Objectification of Women Through Advertisements Essay

The images of advertisements reflect the social and cultural aspects of a society. These images define the values and establish attitudes of the people in a society towards the imagery projected in the advertisements. One of the highly used imagery in the advertisement across almost all the cultures is that of women. By using this imagery in the advertisements, one of the critical attitudes established among the audience is that of women are objects. There are advertisements where women are used as a subjective image but mostly women are displayed as a commodity or an object. Objectification relates to the imagery of an entity which is a person but is seen or displayed as an object. Women have been used as objects to be desired by advertisers for years now to increase the sales of the products and this strategy has worked wonders for producers; for example magazines like Playboy and Hustler would not sell at all if it is not for the sexual display of women. It is argued that since the women who take part in such advertisements give their consent towards the kind of image the advertisements project. However, objectification of women is not just the concern of the models involved in the advertisement but the whole population that views that advertisement because it affects the value system and culture of the masses. For example, the Excessive use of blonde women in the advertisements during 70s and 80s projected to the masses that blonde women are more attractive and desirable to men. However, when surveyed, 70% of women thought that blonde women are more desirable to men and only 35% men actually expressed their preference for blonde women. This way advertisement has used women as objects to establish false beliefs of beauty, independence, and power. Sigmund Freud, one of the greatest psychiatrists, also developed a theory which could be well related to the objectification of women in advertisements as a source of desire. His theory of the â€Å"unconscious mind† states that it constitutes of the largest part of a person’s mind and contains desires and memories which are not readily available to the conscious mind of a person. However, there exist different stimuli which may, if exposed to a person, bring these unconscious desires and memories to the conscious mind. Therefore it could be argued that since â€Å"sex† is seen as the most basic element of our social needs, it is often suppressed in our unconscious mind and the objectification of women in advertisements bring these desires to our conscious mind. In the light of the theory of â€Å"unconscious mind†, it could be proposed that the exposure of women in most of the advertisements today only acts as a stimulus to invoke the hidden desires of the audience till it becomes a need. And once it becomes a need people look for ways to satisfy this physical need disregarding the subjective elements involved in the process. The idea of women empowerment had taken a great flight since post WWII with the help of the media. When most men were fighting during the WWII, women had to take up the roles of men back at home. After the war ended and the men returned, women had to go back and adapt to their roles as housewives and mothers. This was the time when the media hit them and promoted the message of women empowerment with the use of women in their advertisements. The magazines communicated to the women that they had the potential and capability to build careers, acquire achievements and shift their role from that of housekeepers. From that time onwards, media has played a massive role in promoting the concept of power and empowerment for women by displaying women more often in their advertisements and with slogans like â€Å"Just do it†, â€Å"the idea of willpower†, and â€Å"take control†. The use of women in advertisements has not only made women powerful in the eyes of the male population but also given a boast to the self esteem of women and has made them more authoritative than ever before. More so, the use of women’s body in advertisements and movies has established the perception in the minds of the population that women may use their bodies to get things done and achieve success. Through advertisements using women, the society has also created a wrong perception that beauty is a prerequisite to the independence and success of women and also that it is through the beauty and consumption of certain products that women can excel in their careers and lives. The highly explicit use of women in the advertisements has also led to rivalry between different brands of a product. The rivals try to get the most popular celebrities and models for their advertisement and expose them more than their rival to gain more attraction from the target market and therefore increase the sales. It is seen these days that many companies hire brand ambassadors for the sole purpose of attracting the market and make people associate the product with the sexual desire created by the presence of the brand ambassadors; no doubt it increases the consumption. For example, the famous perfume Chanel has hired various top celebrities as there spokes-model like Nicole Kidman and Keira Knightley. In fact the perfume was initially brought to fame by Marilyn Monroe in the 1950s. The display of zero-size models with slender frames and nicely tuned body parts has led to an increased dissatisfaction of â€Å"body image† among the women. The dissatisfaction is measured by difference between a person’s â€Å"body image†, which is a person’s perception of his/her body, and the ideal body type displayed in the form of models in advertisements. Although, this dissatisfaction has always existed amongst the women, it has grown rapidly since last 25 years. This is because the media has increased its standard of what is a â€Å"normal† body size. For most of the women this ideal body size portrayed by the media is the gateway to happiness. It is through these advertisements in the media that women have established in their minds that they need to achieve that ideal body size, shape and weight in order to find a good spouse, a great career, and be acceptable to family, friends and public. The models with perfectly shaped bodies are depicted as glamorous, rich and powerful in the advertisements and therefore a perfect body is seen as the passport to happiness. However, women do not know that only 5 % of all the women have the potential and body-type to achieve the ideals displayed by the models in the advertisements. Conclusion Today, the objectification of women has reached great heights; almost every other advertisement is using this concept to promote a product. What needs to be realized is this behavior has not only degraded the status of women but has also hurt the moral values of the global society. It has also given false hopes to millions of people and has distorted the image or reality for many. And the consequences are also very apparent in the form of the kind of treatment women get from men and the number of women suffering from anorexia for example. All the aspects discussed on the objectification of women call for strong system which could align the activities of the advertisers to more ethically sound principles. References: 1. Onyejekwe, C. J. (2005). Advertising and Exploitation of Female Sexuality. Retrieved from http://www. quietmountainessays. org/Onyejekwe. html 2. Body Image. (2009). Body Image. Retrieved from http://www. snac. ucla. edu/pages/Body_Image/Body_Image. htm 3. Media Advertising. (2010). Women in the Media. Retrieved from http://www. 123helpme. com/view. asp? id=18401 4. Lukes, S. A. (n. d). The Gender Ads Project. Retrieved from http://www. ltcconline. net/lukas/gender/pages/power. htm 5. Gladen, N. R. (2008). Media Objectification of Women. Retrieved from http://medialiteracy. suite101. com/article. cfm/media_objectification_of_women 6. Boeree,C. G. (2009). Personality Theories. Retrieved From http://webspace. ship. edu/cgboer/freud. html

War, by Luigi Pirandello and Denial

This is perfectly demonstrated In the short story ‘War†, by Lugging Primordial. In â€Å"War†, the character called the fat traveler or old man gives testament to the effects of denial. Upon analysis, it is revealed that he is a dynamic character; through Primordial's usage of characterization and his eventual transformation. Primordial's characterization of the fat traveler follows a linear process: a marked emergence, explanation of his beliefs, the other characters' reaction to him, and his transformation. The manner which he is Introduced sets the mood and tone for him, s he enters though loudly Interrupting a conversation with â€Å"Nonsense†.He Is described as â€Å"a fat, red-faced man with bloodshot eyes of the palest gray. He was panting†¦ Trying to cover his mouth with his hand so as to hide the two missing front teeth†. At this point, he carries a negative tone, with the mood thick in disrespect. Every detail about him carries a negati ve connotation, from being fat to toothless. This is not by accident, as he is displayed as a decrepit individual no person wants to become. This primes the reader to be skeptical of him, and what he stands for (War 08)_ This is directly followed by an explanation of his beliefs.It would seem that the fat traveler is zealous in his beliefs, as it is written that â€Å"From his bulging eyes seemed to spurt inner violence of an uncontrolled vitality which his weakened body could hardly contain†. This illustrates him as speaking with fervor, with him placing so much energy Into what he says that his body can hardly take it. This Image complements the manner which he responds to the other travelers statement of â€Å"Our children do not belong to us, they belong to the country'; through using a monologue: Bosh, Do we think of the country when we give life to our children?We belong to them but they never belong to us. And when they reach twenty they are exactly what we were at th eir age. We too had a father and mother, but there were so many other things as well and the Country, of course, whose call we would have answered-?when we were twenty-? even If father and mother had said no. Now, at our age, the love of our Country is still great, of course, but stronger than it is the love of our children. Isn't it natural that at their age they should consider the love for heir Country (l am speaking of decent boys, of course) even greater than the love for us?Isn't it natural that it should be so, as after all they must look upon us as upon old boys who cannot move any more and must sit at home? If Country is a natural necessity Like bread of which each of us must eat In order not to patriotism, that everyone has an innate, natural love for their country; and that the only thing the parents love more than country are their sons. This is reinforced by the tiny husband's explanation of his wife's behavior: that she is overtaken with grief cause their son, â€Å"a boy of twenty [years] to whom both [the husband and wife] had devoted their entire life†, is to be sent to the front-lines (Primordial 108).The fat man continues, stating that they, as parents of soldiers, should not be afraid for their boys because their sons are proud to fight and die for the country they love: â€Å"And our sons go, when they are twenty, and they don't want tears, because if they die, they die inflamed and happy (l am speaking, of course, of decent boys). Now, if one dies young and happy, without having the sides of life what more can we ask for him? Everyone should stop ugly crying; because my everyone should laugh, as I do†¦ r at least thank God-?as I do son, before dying, sent me a message saying that he was dying having ended his life in the best way he could have satisfied at wished. That is why, as you see, I do not even wear mourning†¦ † (109) The fat man's beliefs allude to the romantic ideal of war, an ideal that became savagely a ntiquated during World War l. In the war, millions of young men lost their lives in the name of nationalism, and the citizenry were left disillusioned to the mystic of war. The fat man perfectly personifies his, as he is an ugly, misshapen individual speaking of pride and grandeur.Also, up at this point he is only referred to as either the fat man or the fat traveler. The word â€Å"fat† connotes to him be â€Å"full of it†, or not telling the truth (full of it). This connotation is revealed through his body language after his monologue, as â€Å"his livid lip over his missing teeth was trembling, his eyes were watery and motionless, and soon after he ended with a shrill laugh which might well have been a sob† (109). It is used to relate to two things, that there is no glory in war and that he is lying about not wearing running about his son.In response to the fat man's speech, the other travelers state â€Å"Quite so†¦ Quite so†¦ † And nod in a greement. The fat man's words had a special effect on the portly woman. At this point in the story, the he is presented as the foil to her. She is introduced as being in â€Å"deep mourning† and keeping to herself; while the fat traveler is proud and abrupt. Upon hearing his speech, â€Å"She [realizes] that it [isn't] the others who [are] wrong but herself who could not rise up to the same height of those fathers and mothers willing to resign themselves, without crying, not only to the aperture of their sons but even to their death†.Her transformation of thought is short-lived, as she snaps out of it, â€Å"Just as if she had heard nothing of what had been said and almost as if waking up from a dream† and asks the old man, â€Å"Then†¦ Is your son really dead? † The old man turned to look at her, fixing his great, bulging, horribly watery light gray eyes, deep in her face. For some time he tried to answer, but words failed him. He looked and looked at her, almost as if only then at that silly, incongruous question-?he had suddenly realized at last that son was really dead-?gone forever-?forever.His face contracted, horribly distorted, then he snatched in haste a handkerchief from pocket and, to the amazement of everyone, broke into harrowing, heart- became time the fat traveler is called â€Å"old†. â€Å"Old† connotes to him being delicate and fragile. When directly confronted with the question of losing his son, he was forced to accept the grim truth that his son was gone; and this reality breaks him (109). In the context of the story, Primordial uses the old man to showcase the effects of denial.Right from the get-go he is described as ugly and malformed, with a desire to splay his beliefs aggressively. It appears he is trying to convince the other travelers to â€Å"stop crying† and be happy, but he is really trying to convince himself. Even though he says that he does not â€Å"even wear mourningâ₠¬ , his body begins to tremble at the mention of it. He can't even address his son's death directly, as he only mentions that his son sent him a message before dying. When the portly woman asks him if his son is really dead, he is forced to face the reality that â€Å"his son was really dead-?gone forever-?forever†.

