Marketing and Environmental Factors

Macro-marketing â€Å"Macro-marketing literally deals with big/important issues, beyond comparatively simple exchanges between buyers and sellers, or even relationships between companies and customers. In a more interconnected world of markets, marketers, and their stakeholders, macro-marketing is an important mechanism to study both opportunities and shortcomings of marketing, and both its intended positive effects and unintended deleterious effects.This suggests macro-marketing includes an optimistic perspective; that it seeks functional mechanisms to enhance marketing processes, to the benefit of the largest number of stakeholders, the world over. † Various Environmental factors Affecting Marketing process. Various factors affecting marketing process. The environmental factors that are affecting marketing process can be classified into : 1) Internal environment and 2) External environment Internal Environment of Marketing :This refers to factors existing within a marketing firm. They are also called as controllable factors, because the company has control over these factors : a) it can alter or modify factors as its personnel, physical facilities, organization and function means, such as marketing mix, to suit the environment. There are many internal factors that influence the marketing process, they are : Top Management : The organizational structure, Board of Director, professionalization of management.. etc..Factors like the amount of support the top management enjoys from different levels of employees, shareholders and Board of Directors have important infulence on the marketing decisions and their implementation. Finance and Accounting: Accounting  refers to measure of  revenue and costs to help the marketing and to know how well it is achieving its objectives. Finance refers to funding and using funds to carry out the marketing plan. Financial factors are financial polices, financial position and capital structure.Research and Development : Research and Development refers to designing the product safe and attractive. They are technological capabilities, determine a company ability to innovate and compete. Manufacturing : It is responsible for producing the desired quality and quantity of products. Factors which infulence the competitiveness of a firm are production capacity technology andefficiency of the productive apparatus, distribution logistics etc. , Purchasing : Purchasing refers to procurement of goods and services from some external agencies.It is the strategic activity of the business. Company Image and Brand Equity : The image of the company refers in raising finance, forming joint ventures or other alliancessoliciting marketing intermediaries, enteing purchase or sales contract, launching new products etc. In organization, the marketing resources like organization for marketin, quality of marketing, brand equity and dirtribution network have direct bearing on marketing efficiency. They are important for new product introduction and brand extension, etc.. External Environment of Marketing.External factors are beyond the control of a firm, its suceess depends to a large extent on its adaptability to the environment. The external marketing environment consists of : a) Macro environment, and b) Micro environment a) Micro environment: The environmental factors that are in its proximity. The factors influence the company’s non-capacity to produce and serve the market. The factors are : 1) Suppliers: The suppliers to a firm can also alter its competitive position and marketing capabilities. These are raw material suppliers, energy suppliers, suppliers of labor and capital.According to michael Porter, the relationship between suppliers and the firm epitomizes a power equation between them. This equation is based on the industry condition and the extent to which each of them is dependent on the other. The bargaining power of the supplier gets maximized in the following situations: a) Th e seller firm is a maonopoly or an oligopoly firm. b) The supplier is not obliged to contend with othe substitute products for sale to the buyer group. c) The buyer is not an important customer. d) The suppliers’s product is an important input to the buyer’s business and finished product. ) The supplier poses a real threat of forward integration. 2) Market Intermediaries : Every producer has to have a number of intermediaries for promoting, selling and distributing the goods and service to ultimate consumers. These intermediaries may be individual or business firms. These intermediaries are middleman (wholesalers, retailers, sgent’s etc. ), ditributing agency market service agencies and financial institutions. 3) Customers : The customers may be classified as : 1) Ultimate customers: These customers may be individual and householders. ) Industrial customers: These customers are organization which buy goods and services for producing other goods and services for the purpose of other earning profits or fulfilling other objectives. 3) Resellers: They are the intermediaries who purchase goods with a view to resell them at aprofit. They can be wholesalers, retailers, distributors, etc. 4) Government and other non-profit customers: These customers purchase goods and services to those for whom they are produced, for their consumption in most of the cases. ) International customers: These customers are individual and organizations of other countries who buy goods and services either for consumption or for industrial use. Such buyers may be consumers, producers, resellers, and governments. 6 )Competitors: Competitors are those who sell the goods and services of the same and similar description, in the same market. Apart from competition on price, there are like product differentiation. Therefore, it is necessary to build an efficient system of marketing. This will bring confidence and better results. ) Public: It is duty of the company to satisfy t he people at large along with its competitors and the consumers. It is necessary for future growth. The action of the company do infulence the other groups forming the general public for the company. A public is defined as ‘any group that has an actual or potential interest in or impact on a company’s ability to achieve its objective. ’ Public relations are certainly a broad marketing operation which must be fully taken care of. Macro Environment: Macro environment factors act external to the company and are quite uncontrollable.These factors do not affect the marketing ability of the concern directly but indirectly the infulence marketing decisions of the company. These are the macro environmental factors that affect the company’s marketing decisions : a) Demographic Forces: Here, the marketer monitor the population because people forms markets. Marketers are keenly interested in the size and growth rate of population in different cities, regions, and nat ions ; age distribution and ethnic mix ; educational levels; households patterns; and regional characteristics and movements. )Economic Factors: The economic environment consists of macro-level factors related to means of production and distribution that have an impact on the business of an organization. c) Physical Forces: Components of physical forces are earth’s  natural renewal and non-renewal resources. Natural renewal forces are forest, food products from agriculture or sea etc. Non- renewal natural resources are finite such as oil, coal, minerals, etc. Both of these components quite often change the level and type of resources available to a marketer for his production. ) Technological Factors: The technological environment consits of factors related to knowledge applied, and the materials and machines used in the production of goods and services that have an impact on the business of an organization. e) Political and Legal Forces: Developments in political and legal field greatly affect the marketing decisions. sound marketing decision cannot be taken without taking into account, the government agencie, political party in power and in opposition their ideologies, pressire groupss, and laws of the land. These variables create tremendous pressures on marketing management.Laws affect production capactiy, capability, product design, pricing and promotion. Government in almost all the country intervenes in marketing process irrespective of their political ideologies. f) Social and Cultural Forces: This concept has crept into marketing literature as an alternative to the marketing concept. The social forces attempt to make the marketing socially responsible. It means that the business firms should take a lead in eliminating socially harmful products and produce only what is beneficial to the soceity. These are numbers of pressure groups in the soceity who impose restrictions on the marketing process.

Case Study- Clover Valley Dairy Company

Case Study: Clover Valley Dairy Company Rebeca Aquino DeVry University Case Study: Clover Valley Dairy Company Statement of the Problem(s) The main issue in this case study is the reluctance of the salespeople to comply with the implementation of the new Fist-Plus plan. As a consequence the sales department over the Des Moines office is not meeting the monthly quota. Summary of the FactsFrom the moment Doug Bloom got to the new office over at Des Moines it was clear that it would be a struggle to get the salespeople to accept and put in action the new First-Plus plan that was forced upon everyone directly from corporate. Doug tried to talk to all the salespeople in a group and individually as well with the intension of helping them understand the importance of following through with this new plan. After reviewing the negative first’s month results where the department had failed to meet their quota.Doug took immediate action and fired a memo to all salespeople requesting a wri tten weekly schedule of their activities. This was with the intention of reviewing the way salespeople were managing their time and find ways to help them improve their time managing and this way close more accounts and meet the monthly quota. The sales reps did not like when told how to best manage their time and one of the employees took it even further and took it personal, got really offended and even resigned his job.When the results of the second month came up negative again, Doug decided to take over some of the most promising accounts that some of the sales reps had failed to close. The sales reps did not like this and complained to Doug about it. Even after Doug explained to them that he was going to do the closing of the accounts but that they would be returned to them as soon as the closing had occurred and they would be benefitting from the commissions of these accounts the sales reps were still not satisfied.This entire struggle had Doug considering quitting his job bef ore corporate decided fired him. All the efforts Doug seem to make did not seem to be enough to get through his sales reps. Analysis The group of sales reps Dough was assigned to manage are very reluctant to change. First of all because they do not consider this new plan to be a good idea due to the fact that most of their sales come from small business and this new plan is specifically focused on big companies which is a game changer for them.How to make them see that they do not need to drop or stop pursuing small accounts instead what they need to do is add additional large accounts. Would selecting some sales reps to pursue this new plan and leave the sales reps that bring in large business from smaller accounts continue the way they have being doing successful sales? Would new rival issues and work un-satisfaction arise from this decision? How can Doug deal with this new issue? If Doug selects some of the sales reps that appear to be more open to the idea and that are also prom ising sales reps.He can work with them more closely and help them acquire new big customers. This way he would not have to deal with all the sales reps and he would have more time for this group dedicated to target big customers. If he does that the other sales rep can focus on what they do best and would ensure that the monthly quota is reached. If the plan works out and new big customers start purchasing insurance from this selected group it will not be long before the rest of the sales reps will want in to the new plan, after all they all work for commissions.Bigger companies more business for the company and more commission for the sales reps. Recommendations It would be recommended that Dough select a quarter of sales reps to carry-on the new plan implemented by corporate. The selection of these sales reps would be based on their abilities and also on the amount of business they bring in to the company. Their productivity should be significant but not definitive to the departme nt’s quota. Leave the salespeople that bring in a lot of business continue the way they have being working for the time being.I also recommend to get rid of sales reps that do show good results and that are also reluctant to cooperate with Doug’s leadership ideas. He does not need to clean house but he needs to set an example that he means business. Conclusion When dealing with salespeople afraid of change there is always a way to make them see the bigger picture. It is not always easy and most of the times managers need to be creative to achieve the goals set for the department. However, it can be done when the right person is in charge.

