A Reflection Paper of Mumbaki film Essay

The film Mumbaki is about the conflict of modern and folk beliefs being faced by an Igorot named Joseph (played by Reymart Santiago). He was given the opportunity to study Medicine in Manila. The problem here is caused by the different socialization or culture that occurs in the Philippines. There came the time that the lead character has to choose between his dream to work in other country together with his girlfriend, Nancy (played by Rachel Alejandro), or fulfill his duties as a member of his tribe. It is clearly seen in the film, the opposite socialization that occurs in the Philippines. The simplest manifestation of this is the type of clothing worn by characters in the film: the city has grown to wear jeans, polo, t-shirt, etc. while in the mountains, they wear the traditional â€Å"bahag† or barely bold. Also the difference between the alcohol from the city and the once that came from the mountain is shown in the film. Furthermore, the use of modern and indigenous methods of treatment is also shown in the film. The methods of treatment studied in the city are using antibiotics to stop the spread of epidemic illness in the Igorots while the indigenous method is praying to their gods/baki or to their so called ‘mumbaki’. The last is, what is ought to be followed by the main character: the vengeance for his tribe or to use his knowledge in medicine. I agree on the decision that the main character applied to his problem. As one of the member of his tribe, he chose to fulfill his responsibilities to his tribe to take revenge to the opposing tribe yet he made it to sustain his profession by putting up a health center up the mountain to support the medical needs of the tribal people. Joining two different cultures is a big deal and it is hard for them to do that, yet the group still managed to help each other to resolve their problem and create a new different culture out of it†¦.

Blackwater in Pakistan Essay

According to the article â€Å"Blackwater (Xe): The Secret US War in Pakistan†, written by: Andrew Hobbs, Kelsea Arnold, Brittney Gates, Elaine Wellin and Peter Phillips, within a covert forward operating base run by the US Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), members of the elite division of Blackwater are at the center of a secret program in which they target suspected Taliban and al-Qaeda operatives inside and outside of Pakistan. They write about how the CIA doesn’t have the resources to have a secret operative plan so they enlisted Blackwater to do their dirty work. Blackwater said that they did not have any operations in Pakistan, other than the one employee that is performing construction oversight for the US government. But Blackwater’s founder, Erik Prince, told Vanity Fair that Blackwater works with US Special Forces in identifying targets and planning missions. A former senior executive of Blackwater even confirmed that Blackwater is in fact working with the CIA and JSOC. In 2009, there were reports that the CIA agency director, Leon Panetta, had cancelled any affiliation with Blackwater. He stated that they were two separate â€Å"beasts†, the CIA and Blackwater, and that Blackwater was a parallel operation to the CIA. But having stated all of that, Blackwater is real and there have been reports and footage of Blackwater operations in Pakistan to this very day. The Blackwater operations have first been noted in 2007 and there hasn’t been any physical evidence that their operations in Pakistan have been shut down. In the heart of a base run by the US Joint Special Operations Command, there lies an operation run by Blackwater. Blackwater runs a covert ops-type operation to plan assassinations on suspected Taliban and al-Qaeda operatives in and out of Pakistan. They, Blackwater, state that they do not have any operations inside of Pakistan while there is plenty of evidence that they are in fact in Pakistan and operation with the CIA. Erik Prince, Blackwater’s founder, even told Vanity Fair that Blackwater was working with the US Special Forces. He stated that Blackwater was helping the US Special Forces by identifying targets and planning missions. Vanity Fair even published a photo of a Blackwater base near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. This also contradicts the statement that Captain John Kirby, the spokesperson for Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a newspaper called the Nation, that they don’t have any contracts to do that work for them. They don’t contract that kind of work out. They rather do it themselves. Blackwater was trying to cover up what they were doing in Pakistan. Blackwater previously stated that they do not have any other operatives working in Pakistan other than the one overseeing construction for the US Government. What Erik Prince said to Vanity Fair contradicts the whole statement. He stated that Blackwater has some affiliation with the US Special Forces. The JSOC, which has a base in Pakistan, is part of the US Special Forces. One would reason that if Blackwater has some ties with the US Special Forces, they would be working with the JSOC as well. A former senior executive confirmed that Blackwater is in fact working in Pakistan for the CIA and JSOC. He also confirmed that Blackwater has a facility in Karachi and has personnel stationed elsewhere within the borders of Pakistan. Leon Panetta, the CIA agency director, said that the CIA has cancelled any affiliation with Blackwater. This means they had some affiliation to begin with. Something was going on in Pakistan, and Blackwater was somewhere in the mix. By stating that the CIA had canceled their affiliation with Blackwater, he basically said that the CIA had worked with Blackwater. But even if he said that they had canceled working together, there is no physical proof that they stopped operation together. There have been mountains of proof showing that Blackwater is in Pakistan while there are none about Blackwater leaving Pakistan. Vanity Fair published a statement by Blackwater’s founder and a photo of Blackwater in Pakistan. Proof that Blackwater left? None. There is no benefit of doubt when it comes to war, so same goes to this. Blackwater’s first contact with the CIA dates back to 2002. The covert program in Pakistan dates back to 2007. While Blackwater’s presence is not really visible, it’s basically Blackwater through JSOC. Blackwater’s operations in Pakistan are not done through the State Department contracts or publicly identified defense contracts so they stay on the down-low. Two separate beasts. † That’s what CIA agency director Leon Panetta says about Blackwater and the CIA. The evidence is against him, however. Blackwater’s presence in Pakistan is showing, even if the CIA and Blackwater are trying to hide it. There are cracks in their defense. Blackwater’s founder even contradicted himself by stating that Blackwater was working with the US Special Forces. There is a photo in Vanity Fair of a Blackwater base stationed in Pakistan. A former senior executive of Blackwater confirmed all of this and more. He said that Blackwater was working in Pakistan for the CIA and JSOC. He also said that they had a faculty in Karachi and personnel stationed elsewhere in Pakistan. The covert program in Pakistan dates back to 2007, so there is documentation of Blackwater being in Pakistan. There is so much proof against just some â€Å"he said, she said† statements. Blackwater is alive and kicking in Pakistan. Blackwater is just trying to hide itself from the public eye. There is no use for them to hide, the world knows they’re there.

Mrs. Turner Cutting the Grass Essay

In the short story â€Å"Mrs. Turner Cutting the Grass† by Carol Shields, the ideology of not judging a book by its cover can be seen as a main theme of the story as it shows the main character, Geraldine being judged by everyone that surrounds her all throughout her life. Shields demonstrates this by taking the audience on a journey through her life giving the reader flashbacks of her life as a young teen to a sight to see on a hot afternoon in June, giving a perspective of a static character development as she remains stubborn and oblivious all throughout her life. This is depicted through third person narration, which presents a conflict of man vs. society point of view within Mrs. Turner’s life. The narration throughout the story is in third person as the narrator always refers to the main character as Mrs. Turner, Geraldine or Girlie instead of using the first person perspective. The point of view is from a single narration that is omniscient since we are given other characters perspectives towards Mrs. Turner and how they feel about her. Throughout the story, she is depicted as impulsive, rebellious, getting herself stuck in bad situations and instead of working out her problems she runs away. The Man vs. Society conflict perspective can be seen through the way other people evaluate her and her life choices. She is negatively judged, for example, by the way she carelessly the cuts the grass, her negligent use of the weed killer and even in the professor’s poem â€Å"The Golden Pavilion†, which contrasts the American tourist, in this case represented by Geraldine and her sisters, describing Geraldine as a â€Å"little pug of a women† against the majesty and beauty of the golden pavilion of Kyoto Japan. The professor, in this poem, depicts her ignorance and outward appearance in a negative light implying a shallow, superficial life. Interestingly, we are told little about how the character sees herself. Given the fact that Geraldine dropped out of high school at the age of sixteen and worked at the Boissevain Dairy until the age of nineteen, it could be assumed that perhaps her life was really quite difficult.

Language Intervention Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Language Intervention - Research Paper Example An analysis of past historical literature and texts gives clear answers to the gender differences in language use. Some may tend to argue that relying on previous researches of other researchers may tend to lead to prejudice and preconception hence inaccurate information. Such claims are just unfounded comments of lay people. The subordinate role women play in the society started many years ago. From the history, literacy among women in the nineteenth century was only among the middle class and above. Women were limited to only being able to write and read, and they were denied opportunities to get a higher education. There were those who believed women’s importance of acquiring education in the society and tried to champion for women’s rights. Individuals have different ways of speech which are determined by their age, ethnic group, social class, and gender. Regardless of the gender, man or woman it’s prudent to assert that the person adjusts him or herself so as to ‘blend in’. That is; our speech is influenced by many factors. It is the belief to some that the noted differences in languages have no relation to the sex of the speaker.It is due to the lack of an agreeable analysis method of language use. However, others are entirely convinced of differences that exist between the speech of men and women. A lot of researchers tend to associate women with words revolving around topics of psychological and social processes while men to impersonal topics and object properties. That is.

SECOND PART----Weekend Crime Reports Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

SECOND PART----Weekend Crime Reports - Assignment Example In addition, it is important to note that the paper has not taken crime as a blanket word to show different crimes. Instead, it has dealt with each crime and followed its trend so as to devise different methods of dealing with the particular misdemeanor. Introduction There are several kinds of crime in the area. The city is divided into East, West, North, and South. These sections in the town are characterized by crime whereas others are known for their lack of crime. This paper will point out these particular areas and the exact kinds of crime associated with these sections. It will also explain the patterns of criminal activity within the city. 1. Indeed, most people arrested on a typical night are charged with suspicious behavior. It is not a rare sight to see suspicious people walking around the street. This is especially so for weekends. It is during weekends that people tend to consume alcohol more than usual thus roam around the streets at odd hours looking suspicious (Pollock , 2011). However, on N 1st Avenue the suspicious movements are more than usual. This could be because there is a high concentration of bars around that area. It is also important to note that the suspicious people could also homeless people. This is because homeless people who roam around at night because they do not have anywhere to sleep. It is also important to note that some streets also do not report any incidences of suspicious people. N3rd Avenue, S 2nd Avenue, S 3rd Avenue, S9th Avenue and S 10th Avenue. This can be explained by the fact that these areas are inhabited by people of a low economic status. They are used to having people roam the streets at night and thus do not pay attention. (2008). 2. Burglaries are common in the second shift that runs from evening to late night. The hours between 7pm and 11pm are most susceptible to burglary. This is because at this time there are several people still walking the streets. It is indeed a convenient time for thieves to carry o ut their offenses. In addition, it is important to mention that burglaries are more common at night than during the day. This can be explained by the cover of darkness (Pollock, 2011). Acts of crime are likely to be committed at night than during the day. 3. Cases of domestic violence are however very unpopular within the city. They are rare to come by. Out of the five incidences reported over the weekend, three were reported within the Southern part of the city. Thus, it can be concluded that domestic violence is rare and when it happens it has is random and follows no particular pattern. 4. All crimes seem to be more concentrated in the North region, in particular the North West region in the city. The streets between the 1st and 6th seem to be most prone to criminal activity. This can be explained by the rich people inhabiting this part of the city as well as the gangs (Clarke, 2004). They are also likely to quickly report any bizarre activities within the town. Another explanati on would be that since it is an affluent neighborhood, it is rich ground for criminal acts. It would be recommended that more patrols be deployed to these particular streets. Carjacking are more rampant in the North of the city. Homicides are only found in the North West parts of the city. This could be explained by the gangs. The only robbery was reported in the North West part of the city. DUIs were common in between the Eastern and Western parts of the north