Factors affecting Talent Planning Essay

There are many different factors that affect an organisations approach to attracting talent and are both internal and external factors. Some examples of internal factors are the size of a business. A larger business would find it much easier to source this could be because they are more well-known to the public and they would also be more financially able to advertise a post to get a larger range of applicants. Recruitment policies also have an effect ie recruiting from internal sources and external sources can affect the recruitment process. Generally recruitment through internal sources is preferred because own employees know the organisation and can fit well into the culture. The Image of the company has influence on the recruitment process. Good image of the company earned by the actions of management helps attract potential candidates. Managerial actions like good public relations can help earn image. Image of the job also has an affect such as better salaries and good working conditions are considered the characteristics of good image of a job. Also, promotion and personal development policies of an organisation also attract potential candidates. Some examples of external factors are Demographic factors; employees have a big influence on the recruitment process. Demographic factors include, age, sex, literacy, economic status etc. Labour market conditions have an affect ie supply and demand of labour is a huge importance in affecting recruitment process. If the demand is for more than one particular skill recruitment will be relatively easier. Unemployment situation has an effect. When the employment rate in an area is high, the recruitment process tends to be simpler. The number of applications is higher which makes it easier to attract the best qualified applicants. With a low rate of unemployment, recruiting process tends to become more difficult. Labour laws that cover working conditions, compensation, retirement benefits. This report identifies and assess factors that affect an organisations approach to both attracting talent and recruitment and selection. It also identifies and explains benefits of attracting and retaining a diverse workforce, describes methods of recruitment and methods of selection. Factors that affect an organisations approach to attracting talent For an  organisation to attract talent successfully, as part of the talent planning policy it needs to identify and assess what factors affect its approach to attracting talent. For example: 1. Economic Environment – An organisation needs to consider what money is available to spend and this will depend on the current climate at the time. This in turn, will have an effect on how and where the company advertises externally, in addition to the salary and benefits offered. 2. Laws – There are laws that affect the way an organisation attracts talent. For example; the Equality Act 2010 protects again discrimination and affects how the organisation words adverts, application forms, job description, person specifications and questions asked during interviews. Wording must not be discriminative and this can be done by ensuring it does not contain personal prejudice, is not being objective, unfair or showing less favourable treatment for an unlawful reason e.g. Age, gender or disability. 3. Branding – A company with a good reputation, is more likely to successfully attract the right talent to its organisation. To do this, an organisation relies heavily on being perceived as being known as a good employer and needs to take a proactive approach by offering career development, in addition to remuneration and rewards. 4. Culture – The culture of the organisation can be part of what keeps employees engaged and makes the organisation differ positively from competitors. For example, an organisation may be friendly or collaborative – something that new talent†¦

Systems in Organizations for Safety and Improvement Essay

Systems in Organizations for Safety and Improvement - Essay Example (Don Fienley). It is a fact that there is actually a medical revolution as far as medical improvements are concerned, such as fertility treatment, cancer cures, cardiac care and AIDS management are some of them to mention, on the other hand, in the United States health care system often fails to deliver on the promise of science it employs (Spear S. 79). This paper will look at some of the possible errors in this field and their remedies to prevent harm and injuries to the public. An earlier study showed that as many as 98000 people succumb to medication errors each ear in United States hospitals (Burke J). If this is the case of the health care conditions of country which leads the world in medical science, the situations in the third world can be beyond any calculations. Firstly, the medical errors include mistakes such as administering wrong dose, wrong drug or wrong time. Then, the eventualities such as misread prescription due to poor handwriting, mismanagement due to look-alike and sound-alike medicines and adverse drug reaction. Broadly, every nation and governments have made every possible step to make sure that the health care professionals are typically intelligent lot. ... The hospitals and organizations are to integrate systems to improve primary care, nursing care, medication administration and a great lot of clinical processes. All this improvements will have a direct impact on the safety, quality, efficiency, reliability and timeliness of healthcare (Spear S. 79). Improvement and understanding will only take place when the gap between the health care system and the professionals working in it will narrow. Communication Errors It is common knowledge that poor communication will lead to adverse effect and results. Unless and until all in a team becomes completely sure of the situation that must be dwelt with and work that is to be completed and who are responsible for what aspect of work, moreover, the way it should be accomplished, the chances of error will always be there. When a problem arises in between a task the best way is for everyone to work closely around the problem. 80% of errors were initiated by miscommunication, including missed communication between physicians, missing information in medical records, mishandling of patient requests and messages, inaccessible records, mislabeled specimens, misfiled or missing charts, and inadequate reminder systems (Smith Peter). Most of the communicative error will round up to one staff member's failure to inform the other staff member of a patient's condition or verbal instructions are misunderstood. Often, a subordinate is smart enough to identify the problem but bit nervous to mention it to the senior who may not give the deserved appreciation for the hard work. Lack of proper and purposeful communication often ends up in a failure to perform medical procedure properly for example placing a feeding tube into the lungs and cutting an organ

Looking at the political development of the region, what is the role Research Paper

Looking at the political development of the region, what is the role and importance of multilateral organizations such as ASEAN - Research Paper Example This was true for all irrespective of the form of rule be it monarchy, communism, military rule or democracy. ASEAN policy of constructive intervention has led to increased participation of all the countries, including Myanmar, in the regional affairs. Establishment of AFTA (ASEAN Free Trade Area) has led to increased free trade in the region. However, AFTA is not as strong and consolidated as EU and needs further intensification. Currently ASEAN holds around 200 meetings annually2 for increasing the economic prospects within and outside the region. Even China, which is busy setting up several military base stations in within and outside the ASEAN region, is exploring every possibility to increase in trade and investment openness among other countries. However, there is a need to make the Treaty of Amity and Co-operation in Southeast Asia sharper for economic well-being of the member countries. With US biggest consumer and China the biggest producer, there will always be economic int er-dependence in the Asia Pacific region. Hence APEC could not have been only a consultative forum. All the countries in the association have adhered to an open multiparty system of trading. Though APEC includes economically stronger countries like U.S., Australia, New Zealand and Canada, ASEAN countries in the ASEAN-APEC group are definitely going to have competitive advantage over the others.

Consumer Behavior Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Consumer Behavior Analysis - Essay Example The first and foremost thing, of course, is to do market fragmentation; it is a necessary early step while making a marketing plan. To know who the product is for is probably the most important factor to determine before any anything. Another vital factor is to develop the need recognition of the product in the customers’ eye. It is the psychology of humans to recognize something as ‘need’ or ‘want’ before a purchase. Even if it is a ‘want’, the desire to experience it in order to feel better is often subconsciously camouflaged as a ‘need’ as well. This is also referred to as customer’s value perception of the product. (Kotler, P., & Armstrong, G., 1991). Hence, the products should be marketed in a way that the consumers can recognize and acknowledge the need of those items for themselves. It is important to identify what benefit and value are the customers deriving from the products vis-Ã  -vis what the products are offering. For the advertising campaign of the product line, the main proposition can be protection against the harshness of outdoor lifestyle. This proposition creates much value for males considering a common man’s outdoor routine and sun and dust exposure to the skin. Since the product line is only chosen for men, the marketing strategy needs to revolve around the lifestyle of men. This means that the outdoor roughness and rugged routines for men need to be utilized as key factors during marketing. Moreover, the target market of the personal care product line is bracketed for young males who are aged from 18-35. Considering these factors as framework, it is important to distribute focus on each product according to their specific offerings. For instance, the hair-styling gel needs to address its firm nature, wet look, allowing young males to use the gel for any hairstyle - from causal to formal. The face wash and shampoo will address their own offerings, while staying in the same age group of 18-35, along with a

Revenue Cycle Improvement in Healthcare Case Study

Revenue Cycle Improvement in Healthcare - Case Study Example Therefore, this manual is a guide that gives an alternative approach to the management of revenue cycle components. The manual includes the best strategies for managing patients at five stages in the hospitals. For instance, the guide will consider best practices for patient access, charge capture, utilization review, and billing and payment accuracy. This approach puts the patient at the focal point of the process of revenue collection (RHIP 2014). The approach also encourages the hospital staff concerned with the process to build better approaches with the patients. The third element of the approach is an established communication with the patients either in written or orally. The creation of a positive experience for patients within the revenue cycle forms a critical step towards the success of the program. As such, the hospitals should train their staff to meet the customer satisfaction points. For example, the workers should answer questions related to the healthcare marketplace. They should also articulate coverage options and discuss the options available for payments. Lastly, the hospital staff should know when or when not to escalate. Therefore, the hospitals should adopt methods that will make the customer aware of all the billing processes at the hospital. The existence of a centralized system gives the patients a one-stop chance for a single contact centre. It also minimizes the possibilities for errors and missing data. There is an understanding that deficiencies in data systems could result in backlogs clear a patient’s financial records. Best practice hospitals should engage in a number of methods that will realize the efficiency of the revenue cycle. First, the hospitals should have a centralized scheduling for receiving patients. Such a step will help the hospitals to have a precise projection of the types of patients that they receive and the details of their payment abilities.  

Buddhism and Hinduism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Buddhism and Hinduism - Essay Example Even though there are countless religions, they all and each and every one of them serve the same purpose, i.e. they answer questions which interest all human beings at certain point of their lives - Why are we here How should I live my life What happens when I die Not only that, religion also helps people transmit their values from generation to generation and can influence the way people interact with their natural environment. Religion is there for us to teach us "how to see ourselves in light of the universe and gives purpose and meaning to life." (Wenner) Today's global society gives very good chances that within the lifetime of a person, he can very well meet people from all around the world, from every corner of our planet. So, understanding and tolerance to the religious beliefs of other people is one of the most important steps that mankind should make in order to "someday prosper together in peace." (Wenner) Hinduism is considered to be the oldest and most complex religion of the world. Trying to provide an adequate background and history of the development of Hinduism is a very difficult task, due to the fact that it has neither specific founder nor theology; it originated "in the religious practices of Aryan tribes who moved to India from central Asia more than three thousand years ago." (Wenner) Aryan tribes attacked and conquered the Harappan people who occupied the territories of modern India around 1500 BC. Eventually, through adaptation and assimilation of the religious beliefs of both groups, they created and developed similar systems of religious practices that were founded on both, polytheism of the Aryans and the sacredness and worship of fertility of the Harappan people. The mostly Aryan society soon developed the caste system, which divided society according to people's occupational class. The caste system ranked people in the following way: the highest caste was that of Brahmins (priests), then went Kshatriyas (class of warriors, soldiers and kings, who often fought wars, were also referred to this caste), third caste was for Vaishyas (merchants, laborers, farmers, craftsmen), the lowest caste was Harijahns, "the untouchables" (beggars; it is thought that people belonging to this caste descended from the aboriginal Harappans who were extremely poor and experienced discrimination). (Wenner) "The higher a person's caste, the more that person is blessed with the benefits and luxuries life has to offer. Although the caste system was outlawed in 1948, it is still important to the Hindu people of India and is still recognized as the proper way to stratify society. Since the early days of Hinduism, it has branched and now encompasses a wide variety of religious beliefs and religious organizations. Not only is it the primary religion of the region around India, but portions of Hindu beliefs have found their way across oceans to other countries and have been influential in the foundations of other religions, such as Transcendental Meditation and Buddhism." (Wenner) Perhaps, two qualities that distinguish Hinduism from all other religions of the world are, first, that being a Hindu you have absolute freedom what you believe in and whether you believe in anything at all or no will not prevent you from belonging to Hinduism. Indeed, in order to survive, Hinduism has to and does

Secular Organizations and Sacred Places Paper Research

Secular Organizations and Sacred Places - Research Paper Example National Park Service, 2011). These four American Presidents had played an important role in the creation of the democratic nation of the United States of America. This contemporary monument is admired and respected by all people holding democratic and secular beliefs. On the other hand, the Sphinx of Egypt was built nearly 6000 years ago during the reign of King Khafre (Guardian’s Sphinx, n.d.). Due to the artistic beauty and the message of love radiated by the gigantic sculpture, the Sphinx is popular among the tourists who respect democracy and secularism. The Sphinx has the body of a lion and the divine head of a king or God, which shows the combination of strength and intellect in the mythical creature (Guardian’s Sphinx, n.d.). Significance Mount Rushmore represents freedom, unification, and democracy that have been given to the American citizens by the great American Presidents (South Dakota Mount Rushmore Information, 2011). Since the busts of the American Presi dents are carved on the top of the mountain, the head is shown to be the most sacred part of the sculpture. It was the vision, planning, and successful implementation by the American Presidents who had emphasized freedom and democracy for the unified country.