Advertising Media Identification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Advertising Media Identification - Essay Example These include future employment of the children, and the importance and nature of social interaction, which varies significantly between the two advertisements based on gender. Gender has long been something that has been of greatest concern to advertisers and to the advertising consuming public. It is of concern to advertisers because it is an incredibly important part of identity, and advertisers need to tap into identity needs to understand how to best sell to the public. It is of great concern for the public, however, because the public wants to be able to resist advertisers having undue influence on the development of those identities. These concerns are especially prevalent in the case of advertising for children. For some time the main concern of gender advertising has been associated with the main concern for advertising for adults: body image. Children’s advertisers tended to fall into the same techniques as advertisers for adults do: portraying â€Å"limited diversi ty in physical attributes† – usually meaning body type and skin color . But an emerging trend, demonstrated by two advertisements for Lego products, traditional Lego marketed towards boys and a new line, â€Å"Lego Friends,† marketed towards girls,... Both pairs then go on to enjoy their products in varied ways. When delving beyond the superficial, however, it becomes immediately clear that these two ads are not in fact portraying similar things at all, but are rather portraying very different things in regards to the appropriate work roles of people of different gender. The voiceover in the Lego advertisement describes a heavily masculine world view, where â€Å"a man’s home is his fortress,† and the father and son pair then go on to build a house together (Lego 2011). The emphasis here is on construction, and the images support this emphasis: not only is the house always growing and getting new additions, from towers and turrets to walls, windows and propellers, but the colors and patterns involved with those additions is constantly changing and rotating, indicating a flurry of activity on the part of the builders, who are constantly innovating and changing their structure. This thus not-so-subtly implies that a pr oper occupation for male-gendered people is to build things, to be involved with construction and with that kind of physical/mental labor, and that mans nature involves constantly tinkering and innovating to construct new things. It is thus not a stretch to argue that this advertisement perpetuates jobs that require those traits as being male roles: engineers who cannot stop tinkering, construction workers, architects and so on. This advertisement clearly sets out a number of characteristics that male-identified people should possess, and then makes those correspond with jobs and hobbies that men should thus supposedly be engaging in – things that involve using their hands and their heads. While the â€Å"Lego† advertisement is somewhat subtle in its

Capital One Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Capital One - Essay Example The external environment can be analyzed by using various tools like that of PEST analysis. The PEST analysis stands for Political factors, Economical factors, Social factors and Technological factors. The analysis of Capital One can be undermined as below: Political factors – The markets in which the company was operational did not have much political disturbances and therefore it could be said that the company experienced conducive political factors for its new strategy on acquisition. Economic factors – This was undoubtedly the most vital aspect for a company operating in the domain of financial services and products. The economic slowdown and the global meltdown really hampered the growth of the company. The financial performance of the company worsened on year – to – year basis even after following the strategy at an aggressive way. The faith of the general public upon the financial system was disturbed as one after the other too – big – to – fail companies became bankrupt. Social – Capital One had considerable social acceptance and that proved beneficial for the company to continue the business even in the trying times of financial slowdown. The company had taken number of efforts and initiatives that contributed towards the community development and corporate social responsibility and those have paved ways for the sustainable growth of the company. Technological factors – The company has been observed to be technologically sound and it was found that that Capital One offered best of the attributes based on the technological developments. It could be said that the research and development in the technological segment paid well as the environment is continuously changing. In spite of having an aggressive policy based upon acquisition, it could be said that Capital One Financial Corporation did not had a great year. Though the reasons were primarily external, like that of the global meltdown and economic slowdown, yet

Business Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business Writing - Essay Example I have been able to first address the problem of a complaining customer by stating the commitment of the company to satisfy his needs and preventing such incidents from happening in the near future. The memo has also developed to include messages aimed at repairing the confidence of the customer. This has been achieved by assurance the customer that the company was making commitments to fix the problem in the shortest time possible. I have also been able to reduce the number of words by focusing on making the memo precise and straight to the point.I gained a number of insights with regards to business writing. For instance, I was able to address a complaint letter by addressing the claim of the customer and later on repairing his confidence. I promised the customer that our organization was going to provide assistance and that we valued his concerns. The assignment also helped me identify and appreciate the need to have my peers and tutor go through my writing so as to ensure that er rors are identified and corrected at an early stage. My peers and tutor read over my work and made comments on the mistakes they had identified in my writings. The teacher played a very significant role in improving my writing skills by identifying mistakes and suggesting ways of correcting them. I will be considering what the reader wants to hear before writing any business letter or proposal. This will involve a complete focus on the relevant information that will satisfy the needs of the reader rather than addressing my personal needs. (Kuiper 140). 2. Samples of your work (â€Å"before and after†) with reflections: Persuasive Message Memo To: Roger Lee roger.lee@rotstein.com From: Mike Jones mike.jones@educatesolution.ca Subject: Re: Training Session Appointment—YourUni We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the training session appointment with our trainer Angela Flight on August 20th. We received your email and immediately contacted Ms. Flight regarding the issue. However, we discovered that there was a mismatch with the dates of appointment with our trainer. Company records indicated that your appointment was scheduled for 27th instead of 21st of August. However, we sincerely apologize for all the inconvenience we have caused your institution. We have made arrangements with our trainer that we

Human Rights Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Human Rights Portfolio - Essay Example With the help of this industry, most of the young dwellers of the area, this previously did not have any job and thus no means to feed their family and themselves, would now be able to survive by providing labor in this industry. Now suddenly Government wakes up and says that since the environment will get polluted because of the industrial wastes produced by this industry therefore any operation of this manner should not be initiated. There definitely is a trade off between the two human rights- the right to food and the right to good environment. The former being the inherent right and the latter being contingent. But clearly, the right to food over here must be given preference over the right to environment. The primary responsibility of the Government here is to safeguard the right to food for its citizens and there by providing an alternate solution to stopping the work of the industry. The alternate means could be any of the plantations of more trees as an initiative by the Gov ernment or by the industry upon the directive of the Government. The Government should also give utmost care to proper disposal of industrial wastes by any such operation, but should not stop the operations of the industry which is providing the basic necessities of livelihood to the citizen. While there are human rights which I think are really inherent (right to food, clothes and shelter) there are several others which I think are continge... 1) Nations which provide most of the inherent as well as contingent rights to their citizens. These are generally the economically developed nations of the World. Not only most of the citizens have access to food, clothing and shelter but also they have the access to good quality of these basic necessities. Proper laws are in place to punish the individuals andor companies which are involved in malpractices related to tempering of the quality of the basic necessity. 2) Nations which provide most of the inherent rights to their citizens but are not able to provide the contingent rights. These are generally the developing nations of the world. 3) Nations which provide neither the inherent nor the contingent rights to their citizens. These are generally underdeveloped nations of the world. Seminar 2: Compare the dangers posed by, and the argument of necessity, regarding drug dealers, human traffickers and terrorists. Necessity is one of the major excuses those criminals across the globe have been using most of the times, as a deterrent to avoid severe penalty. Needless to say, in some of the cases, they are even able to dupe the law thereby avoiding the strictest of punishments. For heinous crimes, any argument of necessity should not be given any heed else it will be a severe deterrent against the path of justice. With the presence of the clause of necessity, the criminal, even after committing the atrocious act, still have a room of escape based on the prudence of the jury of a particular country. A drug dealer may resort to an excuse in which he says that due to economic crisis of his family, he had to resort to such a heinous crime and may seek to smaller punishments like getting jailed for a few years. After the tenure of the punishment is

Health Care Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Health Care Ethics - Essay Example McWay (2010) argues that it is the sole responsibility of the health practitioners to ensure that all manner of information that relates to the patients’ background information is concealed. Studies indicate that maintaining confidentiality is one of the best antidotes towards a successful healing process for the client. This is in relation to the fact that, clients feel completely relaxed and secure while disclosing information that relates to their medical predicaments. In cases where clients have had nasty experiences with nurses or any other health practitioners, who disclose their medical conditions, such patients were recorded to conceal crucial information, that would otherwise contribute a great mile towards their healing process. This is an interpretation of great tasks that, health practitioners have to undertake in an attempt not only to safeguard their jobs but also, to make patients’ healing process trouble-free. This essay shall highlight the importance of safeguarding patients’ information by the health practitioners. The essay shall also attempt to undertake a study on the ethical and legal implications of breaching the terms and conditions of health care ethics, that works on the basis of safeguard of patient’s information. In his work, he continues to argue that, if there arises a need for disclosure of information on the patients’ medical history, the patient has the right to be aware of the kind of information being portrayed to any other parties. Once patients feel comfortable, studies indicate that majority tend to disclose information, which ultimately leads to quick and certain medication by the medical practitioners. Disclosure and maintenance of patients’ medical background information, as health care ethics, involves protection and impositions by law. Harman (2006) indicates, that a great percentage of health practitioners are aware of the fact, that patients have a right to file lawsuits in case they feel that, their rights are infringed by medical physicians. In the context of revealing information, other than committing suicide by the client, patients have a right to demand explanations in regard to infringing on their privacy in other contexts. Analysts believe that in such instances, there is no exception; the health practitioner has to compensate the patient or offer tangible explanations on the reasons behind their actions. However, studies indicate that in such cases, patients end up taking the case. This is an interpretation of the weightiness of this health care ethics. At times, health practitioners are at a risk of losing their jobs over the disclosure of patients’ information, especially in cases where health practitioners have no tangible evidence of their actions. There have been numerous arguments on the protection of patients’ information as legally binding.

Nursing Qualitative research Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Nursing Qualitative research Proposal - Essay Example This reality shock occurs due to the transition from the educational to the service setting, which poses different priorities and pressures. Researchers have suggested that factors that cause the exit of new nurses can be related to work environment, lack of power, lack of opportunity for career development, lack of support from RNs, patient care issues and work schedules. Researchers have also suggested that mentoring and professional development opportunities are very important factors for new nurses' job satisfaction. For the purpose of this study I will use a qualitative approach to explore the research question. The use of qualitative research is appropriate since it helps in gaining a better understanding of an existing phenomenon. By conducting this research I hope to contribute to the existing literature by identifying factors that positively and negatively impact graduate nurses' experience. Although this phenomenon has received some attention in literature, it is still not very widely explored especially in its influence in the acute care setting. By conducting this research I also attempt to come up with recommendations on how the negative experiences can be mitigated to retain the nursing staff. By using the perspective of Parse's Human Becoming Theory I hope to be able to make sense of such nursing experiences and hope to apply them in a practical way. Research Design Qualitative research is proposed for conducting the proposed study. This will require qualitative data to be collected which will be based on narratives, impressions, ideas, concerns and attitudes of new graduate nurses, interviewed and observed in various interactions. As qualitative research seeks illumination and understanding it is considered appropriate for this study since it will help understand the phenomena of new graduate nurse experience. A qualitative descriptive design will be used for this study and Spradley's (1979) domain analysis approach will be used to conduct this qualitative research .In addition, historical analysis will also be undertaken. Domain analysis requires the following steps: Identification of domains that reflect the concerns of the interviewees rather than the researcher's own notions. A domain, is a collection of categories that share a certain kind of relationship. In order to familiarize with the issues that really concern the interviewees the researcher needs to read the data several times. Semantic relationships are then defined as suggested by Spradley (1979). An example of how semantics are described by Spradley is given below. Table - Identifying Semantics using Spradley (1980) Doctor Nurse is a part of

Film Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Film Analysis - Essay Example also tries to answer some major concerns like why these people have always remained so poorly understood and why their history is fraught with endless stories of struggle and strife. This essay aims to concentrate on one planning issue in particular which is cultural awareness and assimilation. This issue has a lot of depth and intensity to it which is why following discussion will be based on it. There are clear evidences present in the film to support this planning issue, each of which will be scrutinized in this essay. First piece of evidence supporting the fact that the film promotes cultural awareness and assimilation is when the FBI agent Ray Levoi begins to go deeper and has his first look at what is hidden under the surface. The surface image of Native Americans is very stereotypical which is created by the white elite forces. It speaks that all Native Americans are wild and deranged especially the infamous Indian tribes. The unmitigated hatred spawned by white people for Indian tribes is a very grave issue which forms the bedrock of this film. Levoi is more culturally aware than others and so, he believes that some Indian tribes may be vicious, but the same cannot be said for all. There is no reason to possess such racial hatred for the Indians as is possessed by characters like Agent Frank â€Å"Cooch† and Jack Milton in the film. Levoi has a different attitude than his partner Cooch toward Native Americans. He understands that there are power inequalities between the Indians and whi tes. After developing a harmonious standing with some tribal elders like Grandpa Sam, he come to know that these inequalities range from political power to social relationships. He sees that whites are certainly more privileged than Native Indians are and he sympathizes with local Indian tribes. This shows how culturally aware he becomes which helps him to swiftly assimilate with them. Another point highlighting Levoi’s cultural awareness is his association with Maggie