Fundamentals of Financial Management Speech or Presentation

Fundamentals of Financial Management - Speech or Presentation Example tio has decreased in 2010 standing at 1.9:1 and as compared to the last year which was 2.5:1 and the quick ratio which is 0.69:1 in 2010 as compared to 1.09:1 in 2009, but the other ratios shows the company has improved a lot in managing its financial position as well as performance from that of last year. Current Ratio – A current ratio measures the relationship of current assets with current liabilities. This is used to analyze the solvency of a firm. Higher current ratio measures the firm’s higher rate of solvency. Acid-Test Ratio (Quick Ratio) - This ratio is used to analyze the liquidity position of a company. It helps an organization to meet the short term obligation with the liquid assets it has. A firm is evaluated to be in better condition when the quick ratio is higher. Average Age of Receivables – While reviewing a firm’s financial health this is important because it is compared to the credit and collection policy and the industry in which the firm operates. It is countable in terms of days. The analysis shows better result if number of days is higher. Inventory Turnover Ratio – This ratio shows number of times the inventory of a company is being sold and replaced over a certain period of time. Generally a low turnover indicates bad sign for a company. Times Interest Earned – This is a tool that is used to measure an ability of a company to meet its obligations that is related to debt. If any company fails to meet its obligations then it will be in a position of bankruptcy (Ramachandran & Kakani, 2007). Changes can occur in both the ways, positive or negative. The reason behind the lower current ratio and acid test ratio can be similar and that is cash shortage. Basically the poor credit policy and the collection process of the company can be blamed for higher average age of receivables. Again an inventory turnover ratio implies that the company must have a tight control over the purchasing and simultaneously it also refers that due to

The Bush Foreign Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Bush Foreign Policy - Essay Example Diplomacy may be given a goal of reaching an agreement with a nation that will not agree to the terms set forth by our policy. This is the position that America finds itself in today. The Bush administration has drawn some very clear lines against some very real enemies. Diplomacy has been ineffective due to the conflicting nature of negotiation and the Bush administration's policy of standing pat in a rapidly changing world. Bush's foreign policy has been based on, and in response to, the events of 9/11. That terrorist action changed the way America viewed the rest of the world as well as its own vulnerabilities. It required a reshaping of policy to fulfill the requirement that foreign policy has of keeping the population safe and secure. It called for a swift and immediate overhaul of government agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to minimize the possibility of future attacks. It called for a rapid response against the perpetrators to assure the public that everything was being done that could. These first few steps, however admirable, were more designed for national public politics than affecting foreign policy. In the ensuing months, almost every foreign policy decision made has been to support the war on terrorism or to promote the policy on an internal political basis. In the September 17In the September 17, 2002 National Security Strategy paper George Bush stated that the United States would, "... exercise our right of self-defense by acting preemptively against such terrorists, to prevent them from doing harm against our people and our country; and denying further sponsorship, support, and sanctuary to terrorists by convincing or compelling states to accept their sovereign responsibilities" (Bush, 2). This declaration, initiated in a Strategic Planning Paper authored by Dick Cheney and Paul Wolfowitz 10 years earlier, signaled a dramatic shift in policy. The policy had shifted from national defense to national offense. It authorized the pre-emptive attack on any nation that may be harboring terrorists or aiding them in any fashion. Though the motivation may have been honorable, the strategy was at best untenable in today's world of elusive terrorists that are able to cross borders and manage funds by concealed accounts. He closed the document by saying, "Today, the distinction between domestic and foreign affairs is diminishing. The characteristics we most cherish-our freedom, our cities, our systems of movement, and modern life-are vulnerable to terrorism" (Bush, 5). Clearly he was crafting a policy that called for war on anyone, anywhere, that threatened his perception of our modern way of life. Much of his foreign policy has been geared toward the enemies that threaten to end the American way of life. He has promoted and advocated for liberalized trade around the globe in an effort to de-politicize the economic systems of the world. He has pushed for free markets and privatization as a means to place democracy in the market place. At stake is our American concept of freedom and the right to human dignity for all men.

Reacting to Change Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reacting to Change - Research Paper Example Denial is the principal driving force behind the habit to refuse a change or to deny seeing its importance. Anger or stubbornness is also a driving force which makes many students refuse to give up accustomed ways and welcome something new. Adaptation is also a force behind the reaction when students are convinced to acknowledge the importance of a change and in a response, they try to adjust with the change. Â   Teachers must know how the students react to change. Many teachers are exasperated at the reactions of their students towards different teaching techniques which is why they need to encourage the students to develop a welcoming attitude towards any changes introduced in the classroom. Students cannot modify their antagonistic reactions on their own and teachers’ relentless efforts and consistent support should continue forever. Effective coping mechanisms should be engineered by students and teachers together to modify their reaction to change.

Poetic Understatement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Poetic Understatement - Essay Example In crafting â€Å"99 things to do before you die†, Nila northSun selects a title that draws the readers’ attention with the promise of learning about those things that are imperative to accomplishing fulfillment in life. The poem references a list published in â€Å"Cosmo mag† of â€Å"99 things to do before you die†, and goes on to explain how the magazine targeted a specific audience—rich people (northern). The poem lists several of the line items included in the cosmo list including â€Å"div[ing] off a yacht in the Aegean†, â€Å"go[ing] to Monaco for the Grand Prix†, and â€Å"buy[ing] around the world air ticket† (northern). However, the purpose of the poem is less about how to live a fulfilling life than it is about the socio-economic and cultural disparities that exist across regions and ethnic groups within the United States of America. The author communicates this disparity directly as well as indirectly. The question, â€Å"so what’s a poor Indian to do?† is a direct way of indicating that the Indian may not be in a financial situation to accomplish the goals listed by Cosmo. northSun indicates that many of the line items on the Cosmo list are â€Å"things only rich people could do† (northern). The cosmo mag list appears to assume that readers will have access to a certain level of wealth. The magazine ignores the fact that many may never be able to pursue the activities described due to financial constraints. northern highlights this point in the statement, â€Å"we certainly know you don’t have to be rich before you die†, indicating that many are born poor and die never having had a change in financial status. To communicate disparity indirectly, northSun creates a list deemed more â€Å"culturally relevant† (northern).  

Role of the FBI in the United States Criminal Justice System Research Paper

Role of the FBI in the United States Criminal Justice System - Research Paper Example Moreover, the FBI may also conduct investigations abroad but only if possible and if permitted by the government of the country in which it will conduct its investigation. The main concern of the FBI and the core of its mission is providing â€Å"criminal justice services to federal, state, municipal, and international agencies and partners† (â€Å"Overview,† 2012). This means that the role of the FBI encompasses and overlaps that of any law enforcement agency of the United States provided such a case is of a federal or national concern. The history of FBI began in July 1908 when then Attorney General Charles Bonaparte called for a small group of investigators that will report directly to the Department of Justice. This small group became known as the Bureau of Investigation or the BOI, and the first types of cases handled by the BOI included land fraud, copyright violations, prostitution, auto theft and other less serious crimes. In World War I, President Woodrow Wilson ordered the BOI to include among its tasks he investigations of possible espionage, sedition and sabotage. In 1924, when the BOI was under Director John Edgar Hoover, there was intensive demand for strict professionalism within the organization and this system of discipline has been implemented until now. In 1935, the BOI was renamed as the Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI, and it was then that its tasks included the investigation of kidnapping cases and the new provision provided for FBI officials to carry weapons and make arrests. In the 195 0s, the FBI became very active in the suppression and control of riots and organized crimes during the Civil Rights Movement. However, it was only in 1995, after the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, that the FBI began its work against domestic and international terrorism for the purpose of national security of the United States. In December 2004, the DI or Directorate

Marketing Case Analysis Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing Case Analysis - Article Example In order to be able to accomplish something within the worldwide marketplace today, the organizations sales force depends more upon on attaining the precise consumer and product information, it does not really matter if it is inside the organization or outside .the organizations sales force requires a cohesive, prearranged technique to follow the consumer leads, the contact information, in addition to their descriptions. Along with this the management within these organizations is on the look out of a technique where they would be able to investigate in detail the past sales data for the future prospects. If an organization is able to consolidate the data storage along with regulating the sales tools also practices, the organizations contending within this atmosphere would help the organization respond swiftly to the changing consumer inclinations and alterations within the market place, routinely guiding the way to the sales staff plus push them follow up. Also to be able to recogni ze a lot more prospects to cross sell and up sell, a lot more efficiently estimate sales figures, focus upon refining the sales relationships .It is suggested that organizations can in fact now automate their sales force in order to guarantee that their sales are closed quickly. (Microsoft .com) Also it seems that what Sprint is going through now, is a situation where, they are striking their numbers. Thinking how many more follow up calls have been made until now. These issues are persistently being obsessed into the heads of the sales team.( Keith Rosen , 2008) What is notable is the fact it is true for a lot of sales professionals, that the pressure to arrive at quota or else achieve a definite level of performance. At the same time as retaining a monthly sales objective helps only to settle the mind upon the reward which is why the actual focus upon the result can actually mean more harm. By the end of every selling month, the disturbance along with the pressure can actually overpower as the salespeople move quickly to perform at the optimum to close the sales in order to accomplish their targets. ( Keith Rosen , 2008) Because while the act of selling is considered by most as the transmission of the sentiment behind the product or service. One can visualize the mind-set that these over pressurized sales people are conveying to their prospects. The constant worry in addition to the apprehension of having to close additional sales unintentionally puts unjustified strain on the prospects as well as cultivates a detrimental association from the beginning. ( Keith Rosen , 2008 ) To produce improved results, it is recommended that they modify the way they are closing these sales at Sprint or modify how they perceive the whole situation. Also in order to recurrently go beyond the organizations sales goals as well as better supervise the team's outlook, amending the way they think, so in order to grow to be procedure driven relatively than just being outcome driven. The probability is that the, salespeople who are exclusively alert on the end product lack the procedure within they would believe. Moreover, they put more efforts in trying to be in charge of the result; approaching for what they yearn for

