nick Mondo formally know in the ring as Sick Nick Mondo Was given the sack luckily for me I wasn't and the family dropped all charges on the federation. But I wasn't happy Nick and I had grown up together so if he got fired I quit. Eventually at 11:35pm Nick flew in the doors and man he did not look happy, he was as pale as a ghost and had a massive patch over his eye and just by looking at him I could tell he was really pi$$ed off. Nick walked up to me at the bar and said, â€Å"Hey Kid you want a wrestle† so I replied with a â€Å"hell yeah†. Ten minuets later I find myself climbing through a window into the CZW arena with Nick giving me a push up onto the window ledge, I got through the window and helped Nick up. While we were walking over too the ring we noticed a cleaner walk through the door â€Å"never mind me lad's carry on with your stuff† he yelled across the stadium. We walked over too the ring and went through our routine warm up and then the match began. It started off with a few spots; spots are loads of reversal moves done very quickly, then came in the hip-toss's, body slams and other small moves, while we were wrestling we noticed that the cleaner had actually sat down and watched us wrestle. By now the match was going really well loads of moves no stops and I think that match was the best match of my career so far. The match ended when Nick hit a 450 moonsault on me, I just wish someone was filming it because we done some awesome stuff in that match. After the 1 2 3 pin we heard a small applause coming from the back and yes it was the cleaner who had actually sat through the whole match, the cleaner then stood up and walked out without saying a word and we never saw him again. Nick and I then split up and went our separate ways home, food, sleep and wrestling were the only things on our minds when we drove off. Well it was 1:00am and I had to be at training at 10:00am so I went home to bed. Even though I was out off business I still wanted to keep in shape. My alarm clock woke me up at 8:30am, when I say alarm clock what a really mean is my girlfriend. My girlfriend is called Helen she is from New York and is 22 years old, we have been together for 2 years and we are now living in a big house in a very posh estate we have two cars I have a â€Å"Ford Mustang Mash 1† and Helen has a â€Å"Toyota 2000 GT†. Helen and I went too Steve's Steak House for breakfast, that is where we usually go on weekday morning's for a full English breakfast. After breakfast Helen went to work, she is a lawyer for a big company in the city and in a way is my â€Å"little sugar mama†. After Helen goes I go to training at the gym. I arrived at the gym at 10:00am and I saw Nick waiting at the gym gates for me, he told me that he needed to speak to me about last night. We went in to the gym where he asked me if I had picked up his wallet when we left, I told him that the last time I saw it was when he was buying me a pint at the pub before we left. After the gym Nick and I went to the CZW arena to see if the cleaner had found it but when I asked the caretaker he said that all cleaners leave the arena at 5:30pm and that it was impossible that there could be any one in the arena after that time because he was the last person out that night and there was no one there when he locked up. From there Nick and I went on a wallet hunt around the stadium but there was no luck. Yes there is a reason why we were trying to find Nicks wallet and it is because there was two tickets for WRESTLEMAINA 27!! That very night, yes the WWE's biggest ppv of the year on the 21st July 2011 and we had just lost the last tickets. Nick and I then went back to Nick's car but when we got there we realised that Nick's wallet was on the dashboard and that the car was wide open. We both launched our selves into the car too see if the tickets were still there and they were but they weren't our tickets they were front row tickets. We had ringside tickets to wrestlemaina but we didn't no why, and all of Nick's money was still there so somebody had stolen his wallet and upgraded our seats about $200 more. So now we had the tickets we went home to get ready for the big night. When we arrived at the arena we were given V. I. P back stage passes and were sent to Shane McMahon the owner of the WWE. While we were walking to meet Shane I saw the cleaner in the dressing room training up The Rock and that was when I worked it all out. When we arrived at Shane's office we went in and sat down â€Å"good evening gentlemen† he said â€Å"I hear you are no longer wrestling for CZW, but I have got some business for you two tonight†. By now Nick and I were on the edges of our seats waiting for him to say it â€Å"would you two boys like to make a surprise attack on The Rock tonight during his steel cage match with Stone Cold Steve Austin† by then we were both jumping up and down â€Å"YES† I said â€Å"well then that's that sorted then† Shane then shook our hands and walked out. To be truthful I had tears in my eyes and so did Nick we were going to wipe out The Rock and we couldn't wait. We waited nervously backstage for 6 long hours and then it was time for action. We were walked down to ringside with wrestling masks on for disguise and when the blackout started for the cage to be lowered we snuck under the ring. We waited there for 30 minutes and when the referee gave the signal we broke out from under the ring and started to lay into The Rock. The WWE announcers Jim Ross and Jerry king were screaming â€Å"It is Sick Nick Mondo and Crazy Kid from CZW they are helping Stone Cold† and there he was right in front off us Stone Cold Steve Austin with three cans of Budweiser in his hands he then threw one two me and Nick and in front of 21 thousand screaming fans we drank beer and poured it in The Rocks face. But before I knew it The Rock was on his feet again laying into me with powerful forearms he then spat in the palm of his right hand and by then I realised what was coming to me but I couldn't do anything, The Rock then made a fist and smashed me in the eye with a massive right hook, he then lifted up my right arm and WHAMM he hit me with a Rock Bottom and man it hurt so I laid there in a daze with thick red blood pouring from my eyebrow. After some real brutal wrestling we laid The Rock on a table then Stone Cold came over to me and told me to do a shooting star press leg drop on The Rock through a table of the top rope. And before I knew it I was climbing a WWE turnbuckle, I had never done this before and I knew I couldn't because it was not high enough so I just kept climbing to the top of the steel cage and it was there I stood and looked at 21 thousand people screaming, camera men running around trying to get the best angle, the press flashing away, Jim Ross screaming his head off, Shane McMahon staring at me with amazement and Stone Cold and Nick in a stun of disbelief, I knew what Nick was thinking it was that I was going to do it and it was going to be good. So I stood at the top of the cage fans chanting my name and my heart froze I looked down at The Rock and he opened his eyes and winked at me as if to say that I should do it so it was then I launched myself up and forward all I saw was flashing of cameras I followed through with a moonsault and landed it perfect. I looked up and saw Shane and paramedics running to ringside, Stone Cold jumped on top of The Rock and pinned him he get the 1 2 3 and he was new WWE champion. By the time the Steel Cage had risen I was still on the floor but with one thing extra, a broken leg. Stone Cold was happy I was happy and so was Nick, Steve and Nick carried me back stage with a row of paramedics and Shane following so we left The Rock with a smile on our faces and a Bud in our hands and a packed full arena chanting C Z DUB.

Hcs 465 Week 1

Literature Review in Research: An Annotated Bibliography University of Phoenix, HCS 465 March 4, 2013 Strunk, J. (2008). The effect of school-based health clinics on teenage pregnancy and parenting outcomes: An integrated literature review. The Journal of School Nursing, 24(1), Retrieved from: http://dx. doi. org. ezproxy. apollolibrary. com/10. 1177/10598405080240010301 This research study was conducted to determine if school-based health clinics in the United States can provide effective support and guidance needed to avoid negative outcomes of pregnancy (such as low birth weight) and parenting (such as poor academic performance).Data for this research were based from five studies, which had suggested that school-based clinics had a positive effect on the pregnancy outcomes for teenagers for both pregnancy as well as parenting. According to EBSCO Host, this is a peer-reviewed article. Whitehead, E. (2008). Exploring relationships in teenage pregnancy. International Journal Of Nursi ng Practice, 14(4), 292-295. Retrieved from: http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. apollolibrary. com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? id=17602d6e-13b6-4776-8cc8-48f3b164c515%40sessionmgr113&vid=4&hid=127 This research study was used to explore relationships of teenage pregnant women and father’s of the unborn child in the United Kingdom to determine if they maintain the relationship they had after the pregnancy. 47 teenage pregnant women were interviewed, ages 16-19 years old over a period of 15 months, with focus on the age of the baby’s father, education and employment of the baby’s father and the ability for the baby’s father to provide financial support.According to EBSCO Host, this is a peer-reviewed article. Tabi, M. (2002). Community perspective on a model to reduce teenage pregnancy. The Journal of Advanced Nursing, 40(3), 275-284. Retrieved from http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. apollolibrary. com/ehost/detail? vid=5&sid=17602d6e-13b6-4776-8cc8-48f3 b164c515%40sessionmgr113&hid=127&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=rzh&AN=2003014853 This