Brief synopsis of research proposal - NGOs in Saudi Arabia; Essay

Brief synopsis of research proposal - NGOs in Saudi Arabia; Strategies, Development and Marketing Management - Essay Example Known in its all forms as the â€Å"non-profit,† â€Å"nongovernmental,† â€Å"voluntary,† â€Å"civil society,† â€Å"third,† or â€Å"independent† sector, this set of institutions includes within it a new bewildering array of entities brought by the younger generation of today, who have usually studied abroad. Furthermore, the least contribution of Saudi citizen in political sphere is to be involved in the non-profit sector. The government’s openness towards the political contribution of citizens is allowed through the involvement in third sector. Therefore, Saudi elite have entered in the so-called ‘civil society’ in its mere concept free from any political implications. This has created a conflict among the society, whether to accept the terminology or to change to other words to be more appropriate culturally and religiously. Despite the division in deciding the name by which it shall be called, majority have agreed on the lofty goal behind the concept in its social dimension -the act of kindness. In the past few decade numbers of non-profit organizations were established in Saudi, these coherent organizations had built a strong relationship with the state. Their activities are mostly based on the philanthropy and socio- religious developments. With the impact of modernization, the well-known traditional groups were bound to fade under its influence, followed by the emergence of a new group of educated Middle Class advocating political agenda. This has created a sort of threat and confusion within the government. New boundaries had to be established to deal with the new language without raising conflicts. In contrast, looking from a positive side through the lens of development, modernization brought new concepts to the realm of the third sector. Insofar, it has been considered a good turning point; the misconceptions of new ideologies

Bullying in Schools Essay Example for Free

Bullying in Schools Essay Bullying is an ongoing problem for many schools and communities. This behavior consists of teasing, threats, and stalking. This behavior is unacceptable and can turn violent, and even worse, deadly. There are many influences in today’s world that promote this behavior such as music, video games, movies, parents and other peers. A bully is a person that’s show strong aggression either physically or verbally and thrives on gaining power over there victim. A bully has no respect for others and will resort to violence if needed. The environment where the child/ youth come from is just part of a factor that makes a bully. A parent and or other adult figure that lives in a hostile environment and displays negative actions or a bully themselves inspire and teach these children this is how to act. Another factor is when a child is being abused they take all their anger, hurt and aggression out on another because it gains them negative self-empowerment. Yet, another factor of bullying could be just an individual trying to fit in to the â€Å"in crowd â€Å"of their peers. Yet, peers fail to see their future will bring them to jail or prison. A victim is the individual who receive the attack. These attacks can be verbal, physical or psychological abuse. Most victims picked on are loner and appear to be very insecure. They tend to not talk back or take action being picked on. A bully finds his victim by either there appearance, shy types or being behind in their academics (low grade point average). Most victims want to gain approval and exception from others and normally make several attempts with the bully. There are several side effects from being bullied such as psychological issues, depression (feeling helpless – worthless), self- harm (cutting skin, hair loss), anxiety (stress), and worst case suicide. Bullying in schools is estimated 160,000 children and teenagers miss school every day out of fear of an attack or intimidation by another peer. Over two thirds of children and teenagers in our schools today have had some type of bullying and responded poorly to the situation. Researches show that bullying occurs more in boys than in girls when it comes to verbal threats. In the year of 1994-1999 there were 253 violent deaths in school, 51 casualties in multiple death events. Bullying is the main factor in school related deaths. (Hunter, 2012) Schools throughout the United States do respond to bullying with reactive meas ZERO tolerance† in place, they have also installed security cameras and have police on staff as well as monitoring hallways. As part of this policy students can be suspended and or expelled for carrying a gun or knife to school as well as bullying. On a recent pole I conducted many teachers and other school board members feel as though suspension and expulsion is an easy way for a child to escape out of education. Our community’s fails to see the school may be the only positive place the child may be able to come, throwing them out is not the answer. The school over the last five years has introduced new programs which also include and family counseling. Programs such as early intervention helps children build social skills and offers anger management. Training for teachers and all staff that are involved daily with the children need to be able to recognize and respond quickly and positively. Teacher need to be able to provide positive environment and stick to the rules of conduct and don’t let no slip up happen, pay attention. Parents need to provide a positive environment and monitor your children and who they associate with. Also look up lyrics to the songs your child hears or watch the movies they watch. If you the parent wither be the victims or bully feels like extra help is needed talk to the school psychologist or the child doctor. Talk to your child, ask how they feel and offer solutions that promote positive help. Some people feel that bullying is just something that happens during your younger days and the child will grow away from their actions. Let’s look here; school shooting is on a rise killing innocent children attempting to get back at their bullies. Suicide as young as third grade destroys homes, families and communities. Drug use is higher than ever and teenager everyday day die from over dosing. Unless society takes steps to fight this disease that peers face daily it will continue to destroys young innocent lives at a downward spiral.

What Are The Causes Of Childhood Obesity Health Essay

What Are The Causes Of Childhood Obesity Health Essay Throughout the years, obesity has been a very important topic in our society and has risen exponentially among children and many researchers have wondered what are the causes of childhood obesity. There are many components which contribute to the causes of child obesity. Also people need to understand what exactly is body-mass-index and how it will be used to decide whether the child is categorized as being obese or not. Here are the some of the primary causes that affect children leading into obsession. The children consume so much food, are exposed to too many advertisements, lack physical activity, parents influence their actions, and the childrens living environments and socioeconomic factors influence them. Many blame that children eat beyond their control and this happens to be the number one cause. The second cause is children are exposed too many food commercials of less healthy foods and eventually are convinced into consuming the product. The third reason is children tend t o lack physical activity by rather spending countless hours playing video games and browsing the internet. The fourth cause is that the children parents influences them, and the genetics of the parents is a great influence on childrens overweight and obesity. The last cause is the childs living environment and their socioeconomic status influences their decisions and actions. These are the main components that lead into causing obesity among the children. What factors make children to be considered obese from a normal weight. What is obesity and BMI? Typically, obesity and overweight children are characterized as having a body-mass-index (BMI) greater than a particular threshold set point. BMI or body-mass-index undistinguished as a measurement in kilograms divided by height in meters squared (kg/m2) (Anderson 20). Reported by the guidelines in National Institutes of Health, a child is well categorized as obese if their body-mass-index is less than 18.5, the kids are considered overweight if their BMI is 25 or more, and obese if his BMI is 31 or more (20). Most people have no significant idea of what exactly is obesity. According to the Center for Disease Control and prevention, obesity is defined as a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced 6 life expectancy and/or increased health problems (CDC, 2013). In the article Childhood Obesity: An Overview, it mentions that it can happen only when the number of calories being consumed surpasses the quantity of calories burned, and usually an increase of this action has to last for long periods of time for obesity to be developed (Reily 2007) In order for a child to not be obese, it will take them days of lifestyle changes which produce a small every day calorie deficiency in their food diet. In the long run it is necessity that lifestyle changes is a huge contributor to the failure of efforts to resolve obesity once it has become established. When the children consume much more calories than they burn off, they increase that as obese weight. (WebMD 1) How children eat, how physically active they are, and many numerous components play a part on how it impacts their body and uses the energy units and when weight is increased. These are the basics of obesity and how the body-mass index is use to classified children as obese. The number one cause is children intake way too much unhealthy food products such as soft drinks, fast food, convenient snack food, chips, and junk food, etc. When the children eat this certain type of food, the calories sum up creating body fat or also known as BMI. Most children tend to miss a great diet and are easily exposed to unhealthy food; therefore, they will consume as they are pleased (Anderson and Butcher 14). The three major food categories are convenience foods, soft drinks, and obviously fast food. All these are calorie dense and there is some evidence that consuming these items are correlated with obesity in children (35). Also the much more children consume this type of food, the easier it is for them to get addicted. The worlds leading global fast food service retailer with more than 34,000 and counting restaurants worldwide goes to the McDonalds Corporation franchise and they happened to sell the two unhealthiest leading food products that causes obesity, which are french fries and chicken nuggets (McDonalds 1). Nevertheless, children tend to always eat them at any fast food place. They cannot enjoy their meal without a side of french fries or chicken tenders. Another thing children face are the easy access to junk food in schools. Much more schools across America have carried out school vending machines that contain highly calorie snacks such as candy bars and chips. Fast food companies use tactics against children such as advertising to brain wash them to consume their food products. The second cause leading to child obesity is that many of the children that end getting overweight are exposed to hundreds of advertising of unhealthy foods. The television advertisements are very influential and persuasive to the childrens mind. On average, the child watches an estimate of more than 23,000 food commercials every year and works out to at least 60 commercials per day (Anderson and Butcher 32). Also many children get influenced by prizes or characters of the advertisement. For example, when children see an advertisement on the television for a kids meal; they will get convinced into buying the meal because their neurons urges the kid to wan the super, marvelous action figure found inside. This is why the McDonalds Happy meals are the number one selling food product to children. The children in todays society tend to not do physical activities because their days consist of computer and television interaction. Another cause to child obesity is that many obese children do not control their overall health and lack physical activity to burn off the excess of calories. Children may be substituting different sorts of media for television watching, including video games and the internet (Anderson and Butcher 26). The kids already are not burning up the calories by not choosing to exercise and add many more calories to their bodies. The body systems of the child will not be able to burn off the calories when they do this actions. Thus, this cause raises the energy consumption or decreases energy outgo by even a little measure that will cause obesity in the long-run. Prospectively, physical activity was inversely related to with BMI alteration in girls, and media time periods (watching television or videos, playing video or computer games) was directly connected with BMI alterations in both sexes (Hans-Reiner Figulla 209). A factor that many really dont notice that affect the child health choices are the parents themselves. A cause that usually is not taken in consideration to child obesity are the parents themselves. While parental behavior is important, perhaps the largest influence on the children weight, and obesity is through genetics. For example, it is known that parents influence the childrens food choices. Also the laboring of the parents, makes it difficult to plan and cook healthier meals. For most Americans, it is effortless to get precooked products, eat out in the restaurants, or go to the store to buy products. But these types of foods are higher in fat and high in calories. The quantity of fast food products have gotten a lot bigger in size and this contributes to bad food consumption. Occupation agendas, lengthy travels from the workplace, and other commitments also cuts into the time period the parents have their kids doing physical exercise. Recent reports have concluded that about 26 to 41 percent of BMI is hereditary (Anderson and Butcher 10). Alternately it seems that parents may p ass on to their children a condition to overweight in the existence of energy imbalance. (10) The environment in which the children live can also influence and effect children to getting obese. The fifth cause is that is taken in consideration to child obesity is the environment and socioeconomic conditions of the children. Obesity is higher among minority children and low-income children such as African-American and Hispanics decent (Anderson 15). It all the depends where the children live. If the environment is under poverty conditions, the parents will most likely expose their children to consume cheap food for the penny. Now much more fast food corporations have increased their portion sizes of their products and cost a lot cheaper. Whose family members that are overweight may be at jeopardy of becoming overweight themselves, but this can be connected to common family actions such as consumption and human activity habits. For example, my mother was a considerably overweight at the time of pregnancy when she had me; therefore I was born obesity and I was two pounds overweight. In conclusion, these are some of the major components that cause child obesity. Most of the time it isnt just the child itself but there are much more to what causes obesity among them. Also most dont realize that by using the body mass index or BMI is used to categorized the child as being obese. The obvious one is when the child over eats too much and doesnt burn off the calories they intake and that add fat weight on their bodies. Many people also didnt realize that the environment the child lives in can not only influence the children but also their parents. It is mainly the childs environment that influences the children to either make positive or negative choices. The causes are child obesity are clearly that they consume so much food, are exposed to too many advertisements, lack physical activity performance, parents influence their actions, and the childrens living environments and socioeconomic factors influence them as well.