The Aim of Creating Suspense and An Unsettled Atmosphere Essay Example for Free

The Aim of Creating Suspense and An Unsettled Atmosphere Essay Macbeth is thought to be one of Shakespeares greatest tragedies due to the unique and dramatic plot. Act one, scene 3 is an important scene as it shows the transition between Macbeths two personalities from valiant and noble to ambitious: one of the plays mains themes. The three witches feature in this scene; this is why it is important to create an unsettled atmosphere with the use of stage techniques. Speech techniques are also used, prose is spoken by lesser important characters. Whilst other types of speech are used to show the attributes of the main characters, such as And the very ports they blow, all the quarters that they know. The use of rhyming couplets with the witches suggests an incantation and gives the impression of supernatural or sub-human beings. During this scene the witches prophesize Macbeths future, telling him, Hail thee thane of Cawdor, Hail thee who shalt be King hereafter. This creates suspense and introduces eth audience to the plot and main themes associated with the play. Additional suspense is created by the actors behaviour on stage and the use of lighting and scenery. William Shakespeare wrote Macbeth to flatter King James I between 1603 and 1607. King James I was a profound witch hunter and was considered an expert in witches and the supernatural. In the Jacobean era people were very frightened of witches: they were indeed thought to be not like the thinhabitants oth earth. Macbeth would have been performed at the Globe Theatre, because it is an open theatre it would have to be performed in daylight; this meant language and acting would have to be used to create suspense. Modern theatres would use special effects and lighting creating an unsettled atmosphere. During the reign of James I people were scared of witches and genuinely believed in a sieve Ill thither sail. Modern audiences know witches dont exist, but they are willing to suspend their disbelief. In Act one, scene three the three witches prophesize to Macbeth that he will become Thane of Cawdor and King hereafter. Macbeth and Banquo are amazed at this information, Macbeth is already thinking about murder: whose murder yet is but fantastical. Rosse and Angus tell Macbeth that he is Thane of Cawdor thus proving the first part of the witches prophecy right. This is a dark scene, it maybe early morning suggested by so foul and fair a day I have not seen, to suggest this stage would be backlit in dim blue. The lack of light increases the tension. Little scenery would be used this allows eth actors to move more freely and this means that the movement of the witches could be synchronised showing they are one. The dark light makes the audience focus on the subject, flashing white lights suggests thunder and lightning, sound effects could be used to create a thunder clap, and this is a prophetic fallacy, reflecting the evil of the witches. To suggest the blasted heath wind sound effects will be used. The effects help the audience suspend their disbelief in order to communicate with the play. The witches would be lit with red, because Banquo exclaims, What, can the devil speak true. Red is associated with the devil and could link the witches with the paranormal, thus creating suspense and fright with the association of evil. The witches play a key role in act one, scene three. During this scene they reveal their supernatural links using rhyming couplets and talk of sailing in a sieve: but in a sieve Ill thither sail. To develop the theme of being inhuman, they could chant in a monotonous tone. During the scene, the witches act as one, they are intimate with each other and often speak consecutively. The line The weird sisters hand in hand, suggests that they are close to show this their proxemics and orientation will suggest intimacy. The faces of the witches should be white to reflect the red spot light this shows the link between the witches and the devil. They should wear black cloaks and move about in swooping motions to suggest them being bird-like. Macbeth says Into the air, and what seemed corporal Melted as breathe into the wind; the witches should fly off stage to suggest melting into the air. When the witches speak, there should be no distinct accent, but they should speak softly and flowingly. The witches use rhyming couplets such as Ill drain him dry as hay, Sleep shall neither night nor day, to suggest an incantation, in conjunction with this the soft flowing speech should enable the audience to detach from reality and create a distinct boundary between the human characters and the inhuman witches. The witches act together in my stylised interpretation of the script. When they prophesize about Macbeth they speak consecutively, All hail Macbeth! Hail thee thane of Glamis . All hail Macbeth! Hail thee, Thane of Cawdor. All hail that shalt be King hereafter. This shows how the witches interact with each other, to stage their relationship they should laugh or cackle together, as if eth prophecy is a joke. Macbeth and Banquo had been fighting in a battle, so they would be tired and haggard from this, he also may be injured, for this reason Macbeth should walk on with his arm around Banquo supporting himself to show the injuries and to show immediately they are both close friends. They would also be slow looking up enquiring about the weather, so foul and foul a day i have not seen. As they enter the lights should turn blue as the red lights would create a false image of Macbeth and Banquo. Because they come from a battle in which Macbeth has showed himself to be like valours minion, they would be wearing blood stained armour which reflects both his nobility but also his blood thirst which is revealed in the latter part play. They will be talking very informally, showing they are close friends. To emphasise Macbeths change in personality when he finds out about the prophecy, whose murder is yet fantastical, the lights should turn red again. This creates contrast and adds the suspense. Through this scene there is tension between the witches, Banquo and Macbeth. Banquo and Macbeth dont know who or what the witches are: what are these, For this reason Macbeth and Banquo would be stood together away from the witches, to suggest they are frightened, they should have their hands holding the hilt of their swords. Their bloody language should subtly show the audience they are unnerved by this. Their shoulders should be hunched, their eyes open wide and looking around tentatively. When the witches reveal the prophecy it is a dramatic in the play, Banquos line That he seems rapt withal, suggests that Macbeth is motionless because of this dramatic news. To really articulate and dramatize this moment, flashing strobe lights could be used in conjunction with thunder sound effects. This relates to the scene setting: Thunder. Enter three witches. The thunder is a metaphor for the evil of the witches. To show Macbeths shock at the prophecy, a spotlight should concentrate the light on Macbeths face. This will direct the audiences attention to his facial expression. The actor playing Macbeth should keep still and have his mouth open slightly, this is to create an effect of awe and develop the audiences emotional understanding of Macbeth. From line eighty eight to the end of the scene Macbeth delivers soliloquies intermittently. These soliloquies reveal Macbeths inner thoughts and feelings, he says I thank you gentlemen. He is revealing that he believes the prophecies to be true. The soliloquies focus on Macbeth so the lighting of the other characters should be dimmed to show Macbeth is not talking to them. The soliloquies are important because they show Macbeths ambition swelling up inside and the excitement, The greatest is behind, to show this Macbeth should pace the length of the stage in deep thought. Before Macbeth delivers his soliloquy, Rosse and Angus inform Macbeth that he has become Thane of Cawdor as the witches prophesized. Unlike the witches, Rosse and Angus speak in blank verse, thus showing their importance and that they are close to God. In contrast the witches dont speak in blank verse, this shows there alignment with the Devil. Shakespeares uses a variety of linguistic techniques to show the ambition of Macbeth and the evil of the witches; for example soliloquies, rhyming couplets and prophetic fallacy. The importance of characters can be shown using blank verse and iambic pentameters, but how the play is staged has an impact on how people perceive the characters and understand them. Lighting could be used to suggest personality and scenery, the witches lit in red suggests evil and blue is a neutral color suggesting good. These techniques help the understanding of the play and ultimately suspend disbelief.

Commercialization And Profit Making Incentive In Healthcare Economics Essay

Commercialization And Profit Making Incentive In Healthcare Economics Essay Commercialization and the profit making motive in healthcare has been an issue for heated debate in recent times. Should the healthcare industry be regarded as a for profit enterprise or retain the philosophical approach intended which should be to treat sick patients at the barest minimum available price? I will with this essay present an argument against commercialization or a profit making incentive by looking at it from the perspective of the physician, the economy, the patient and all other stakeholders in the sector. As far back as ancient China, a member of a family was expected to be proficient in the art of medicine in other to meet the health demands of his kin. This has eventually evolved into receiving a financial reward for this expertise and hence the emergence of the medical profession as we have known it to be. A doctor sees a patient and receives a fee for treatment offered. This is in itself not a bad thing as quite agreeably, a service has been offered and like most services, should involve remuneration. Only problem with this is that unlike most other types of services, healthcare is quite a peculiar form of service as it doesnt follow the normal laws of economics. For example, a hotelier can decide not to accommodate an individual without the financial capacity to pay for a room but it screams out against all the medical profession has stood for in all these years to turn an individual (who for the sake of strengthening this argument, needs a minimal intervention to prevent a life threatening catastrophe) without the financial capacity away from the hospital. Needless it is to mention that the medical profession is one that has been governed by ethics and rules, the very foundations that make the profession a noble one. A profit making motive serves to do a whole lot more damage than good. Basic definitions Before resuming this essay, it will be important to understand the basic definitions of to concepts which will be the sole foundations of this argument. Profession: As Hodson and Sullivan explain, a profession is a knowledge-based occupation with high status that has four principal characteristics: specialized knowledge, autonomy, and authority over other subordinate occupational groups, and a degree of altruism (Hodson and Sullivan, 2002). These four characteristics can be said to serve as the basic ideologies which define a profession. Commercialized healthcare: Provision of healthcare services through market relationships to those who can afford it; investments in and production of services and of inputs to them, for cash income to profit, including private contracting and supply to publicly financed health services; and healthcare finance by individual payment and private insurance. (UNRISD, 2005) COMMERCIALIZATION AND THE PATIENT It has been effectively argued that putting a price on health will reduce number of patients who seek unnecessary procedures or surgeries such as in the case of cosmetic surgery, or even more positively make people more health conscious for example people will avoid being morbidly obese as they know that the cost of a gastric by-pass surgery will be overwhelming, and will do all they can to get into shape, eat healthier and live a relatively healthier life than if it wasnt expensive. However, the relationship between a physician and the patient is one of trust, where the patient subjects him/herself to the judgement of the physician, judging that the physicians decision about his/her health will be solely guided by the patients best interest at heart, a vulnerable position, very open to abuse and can encourage to promote profit producing drugs, unnecessary surgeries, tests and treatment. In this situation, the possibilities for manipulation and abuse of the trust are limitless. Studies have shown reduced trustworthiness amongst for-profit institutions (Schlesinger et al., 2005). There have been cases heard of doctors keeping patients on dialysis earlier than they should be so that more money can be made, or refusing/not suggesting a kidney transplant which can stop the dialysis altogether. In particular, the relationship between the provider and consumer in this case cannot be compared to what gives under normal economic market forces. This is because the healthc are consumer is not sovereign and lacks the medical know about their condition and what they exactly require. Besides the sick or frightened patients do not regard their physicians as they would normal purveyors of goods and services nor do they regard the hospital as a department store. This is all without mentioning the economic impact it will have on the patient, who might be made to pay for what is relatively cheaper, or even totally unnecessary and that might not be beneficial to the patients health at all. In a for-profit enterprise, treatments and procedures lacking an opening for profit, however effective and cost saving will be disregarded to make way for newer and sometimes even unreliable but far more profitable procedures and treatment. One of the most pressing issues in this is the health inequality gap this creates especially amongst socio-economic groups. Richer individuals who are able to afford the large sums required for their treatment will ultimately survive longer than those who are less privileged. Even the UK health system, which commenced a comprehensive free healthcare system by the mid twentieth century funded by tax revenue, still faces issues with health inequality, how much more a system where healthcare is out of pocket service and with the possibility of profit making motive. COMMERCIALIZATION AND THE DOCTOR The medical doctor is one who has gone through gruelling training to acquire medical skill a supporter of commercialization can easily argue. The cost of training a doctor varies in different countries but arguably tops the list in these countries nonetheless as the training takes longer than a regular undergraduate programme, and of all professions, it is the one that requires constant reading and updating, after all, we are dealing with human lives here. And so, it has been said that well paid professionals, who have no need to worry about their daily needs, and/or catering for their families tend to be the most effective. It is argued that they will be able to concentrate on their jobs fully and perform most efficiently. While comfort cannot be ignored as comfort brings happiness and happiness leads to efficiency, this has never been the backbone of the medical profession. I believe the healthcare provider should be adequately compensated, but not like businessmen, or else the consumer will be perceived as a commodity and no longer as a sick patient in need. For example a healthcare deliverer who is driven for profit, will be biased in the provision of his services, where he/she will have more zeal and attention to a profitable case than he would in a non-profitable one. The physicians oath, which with its third line declares that I will practise my profession with conscience and dignity; the health of my patient will be my first consideration, must always be at the back of his/her mind. Commercialization will lead to leaving certain values and morals that are necessary to a community, such as caring, compassion, charity. The idea of altruism should be perpetuated by all healthcare providers and their primary concern has to be the alleviation of human suffering and the restoration of health. Society must not allow such important and fragile virtues to be extinguished by the self-interest that drives for-profit enterprise. Furthermore, as a marketing scheme, multinational drug companies spend more and more on education in medical schools, and also on doctors with the aim of eventually influencing the physicians decision making, tilting to favour the companies sometimes at the expense of the patient. COMMERCIALIZATION AND THE ECONOMY Health is one of the main priorities of a country and the provision of affordable healthcare and a good welfare system should not be a privilege to any member of a large society. Unfortunately, this will not be seen in a profit oriented health setting. Solicitors of for-profit health institutions will argue that with the advent of managed care, less and less will be spent on healthcare. This is by introducing policies of insurance into healthcare because the more people subscribed to the system, the cost for healthcare will be spread over all of them. Physicians under this programme will be advised to use less expensive treatment and sometimes at the expense of the patient. The cost to the workforce of sick patients who are unable to carry out normal daily activities will be very obvious. Also, when the financially capable are the ones who are more likely to get medical attention and the ones who cannot are left out to dry, it further increases the upper-lower class margin creating a terrible inequality that should not be accepted. COMMERCIALIZATION OF HEALTH AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS One of the major driving forces of commercialization of healthcare is the introduction of investor owned institutions. Now everybody wants a dip of this now largely rewarding enterprise ranging from bankers to insurance managers, stockbrokers, economists and so on. This has only done nothing but to undermine the authority of the health care provider as he/she is now subject to higher authority; the authority of investors. This will not allow him/her make the best decisions in favour of the patient as his decisions will become profit oriented. There is also the issue of unfair competition for non profit health institutions. When for profit institutions agree to take only the wealthier clients and those who are able to pay, this indirectly shifts all those who are unable to pay to the non profit health care providers causing an undue and unfair burden on them. In some cases it can also turn non-profit institutions into for profit ones, and cycle continues gradually phasing the non-profit institutions out of existence. The medical establishment works closely with the drug multinationals whose main objective is profits, and whose worst nightmare would be an epidemic of good health. Lots of drugs must be sold. In order to achieve this, anything goes: lies, fraud, and kickbacks. Doctors are the principal salespeople of the drug companies. They are rewarded with research grants, gifts, and lavish perks. The principal buyers are the public from infants to the elderly who must be thoroughly medicated and vaccinatedat any cost! Why do the authorities forbid alternative medicine? Because they are serving the industry, and the industry cannot make money with herbs, vitamins, and homeopathy. They cannot patent natural remedies. That is why they push synthetics. They control medicine, and that is why they are able to tell medical schools what they can and cannot teach. They have their own sets of laws, and they force people into them. The healthcare industry has become so reliant on the big multinational co mpanies that these funders exert authority over the healthcare providers, and cause them to violate precepts of medical ethics (Grouse, 2008). Misplaced attention driven by profit making incentive is another issue. Multinational pharmaceutical companies focus their research and development on high profile, profit-making drugs like Viagra instead of developing cures for life threatening diseases in poorer countries.   COMPARISON OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE UNITED STATES HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS The UK as earlier mentioned started a comprehensive free medical coverage for its citizens by 1948. The system is sponsored by tax revenue from its citizens. And as such, healthcare is fully monitored by the government through one body; the NHS which is Englands public health service provider, leading to the provision of free healthcare to its citizens. There are private health institutions for those who will want to pay for services but this is said to be patronized by just about 8% of the total population. Some of the disadvantages of this healthcare system are longer waiting lists as everyone has equal access to healthcare, questionable quality of service as the healthcare providers might sometimes forget that the patient has paid for the service required already through taxes. However, this system has the advantage of free healthcare and nothing beats that. The United State in comparison is largely owned and operated by the private sector. Healthcare insurance is provided largely by the private sector as well except for some health programmes such as the medicare, Medicaid, tricare, the childrens health insurance programme and the veterans health administration which in all are unable to cater for an appreciable percentage of the total population. This kind of healthcare system that is largely dominated by the private sector allows for the profit making incentive to be a common trend. Both systems their strengths and weaknesses Commercialisation of healthcare is something that has been thoroughly scorned on by members of the profession itself. Various medical associations have risen up to fight this threat to the profession. CONCLUSION It is true that a lot of investment goes into the training of a doctor or any healthcare specialist at that and that they need to be well remunerated for their services, however this should not be a primary focus of the service provider because as this essay has shown, the health market differs from all other markets and that the patient doctor relationship is one built solely on trust; trust that the right, best intervention is given to the patient. Perhaps most importantly, professionals must have an ideology that assigns a higher priority to doing useful and needed work than to economic rewards, an ideology that focuses more on the quality and social benefits of work than its profitability. This ideology is one that should be preserved for the sake of the profession. The younger generation of health care providers should also be considered so nobody should go into this profession with the aim of amassing wealth, so that the altruistic nature of the profession, which stands as one of its core values, will be preserved. Healthcare is a right and not a privilege and it goes without saying that every society is morally obliged to provide healthcare to its members. An increase in for-profit health care provision however, will only exacerbate the growing problem of accessibility to healthcare.