Word Choice Bazaar vs. Bizarre

Word Choice Bazaar vs. Bizarre Word Choice: Bazaar vs. Bizarre Did 1990s New Zealand band OMC achieve their only hit with a song about a marketplace? And why would anyone reference OMC in a proofreading blog in 2019? Well, that second question will remain a mystery, but the first one comes down to the difference between â€Å"bazaar† and â€Å"bizarre.† Check out our guide below to find out how to use these words correctly. Bazaar (A Marketplace) â€Å"Bazaar† is a noun meaning â€Å"marketplace.† For instance, we could say: The lead singer of OMC walked through the bazaar, enjoying the aromas. The word came to English via Turkish and Italian, but it has roots in Persian. As such, it is most commonly used when referring to a marketplace in the Middle East, North Africa, or South Asia. How bazaar? Very bazaar. A secondary use, especially in English speaking countries, is to refer to an event where people sell things to raise money. For instance, a school or charity might hold a â€Å"Christmas bazaar† to raise funds in winter. Bizarre (Strange or Unusual) The word â€Å"bizarre† is an adjective meaning â€Å"very strange.† For example: Referencing the band OMC in 2019 is a bizarre choice to make. Here, for instance, â€Å"bizarre† modifies the noun â€Å"choice.† And by using the word â€Å"bizarre,† we’re saying the choice seems strange or unusual. In this case, it may be because nobody has listened to OMC in over twenty years, making it an unhelpful pop culture reference for anyone under thirty. Summary: Bazaar or Bizarre? These words might sound similar, but they have very different uses: A bazaar is a â€Å"marketplace,† especially in the Middle East, North Africa, or South Asia. It can also be an event where people sell things to raise money. The word bizarre is an adjective meaning â€Å"very strange or unusual.† The fact these terms play different grammatical roles makes it easier to tell them apart. For instance, since â€Å"bazaar† is always a noun, it will always refer to a thing (i.e., a marketplace). And since â€Å"bizarre† is always an adjective, it will always be used to modify a noun. But if you’d like some extra help with your writing, why not submit a document for proofreading?

Akindele Owolabi Essays (1145 words) - Racism, Identity Politics

Akindele Owolabi Essays (1145 words) - Racism, Identity Politics Akindele Owolabi Nikongo Ba'Nikongo The African Experience in film November 28, 2015 Racism in the Americas and Africa Racism is prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior. Racism has been especially prevalent in Africa and in the Americas for the past few decades. In the Americas, Blacks have been discriminated against and attacked because of their color. Even though blacks are originally from Africa, the same discrimination and general mistreatment has been done there as well. Racism has affected the lives of blacks through violence, through acting as a unifying force, and through perpetuating poverty. Throughout history, blacks have been victims at the hands of violence for decades. "Cry Freedom" depicts that experience in Africa. The movie "Cry Freedom" is essentially about the fight against apartheid from the perspective of a journalist Donald Woods and it also shows the highlights of Steve Biko's life. Steve Biko was one of the many South Africans that were jailed, beaten, tortured, killed during the apartheid era. Also depicted in the film, when blacks went to riot in front of the police against the unfair laws of apartheid, they were attacked with pepper spray and if they continued to riot, were sometimes shot on site. Police spared no one; men, women, and children were all shot mercilessly. This these actions by the police were also displayed in the motion picture a "Dry White season". Gordon Ngubene, the son of an all white school teacher's gardener, was beaten then captured and tortured by the local police. In the Americas, violence was definitely an experience blacks had to deal with due to racism. The film Mississippi burning displayed violence during the Civil Right movement as three Civil Rights workers, who were organizing a voter registry clinic, went missing in Mississippi's Jessup County. While the FBI are still investigating the murders, the Ku Klux Klan, with help from the police, target the frightened African-Americans, brutally torturing them and setting their houses on fire. In the motion picture Malcolm X directed by Spike Lee, there was a brief part in the beginning of the film that showed Malcolm's life as a young child in Omaha, Nebraska. His family's home was set on fire and his father was killed by the Klu Klux Klan causing him and his siblings to become wards of the state. A last example of violence due to racism is in the fictional movie "Higher learning". Deja, the young collegiate track star for Columbus University, was killed by a fellow classmate/white supr emacist Remy in his attempts to terrorize the blacks on campus and to show his Aryan Brothers that he was a true white supremacist. These are just a few of many other examples that shows how racism towards Blacks causes violence and in some cases leads to death. Although racism has exacerbated violence and other negative things, it has created a sense of unity in black communities. A prime example of that is in the film Malcolm X. The black men of Malcolm's community came together and were unified through Islam. Although later on conflicts occurred within the nation of Islam, at the moment, it gave the blacks in his community a sense of hope and purpose and encouraged them throughout their conflicts with the whites. In South Africa their bravery and unity helped them in their peaceful protests and sometimes riots. The Africans came together in their community whenever they were about to go protest in front of the police. Although they knew some of them would be attacked and killed by the police, they were still unified because of the strong passion they had for the elimination of the apartheid era. On the campus of Columbus University in "higher learning", the black students also came together. They met to bring up matters that concerned them such as not feeling like their school is a safe environment and the discrimination from their campus police and some of their fellow classmates that were in the white Fraternities and Sororities. Racism can create a sense of unity force. Throughout history humans have always come together in hard times for encouragement and support of one another. In

A Look At Three Types Of Price Searchers Economics Essay

A Look At Three Types Of Price Searchers Economics Essay A monopoly is a firm producing a commodity for which there is no close substitute. There are usually some forms of barriers of entry. It is difficult to define a pure monopoly as close substitutes are difficult to define. For example, there are no close substitutes for cigarettes, but there are many substitutes for Marlboro. 1.1 Characteristics à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Features (a) Only one seller. (b) Restricted entry by barriers. (c) Market information is not free and perfect. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Barriers to entry (a) Legal barriers create legal monopolies. (i) Public franchise: exclusive right to run a business, e.g. TVB. (ii) Government licence: exclusive right to entry into a business, e.g. taxi licence. (iii) Patent: exclusive right to use an invention, e.g. right to produce a drug. (b) Natural barriers create natural monopolies. (i) The average cost falls over a large volume of output before it rises. LRAC would be lower if an industry were under monopoly than if it was shared between two or more competitors. (ii) Control the supply of an essential raw material, e.g. most diamond mines in the world are controlled by De Beers Ltd. (iii) Economies of scale: The large fixed cost of production requires a large output to pull down the average cost, e.g. electricity generated by China Light Power Ltd. 1.2 Output And Price Decisions Definition A single-price monopoly is one that charges the same price for every unit of output it sells. The monopoly must decide how much to produce and what price to charge. It is a price-searcher. Definition A price searcher is a seller with sufficient market power to set its price by adjusting supply. Since there is only one firm in the industry, the demand curve of the firm is also the demand curve of the industry, and the seller faces a downward sloping demand curve. Table 1 illustrates the demand function of a petrol station. The marginal revenue is less than and falls faster than the price charged. The price is also equal to average rev enue (AR). Table 1: Demand and marginal revenue Price (P, $/Litre) Quantity Demanded (Q) Total Revenue (TR = P x Q, $) Marginal Revenue (MR = ΆTR = ΆQ) ($/Extra Litre) 18 0 0 – 16 1 16 16 14 2 28 12 12 3 36 8 10 4 40 4 The monopoly maximises its profit by producing the level of output to MR = MC. Given the total cost as in Table 2, we can find that the best output level to maximise profit is at three litres, where both MC and MR are equal. The price charged is $12. Table 2: Demand and marginal cost Price (P, $/Litre) Quantity Demanded (Q) Total Revenue (TR=P x Q, $) Marginal revenue (MR = ΆTR / ΆQ, $/Extra Litre) Total Cost (TC, $) Marginal Cost ($/Extra Liter) 18 0 0 – 15 – 16 1 16 16 18 3 14 2 28 12 22 4 12 3 36 8 30 8 10 4 40 4 41 11 Graphically, the same conclusion can be derived in Figure 1. Figure 1 A monopoly’s output and price The price is determined by demand curve corresponding to the equilibrium quantity at which the MR equals to MC. The profit or loss is again determined by the ATC with reference to the quantity sold and the price charged. Owing to barriers to entry, economic profits will not be eliminated away in the long run. The only difference between short-run and long-run equilibrium is that in the long run, the firm will produce where MR = LRMC.

