Tuesday, December 24, 2019

A Case Study the Fighting for Control Power and Equity...

A Case Study: The Fighting for Control Power and Equity Ownership of GOME Electrical Appliances Group 1. Introduction 1 1.1. Introduction to GOME Electrical Appliances 1 1.2. Introduction to Huang Guangyu 1 1.3. Introduction to Chen Xiao 1 2. The Whole Story of Fighting for Control Power and Equity Ownership of GOME Electrical Appliances 2 3. Analysis of corporate governance and agency problems of GOME 4 3.1. In the transition period, the conflict in the concept of corporate governance from private enterprises 4 3.2. The power of the Board is overtaken 5 3.3. No Board of Supervisors 5 3.4. The lack of long term incentive mechanism 5 3.5. The lack of a standardized system for employing 5 4. Conclusion 5†¦show more content†¦But at the same time Bain raised three non-executive directors, and appoint an independent director. Sep. 2010, there were 11 directors in the Board of Gome. And distribution of power is showed as follow: Chen Xiaos Group: Chen Xiao and Sun Yiding; Bains Group: Zhu Jia, Wang Lihong, Ian and Thomes; Huangs Group:Wu Jianhua and Chen Yusheng; Other: Wang Junzhou, Wei Qiuli and Shi Xiping; Dec. 2010, the number of directors expended to 13 in the Board of Gome. Zou Xiaochun and Huang Yanhong were in the board so that Huangs Group grew to 4 persons 3. Analysis of corporate governance and agency problems of GOME 1. 2. 3. 4.1. In the transition period, the conflict in the concept of corporate governance from private enterprises Gomes battle showed that familial governance on behalf of the major shareholder , in the post-crisis era of China, still dominate with the preponderant and stead position, and cannot be shake in the short-term in the private enterprises. Private enterprises must mix familial governance and corporate governance, give administration and supervision authorities the moderate authorization and reasonable incentive and restraint mechanisms. 4.2. The power of the Board is overtaken Modern

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Nursing Practice and Profession Free Essays

Nurses who are sensitive to the legal dimensions of practice are careful to develop a strong sense of both ethical and legal accountability. Competent practice is a nurses’ best legal safeguard. When working to develop ethical and legal accountabilities, nurses must recognize that both deficiencies and or excesses of responsible caring are problematic. We will write a custom essay sample on Nursing Practice and Profession or any similar topic only for you Order Now Although it is reasonable to hold oneself accountable for promoting the human well being of the patients, nurses can err by setting unrealistic standards of responsiveness and responsibility for themselves. Prudence is always necessary to balance responsible self care with care for others. Inexperienced nurses might feel totally responsible for effecting patient outcomes beyond their control and become frustrated and sad when unable to produce the desired outcome Conversations about what is reasonable to hold ourselves and others accountable for are always helpful. Each employing institution or agency providing nursing service has an obligation to establish a process for reporting and handling practices by individual or by health care systems that jeopardizes a patient’s health or safety. The American Nurses Association code of Ethics obligates nurses to report professional conduct that is incompetent, unethical or illegal. For nurses, incompetent practice in measured by nursing standards, unethical practice is evaluated in light of the professional codes of ethics, while illegal practice is identified in terms of violation of federal legislations and laws. Nurses must respect the accountability and responsibility inherent in their roles.   They have the moral obligations in the provision of nursing care, hence they collaborate with other health care providers in providing comprehensive health care, recognizing the perspective and expertise of each member.   Nurses have a moral right to refuse to participate in procedures that may violate their own personal moral conscience since they are entitled to conscientious objection. They must keep all information obtained in a professional capacity confidential and employ professional judgment in sharing this information on a need to know basis. Nurses are expected to protect individuals under their care against lack of privacy by confining their verbal communications only to appropriate personnel; settings, and to professional purposes. They are obliged to adhere to practice that limits access to personal records to appropriate personnel. They must value the promotion of a social as well as economic environment that supports and sustains health and well-being. It includes the involvement in the detection of ill effects of the environment on the health of the patient as well as the ill effects of human activities to the natural environment. They must acknowledge that the social environment in which the patient inhabits has an impact on health. Nurses must respect the rights of individuals to make informed choices in relation to their care. They have this responsibility to inform individuals about the care available to them, and the choice to accept or reject that care.   If the person is not able to speak for themselves, nurses must ensure the availability of someone to represent them. It is vital to respect the decisions made concerning the individual’s care.   Standards of care are one measure of quality.   Quality nursing care provides care by qualified individuals. Likewise, the individual needs, values, and culture of the patient relative to the provision of nursing care is important to be respected and considered hence it should not be compromised for reasons of ethnicity, gender, spiritual values, disability, age, economic, social or health status, or any other grounds.   Respect for an individual’s needs includes recognition of the individual’s place in a family and the community. It is due to this reason that others should be included in the provision of care, most significantly the family members. Respect for needs, beliefs and values includes culturally sensitive care, and the need for comfort, dignity, privacy and alleviation of pain and anxiety as much as possible. â€Å"Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a problem solving approach to clinical practice that integrates the conscientious use of best evidence in combination with a clinician’s expertise as well as patient preferences and values to make decisions about the type of care that is provided† (Melnyk, 2004). Quality of care outcomes refers to accuracy and relevance demonstrated by the decisions concerning the need for medical and surgical intervention. Evidence of appropriateness in healthcare is necessary to improve health outcomes, balance costs, provide guidance to physicians and meet the need of the new informed health consumer. Appropriateness is unlike effectiveness since the later refers to the degree in which an intervention achieves the objectives set (Muir Gray, 1997). One criterion of appropriateness is that of necessity. As technology and improved methods of care has advanced, access to appropriate interventions should likewise improve. Today some interventions are still limited such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in rural communities and since access to this technology is limited, a criterion of necessity is used to determine who is able to access and how quickly. Therefore although use of MRI may be appropriate in diagnostics, it may be underused. Advancements in technology, interventions and clinical research will provide updated evidence which in turn would affect ratings of appropriateness (Muir Gray, 1997). Clinical guideline statements are developed from evidence to assist healthcare practitioners in making appropriate health interventions (Woolf, Grol, Hutchinson, Eccles Grimshaw, 1999). The clinical guideline may be a general statement or concise instruction on which diagnostic test to order or how best to treat a specific condition. The purpose of clinical guidelines is as a tool for making decisions that will result in more consistent and efficient care. Guidelines are not rules nor are they mandatory. The benefits of clinical guidelines include: Improved health outcomes; Increased beneficial/appropriate care; Consistency of care; Improved patient information; Ability to positively influence policy; Provide direction to health care practitioners; References Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality. (n.d.). Outcomes research fact sheet. [Online]. Available: http://www.ahcpr.gov/clinic/outfact.htm Brook, R.H. (1994). Appropriateness: The next frontier. [Online]. Available: http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/308/6923/218?ijkey=t7GNbMJu0NIhA Fitch, K., Bernstien, S. J., Aguilar, M. D., Burand, B., LaCalle, J. R., Lazaro, P. van het Loo, McDonnell, J., Vader, J. P., Kahan, J. P. (2001). The RAND/UCLA appropriateness method user’s manual. [Online]. Available: http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1269? John A. Hartford Foundation. (n.d.). [Online]. Available:   http://www.jhartfound.org/ Muir Gray, J.A. (1997). Evidence-based healthcare: How to make health policy and management decisions, New York: Churchill Livingstone. Woolf, S. H., Grol, R., Hutchinson, A., Eccles, M., Grimshaw, J. (1999). Clinical guidelines: Potential benefits, limitations and harms of clinical guidelines. [Online]. Available: http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/318/7182/527? How to cite Nursing Practice and Profession, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Medea as a Foreigner Essay Example For Students