Marketing Plan For Tyrrells Potato Chips Marketing Essay

Marketing Plan For Tyrrells Potato Chips Marketing Essay The market for potato crisps in UK is a competitive market. It is very difficult to enter this market. Walkers is the biggest snack company in UK. There are also many competitors from domestic and international. For example, Pringle is a strong competitor for chips chips market. The recources, suppliers, buyers and customers were control by these big chips companies. However, the Tyrrells Potato Chips did. Since 2002, Tyrrells Potato Chips started to focus on a niche market of potato crisps; namely, the Premium Crisp market focusing on more affluent customers. The growth of the company is important for the companys owner. Tyrrells Chips is in a niche market, the chips are produce for specific group of customers. Therefore, the company need to meet these customers unique need. Firstly, customers from the higher social grades are slightly different from other general customers, they tend to spend more on better quality food. Tyrrells could use quality control to ensure their product meets a high standard and develop Tyrrells Potato Chips flavours. In addition, they need to find out more flavors of the chips, then evaluate which one can be accepted by these higher social grades customers. For example, develop the flavour of foie gras might more attractive for these customers than develop flavour of pork rind. The customers from higher social grades care about their health; especially female customers. The reason of this is ladies are more conscious of their weight and size. Customers who from higher social grades have more social events and formal meetings with people form the same grades. Tyrrells customers also need to care about their public images. That is a reason that customers from higher social grades usually do not want to try crisps. Therefore, Tyrrells Chips need to be produced by lower oiled and lower calories. The company need to develop the technique to produce a much healthier product. The Tyrrells Potato Chips customers are much more discerning buyers. Therefore, the company need to build the brand. Improve the customers loyalty of the brand. Though attract customers to join Tyrrells culture and build trust with their customers. In fact, regular customers is the most important group of people that Tyrrells should make. To Tyrrells, find out a solution that keep their customers consume Tyrrells Potato Chips regularly is more important than set a strategy that attract new customers. Branding is an important part of continued customer trust; however, the strength of retail brands is such that it is more and more difficult for newcomers to compete. Burt (2000) argues that grocers own brands are at least equal to those of manufacturers brands  [1]  . Therefore, Tyrrells needs to get their brand more recognised in order to compete in this tough market. Furthermore, these customers also need their foods have a premium price, in order to demonstrate their social grades. These customers prefer their foods are different from ordinary customers, they will not like to choose the same thing with ordinary customers, for example, Walkers crisps or Nandos Hot Peri Per. They want to choose something with premium price that can show their unique taste, even though the difference is so slightly that people can hardly recognize. Secondly, Tyrrells Potato Chips company still need to let their customers know what they really want customers know. The company should especially show their particular way to produce the chips. Including promote the advantages of Tyrrells Court Farm, which in the heart of the Herefordshire. In addition, how these advantages could influence the chips quality. Tyrrells also need to particular advertising their farm, which is local, reliable, and safe. The company also can let their customers know about their especial way of the hand-made chips, include which steps of the chips-making process are make by hand, in addition, why the company prefer hand-made rather than machine. For example, hand-made chips can ensure the chips thickness mostly the same, hand-made can also make sure the flavor is well mixed. Tyrrells could emphasis they are healthier food. They can show the science and technology research department, and assembly department though advertise. Furthermore, low fat, low oil, low calories need to be emphasised of the advertising process. The company also the feedback of the customers. Tyrrells customers usually come from higher social grades. These customers are sensitive, if these customers feel dissatisfied of the chips for several times, they might never buy Tyrrells again. The worse thing is, these customers might communicate with their social circle, it can make bad impressions for other customers. To Tyrrells, using price skimming strategy and focus on service can hold more customers from higher social grades. Finally, Tyrrells could through test the market to forecast the trend of the market. For Tyrrells, test the market seems the best way to know their new product can be accepted by their customers or not. They can test their new product in the best-selling place, for example, the test results from London Harrods, Selfridges and Fortnum Masons are more reliable than the results from Tesco Express. Task 2 To be a competitor in the chips market, Tyrrells need to seek the niche market of all the chips market. For this reason, Tyrrells Chips have to develop something that different from other competitors. Tyrrells market positioning is the particular chips for customers who from higher social grades or the discerning buyers. Thus, developing long-term relationship with these customers, improving customers loyalty and increasing the regular customers should be taken into account. As a firm that consider to construct a long-term strategy and structure, further develop long term customer relationship and equally long-term value with its customers, Tyrrells Chips might need to use marketing mix. The marketing mix is the set of controllable, tactical marketing tools that the firm blends to produce the response it wants in the target market.  [2]  Marketing mix could be suggested to Tyrrells Chips who depends on customers. Elements of the marketing mix are often categorized into Four Ps; Product, Promotion, Place and Price. Firstly, Tyrrells need to focus on their product: product is the most important thing in Tyrrells sale strategy. The firm have to control their chips quality and to invest in technology. Undoubtedly, Tyrrells customers want the chips can be the best chips in the market. They need the chips healthier. Thus, Tyrrells have to ensure their chips with much less oil, fats and calories. In addition, for Tyrrells niche market, service is another important element in product. Building closer relationship with customers can improve customers sense of regard. Tyrrells customers belong to higher social grades, these customers society are more refined and courteous. In this situation, service can be the most influential element to keep excellent customer relationship. For example, some customers might worried about the bad small with they speak after they have chips, in this situation, Tyrrells could put gum inside the chips package to solve this problem. Furthermore, Tyrrells should pay attention on packaging design. Customers who can buy Tyrrells Chips are discerning buyers, therefore, Tyrrells should use the package design to attract these customer. Classical type design should be the best choice for Tyrrells. These customers have their own standard and preference of aesthetic. Classical design might be the safest way. In the other hand, Tyrrells should extend their vision. It is beneficial for Tyrrells to develop new product, rather than only produce chips. The firm can expend their product line. Other snack foods can be developed with the same way. For example, some people might not like eat chips because the crisp sound, this sound can make other around people feel uncomfortable and disrespect. To make sure customers can taste Tyrrells anywhere, the firm can develop other puffed food with less sound. Secondly, Promotion should be taken seriously. It is necessary for Tyrrells to promotion themselves. Promotion is the effort to inform and persuade potential customers in order to accomplish the sale of the product, services, or ideas.  [3]  The core of promotion for Tyrrells is building brand awareness. Advertising might be the best and commonest way to promote Tyrrells Chips. The firm can advertise their product by TV, poster and other mediums. TV advertise might be the most widely way to promote Tyrrells Chips. However, TV advertising also have its disadvantages. Normally, luxury brands and other brands for higher social grades customers resist TV advertising. TV advertising is normally for mass market. Contrarily, Tyrrells target market is niche market. Thus, the firm should avoid using TV advertising to equate with cheap brands. Advertising with luxury or fashion magazines could be batter for Tyrrells. To link with these luxury brands inside the magazines, Tyrrells can improve their brand level. To co-operate or to sponsor relevante events is another way to promote Tyrrells Chips. Inviting customers to these events can show these customers more about Tyrrells. Tyrrells also can invite their customers have a family travel to the Tyrrells Court Farm, which in the heart of the Herefordshire countryside. Families can relax in the countryside, it is a good opportunity to promote Tyrrells culture to their customers. Firm can show how the potato have been planted, and also can show how the chips have been made by hand. This can build customers brand loyalty. Thirdly, Tyrrells Chips need to find out the place that is suitable for their market positioning. Tyrrells customers may not like to purchase chips in supermarkets like Tesco, ASDA, Morrisons. Luxury stores is more suitable for Tyrrells, for example, Selfridges, Harrods, FortnumMasons and Harvey Nichols. These luxury stores focus on the same grades of customers with Tyrrells. Therefore, customers in these luxury stores customers can be the target of Tyrrells. Another important tool that Tyrrells use is key account management. A simple definition of key account management is developing the nature of the customer relationship in order to enhance understanding and to identify the true opportunity; aligning the business resources to act on that enhanced understanding, in order to secure competitive advantage and to enhance profitability.  [4]  Using key account management to develop a closer relationship with key customers. Chips market is a market that strong dependence with big customers. Building a close relationship with these customers is very diffcult to start, however, when everthing get on the right track, it is very beneficial for Tyrrells to make a long-term strategy. Tyrrells should using this tool to build a close relationship. Tyrrells can not sell their chips in open market, or sell it by them self, they need to sell their pruducts by Harrods, Selfridges, Fortnum Masons, etc. Tyrrells should develop closer relationship with these customers with . Firstly, communcation should be emphasised. A successful communication can get information quicker and more efficient. Using new techinology to make communication more efficient is suitable for Tyrrells. For example, virtual communication tools can achieve communicate with these key customers from internal, rather than just sale department communicate with purchase department. Secondly, Tyrrells need to fulfill these customers need and response more quicker. Offer tailor-made services and products can close relationship with these big customers efficiency. Finally, feedback should not be ignored. Receiving feedback from internal of customers can detect how good that the strategy be done. When receive feedback from key accounts, can also make relationship one step forward. Tyrrells can also offer their products in transport. For example, business premier of Eurostar could be the first place to offer their chips. Tyrrells can also offer their chips in airline first-class, as a local airlines, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic can be the best choice to build partnerships. In addition, the food guide books in airplanes or trains in the first class can also promote their product as well. Finally, price might last important for Tyrrells. However, Tyrrells also need to control the price relevant with the market. Price also need to be taken seriously because price is the most intuitive factor to show Tyrrells Chips market position. Tyrrells through control the price to attract their target customers. Even though Tyrrells customers are less care about the price, Tyrrells Chips also need to connect the price with its worth, after all, price is an important factor in market economy. Task 3 Since 2002, Tyrrells Chips make a huge successful in crisps market. When Tyrrells enter crisps market, the niche market that Tyrrells need to focus on is premium crisps market. At year 2002, when Tyrrells Potato Chips enter the market, premium crisps represented about 21% of the total crisp market, but by 2007, five year later, premium crisps represented 29%  [5]  . That show the successful of Tyrrells enter the market, even it is difficult to enter, Tyrrells also take a position in the premium market. Since 2002, Tyrrells try to attracted new group of consumers. Tyrrells found out a specific way to produce and promote their chips, higher quality, and higher society grades. The eaters were changing from males to women who preferred low fat crisps.  [6]   From the year of 2002, Tyrrells enter crisps market as a fresh. The company operated very well in their target market. However, Tyrrells still weak of capital accumulation, 5 years past, Tyrrells still is a small company that offer products and services for small customers. Tyrrells did not expanse their target market, thus, it is difficult to increase their profit. Without capital accumulation, Tyrrells did not have enough budget to improve their products, services and promote. Moreover, it is very difficult to invest for the future. The firm also have no enough budget of market expansion. Inevitably, Tyrrells would be bought by investment group. Task 4 To build personal relationships with customers, Tyrrells need to focus on approach relationship marketing. relationship marketing orientation is more modern approaches relating to marketing orientation, have suggested a relationship marketing approach. this recognized the importance of retaining existing customers and developing relationships with stakeholder groups( e.g. suppliers, distributors, etc). the theory is based on the premise of building a relationship as opposed to simply generating transactions.  [7]   Relationship marketing is an approach that developed to improve transaction marketing. According the definition, the relationship marketing emphasis customers relationship and satisfaction, rather than a dominant focus on sales transactions. For Tyrrells, build personal relationship with customers need to be taken seriously. Communicating with customers is the best way to know customers needs. Further, in Tyrrells relationship marketing strategy, the firm should use bilateral communication rather than unilateral communication. It is beneficial for Tyrrells to share and communicate information with customers. In addition, Tyrrells need to co-operate with others, which can achieve win-win situation. The aims of co-operation is increase interest of every parts of chain rather than harm others interests. Tyrrells can achieve more via co-operating with others. Furthermore, emotion is another factor that influence relationship marketing. Relative to material needs, the firm also need to satisfy customers emotional needs. Tyrrells need to meet customers both material and emotional expectation in order to achieve customer satisfaction. Finally, people are different. Firm should develop a closer relationship with different personality by different solution. For example, developing closer relationship with women Tyrells. The women need to feel connected to the brand. This can be done with personalised electronic communications. It can make women feel more like a family than just transaction. However, developing closer relationship with men should communicate shortly and with points. Concise conversation can let gentlemen feel comfortable. Tyrrells also need to track customers attitude immediately. To develop immediately feedback from customers in order to control the relationship with customers. The major problem and core aim of relationship marketing is how to keep customers. Building customer loyalty is the main topic of relationship marketing. How can Tyrrells get customer loyalty in relationship marketing? Three easy step to achieve this. Firstly, seeking target customers needs. Firm need to analysis customers needs, and conclude client satisfaction. High quality of products, friendly services and comfortable shopping experience are which the factors might influence Tyrrells customers preference. Focus on customers satisfaction can bring tangible( returned customers) and intangible assets( promote firm to others). Secondly, fulfill these needs and ensure customer satisfaction. Tyrrells can achieve customers satisfaction with these ways: providing high quality and satisfactory products and services, providing additional benefits and providing efficient communication approach. For example, customers may not satisfied current little flavors, when Tyrrells got this information, then the firm need to develop more flavors. Finally, for Tyrrells niche market, the essence of market competition is how to keep the customer resources. To keep existing customers is more important than attract new customers for Tyrrells. Thus, building customers loyalty can bring lots benefits. In relationship marketing, the main problem is how to build and keep long-term and interdependent relationship with customers, suppliers or distributors. Therefore, Tyrrells need to communicate with others initiatively. This can share the information quickly, in addition, firm can provide services to their customers or solve the problems with suppliers and distributors. Finally, firm need to perform their promises and commitments. It is very difficult to build trust relationship in market behaviour, because all the firm in the market want to maximum their profits. However, Tyrrells is in a niche market which offer chips for higher society grades, these customers usually shopping with consumption inertia, thus, how to obtain customers trust is more important for Tyrrells. Usually, fulfilling commitments can achieve high degree of mutual trust. If the firm promise to their customer, therefore, no matter what happend and how hard to achieve it, Tyrrells have to perform this promise. Even though sometimes Tyrrells might get loss, as return, it can increase customers trust and loyalty. Task 5 As a rapidly developing company, Tyrrells need to invest more in promotion. To be a competitive company in this modern society, Tyrrells Potato Chips should build brand awareness. In the year 2009, a French luxury fashion design label Christian Lacroix prepare to bankruptcy. French design house Christian Lacroix has reportedly filed for voluntary bankruptcy as the label seeks to protect itself from an onslaught of creditors  [8]  At the same time, another luxury fashion design label Christian Dior still made considerable net income 796 millions Euro in 2008  [9]  . Even though people believed economic crisis is direct cause for the CL bankruptcy, however, other luxury labels like CD, Chanel, etc. still can made profits in that year. CL can design the same quality of dress with CD or Chanel, some time CLs design may more beautiful than others. However, the unsuccessful promotion is another main reason of CLs bankruptcy. Generally, promotion is communicating with the public in an attempt to influence them toward buying your products and/or services.  [10]  Shortly, the main objective of promotion is let firms target consumer know the brands which firm want consumers know. For Tyrrells, promotion can be achieved through various ways. As a famous chips manufacturer, Tyrrells should promote their chips brand in any relevant domains. For example, to be a sponsor of The Royal Welsh Show. Through sponsor for these show, Tyrrells can promote their business philosophy. healthy, premium and skilled. In addition, Tyrrells also can host society events, through communicate with consumers, to promote firms philosophy. Advertising is another communication tool that deliver messages to customers. As a main communication tool, advertise is a good way to promote the brand, also a effective way as well. Coca-Cola has long been recognized as the worlds most valuable brand. Its current value: $55 billion.  [11]  Advertising is an important factor that help Coca-Cola achieve this. In every Olympic Games, Coca-Cola will advertise their brand. In Atlanta 1996 summer Olympic, Coca-Cola advertised in any relevant area. The third quarter of 1996, Coca-Colas sale revenue increased 21%  [12]  . At the same time, as Coca-Colas biggest competitor, Pepsis profit decreased 77%  [13]  . This is a good instance for Tyrrells, Tyrrells should not content of current advertisement. Tyrrells can advertise on famous food magazine, like Restaurant Magazine. Luxury fashion magazine should be considered as well, Harpers Bazaar and Vogues could be good choices. In addition, invite gastronome and celebrity endorsements is another good way to advertise Tyrrells Chips. Even though Tyrrells do not have a big budget, they still need to highlight their advertising strategy. Omnipresent adversting is not very suitable for Tyrrells. One thing Tyrrells need to do is to aim their targets, key customers, affluent customers. It is more useful to adversting the point rather than adversting wide. Public relations is a communication tool that the firm use to building trust with public. The main mission of PR is how to maintain firms healthy image. Firstly, to be honest or at least let public think you are honest. Integrity is an important element for confidence-building. In the year 2009, Toyota was the largest car manufacturer in the world  [14]  . When customers complaints about Prius break problem and Toyota decided to repair those cars, it was already too late, Toyota lost the trust from consumers. Putting aside political factors, unresponsive public relations department might put the last straw on Toyota, to pull the firm into this passive situation. This is a bitter lesson for Toyota, however, Tyrrells can learn a lot from this case. Tyrrells should communicate with customers more efficient. Public relations department should receive the public problem Immediately. Then control and solve the problem as quickly as they can. Public trust is very easy to loss but hard to get, therefore, PR department should good at controlling the problem and make sure it will not be proliferated. Finally, Tyrrells should good at using a communication tool called internet marketing. Marketing on the internet is slightly different from real world. For Tyrrells, Marketing on the internet is promoting to young customers. Tyrrells can co-operate with social website like Facebook, Youtube or Twitter. For example, company can sponsor virtual farm on Facebook to attract young people, they can also use Twitter to push their voucher to customers. Tyrrells can collect customers email through using Tyrrells website log on system. The advantage is, Tyrrells can deliver their new message to the specific group of customers( younger, older,male, female, etc.). Disadvantage is, these emails might be marked by spams. Internet is not just promoting, customers could also shop online. Online shop can make transactions more flexible. When customers want to buy huge packages of chips, they can purchase a box of Tyrrells Chips online. It is very strange to purchase a box of chips, but when online shopping, customers do not need to worried about this. Online shopping also can make customers more flexible. For example, when customer shopping at Harrods, he want to purchase 5 packages of flavor Lightly Sea Salted, 5 packages of Sweet Chilli Red Pepper, it might very difficult to carry. However, online shopping can solve this problem. Chips are not clothes, sometimes customers do not need to fit them.