Health care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 12

Health care - Essay Example Moreover, there are trademarks and trade dress infringement in the field of health care services, and the intellectual property group deals with claims that are made by organizations for the liability that are arising out of intellectual property. 2. Various business models are becoming powerful, though others that are not effective thus, a manager should focus on models that develop customer loyalty or barrier to entry. Therefore, the things that are renewed automatically offer a way of facilitating customer loyalty, whereby they work to alter the providers. In this case, managers are motivated to manage their accounts online thus difficult to discontinue the relationship with the customers. Nevertheless, these unique models have become a source of barrier for nontraditional entry, due to the high level of sophistication. In the current business environment, organizations are seeking to develop a unique business model to mitigate the threat of entry by the others to reduce

Emerging issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Emerging issue - Essay Example The health organization also estimated that by 2015, roughly 2.3 billion grownups will be overweight, as well as roughly around 700 million will be obese. Also, the issue of childhood obesity is international and is gradually impacting many middle- and low-income nations, especially in urban settings (Poston & Foreyt, 2000). Internationally, in 2010, the total of obese children below five years was projected to be more than 42 million. Nearly 35 million of these children are residing in developing nations. Obese and overweight children are expected to stay obese into old age and expected to develop noncommunicable illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes at a younger age (Poston & Foreyt, 2000). There are three major methods of treating this problem - dieting, exercising and then weight loss surgeries (Koeck, E. et al., 2013). When it comes to dieting, high-carbohydrate, low-fat plans, normally including whole grains, and fruits, and high-fiber along with vegetables are related to good overall health (Koeck, E. et al., 2013). These diets place stern limitations on nutritional fat. Diets such as caloric juice are meat to make someone reduce substantial fat in seven days. Severe exercise, on the other hand, like the one used by military recruits in Singapore leads to a 35-lb weight loss in a period of 5 months. Exercise eats away the body fat and allows someone to reduce weight with time. Finally, the main surgical procedure, Bariatric Surgery, comprises of a number of procedures performed on obese people (Koeck, E. et al., 2013). Weight loss is attained through reducing the mass of the stomach with a gastric band. The bariatric surgery has had a lot of controversy. In two studies conducted by Koeck, E. et al. (2013) and Sjostrom, L. et al. (2004), they reveal that patients who have underwent bariatric surgery as children and attained normal BMI have lived like that through adulthood, but they reveal that adults who undertake the surgery have relaps ed to obesity in later stages of their lives. Sjostrom, L. et al. (2004) furthermore classifies the matter claiming that five of the 11,453 subjects (0.25 percent) who underwent the procedure in a 2010 study who underwent surgery died postoperatively. Also, according to Sjostrom, L. et al. (2004), 151 patients (13.0 percent) in a study involving 1164 obese individuals, which the authors were tracking, had postoperative problems (internal bleeding – 0.5 percent, thrombosis or embolism – 0.8 percent, deep infections – 2.1 percent, wound problems – 1.8 percent and pulmonary problems – 6.1 percent). In 2.2 percent of the patients (26), the postoperative problems were severe enough to call for reoperation (Sjostrom, L. et al., 2004). Despite this, critics still claim that the surgical intervention is the best way to heal obesity. The research of bariatric surgery would benefit the youth, grownups, bariatric surgeons themselves, dieticians and other stak eholders concerned with the intervention of obesity as a worldwide calamity (Stern & Kazaks, 2003). It would benefit the youth of today because, as earlier stated in this paper, youths who successfully undertake the surgery and attain a BMI have the chance of living the rest of their lives with a normal BMI, unlike adults. Adults are advised to be cautious, on the other hand, because research shows that they have a higher chance of relapsing to obesity after undergoing surgery. This research confirms

Morality - Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Morality - Philosophy - Essay Example Indeed, broader ramifications of one’s morality and ethical behavior are significantly influenced by his socio-religious compulsions. Thus, morality becomes highly debatable and objective issue within the field of philosophy that is interpreted and rationalized differently by different individuals. Philosophy is intrinsic part of life which people exhibit through their actions and reactions to events in their life. The wisdom and individual perspective to various issues and aspects of one’s life reflects the individual’s philosophy. Each individual responds to other people and circumstances as per his values and principles based on his socio cultural and religious paradigms. Many of these values are imbibed through associations and peer relations, while others are evolved through personal experiences. These values become critical aspects of one’s life while determining the standards of good and bad things that help him in making informed choices. In the contemporary environment of rapid globalization, the wide diversity of socio-cultural and religious paradigms often results in diverse ethical and moral practices across different societies. People coming from different cultural background may endorse different ideologies and views regarding issues and their actions are good or bad would depend on the moral norms and value system of their culture. These become vital considerations for moral dilemmas in the contemporary times of multicultural societies. Thus, understanding of cross cultural value system is encouraged within and outside the society so that moral and ethical dilemma could be resolved easily and amicably. Interestingly, philosophers assert that morality and ethics could be different but the wider ratifications of the same are designed to have similar outcome which is to ensure that happiness is the result. Morality can broadly be described by rationalizing one’s

The impact of terrorism on tourism Dissertation

The impact of terrorism on tourism - Dissertation Example However, of late the terrorism activities have gained further dominance owing to its growing linkage to the tourism industry. Wilks, Pendergast and Leggat (2006) states in this regard that it is hard to uncover the reasons which have led to the growth of terrorism and its growing linkage to tourism activities. The tourism industry has become the target point for terrorism activities in the international scale owing to the slag of security and alertness. Tourists on tour tend to be remain undeterred about the surrounding environment being lost in the fun of holidaying which becomes the target point of terrorist to easily lay their grounds upon. Wilks, Pendergast and Leggat (2006) further observe that the rate of infiltration of terrorist in tourism centers has also another potential reason other than the lack of alertness of the tourists. The functions of tourism mainly occur along the principal trade routes of any region. Thus the terrorists feel that attack on such trade and economi c routes would help in disrupting the economic activities of the region. Thus terrorist attacks on tourism helps in jeopardizing the trade and economic operations of a region making it poor. ... The linkage of terrorism operations with tourism industries can also be observed to be a potential factor that enables the terrorist outfits to gain considerable publicity. Tourist centers being largely linked with market places helps the terrorist gain wide amount of publicity having conducted a large massacre of human lives and property. It helps them reach their demands to the eyes and ears of the higher authorities. Finally, Wilks, Pendergast and Leggat (2006) state that the nature of the functions of tourism industry being so diversified and spread across international borders that it becomes difficult to trace the movement of terrorists inside hotels and tourist areas. People from various nationalities clad in different type of outfits tend to regularly visit international tourist hotspots which being not closely monitored encourages militancy actions. (Wilks, Pendergast and Leggat, 2006, pp.82, 85-86). Types of Terrorist Activities across Tourism Centers The event of terrorism linked with tourism activities in order to succeed in their goals of spreading terror and panic in the regions takes to different forms of terrorist operations. In this regard, Henderson (2007) observes that terrorist outfits generally carry out a host of terrorist activities, which aims to take many lives in order to succeed in their mission of spreading terror. Different terrorist operations are planed out by the terrorist groups, which can take place individually or in particular assortments. The different activities, which are planned by the terrorist groups, include employment of suicide bombers to counter insurgency operations. The terrorist

Designing, Developing an Evaluation g Educational Technology Essay

Designing, Developing an Evaluation g Educational Technology - Essay Example The process of using technological evaluation also assists in setting objectives. Every institution involved in education must have set objectives that must be achieved. It is only through evaluation that the extent at which objectives are being achieved can be identified. It is therefore necessary for learning institutions to adopt technological evaluation tool since it will assist in setting and achieving objectives. According to John Dewey, a teacher should not be a sole figure in the process of education but rather as a guide to the process of education and learning (Howland, 2012). Learning is a continuous process that has no end. Most importantly in order to learn one should have the knowledge. Knowledge comes from the daily interaction with the environment. It is therefore not right to conclude that pedagogical knowledge is enough and complete for the process of learning. Although possession of content is very important for learning, it is not also complete for the whole process of learning. In order for complete learning to take place, there must be a good learning environment, which is required by leaners. Learners have different needs and have different capacities to learn. Possession of content alone cannot be used to determine whether learning has taken place. There is also need to test the psychomotor domains of learning in addition to affective domain of learning in order to accompli sh a satisfactory process of learning. Some of the skills proposed by NETS are improving high thinking skills for students such as problem solving, critical thinking, and creativity. For a thorough learning process to occur in a lesson a teacher should find a way of testing these skills. The teacher posing questions that requires critical thinking and reasoning can do this. Allowing group discussions can also help learners in coming up with solutions for their problems hence