ECommerce Course Work Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

ECommerce Course Work - Case Study Example In this report I will access and analyze the security issues and concerns regarding the online Globetrotting Hotels system. I will discuss about the handling of the customers’ personal information and payment details on the online web. Then I will also talk about the installation of the better facilities for the customers like customer care services, physical security, online information preservation, etc. Harry Smith has planned to present the matchless group of the local self-governing hotels. These local self-regulating hotels will be combined through the worldwide chain and will proffer very friendly high quality services and local knowledge. Here in this global chain of the globetrotter will be very useful and effective through the implementation of one-stop web site. This website will be a common platform where the customers are able to fine deeper and wider information regarding the online world wide hotels chain. This also facilitates the Globetrotting for the effective management and customer services.1 In this section I will talk about the better e-payment system that will facilitate the effective online business management of the Globetrotting Hotels system. The main reasons behind this idea is to critically analyze, compare and contrast the different ways of the e-payment systems and choose a better way for the Globetrotting Hotels system. This system should have the potential of assessing more enhanced and fraud less online payment services. The first type that is mostly used for the e-payments is the credit card payment system. Through this system we will ask the credit card number and payment details from the customer for the online transaction. This information will be used for the online transaction. This method of the online payment is very useful, but in earlier few years we have seen massive number of online credit card frauds. For this reason most of the people hesitate to carry out an online transaction (e-payment, 2008). In our

U03d1 Medicare Level of Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

U03d1 Medicare Level of Care - Essay Example There is also a Part D which covers for prescription drugs. The Part D that has been provided with the insurance is for the prescription drugs and this was mainly intended to improve the access of individuals to choose from different health plans based on their individual needs and requirements (Jacobson & Anderson, 2010). The main intension and idea of the Part D was to provide assistance to the senior citizens who were unable to afford a separate drug cover for the prescription drugs. In an article by Shaviro he explains, â€Å"The design of the new prescription drug benefit almost ensures that it will soon be expanded. True insurance provides people with coverage against worst-case scenarios, such as having to pay a lot for healthcare when they become gravely ill. It does not offer first-dollar coverage of routine expenses; this would merely encourage waste and be a handout to anyone who received the coverage without having to pay for it. But true insurance is not politically popular, because if you lose your insurance "bet" by not actually having a catastrophe that would trigger its coverage, you may complain, after the fact, that you didnt get anything out of it† (Shaviro, 2004). There have been numerous views and ideas that have been provided over the years for the viability of Part D of the Medicare. Several authors like Neuman and Cubanski, 2009, explain that one of best ways to reduce the costs is only of the government works towards negotiation with the pharmaceuticals rather than the private companies working towards the negotiations. The authors also talk about another program which will be introduced in 2010, and is known as the voucher demonstration project. To conclude the paper it is safe to say that the future of the Part D is mainly dependent on the costs and the cost cutting would lead to bettered performance of this part

Donnie Darko - Detailed Summary Essay Example for Free

Donnie Darko Detailed Summary Essay Donnie Darko is an intelligent, yet delirious and emotionally-ill teenager, whos idealistic fantasy of correcting the wrongs in society, finally appears possible in a tangent universe (an imaginative reality), where he is guided by an imaginary friend Frank, who appears as a malevolent giant bunny in Donnies day-time hallucinations. In the early stages of the film, Frank literally lures Donnie from reality and introduces him to a tangent universe where Donnie observes what wouldve been, (yet ultimately is) his own death in reality, where he is crushed by a plummeting airliner engine that crashes through the roof of his house directly above his bedroom where he sleeps. In the tangent reality though, he is merely a bystander, bemused and frightened by the calamity of the aftermath, as he returns home the morning subsequent to the disaster. He realizes that his long sleep-walk adventure the previous night, (Summoned by Frank) had ensured the avoidance of his death. The viewer is initially under the impression that Frank is a product of Donnies disturbed and inventive sub-conscious, as he is but a vehicle to allow Donnies inhibitions to express themselves through acts of desecration. In many ways, Frank seems to take advantage of Donnies mental state by coercing him to perpetrate crime. Yet Donnie appears to advocate his own actions, indicating his intentions for societal change, reformation, and also for companionship he fears the prospect of dying alone, in which case, Frank is an ally who can assist Donnie in coping with his emotional struggles and hardships. The fact that Donnies mental condition is later classified as paranoid schizophrenia by Dr Thurman (Donnies psychiatrist), would appear as another viable theory or impression, for the viewer to follow. However, it proves not as strong. The reason being, is that the initial or aforementioned theory supports the films noteworthy theme that destruction is a form of creation (an idea propagated by Donnies secondary literacy teacher, Mrs. Pomeroy), whereas the latter is a shallow, yet logical conclusion that isnt glaringly in keeping with any underlying messages of the film itself. Later in the film, the tangent universe allows for the discovery of Frank, as an authentic person, who is murdered by Donnie as he is directly responsible for a fatal car accident involving Donnies much- adored tangent girlfriend, Gretchen. This enlightens us as to the reason for Franks contact with Donnie. Frank has traveled back through time, to in-turn; open a port-hole to Donnies future and enable Donnie to view aspects of his life ahead as a series of visual manifestations, (ie post airliner engine catastrophe). In doing this, he informs Donnie that Armageddon will arrive in twenty-eight days, which conveniently serves as a manipulative motive to aid his primary objective: To discourage Donnie in continuing his life in reality; in the hope that Franks life will be spared. At this point in the film, the recurring theme of time travel claims its stronghold, regardless of previous acknowledgements and inferences. For instance, in one particular scene Frank implies he is from the future, and in numerous others, Donnie is seen eagerly researching and discussing theoretical revelations, pertaining to the philosophy of time travel. Evidently though, these scenes and others, such as the Frank-influenced despoilment of Donnies school and the arson of a corrupt perverts house, illustrate critical stages of Donnies inner journey that is, from a disillusioned teenager, troubled by the folly of mainstream attitudinal beliefs, to an individual who transcends reality in order to subsist in an idealistically superior society, of his own invention. After twenty-seven days of endeavor through outrageous public displays and clandestine defilement, the foretold event of Armageddon looms near. Donnie ambles through the final moments of his tangent existence (inner journey), as his character-defining tenacious dynamism begins to fade. As expected, he assumes his fatalistic mentality of all living things have a set path, and that humans are merely vessels traveling along Gods channel, gradually nearing a pre-determined destination. At this stage, Donnies mindset suggests a search for spiritual solace and religious meaning. Whilst denying an utterly defeatist outlook, Donnie exerts a courageous exterior by modestly welcoming his fate, in the hope that there will be so much to look forward to. He is of course referring to a reformed humanity that is devoid of inadequacy, corruption and suppression. It is here, that the film takes an unexpected turn, whereby Donnies inner journey in the tangent universe is virtually thwarted due to the sub-conscious acknowledgement of an audible phrase, originally voiced by his late girlfriend, Gretchen. It is part of her conjecture of emotional solace: What if you could go back through time, and replace all those hours of pain and darkness with something better? At this point, Frank uses his god-like essence to summon Donnie in reality, assuming that hed been subjected to enough to be dissuaded, and, much to the viewers astonishment, Donnie awakes in bed, hysterically laughing in awe and disbelief of his dream. Whilst conscious, he remembers the tangent visions of pain and anguish, including Gretchens death, and the murder of Frank, and decides that his future should be exempt from more emotional suffering. Donnie opts to conclude his inner journey heroically, by means of self-sacrifice that is, to allow the plummeting airliner engine to destroy him, thus ensuring an extended life for his beloved female tangent counterpart, Gretchen. The film Donnie Darko is significant to the theme of imaginary journey as it details a persons sinister epigrammatic voyage into the future, and consequent development of emotional alteration. Director Richard Kelly uses the character Donnie as a representation of idealistic thought inherent in society. It is no undisclosed fact that society itself, is pervaded by thoughts and ideals that are in contrast with expected societal opinion. Kelly hints at the notion that we are engaged in the journey of life, yet our propulsion is suppressed somewhat, by the  undeniable need to conform to societys bounds and restrictions thus society would seem to preclude humans from achieving their primary goal(s) or concluding their journeys. Also intertwined with this perception, is the suggestion of the faà §ade of human nature. Kelly suggests it is unnatural for veritable human inclination to be constrained, hence the rationale of life-long journeys that are embarked upon to discover a sense of self. Donnies self discovery is shown through his sacrifice for Gretchen. Whilst on his imaginary journey, Donnie identifies with her troubled emotions and sinister background of family trauma. He discovers a person remarkably similar to himself, so his sacrifice in essence could be perceived as an effort of self-preservation as he was intent on ensuring continuity of his spirit within a physical entity other than himself. This is a viable interpretation, relevant to a reflective inner journey, as it is a primary motive for initial commitment to the journey itself. Kelly realizes that Donnies journey is exceedingly implausible and unrealistic. Without detracting from the intended solemnity, it seems a feat such as Donnies could only be surmounted by a philosophical super-hero with ethereal powers. Kelly deliberately captures the fervent yet slightly naà ¯ve central vision of Donnies ideological expectations in the films title, and in Donnies heroic bravado. Nonetheless, he encourages provocation of thought and motivational urge on our set path in life, or inner journey. The reason being is that humans are inclined to stray from reality, if indeed; there is an absence of true accomplishment in their existence. By this, Kelly infers that an inner journey is necessary to undergo, as it induces self-gratification and contributes to the conservation and perpetuation of ones psyche. Director Richard Kelly uses the medium of time travel to symbolize the eternal human endeavor/journey in Donnie Darko. I use eternal, because we yearn for such an easy method as time travel to reveal future outcomes and destinations, yet we are simultaneously disenchanted by its obvious  impracticalities. Kelly expresses his interpretation of fatalism via liquid spears, which consist of water and metal, and appear as a cylindrical protrusion from a humans chest. In the scene known as the liquid spear waltz, (tangent universe), Donnie in his hallucinatory state, sees these spears connected to the chests of his friends and family. He observes that the individual always follows the path of the spear, to their immediate destination. For example, Donnies spear leads him to the fridge on one occasion, whilst he was thirsting for a drink. He wouldve made that same trip even if the spear wasnt there. Furthermore, the inclusion of mystical activity in the film, such as the liquid spear, adds to the surrealism of the tangent universe, reinforcing the imaginary focus of Donnies journey. Kelly has portrayed the same dream-like atmosphere via other medium also. For example, many of the tangent universe scenes are in slow-motion, and filmed from an aerial perspective. This informs the viewer of the simulation of the tangent universe, whilst creating a mystic atmosphere and mood. Finally, Kellys concept of fatalism may well be perceived as a mere scapegoat for human failure, yet such a perception would be grossly incorrect. He emphasizes that; we shouldnt knowingly inhibit ourselves because we travel on a set path in life. If anything, a pre-determined future should provide motivation, and encourage one take advantage of daily opportunities and prospects. After all, we are oblivious as to when exactly, our journey of life shall ultimately cease.