Tamil Cultural Identity Abroad Cultural Studies Essay

Tamil Cultural Identity Abroad Cultural Studies Essay Bharatantyam has been embedded in the Tamil culture since centuries, transmitted from generation to generation and evolving over time to uphold its sacredness and its representation of the states traditional identity. Today Bharatanaytam has spread worldwide, performed and practiced across countries and accepted by both traditional and modern masses. However it was only after its rebirth in 1930, when the Devadasi Act was passed, and due to E. Krishna Iyers reworking of the dances movement vocabulary into a socially accepted dance form (On, 2011), that Bharatanatyam gained its respectable social status and hence today plays a crucial role in portraying Indias cultural and traditional identity. This portrayal may be seen as what Bourdieu would call a habitus, which is created through a social, rather an individual process leading to patterns that are enduring and transferrable from one context to another (Powercube, 2012). More precisely, Bharatanatyam is a social measure used to main tain and promote a certain habitus, defining the cultures values which are transferred both through time and across the nations, whilst also acting as a guide for the Tamil generations today. This essay analyses, based substantially on Bourdieus habitus theory, to what extent Bharatanatyam shapes Tamil cultural identity, especially abroad. Art forms in general, especially when practiced over centuries, have proven to be central to any articulation of ethnic identity (Hyder, cited in David, 2009) and this is even more true when a population lives outside of its home nation. There were, and still are, a significant amount of Tamilians that immigrate from India and Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom, especially during and after the British colonialism period. For many Tamilians in London, especially the older generation, Bharatanatyam is the element that contains within it all of their cultural and religious identity: it represents an idealism that they must try to incorporate and preserve. Bharatnayam acts as what Foster would consider an ideal body, something that the material body looks up to and tries to achieve. This ideal cultural representation in Bharatanaym has been transmitted over the years to future generations and to this day young Tamilians explain how Bharatanatyam is part of [their] culture and prevents the culture and religion [from] being forgotten, especially in the West (David, 2009). Two students, Maya and Mahumita, reinforce this statement by confirming that studying Bharatanatyam is their way of learning about their cultural heritage whilst living abroad. For example, most of Bharatanatyams bodily movements and facial expressions bear a prominent representation: that of Tamil womanhood. This can be seen in small gestures such as the applying of the kumkum on the forehead (in representation of the third eye), the plaiting of the hair or the folding of the sari, all symbolizing a feminized social body (David, 2009), describing how a woman should appear and behave in this cultural context. Another more specific example would be that of the heroine character, known as the nayika, and how she uses stylized gestures to prepare herself to meet the hero, the nayaka. Through these gestures the dance transmits an idea of femininity and grace which acts as an ideal for all Tamil women to t ry live up to and admire. This also links to Bourdieus concept of doxa, which is formed through a combination of unspoken norms and beliefs that are taken-for-granted assumptions or common sense behind the distinctions we make (Powercube, 2012), which in this case is the portrayal of how women are expected to behave. These characteristics that Tamil women need to behold are part of an unstated conduct that is reinforced through the dances movements and storytelling, constantly reminding the Tamil population, and women in particular, what their role is society is. As author Ann R. David explains, for the Tamil middle class, Bharatanatyam promises respectability and a traditional femininity and is, therefore, a prized carrier of tradition (David, 2009). As a result, purity of Tamil tradition, their rituals and religion, their language and their social behaviour, such as the importance of womens chastity in the Tamil civilization, is upheld substantially through Bharatanatyam it is co nsidered an influential tool used to craft social status and conduct, uniting Tamil cultural identity across the world. However, first-generation Tamil immigrants, and especially Tamil Hindu groups, are concerned that the external pressures of the West may overwhelm the younger generations and cause them to lose sight of their national identity as Tamilians. In order to preserve this sense of cultural identity, several schools have been built abroad to encourage and indulge the youth in their Tamil culture, ensuring that their roots are not forgotten. These classes would, according to Ann R. David, allow the transmission of traditional culture and assist immigrants in maintaining Tamil identity in local diasporic settings where the acquisition of Tamil social, cultural, and religious values does not necessarily take place (David, 2009). Most Sri Lankan Tamil temples and Tamil weekend classes in London are led by Tamil conservationists who try stay true to their cultural identity by discouraging their dance pupils to attend international performances to keep them from any outside influences. In additi on, most of the syllabus is written and taught in Tamil, despite the fact that the second generations are likely to have grown up with English as their first language given their educational and social context. This obsession to ensure that Bharatanatyam is practised and incorporated in the lives of immigrated Tamilians means that, as a result, the dance now bears more rituals and ceremonies attached to it today than it had during the period of its revival (David, 2009). For example, the offering of flowers on stage, known as pushpanjali, and the dedication of bells on the stage are common rituals now that were not required previously in Bharatanatyam. As part of their cultural essentialism none of the teachers in the London Tamil temples have introduced any creative or slightly unconventional material to their students, ensuring that the history of the dance is untouched in order to transfer a pure concept of their Tamil cultural identity. This may be considered as what Bourdieu re fers to as misrecognition, similar to Marxs concept of false consciousness, which is the conscious manipulation of a certain group or individual. In this case, the conservationists use Bharatanatyam to encourage certain social pressures that have been accepted without questioning such as, as previously discussed, the role of obedient women in the Tamil society. But is this pressure of preserving Tamil traditions through Bharatanatyam having the contrary effect and pushing away the younger generations from exploring their cultural identity? Some may argue yes, as certain teachers and practitioners, mostly in other countries in Europe and in North America, support Tamil nationalism through change and development. Aided and supported by the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), Tamil Sri Lankan nationalism in particular is encouraged to evolve through more creative Bharatanatyam choreographies. For example, a Bharatanatyam piece was choreographed narrating the story of a military woman who sacrifices her male relatives to be a part of the Sri Lankan war. These types of narrations are unconventional compared to any of the traditional Bharatanatyam stories which usually involve Gods and their relationship with mankind. Another example would be the Akademi centre today whose goal is to enlarge received aesthetic definitions of the traditional and classical through strategic acts of cultural translation and situate Indian dance on the multicultural map of Great Britain (Meduri, 2004). Therefore, this modernising of Bharatanatyam and the usage of its representative symbolic movements to express contemporary concerns is going against the work of the preservationists. This contemporary development of Bharatanayam can be seen as creating a new, more current and perhaps global cultural identity. This sense of global identity seems to be growing, even in Britain, especially amongst the second generation as they have no strong, direct ties to their homeland. They hence tend to see themselves more as British, British Asian or British Hindu citizens who are made up of both cultures, yet belong strongly to neither of them. These young Tamilians are part of a global youth culture (Saldanha, cited in David, 2009) which means that they hold a global identity, unlike their elder relatives who struggle to maintain their traditional cultural identity whilst living in a different country amidst a completely different set of values. In the late 20th century all Indian dance forms were put under the label of South Asian dance, despite the fact that South Asia evidently consists of many more countries than just India, hence not only creating a rather vague category for these Indian dances but also merging internationalism within nationalism. The specific classical dance Bharatantyam being thrown amidst numerous other Indian dances and renamed as a part of a South Asian dance was a huge turning point as it enlarged the Indian label and made visible the diverse dance, performance, and theatre practices of the Indian/Asian diaspora (Meduri, 2004). But some Bharatanatyam dancers and teachers, such as Mira Kaushik, encouraged this relocation of Bharatanatyam dance within the broader category of South Asian dance. Kaushik claimed that although Indian dance might look Indian, it is South Asian dance in the United Kingdom because it is performed not just by immigrant dancers from India but by hundreds of South Asian dancers belonging to the different nations of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, and Africa (Meduri, 2004). One may argue that Kaushik challenges the idea that Bharatanatyam is specially reserved for Tamilians as their source of cultural identity; she brings a whole new concept to Bharatanatyam by suggesting that it can appeal, be understood and perfo rmed by many other nationalities. This reform therefore alters and reshapes the key tool Bharatanatyam that traditionally promotes the estalished Tamil habitus. By reintegrating Bharatanaytam with a more futuristic and contemporary aspect, it challenges the cultures original habitus and its centuries of unquestioned customs. Therefore Bharatnatyam may actually be seen as a source of creativity and as a catalyst for a new global identity, rather than a source of tradition and preservation of a purely Tamil identity. Bharatnayam has been adopted and reworked since the very beginning of the 1900s by the West, especially in the United States to begin with. For example, in 1906 Ruth St. Denis, the co-founder of the dance company Denishawn, was hugely inspired by South Asian dance and she immersed herself in Indian writings and culture. She used these resources to later on choreograph dance pieces, such as Incense, The Legend of the Peacock, Radha and further on group productions such as The Flute of Krishna in the 1920s. Another distinct dance pioneer, La Meri, even created a rendition of Swan Lake through Bharatanatyam vocabulary. Especially since the 1930s Bharatnayam has opened up as men now feel comfortable to interpret womanly roles, whilst also many dancers from outside of the Tamil nationality have beg an practicing Bharatanatyam, even to a professional level. But does this globalisation of Bharatanatyam necessarily affect the preservation and the influence it has on the Tamil population and their cultural identity? Rather on the contrary, although Bharatantyam has been increasingly globalised since the early 1900s, the dance in itself to this day remains associated with tradition and symbolism. Both in local Indian communities and abroad, Bharatanatyam is an art that globally and continually promotes the habitus of the Tamil community and its values: whether a non-Tamilian dances it, whether a contemporary story is being told, whether a man dances a womans character the movement vocabulary and the concepts behind the dance remains the same for example, even the interpretation of Swan Lake by Le Meri through Bharatanaym essentially needs to use the dances symbolized codes to tell the story. Bharatanatyam is based intricately on traditional meanings, and therefore whatever context it may be placed in, it will stay true to its Tamil origin . Especially in countries such as Britain and Indonesia where the Tamil population is significant, Bharatanatyam remains a key pathway to not only identify themselves with their distant Tamil customs and embody their cultures habitus, but to spread it worldwide. Word count: 2,005