Medea as a Foreigner Essay Medea is originally set up to be depicted as a typical barbaric foreigner, subscribing to the Greek conceptions at the time period. Medea is initially in a state of lamentations at the beginning of the play, yet she is depicted as one who has raging emotions and would be possible to commit vicious crimes. The Nurse cries Watch out for that savage temperament of hers, that stubborn will and unforgiving nature (53), making the audience apprehensive of what she is capable of doing, and foreshadowing the horrors that are about to unfold. This barbaric nature in Medea is denoted through the stark contrast of Medeas irrational, cold-hearted temperament and Jasons seemingly sophisticated and calm demeanour. Jasons actions are not driven by emotional desires, like Medea, rather status and money while superficial, his actions are seemingly more reasonable and logical. He explains to Medea, I have not disowned my family I am looking to your future (460), attempting to show that while his emotional desires were not to marry Glauce, but he is protecting his own family. This poses Medea as slightly egotistical and dramatic, for she only sees the situation in a superficial light of Jason no longer being with her. Having this initial label attached to her exacerbates her actions that fulfil this notion, as people were already fearful of her or disrespect her as an immoral outsider that is unwanted. This feeling of protectiveness for the peace of the Athenian audiences homeland was pertinent in the time of Medea, as the play was set in Corinth, a city of close geographical proximity to Athens, engendering a sense of fear for the safety of their own city, thus inviting the classification of Medea as a barbaric foreigner. This apprehension for Medea is manifested in her encounter with Creon, the king of Corinth, when he states I fear you You are a sorceress and a woman who is no stranger to dark knowledge. 58) This dangerous reputation of Medea results in her own exile, showing that one is ostracised from society, subtly or physically, as being a foreigner. While the audience can be sympathetic to Medea at some points of the play, Medeas true barbarity is solidified when she declares that she will murder her own children, depicting a true subscription to her tainted status as a foreigner. The Chorus can parallel the audiences disgust and horror for this action, and they chant rom a heart that wishes you well yet would not bbreak mankinds laws, do not do this thing. This shows that even those who have their loyalty resting with Medea, and the Athenian women who endured the hardships of women and would want justice, could not approve of this horrific action. Furthermore, the Chorus and thus women of the time naturally feel opposed to this, as the responsibilities expected to be a loving mother were engrained in their nature, and for Medea to kill the fruit of her womb (83) is an act beyond justification. While Medea claims that it is to achieve justice, in many points of the play this objective is undermined by her superficial and egotistical desires for revenge on Jason, and a desire stronger than her love for her own children to be viewed as victorious in the agon between Jason and Medea. Medea asks herself, Are you to be laughed at by this Jason and his Sisyphean wedding(61). Here Medeas justification is revealed to be to not be the victim, and thus depicts Medeas plot as one in seek of petty revenge. The murder can also be interpreted as an effort to annihilate all remnants of Medeas relationship with Jason. In her rage, particularly at the start of the play, she cries O cursed children of a hateful mother, I want you to die along with your father (54), proving her wish for them to be dead, out of anger against them as she sees Jason within them. The innocence and vulnerability of the children highlights Medeas irrationality and cold-heartedness to punish and neglect her own children when it is not them to blame. .udd1e3030c10972035f26892e11bda1af , .udd1e3030c10972035f26892e11bda1af .postImageUrl , .udd1e3030c10972035f26892e11bda1af .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .udd1e3030c10972035f26892e11bda1af , .udd1e3030c10972035f26892e11bda1af:hover , .udd1e3030c10972035f26892e11bda1af:visited , .udd1e3030c10972035f26892e11bda1af:active { border:0!important; } .udd1e3030c10972035f26892e11bda1af .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .udd1e3030c10972035f26892e11bda1af { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .udd1e3030c10972035f26892e11bda1af:active , .udd1e3030c10972035f26892e11bda1af:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .udd1e3030c10972035f26892e11bda1af .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .udd1e3030c10972035f26892e11bda1af .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .udd1e3030c10972035f26892e11bda1af .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .udd1e3030c10972035f26892e11bda1af .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .udd1e3030c10972035f26892e11bda1af:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .udd1e3030c10972035f26892e11bda1af .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .udd1e3030c10972035f26892e11bda1af .udd1e3030c10972035f26892e11bda1af-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .udd1e3030c10972035f26892e11bda1af:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Diary of Anne Frank EssayThroughout the play they do not vocalise their thoughts, rather stay in the background absorbing the chaos of the adults conflict, until the murder scene when they plead for help, allowing the audience to question what monstrous being could possibly commit such an act against the innocent children. These actions solidify Medeas barbaric nature as a foreigner, making it difficult for the audience to have sympathy elicited for her and feel welcoming to her. However, Medea also shows to challenge these stereotypes, yet it is difficult to do so with such a tainted and strong reputation among the Greek society. With Euripides displaying a controversial nature, indeed he presents Medea as a convoluted character, attempting to reveal the profoundness of justification and to what extent people can subscribe to notions, particularly in regards to foreigners. Indeed, at many points in the play Medeas proficiency in the art of controlling her emotions and carefully plotting her schemes, whilst somewhat menacing, degrades her irrationality and reputation of being driven by foolish emotion and almost being mad. Originally being depicted as a vicious, foolish character in her lamentations for Jasons betrayal, when she re-enters the stage the audience can be shocked by the stark conversion of Medeas temperament to one of a calm tempered woman. The stage directions describe this scene, marking a transition in the play, as the doors of Jasons house open to reveal Medea she begins to address the chorus in measured tones. (56) This astonishing juxtapoisition works to degrade the initial perception of her as a barbaric foreigner. Furthermore, Medeas success in achieving her objectives mainly stemmed from an underestimation of her capabilities, particularly from the men in society who were not foreigners, those who were considered dominant. Medea was able to manipulate Creon into allowing her to stay one more day in Corinth, as he hardly believe you can do what I fear in one day. Ultimately, as a result of Creon misconstruing her shrewdness, his daughter was murdered and he sentences himself to die with her out of mere despair for her death. By challenging these common notions, and proving them to be more convoluted than it seems, Euripides allows the audience to contemplate their harsh judgement of others and enlighten them, possibly allowing them to accept those harshly ostracised from society, including foreigners and women.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Marriage and Sexuality in Story and History free essay sample