Background of the Amway Business Venture

Background of the Amway Business Venture Amway was co-founded in 1959 by Jay Van Andel and Rich Devos, they worked together in a variety of small entrepreneurial ventures since their teens whereby they found that they shared many common values, interest and aspiration. Amway is well known for direct selling, and it started by developing and selling their own product line of high quality, high concentrated home care products. Multipurpose Liquid Organic cleaner, known as L.O.C. product line was the first companys product(httl://www.amway.com). Amway is a part of the Alticor group of companies (parent company) with headquarters in Ada, Michigan, USA. Company has wide range of products which reaches to some where around 450 quality of products. Amway has always been at the centre of Global market for the last 50 years hence their phrase Think Global, Act Local Amway is good at direct selling where they sell their product person to person manner generally in their home or home of others or other places away from permanent retail location whereby direct sales occur through explanation or demonstration by salespersons normally referred as Direct Sellers. This has proven successful, with direct selling in 2007 alone generating an annual turnover of close to 111 billion US $ worldwide. Amways trend has shown significant growth from when the company was founded. In 1960s its first years sales reached an impressive US$500,000 while the business continued to grow in United States, where Co-founders decided to expand to Canada in 1962. In 1989 Amway was recognised as a corporate leader in promoting environmental awareness and education when it received the United Nations Environmental program Achievement Award. In 1990s Amway saw a dramatic international expansion. In just half of the decade, Amway doubled the number of its international affiliates. Annual sales kept growing, by the end of decade more than 3 million sales people in some 80 countries and territories were involved in the Amway business worldwide and the retail sales reached and estimate US$5 billion. Around the world Amway affiliates continued to support their distributors with the launch of e-commerce sites that extends the Amway Business opportunity into cyberspace. The web-based Amway business around the globe, supported by the local distribution and manufacturing and warehousing facilities, has assured on time and accurate order processing and delivery of products. Amway today still remains under the parent company Alticor Inc.(www.alticor.com) today Alticor has net sales of US$7.1 billion (fiscal year 2007) sales force of more than 3 million independent business owners and contracting agents more than 13,000 worldwide em ployees, 160 distribution centre and among other developments. Amway has a long-standing tradition of Corporate Citizenship which since the company started has been an important goal. Amway is subjected to different laws in different countries and Amway goes beyond mere compliance with applicable legal requirements and always places importance on maintaining the highest ethical standards. This is ensured through; treating employees with due respect, maintaining a relationship with Amway Business Owners, which is based on trust and partnership, ensuring trustful relationship with customers, providing high quality products, caring for the environment through the conservation of resources committing themselves to the wider community. Social Responsibility since the founding days has always been an integral part of the company with its Global One by One campaign, Amway wants to provide children with a chance to live a better life, and to achieve this aim the company supports various projects promoting education and health as well as cultural advancement among children in more than 50 countries.. Amway have been successful because of their clear vision of the business, it has formulated strategies which has helped them achieve their goals and objective and also assist them in meeting their stakeholders needs and promoting corporate social responsibility in a global way and also acting in an ethical way, all these drives have enabled them in becoming one of the most successful direct selling company in the world. Cited on (www.amway.co.uk) LITERATURE REVIEW STRATEGY: It is important for any organisation to have a long term plan in order to achieve their objective. Hence strategy can be defined as long term objectives and general means by which an organisation/business intends to achieve them, it is an area of management that is concerned with general direction and long term policy of the business as distinct from short term tactics and day-today operations (Karami, 2007) according to one American Business historian, he defined strategy as the determination of the basic long term goals and objectives of an enterprise, and the adaptation of causes of action and the allocation of resources for carrying out those goals (Chandler, 1962). Strategy as both position and perspective can be compatible with strategy as plan and or pattern although these definitions can be involved more than just stating what a strategy is, in relation to these definitions Johnson and Scholes (1993) describe the strategy as concerned with: Full scope of an organisations activities Strategic Management: Mainly Strategies are created and designed for the whole organisation by senior managers therefore managing strategy should start from the top to bottom. Effective strategies involve discussion and communication. Strategic management focuses on integrating managerial abilities and techniques such as; marketing, financial/accounting, human resource management, production management, research development to achieve organizational success. (David 1995). Corporate Strategy: organisations should be able to sustain competitive advantage in a discrete and identifiable market, It is the way a company creates value through the configuration and co ordination of its multimarket activities. When all these are carefully managed then the organisation is able to achieve its competitive or corporate advantage. Corporate strategy involves the following; vision which is the ambitious aspiration of a company, for example; Amways CSR global strategic vision is to make life better for children, Goals and Objectives; short and medium-term quantitative targets e.g. Amway raising funds for good causes, resource; these are skills assets and capabilities of the firm, business; this is the industry by which the firm operates, Amway sells health and beauty products and it has extended its product portfolio to household. Structure; the way the corporation is divided into discrete units Systems; set of formal policies and routine and Processes; informal elem ents of the organizational activities. (Bower, 1970). Corporate Advantage results from a harmonious combination of the above elements which work together to create value of the company. The Strategic Planning Process The top down model which has a structure of top down is followed my quite a few big companies in the year 1970. According to this model the process in which strategic planning takes place became deliberate which involves high level managements who constructs the company strategy and further they push is over to organization for execution.(Nolan 1993). . The following is a flowchart model of this process: Mission | V Objectives | V Situation Analysis | V Strategy Formulation | V Implementation | V Control Organizational Mission The mission of the company is basically reason of its existence. Mission is generally presented in the form mission statement, which mainly explains the reasons for employee and work also the companies market image to customer. In the process of strategic formulation, this statement decides where company basically wants to go. Organizational Objectives Objectives are fixed targets that the organization wants to reach, generally in terms of most of organization its earning profit. The objectives is always challenging but should be reachable. The objective is countable enough for company as it can keep a track on its progress and also areas in which improvement needed. Organizational Situation Analysis Once firm has decided its target, it starts with its existing situation to make a strategic plan to reach those targets. Modification in the surrounding environment normally creates new opportunities and new ways to reach the targets. An environmental scan is performed to identify the available opportunities. The firm should know its own merits and demerits in order to select the scope that it can pursue with a more chances of success. The external surrounding consist of two aspects: the macro-environment which generally has affects on all companies and a micro-environment that impacts only the companies in a specific industry. The macro-environmental analysis consist of political, economic, social, and technological factors and sometimes is considered as a PEST analysis. ( Ansoff,1987) The situation analysis can produce huge amount of data, which is not mainly related to strategy building. To create the information and make it more manageable, it sometimes is beneficial to separate the internal factors of the company as strengths and weaknesses, and the external environmental factors as opportunities and threats. Such an analysis often is referred to as a SWOT analysis.( Brooksbank,1996) http://www.marketingteacher.com/Lessons/lesson_swot.htm Organizational Strategy Formulation Once a clear image of the company and its surrounding is with you, particular strategic alternatives can be produced. While multiple company having multiple options differing from their situation. Michael Porter identified cost leadership, differentiation, and focus as three generic strategies that may be considered when defining strategic alternatives. Porter advised against implementing a combination of these strategies for a given product; rather, he argued that only one of the generic strategy alternatives should be pursued.( MIcheal Porter,2004) Organizational strategic Implementation The strategies are mostly shown in top-level specific terms and priorities. The existence of strategy in functional policies mainly highlights all the topics which are not easily visible or even accessible at higher level. Generally the strategy are shifted to particular policies in functional domain like Marketing, R D, Procurement, Production, Human resources, Information systems. The one of the important task involved in this process is identifying all the available resources and then further arranging them at right place in the company. Organizational Control After any strategy being implemented then further ahead at each stage the strategy gets measured and recalculated in order to make changes subject to requirement. The special control system is generally being facilitate to look after this. Performance is generally standardized to particular level and every individual performance is cross checked to ensure the success of the objective. The whole process and the end result of success generally can be seen via tools such as Dashboard etc STAKEHOLDERS: Stakeholders is generally a person, group or company which has direct or indirect share in an cmpany. The concept stakeholder was developed by R. Edward Freeman in year 1980. They can be either external or internal to the organisation. There are various types of stakeholders which can be one of the following: Employees, Communities, Shareholders, Investors, Government, Suppliers, Labour Unions, Government regulatory Agencies, Industry Trade Groups, Professional Associates, NGOs, Prospective employees, Prospective customers, Local communities, National Communities, Public (Community), and Competitors. Further more internal stakeholders are the ones who are generally a members of the business organisation and they can also inclusive of Owners and shareholders, managers, staff and employees Mainly External stakeholders are not considered as a part of the company; where as few groups has both internal and external stakeholders. Such as staff or shareholders who are also local residents. Also External stakeholders present outside the company but has a direct interest in what it does. All stakeholders are not essentially equal and are entitled to different considerations. First is to establish who exactly your stakeholders are. Communication of Strategy With stake holders Amway have a wide range of stake holders, whereby each one of them have interest in the company. These are as follow: Global headquarters Amway Europe; they are interested in the growth of the business and want to see the CSR strategy matches with the company strategy as a whole. Amway regularly communicates with them through publications and updating their sites regularly. ABOs; the main interest is that they want to see the company (Amway UK) being a responsible caring organization at the same time as helping them earn some money. Communication is through face to face i.e. regular meetings example in 2005 they organized a joint briefing for ABO leaders, printed materials and Emails Customers; they are more interested in good quality products which meet their needs as well as being efficient. Normally Amway uses direct selling for their product which is door to door hence they are able to meet them face to face. Staff; it is at interest of any staff in a company to work for an organ ization which does the right thing and which make them feel comfortable at work place, this could be in terms of having good training in place among other needs. Main method of communication is face to face either with their managers etc. AMWAYS Business Strategy Amway being a global direct sales company, works with around three million ABOs in over 80 countries. These ABOs form the links with consumers and the communities in which they operate by offering and selling them a wide range of Amways own branded products. ABOs are stakeholders in Amway. Amway manufactures and then distributes a range of their branded products to the ABOs worldwide, the typical products that ABOs sell include: Skin care and cosmetics, Personal care, e.g.; fragrances, body care, etc, Clothing and footwear, Cookware, Water treatment systems and Nutrition and wellness products such as food supplements, food and drinks. The ABOs are self employed and are highly motivated people, hence the Amways support in enabling people to have their own businesses. The ABOs operate their business independently as small businesses and develop direct supply channels and sell the products to people who they know or meet. They also introduce others to the Amway business, this chain is shown in a simple diagram on the following page: Source: www.thetimes100.co.uk The ABOs work to Amways rules of conduct and code of Ethics, which are about being honest and responsible in trading, Amway places strong emphasis on the ABOs since they are more able to focus on individual customers and their needs, hence serving them better and building lasting relations with them. They work in a self regulatory environment, and should also have a flexible approach to business. However as mentioned earlier they sign a contract to work within Amways rules of conduct and code of Ethics, since they are the final and the most influential contact with the end consumers in the supply chain, and if they do not operate within the set rules it could bring a bad impression on the company. CONCLUSION: Base on our findings we have been able to find out how Amway have been successful in doing their business. Amway have been able to succeed in developing hundreds of product they sell through direct selling, though they engage in direct selling method they have few retail outlet whereby customers can purchase their products. Stakeholders are integral part of the business today and their contribution shape the success of the business as a whole, clearly Amway ensures that by meeting their needs at all aspects of their business. Today many businesses need to have a Strategy the way they do their business it is important because it reinforces the strength between the business owners and the stakeholders at large. Amway take this aspect seriously in the way they do their business and tries to be ethical in what they do especially when they are conducting business in different countries it is important to respect rules and regulation of each country. Good communication is important in any business today, either internally or externally, Amway have strategic communication in place and this enables them to be able to do business and they continue to improve on their communication through innovation and development of software and communication networks. All this have helped to shape Amway and enabled them to be one of the best Corporation Globally today.