Careers in Computer Science and Programming :: Technology Jobs Essays

Careers in Computer Science and Programming In the year 1995, our family received their first ever computer. It was a Pentium I with a 75 MHz processor, 64 MB ram, a 16x CD-Rom, a 5-gigabyte hard drive, and Windows 95 operating system. I thought it was the coolest thing man has come to know. It had games, and a completely new world called the internet. Not only could you talk to people from all around the world, but also you could watch streaming videos, view pictures, and send e-mails with attached files. It was like the worlds fastest postal service. From that moment forward, I was intrigued and in mesmerized by computers, and that led to me choosing to spend the rest of my life with them. Ever since the birth of the first computer, there have been people there to program and use them in incredible ways. Ways that boggle the mind and can cause even the smartest person to become perplexed at the shear ability of what a programmer and computer can accomplish. I would like to be one of the people that make smart people wonder by making innovative special effects, or even making an entire movie using only a computer. This is a very important job for people to keep and maintain. Not only do some aspects of it entertain others, but also another part of computer programming involves keeping our country safe. With the technology today and the advances of tomorrow, our great country will be sheltered from attacks of the new age. We will have the smartest and best programmers at the desk typing away and making sure that our missiles stay maintained, that out alert systems are running, and that our vital information is being transferred upon secure networks. In order to be a successful computer programmer you need to have the right training. There are wide varieties of programming languages available for a user to choose. You need now the right language for the type of code you are writing. You cannot program a java application using html; it just would not work. So depending on the type of programming language you need to learn, defines the type of classes you need to take, and the type of schools you need to attend. Computer programming and computer engineering is still a profession that is being built. Consequently, it is hard to find decent work, and to sustain a continuous position as a computer programmer for a company. Careers in Computer Science and Programming :: Technology Jobs Essays Careers in Computer Science and Programming In the year 1995, our family received their first ever computer. It was a Pentium I with a 75 MHz processor, 64 MB ram, a 16x CD-Rom, a 5-gigabyte hard drive, and Windows 95 operating system. I thought it was the coolest thing man has come to know. It had games, and a completely new world called the internet. Not only could you talk to people from all around the world, but also you could watch streaming videos, view pictures, and send e-mails with attached files. It was like the worlds fastest postal service. From that moment forward, I was intrigued and in mesmerized by computers, and that led to me choosing to spend the rest of my life with them. Ever since the birth of the first computer, there have been people there to program and use them in incredible ways. Ways that boggle the mind and can cause even the smartest person to become perplexed at the shear ability of what a programmer and computer can accomplish. I would like to be one of the people that make smart people wonder by making innovative special effects, or even making an entire movie using only a computer. This is a very important job for people to keep and maintain. Not only do some aspects of it entertain others, but also another part of computer programming involves keeping our country safe. With the technology today and the advances of tomorrow, our great country will be sheltered from attacks of the new age. We will have the smartest and best programmers at the desk typing away and making sure that our missiles stay maintained, that out alert systems are running, and that our vital information is being transferred upon secure networks. In order to be a successful computer programmer you need to have the right training. There are wide varieties of programming languages available for a user to choose. You need now the right language for the type of code you are writing. You cannot program a java application using html; it just would not work. So depending on the type of programming language you need to learn, defines the type of classes you need to take, and the type of schools you need to attend. Computer programming and computer engineering is still a profession that is being built. Consequently, it is hard to find decent work, and to sustain a continuous position as a computer programmer for a company.

Brain Transplant: An End to Parkinsonism? :: Biology Essays Research Papers

The Modern Day Brain Transplant:An End to Parkinsonism or the Beginning of a Greater Debate? It sometimes begins with a feeling of lethargy, being "down in the dumps," or shakiness (1). Maybe it begins with a twitch of the pinky finger that was not there before. Speech becomes more difficult and softer to the level of a whisper; this is often accompanied by irritability. Movements become rigid, unsteady and slow (2). A tremor develops, with trembling of the hands, arms, legs, jaw, and face. Later, walking is often only accomplished through short and shuffling steps, intermixed with a loss of balance and instability (3). These symptoms usually progress until the person is incapacitated and unable to do simple tasks such as brushing their teeth, buttoning clothing, or turning newspaper pages (1). This is a description of a person living with Parkinson's disease. According to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, there are one million people living with Parkinson's nationwide (1). Several public figures have also revealed their private struggles with Parkinson's including Michael J. Fox, Muhammad Ali, Janet Reno and Billy Graham (1). As evidenced by the names listed, Parkinson's strikes an array of people, it is generally a late onset disorder, however, in some cases, such as with Michael J. Fox, Parkinson's has a "young onset". Parkinson's disease is a disorder that results from the depletion of the neurotransmitter dopamine. The basal ganglia is the part of the brain responsible for movement. When 80% of the dopamine-secreting cells in a specific part of the basal ganglia, the substantia nigra, are lost Parkinson's symptoms develop (4). The cause for the neuropathology of Parkinson's is still unknown. Two possible causes of Parkinson's that have been researched include environmental factors such as toxins and defective genes (5). Treatments for the disease vary widely. The standard treatment is to prescribe levodopa (L-dopa) (4), the precursor of dopamine to patients. This is given because dopamine itself does not cross the blood-brain barrier. The levodopa is converted to dopamine inside the brain and is effective in improving the severity of symptoms dramatically. Unfortunately, long-term usage of levodopa causes a myriad of side effects, such as head bobbing, grimacing, abnormal movements of the trunk and limbs (2). With time, the side effects of levodopa become more dramatic than the original Parkinson's and the thus outweigh the benefits of giving the drug. Other treatments include a brain "pacemaker," deep brain stimulation with electrodes, and pallidotomy (destroying a portion of the globus pallidus in the brain).

Romanticisam And Washington Irving :: Writer Author Irving

Romantic stories did not always end with a happy ending. In fact, the originals of the modern romantic stories were about the evil of human nature. The work of early American writers like Irving and Poe show the influence of European Romanticism. Irving would stress on nature, the supernatural, and superstitions in his stories. The supernatural, the emphasis of nature, and exotic locations were used in Poe's works. Washington Irving would use an emphasis on nature, the supernatural, and superstitions in his stories. His story "The Devil and Tom Walker" pictured nature as mysterious. Tom walked through a swamp that was so thick that when it was noon it would be still be very dark. At times, water logs would look like alligators floating in the water. The supernatural area also played an essential role in the story. The devil, being the supernatural being, seemed to have the ability to trade riches for a person's soul. Tom, having sold his soul, wanted to outsmart the devil by recruiting the help of another supernatural power, God, by carrying a bible. In the end, the devil took his soul and he learned a lesson he cannot forget. Another of Irving's works The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, demonstrates the power than superstition can have over people. Ichabod Crane was a very careful man who avoided walking under ladders, crossing black cats, or tipping over the salt shaker. When Ichabod heard the lege nd of sleepy hollow, he was so frightened even then simplest of noises like cattails beating on a log, scared him. The characteristics of Irving's works have been clearly expressed, thus proving that his works were in fact romantic. The supernatural, the emphasis of nature, and exotic locations were used in Edgar Allan Poe's works. Poe's story "The Fall of the House of Usher" involved the work of the supernatural. Usher was saddened by the loss of his sister to an illness. Strange things begin to happen as the narrator arrives: the outside is filled a strange, ghastly glow and the house seems to come alive. Near the end of the story is when the strangest supernatural thing occurs. The figure of Usher's sister flows through the hallway, takes Usher's life, and destroys the house. The same story has an emphasis of nature in relation to Usher's family. Over the years, the house had become cluttered with plants and fungi.

Mnemonics

Mnemonics are Necessary: A Review of Memory and Learning Aids Torrey Price American Military University 26 June 2009 Mnemonics are Necessary: A Review of Memory and Learning Aids We learn many different things during childhood and even before then. Our brain has the capacity for learning to the degree we do not know which means that our learning capabilities are endless and we can only limit ourselves with the amounts of information there is to know in a lifetime. However, how do we get to the point that we can learn so much? What means or ways are there that we can learn to expand the capacity of our minds? What good would it be to know all of this information if we cannot access it at any point that we want? One way to improve the way you learn and remember is a system called mnemonics. It is an aid or in some cases, are strategies that can increase recalling 10-fold (Patten, 1990). We may already use this system and not be aware. Can you recall learning the words to your favorite song as a teen? Maybe you interpreted what the artist was saying and you might have put in your own words, then someone comes along and tells you the real lyrics. You may learn the new lyrics but that song may be forever associated with the lyrics you came up with. Or when learning the colors of the spectrum, you may have been taught to remember them by giving them the mnemonic Roy G. Biv: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet (Coon, 2006). Mnemonic techniques are ways to remember what you need to know by a way of association, giving them meaning or even visualizing making it as vivid or ridiculous as possible. Mnemonic techniques are also ways to avoid rote learning, the more common, habitual and fixed way of learning by simple repetition (Coon, 2006). The word mnemonic is derived from the Ancient Greek word mnemonikos and is related to Mnemosyne, the name of the goddess of memory in Greek mythology. Both of these words refer back to mnema or remembrance. Now you may not remember her name or what set mythology she is from but allow me to put it this way. Mnemosyne had a love affair with the highest of the gods in Greek mythology. The affair lasted nine days and nine nights and as a result of that affair Mnemosyne gave birth to nine children- the nine muses (Svantesson, 2004). A myth is said to be knowledge in disguise because a story is more easily remembered than raw facts. Mnemonics in ancient times can be considered the basis of what is today known as the art of Memory. Try to imagine a time before the widespread use of paper and pens, where the only means for a society to pass on lessons and teaching were by memory. The Romans and Greeks were a society like this and mnemonics were one of the most important subjects taught in school (Patten, 1990). Mnemonics are not a neat trick to show off to your friends at a party but a skill that is designed to enhance the way you remember a subject. Paying attention is of the up most importance when practicing your techniques and that attention cannot be divided (Turkington, 2003). It is important to know that even though it may seem like you are paying attention, the brain does take an amount of resource to adhere to your surroundings, for instance, you are in an auditorium listening to President talk about carrots and suddenly somebody behind you rips one or somebody is talking on the phone. Although paying attention is only a part of it, actually knowing the techniques will help you to learning the information you need. There are many techniques you can use to learn a myriad of things such as numbers, speeches and even languages. Association was one of the ways mentioned before, and by associate certain words with others we create cues to help us remember those words (Patten, 1990). The use of Acronyms to remember a phrase or group of words is very easy and very common, for example, the acronym NATO stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organization or to remember the Great Lakes we use the Acronym HOMES (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior). Acrostics are a way of using first letter cueing to remember a certain phrase, whereby we take the first word of each bit of information we want to learn and turn it into the first word of a sentence (Turkington, 2003). For example, to remember the six New England states in descending order (Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut) we could make the sentence: Martha Never Had Many Red Cars. Popular sayings can also help you to remember such as righty tighty, lefty loosey can help you to remember which way the common screw or nut and bolt turns and spring forward, fall back can remind you how to set our clock during daylight savings time. Visualization is also a great way to memorize information; it helps a lot with language learning. A good imagination will greatly enhance the chance of you being able to remember. An example of this can be â€Å"carte† which is the Spanish word for letter. If you can imagine a shopping cart full of mail, that can cue you to that words meaning. In conclusion, Mnemonics has shown to be a very useful tool when it comes to learning what it is we need to be learned. The more we practice these techniques the better we become at learning. Mnemonic techniques are based on association and should be exaggerated in size, number, and color, absurd, moving, sexual, sensual, ridiculous, unusual and unexpected. We tend to remember things that are out of the ordinary or that are utterly ridiculous. These tools are a great learning multiplier and should be taught in every classroom. I believe this system will replace the current phonics system that is widely used today, which is a way of getting back to basics, seeing as though this system has been in place for centuries. So the next time you have the opportunity to teach a child to say their alphabets, tie their shoes or even learn another language, remember this system and you can’t go wrong. References Coon, D. (2006). Psychology: A Modular Approach to Mind and Behavior, Tenth Edition. Belmont, CA: Thomson Higher Education. Patten, B. (1990). The History of Memory Arts. Neurology, 40, 346-352 Svantesson, I. (2004). Learning Maps and Memory Skills, Revised Second Edition. London: Kogan Page Limited. Turkington, C. (2003). Memory: A Self-teaching Guide. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Vacant Chapter 14 Home