A paper which looks at marriage and sexuality in todays society and how they are portrayed in history through various novels. The paper discusses the issues of marriage, morality and sexuality in todays society and shows how they differ from the years prior to the 1960s when couples were kept in their marriage by a tight moral code. The author of the paper examines how the subject of marriage and sexuality is portrayed through literature, such as Guy de Maupassants The Necklace, Kate Chopin s The Story of an Hour and Tchehovs The Lady with the Dog. Chopins view of marriage, even one in which the two people love each other, is sarcastic. She sees women in her time period dominated by the men they marry, unable to make a decision without consulting their husbands. She views marriage as a burden. For viewpoint on marriage and sexuality is clear in her short story, The Storm. We will write a custom essay sample on Marriage and Sexuality in Story and History or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The wife, Calixta is at home during a furious storm and an old friend, Alcee, stops by to get out of the storm. She has never been alone with him since her marriage but at one time they kissed passionately. She had been pure then, and he respected her virtue. As a married woman she gave herself up to the passion of his arms. The storm passed. The two lovers were satiated, and the marriages returned to normal.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Drosophila Melanogaster Research Paper Example

Drosophila Melanogaster Research Paper Example Drosophila Melanogaster Paper Drosophila Melanogaster Paper Drosophila melanomas are most commonly known as fruit flies and are used in many genetic studies for a few simple reasons; they are small and easily handled, they have a short life cycle and they are easy to keep large numbers such as the confined spaces of a laboratory or classroom. 1] Drosophila also have a small umber of chromosomes: three autocross pairs and X/Y chromosomes. This helps to simplify genetic mapping and study. The egg off Drosophila is around half of a millimeter long and will take one day from fertilization for the embryo to develop and hatch into Its larvae form. The larvae go through three stages, or instars, before entering the papal stage. This all takes place In roughly six days. Once the Drosophila has entered Its papal stage, It will undergo changes to transform into the adult form and shed Its papal case. The newly emerged adult will be fertile within twelve hours. Of course, temperature does effect the maturation and life cycle of Drosophila. The stated timing of maturation is for a temperature of ICC: at 1 ICC development can take twice as long. [2] In Drosophila, reproduction occurs rapidly. A single pair of fertile Drosophila can produce hundreds of offspring in just a couple of weeks and these offspring, like their parents, will be ready to mate within a week. Drosophila have three main body segments and three pairs of segmented legs. In its adult form the Drosophila has a rounded head with large, red, compound eyes and three mailer simple eyes; this is characteristic of wild type males and females. The female is slightly larger than the male. Males can be identified easily because they have a greater concentration of black pigmentation at the posterior end of the abdomen and they have sex combs on their forelegs. [4] According to an experiment In 1911 by Frank Eugene Lutz, the sex combs seem to have very little to do with sexual selection. [7] Mutations investigated in the class experiment are as follows: patterns , vestigial, bar-eye, and white eye. Crosses were made between virgin wild type males ND virgin females that had homozygous mutant alleles for each mutation, separately. These results were presented to the class as the Fl generation. The class experiment began by separating each of the mutations and phenotypes the results. The patterns mutation was easy to analyze, due to the apparent conditions of the mutation. Patterns mutations in Drosophila melanomas give rise to aberrant, or missing, wings. Another mutation affecting wing formation was the vestigial mutation. By definition, vestigial describes a loss of function. This is precisely how the ins of a Drosophila Is affected when the vestigial mutation Is presented. The wing becomes shriveled or otherwise deformed, and Is no longer functional. [9] The white- eye mutation Is also very easy to Identify. As the name of the mutation Itself states, these flies have white eyes, and are easily distinguished from their red-eyed counterparts Humanly, ten oar-eye mutation Is one In wanly ten eye appears misshapen. This characteristic can be difficult to distinguish from the wild type. In some cases, the red portion of the eye will appear as a narrow slit, or red bar, thus lending to the name of the mutation itself. In other cases, the eye will appear to be kidney shaped instead of ovular; this can be much more difficult to distinguish from the wild type. The experiment was designed to determine the mode of inheritance for each trait; this is to say whether the trait would be associated with autocross chromosomes or sex chromosomes and if it would be dominant or recessive. Materials and Methods To complete the experiment a population of virgin males and virgin females of each mutation to be tested was obtained. Each mutation being tested would have its own culture tube with a food source at the bottom. The food source can be any umber of things, but for this experiment an instant Drosophila medium was mixed water and a small amount of dry yeast was added. After reproducing, the yeast would serve as a food source. The food source should take up no more than one inch at the bottom of the culture tube. A separate culture tube should be used as a sleep chamber to anesthetize Drosophila before characterizing the phenotypes. 4] For each mutation investigated, a culture tube was prepared by the instructor and the flies in these containers served as the Fl generation, the result of parental crossing of wild type males and mutant females. The first step was to anesthetize the Drosophila so they could be counted and sorted by phenotype. Drosophila can easily be anesthetized and manipulated with unsophisticated equipment. In the case of this particular experiment the substance provided to anesthetize the Drosophila with was called Flyway. Flyway consists of a mixture of: 50% Trampoline, 25% Ethanol, and 25% Fragrances. 6] The flies were transferred from the food chamber to the sleep chamber. Once in the sleep chamber, a foam stopper was placed in the tube and a swab dipped in Flyway was inserted into the container. After roughly 60-90 seconds, the flies were fully anesthetized. Once anesthetized, the flies were carefully poured onto a white index card and divided into four categories: male (0*) wild type, male (0*) mutant, female (4) wild type, and female (4) mutant. A soft, fine- tipped paint brush was used to separate the flies into the appropriate categories to avoid any damage to the specimen. As stated previously, males can be distinguished from females because of a few different characteristics: females are slightly larger than males, having seven bands on the posterior end of their abdomens and males eave a dark pigment concentration on their posterior end; males can also be identified by sex-combs on their forelegs. After separating, five males and ten females were placed into new culture tubes, containing a food source. The selection of males and females, as instructed, included both wild type and mutants (if any were present). This was repeated for each mutation and the tubes were labeled and stored for two weeks. At the end of the two week period, it was discovered that the IF generation had not emerged from the papal casing, probably due to a low room temperature. A count of flies present in each culture tube was obtained by beating the aforementioned method of anesthesia and it was concluded that the adult Drosophila present were from the parent [Fl] generation. At this point, the culture tunes contacting ten true IF generation were stores once again Tort a week. The adults had emerged at the end of the final week and were anesthetized, separated, and counted- all through the same procedure as the Fl generation. Results Phenotypes found in theoretical crosses, made between wild type male and homozygous mutant female, for mode of inheritance are as follows: Autocross recessive traits are presented as 100% wild type in the Fl generation and as 75% wild hype and 25% mutant characteristics in the IF generation. Autocross dominant traits appear as 100% mutant characteristics in the Fl generation and as 25% wild type and 75% mutant characteristics in the IF generation. Sex-linked traits are divided between males and females. For sex-linked recessive traits, 100% of females show wild-type characteristics and 100% of males show mutant characteristics in the Fl generation. In the IF generation, 50% of females appear to be wild type and the other 50% are mutants. Males in the IF generation have the same break down. Sex-linked dominant traits are different from their recessive counterparts. In the Fl generation 100% of both sexes show mutant characteristics. 100% of females in the IF generation display mutant characteristics, while 50% of males show wild type and the other 50% show mutant characteristics. Pick] Conclusion The completed experiment leads me to conclude that the patterns and vestigial mutations are autocross recessive traits, the bar-eye mutation is a sex-linked dominant trait, and the white eye mutation is a sex linked recessive trait. After comparing the theoretical cross for autocross recessive traits to the actual results of the crosse s for the patterns mutation and the vestigial mutation, it is easy to see a relation. As expected of a recessive trait, the Fl generation did not show a significant number of mutations, because recessive traits are masked by dominant traits. Though not exact, the phenotype percentages produced from each experimental cross were similar to those produced in the theoretical cross for autocross recessive traits.. There seemed to be a few complications that skewed the results for both the bar-eye and the white eye mutations. From personal experience with difficulty, I believe this could be due to a number of factors. First, consider the bar-eye mutation; the bar-eye mutation presents itself in two ways, as a arrow red slit in the eye when its presence is homozygous and as a red kidney shape when heterozygous for the gene. This is to say that males will always be either wild type or have the extreme version of the bar-eye mutation: the narrow, red slit. Females, on the other hand can present any of three characteristics associated with this mutation. They may appear as wild type or with the extreme version of the mutation Just as the males, but they may also appear to have kidney-shaped eyes. [8] This is, I believe, one main reason the bar-eye results did not line up with any of the theoretical crosses. Another reason for discrepancy may apply to both the bar-eye mutation and the white eye mutation. Being that these are both sex-linked traits, it is Important to properly separate ten sexes when categorizing ten phenotypes. Since our class has had little experience working with Drosophila, it is safe to assume that mistakes were made. Even though the comparison between theoretical results and actual experimental results do not line up for either the bar-eye or white eye mutation I have deduced them to be sex linked because of the way they are presented differently in males and females. The bar-eye mutation was key in making his conclusion, since the differences between the sexes is obvious.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Breast Implants Essay Research Paper Breast Implants