U3 Discussion Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

U3 Discussion - Coursework Example One can include or remove numerous group members, define various characteristics, configure exchange attributes and do bulk import from a CSV file at a single case. To comprehend the essential standards of access control, it is important to see how the accompanying terms are characterized in the setting of the right to gain entrance control model for Windows XP Professional. Each record is issued a SID when it is made. Access control instruments in Windows XP Professional recognize security principals by SID as opposed to by name. Data that depicts a specific security centrals character and abilities on a machine. In Windows XP Professional, all clients in an association exist in a particular security connection that is reclassified each time they log on. The security subsystem utilizes the security setting to figure out what a methodology and its strings of execution can do to protests on the machine, and who will be considered responsible for what they have done. An information structure containing the SID for a security vital, Sides for the gatherings that the security primary fits in with, and a rundown of the security chiefs rights on the nearby machine. A right to gain entrance token is made for each security central that logs on provincially at the machine or remotely through a system association. Each one procedure has an essential access token that it inherits naturally from its making methodology. The right to gain entrance token gives a security connection to the security centrals activities on the machine. It additionally gives a security setting to any application strings that follow up for the security chiefs benefit. Amasses that can be utilized to arrange clients and space objects, along these lines streamlining organization. Security gatherings permit you to allot the same security consents to substantial quantities of clients, for example, workers in a

Designing, Developing an Evaluation g Educational Technology Essay

Designing, Developing an Evaluation g Educational Technology - Essay Example The process of using technological evaluation also assists in setting objectives. Every institution involved in education must have set objectives that must be achieved. It is only through evaluation that the extent at which objectives are being achieved can be identified. It is therefore necessary for learning institutions to adopt technological evaluation tool since it will assist in setting and achieving objectives. According to John Dewey, a teacher should not be a sole figure in the process of education but rather as a guide to the process of education and learning (Howland, 2012). Learning is a continuous process that has no end. Most importantly in order to learn one should have the knowledge. Knowledge comes from the daily interaction with the environment. It is therefore not right to conclude that pedagogical knowledge is enough and complete for the process of learning. Although possession of content is very important for learning, it is not also complete for the whole process of learning. In order for complete learning to take place, there must be a good learning environment, which is required by leaners. Learners have different needs and have different capacities to learn. Possession of content alone cannot be used to determine whether learning has taken place. There is also need to test the psychomotor domains of learning in addition to affective domain of learning in order to accompli sh a satisfactory process of learning. Some of the skills proposed by NETS are improving high thinking skills for students such as problem solving, critical thinking, and creativity. For a thorough learning process to occur in a lesson a teacher should find a way of testing these skills. The teacher posing questions that requires critical thinking and reasoning can do this. Allowing group discussions can also help learners in coming up with solutions for their problems hence

Violence on Television Essay Example for Free

Violence on Television Essay Used mostly in promotional purposes, television shows that contain violence to any degree have become so rampant. Though there are some provisions that somehow restrict or limit the air time when they are shown and also the extent to which violent acts are shown. I think, still, there must be one good move to be taken into consideration. I think this movement should abide by this statement: The amount of violence on television must be reduced and the airing time of the TV shows that contain violence must only be during the time when children are in bed, or they can even be banned when the violence is too offensive. As I said, violence acts are mostly for promotions. Since viewers were stimulated as their adrenalin rushed when suspense happen during shooting of guns or murder cases, this is also the time when promotions pops out, thus enabling viewers to see the promotion (www. ridgenet. org/ 20href=). If this is the case, why can they search for another opportunity when they can advertise their business? Other genre of shows like comedy that contains no act of violence also excites viewers, thus these kinds can serve as an opportunity. Promotions are not that big as the next problem I will present regarding the showing of TV shows with violent acts. Adults have greater experience, obviously, that’s why they can understand that violent acts on TV are just for the sake of entertainment. For them, it is just another thing in TV that can somehow entertain and in some case educate them; but children are not like them. According to psychologists, children in toddler stage are instinctively wants to imitate adult human behavior and that they are not geared up with the knowledge of choosing which should be imitated or not. Thus exposing them to these acts may cause them to imitate violent acts which are obviously not proper. In a survey made in America by a group of psychologists, children of ages 2 to 5 are watching television for an average of almost 30 hours. Also, based on studies, children up to four years of age cannot recognize which is factual from fantasy without adult intervention. This may cause them to believe that what they see is true (Centerwall). Aside from imitation, there are many other psychological effects for children of seeing violence on television. Children who watch violence are most likely to be aggressive and behave the same way as what he saw. That is, he will become more and more violent if he sees more and more violence. Also, their views about the world may change. They may think that the world we’re living is dangerous and that to survive, they are meant to be aggressive. They may also become insensitive to other for they saw that it is so natural for some person to be hit or killed or be hurt by others. They are also the type that would react slowly during emergency. What’s so alarming is that these behaviors can be carried through teenage years and even in adulthood. According to Dr. Leonard Eron of the University of Illinois, children exposed to violence become aggressive when they are teenagers and be more likely to be arrested when they become adult (Centerwall). These made me come up with the conclusion of limiting the airing time to the time when children are in bed, which is about before 5am to after 10 pm. What is missing about my argument is the role of parents about this matter. Truly, it is their responsibility to guide their children while watching; but we cannot always count on them for they have also their own responsibilities. They are busy with home chores or they go to work that they had no enough time to ensure that their children are watching what should be watched. Let us not deny the fact that most children can freely open the television and watch even if their parents are not there and sometimes parents use television as baby sitters. Let us also take not that even funny cartoons contain violence so let us also be aware of them. According to one survey made by a TV station on parents, almost 70% parents believe that there is too much amount of violent acts that are shown in TV. Forty percent of the total respondents believe that these acts are not good for their children (Blue Oceans Psychology). That’s why, the amount of the violence in TV shows must be reduced. To take a big step about this problem, it is better to define the responsibilities of the bodies that are concern with the matter. Let’s look at the TV manufacturers. The law now makes a move of pushing manufacturers to enable a blocking system in every unit. This will prevent children from free access of shows unless their parents will allow them; but this will need some increase of awareness since parents are not that expert in which to watch or not. This will lead us to the TV ratings board which judge TV shows whether they are suitable to an age bracket or not. I also just like them to have the authority of banning programs where violence shown is too offensive. And lastly, the parents, themselves, are one of the key role players in this matter. Their guidance still is the best factor in shaping the character of their children. Today, there are still debates on between TV operators and those that push against violence on TV. Though research results are presented, we cannot easily say that TV is doing wrong since its business for them. Right now, all of us must be aware and be observant so that every detail of this problem must be taken into account.