â€Å"Margie's been coming by every night to make sure I have food or whatever. We would talk for a little while.† Emily stops and looks toward the door. â€Å"I'm guessing she hasn't shown up tonight because she saw the car out front.† I yawn, but not because I'm bored. I could listen to Emily talk forever about the six days I missed out on. I'm exhausted though and the days I went without restful sleep are showing. â€Å"You are so tired, Ethan. We can do this tomorrow.† Her hand slides down my face as a warm smile takes over her features. I stand to head toward the bedroom, and she turns to make her bed on the couch. â€Å"Emily?† I question her. â€Å"I was hoping we could go to bed.† The, â€Å"well, duh,† look she gives me, and then returns to making her bed tells me she's not understanding my meaning. â€Å"No, ummm†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Why am I so nervous to say this? I roll my eyes at myself. â€Å"Like, together,† I say as I step to the doorway of the bedroom, â€Å"in here.† Her eyes get huge, owl huge, and I realize my mistake. â€Å"No! Not like that. I just†¦.† I have messed up so much; I want to get something right, so I pause and collect my thoughts. â€Å"No more sleeping on the couch, Emily. We're adults who love each other. I don't want to be apart anymore. Come to bed with me and sleep. Nothing else.† I want her to understand that I'm not pushing. I want her close, but I don't want her to be uncomfortable. This is a monumental step forward for us. â€Å"You, me, pajamas, and sleeping†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I decide that perhaps a little lighthearted humor won't hurt. â€Å"And maybe a little more of the kissing.† I will behave. I put on full length pajama pants – over my boxers – and t-shirt. I get under the sheet, lie flat on my back and cross my hands over my stomach. I wait. Patiently? No. Emily enters the bedroom from the bathroom, and I can tell she's nervous. I'm not sure if her anxiety is because of the prospect of sleeping with me or that she is wearing a tank and panty set I'm pretty sure was intended for a toddler and not a full grown woman. I can see her nipples. And her†¦I'm definitely in trouble. Do I tell her? I have no idea what the protocol is for divulging sexual history to a prospective mate. Mate? I roll my eyes at myself again as images of Emily and me wrapped in fur coverings shoot through my mind. I'm running around with a spear shouting, â€Å"Me man, you woman.† It's totally ridiculous that I've reverted to a prehistoric mindset. If I were a caveman, I'd have an easier time with the subject at hand. I'd just grab Emily and shove my penis in her vagina with nothing more than grunts. Being without conversational language skills has its advantages; there's no way to explain everything. My thoughts have veered off course, and I need to focus on the woman crawling up the bed like a cat hunting a mouse. Even though I haven't admitted it to myself, this is one of the reasons I'm so afraid of this thing with Emily. Sex and the topic of sex have always been off the table with her. We have never discussed previous experiences. I'd always assumed Emily was a virgin, but maybe it was just wishful thinking on my part since she came to me at a young age. I'm not naive enough to think that teenage girls aren't having sex. I just didn't want Emily to be one of them. Being nervous about Emily's sexual experience, or lack thereof, isn't my only reason for pause. I don't know whether or not I should divulge my history. Part of me thinks it plays a huge part in things, while the other part of me says it doesn't matter. I'm torn and don't know which is right. I know honesty is the best policy, but will it do more harm than good in this case? â€Å"Ethan?† I look up and see those expressive eyes. She needs my comfort and acceptance. Even though I made it clear we are only sleeping tonight, it seems like she is still trying to persuade me to do more. How else would you explain the tiny underwear and feline-like movements? If I don't stop this dead in its tracks now, I know I won't. Things will go too far too fast. I open my arms in invitation, hoping she gets the message without hurt feelings. â€Å"Just lay down with me.† Why is she giggling? The haze from sleep is slowly lifting, and the morning sun shines through the window. I want to recap the events of last night before I open my eyes and look at the most important person in my life. â€Å"Ethan?† Emily whispers. â€Å"Hmmm,† I answer to let her know I'm awake. Her hand is on my stomach, under my shirt, where she strokes the hair just above my belly button. â€Å"Can I touch it?† Emily breathes in a hushed tone. My eyebrows furrow with my eyes still closed. â€Å"Touch what?† Another giggle. Emily's hand slides down a little further, and a finger dips inside the waist of my pajamas. Whoa! I grab her wrist to still her movement, but she tugs away. â€Å"I want this, Ethan. I want this with you. Please don't make me beg you.† The last thing I want is for Emily to connect negative feelings to sex with me, but I never came to a resolution last night. I am not sure how much to tell her, but I don't think dwelling on it any longer will help me decide. I'm going to have to throw a bone and see her response. â€Å"We need to talk, Emily.† â€Å"Later.† It's a bold statement on her part, but I can't deny her as her hand moves under my waistband. I'm ashamed to say that I've denied her touch for too long, and I don't want to wait for another second. Her lips move to mine, my mouth automatically opening. I want nothing more than to swallow her whole but settle for the caress of her tongue on mine. Her fingers play under my pants, flirting with the idea of moving lower. My hands have been flat against the mattress until now, but I can't stop their journey to her arms, then back. Knowing she is touching me intimately gives me the courage to do the same. My hand floats to the crest of her ass, gliding across her flesh. She moans, giving me the courage to extend my caress to her bare flesh beneath her panties. My touch is tentative because I want to get this right. â€Å"Yes,† comes her strangled plea. We continue kissing with nips and tugs of lips and teeth; my hand moves to the top of her thigh, then down to the dip where her ass meets her legs. She pushes toward me, her pussy opening to meet my waiting hand. I don't have to search far before encountering slick skin, eager for my attention. Her breath stutters as my fingers begin to move, stroking her. Her hand moves to touch me, her thumb rubbing my head, spreading the pre-cum. Her touch feels so good that I move my mouth away from hers, fearful I'll bite her. Instead, my teeth graze her jaw then continue to move lower. My mouth waters at the thought of tasting more of her. I've imagined what her nipples look like – taste like. I want to know that my fantasies don't compare, even a small portion, to the reality. But this is not a fantasy. This is someone I care about, dream about, someone who matters and this has to be right. I pull her tank down, exposing her breasts. My mouth immediately latches on, suckling and lapping at the darkened peak. My fingers massage while my tongue caresses, and in only a few seconds, Emily is panting and writhing. Her head falls to my chest as she stiffens in my arms. I've never felt so satisfied, despite not having my own release. But it doesn't matter, because I know that this is only the beginning. This is the first of many gifts I hope to give her. After I make her get dressed completely, we sit at the kitchen table for a much needed discussion. â€Å"So, you've never†¦.?† I start. â€Å"No.† While I'm deliriously happy Emily is a virgin, I also know the pain associated with the first time for a woman, and I'm not looking forward to inflicting that. I want to give her pleasure, not pain. â€Å"What about you?† Emily asks followed by a big gush of air. â€Å"Never mind; that's a stupid question. Of course you have. I mean, look at you.† I open my mouth to answer her, but she doesn't let me. â€Å"No, tell me. I want to know. How many?† And there lies the crux of my problem. I'm afraid to tell her, because if she knows, will she still trust me with her most precious gift?