The Style Of Community Policing Criminology Essay

The Style Of Community Policing Criminology Essay Policing in England and Wales over the years has been increasingly challenging as it has been subjected to unprecedented levels of public scrutiny. Britain consists of many different areas and these areas are all homes too many different communities. Therefore, this essay shall explain how Community policing is a better style of policing for the community.    Before the Scarman report in 1981 there was a need to improve public confidence in policing as well as policing with community consent.   Ã‚  By the year 2008 all police forces in England and Wales had adapted a form of policing style, which was about tackling and fighting crime more intelligently.   This form of policing style is known as Community policing and consists of many factors such as Reassurance policing, Neighbourhood policing and Citizen Focused policing. Reassurance policing seeks to improve public confidence in policing as well as trust in the police. The Reassurance Policing Programme in England and Wales conducted between 2003/04 and 2004/05 provided evidence that suggested that Reassurance policing had a positive impact on crime, fear of crime and public confidence in the police.   In order to deliver Reassurance policing the Government introduced Community Support Officers to provide reassurance, to act as a vital support in the community and prevent and solve low-level crimes such as anti -social behaviour.   Community Support Officers act as a link between the police and the community to build trust, confidence and a relationship between the police and community.    Neighbourhood policing on the other hand is a model of Community policing and is centered on three concepts dedicated resources, intelligence led and joint action. An important aspect of Neighbourhood policing is dedicated resources theses are police officers who are locally developed, visible, accessible, knowledgeable to the area and locally known by the community who are able to enforce law and order effectively. One might suggest that the police are an organisation that is led by intelligence; they need intelligence which can only be gathered from the community to solve and prevent crime. This benefits the police as they are able to target crime hotspots and bring offenders to justice more importantly this benefits the community as crime is reduced as well as the fear of crime. Neighbourhood policing emphasises the importance of joint action which is action that is taken by the community, police and partners who include the local authority, Social Services, education establishmen ts, and many other partners who are to work together to resolve issues and concerns which have been addressed by the community.    Citizen focused policing can be best described as a cultural and operational change in the police but reflects the needs of the community in police decision-making and service.   Citizen focused policing helps improve community experiences with the police either being one to one or by telephone. One might argue that Community policing is delivered through Neighbourhood Policing Teams who are signed to specific beats. Neighbourhood Policing Teams consist of Inspectors, Sergeants, Police officers, Community Support Officers, Special Constables, partners and community volunteers.   Ã‚  Ã‚   As Community policing consists of Reassurance policing, Neighbourhood policing and Citizen focused policing. One could argue that Community policing is an effective and a better style of policing for the community as it helps build secure, confident, safe and cohesive communities. Along with this, Community policing is a proactive and preventative mode of operation, which benefits the community as crime is prevented than older approaches such as mobile patrol, emergency response and reactive criminal investigation.   Community policing stresses policing with and for the community rather than policing of the community. Community policing emphasis that the police are to visible, accessible, locally developed, locally known and should be dedicated to specific beats. As Community Surveys have showed that those police officers who were assigned to beat areas community attitudes were improved.   Community policing illustrates that it is in the interest of the police and the community t o control crime and disorder along with reducing the fear of crime. Community policing is a better style of policing for the community as it is focused upon community involvement and support as well as promotes community involvement in policing. For instance, the Handsworth Wood Neighbourhood Policing Team of the West Midlands Police have set up police surgeries as well as a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme to allow the community to actively get involved in policing.   Therefore, revenge from offenders is harder or less likely as it is hard to trace the informant as community policing promotes police officers to chat with all local residents.   Community policing identifies problems within the community and improves the quality of life of those residents who live within the community by solving these problems.  Community policing allows the community to raise concerns about issues that really matter to them and furthermore allows the community to make these concerns policing priorit ies. For example, each Neighbourhood Policing Team of the West Midlands Police has a dedicated website that lists out community priorities which the community has set.   Furthermore, an example of this was illustrated in a Newspaper article the Highgate community in Birmingham raised concerns to the police relating to drug dealing taking place. The West Midlands Police investigated and acted upon the information which led them to carry out street raids which resulted in several arrests and whereby three individuals were charged with possession of class A drugs.   Ã‚  The article further went on to say that local residents were happy to see that the police were taking action and dealing with their concerns.   Ã‚   One should not forget that Community policing helps build relationships between the community, police and partners as well as promotes them to work together to resolve issues and concerns.   An example of this was illustrated by the Cleveland Police Service, according to their statistics crime had fallen by 16% since the launched of Community policing in their force area.   Therefore, at the end of September 2009 there were 51,283 crimes committed across the force which is 9,814 fewer crimes than the previous 12 months.   Ã‚  Ã‚  One may argue that this is a perfect example of partnership working between all parties and achieving goals and aims. The community has benefited as there are 9,814 were not victims of crime.   The Government for the year 2008 09 provided a  £324 million pound fund for Neighbourhood Policing Teams in order to ensure that they were able to implement Community policing, the fund is 2.7% higher than 2007 08.   Ã‚  This may be an indication that Co mmunity policing is effective and better style of policing for the community.    Community policing is an effective style of policing as it stresses the importance of keeping the community informed of what exactly is being done in order to deal with their concerns.   Ã‚  To support Neighbourhood Policing Teams of the West Midlands Police have web pages that list out what is being done and has been done in order to deal with the issues and concerns of the community. Therefore, to one extent this provides direct accountability at a local level and enables the community to hold to account those who are responsible for reducing crime in their area.   However, this may conflict with existing policing infrastructures and systems for example representative accountability structures which lie with Police Authorities who are responsible for police services.   The question lies as Community policing involves the community, police and partners who is responsible for reducing crime and disorder and who is to be held account? Furthermore, Community policing helps distin guish the difference between those members of community who are prolific offenders and those residents who commit low-level crimes such as anti social behaviour. One should not forget that Community policing provides reassurance and helps to reduce the fear of crime as well as helps build trust and confidence between the community and the police.    Community policing emphasises the use of discretion by police officers rather than the use of arrests. One might suggest that the concept behind this is that the community may be more willing to allow the police to enforce law and order.   In other words, harsh punishments like arrests may have a negative impact. However, Community policing does not totally de-emphasises the use of arrests but should be used as a last resource, in some cases like the Newspaper article the use of arrests may have more of a good impact. Community policing to one extent does not reform society but supports and promotes restoring order.    Community policing has many benefits for the community but three main elements which are improved the environment, economy and social factors. The environment is improved as environmental issues can be dealt by other partners. The economy is benefited as local service providers are able to work together with the community, partners and police to resolve issues such as shop lifting or anti social behaviour. Social factors such as parks, playing areas, education establishments are improved.   The police also benefit from Community policing as there may be financial benefits as partners may contribute to costs to help tackle crime. For example, local businesses may pay for special services such as patrols in shopping centres in order to deal with anti social behaviour.    However, on one hand Community policing offers political benefits and little reality of police practice.   In other words, Community policing sounds and sells better in political terms to the community as it is community orientated. But in police practice Community policing may have little value although there is no evidence to suggest this. For instance, some police officers may have not been asked but have been told that they are part of Community policing. Furthermore, the Birmingham West and Central Local Policing Unit of the West Midlands Police consists of 11 Neighbourhood Policing Teams which in total has 149 Police Officers and 97 Police Community Support Officers.   The areas which the Birmingham West and Central Local Policing Unit covers as geographically big, residential and disadvantaged areas. This could be an indication that the police may not prefer Community policing and that they are not equipped to multitask in their role. Police Officers who may wish to progre ss their career may find it difficult as Community policing may be seen as a less useful attribute.   Ã‚  On the other hand, middle class communities may be more willing to work with the police than fractured and disadvantaged communities who may be unwilling to work with the police due to lack of trust and confidence.   Moreover, even those who wish to work closely with the police may be deterred because of intimidation from other residents.   The belief that a community exists may be a myth as communities are so diverse where does one start and where does one end.    Developments of Community policing has led the Government to develop guidance for Neighbourhood Policing Teams to engage with children and young people. The early Intervention and Prevention of Youth Crime and Anti Social Behaviour has been developed to allow the police tackle and prevent crime and anti social behaviour through prevention.   This benefits the community as children and young people who are the next generation are driven away from crime and anti- social behaviour, but instead are educated, helped and driven towards a goal to achieve in life.   Overall, Community policing is a better style of policing for the community as it a philosophy that allows the community to work together with the police and partners to solve problems, fear of crime, physical and social disorder.   Community policing helps define problems, shapes and forms priorities, examines and identifies problems as well as promotes community involvement and joint action. Community policing involves teamwork and commitment from all parties and requires a genuine partnership between the community, the police, local authority and other partners. To one extent Community policing controls crime but also meets the needs of the community.   Community policing provides a quality, efficient and a comprehensive police service that is customer focused and most of all, ensures that the police move away from a reacting policing approach but to a proactive approach where the concept is to prevent crime.   