Organized Crime and Transnational Corporate Crime

Organized Crime and Transnational Corporate Crime Crime is taken to mean a criminal offence and transnational organized crimes therefore refer to criminal deeds planned and implemented by a group of people emanating in 2 or more countries (Edwards Gill 2006). A different form of transnational crime is known as the transnational corporate crime which is legally attributed to a corporate entity or persons acting on its behalf. The contrast between organized crime and corporate crime is not well defined; however the two are still quite different. Transnational corporate crime majorly takes place within the context of renowned multinational organizations (Viano Bridel, 2003). Corporate lawbreaking covers quite a wide range of misbehavior, such are accounting malpractices like false statement of assets, unjust labor treatment, and production of hazardous products, misleading advertisements, environmental violations, illegal domestic political involvement and corrupt foreign deals. In the last two decades or so transnational corporations have largely expanded operations into developing world (Berdal, 2002). On the other hand transnational organized crimes involve undertaking of illicit business activities by people working in several countries, such gangs execute crimes such as drug smuggling, human trafficking, trading of illegal goods such as wildlife products and money laundering (Madsen, 2009). These groups of people tend to be so systematic in their operations, making the crime a complicated dilemma for the security and governmental policies to catch up with them. Transnational criminal rings keep becoming more and more powerful and universal, and their mobility growing each day. This is a clear indication that resources of any state are not enough to seriously harm them including the rich countries-those with supposedly good governance.( Reichel, 2004) As much as both transnational organized crime and transnational corporate crime accomplish fraud across the international boundaries, a critical view shows that corporate crime has been largely perpetuated by inefficient policies while organized crime is purely cartels based (Scherer, 2009). For instance United Nations has attempted to redefine corporate crime by coming up with codes of conduct for international business but Unites States efforts to resist this codes is an example of inconsistence of policies on the matter (United Nations, 2010). One can therefore rightfully argue that the study of organizational transgression by transnational corporate can legitimately encourage violations of international codes and other illicit actions that form a significant source of violations of the codes stated. Mafia is a term meant to describe a criminal organization; however some of these organizations are so well structured across the world to be place under the term mafia (Jones, 2004). These organizations involve themselves in criminal activities known as racketeering, in other words the work of the mob. (Mueller Edward, 2011) This is the basic functioning of the drug cartels in MÃ ©xico and therefore its a clear indication of how the fight against drugs remains a mission impromptu. For quite some time, the transnational organized crime (TOC) has been appreciated in two perspectives by people around the world. Some view organized crime in terms of large hierarchical groups with a structure close to transnational corporation while others see organized crime groups as less structured but highly flexible and adaptable (Leong, 2007). However critical perspective indicates the transnational organized criminals have an us-versus-them mentality from the fact that a small section of citizens from different countries collude to threaten welfare of legitimate citizens. Crime can be categorized into three classes namely ordinary/conventional, occupational and organizational. Conventional crimes are mostly done by the lower class and mainly involve property crimes. Occupational crimes involve people of middle class n the crimes are mainly centered in breaking laws in legitimate missions. However, organizational crime is committed by large entities in the aim of gaining financial benefits (Mishra Shanty, 2007). The latter is the class where transnational criminality falls and involves a chain of people from CEOs to supervisors; the big question now arises on how these well established criminal activities prevail while the former two classes are well catered for. Security organizations have found the diversity in the issue a big challenge especially on the structure of the two forms of transnational crimes. For instance, organized crimes could involve top officials like it happened in Peru where till today Vladimiro Montesinos, former head of Peru Nat ional Intelligence and Anti-Narcotics is still imprisoned for running a huge international drug and money laundering gang. On the other hand, transnational corporate crimes may not be directly connected to an individual but they are owned by influential persons especially from the rich countries making them just as complicated as the organized crimes for security organizations. Both transnational organized criminals and transnational corporate could execute fraudulent activities of the same magnitude. A case study on the operations and manner of execution brings out some striking contrasts that may not be well understood on a general view. For instance, money laundering has been a consistent crime for decades across Europe and seems to be on the rise rather than to diminish. Money laundering takes three sequential phases namely, placement, layering and integration- according to a report by Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Placement is the conversion or movement of money from illegal deals to a form or place less suspicious to law enforcement authorities. Then follows layering where the money is alienated from the illegal sources through a series of complex transactions (e.g. wire transfers and monetary instruments) in the aim of breaking the audit trail. Finally the integration comes in where the illegal proceeds are made into legitimate bu siness profits by ordinary financial operations (Siegel Nelen, 2008). However not all international money laundering transactions involve all three phases, the described stages of money laundering process are just but conventional, they differ among the two forms of transnational crime; transnational organized and transnational corporate (van Duyne, 2003). Transnational corporate may require fewer steps in money laundering as compared to transnational organized criminals; this is because of their legal existence (Mahncke, Thompson, 2004). A transnational Corporate may not require placement step since they already handle some sums of money during their transactions and any illegal proceeds may not be easily identified from the legal financial assets. Many people may feel that organized criminals such as terrorist and drug cartel are the most dangerous but critically, transnational corporate crime posses more danger since their size and legality comfortably hides lots of information (Rush Ryan, 1997). Transnational crime is evidently a social and legal challenge worth of attention; many have tried to document it in the aim of dismissing it as a journalistic sensationalism (Andreas Friman, 1999). It is however not clear who is most affected by this forms of criminality; is it the poor countries who have less established legal systems or the rich nations where most transnational corporate seem to be based? The answer lies on either, the form of criminal activity in question or the form of transnational crime. Transnational corporate crime affects any country where a branch of the corporate exists whereas the effects of transnational organized crime are highly felt in countries with rich market and opportunities of their line of operation (Athanassopoulou, 2005). For instance, international drug cartels aim countries such as the USA and UK where they have a broad ready market for their product. The above contrast on transnational organized crimes and transnational corporate crimes i ndicates that transnational corporate crimes are in a way an advancement of the transnational organized crimes.

Consider the characters of Mary Logan in Roll Of Thunder Hear My Cry :: English Literature

Consider the characters of Mary Logan in Roll Of Thunder Hear My Cry and Gilbert Dawson in The Sexton's Hero showing how they reflect the theme of heroism. Mary Logan in "Roll Of Thunder Hear My Cry" and Gilbert Dawson in The Sexton's Hero both have many similarities, all of which reflect the theme of heroism. Both have to fight against the expectations of the society they live in. Mary Logan lives in the USA in the 1930's. She is a young black woman living in a white mans world, she is a teacher and her family own land, which the white landowners are not very happy about. The white people believe that blacks a less worthy then whites and should know their place. Gilbert Dawson is a man living in Lancashire in the 1850's, he is meant to be strong and ready to fight, however he doesn't want to fight and this angers the rest of the community. ====================================================================== Both Mildred D. Taylor and Elizabeth Gaskell wrote their books to change peoples views on different things. Mildred D. Taylor wanted to change peoples views on black people, and Elizabeth Gaskell wanted to change peoples views on haw people should act. Both writers see people as equal. ====================================================================== In the dictionary a hero is: "A person who is admired for being brave" Mrs Gaskell's definition is ====================================================================== "One who acts up to the highest idea of duty he has been able to perform, no matter at what sacrifice." ================================================================ In fairy tales, the hero is usually a man who rescues the princess from evil. Over time the term hero has changed from the old fashioned traditional hero to modern hero's (someone who is heroic for standing by principles and suffering hardship as a result.) ===================================================================== In The Sexton's Hero, Gilbert Dawson is more of a traditional hero because he saves Letty and the Sexton's life, but dies himself. He also has some of the qualities of a modern hero as he stands up for what he believes in. However Mary Logan in "Roll Of Thunder Hear My Cry" is a modern hero, as she stands by here principles, no matter what the cost to her is. =================================================================== In "The Sexton's Hero," Gilbert Dawson is expected to support and reflect the male working class stereotype. He is expected to be "manly", physically strong and aggressive, ready to fight when necessary and to stand up to a challenge. However Gilbert Dawson goes against these expectations. He refuses to fight much to the amazement of the onlookers "it seemed such a thing for a stout young chap to be a coward and afraid." But Gilbert Dawson was not a coward or afraid.

A Passage to India and Orientalism Essay -- European Literature Edward

A Passage to India and Orientalism When in 1978 Edward W. Said published his book Orientalism, it presented a turning point in post-colonial criticism. He introduced the term Orientalism, and talked about 2 of its aspects: the way the West sees the Orient and the way the West controls the Orient. Said gave three definitions of Orientalism, and it is through these definitions that I will try to demonstrate how A Passage to India by E. M. Forster is an Orientalist text. First, Said defined Orientalism as an academic discipline, which flourished in 18th and 19th century. Anyone who teaches, writes about, or researches the Orient - and this applies whether the person is an anthropologist, sociologist, historian, or philologist - either in its specific or its general aspects, is an Orientalist, and what he or she does is Orientalism. (2) Second, in Said's own words "Orientalism is a style of thought based upon an ontological and epistemological distinction made between "the Orient" and (most of the time) "the Occident"" (2). And now we come to Said's third definition of Orientalism: Here I come to the third meaning of Orientalism, which is something more historically and materially defined than either of the other two. Taking the late eighteenth century as a very roughly defined starting point Orientalism can be discussed and analysed as the corporate institution for dealing with the Orient - dealing with it by making statements about it, authorising views of it, describing it, teaching it, settl... ...storehouses for grain. India is his country, and India shall one day be united as one nation and throw off the English yoke. (274) In Forster's A Passage to India we recognize certain elements that can be seen as Orientalist. According to Edward Said's definitions of Orientalism I tried to point out some of these Orientalist elements. However, there are many more examples in the novel which would also fit in the Orientalist frames set by Said. WORKS CITED Fasset, I. P. Rev. of A Passage to India, by E. M. Forster. Criterion October 9, 1924 Forster, Edward Morgan. A Passage to India. London: Penguin Books. 1979. Hartley, Leslie Poles. Rev of A Passage to India, by E. M. Forster. Spectator June 28, 1924. Said, Edward W. Orientalism. New York: Vintage Books Edition. 1979.