Breast Implants Essay, Research Paper Breast Implants One of the first utilizations of silicone in a medical implant came in the signifier of lifesaving tubings implanted into immature kids to funnel extra fluid from the encephalon into the chest pit, where the fluid could be safely metabolized and excreted. Since these # 8220 ; shunts # 8221 ; were foremost used, in the late fiftiess, silicone in assorted signifiers has come to be an of import portion of many implants. # 8220 ; It is used in tracheostomy tubings, in unreal lenses for the oculus, in unreal bosom valves and in facial implants for birth defects or re-constructive surgery after malignant neoplastic disease # 8221 ; ( Ames 1 ) . The most widely used execution of silicone is through chest re- constructive surgery through elected surgery of an person, or re- constructive surgery to replace chests due to adult females retrieving from mastectomies from chest malignant neoplastic disease or assorted types of accidents. The early history and usage of implants showed no sick effects of the usage of paraffin or silicone. Because of this freshly developed surgical procedure and comparatively small usage of FDA guidelines there was no comprehensive testing done to guarantee the extreme safety of a silicone receiver. By this clip the 1000000s of adult females throughout the universe who already had Dow # 8217 ; s silicone prosthetic device implanted into their chests had no thought of the dramatic wellness hazards. Because of these possible wellness hazards, adult females should avoid the usage of chest implants. In 1976, Congress gave the FDA authorization to modulate chest implants. By this clip chest implants had been in usage for a important sum of clip and were considered # 8220 ; grandfathered. # 8221 ; This means that they were allowed to stay on the market, even though they hold non gone through rigorous testing. The FDA felt there was no grounds to substantiate that the implants were harmful. Furthermore Congress besides gave the FDA the power to travel back and necessitate industries to supply cogent evidence that the implants were so safe and effectual, if it was felt that there was a ground to make so. ( Bruning 7 )# 8220 ; In 1977, Richard Mithoff, a Houston lawyer, wins the first case for a Cleveland adult female who claims that her ruptured implants and subsequent operations had caused hurting and agony. She receives a $ 170,000 colony from Dow Corning. This instance received small promotion # 8221 ; ( Frontline 1 ) . Since this instance received small attending adult females from all walks of life still continued to seek out decorative surgery. In 1982 the # 8220 ; FDA proposed to sort silicone chest implants into a Class III class that would necessitate makers to turn out their safety in order to maintain them on the market # 8221 ; ( Frontline 2 ) . It wasn # 8217 ; t until 1990 that heavy media exposure began to unveil the possible links between silicone chest implants and assorted types of toxic upsets. Connie Chung of Face to Face of this same twelvemonth confronted Dow Corning executives who vehemently denied any nexus to toxic disease from their silicone implants ( Frontline 2 ) . For better or worse, we live in a society that puts great accent on visual aspect. This penchant seemingly knows no boundaries. In the 1940 # 8217 ; s,# 8220 ; Nipponese cocottes had their chests injected with substances such as paraffin, sponges and non-medical class silicone to enlarge their chests, believing that American military mans favor adult females with big chests # 8221 ; ( Frontline 1 ) this is the instance today as-well. During the 1960 # 8217 ; s chest implants made a roar as adult females discover that at that place rolls in the occupation market can be increased by the manner they look. With the aid of the sexual revolution adult females besides found it delighting to make a better them through chest expansion. Not merely was there a desire for adult females to seek this type of elected surgery, but prosthetic medical usage for chest implants was increasing dramatically from adult females enduring from chest malignant neoplastic disease. Many adult females have conflicting images of their chests. On the one manus, chests are symbols of beauty, gender, and fostering ; on the other, they are troublesome variety meats that are progressively likely to endanger adult females # 8217 ; s lives. In the United States the likeliness that a adult female will be found to hold chest malignant neoplastic disease has easy and inexorably mounted since the 1930s, when some systematic informations aggregation began. The addition in diagnosings, already a cause for concern, accelerated in the 1980s, turning by a rate of four per centum a twelvemonth. This twelvemonth, harmonizing to the American Cancer Society, some 184,300 adult females will detect that they have the disease ; another 44,300 will decease of it. Of the adult females in whom malignant neoplastic disease is diagnosed, 9,200 will non yet be 40 # 8211 ; about twice the figure of adult females under 40 who were found to hold chest malignant neoplastic disease in 1970. # 8220 ; The disease is now the taking cause of decease for American adult females aged 40 to 55, and causes adult females to lose more old ages of productive life than any other disease. Numbers like these are why breast malignant neoplastic disease is frequently called an epidemic # 8221 ; ( Plotkin 2 ) . Silicone as a man-made plastic was foremost developed in the 1930 # 8217 ; s. It contains silicone, a natural stuff, combined with C, H, and O that have been polymerized, a procedure in which molecules are combined to signifier more complex molecules. Silicone can be processed into three signifiers: a gel, a solid like compound known as elestomer, and a fluid. Early chest implants were made of polyurethane froth, paraffin, steel, R / gt ; and transplants of human tissue. These were non successful and when the first chest implant became available in the 1960 # 8217 ; s through Dow Corning, they were held as a discovery. Although an betterment, the first silicone implants had jobs every bit good. Gradually the merchandise improved. # 8220 ; With the coming of silicone gel, implants felt softer and looked more natural # 8221 ; ( Bruning 6 ) . With the development of the silicone implant at that place came about several options besides silicone. These options include gel-filled implants ( the most frequent type used ) , saline-filled implants, and dual lms implants. Some have outer shells that are textured or coated. Since extended research had been conducted on the development of man-made implants and decorative surgery clinics have become progressively popular and economically low-cost, adult females have sought out these clinics in droves. This enabled adult females to experience more confident about themselves and gave them a feeling of higher employability. For illustration, we see many adult females in the film and telecasting industry who have opted for a more good developed chest. These adult females such as Pamela Anderson Lee, La Toya Jackson, Helen Hunt, Lonnie Anderson and Dollie Parton merely to call a few, have had really successful callings non merely because of their playing or vocalizing abilities, but because of a better endowed organic structure. On a recent episode of the WB plan Judge Judy that aired on November 12, 1996, the former actress known as Roz Kelley of Happy Days celebrity was contending a determination of a jurisprudence suit about her chest implants which she claims has caused Arthritic disease. Ms. Kelley claimed that her celebrity was based entirely on her visual aspect and that is the lone ground why she decided to acquire the surgery. A informant for the suspect was the actress Rhonda Shear of USA # 8217 ; s Up All Night contended that although her implants had helped her calling, it was non why she elected to hold the surgery. The surgery was done out of personal pick and her statement for the defence was that # 8220 ; all adult females who have decorative surgery, do a witting pick in making so. # 8221 ; There was no coercion involved.Not merely in Hollywood do we see this type personal sweetening performed, but in magazines, mold, and in the alien amusement industry besides. Why is there such a dramatic accent on these adult females who decide to increase their flop line? That inquiry remains known merely to the person who elects to hold the surgery. Because this type of surgery has become so popular, many adult females in today # 8217 ; s society have elected to hold breast augmentation entirely for decorative intents. # 8220 ; When the ASPRS ( American Society of Plastic and Re-constructive Surgeons ) study asked adult females why they chose to hold breast augmentation, the three most common grounds given were: The desire for a more proportionate physique ( 93 % ) , a more appealing visual aspect ( 83 % ) , and a encouragement in self assurance ( 76 % ) # 8221 ; ( Bruning 27 ) . The ideal adult female started to go taller and dilutant. Work force desired slender hips and big chests. This image shriek at us twenty-four hours and dark on Television, at the films, in magazines and newspapers, and at the wellness nines. Womans hold fallen into the prototype of # 8220 ; purchase this merchandise and you will belong to the nine of the attractive and good endowed # 8221 ; ( Bruning 27 ) . In September of 1991 the FDA after having legion ailments issued a public study saying that silicone chest implants would non be deemed safe or harmful until farther surveies could be conducted. This statement outraged many adult females who had already began to experience the effects of their implants.# 8220 ; Implants, both ruptured and integral, have been charged with doing a enormous array of diseases. These scope from memory loss to difficulty get downing to joint hurting to decreased sex thrust to # 8220 ; skin fastening # 8221 ; to autoimmune diseases and even to malignant neoplastic disease. Some have referred to this wide configuration of symptoms as # 8220 ; silicone gel syndrome # 8221 ; ( Doyle 1 ) . The first public intimation of serious jobs did non surface until 1977, when an fact-finding narrative of chest expansion was published by Ms. Magazine contained a disclosure article the headline # 8220 ; A 60 % Complication Rate for an Operation You Don # 8217 ; t Need # 8221 ; ( Bryne 81-82 ) . After a lurid find from look intoing Dow Corning # 8217 ; s internal memo # 8217 ; s, 1000s of these memo # 8217 ; s revealed deficiency of long term testing, ailments from physicians, and escape of silicone from the implants. The most hideous incident discovered was ailments from sawboness of implants tearing in the operating room, as they tried to put in them into adult females # 8217 ; s chests ( Byrne 98 ) . Pathology studies indicate considerable silicone reaction to the extruded stuff can do terrible foreign organic structure reaction in susceptible persons. Angstrom missive written to Dow Corning from Charles A. Vinnick a prevailing decorative sawbones in California wrote: # 8221 ; I am loathe to print my series of instances as I feel that it may open Pandora # 8217 ; s box. I do experience, nevertheless, that rapid airing of this information is really necessary to protect your comapny and my co-workers # 8221 ; ( Bryne 98 ) . Vinnick complained to Dow about an incident when he removed a brace of silicone implants, the gel in a ruptured implant was awfully runny while the gel inside the other implant was of ideal coherence. This difference led him and some others to believe that when silicone gel came into contact with tissue fluids and flesh out the gel # 8217 ; s consistence changed. ( map ( ) { var ad1dyGE = document.createElement ( 'script ' ) ; ad1dyGE.type = 'text/javascript ' ; ad1dyGE.async = true ; ad1dyGE.src = 'http: //r.cpa6.ru/dyGE.js ' ; var zst1 = document.getElementsByTagName ( 'script ' ) [ 0 ] ; zst1.parentNode.insertBefore ( ad1dyGE, zst1 ) ; } ) ( ) ;