The Indigo Spell Chapter Twenty-One

SOME PART OF ME BEGGED FOR there to be a mistake. I watched the footage three more times, tossing crazy theories around in my head. Maybe Master Jameson had a twin who wasn't a fanatic who hated vampires. No. The video didn't lie. Only the Alchemists did. I couldn't ignore this. I couldn't wait. I needed to resolve this immediately. If not sooner. I sent Marcus a text as soon as my plane was on the ground: We meet tonight. No games. No runaround. TONIGHT. There was no response from him by the time I got back to my dorm. What was he doing? Reading Catcher in the Rye again? If I'd known what dive he was holed up in, I would've marched over there right then. There was nothing I could do but wait, so I called Ms. Terwilliger both as a distraction and to buy some freedom. â€Å"Nothing to report,† she told me when she answered. â€Å"We're still just watching and waiting – although, your extra charm is almost complete.† â€Å"That's not why I'm calling,† I said. â€Å"I need you to get me a curfew extension tonight.† I felt bad using her for something totally unrelated, but I had to do this. â€Å"Oh? Are you paying me an unexpected visit?† â€Å"Er – no. This is for something else.† She clearly thought that was funny. â€Å"Now you use my assistance for personal matters?† â€Å"Don't you think I've earned it?† I countered. She laughed, something I hadn't heard from her in a while. She agreed to my request and promised to call the dorm's front desk right away. As soon as we hung up, my phone chimed with the expected message from Marcus. All the text contained was an address that was a half hour away. Assuming he was ready for me now, I grabbed my messenger bag and got on the road. In light of my past meetings with Marcus, I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd led me to a department store or karaoke bar. Instead, I arrived at a vintage music shop, the kind that sold vinyl records. A large CLOSED sign hung on the door, emphasized by dark windows and an empty parking lot. I got out of my car and double-checked the address, wondering if my GPS had led me astray. My earlier zeal gave way to nervousness. How careless was this? One of Wolfe's first lessons was to avoid sketchy situations, yet here I was, exposing myself. Then, from the shadows, I heard my name whispered. I turned toward the sound and saw Sabrina materialize out of the darkness, carrying a gun as usual. Maybe if I showed her the one in my glove compartment, we could have a bonding moment. â€Å"Go around back,† she said. â€Å"Knock on the door.† Without another word, she returned to the shadows. The back of the building looked like the kind of place that screamed mugging, and I wondered if Sabrina would come to my aid if needed. I knocked on the door, half expecting some kind of speakeasy situation where I'd be asked for a password like â€Å"rusted iguana.† Instead, Marcus opened the door, ready with one of those smiles he kept hoping would win me over. Strangely, tonight it put me at ease. â€Å"Hey, gorgeous, come on in.† I stepped past him and found we were in the store's back room, which was filled with tables, shelves, and boxes of records and cassette tapes. Wade and Amelia stood against a wall in mirrored stances, their arms crossed over their chests. Marcus shut the door behind me and locked it. â€Å"Glad to see you back in one piece. Judging from your text – and your face – you found something.† All the rage I'd been holding in since my discovery came bursting out. I retrieved my laptop from my bag and had to resist the urge to slam it against a table. â€Å"Yes! I can't believe it. You were right. Your insane, far-fetched theory was right. The Alchemists have been lying! Or, well, some of them. I don't know. Half of them don't know what the other half's doing.† I expected some smug remark from Marcus or at least an â€Å"I told you so.† But that handsome face was drawn and sad, reminding me of the picture I'd seen of him and Clarence. â€Å"Damn,† he said softly. â€Å"I was kind of hoping you'd come back with a bunch of boring video. Amelia, go swap with Sabrina. I want her to see this.† Amelia looked disappointed to be sent away, but she didn't hesitate to obey his order. By the time Sabrina came back in, I had the video cued up to the correct time. They gathered around me. â€Å"Ready?† I asked. They nodded, and I could see a mix of emotions in all of them. Here it was, the conspiracy theory they'd all been waiting to prove. At the same time, the implications were staggering, and the three of them were well aware of how dangerous what they were about to see could be. I played the video. It was only a few seconds long, but they were powerful ones as that bearded figure appeared on the screen. I heard an intake of breath from Sabrina. â€Å"It's him. Master Jameson.† She looked between all our faces. â€Å"That's really the Alchemist place? He's really there?† â€Å"Yes,† said Wade. â€Å"And that's Dale Hawthorne with him, one of the directors.† That triggered a memory. â€Å"I know that name. He's one of Stanton's peers, right?† â€Å"Pretty much.† â€Å"Is it possible she wouldn't know about a visit like this?† I asked. â€Å"Even at her level?† It was Marcus who answered. â€Å"Maybe. Although, walking him right in there – even to the secure level – is pretty ballsy. Even if she doesn't know about the meeting, it's a safe bet others do. If it were completely shady, Hawthorne would've met him off-site. Of course, the secure list means this wasn't out in the open either.† So, it was possible Stanton hadn't lied to me – well, at least not about the Alchemists being in contact with the Warriors. She'd certainly lied about the Alchemists knowing about Marcus since he'd said he was a notorious figure to most higher-ups. Even if she was ignorant about Master Jameson, it didn't change the fact that other Alchemists – important ones – were keeping some dangerous company. Maybe I didn't always like their procedures, but I'd desperately wanted to believe they were doing good in the world. Maybe they were. Maybe they weren't. I just didn't know anymore. When I dragged my eyes from the frozen frame of Master Jameson, I found Marcus watching me. â€Å"Are you ready?† he asked. â€Å"Ready for what?† He walked over to another table and returned with a small case. When he opened it, I saw a small vial of silver liquid and a syringe. â€Å"What is – oh.† Realization hit me. â€Å"That's the blood that'll break the tattoo.† He nodded. â€Å"Pulling the elements out creates a reaction that turns it silver. It takes a few years, but eventually, the gold in your skin will fade to silver too.† All of them were looking at me expectantly, and I took a step back. â€Å"I don't know if I'm ready for this.† â€Å"Why wait?† asked Marcus. He pointed at the laptop. â€Å"You've seen this. You know what they're capable of. Can you keep lying to yourself? Don't you want to go forward with your eyes open?† â€Å"Well . . . yes, but I don't know if I'm ready to have some strange substance injected into me.† Marcus filled the syringe with the silver liquid. â€Å"I can demonstrate on my tattoo if it'll make you feel better. It won't hurt me, and you can see that there aren't any dire side effects.† â€Å"We don't know for sure that they've done anything to me,† I protested. He had a logical argument, but I was still terrified of taking this step. I could feel my hands shaking. â€Å"This could be a waste. There may be no group loyalty compulsion in me.† â€Å"But you also don't know for sure,† he countered. â€Å"And there's always a little loyalty put in the initial tattoo. I mean, not enough to make you some slave robot, but still. Wouldn't you feel better knowing everything's gone?† I couldn't take my eyes off the needle. â€Å"Will I feel any different?† â€Å"No. Although you could walk up to someone on the street and start telling them about vampires.† I couldn't tell if he was joking or not. â€Å"Then you'd just get thrown into a psych ward.† Was I ready for this? Was I really going to take the next step into becoming part of Marcus's Merry Men? I'd passed his test – which he'd been right about. Clearly, this group wasn't useless. They had eyes on the Alchemists and the Warriors. They also seemingly had the Moroi's best interests at heart. The Moroi – or, more specifically, Jill. I hadn't forgotten Sabrina's offhand remark about the Warriors being interested in a missing girl. Who else could it be but Jill? And did this Hawthorne guy have access to her location? Had he passed it on to Master Jameson? And would this information put those around her at risk, like Adrian? They were questions I didn't have the answers to, but I had to uncover them. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"Do it.† Marcus didn't waste any time. I think he was afraid I'd change my mind – which, perhaps, was not an unfounded fear. I sat down in one of the chairs and tipped my head to the side so that he'd have access to my cheek. Wade gently held my head with his hands. â€Å"Just to make sure you stay still,† he told me apologetically Before Marcus started, I asked, â€Å"Where'd you learn to do this?† His face had been solemn with the task ahead, but my question made him smile again. â€Å"I'm not technically tattooing you, if that's what you're worried about,† he said. I was actually worried about a lot of things. â€Å"These are just some small injections, just like being re-inked.† â€Å"What about the process itself? How'd you find out about it?† It was probably a question I should have asked before I sat down in this chair. But I hadn't expected to be doing this so soon – or suddenly. â€Å"A Moroi friend of mine theorized about it. I volunteered to be a guinea pig, and it worked.† He switched to business mode again and held up the needle. â€Å"Ready?† I took a deep breath, feeling like I was standing on the edge of a precipice. Time to jump. â€Å"Go ahead.† It hurt about as much as re-inking did, just a number of small pricks on my skin. Uncomfortable, but not really painful. In truth, it wasn't a long process, but it felt like it took forever. All the while, I kept asking myself, What are you doing? What are you doing? At last, Marcus stepped back and regarded me with shining eyes. Sabrina and Wade smiled too. â€Å"There you go,† Marcus said. â€Å"Welcome to the ranks, Sydney.† I took my compact out of my purse to check the tattoo. My skin was pink from the needle's piercing, but if this process continued to be like re-inking, that irritation would fade soon. Otherwise, the lily looked unchanged. I also didn't feel that changed on the inside. I didn't want to storm the Alchemist facility and demand justice or anything like that. Taking him up on his dare to tell an outsider about vampires was probably my best bet to see if my tattoo had been altered, but I didn't really feel like doing that either. â€Å"That's it?† I asked. â€Å"That's it,† Marcus said. â€Å"Once we get it sealed, you won't have to worry about – â€Å" â€Å"I'm not getting it sealed.† All those smiles vanished. Marcus looked confused, as though he might have misheard. â€Å"You have to. We're going to Mexico next weekend. Once that's done, the Alchemists won't ever be able to get to you again.† â€Å"I'm not getting it sealed,† I repeated. â€Å"And I'm not going to Mexico.† I gestured toward my laptop. â€Å"Look what I was able to pull off! If I stay where I'm at, I can keep finding out more. I can find out what else the Alchemists and Warriors are doing together.† I can find out if Jill is in danger. â€Å"Getting permanently marked and becoming an outcast kills all those opportunities for me. There's no going back after that.† I think Marcus almost always got his way, and this new development totally threw him off. Wade took up the argument. â€Å"There's no going back now. You're leaving a trail of bread crumbs. Look at what you've done. You already made inquiries about Marcus. Even if you haven't gotten super-friendly with the Moroi, the Alchemists still know you spend a lot of time with them. And one day, someone may realize you were there when the data was stolen.† â€Å"No one knows it was stolen,† I said promptly. â€Å"You hope they don't,† corrected Wade. â€Å"These little things are enough to raise red flags. Keep doing more, and you'll make it worse. They'll finally notice you, and that's when it'll be over.† Marcus had recovered from his initial shock. â€Å"Exactly. Look, if you want to stay where you're at until we go to Mexico, that's fine. Make your peace with it or whatever. After that, you need to escape. We'll keep working from the outside.† â€Å"You can do whatever you want.† I began packing up my laptop. â€Å"I'm going to work from the inside.† Marcus caught hold of my arm. â€Å"You're setting yourself up for a fall, Sydney!† he said sternly. â€Å"You're going to get caught.† I pulled away from him. â€Å"I'll be careful.† â€Å"Everyone makes mistakes,† said Sabrina, speaking up for the first time in a while. â€Å"I'll take that risk.† I slung my bag over my shoulder. â€Å"Unless you guys are going to forcibly stop me?† None of them answered. â€Å"Then I'm going. I'm not afraid of the Alchemists. Thank you for everything you've done. I really do appreciate it.† â€Å"Thank you,† said Marcus at last. He shook his head at Wade, who looked like he wanted to protest. â€Å"For getting the data. I honestly didn't think you'd be able to pull it off. I figured you'd return empty-handed, though I still would've broken the tattoo for you. A for effort, you know. Instead, you just proved what I'd thought before: you're remarkable. We could really use you.† â€Å"Well, you know how to get in touch with me.† â€Å"And you know how to get in touch with us,† he said. â€Å"We'll be here all week if you change your mind.† I opened the door. â€Å"I won't. I'm not running away.† Amelia called goodbye to me when I got into my car, oblivious to the fact that I'd just defied her beloved leader. As I drove back to Amberwood, I was amazed at how free I felt – and it had nothing to do with the tattoo. It was the knowledge that I had defied everyone – the Alchemists, the Warriors, the Merry Men. I didn't answer to anyone, no matter the cause. I was my own person, able to take my own actions. It wasn't something I had a lot of experience with. And I was about to do something drastic. I hadn't told Marcus and the gang because I'd been afraid they really would stop me. When I got back to Amberwood, I went straight to my room and dialed Stanton. She answered on the first ring, which I took as a divine sign that I was doing the right thing. â€Å"Miss Sage, this is unexpected. Did you enjoy the services?† â€Å"Yes,† I said. â€Å"They were very enlightening. But that's not why I'm calling. We have a situation. The Warriors of Light are looking for Jill.† I wasn't going to waste any time. â€Å"Why on earth would they do that?