Early Man

The base of all human accomplishment derives from the Paleolithic era. These beginnings of mankind could be considered our most important. The first tools were developed, stone tools used to shape wood, dig for food, or weaponry. The progression in tools shows the growth in thinking, first using objects for tools then creating tools to fit a certain need such as sharpening stone for cutting. Tools were used to fashion weapons like a bow and arrow. Man learned how to make fire with friction for heat and cooking food (Baldwin).Art provides an insight into life for early man, their location and migration, and the animals they hunted or domesticated. Paintings, statues, and carvings show ingenuity and awareness to the surrounding world. Languages developed with migration allowing communication. Human behaviors were established on religious ideas and formal conduct. An idea of the afterlife was present, burying the dead with prized possessions. These slow developments foreshadowed the adv ance to come. With the end of the ice age, changes in available game and a warmer climate encouraged a new idea on how to live.Fostering the agricultural developments already learned the hunter/gatherer way of life was no longer necessary. With dogs already domesticated, new animals became useful – farms owned pigs, sheep, goats, and cattle. These animals were vital several ways, providing meat, milk, or labor. As well as food, they could also be used for leather and furs. Working the land aggressively enough to live off was difficult and required many hands. Families began to grow. Women were able to produce more offspring with a more permanent settlement.The children were raised with strong work ethics, expected to be useful cultivating what might one day be theirs. The society became largely patriarchal since men harvested the land and women spent most of their time caring for children. The population growth was immense, multiplying tenfold. The need for access to water cr eated small communities resulting in culture and society changes. Houses were built, some more extravagant than others depending on profits generated from the farm. Social statuses were developed.Art, in all forms – painting, sculpture, embellishment in clothing and accessories – were encouraged. Some farms produced excess and gained the ability to trade for items they could not themselves produce. This surplus of food allowed people to learn other trades. A weekly system was prevalent in almost all societies, based on market days, seasonal harvest, or religion. Language began to meld together making communication with a broader range of communities. This culture is the first to spread worldwide (Baldwin). With technological progress, recovering artifacts and what we can learn from them advances daily.Weather and climate changes can unearth new artifacts and expand knowledge of prehistoric life. The ability to accurately pinpoint the age of an artifact, and historians interpretation of an object could give us insight into many aspects of prehistoric life. â€Å"It’s very important, telling us something about species close to us but not quite ‘us’† (Cornoe). (Baldwin) http://socsci. gulfcoast. edu/rbaldwin/early_man. htm (Cornoe) http://www. smh. com. au/national/scientists-stumped-by-prehistoric-human-whose-face-doesnt-fit-20120314-1v3m0. html

Marshall McLuhan’s Theory Essay

How might Marshall McLuhan’s theory of hot and cold media be used to explain the surge of interest in mobile technology, especially text and picture messaging? ‘Any invention or technology is an extension or self-amputation of our physical bodies, and such extension also demands new ratios or new equilibriums among the other organs and extensions of the body’, Marshall McLuhan in ‘Understanding Media’ (1964, p43). A comment which has possibly never been truer than when understood with regard to a mobile phone. McLuhan’s theories have recently been given new life with the onset of the Internet; however, they can also be usefully applied to the massive explosion of mobile technology. Given it is a medium which some may consider to be cool; its impact on society has been immeasurable. In today’s society it is difficult to meet a person between the ages of fifteen and fifty who do not own a mobile phone. Like televisions, it is the electronic accessory of the moment and it is advancing fast. Only five years ago text messaging was in its infancy and not all phones offered it; picture messaging was unheard of. Nowadays picture messaging is very much here and already the technology has moved towards video messaging. Some ‘mobile phones’ would be more accurately described as hand held computers as the telephony is only a fraction of its capabilities and often not even its main function. As with most mobile phones the main function consumer’s use is text messaging. According to McLuhan in ‘Understanding Media’ (1964) the advent of a hot explosive medium can cause drastic changes to politics and society. This can be seen in the effects that such technology has had on not only the telephone but the way people communicate in day to day life. However, when contrasted with a hot medium such as television or cinema, text and picture messaging are comparatively cool. They provide far less information and demand more participation from the receiver to fill in the gaps. Pictures received in messages are only small and very symbolic rather than detailed. There is also only limited space for text and language is often limited to abbreviations and annotation. Of course when compared to the standard telephone, mobile technology is considerably hotter, however, in order to stay within McLuhan’s theory, and for the medium to cause such a change in society, one would assume that the medium itself would need to be hotter. Such a change could be better explained and explored by the theories of Roland Barthes, particularly his writings on myths and semiotics. In a collection of articles entitled ‘Mythologies’ (1973) Barthes explores practical objects and their cultural meanings. Examining such objects as cars and haircuts he scrutinizes the ‘signifiers’ and ‘signs’ that they contain. ‘Barthes begins by making explicit the meanings of apparently neutral objects and then moves on to consider the social and historical conditions they obscure’ (McNeill 1996). He examined cars, comparing them to Gothic cathedrals, due to their uses over and above their basic functions. Cars carry status and tell a lot about the person who owns them (Barthes 1973). Such meanings can also easily be drawn from mobile phones. Far more useful than assessing whether or not they are hot or cold, deeper more analytical conclusions can be derived from Barthes’ methods. By exa mining the semiotics of the medium its position in society and culture and its effects could be estimated. In ‘Mythologies’ (1973) ‘he argued that myth was a mode of signification. He argued that in myth, the link between the signifier and the signified was motivated†¦so that a culturally constructed sign becomes a signifier, thus allowing what is signified to become naturalised’ (Hartley 2002). Hartley goes on to apply this theory to brand named sports wear and their attached meanings. Such an application could be used with mobile technology as not only are there many different mobile phones with different functions but many different brands. ‘Nokia’, in particular, as the apparently leading brand, has different model phones which contain different signifiers. Some appear fun and contain lots of features and gadgets; others appear sophisticated and look sleek and small. Others exist for practical purposes for uses who are less taken by mobile phone culture. Given the huge range of choice on offer, not just by ‘Nokia’ but all brands, the decision of which phone to purchase is an active one which takes serious contemplation. More can be said for a person who uses picture messaging. Society has not quite reached a stage where its considered a ‘necessity’ like text messaging so those who do use it are those who are particularly interested in the culture. More so as these phones and messages cost more it signifies how much money a person has or at least how they prioritise their spending. More meanings could be drawn from how often a person uses their phone and how many different people they know who can accept picture messages. Barthes also wrote about Text itself and its semiotics, arguing that words are strong and can be used as political weapons, as they have been in post World War II politics. He charts the beginning of the ‘moment of the text’ as 1968 (Hartley 2002). This seems to have affected the whole of society as people now talk to each other less, preferring to e-mail or send text or picture messages. McLuhan has commented on discourse and text. According to a website called ‘Marshall McLuhan: spinning the web of the future’, ‘specifically, McLuhan feels that the best way to convey information between two people is to maximize the use of the senses†¦[therefore] ancient oral civilizations appeared to have the greatest and most clear form of communication.’ That is not the written word, but the spoken. This has, however, been criticised by Miller (1971) who ‘disagrees with this assumption because he feels that humanity has evolved with technology a nd that this is not necessarily a bad thing. The reality is that further technological advances have given humanity the ability to communicate using mediums that are essentially extensions of the spoken word.’ McLuhan expressed concern over the effects of technology and its result in the loss of human identity, although he did not see it as a bad thing, it was something to be maintained and supervised. His concerns could be justified, however, in that nowadays people talk to each other less, preferring to communicate by the written, or typed, word. Concern should probably not to be so extreme as to fear the breakdown of society but it has seriously affected how we communicate and what we now spend our money on. According to McLuhan in ‘Understanding Media’ (1964) intense, hot media needs to be cooled off by our senses before it can be assimilated. Possibly then the appeal of the text and picture message is that they are easier to take in on a sensory level. They are quick, take only seconds to read and write and enough time is given to process the information between each message and response. Radio and cinema act as an assault on the senses demanding that attention be paid in order to take it all in, although fewer gaps need to be filled. In two-way communication, however, it allows the user time to consider their response and therefore reduces the risk of saying something which one may regret later. If we put together the two theories of McLuhan and Barthes it is possible to achieve composite critique of the phenomenon of mobile technology. Although much of what was written by, particularly McLuhan, has been excessively criticised, some disregard it all together, he makes some points which are useful when examining this area of contemporary media and technology. Using McLuhan to explore the more technical aspects of text and picture messaging, suggesting why it may be so popular. Due to its being hotter than a normal telephone it is likely to be the next step in technology and its convenience makes it so popular. Also fact that it is cooler than other direct forms of media and allows more time and less information for the brain to process ensures it is easier on our senses. Its very presence has caused an upheaval in our society and we have taken the next cultural and technological step in our ever progressing development. Barthes, on the other hand, we can look to for inspiration in analysing the cultural aspects of such communication technology and what it means. Using his methodology of examining mobile phones for signs and signifiers many conclusions can be drawn. As phones differ widely in style and in what features they contain each person can be judged on the phone they own, or the phone they wished they owned. Someone who has a phone that looks good, rather than containing many features is clearly saying something about the way in which they want to present themselves. Furthermore, a person who cares less about how the phone looks and more about what it does suggests something else. Most phones which contain more features, particularly a camera are usually larger and look less neat than those with fewer features. Phones that can be used to record short pieces of film or watch videos on are bigger still yet there are already people who own them. Such people may be looking for a phone with more f unctional value, as well as their having an interest in gadgets. That said, however, we can assume they gain intrinsic pleasure from showing a person what their, apparently less attractive, phone can do. We could also assume that such people wish to be ahead of technology and enjoy being one of the first to own such items. Near enough all young people own mobile phones and few would deny that they gain pleasure and enjoyment from them. ‘Texting’ has become a common, everyday form of communication; one that did not exist during the lifetimes of Marshall McLuhan or Roland Barthes and it can be assumed that neither would have anticipated this surge in technology. Both would express concern at its immense popularity as it risks people becoming less sociable and having less actual conversation. Another side to that argument, however, could be that it increases human interaction, it just takes place in a different way. People can now contact their family, friends and acquaintances much easier and faster. To send a text message to say ‘hello’ is far quicker and easier than making a phone call which could result in lengthy conversation. Whereas once a person may have decided against the phone call for that reason they will now send a text message. It is probably safe to say that, give n that human beings are an innately social species, and indulge in conversation for pleasurable as well as functional purposes that if what they desire is a conversation then that will be sought above a text message. It is hard to predict where society and culture will go with this ever increasing technological development. In the next year or so we can assume that videophone will become much more popular and that mobile phones will continue to develop into small computers than ‘phones’. Living in a century where convenience is emphasised and encouraged and our lives are busier it is likely that less face to face interaction will take place however with the help of the mobile phone we can avoid losing contact altogether.