Loneliness and Isolation in Baldwin’s, Here be Dragons :: Here Dragons

Loneliness and Isolation in Baldwin’s, Here be Dragons I am not a targeted minority and I have never felt discriminated against, but I certainly have found my self weighed down, unable to keep up, in the constant rush and roar that is our society. I have felt isolated and left behind by everything around me, and this utter loneliness is not something that is easy to deal with. This loneliness inevitably turns to self-hatred as I ask myself why I can’t keep pace with everyone else when they seem to be doing just fine? Reading James Baldwin has reminded me that I’m not alone, and that there are many ways to deal with the isolation one feels within society. For some, struggling to keep afloat in the mainstream as it rushes along is the most comprehensible way, but for others, like Baldwin, it’s easier to simply get out of the water and walk along the bank at his own chosen pace. In Baldwin’s â€Å"Here be Dragons† he addresses the issues of loneliness and isolation in many ways. In the end, he comes to the conclusion that everyone has a part of everyone else inside of him or her, much like a yin yang: â€Å"†¦we are all androgynous†¦because each of us, helplessly and forever, contains the other-male in female, female in male, white in black and black in white. We are a part of each other†(160). If we are all a part of each other, then we do not need to try to keep up with the current of society to stay connected with the world. We can go wherever we please, whenever and however, and never have to fear the loss of the vital links that keep humans human. In the beginning of his story Baldwin speaks of his young adolescence during which various men constantly take advantage of him. In this part of life he speaks much of loneliness. First, as he talks about those who are literally androgynous, containing male and female parts, he guesses at the â€Å"†¦all-but-intolerable loneliness†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (150) that they must feel at not being able to find love by being themselves for fear of humiliation at being so different. Later, he tells of his many encounters with men that appeared to be stereotypical American citizens looking â€Å"†¦like cops, football players, soldiers†¦or bank presidents†¦construction workers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (153). These men would accost Baldwin in dark movie theaters and in the alleys at night begging or bullying him to take them to bed.

history Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1790 a new nation was on the rise. With the help of the French, the people of the thirteen colonies of America had united together to defeat the greatest empire of the world. This was the shining moment of America. Freedom was theirs, and this is what they have been wanting since the pilgrims arrived almost two centuries before. They were now going to take on an even greater task then fighting the British: establishing a system of government that would be fair and that would be accepted throughout all of America. One thing the founding fathers knew they had to do was establish a document that would unite the states under one system of laws, so they would be a single country. The Articles of Confederation were too weak and could not meet the demands the country as whole needed, so they drafted a new constitution. This new constitution was a brilliant document that expressed how there is no true sovereign power because the power ultimately lies in the people. This document, created in the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, was to become the foundation for our country and is still the chief document that the America of today follows. Nevertheless, there were still some people opposed to this document. The Anti-federalists, as they were called, believed that if the constitution was enacted then the central government would become too powerful. They believed America would then become a tyrannical government, which is what America fought so hard to get away from. The anti-federalists said a bill of rights was needed to stop the national government from being tyrannical. It was clear that this country would need a bill of rights, so one of the main jobs of the first   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‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gaines 2 Congress was to create one. In 1789 twelve amendments were approved by congress and by the end of 1791 they had been ratified by the states and had become the Bill of Rights. They were the first ten amendments to the constitution, and they prevented a national government from ever becoming too powerful. These docum... ...told Washington that the list of prisoners from the rebellion had risen to about 150. Hamilton also informer Washington the rebels were no longer an assembled force, but some small parties not really causing much damage. The hype and rebellions slowly died down and on July 10, 1795 Washington issued a pardon to those who were imprisoned, but not yet sentenced. Also, Washington had already pardoned the two who were sentenced to death, and most of the people who were arrested were already acquitted because of a lack of evidence. Because of this event, the new Federal Government asserted its rights over the individual states, while also making the government more democratic and allowing the right of dissent without committing treason (Department of Treasury). The states were able to unify as one to overcome a challenge. This event showed that the constitution could indeed work, and that the national government must posses some power in order for the country to stay as a whole. This was just one obstacle that America would be faced with in its short history, but it showed that a government whose intent is truly for the people and by the people can survive and withstand any obstacles.

Iceland Crisis

Background Information In three year period of 2008-2011 Iceland suffered one of the worst financial crisis in history. It Is bewildering how a country with population of only 320,000 could gather massive sums of money per capital, lose It all In such a short time period, and then manage an incredibly quick recovery since. Let's start by shedding some light on the situation leading to the crash. Iceland has always been affiliated with nature and fishermen. Fishing was the most prevalent occupation in Iceland, and a major backbone of their economy for years.Things turned direction in the ass following the liberalizing of Icelandic banks. Deregulation of banks added a whole new dimension to Icelandic economy and money was flowing more than ever. Glitter, Gapingly. And Landsman were Iceland's three most notable commercial banks who were enjoying a great time. High savings interest rate offered by Icelandic banks attracted plenty of foreign investors . Fishermen slowly turned into financ ial advisers to manage the capital inflow from outside, particularly from Germany and the I-J and create more wealth for Icelandic economy in the long-term.As with every great financial crash, greed and carelessness played a part. Banks, having believed the hype and buzz, were careless handing out big mortgages to loads of under-qualified applicants on low interest and made under-thought Investments abroad, particularly in the US. Iceland's banking sector was pride of the country which had transformed Iceland into one of the richest countries in Europe in a couple of decades. What Went Wrong The banks were accountable for themselves. There was no precise rules set for them.They had to go out there and produce. Their capabilities was the most important hinging and all else was secondary. If the banks didn't have to give ethical answers to the government, then they could be capable of many unthinkable things, especially in the banking world of the ass's and early asses. The prime mini ster of Iceland in that period (1991-2004), DavidГÂ ¶ Dodson, was no fan of government owned banks in Iceland, so none of the banks In Iceland had to answer directly to governmental authority. Reliant on external financing.They used mass wholesale funding to finance their way into the local mortgage market and obtain foreign financial firms mostly in the UK and Scandinavia. The banks were following the international ambitions of a new generation of Icelandic entrepreneurs who set to form global empires in industries from retailing to food production to pharmaceuticals. By the end of 2006, the total assets of the three main banks were $150 billion, eight times the country's GAPS. Low interest rate offered by Icelandic banks had allowed financing for rapid and pre- mature expansion of various companies in various industries perhaps beyond the nation's capacity.In half a decade, Icelandic banks experienced a mass transformation from being pretty much entirely domestic lenders to b ecoming major international financial intermediaries. The shift and growth was almost too good to be true. This is where things started to go south. As wholesale funding markets seized up (e. G. Lehmann Brothers' bankruptcy in September 2008), Icelandic banks were shaken and started to collapse under a mountain of foreign debt. The Crash and Its Consequences On October 8th 2008, Suppurating was placed into administration. The government had to intervene. Iceland was on verge of national bankruptcy.Foreign investors were seeking their money from Icelandic banks and threatened to sue. Everything was a sees. The Icelandic government nationalized Glinting. The control of Lambskin and Glinting were given to representatives of FM (Financial Supervisory Authority). Prime minister, Geri Heard, believed those actions taken by the government prevented the country from national bankruptcy. The impacts of the crash were severe on Icelandic economy, however. At end of second quarter of 2008, Ice land's external debt rose to close to Ð ²?50 billions), more than 80% of which was held by the banking sector.The national currency (Icelandic Akron) fell sharply in value. Foreign currency orientations were basically suspended for weeks. The Icelandic stock exchange fell by more than 90% and as a result Iceland officially bid hello to a period of economic recession. Recovery Icelandic economy continued to suffer for two years, but the signs since late 2010 have been very positive. Islanders have taken the right steps and have shown urgency in their efforts to get their economy back on track and it has paid dividends. The government's priority was to minimize the impact of financial crisis on the country.They placed Iceland ahead of foreign investors. As a result, an emergency isolation was passed, allowing the Financial Supervisory Authority to take over the domestic operations of Iceland's three major banks. The state intervened by protecting domestic creditors and depositors, no t allowing the taxpayers to take the burden of a bailouts. Instead of bailing out the banks (e. G. I-J, Ireland, etc), Iceland opted for defaults of the banks. This fumed foreign depositors, but Icelandic quick recovery was devaluation of Icelandic currency and implementing measures of capital control. The Corona's value halved making Icelandic exports (e. . Fish) and ours cheaper and more attractive to foreigners. These two sectors flourished as a result and played a significant role in growing the Icelandic economy again. Iceland have worked hard in restoring macroeconomic stability and rebuilding the financial sector. They put the money they received from MIFF ($10 Billion) in use to a 3-year restructuring programmer. The results are impressive as since then, the GAP has grown 2. 5% in two consecutive years. Now that the Icelandic economy is doing better, the government is making settlements to gradually pay the foreign investors back.The unemployment rates have fallen in half an d those accountable for the crash, even the former prime minister, were persecuted at the courts. Iceland did the opposite of Europe and the US to the situation and it has proved effective. Of course, it's a different situation managing 320,000 people as opposed to millions. It's not all rosy yet, however, as other economic sectors, notably private and household must catch up to fishing and tourism sector to take the momentum to next level and fully take Iceland out of what could have been a fatal blow. Conclusion 2008 Financial crash shook the world.The impact in Iceland was more incredible than most places as it nearly brought depression to the country. Deregulated Icelandic banks bit more than they could chew and ambition turned into greed and gamble. Series of factors gave hands to each other and took Iceland on verge of national bankruptcy. What happened after, is perhaps a lesson for all other nations who are struggling with their economies. Icelandic government prioritize its own nation above anyone else, and allowed its banks to default, protecting its people. They have since taken the right measures to increase spending and business in the entry.