Alice in Wonderland Essay example -- Essays Papers

Alice in Wonderland Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, a story about a little girl and her adventures in a dream-like place called wonderland, has been a beloved children’s story for over one hundred years. Though viewed by many as a simple children’s tale, if it is taken into a little more depth one will find that is a brilliant satire on the English system of government. Indeed, Alice in Wonderland is a brilliant novel written by a brilliant author. The main character of this novel is Alice. Throughout the story she has conflicts with many of the characters along with herself. Her main conflict is to return home from Wonderland and to become an adult. While she is in Wonderland she is faced with many other, not so important conflicts. Most of them are choices that may lead her to people or places that she might or might not want to meet or see. Throughout the story there are many supporting characters that both help and hinder Alice during journey through Wonderland. The first character that Alice first comes in contact with is the White Rabbit. As a character he is always in a rush, this is made apparent throughout the story. Alice first sees him while he is on the way to Wonderland. She chooses to follow him, and she falls down a rabbit hole, thus finding the entrance to Wonderland. The only other character that was influential in my opinion was the The Queen of Hearts. The Queen is a very bitter person. She made everyone aro...

The Club :: essays research papers

In The Club, friendship and loyalty are forgotten. The characters in this play sneak around behind each other’s backs, trying to achieve one thing; they are trying to hold onto their position. They want to replace some members of the Club so that they can start a new and better club, without the interference of â€Å"busy-body’s†. Although Laurie shows loyalty to his team, and Ted shows loyalty to the club, Jock and Gerry are continually stabbing Laurie and Ted in the back. Gerry, the career administrator, seems to be on everybody’s side but he is actually the one who makes the bullets for all the other bunnies to fire. Ted, the Club president, means well but can’t help sticking his nose into other people’s business. Geoff is the new recruit and could not care less about the game of football. Laurie is the coach of the team and as they are not doing the best, he finds out that at the end of the play that he is going to be sacked. Danny is the captain and long-time club champion of the team. He too is about to get the axe after years of charitable service. And then there is Jock, who is an interfering ex-president. He is also the holder of the Club’s longest player record.  â€Å"Ted’s going to have to resign soon. He’s got himself into real trouble. I can guarantee that he won’t be around in a month or two.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  [Page 17]  â€Å"We’re not going to renew Laurie’s contract at the end of the year.†  â€Å"We’re going to try and not renew his contract at the end of the year.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  [Page 18] The above quotes show Gerry Cooper, the clever manipulator that he is, in action. First, Gerry talks to Laurie and tells him that Ted will have to resign soon. Laurie is unaware of the fact as to why he will have to resign but he knows that Ted is about to go bankrupt. Gerry leaves Laurie, leaving him thinking that he is safe and that Ted will go. The second quote shows Ted and Gerry talking. Ted tells Gerry that he does not want Laurie’s contract renewed at the end of the year. Gerry agrees with Ted by saying that he will try not to renew it, only after he told Laurie that Ted was going to have to resign. By now, Gerry has convinced Laurie that Ted will be quitting the club.

What Is a Human Person?

â€Å"What Is Human Person? † Essay What is a person? A seemingly easy question, however, once looked into, the ideas and presumptions that people have are filled with contradictions and controversies. Many people, religions, organisations, and governments have a differing opinion on what qualities an entity must possess to be a person, however, there are many similarities. Many religions, for example, believe a person, houses an immortal ‘soul’ or spirit, capable of eternal life. There is also the question raised – are human beings the only ones who can be a ‘person’, can animals and machines also be, or become persons? Philosophers generally agree that there are several key characteristics that can be discussed concerning personhood. The characteristics are as follows: A soul (or spirit), embodiment of the mental and physical (the question of the mind being separate to the body), the idea of beliefs and morals, rationality, self awareness, the use of language and meaning, self reflection (and imagination), and exploring what different societies and peoples, view as a full and whole person. Religions house some of the oldest beliefs and explanations of this world, and hold a key way to understanding the people of the past, as well as their ways of thinking and explanation. Whilst modern science had proven a lot of religious beliefs (such as the origins and complexities of the of the universe) to be false, many people base their view of a person on that of their religions. For example, Christianity. The belief of the Christian Church is that every human being in born with a soul, this soul the dwells within them is unobservable, however, it is the immortal, personal link between themselves and God, connecting through prayer and reflection, and is believed that every person possesses this, thereby rendering a soul as a component of personhood. However, since the soul is unobservable, there is seemingly no way to tell whether or not a person has one, or if they exist at all. However, the Catholic Church also teaches that human beings were created in the image of God, therefore making every human a sacred being, and possessing a soul, their spiritual link between themselves and the divine. Therefore, a soul, spirit or equivalent is a required part of personhood to the spiritual or religious person. Another key point of relevancy is one’s mind, the question of the mind and body, are they one thing, or do they exist separately from each other? The mind is the term often referring to the higher functions of the brain, the totally of conscious and unconscious mental activity that controls the way we think, feel judge, our intellect and consciousness, perception, emotion, memory, imagination et cetera. The mind resides within the brain, and is central to our being, it controls us, it is us. The brain is the one part of the body that humans have been unable to create via artificial means – scientific progress has allowed the body to function using artificial means, such as machines aiding, or sometimes in place of our internal organs. Given time, research and money, it is theoretically possible for the brain to function outside the body, through a machine (A body could almost be considered a machine, as the brain sends out electrical signals to control the rest of the body). In this sense, yes, the mind is a separate being to the body, able to function outside of the flesh when given an adequate source of power. The body, in a sense, is a battery, and output source for the mind, much like a gaming console and a game disc. The disc holds the functions, and the console executes them. The mind relies on the body to function, however they are two different entities. This theory completely disregards the mortal body as being a part of personhood, or rather, everything but the brain and it’s processes. This raises the question of whether or not an animal or robot (machine) can be a person. Following on from the previous paragraph, the idea that a person’s mind can exist and function within a machine poses the question of a machine being a person in itself. As modern science has enabled virtually every part of the body (except the brain) to be reconstructed and function as a machine, it is not entirely implausible for science to get as far as to reconstruct the brain through mechanics, the brain consciousness, activities and functions, electrical currents, being uploaded into the ‘mechanical brain’. The human mind, being present in the machine knows itself to be a person, observes itself as a person therefore classes itself as a person. It has the mind and processes of a person, therefore sees itself as a person. A vital part of personhood may in fact acknowledging oneself (and others) as people. In a Descartes like manner, â€Å"I think I am a person, therefore I am a person. † The ability to be able to reflect on one’s self and being, an ability that only human beings possess, can be considered another trait of personhood. The human’s ability to the reflect, sympathise and empathise with each other and other beings is something that is specific (as far as scientific progress has proved) to humans alone. From these stem the ideas of ethics and morality, which again branch off to the law of society behaviour. An animal, for example, will not stop preying on other animal because they see it as morally wrong, the animal sees the other simply as food, to eat. A human however, has a respect and value for life, thus why some people choose to become vegetarians. An animal does not process this, and continues to kill other animals to sustain nourishment. This respect for life, and others, has led to the creation of laws to maintain an orderly and fully functioning society. Society and laws have differing opinions on what a person can or cannot do. These vary country to country, even state to state. Age regulations and restrictions restrict what a person of a certain age or ability can or cannot do. This may influence thinking that people of a certain age or ability are not full people, but underdeveloped, or not people. The subject of personhood is a difficult one, if one defines a person as having the qualities or w, x, y, and z, it is certainly possible for some animals to qualify as persons, or some people to not. owever, if one defines a person as a human being, then one has to then define a human being. The English language reinforces the theory of a human being the sole entity capable of personhood as the word ‘person’ and ‘human being’ are used interchangeably. Although modern secularism and the more traditional religious views have differing ideas, it all comes down to the individual’s opinion. This also comes b ack to individual beliefs and truths, as well as the person’s ability to think and reflect on a subject. If one believes a person has qualities x and y, then all things with these qualities are persons. If one believes a person is a human being, then human beings to them are persons. And argument could be made that the ability to think, reflect, argue and to form an opinion through observation, belief and personal values over what is a person makes one a person themselves, thereby making anyone agreeing or disagreeing with these examples a person. Bibliography. Law, Stephen, 2007. The Great Philosophers, Quercus Publishing Plc, London. Handouts from class: What is a Human Person? Summary Notes Problems of Knowledge: The Brain in the Vat The Weekend Australian Magazine: January 30-31st, 2010: Can animals think? The Human Being: Roman Catholic perspective Metaphysics Handout Handout with exerts from various stories: I, Rodney Brooks, am a Robot, How Smart is the Octopus, Spanish Parliament†¦ Etc.

Discussion Luminary

Even in the 1960s the jungle remained terra incognita, an unknown land with the power to hold the technology of mechanized warfare beyond its periphery. And with good reason, Munro though. Men just did not belong there. He was not pleased to be back. Elliot, never having been in a rainforest, was fascinated†¦ [skip to next page] Because Elliot had looked forward to his first experience of the equatorial African rain forest, he was surprised at how quickly he felt oppressed–and how soon he entertained thoughts of leaving again.Yet the tropical rain forests had spawned most new life forms, including man†¦. As he walked through the forest, Elliot found himself thinking of it as an enormous hot, dark womb, a place new species were nourished in unchanging conditions until they were ready to migrate out to the harsher and more variable temperate zones. –This passage has a couple competing ideas that illuminate the other tensions of Congo. Munro says that humans do n ot belong in the jungle and despite Elliot’s initial enthusiasm his later feeling of â€Å"oppression† puts him closer to Munro.But Elliot also thinks that the rain forest is where life comes from, including humans, a place free from the â€Å"technology of mechanized warfare† that destroys life without replacing it. So, if we read this together, humans owe a debt to the universal origin of life but are now cut off from it and feel it as a mysterious enemy. In a way, though, language lets us re-enter or re-connect with this origin of life through Amy and her connection to the world of gorillas and humans. Day 8 Chapter 4: But he know what Munro was saying.Inevitably, people who raised apes found at a certain point they could no longer keep them. With maturity the animals became too large, too powerful, too much their own species to be controllable. It was no longer possible to put them in diapers and pretend they were cute humanlike creatures. Their genes coded inevitable differences that ultimately became impossible to overlook. –This passage is interesting because it helps to explain some of the commentary elsewhere in the book about how humans are affecting the world.Like apes, human civilization has grown up and escaped from the control of nature: we are too large and too powerful for the jungle to resist our bulldozers and chainsaws. This passage also seems to imply that each species has a genetic nature that it cannot resist, so we will probably be helpless to stop ourselves from exhausting our natural resources unless it is also part of our nature to check ourselves. Day 9 Chapter 1:He also found it off that the information recorded by the video camera had to travel more than twenty thousand miles before returning to the display screen, only a few feet away. It was, he said later, the â€Å"world’s longest spinal cord,† and it produced an odd effect. Even at the speed of light, the transmission required a tenth of a second, and since there was a short processing time in the Houston computer, the images did not appear on the screen instantaneously, but arrived about a half a second late. –Even out of context this passage is an interesting commentary on our every day lives.Although we know that light and sounds travel at certain speeds we are used to feeling like we are immediately connected to our surroundings; however, the infinitesimal gap between our selves and our world becomes apparent through technology. This is ironic since, as in the passage quoted, technology gives us knowledge of the world we otherwise wouldn’t have. But the price of knowing more about the world is that we are also farther away from it. Discussion Director In Day 11 Chapter 2 Ross says, â€Å"People worship what they fear†¦ oping to control it.† How might this be a commentary on Congo? Congo creates a magical and mythical species of gorilla to terrorize the intrusive Westerners. Although an alternative explanation in the novel explains what is happening in the city of Zinj, Congo represents to us what we fear. However, what we are led to â€Å"worship† is not the violence of the gray gorillas but Amy’s language abilities. The possibility that animals can be equal to humans in mastering language is something we fear and make stories about in the hopes of controlling it.Day 13 Chapter 1: What does the team’s reaction to the discovery of diamonds say about the difference between humans and animals? Animals are usually thought to respond to training in a relatively mechanistic way, whereas humans are thought to possess free will. The recent defeat of the gray apes agrees with this: they could not resist the broadcast with their own will and had to obey it. However, even though the humans are in danger for their lives they pursue the blue diamonds as if they are worth more than life itself.How does Crichton’s selection of References make you f eel about the truth of the novel? The references show that there are real scientific observations and facts underpinning some of the technical aspects of the novel. On the other hand, it is clearly a novel of fiction that depends on some pretty fantastic departures from the real world for its effect and to make its points about human-animal communication. Ultimately it indicates that even scientific facts can be bent around a convincing narrative and put to the service of something that is not scientifically verifiable.