The Return: Midnight Chapter 36

Matt broke a lot of traffic rules on the way to the Saitous'street. Meredith leaned on the console between the two front seats so that she could see the digital clock ticking down to midnight, and so that she could watch the transformation of Mrs. Flowers. At last her recently sane, sensible mind forced words out of her mouth. â€Å"Mrs. Flowers – you're changing.† â€Å"Yes, Meredith, dear. Some of it is due to the little present that Sage left for me. Some of it is my own wil – to return to the days when I was in my prime. I believe that this wil be my last fight, so I don't mind using al my energy in it. Fel ‘s Church must be saved.† â€Å"But – Mrs. Flowers – the people here – Well, they haven't always been – exactly nice – â€Å"Matt stammered his way to a stop. â€Å"The people here are like people everywhere,†Mrs. Flowers said calmly. â€Å"Treat them as you'd like to be treated, and things wil be fine. It was only when I'd let myself become a bitter, lonely old woman, always resentful of the fact that I had had to turn my home into a boardinghouse just to make ends meet, that people began to treat me – Well, at best as a loony old hag.† â€Å"Oh, Mrs. Flowers – and we've been such a bother to you!†Meredith found the words coming without her volition. â€Å"You've been the saving of me, child. Dear Stefan was the start, but as you can imagine, he didn't want to explain al his little differences to me, and I was suspicious of him. But he was always cordial and respectful and Elena was like sunlight, and Bonnie like laughter. Eventual y, when I dropped my hidebound barriers, so did you young ones. I won't say more about those who are present so as not to embarrass you, but you've done me a world of good.† Matt ran another stop sign and cleared his throat. Then, the steering wheel wavering slightly, he cleared his throat again. Meredith took over. â€Å"I think what Matt and I both want to say is†¦Well, it's that you've become very special to us, and we don't want to see you get hurt. This battle – â€Å" â€Å"Is a battle for al I hold dear. For al my memories. Back when I was a child and the boardinghouse was built – it was just a home, then, and I was very happy. As a young woman, I was very happy. And now that I have lived long enough to be an old woman – Well, besides you children, I Stillhave friends like Sophia Alpert and Orime Saitou. They are both healing women, and very good at it. We Stilltalk about different uses for my herbs.† Matt snapped his fingers. â€Å"That's another reason I was confused,†he said. â€Å"Because Dr. Alpert said that you and Mrs. Saitou were such good people. I thought she meant the old Mrs. Saitou – â€Å" â€Å"Who is not a ‘Mrs. Saitou'at all,†Mrs. Flowers said, almost sharply. â€Å"I have no idea what her name real y is – perhaps she is real y Inari, a deity gone bad. Ten years ago, I didn't know what made Orime Saitou suddenly so diffident and quiet. Now I realize that it began just around the time her ‘mother'moved in with her. I was quite fond of young Isobel, but she suddenly became – aloof – in an unchildlike way. Now I understand. And I am determined to fight for her – and for you – and for a town that is worth saving. Human lives are very, very precious. And now – here we are.† Matt had just turned onto the Saitous'block. Meredith took a moment to openly stare at the figure in the front passenger seat. â€Å"Mrs. Flowers!†she exclaimed. This made Matt turn to stare in his turn and what he saw made him clip a Volkswagen Jetta parked by the sidewalk. â€Å"Mrs†¦. Flowers?† â€Å"Please park now, Matt. You needn't cal me Mrs. Flowers if you don't want to. I have returned to the time when I was Theophilia – when my friends cal ed me Theo.† â€Å"But – how – why – ?†Matt stuttered. â€Å"I told you. I felt that it was time. Sage left me a gift that helped me change. An enemy beyond your powers to fight has arisen. I felt this back at the boardinghouse. This is the time that I have been waiting for. The last battle with the true enemy of Fel ‘s Church.† Meredith's heart actual y seemed ready to fly out of her chest. She had to be calm – calm and logical. She had seen magic many times. She knew the look of it, the feel of it. But frequently she had been too busy comforting Bonnie, or too worried about aiding Bonnie to take in what she was facing. Now, it was just her and Matt – and Matt had a stricken, stupefied look, as if he hadn't seen enough magic before. As if he might crack. â€Å"Matt,†she said loudly, and then even louder, â€Å"Matt!† He turned, then, to look at her, with his blue eyes wild and dark. â€Å"They'l kill her, Meredith!†he said. â€Å"Shinichi and Misao – you don't know what it feels like†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Come on,†Meredith said. â€Å"We have to make sure that it doesn't kil her.† The dazed look passed from Matt's eyes. â€Å"We have to do this,†he agreed simply. â€Å"Right,†said Meredith, final y releasing him. Together they got out of the car to stand by Mrs. Flowers – no, by Theo. Theo had hair that hung almost to her waist; so fair that it looked silver in the moonlight. Her face was – electrifying. It was young; young and proud, with classic features and a look of quiet determination. Somehow during the drive, her clothes had changed too. Instead of a coat covered with bits of paper, she was wearing a sleeveless white gown that ended in a slight train. In style, it reminded Meredith a little of the â€Å"mermaid†dress she herself had worn when going to a bal in the Dark Dimension. But Meredith's dress had only made her look sultry. Theo looked†¦magnificent. As for the Post-it Note amulets†¦somehow the paper had disappeared and the writing had grown enormously, changing into very large scrawls that wrapped around the white gown. Theo was literal y swathed in haute couture arcane protection. And although she was reed slender, she was tal . Tal er than Meredith, tal er than Matt, tal er than Stefan, wherever he was in the Dark Dimensions. She was this tal not only because she had grown so much, but because the train of her dress was just brushing the ground. She had entirely overcome gravity. The whip, Sage's present to her, was coiled into a circle attached to her waist, shining as silver as her hair. Matt and Meredith simultaneously closed the SUV's doors. Matt left the engine running for a quick getaway. They walked around the garage so that they could see the front of the house. Meredith, not caring what she looked like or whether she seemed cool or in control, wiped her hands, one and then the other, on her jeans. This was the stave's first – and possibly only – true battle. What counted was not appearance, but performance. Both she and Matt stopped dead when they saw the figure standing at the bottom of the steps in front of the porch. It was no one they could identify from the house. But then the crimson lips opened, the delicate hands flew up to cover them, and wind-chime laughter came from somewhere behind the hands. For a moment they could only stare, fascinated, at this woman who was dressed al in black. She was ful y as tal as Theo, ful y as slender and graceful, and she was floating equal y high off the ground. But what Meredith and Matt were staring at was the fact that her hair was like Misao's or Shinichi's – but reversed. Whereas they had black hair with a crimson fringe on the bottom, this woman had crimson hair – yards and yards of it, with a black fringe al around it. Not only that, but she had delicate black fox ears emerging from the crimson hair, and a long sleek crimson tail, tipped with black. â€Å"Obaasan?†Matt gasped in disbelief. â€Å"Inari!†Meredith snapped. The lovely creature didn't even look at them. She was staring at Theo in contempt. â€Å"Tiny witch of a tiny town,†she said. â€Å"You've used nearly al your Power just to stand up to my level. What good are you?† â€Å"I have very smal Powers,†Theo agreed. â€Å"But if the town is worthless, why has it taken you so long to destroy it? Why have you watched others try – or were they all your pawns, Inari? Katherine, Klaus, poor young Tyler – were they your pawns, Kitsune Goddess?† Inari laughed – Stillthat chiming, girlish giggling, behind her fingers. â€Å"I don't need pawns! Shinichi and Misao are my bond-servants, as al kitsune are! If I have left them some freedom, it has been so they can get experience. We'l go on to larger cities now, and ravage them.† â€Å"You have to take Fel ‘s Church first,†Theo said steadily. â€Å"And I won't let you do that.† â€Å"You Stilldon't understand, do you? You are a human, with almost no Power left! Mine is the largest star bal in the worlds! I am a Goddess!† Theo lowered her head, then lifted it to look Inari in the eyes. â€Å"Do you want to know what I think the truth is, Inari?