Gogol’s Petersburg Tales Essay

Compare Nikolai Gogol’s â€Å"The Overcoat† with the other St. Petersburg tales. Nikolai Gogol’s St. Petersburg stories have been interpreted as tales of social injustice, urban and human isolation, psychological studies, love stories, moralistic fables and social satires. In keeping with emerging trends of â€Å"naturalistic† writing, the stories deal with relatively lowly members of the social strata in the Petersburg bureaucracy – the everyman. This essay will compare â€Å"The Overcoat† with â€Å"Diary of a Madman† and â€Å"The Nose† and examine how each of the main characters in Gogol’s stories survives in the seemingly unnatural and fabricated world of St. Petersburg. The principal character in â€Å"The Overcoat†, Akaky Akakievich Bashmachkin buries himself so deeply in his paltry work of copying documents that his work almost supersedes the actual reality in which he inhabits, he is described walking thro ugh the streets of St. Petersburg oblivious to the people around him or the rubbish being thrown out windows onto him, he sees nothing but a line of beautiful words to copy. He later does the same when obsessing about the coat which he is having made to shield him from the bitter Russian winter. This need to cloak and insulate oneself from the cold harshness of modern society is an idea which runs through these three stories, and seemed to preoccupy Gogol himself. He was a secretive person about which very little is known, he said himself in his letters â€Å"But how can one judge about a secretive person in whom everything is inside, whose character hasn’t even taken shape but who is still educating himself in his soul and whose every move produces only misunderstanding? How can one make conclusions about such a person basing oneself on a few traits which have inadvertently stuck themselves out? Won’t this be the same as to conclude about a book by a few sentences torn out of it – not in order either, but from different passages.† Gogol was interested in how the character and worth of someone is judged by others, the characte rs in The Petersburg Stories are all defined, both by themselves and by others, by their professions, which are comically insignificant, Akaky Akakievich copied pages and Poprishchin in â€Å"Diary of a Madman† was in charge of pencil sharpening. These characters are defined by the role they serve as part of the bureaucracy rather than by any kind of individual identity. Gogol paints a picture of a society in which values the most superficial aspects of a person, an idea which is taken to comical new heights in â€Å"The Nose†Ã‚  when the preposterous and vain main character Major Kovalyov loses something which serves no great purpose other than normalising one’s appearance – his nose. Escapism is essential for Gogol’s characters. Each of the main characters feels happiest when they are detached from reality, when they have some sort of rosy, imaginary insulation between them and the inescapable monotony of their lowly lives. Akaky Akakievich is described garnering a disproportionate amount of joy from his work copying documents, smiling to himself as he coppied letters he particularly liked, going home and copying just for fun and â€Å"when all strive to divert themselves† going to bed â⠂¬Å"smiling at thought of coming day†. Akaky puts all of his faith and love and passion into something arbitrary and ultimately meaningless as a coping mechanism, for how else would he survive his pitiful life? The main character in â€Å"Diary of a Madman† Poprishkin is driven to a similar detachment from the real world as his lowly and socially immobile position as a titular councillor becomes too much to bear. He loses his sanity but arguably gains something of greater value; confidence and social mobility. In creating a world for himself where he is no longer one of many middle aged, poorly paid low ranking civil servants but the King of Spain he frees himself from his suffocating ties to societal norms, he no longer believes in the inherent superiority of those of a higher social status, he even has the audacity to call his employer as â€Å"an ordinary doornail, a simple doornail, nothing more. The kind used in doors†. Similarly, Kovalyov deludes himself to give his life a sense of importance and signi ficance. He gives himself the title of â€Å"Major† and struts down Nevsky Prospect making eye contact with everyone and imagining attention from ladies that he passes. The key difference between the coping mechanism employed by Akaky and the methods used by Poprishkin and Kobalev is that Akaky’s world is not one which elevates his social status. His extremely introverted behaviour does not disrupt the status quo. It is arguably their obsession with class and how they appear to others which causes all of both Kovalev and Poprishkin’s strife. Contrastingly, Akaky just wants to be left alone, he doesn’t care that people often see him with trifle or hay stuck to the back of his cape, this makes Akaky a more likeable, sympathetic character, he is completely harmless and innocent – a perfect victim. This is the only story in which Gogol allows us to be fully sympathetic with a character. There are indeed moments in â€Å"Diary of a Madman† which could and should stir sympathy for Poprishkin in the reader, but Gogol always undermines these moments with a humorous or nonsensical comment. In â€Å"The Overcoat† however, the narrative tone flips from heart wrenchingly sad to funny and light hearted and then back again in the space of a page – Gogol displays his talent for evoking sympathy and emotion in a reader and his gift for comedy side by side. It is not just the characters who seek to cover themselves up and conceal the truth from the reader; there is a lack of reliability coupled with nonsense running through all three of the narratives which obstinately refuses to make sense. â€Å"The Overcoat† introduces us to this immediately, it begins with a digression â€Å"In the department of — but it is better not to mention the department.† The narrator continues in this vein, using a conversational, unreliable tone, often forgetting the facts or losing their place in the story. Gogol’s deliberate elusiveness undermines the idea of the omniscient authorial voice of the narrator and injects suspicion and confusion into the narrative. Gogol uses a similar narrative voice in â€Å"The Nose†. The narrator of â€Å"The Nose† is similarly uninformed and forgetful and makes no attempt to elucidate the reason for all the bizarre occurrences in the story. Things in these stories can often just disappear into a puff of smoke, Gogol increases the confusion, and elusiveness with the use of a lot of mist and smoke imagery, he is like a magician, cloaking his intentions, keeping himself safe behind a cloud of nonsense and a mist of confusion. Gogol’s St. Petersburg stories portray many different types of characters, but pervading through the stories and uniting them is this sense of heightened self-consciousness a need to protect oneself from a befuddling, cold harsh world. Gogol himself put it best in another St Petersburg story – Nevsky Prospekt â€Å"It had seemed as if some demon had crumbled the world into bits and mixed all these bits indiscriminately together† Bibliography Gogol, Nikolai – translated by Macandrew, Andrew R and Meyer, Priscilla The Diary of a Madman and Other Stories – SIGNET CLASSICS, January 2005, New York, NY/US One Of The Oldest Cases Of Schizophrenia In Gogol’s â€Å"Diary Of A Madman† Eric Lewin AltschulerBMJ: British Medical Journal , Vol. 323, No. 7327 (Dec. 22 – 29, 2001), pp. 1475-1477 Published by: BMJ Publishing Group Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25468632 Cloaking the Self: The Literary Space of Gogol’s â€Å"Overcoat† Charles C. Bernheimer – PMLA , Vol. 90, No. 1 (Jan., 1975), pp. 53-61 – Published by: Modern Language Association – Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/461347 The Laughter of Gogol – R. W. Hallett – Russian Review , Vol. 30, No. 4 (Oct., 1971), pp. 373-384 – Published by: Wiley on behalf of The Editors and Board of Trustees of the Russian Review – Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/127792