High Drop Out from School Among Girls in Tanzania Essay

Education enables girls to make their own decisions and to influence their families positively. Education saves and improves the lives of girls and women. It allows them greater control of their lives and provides them with skills to contribute to their societies. UNICEF (2004) report indicates that girls’ education leads to more equitable development, stronger families, better services, better child health and effective participation in governance. Despite the obvious benefits of Education to national development, research findings indicate that girls’ dropout rate from school is higher than that of boys. It observed that Tanzanian girls, for various reasons bordering on religious, cultural, socio-economic and school related factors, are not given a fair chance in the educational sector. In Tanzania, about 7. 3 million children do not go to school, of which 62% are girls (UNICEF 2004). The same UNICEF report indicates that girls’ primary school completion rate is far behind that of boys, at 76% compared with 85% for boys. This gender gap means that millions more girls than boys are dropping out of school each year. This goes to show that the majority of children not in school are girls. Mohammed (2004) equally reported that a girl may be withdrawn from school if a good marriage prospect arises. Early marriage is a sociocultural factor that hinders the girl child’s access to school. Some parents, in an attempt to protect their teenage daughters, give them out to wealthy old friends. Some of these girls who attempt to escape from such forced marriages end up in disaster. Alika and Egbochuku (2009) found that the socio-economic status of the girls imposes considerable constraints upon their continuing stay in school. In fact, they asserted that a girl’s particular socio-economic inheritance may have a direct and important effect on educational attainment. The Problem Education, which is the right of every child, is a mirage in the lives of some Tanzanian girls because some of them are forced into early marriage as from age 12. Poverty has been known to force most parents to withdraw their children from school UNICEF (2004) report indicates that some 121 million children are out of school for various reasons and 65 million of them are girls. With the educational rights of 65 million girls unmet, something should be done to ensure that they complete their education. The same report indicates that Tanzania is one of the 25 developing countries of the world with low enrolment rates for girls, gender gap of more than 10% in primary education and with more than 1 million girls out of school. This is a problem that requires emergency action if the nation is to advance technologically, considering the multiplier and intergenerational benefits derivable in the education of the girl child. It is the aim of this study, therefore, to find out reasons why girls dropout of school in Tanzania and, consequently, based on the findings proffer counselling strategies that could be adopted in order to check the incidence of drop out from school among girls in Tanzania. Research Question  To guide this investigation, one research question will be formulated 1. What are the reasons for high dropping out of school by girls in Tanzania? The descriptive survey design will be adopted for this study. The study sought to determine the reasons for dropping out from school among girls in Tanzania. The population of the study will comprised all girls who dropped out of school and re-enrolled in schools in Tanzania. Four primary schools, four secondary schools and four skill acquisition centres will be used for the study. A stratified random sampling procedure will be adopted in selecting the secondary schools, on the basis of their status i. e. all girls’ schools and all co-educational schools. For the primary schools, the upper primary classes will be used for the study while for the skill acquisition centres, two government skill acquisition centres, one nongovernmental skill centre and one private skill centre will be used for the study. The research instrument used will be a checklist on reasons for dropping out of school.