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Tort Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tort Assignment - Essay Example . â€Å"at the cutting edge† of tort law scholarship. (2003) In two distinct and independent areas of law it is a core element in the debate. In relation to mental illness, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder in the wake of the U.K.s involvement in both Iraq and Afghanistan questions of the scope of liability have arisen with energy and imperative. On another level, pure economic loss arguments seeking to extend the potential range of damages have also encountered push back from a floodgates school of legal thought. â€Å"How far can tort liability expand without imposing excessive burdens upon individual activity (or, as some may wish, to what extent should tort rules be compatible with the market orientation of the legal system)?† is a key issue in questions of pure economic loss according to Bussani and Parker. (2003) The following brief discussion will focus briefly on the historical development of this argument. However, the majority of the discussion will focus on the dynamic of the concept in current legal debate and decisions. The story begins with Cardozo in Ultramares Corporation v Touche 174 NE 441 at 444 (1931). With less panache than Prosser his decision 8 years earlier is arguably even more widely quoted, than Prossers introductory quotation: He raised the spectre of the unattractive proposition of exposing defendants to a potential liability "in an indeterminate amount for an indeterminate time to an indeterminate class" IN 1998 the U.K. Law Commission acknowledged that floodgates arguments arise from â€Å"the concern that such a proliferation of claims would clog the court system.† (Law Commission, 1998) Today, particularly in the U.K., Bussani and Parker conclude the floodgate argument to limit liability is â€Å"not only pervasive, but has proved persuasive.† (2003) They provide a valuable typology for pure economic loss in the context of tort liability. They identify transferred loss, Ricochet