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 62~64

62 Like Clockwork Spies Malink found the old cannibal in a small clearing in the jungle, urinating on a young banana tree. â€Å"I brought you food.† Malink dropped the basket and sat down under a tree. Sarapul seemed to be taking a long time at his task. â€Å"Sometimes it's hard,† Malink said. â€Å"Sometimes I can't go at all,† Sarapul said. â€Å"It hurts.† He shuddered and turned around with a grin, smoothing down his thu. â€Å"But not today.† He sat down next to Malink and reached into the basket for a hunk of fish. â€Å"I heard the music last night,† Sarapul said. â€Å"The white bitch comes more often now.† He offered Malink a piece of fish and the chief took it. â€Å"There are three chosen in only ten days. I think they won't come back sometimes. Vincent says that she is not the Sky Priestess. The pilot said she will kill us.† â€Å"Then we must fight.† â€Å"Knives against guns? You remember the war.† â€Å"I remember. Come.† He got up and led Malink through the underbrush to a hollow log. He reached in and pulled out a long bundle wrapped in oiled sharkskin. â€Å"A man must take the strength of his enemies. If he cannot eat him and take his strength, he must take his weapon.† Sarapul unwrapped the bundle to reveal a World War II vintage Japanese bolt-action rifle. He had obviously been visiting this spot because the rifle was covered with a thin coat of fish oil and gleamed like new. â€Å"I cut off his head and took his gun.† Malink remembered the wrath of the Japanese on his people after the solider disappeared. â€Å"You did that? You were the one?† â€Å"It was a long time ago,† Sarapul said. He reached into the bundle again and pulled out three shining cartridges. â€Å"But I saved these.† â€Å"They have machine guns,† Malink said. â€Å"She doesn't.† The call came a little after midnight. Tuck had slept since he got to the hotel, stuffing toilet paper in his ears to block out the noise of the television and Sepie talking back to it. â€Å"Take a cab to general aviation at the airport,† Jake said. â€Å"The hangar you want says Island Adventures on the side. I'll be waiting.† Tuck climbed out of bed and turned off the television. â€Å"Hey,† Sepie said. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor about a foot from the screen. Tuck crouched and took her face in his hands. â€Å"Tomorrow at six you take the tickets and go downstairs. Tell the man at the desk you want to go to the airport. The bus will take you.† â€Å"I know this,† she said. â€Å"Just listen. A tall man with long hair will be there.† â€Å"Right. Jake,† Sepie said. â€Å"I know this.† â€Å"If he's not there, go to one of the men in the blue hats and tell him you need help getting on your plane. He'll help you. When you get to Houston, go into the airport and call this number. Tell the woman who answers that I told you to call. She'll help you.† â€Å"And you will come and get me soon, right?† â€Å"I'll try.† â€Å"What about Roberto?† They hadn't seen the fruit bat since the mascara bombing. â€Å"Roberto will be fine. He'll live here, but I have to go.† He kissed her on the forehead and before he could pull away she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips so hard he thought he might have cut his lip. â€Å"You come get me.† â€Å"I will.† He stood and went out the door. A few seconds later he heard Sepie call to him from down the hall. â€Å"Hey!† Tuck turned. â€Å"How come you don't try to sex me?† â€Å"I will.† â€Å"Okay,† she said, and she went back into the room. Jake was waiting for him at the Island Adventures hangar. A Hughes 500 helicopter with its doors removed sat on a pad by the hangar. â€Å"I rented it for an hour. I fuck it up and we owe Mary Jean five grand for the deposit.† Tuck looked at the helicopter sitting on the pad like a huge black dragonfly and he began to get a very bad feeling. â€Å"You don't want me to do what I think you want me to do, do you?† â€Å"I'll put the skid right over the hatch. You just step out of one aircraft onto another. No problem. It can't be half as bad as what I had to do to get the hatch left open.† Tuck began to protest, but Jake was already walking to the helicopter. Tuck climbed into the helicopter and slipped on the headset. Jake threw the switches and the turbine began to whine. In a few seconds the blades slowly began to rotate. Tuck keyed the intercom mike on his headset so Jake could hear him over the blades. â€Å"You'll never get past the tower.† â€Å"I've done it before,† Jake said. â€Å"I had to repo a Jet Ranger for a guy once.† â€Å"They'll never clear you.† â€Å"There's no traffic. Besides, you think they're going to clear you? It's Captain Midnight's rock ‘n' roll express from here on out, big guy.† Jake pulled the collective lever by the side of his seat and the helicopter lifted into the air. Within seconds, Tuck heard the tower jabbering over the radio, warning the Hughes 500 to wait for clearance. Jake brought the helicopter up just high enough to clear the top of the hangar and flew in a low wide circle around the airport, then began his own jabber. â€Å"Honolulu Tower, this is Helicopter One, approaching from the west on Runway Two. I have a problem with my tail rotor. Requesting emergency landing.† The tower came back: â€Å"Helicopter One, didn't you just take off without clearance?† â€Å"Negative, Tower. I'm in from Maui. Request emergency clearance.† Of course, Tuck thought. Jake flew the circle below the radar and without the running lights. They have no idea whether this is the same helicopter that just took off. Jake sent the helicopter into a horizontal spin that moved it closer to the planes by the hangars with every rotation, just as it moved Tuck closer to throwing up. Jake stopped the spin for a second and nodded toward a United 747. â€Å"That's your baby. Get out of your harness and get ready. They won't know you're there. Get inside and wait two hours before you start your taxi. I don't want them to connect the helicopter with the jet. By the way, how're you going to get your natives on board?† â€Å"They've got ladders,† Tuck said. â€Å"I hope.† Tuck hung his headset behind the seat and unsnapped his harness just as Jake resumed his spin. Tuck grabbed on to the seat to keep from being thrown out the open door. What looked like an out-of-control aircraft was, in fact, a pretty elementary move called a pedal turn. Tuck found no comfort in that knowledge as he watched the tarmac spin below. Jake pulled the helicopter up just in time to miss the tail of the 747, then leveled it off and crept forward along the length of the huge aircraft. The tail would obscure the view from the tower. â€Å"You ready?† he shouted. Tuck shook his head violently. He could see the line of the hatch he was supposed to go through. He stepped out on the skid. Jake brought the helicopter down and the skid touched the top of the jet. â€Å"Now!† Tuck stepped off onto the plane and ducked instinctively below the blades. He looked back at Jake, shrugged, and shouted, â€Å"That was easy.† â€Å"I told you,† Jake shouted. He pulled the helicopter into the sky and started his spin toward the Island Adventures pad. Tuck got on his knees, dug his fingers into the seal around the hatch, and pulled it open. He jumped into the dark plane, sealed the hatch behind him, then sat in the pilot's seat and began to study the controls. He clicked on the nav computer and punched in the longitude and latitude for Alualu, which he knew by heart, then pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and put in the coordinates for his second destination. He put on a headset and turned on the radios. The frequency was already set for the Honolulu tower. Jake was receiving the official FAA ass-chewing of the century, but there wasn't a word about anyone dropping to the top of a United jet. He had just taken off the headset to settle down for the wait when he heard a scratching sound outside the escape hatch. He opened it and Roberto plopped inside. 63 No Frills The Sky Priestess was drunk. She and the Sorcerer had made two million dollars in the last ten days and she couldn't even buy a pair of shoes. The new pilot, Nomura, was a heavily tattooed, taciturn prick who spoke marginal English and looked at her like he'd rape her in a second, not for the pleasure of the violence, but to put her in her place. Since his arrival, even the ninjas had started to get cocky, joking in Japanese and laughing raucously when her back was turned. Even the Shark People seemed to be losing their fear of her. The last time she had appeared to them the children were left in the village. So the Sky Priestess was watching television in a torn T-shirt and some sweatpants and she was drunk. The intercom beeped and she let it. If it hadn't run on batteries, she would have unplugged it. Instead, she threw it through the french doors, where it beeped the beach for two more minutes, then stopped. The next time she saw it Sebastian was standing in the door holding it like a prosecutor exhibiting a murder weapon to the jury. â€Å"I suppose you think this is funny.† â€Å"Not particularly. Now if it had hit you in the head, that would be funny.† â€Å"We have an order, Beth. A Kidney.† â€Å"Oh, good. I'm in great shape to assist a surgery. Let's do both kidneys. Give the buyer a bonus. What do you say?† She sloshed her tumbler of vodka. Sebastian picked up the empty Absolut bottle from the end table. â€Å"This isn't going to work, Beth. You can't appear as the Sky Priestess like that.† He seemed more afraid than angry. â€Å"You are absolutely correct, ‘Bastian. The goddess has taken the night off.† Sebastian paced back and forth in front of her, rubbing his chin. â€Å"We could stall. We could put you on some oxygen and amphetamines and you could be ready in an hour.† She laughed. â€Å"And ruin this buzz? I don't think so. Tell them to find another source for this one.† He shook his head. â€Å"I don't think I can do that. Nomura's been on the phone with them. He told them we could deliver in six hours.† She hissed. â€Å"Nomura's a fucking grunt. He does what we say. This is our operation.† â€Å"I'm not so sure, Beth. I really don't want to tell him no. Please take a shower and make some coffee. I'll be back in a minute with an oxygen cylinder.† â€Å"No, ‘Bastian,† she whined. â€Å"I don't want to spend six hours in a plane with that asshole.† â€Å"You won't have to, Beth. They've requested that we send him alone this time.† She sat up. â€Å"Alone? Who's going to watch him?† Suddenly she felt very sober. â€Å"No one needs to watch him, Beth. He works for them, remember? You were right. We shouldn't have gotten a pilot from them.† An hour and forty minutes after he dropped through the hatch, Tuck started the procedure to power up the 747. He'd never actually flown anything this big – or anything nearly this big – but he had done twenty hours in a simulator in Dallas and only crashed twice. All planes fly the same, he told himself and he started the first engine. Once it had spooled up, he had the power to start the other three. He put on the headset and looked out the side window to make sure he had room to turn the plane and taxi it to the runway. As soon as it started moving, the tower began to chatter, trying first to get him to identify himself, then to stop. Roberto, who was hanging from the straps on the flight officer's seat beside Tuck, barked twice and let loose a high-pitched squeal. â€Å"You're cookin' with gas, buddy,† came over the radio. Jake was close enough to see the big jet. â€Å"Where are you, Jake?† â€Å"Out of the way, buddy, but thanks for using my name on the radio. Just thought you ought to know that you're going to need fifty-one hundred feet of runway to get that thing off the ground at your destination – and that's with full flaps, so save your fuel now. You'd better tell them what you're doing unless you've got collision insurance on that thing.† Tuck keyed the mike button on the steering yoke. â€Å"Honolulu Tower, this is United Flight One requesting immediate clearance for emergency takeoff on Runway Two.† â€Å"There's no such thing as an emergency takeoff,† the controller said. Tuck could tell he was close to losing it. â€Å"Well, Tower, I'm taking off on Two, and if you've got anything headed that way, I'd say you've got an emergency on your hands, wouldn't you?† The tower guy was almost screaming now. â€Å"Negative on the clearance! Clearance denied, United jet. Return to the terminal. We have no flight plan for a United Flight One.† â€Å"Tower, United Flight One requesting you chill and be a professional about this. Clear to ten thousand. I am starting my takeoff.† â€Å"Negative, negative. Identify yourself†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"This is Captain Roberto T. Fruitbat signing off, Honolulu Tower.† Tuck clicked off the radio, pushed the throttles up, and watched the jet exhaust pressure gauges. When they got to 80 percent of maximum thrust, he re-leased the ground brakes and one hundred and seventy thousand pounds of aircraft rolled down the runway and swept into the sky. At ten thousand feet he began his turn toward Alualu. The fighters joined him a hundred miles north of Guam. Evidently, they had found out that United did not employ a Captain Fruitbat. One of the F-18 fighters came in close and Tuck waved to him. The pilot signaled for Tuck to put on his headset. Why not? Tuck assumed they would be broadcasting across a number of frequencies. â€Å"Yo, good morning, gents,† Tuck said. â€Å"United 747, change your course and land at Guam Airport or we will force you down.† Tuck looked out the window at the sidewinder air to air missiles hanging menacingly under the wings of the fighter. â€Å"And how, exactly, do you propose to do that, gentlemen?† â€Å"Repeat, change your course and land in Guam immediately or we will force you down.† â€Å"That would be fine,† Tuck said. â€Å"Go ahead, force me and my hundred and fifteen passengers down.† Tuck let off the mike button and turned to Roberto. â€Å"Okay, you go in the back and pretend to be a hundred and fifteen people.† As Tuck had calculated, the fighters backed off while they waited for instructions. They were not about to shoot down an American passenger jet without very specific orders, whether it was stolen or not. He believed his biggest advantage was that the FAA and United would insist that no one could steal a 747. That sort of thing just didn't happen. Nice of them to give him an escort, though. He punched some buttons and the nav computer told him he was only half an hour from Alualu. He started his descent. He checked the position of the fighters and hit the mike button. â€Å"This is the UFO calling the F-18s.† â€Å"Go ahead, United.† â€Å"Are you guys both listening?† â€Å"Go ahead.† Tuck affected a singsong teasing tone: â€Å"Neener, neener, neener, you can't get me.† Then he locked the microphone in the on position and began singing an off-key version of â€Å"Fly Me to the Moon.† Malink, I hope you built those ladders, he thought. Malink had been awakened early by the Sorcerer's jet taking off and he was on his way to the beach for his morning bowel movement when Vincent appeared to him. â€Å"Morning, squirt,† the flyer said. Malink stopped on the path and fought to catch his breath. â€Å"Vincent. I build the ladders.† â€Å"You did good, kid. Now get everyone together – and I mean everyone – and tell them to go to the airstrip. Take the ladders. I'm sending a plane for you.† Malink shook his head. â€Å"You send cargo?† Vincent laughed. â€Å"No, kid, I'm taking the Shark People to the cargo. You'll need the ladders to get on the plane. Don't be afraid. Just get everyone.† â€Å"The Sky Priestess has three who have been chosen. One has just come back to the village.† Vincent looked at his feet. â€Å"I'm sorry, kid. You'll have to leave them. Go now. You don't have very long. I'll see you again.† And he disappeared. 64 Deliverance Beth and Sebastian Curtis were cleaning the operating room and sterilizing instruments when they first heard the jet. â€Å"That sounds low,† Sebastian said casually. Then the fighters, running ahead of the 747, passed over the island. â€Å"What in the hell was that?† Beth said. She dropped a pan of instruments and headed for the door. â€Å"Probably just military exercises, Beth,† Sebastian called after her. â€Å"It's nothing to be concerned about.† He was glad to have help cleaning up and didn't want to lose it. Usually, at this point, she was on the plane heading for Japan. â€Å"‘Bastian, come here!† she called. â€Å"Something's up!† Sebastian shoved the last of the surgical draperies into a canvas bag and hurried outside. The sound of jet engines seemed to be everywhere. Outside he found Beth staring at some coconut palms. The guards were standing outside their quarters, looking in the same direction. â€Å"Look.† Beth pointed to the north. â€Å"What? I don't see†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Then he saw movement behind the palms and a 747 coming toward the island at entirely too low an angle. â€Å"It's landing,† Beth said. Sebastian's gaze was caught by more movement in his peripheral vision. He looked across the runway. The Shark People were coming out of the jungle. All of the Shark People. From the 747 the airstrip looked smaller than he had remembered. To conserve runway Tuck wanted to touch down as close to the near end as possible. He pulled full flaps and checked his descent rate. The Shark People were moving toward the plane in a wave. Some of the men carried long ladders. As all sixteen tires hit the runway, Tuck slammed the levers that reversed the engines and they screamed in protest. Immediately, he hit the ground brakes and watched the brake temperature gauge zoom into the red as the jet screamed toward the ocean at the far end of the runway at a hundred and fifty miles per hour. â€Å"Did you see the ladders?† Roberto said, but this time it was Vincent's voice coming from the bat. â€Å"Ya fuckin' mook, I told you they were makin' ladders.† â€Å"You must come,† Malink said. He crouched at the edge of the jungle where the old cannibal was hiding. â€Å"Vincent said all of our people must go.† Sarapul watched as the huge jet slowly turned at the end of the runway. â€Å"No. I am too old. This is my home. They don't want me where you are going.† â€Å"We don't know where we are going.† â€Å"Your people didn't want me here. Would they want me in this new place? I will stay.† Malink looked to the runway. â€Å"I have to go now.† Sarapul waved him off with a bony hand. â€Å"Go. You go.† He turned and walked into the jungle. Malink ran into the open and began shouting orders to the men with the ladders. The Shark People poured onto the runway and surrounded the jet like termites serving their swollen queen. Beth Curtis saw the first of the doors on the 747 open and immediately recognized Tuck. A tall ladder was thrown against the plane and the Shark People started climbing. â€Å"He's taking them away!† she screamed. Sebastian Curtis stood stupefied. Beth shouted to the guards, â€Å"Stop them, you idiots!† The guards had been spellbound by the landing of the jet as well, but her harpylike scream brought them to action. They were in and out of their quarters in seconds, running toward the airstrip with their Uzis. Beth Curtis ran behind them, screeching like a tortured siren. All six doors of the 747 were open now, and the Shark People were streaming up the ladders, mothers carrying children, the strongest men helping the old. The other guards piled up behind Mato while he unlocked the gate. He fumbled with the key, then finally sent it home and pulled the chain from around the bars. Beth Curtis hit the chain-link and curled her fingers though it like claws as she watched her fortune piling into the plane. â€Å"Shoot!† she screamed. â€Å"Shoot that son of a bitch!† The guards had no idea who she meant, but they understood the command to shoot. The first one through the gate pulled up and pointed his Uzi at the crowd of natives waiting to get up the ladder. There was a fat one who seemed to be giving orders. He aimed for the center of his back. A bullet took the guard high in the chest, knocking him back off his feet. His Uzi clattered on the runway. The other guards pulled up, looking for the source of the shot.. â€Å"Kill them all, you fucking cowards!† Beth Curtis yelled. â€Å"Shoot!† The guards crouched to make themselves into smaller targets as they scanned the edge of the jungle for movement. There was a roar and the guards looked up to see two fighter jets coming in low over the runway. Their decision was made. They ran for the cover of the compound as Beth Curtis screamed at their backs. She ran out to the dead guard, picked up his Uzi, and pointed it at the 747. A gunshot came from the jungle and a bullet ricocheted off the concrete next to her. She turned the Uzi toward the trees and pulled the trigger. It roared for three seconds, the recoil pulling her sideways as the bullets chopped a pattern in the vegetation like a remotecontrol Cuisinart. She brought the gun back around on the plane and pulled the trigger, but the clip was empty. She threw the gun to the ground and stood shaking as the last of the ladders was thrown away from the plane and the doors were pulled shut.