†she said. â€Å"I think that you have come to the end of a long, long, but not immortal life. I think you have dwindled so that at last you need to use a great deal of Power from your star bal – wherever it is – to appear this way. You are a very, very ancient woman and you have been setting children against their own parents, and parents against children across the world because you envy the children's youth. You have even come to envy Shinichi and Misao, and let them be hurt, as revenge.† Matt and Meredith looked at each other with wide eyes. Inari was breathing rapidly, but it seemed she couldn't think of anything to say. â€Å"You've even pretended to have entered a ‘second childhood'to behave girlishly. But none of it satisfies you, because the plain, sad truth is that you have come to the end of your long, long lifetime – no matter how great your Power. We must al take that final journey, and it is your turn now.† â€Å"Liar!†shrieked Inari, looking for a moment more glorious – more radiant than before. But then Meredith saw why. Her scarlet hair had actual y begun to smolder, framing her face in a dancing red light. And at last she spoke venemously. â€Å"Well, then, if you think this is my last battle, I must be sure to cause al the pain I can. Starting with you, witch.† Meredith and Matt both gasped. They were afraid for Theo, especial y as Inari's hair was braiding itself into thick ropes like serpents that floated around her head as if she were Medusa. The gasps were a mistake – they attracted Inari's attention. But she didn't move. She only said, â€Å"Smel that sweet scent on the wind? A roast sacrifice! I think the result wil be oishii – delicious! But perhaps you two would like to speak to Orime or Isobel one last time. I'm afraid they can't come out to see you.† Meredith's heart was pounding violently in her throat, as she realized that the Saitous'house was on fire. It seemed as if there were several smal fires burning, but she was terrified at the implication that Inari had already done something to the mother and daughter. â€Å"No, Matt!†she cried, grabbing Matt's arm. He would have charged straight at the laughing black-clad woman and tried to attack her feet – and seconds were invaluable now. â€Å"Come help me find them!† Theo came to their aid. Drawing up the white bul whip, she whirled it once around her head and cracked it precisely on Inari's raised hands, leaving a bloody gash on one. As a furious Inari turned back to her, Meredith and Matt ran. â€Å"The back door,†Matt said as they careered around the side of the house. Up ahead they saw a wooden fence, but no gate. Meredith was just considering using the stave to pole-vault, when Matt panted, â€Å"Here!†and made a cradle of his hands for her to step into. â€Å"I'l boost you over!† Meredith hesitated only an instant. Then, as he skidded to a stop she jumped to place one foot in his inter-locked fingers. Suddenly she was flying upward. She made the most of it, landing, catlike, on the fence's flat top, and then jumping down. She could hear Matt scrambling up the fence as she was suddenly surrounded by black smoke. She jumped backward three feet and yel ed, â€Å"Matt, the smoke is dangerous! Get low; hold your breath. Stay outside to help them when I bring them out!† Meredith had no idea whether Matt would listen to her or not, but she obeyed her own rules, crouching low, breath held, opening her eyes briefly to try to find the door. Then she almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of an axe crashing into wood, of wood splintering, and of the axe crashing again. She opened her eyes and saw that Matt hadn't listened to her, but she was glad because he'd found the door. His face was black with soot. â€Å"It was locked,†he explained, hefting the axe. Any optimism Meredith might have felt splintered like the door as she looked inside and saw only flames and more flames. My God, she thought, anyone in there is roasting, is probably dead already. But where had that thought come from? Her knowledge or her fear? Meredith couldn't just stop now. She took a step into searing heat and shouted, â€Å"Isobel! Mrs. Saitou! Where are you?† There was a weak, choking cry. â€Å"That's the kitchen!†she said. â€Å"Matt, it's Mrs. Saitou! Please go get her!† Matt obeyed, but threw over his shoulder, â€Å"Don't you go farther in.† Meredith had to go farther in. She remembered very well where Isobel's room was. Directly under her â€Å"grandmother's.† â€Å"Isobel! Isobel! Can you hear me?†Her voice was so low and husky from smoke that she knew she had to keep going. Isobel might be unconscious or too hoarse to answer. Meredith dropped to her knees, crawling on the ground where the air was slightly cooler and more clear. Okay. Isobel's room. She didn't want to touch the door handle with her hand, so she wrapped her T-shirt around it. The handle wouldn't turn. Locked. She didn't bother to investigate how, she simply turned around and mule-kicked the door right beside the handle. Wood splintered. Another kick, and with a wooden scream the door swung free. Meredith was feeling dizzy now, but she needed to see the entire room. She took two strides in, and – there! Sitting up on the bed in the smoky, hot, but otherwise scrupulously tidy little room was Isobel. As Meredith neared the bed she saw – to her fury – that the girl was tied to the brass headboard with duct tape. Two slashes of the stave took care of that. Then, amazingly, Isobel moved, raising a blackened face up to Meredith's. That was when Meredith's fury peaked. The girl had duct tape across her mouth, to prevent her from making any cry for help. Wincing herself to show that she knew this was going to be painful, Meredith grasped the duct tape and stripped it off. Isobel didn't cry out; instead she took in lungful after lungful of smoky air. Meredith stumbled toward the closet, snatched two identical-looking white shirts, and swerved back to Isobel. There was a ful tumbler of water right beside her, on the nightstand. Meredith wondered if it had been put there deliberately to increase Isobel's agony, but she didn't hesitate to use it. She gave Isobel a quick sip, took one herself, and then soaked each shirt. She held one over her own mouth and Isobel mimicked her, holding the wet shirt over her nose and mouth. Then Meredith grabbed her and guided her back to the door. After that it simply became a nightmare journey of crawling and kneeling and choking, pul ing Isobel with her al the time. Meredith thought it would never end, as each inch forward became harder and harder. The stave was an unbearable weight to heave along with her, but she refused to let go of it. It's precious, her mind said, but is it worth your life? No, Meredith thought. Not my life, but who knows what else wil be out there if I get Isobel into the cool darkness? You'l never get her there if you die because of – an object. It's not an object! Painful y Meredith used the stave to clear some smoldering debris from her path. It belonged to Grandpa in the time when he was sane. It fits my hand. It's not just a thing! Have it your own way, the voice said, and disappeared. Meredith was beginning to run into more debris now. Despite the cramping in her lungs, she was sure that she could make it out of the back door. She knew there should be a laundry room on her right. They should be able to feel a space there. And then suddenly in the dark something reared up and struck her a blow on the head. It took her dimming mind a long time to come up with a name for the thing that had hurt her. Armchair. Somehow they'd crawled too far. This was the living room. Meredith was flooded with horror. They'd gone too far – and they couldn't go out the front door into the midst of magical battle. They would have to backtrack, and this time make sure to find the laundry room, their gate to freedom. Meredith turned around, pul ing Isobel with her, hoping the younger girl would understand what they had to do. She left the stave on the burning living room floor. Elena sobbed to get her breath, even though she was al owing Stefan to help her now. He ran, holding Bonnie by one hand and Elena by the other. Damon was somewhere in front – scouting. It can't be far now, she kept thinking. Bonnie and I both saw the brightness – we both did. Just then, like a lantern put into a window, Elena saw it again. It's big, that's the problem. I keep thinking we should reach it because I have the wrong idea of what size it is in my mind. The closer we get, the bigger it gets. And that's good for us. We'l need a lot of Power. But we need to get there soon, or it could be al the Power in the universe and it won't matter. We'l be too late. Shinichi had indicated that they would be too late – but Shinichi had been born a liar. Still, surely just beyond that low branch was†¦ Oh, dear God, she thought. It's a star ball.