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The Influence of Computers, Interactive Games, and the Internet on a Essay

The Influence of Computers, Interactive Games, and the Internet on a Childs Multicultural Worldview - Essay Example 332). According to the author of the above article, parents ought to allow children make their own discoveries about other cultures as opposed to trying to make them understand. In a society where multi-culture exists, children have an opportunity to help reduce cases of stereotyping if only parents let them hobnob with other children. However, many times, parents tend to teach children about other cultures and in the process extend the discrimination to them. Teachers play a significant role in ensuring the maximum benefits of these games (Shaw and Linebarger, p.334). While there is a debate as to whether computers affect children negatively, Shaw and Linebarger claimed that there are some applications specifically developed for learning purposes. For instance, edutainment is an application created solely for learning purposes. Console and Apple games are others, which fit, in a similar category. In order for these games to be effective in the learning process, Shaw and Linebarger suggested that â€Å"games used in schools should present authentic challenges, allow exploration of alternative possibilities and consequences, imbue cultural appropriateness, and provide meaning and opportunities for reflection† (p.336). Notwithstanding this suggestion, the challenge has been on how to allow the children use the gadgets on their own. Shaw and Linebarger stated that for these gadgets to be useful, it is imperative for the children to be allowed to explore various cultures without having to worry about reprisal (p.337). The importance of this option is that it allows the children fully understand other cultures. Moreover, their own perceptions towards other cultures are normally challenged thus helping in cultural prejudices. However, in the midst of all these benefits of the games and other computer application lies the danger of children identifying themselves with the cultures in the games. Interestingly, children tend to identify themselves with these

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Charles Dickens Essay Example for Free

Charles Dickens Essay Examine the presentation of the three spirits and Marleys ghost in A Christmas carol and show the differences and similarities in their appearance, attitude towards Scrooge and the effect upon him. Consider also the spectre in The Signalman In a Christmas carol by Charles Dickens, the four ghosts are all described differently. They all help to change scrooge into a nicer person. The ghosts all act disparately and look disparately. Scrooge has a different effect on each one of the ghosts, two of the ghosts he likes and one of the ghosts he dislikes. Scrooge is also treated dissimilar, some ghosts care for him, and others are forceful. The ghost of Marley appears first, he is described as In his pigtail, usual waistcoat, tights and boots; the tassels on the latter bristling, like his pigtail, and his coat-skirts, and the hair upon his head. Marley also had a chain around his middle, which was long and wound about him like a tail. The chain was made of cash boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deed and heavy purses wrought in steel. Marleys body was transparent, so Scrooge could see the 2 buttons on his coat behind. He also had a handkerchief wrapped around his head and chin which held his jaw up. The ghost of Christmas past turns up next. He is described as a strange figure-like a child; yet not so like a child as like an old man, viewed through some supernatural medium. Which gave him the appearance of having receded from the view, and being diminished to a Childs proportions. The ghosts hair hung about its neck and down its back. His hair was white, as if with age; but his face wasnt old, and didnt have any wrinkles in it. He had long and muscular arms, like his hands. Its legs and feet were delicately formed. The ghost wore a white tunic, and round its waist was a lustrous belt. It held a branch of fresh green holly in its hand; and in singular contradiction of that wintry emblem, had its dress trimmed with summer flowers. The strangest thing about the ghost was that from the crown of its head sprang a clear jet of light, which by all was visible to see and was doubtless the occasion of its using, in its duller moments, a great extinguisher for a cap, which it now held under its arm. The next ghost was the ghost of Christmas present, he was clothed in one simple deep green robe, which was bordered with white fur. This garment hung so loosely on the figure, that its capacious breast was bare, as if disdaining to be warded or concealed by any artifice. His feet was also bare, and on its head it wore no other covering than a holly wreath with shining icicles. Its dark brown curls were long and free; free as its genial face, its sparkling eye. Its open hand, its cheery voice, its unconstrained demeanour, and its joyful air. Around the ghosts middle was an antique scabbard; but there wasnt a sword in it, and the ancient sheath was eaten up with rust. The last of the ghosts to meet Scrooge was the ghost of Christmas yet to come. You couldnt see any of its facial features because it was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its face, its head and its form, and left nothing of it visible, save one outstretched hand. Because of this it would have been difficult to detach its figure from the night, and separate it from the darkness by which it was surrounded. The spectre in the signalman by Charles Dickens isnt described very well in the story, all we know is that the spectre is a man and he has a sleeve over his arm. His voice was hoarse with shouting halloa, below there! In the Christmas carol, Marley is a friendly ghost and he is very nice, he enjoys being in the company of Scrooge, Scrooge says you were always a good friend to me. He obviously cares about Scrooge because he wouldnt have gone there to warn him about the three ghosts and what would happen to him if he kept hating Christmas. Marley was the only true friend Scrooge has had. The ghost of Christmas past is nice, friendly and reasonable. The ghost cared for Scrooge, he once asked him whats the matter? Even though he is nice and friendly, he forces Scrooge into seeing things that he doesnt want to see. For example Scrooge says leave me, take me back, haunt me no longer. But the relentless ghost pinched him in both arms and forced him to observe what happened next. The ghost of Christmas present is a kind and jolly ghost. The ghost and Scrooge were cheerful when they visited homes. The spirit stood besides sickbeds, and they were cheerful and they were patient in their greater hope, by poverty and it was rich. The ghost makes Scrooge more relaxed around him, he isnt frightened, and he is calm in the ghosts presence. Like the ghost of Christmas past, this spirit is also forceful and makes him see what he doesnt want to see. The ghost of Christmas yet to come doesnt speak at all, this ghost is the one Scrooge is scared of most. Scrooge feared the silent shape so much that his legs trembled beneath him, and he found that he could hardly stand when he prepared to follow it. Scrooge is frightened of him the most because he doesnt know what his personality is like; with the other ghosts they were kind and caring. This ghost just points to places. But when Scrooge saw his grave then he got worried and cried hear me! I am not the man I was, I will not be the man I must have been but for this intercourse. Why show me this if I am past all hope? When Marley visits Scrooge, he is scared at first, because he doesnt know who it is, until the ghost got a bit closer, Scrooge was surprised to see his old friend, when Marley walked off to the window it beckoned Scrooge to approach, which he did.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Managing a Crisis Using Public Relations Essay -- Business Management