The Host EPILOGUE. Continued

I was not the same. This was my first rebirth into a body of the same species. I found the transfer much more difficult than changing planets because I had so many expectations about being human already in place. Also, I'd inherited a lot of things from Petals Open to the Moon, and not all of them were pleasant. I'd inherited a great deal of grief for Cloud Spinner. I missed the mother I'd never known and mourned for her suffering now. Perhaps there could be no joy on this planet without an equal weight of pain to balance it out on some unknown scale. I'd inherited unexpected limitations. I was used to a body that was strong and fast and tall-a body that could run for miles, go without food and water, lift heavy weights, and reach high shelves. This body was weak-and not just physically. This body seized up with crippling shyness every time I was unsure of myself, which seemed to be often these days. I'd inherited a different role in the human community. People carried things for me now and let me pass first into a room. They gave me the easiest chores and then, half the time, took the work right out of my hands anyway. Worse than that, I needed the help. My muscles were soft and not used to labor. I tired easily, and my attempts to hide that fooled no one. I probably couldn't have run a mile without stopping. There was more to this easy treatment than just my physical weakness, though. I was used to a pretty face, but one that people were able to look at with fear, mistrust, even hatred. My new face defied such emotions. People touched my cheeks often, or put their fingers under my chin, holding my face up to see it better. I was frequently patted on my head (which was in easy reach, since I was shorter than everyone but the children), and my hair was stroked so regularly that I stopped noticing when it happened. Those who had never accepted me before did this as often as my friends. Even Lucina put up only a token resistance when her children began following me like two adoring puppies. Freedom, in particular, crawled onto my lap at every opportunity, burrowing his face in my hair. Isaiah was too big for such displays of affection, but he liked to hold my hand-just the same size as his-while chattering excitedly with me about Spiders and Dragons, soccer and raids. The children still wouldn't go anywhere near Melanie; their mother had frightened them too thoroughly before for her reassurances to change things now. Even Maggie and Sharon, though they still tried not to look at me, could not maintain their former rigidity in my presence. My body was not the only change. The monsoons came late to the desert, and I was glad. For one thing, I'd never smelled the rain on the creosotes before-I could only vaguely remember it from my memories of Melanie's memories, a very dim trail of recall indeed-and now the scent washed out the musty caves, left them smelling fresh and almost spicy. The scent clung to my hair and followed me everywhere. I smelled it in my dreams. Also, Petals Open to the Moon had lived in Seattle all her life, and the unbroken streak of blue skies and blistering heat was as bewildering-almost numbing-to my system as the dark press of heavy overcast skies would have been to any of these desert dwellers. The clouds were exciting, a change from the bland, featureless pale blue. They had depth and movement. They made pictures in the sky. There was a great deal of reshuffling to be done in Jeb's caves, and the move to the big game room-now the communal sleeping quarters-was good preparation for more permanent arrangements to follow. Every space was needed, so rooms could not remain vacant. Still, only the newcomers, Candy-who had remembered her correct name at last-and Lacey, could bear to take Wes's old space. I pitied Candy for her future roommate, but the Healer never betrayed any discontent at the prospect. When the rains ended, Jamie would move into a free corner in Brandt and Aaron's cave. Melanie and Jared had kicked Jamie out of their room and into Ian's before I'd been reborn in Pet's body; Jamie wasn't so young that they'd needed to give him any excuse. Kyle was working on widening the small crevice that had been Walter's sleeping space so that it would be ready when the desert was dry again. It really wasn't big enough for more than one, and Kyle would not be staying there alone. At night in the game room, Sunny slept curled into a ball against Kyle's chest, like a kitten who was friends with a big dog-a rottweiler whom she trusted implicitly. Sunny was always with Kyle. I couldn't remember ever seeing them unattached since I'd opened these silver gray eyes for the first time. Kyle seemed constantly bemused, too distracted by this impossible relationship he couldn't quite wrap his head around to pay attention to much else. He wasn't giving up on Jodi, but as Sunny clung to him, he held her to his side with gentle hands. Before the rain, every space was taken, so I stayed with Doc in the hospital that no longer frightened me. The cots were not comfortable, but it was a very interesting place to be. Candy remembered the details of Summer Song's life better than her own; the hospital was a place of miracles now. After the rain, Doc would not be sleeping in the hospital anymore. The first night in the game room, Sharon had dragged her mattress right next to Doc's without a word of explanation. Perhaps it was Doc's fascination with the Healer that motivated Sharon, though I doubted Doc had even noticed how pretty the older woman was; his fascination was with her phenomenal knowledge. Or maybe it was just that Sharon was ready to forgive and forget. I hoped that was the case. It would be nice to think that even Sharon and Maggie might be softened over time. I would not stay in the hospital anymore, either. The crucial conversation with Ian might never have taken place if not for Jamie. My mouth would go all dry and my palms would sweat whenever I so much as thought of bringing it up. What if those feelings in the hospital, those few perfect moments of certainty right after I'd awoken in this body, had been illusion? What if I remembered them wrong? I knew that nothing had changed for me, but how could I be certain Ian felt the same? The body he'd fallen in love with was still right here! I expected him to be unsettled-we all were. If it was difficult for me, a soul used to such changes, how hard must it be for the humans? I was working to put the last of the jealousy and the perplexing echoes of the love I still felt for Jared behind me. I didn't need or want them. Ian was the right partner for me. But sometimes I would catch myself staring at Jared and feel confused. I'd seen Melanie touch Ian's arm or hand and then jerk away as if she'd suddenly remembered who she was. Even Jared, who had the least reason for uncertainty, would occasionally meet my confused gaze with a searching one of his own. And Ian†¦ Of course it must have been hardest for him. I understood that. We were together nearly as much as Kyle and Sunny. Ian constantly touched my face and hair, was always holding my hands. But who did not respond to this body that way? And wasn't it platonic for everyone else? Why didn't he kiss me again, the way he had that first day? Maybe he could never love me inside this body, as appealing as it seemed to be to all the other humans here. That worry was heavy in my heart the night Ian had carried my cot-because it was too heavy for me-to the big, dark game room. It was raining for the first time in more than six months. There were both laughter and complaints as people shook out their damp bedding and arranged their places. I saw Sharon with Doc and smiled. â€Å"Over here, Wanda,† Jamie called, waving me toward where he'd just set his mattress next to Ian's. â€Å"There's room for all three of us now.† Jamie was the one person who treated me almost exactly the same as before. He did make allowances for my puny physique, but he never seemed surprised to see me enter a room or shocked when Wanderer's words came through these lips. â€Å"You don't really want that cot, do you, Wanda? I'll bet we could all fit okay on the mattresses if we shoved them together.† Jamie grinned at me while he kicked one mattress into the other without waiting for agreement. â€Å"You don't take up much space.† He took the cot from Ian and set it on its side, out of the way. Then Jamie stretched out on the very edge of the far mattress and turned his back to us. â€Å"Oh, hey, Ian,† he added without turning. â€Å"I talked to Brandt and Aaron, and I think I'm going to move in with them. Well, I'm beat. Night, guys.† I stared at Jamie's unmoving form for a long moment. Ian was just as motionless. He couldn't have been having a panic attack, too, though. Was he thinking of some way to extricate himself from the situation? â€Å"Lights out,† Jeb bellowed from across the room. â€Å"Everybody shut yer trap so I can get some shut-eye.† People laughed, but took him seriously as always. One by one, the four lamps were dimmed until the room was black. Ian's hand found mine; it was warm. Did he notice how cold and sweaty my skin was? He sank to his knees on the mattress, tugging me gently along. I followed and lay down on the seam between the beds. He kept my hand. â€Å"Is this okay?† Ian whispered. There were other hushed conversations going on around us, made indistinct by the rush of the sulfur spring. â€Å"Yes, thank you,† I answered. Jamie rolled over, shaking the mattress and knocking into me. â€Å"Oops, sorry, Wanda,† he murmured, and then I heard him yawn. Automatically, I shifted out of his way. Ian was closer than I'd thought. I gasped quietly when I ran into him, then tried to give him some room. His arm was suddenly around me, holding me to his body. It was the strangest feeling; having Ian's arm around me in this very nonplatonic way reminded me oddly of my first experience with No Pain. Like I'd been in agony without realizing it, and his touch had taken all the hurt away. That feeling erased my shyness. I rolled so that I was facing him, and he tightened his arm around me. â€Å"Is this okay?† I whispered, repeating his question. He kissed my forehead. â€Å"Better than okay.† We were silent for a few minutes. Most of the other conversations had died out. He bent down so that his lips were at my ear and whispered, quieter than before, â€Å"Wanda, do you think†¦?† He fell silent. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"Well, it looks like I have a room all to myself now. That's not right.† â€Å"No. There's not enough space for you to be alone.† â€Å"I don't want to be alone. But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Why wouldn't he ask? â€Å"But what?† â€Å"Have you had enough time to sort things out yet? I don't want to rush you. I know it's confusing†¦ with Jared†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It took me a moment to process what he was saying, but then I giggled quietly. Melanie wasn't much given to giggling, but Pet had been, and her body betrayed me at this most inopportune moment. â€Å"What?† he demanded. â€Å"I was giving you time to sort things out,† I explained in a whisper. â€Å"I didn't want to rush you-because I know it's confusing. With Melanie.† He jumped just a little in surprise. â€Å"You thought†¦? But Melanie isn't you. I was never confused.† I was smiling in the dark now. â€Å"And Jared isn't you.† His voice was tighter when he answered. â€Å"But he's still Jared. And you love him.† Ian was jealous again? I shouldn't have been pleased by negative emotions, but I had to admit this was encouraging. â€Å"Jared is my past, another life. You are my present.† He was quiet for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was rough with emotion. â€Å"And your future, if you want that.† â€Å"Yes, please.† And then he kissed me in the most unplatonic way possible under the crowded circumstances, and I was thrilled to remember that I'd been smart enough to lie about my age. The rains would end, and when they did, Ian and I would be together, partners in the truest sense. This was a promise and an obligation I had never had in all my lives. Thinking of it made me feel joyful and anxious and shy and desperately impatient all at the same time-made me feel human. After all this had been settled, Ian and I were more inseparable than ever. So when it came time for me to test my new face on the other souls, of course he went with me. This raid was a relief for me after long weeks of frustration. It was bad enough that my new body was weak and nearly useless in the caves; I couldn't believe it when the others didn't want to let me use my body for the one thing it was perfect for. Jared had specifically approved of Jamie's choice because of this guileless, vulnerable face that no one could ever doubt, this delicate build that anyone would be motivated to protect, but even he had a hard time putting his theory into practice. I was sure raiding would be every bit as easy for me now as it had been before, but Jared, Jeb, Ian, and the others-everyone but Jamie and Mel-debated for days, trying to find a way around using me for that. It was ridiculous. I saw them eyeing Sunny, but she was still unproven, not trusted. On top of that, Sunny had absolutely no intention of setting one foot outside. The very word raid had her cowering in terror. Kyle would not go out with us; Sunny had gone hysterical the one time he'd mentioned it. In the end, practicality had won out. I was needed. It was good to be needed. Supplies had been dwindling; this would be a long, thorough trip. Jared was leading the raid, as usual, so it went without saying that Melanie was included. Aaron and Brandt volunteered, not that we really needed the muscle; they were tired of being cooped up. We were going far to the north, and I was excited to see the new places-to feel the cold again. Excitement got a bit out of hand in this body. I was bouncy and hyper the night we drove to the rock slide where the van and the big moving truck were hidden. Ian was laughing at me because I could hardly hold still as we loaded the clothes and sundries we would need into the van. He held my hand, he said, to tether me to the surface of the planet. Was I too loud? Too oblivious to my surroundings? No, of course that was not it. There was nothing I could have done. This was a trap, and it was too late for us the minute we arrived. We froze when the thin beams of light shot out of the darkness into Jared's and Melanie's faces. My face, my eyes, the ones that might have helped us, stayed obscured, hidden in the shadow made by Ian's wide back. My eyes were not blinded by the glare, and the moon was bright enough for me to clearly see the Seekers that outnumbered us, eight to our six. Bright enough for me to see the way they held their hands, to see the weapons that glinted in them, raised and pointed at us. Pointed at Jared and Mel, at Brandt and Aaron-our only gun still undrawn-and one centered dead on Ian's chest. Why had I let him come with me? Why did he have to die, too? Lily's bewildered questions echoed in my head: Why did life and love go on? What was the point? My fragile little heart shattered into a million pieces, and I fumbled for the pill in my pocket. â€Å"Steady, now, everybody just keep calm,† the man in the center of the group of Seekers called out. â€Å"Wait, wait, don't be swallowing anything! Jeez, get a grip! No, look!† The man turned the flashlight on his own face. His face was sun browned and craggy, like a rock that had been eroded by the wind. His hair was dark, with white at the temples, and it curled in a bushy mess around his ears. And his eyes-his eyes were dark brown. Just dark brown, nothing more. â€Å"See?† he said. â€Å"Okay, now, you don't shoot us, and we won't shoot you. See?† And he laid the gun he was carrying to the ground. â€Å"C'mon, guys,† he said, and the others slid their guns back into holsters-on their hips, their ankles, their backs†¦ so many weapons. â€Å"We found your cache here-clever, that; we were lucky to find it-and decided we'd hang out and make your acquaintance. It's not every day you find another rebel cell.† He laughed a delighted laugh that came from deep in his belly. â€Å"Look at your faces! What? Did you think you all were the only ones still kickin'?† He laughed again. None of us had moved an inch. â€Å"Think they're in shock, Nate,† another man said. â€Å"We scared them half to death,† a woman said. â€Å"What do you expect?† They waited, shuffling from foot to foot, while we stood frozen. Jared was the first to recover. â€Å"Who are you?† he whispered. The leader laughed again. â€Å"I'm Nate-nice to meet you, though you might not feel the same way just yet. This here's Rob, Evan, Blake, Tom, Kim, and Rachel along with me.† He gestured around the group as he spoke, and the humans nodded at their names. I noticed one man, a little to the back, whom Nate did not introduce. He had bright, crinkly ginger hair that stood out-especially because he was the tallest in the group. He alone seemed to be unarmed. He was also staring intently at me, so I looked away. â€Å"There's twenty-two of us altogether, though,† Nate continued. Nate held out his hand. Jared took a deep breath and then a step forward. When he moved, the rest of our little group silently exhaled all at once. â€Å"I'm Jared.† He shook Nate's hand, then started to smile. â€Å"This is Melanie, Aaron, Brandt, Ian, and Wanda. There are thirty-seven of us altogether.† When Jared spoke my name, Ian shifted his weight, trying to obscure me completely from the other humans' view. It was only then that I realized I was still in just as much danger as the others would have been in if these had been Seekers. Just like in the beginning. I tried to hold perfectly still. Nate blinked at Jared's revelation, and then his eyes widened. â€Å"Wow. That's the first time I've ever been one-upped on that one.† Now Jared blinked. â€Å"You've found others?† â€Å"There are three other cells separate from ours that we know of. Eleven with Gail, seven with Russell, and eighteen with Max. We keep in touch. Even trade now and then.† Again, the belly laugh. â€Å"Gail's little Ellen decided she wanted to keep company with my Evan here, and Carlos took up with Russell's Cindy. And, of course, everyone needs Burns now and then -† He stopped talking abruptly, glancing uneasily around him, as if he'd said something he shouldn't have. His eyes rested briefly on the tall redhead in the back, who was still staring at me. â€Å"Might as well get that out of the way,† the small dark man at Nate's elbow said. Nate shot a suspicious glance across our little line. â€Å"Okay. Rob's right. Let's get this out there.† He took a deep breath. â€Å"Now, you all just take it easy and hear us out. Calmly, please. This upsets people sometimes.† â€Å"Every time,† the one named Rob muttered. His hand drifted to the holster on his thigh. â€Å"What?† Jared asked in a flat voice. Nate sighed and then gestured to the tall man with the ginger red hair. The man stepped forward, a wry smile on his face. He had freckles, like me, only thousands more. They were scattered so thick across his face that he looked dark skinned, though he was fair. His eyes were dark-navy blue, maybe. â€Å"This here is Burns. Now, he's with us, so don't go crazy. He's my best friend-saved my life a hundred times. He's one of our family, and we don't take kindly to it when people try to kill him.† One of the women slowly pulled her gun out and held it pointed at the ground. The redhead spoke for the first time in a distinctly gentle tenor voice. â€Å"No, it's okay, Nate. See? They've got one of their own.† He pointed straight at me, and Ian tensed. â€Å"Looks like I'm not the only one who's gone native.† Burns grinned at me, then crossed the empty space, the no-man's-land between the two tribes, with his hand stretched out toward me. I stepped out from around Ian, ignoring his muttered warning, abruptly comfortable and sure. I liked the way Burns had phrased it. Gone native. Burns stopped in front of me, lowering his hand a bit to compensate for the considerable difference in our heights. I took his hand-it was hard and callused next to my delicate skin-and shook it. â€Å"Burns Living Flowers,† he introduced himself. My eyes widened at his name. Fire World-how unexpected. â€Å"Wanderer,† I told him. â€Å"It's†¦ extraordinary to meet you, Wanderer. And here I thought I was one of a kind.† â€Å"Not even close,† I said, thinking of Sunny back in the caves. Perhaps we were none of us as rare as we thought. He raised an eyebrow at my answer, intrigued. â€Å"Is that so?† he said. â€Å"Well, maybe there's some hope for this planet, after all.† â€Å"It's a strange world,† I murmured, more to myself than to the other native soul. â€Å"The strangest,† he agreed.