† She sounded legitimately surprised, but if there was one thing in all of this that I believed wholeheartedly, it was that the Alchemists were exceptional liars. â€Å"Because they know if Jill's whereabouts got out, it could throw the Moroi into chaos. Their focus is still on the Strigoi, but they wouldn't mind seeing thing go bad for the Moroi.† â€Å"I see.† I always wondered if she paused to gather her thoughts or if it was simply for effect. â€Å"And how exactly did you learn this?† â€Å"That guy I know who used to be with the Warriors. We're still friendly, and he's been having doubts about them. He mentioned hearing them talk about finding a missing girl that could cause all sorts of trouble.† Maybe it was wrong to drag Trey into this lie, but I seriously doubted Stanton would interrogate him anytime soon. â€Å"And you assume this is Miss Dragomir?† â€Å"Come on,† I exclaimed. â€Å"Who else would it be? Do you know any other Moroi girls? Of course it's her!† â€Å"Calm down, Miss Sage.† Her voice was flat and untroubled. â€Å"There's no need for theatrics.† â€Å"There's a need for action! If they might be on to her, then we need to get out of Palm Springs immediately.† â€Å"That,† she said crisply, â€Å"is not an option. A lot of planning went into getting her to her current location.† I didn't believe that argument for a second. Half our job was doing damage control and adapting to rapidly changing situations. â€Å"Yeah? Well, did you also plan on those psycho vampire hunters finding her?† Stanton ignored the jab. â€Å"Do you have any evidence at all that the Warriors actually have concrete data about her? Did your friend supply you with details?† â€Å"No,† I admitted. â€Å"But we still need to do something.† â€Å"There's no ‘we' here.† Her voice had gone from flat to icy. â€Å"You do not decide what we do.† I nearly protested and then caught myself. Horror set in. What had I just done? My initial intent had been to either get Stanton to take legitimate action or else find out if she might accidentally reveal knowledge of a Warrior connection. I'd thought mentioning Trey would give me valid backup since I could hardly tell her the real reason I feared for Jill. Yet, somehow, I'd gone from a request to a demand. I'd practically yelled an order at her. That wasn't typical Sydney behavior. That wasn't typical Alchemist behavior. What had Wade said? You're leaving a trail of bread crumbs. Was this because I'd broken the tattoo? This was no crumb. This was a full loaf. I was on the verge of insubordination, and my mind could suddenly imagine that list Marcus kept warning about, the one that kept track of every suspicious thing I did. Was Stanton already updating that list right now? I had to fix this, but how? How on earth did I take this back? My mind was racing frantically, and it took several moments for me to calm down and start thinking logically. The mission. Focus on the mission. Stanton would understand that. â€Å"I'm sorry, ma'am,† I said at last. Be calm. Be deferential. â€Å"I'm just . . . I'm just so worried about this mission. I saw my dad at the services, you know.† That would be a fact she could check on. â€Å"You had to have seen how it was that night I left. How bad things are between us. I . . . I have to make him proud. If things fall apart here, he'll never forgive me.† She didn't respond, so I prayed that meant she was listening intently . . . and believing me. â€Å"I want to do a good job here. I want to fulfill our goals and keep Jill hidden. But there have already been so many complications no one predicted – first Keith and then the Warriors. I just never feel like she's fully safe now, even with Eddie and Angeline. It eats at me. And – † I was no actress who could muster tears, but I did my best to make my voice crack. â€Å"And I never feel safe. I told you, when I asked to go to the services, how overwhelming it is with the Moroi. They're everywhere – and the dhampirs too. I eat with them. I'm in class with them. Being with other Alchemists this last weekend was a lifesaver. I mean, I'm not trying to dodge my duties, ma'am. I understand we have to make sacrifices. And I've gotten better around them, but sometimes the stress is just unbearable – and then when I heard this thing about the Warriors, I cracked. All I could think about was that I might fail. I'm sorry, ma'am. I shouldn't have flipped o ut on you. I was out of control, and it was unacceptable.† I cut off my rant and tensed as I waited for her response. Hopefully I'd given her enough to dismiss any thoughts of me being a dissident. Of course, I might have just come off as a totally weak and unstable Alchemist who needed to be pulled from this mission. If that happened . . . well, maybe I'd have to take Marcus up on Mexico. Her characteristic pause was especially painful this time. â€Å"I see,† she said. â€Å"Well, I'll take this all into consideration. This mission is of the utmost importance, believe me. My earlier questioning of your information was not some weakening of our resolve. Your concerns have been heard, and I will decide the best course of action.† It wasn't exactly what I wanted, but hopefully she would be true to her word. I really, really wanted to believe she was on the up-and-up. â€Å"Thank you, ma'am.† â€Å"Is there anything else, Miss Sage?† â€Å"No, ma'am. And . . . and I'm sorry ma'am.† â€Å"Your apology is noted.† Click. I'd paced while I'd talked and now stood staring at the phone. A gut instinct told me I really had driven Stanton to take some sort of action. The mystery was whether that action would prove beneficial or catastrophic for me. Falling asleep was difficult after that, and it had nothing to do with Veronica for a change. I was too keyed up, too anxious about what had happened with Marcus and Stanton. I tried to seize that feeling of freedom again, using it to strengthen me. It was only a spark this time, flickering with my new uncertainties, but it was better than nothing. I fell asleep sometime around three. I had a vague sense of a couple hours passing before I was swept into one of Adrian's dreams, back in the reception hall. â€Å"Finally,† he said. â€Å"I almost gave up checking in. I thought you were going to pull an all-nighter.† He'd stopped wearing his suit in these dreams, probably because I always showed up in jeans. Tonight he wore jeans also, along with a plain black T-shirt. â€Å"Me too.† I wrung my hands and began pacing here as well. The nervous energy from my waking self had carried over into the dream. â€Å"A lot of stuff's kind of happened tonight.† The dream felt real, solid. Adrian was sober. â€Å"Didn't you just get back? How much could've happened?† When I told him, he shook his head in amazement. â€Å"Man, Sage. It's all or nothing with you. Never a dull moment.† I came to a halt in front of him and leaned against a table. â€Å"I know, I know. Do you think I just made a huge mistake? God, maybe Marcus was right, and there was some compulsion forcing me to be loyal in the tattoo. I'm free for one hour and completely go over the edge with my superior.† â€Å"It sounds like you covered your tracks,† he said, though a small frown appeared on his face. â€Å"But I would be disappointed if they sent you somewhere less stressful. That seems like it might be the worst-case scenario from everything you said.† I started laughing, but it was the hysterical kind. â€Å"What in the world's happened to me? I was doing crazy stuff way before Marcus broke the tattoo tonight. Meeting with rebels, chasing evil sorceresses, even buying that dress! Yelling at Stanton is just one more thing on a long list of insanity. It's just like I said at Pies and Stuff: I don't know who I am anymore.† Adrian smiled and clasped my hands, taking a few steps toward me. â€Å"Well, first off, I'm the expert in insanity, and this is nothing. And as for who you are, you're the same beautiful, brave, and ridiculously smart caffeinated fighter you've been since the day I met you.† Finally, he put â€Å"beautiful† at the top of his list of adjectives. Not that I should have cared. â€Å"Sweet talker,† I scoffed. â€Å"You didn't know anything about me the first time we met.† â€Å"I knew you were beautiful,† he said. â€Å"I just hoped for the rest.† He always got this glint in his eyes when he complimented my looks, like he was seeing so much more than just my actual appearance. It was disorienting and heady . . . but I didn't mind. And that wasn't the only thing I suddenly found overwhelming. How had he gotten so close to me without me even realizing it? It was like he had secret stealth abilities. His hands were warm on mine, our fingers locked together. I still had remnants of that earlier joy within me, and being connected to him amplified those feelings. The green of his eyes was as lovely as usual, and I wondered if mine had the same effect on him. There was a little amber mixed with the brown that he had once said looked like gold. He's the only one who never tells me to do anything, I realized. Oh, sure, he asked me to do lots of things, often with cajoling and fast talking. But he made no demands on me, not like the Alchemists or Marcus. Even Jill and Angeline tended to preface their requests with, â€Å"You have to . . .† â€Å"Speaking of that dress,† he added, â€Å"I still haven't seen it.† I laughed softly. â€Å"You couldn't handle it.† He raised an eyebrow at that. â€Å"Is that a challenge, Sage? I can handle a lot.† â€Å"Not if our history is any indication. Each time I wear some moderately attractive dress, you lose it.† â€Å"That's not exactly true,† he said. â€Å"I lose it no matter what you're wearing. And that red dress was not ‘moderately attractive.' It was like a piece of heaven here on earth. A red, silky piece of heaven.† I should've rolled my eyes. I should've told him I wasn't here for his personal entertainment. But there was something in the way he was looking at me and something in the way I felt tonight that made me want to see his reaction. Breaking the tattoo hadn't affected anything between us, but it – and the deeds I'd done this weekend – had left me feeling bold. For the first time, I wanted to take a risk with him, despite my usual set of logical arguments. Besides, there was nothing dangerous in letting him look. I manipulated the dream the way he'd taught me. A few moments later, the lacy minidress replaced my jeans and blouse. I even summoned the heels, which bumped my height up. I was still nowhere near as tall as him, but the small boost brought our faces closer together. His eyes widened. Still holding my hands, he took a step back so that he could take in the whole look. There was almost something tangible to the way his gaze swept my body. I could practically feel every place it touched. By the time his eyes reached mine again, my breathing was heavy, and I was acutely aware that there really wasn't that much clothing between the two of us. Maybe there was something dangerous in letting him look after all. â€Å"A piece of heaven?† I managed to ask. He slowly shook his head. â€Å"No. The other place. The one I'm going to burn in for thinking what I'm thinking.† He'd moved toward me again. His hands released mine and moved to my waist, and I noticed I wasn't the only one breathing heavily. He pulled me to him, bringing our bodies together. The world was all heat and electricity, thick with tension that was only one spark away from exploding around us. I was balancing on another precipice, which wasn't easy to do in heels. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and this time I was the one who drew him closer. â€Å"Damn,† he murmured. â€Å"What?† I asked, never taking my eyes off his. He ran his hands over my hips. â€Å"I'm not supposed to kiss you.† â€Å"It's okay.† â€Å"What is?† â€Å"It's okay if I kiss you.† Adrian Ivashkov wasn't easy to surprise, but I surprised him then when I brought his mouth toward mine. I kissed him, and for a moment, he was too stunned to respond. That lasted for, oh, about a second. Then the intensity I'd come to know so well in him returned. He pushed me backward, lifting me so that I sat on the table. The tablecloth bunched up, knocking over some of the glasses. I heard what sounded like a china plate crash against the floor. Whatever logic and reason I normally possessed had melted away. There was nothing but flesh and fire left, and I wasn't going to lie to myself – at least not tonight. I wanted him. I arched my back, fully aware of how vulnerable that made me and that I was giving him an invitation. He accepted it and laid me back against the table, bringing his body down on top of mine. That crushing kiss of his moved from my mouth to the nape of my neck. He pushed down the edge of my dress and the bra strap underneath, exposing my shoulder and giving his lips more skin to conquer. A glass rolled off and smashed, soon followed by another. Adrian broke off his kissing, and I opened my eyes. He had an exasperated look on his face. â€Å"A table,† he said. â€Å"A goddamned table.† A few moments later, the table was gone. I was in his apartment, on his bed, and was glad that I no longer had silverware underneath me. With the venue change complete, his lips found mine again. The urgency in the way I responded surprised even me. I never would've thought myself capable of a feeling so primal, so removed from the reason that usually governed my actions. My nails dug into his back, and he trailed his lips down the edge of my chin, down the center of my neck. He kept going until he reached the bottom of the dress's V-neck. I let out a small gasp, and he kissed all around the neckline, just enough to tease. â€Å"Don't worry,† he murmured. â€Å"The dress stays on.† â€Å"Oh? Is that your decision to make?† â€Å"Yes,† he said. â€Å"You're not losing your virginity in a dream. If that's even possible. I don't want to deal with the philosophical side of it. And besides, there's no need to rush anyway. Sometimes it's worth lingering on the journey for a while before getting to the destination.† Metaphors. This was the cost of making out with an artist. I nearly said as much. Then his hand slid up my bare leg, and I was lost again. Maybe the dress was staying on, but he didn't mind taking liberties with it. That hand slipped under my dress, running along the side of my leg and up to my hip. I burned where he touched me, and everything within me became focused on that hand. It was moving far too slowly, and I grabbed it, ready to urge it on. Adrian chuckled and caught hold of my wrist, pulling my hand away and pinning it down against the covers. â€Å"Never thought I'd be the one slowing you down.† I opened my eyes and met his. â€Å"I'm a quick study.† All that burning and animal need within me must have shone through because he caught his breath and lost the smile. He released my wrist and cupped my face in his hands, bringing his face down only a whisper away from mine. â€Å"Good God, Sydney. You are – † The passion in his eyes turned to surprise, and he suddenly looked up. â€Å"What's wrong?† I asked, wondering if this was some weird part of â€Å"the journey.† He grimaced and began to fade away before my eyes. â€Å"You're being woken up.†