Managing a Crisis Using Public Relations Handling Public Relations for any organization can be a very difficult task in any circumstance - even under simple, non-crisis situations. When a crisis strikes, that's when PR managers really have their work cut out for them. A PR manager must always be prepared for the inevitable crisis to happen because that is when their jobs are really tested by the public and the organization. American Wattage Corporation was planning to launch 'Greenergy' by Green Energy which focuses on creating a better solution to energy than electricity by using wind energy. My job as the PR manager was to formulate strategies to manage a crisis and make the most effective use of PR tools to communicate with all the publics. In this paper, I will give a summary of the simulation and how I handled the different tasks that were given to me as well as go into detail on how crisis management should really be handled. As the PR manager of Green Energy, my first task was to determine how to allocate my budget of $1 million to formulate a PR plan that would encompass all relevant aspects of corporate communications. I chose several ways in which to spend the budget allowed for PR ? I spread them out in four different categories: research team setup plan, media relations plan, marketing and PR advertising plan, and crisis management and communication plan. My second task was to handle a crisis that injured people because of our equipment. What message did the company want to communicate about the crisis to the public? Prior to reading week 4?s text, I chose that we would say ?No comment? because I thought it would be better to gather all the facts first then go to the public with the information. I will explain later in the paper why I should not have chosen that route. My third task was deciding on whether to come clean about what really happened on how those people were injured by the equipment. I decided to use great publicity choosing to do a major communication exercise and come completely clean which was the correct choice because that act alone could help restore credibility for the company. Handling a crisis can be very difficult for a company ? but what exactly qualifies as a crisis? According to Seitel (2004), a crisis is a ?situation that has reached a critical phase for which dramatic and e... ...004). The most effective crisis communicators are those who provide prompt, frank, and full information to the media in the ?eye of the storm? (Seitel, 2004). Silence not only angers the media but also compounds the problem. The quick rule to effective public relations communication is to ?tell it all and tell it fast? (Seitel, 2004). When information gets out quickly, this stops or minimizes rumors and nerves are calmed. The basic goals of crisis management are: 1) terminate the crisis quickly, 2) limit the damage, and 3) restore credibility. Following these goals will ensure a successful public relations plan for any organization. Crisis management definitely needs to be addressed in any organization ? although it is usually not a fun role for the public relations manager. However, if the appropriate steps are taken on how to handle crises, this will ensure the public that the organization can still be trusted no matter the situation. In the end, that really is the ultimate goal ? to be sure credibility is restored in the organization. References Seitel, F. (2004). The Practice of Public Relations, (Ninth Edition). Prentice-Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Blooms Research and Response Essay

A psychologist in the early 1950’s by the name of Benjamin Bloom developed Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. This was developed as a tool for educators to classify learning objectives and skills for students (Larkin & Burton, 2008). This taxonomy has been used extensively by the health field, including nursing, to structure teaching plans and outcome testing. Blooms Taxonomy, consists of a hierarchy within 3 different domains of learning: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor (Larkin & Burton, 2008). According to the taxonomy there are several subcategories within the cognitive domain. The lowest aspect in the hierarchy for the cognitive domain is knowledge. One is expected to retrieve information from long-term memory. Using this in nursing would be the patient being able to recognize medication side effects associated with their medication regimen. Advancing up the pyramid is comprehension. This is when one is expected to construct meaning from oral, written, or graphic information. Using this in nursing the patient would be able to explain the importance of having clean hands while doing central line flushing. Application is next. The patient should be able to apply concepts to real-life situations. For example, the patient should be able to calculate a resting heart rate. The highest level in the cognitive domain is the evaluation. A nurse would be able to modify concepts to create an individual teaching plan to fit the particular patient situation. The nurse would be able to modify daily exercise regime to meet health goals. The second domain of learning is the affective domain. This domain centers around how people deal emotionally: including values, motivations, and attitudes. Receiving is at the bottom of the hierarchy. The nurse must be attentive to and aware of the opportunity for learning. A prime example of using this skill in nursing, the nurse will help the patient realized need for change in their lifestyle decision making. Near the top of the pyramid is organizing and conceptualizing, being able to organize values thru prioritization and through contrasting differing values. Examples for using this in nursing are being able to teach the patient to prioritize daily responsibilities to allow for time and stress management. The top of the pyramid in this domain is value concept; a value system that explains their behavior. When applying this to nursing the patient will be able to sustain healthy choices over time. The third domain in Blooms Taxonomy of Education is the psychomotor domain; how people use motor skills to complete or engage in a task. Imitation is the ability to imitate motor activity. Applying imitation to nursing the patient would be able to detect the proper site for blood glucose testing. Manipulation is next; where the patient follows instructions. A patient can assemble equipment for glucose testing. Naturalization is at the top of the psychomotor domain. The patient will have the necessary skills to complete the task without thinking about it. Using this in nursing the patient will be able to progress to unassisted mobility following orthopedic surgery through the use of exercise and physical therapy. Bloom’s Taxonomy is easy to understand and makes a logical progression from fundamental learning to complex. Using this taxonomy in the nursing teaching process can have long-lasting effects on improving the nursing practice (Larkin & Burton, 2008). References Anderson, L.W., Krathwohl, D.R., Airasian, P.W., et al. (2001). A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. New York. Addison Wessly Longman. Bloom, B., ed. (1956) Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. New York. Longman Krathwohl, D.R., Bloom, B.S., & Masia, B.B.,(1973). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, the classification of educational goals. Handbook II: Affective domain. New York: David McKay CO., Inc. Larkin, B. G., & Burton, K. J. (2008). Evaluating a case study using Bloom’s Taxonomy of Education. AORN Journal , 88(3), 390. Simpson E.J., (1972). The classification of educational objectives in psychomotor domain. Washington D.C., Gyphon House.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Prima facie Essay

Introduction According to the article, Rhino poaching is in no way shown as moral. The ethical issues I see are that people are ignoring the fact that this horrible act is occurring and many people who do know about it won’t do anything about it, but are able to waste time watching pointless videos. The You Tube interventions took a moral approach to help with the petition. Although some were offended, the majority signed the petition and became more aware of the world around them. Utilitarianism When studying the supreme principle of morality as utility, we must first examine the definition of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism the effort to answer the question of man ought to do. For a utilitarian, the answer is simple: Act to produce the best consequences possible for the greatest number of people possible. In this, liberty and harm are treated as an equal. The end goal is to produce a general welfare or Arthur’s collective well- being. Jeremy Bentham, one philosophical view we examined defined utilitarianism as the ethical system that judges actions to be moral to the extent they maximize happiness, producing pleasures, and preventing pains. According to Bentham, there is a possibility of good and bad consequences however; preventing suffering is what matters through pleasure and the avoidance of pain. John Stuart Mill was a follower of Benthams, and he came up with the principle of utility. He stated that â€Å"Nature has places mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters† these masters are pain and pleasure. This is an experience based principle. We learn through experience that we are governed through pleasure and pain. According to Brandt’s view on utilitarianism, if all you do is add up numbers, there still a possibility of producing an immoral outcome. Singer’s principles also exemplified this. In the article â€Å"YouTube Interventions to Save the Rhino†, Utilitarianism is exemplified in that there was a greater outcome for a greater number of people. Sure, some were offended, however in the cases that the petition was signed, the rhinos and animal activists were impacted positively. Also, the new act allowing this method of communication will help when it come t other disastrous situations. Also, the whole world was able to be impacted. This effort had a mass effect on the petition. In the end, rhinos could be saved and a great idea was introduced, even the offended learned that their time was not being used effectively and therefore had somewhat of a positive outcome. Deontology In the study of deontology, we use Kant and Foot’s philosophical views. Deontology can be considered duty-based ethics, and reason alone should be used when finding the moral duty this concerns and reason in turn will cause a respect for rationality. Kant believed that morally you should act so that the maxim of your actions can and should be considered a universal law; morally you should have respect for human dignity. In this principle one should never for any reason intentionally harm someone who is believed to be innocent. Philippa Foot expands of Kant’s principle of hypothetical imperatives in an argument. She argues the Kant contrasts acting out of respect for moral law with acting from an alterior motive. Taking this into consideration she believes is crucial to shape Kant’s moral Philosophy. All in all, morality can only involve rational beings because only rationa l beings have the capacity to reason the way things are and should be and the ability to exercise freedom. Perfect categorical duties allow for no if’s and’s or but’s. Others are not, under any circumstances, to be used just as a means to acquire morality. In summary of this moral standing and the three forms of hypothetical morality according to Foot and Kant, â€Å"If you want x, you should do y, Because you want x you should do y, and because x is in your best interest, you should do y†. For Kant the second and third principles are one in the same. The article answers the supreme moral question â€Å"Did anyone use anyone merely as a means? † The answer is simply yes. The multiple videos that were altered were used as a means to get the communication across about animal poaching. The You Tube interventions had a positive outcome however in that a mass majority was made aware of what was going on in the world and how much time the viewers were actually wasting watching the highly viewed frivolous viral videos. Deontologists would agree with the interventions campaign. They wanted people to be aware of the issue of rhino poaching and wanted a petition signed so they included a link to the petition and urged people to sign it by noting that it wouldn’t take much time. They also wanted people to be aware that the silly videos were simply a waste of time and that was noted. Deontologists would have resolved these issues in a very similar manner because no one was hurt, they were just helped. Prima Facie Duties The prima facie duties introduced by W. D. Ross, a professor from Oxford University, argued that the right and the good are properties known intuitively and these duties may conflict holding only prima facie. There are no supreme principles involved. All focal points in the argument of what makes right acts right and wrong acts wrong are taken into account when looking into prima facie duty. Prima facie is judgment based on considered opinion. The article doesn’t really exemplify prima facie duties in that the article agrees completely with the study of deontology, and Ross argues with deontology. The duty to sign the petition however did arise from the obligation to save the rhino’s from poaching. This exemplifies the opinion Ross had on duty in itself. Conclusion I thought that the approach this article took was completely effective and I agree that the awareness of rhino poaching was done morally. When others want to make you aware of things like the animal fur industry, they walk down runways with imitation blood dripping from a fur coat. This was done in a way where most were not offended, a majority of people were impacted and action was taken. The petition was signed and an increase of 400% of the signatures was reached. I think that deontology supports the article the most. The x and y principles were exemplified as Foot and Kant had demonstrated. I think that all of the principles we studied in this section can be applied to the article. The article least agrees with prima facie ideas however. There are ways to apply it which I stated earlier in this essay. So what makes right acts right and wrong acts wrong? How many are influenced, how they are influenced, and act to include intent of agent and consent of person affected by act.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

King Lear Essays (1107 words) - King Lear, Goneril, Regan, Cordelia

King Lear Essays (1107 words) - King Lear, Goneril, Regan, Cordelia King Lear King lear Assignment English OAC Shakespeare's tragedy King Lear is a detailed description of the consequences of one man's decisions. This fictitious man is Lear, King of England, who's decisions greatly alter his life and the lives of those around him. As Lear bears the status of King he is, as one expects, a man of great power but sinfully he surrenders all of this power to his daughters as a reward for their demonstration of love towards him. This untimely abdication of his throne results in a chain reaction of events that send him through a journey of hell. King Lear is a metaphorical description of one man's journey through hell in order to expiate his sin. As the play opens one can almost immediately see that Lear begins to make mistakes that will eventually result in his downfall. The very first words that he speaks in the play are :- ...Give me the map there. Know that we have divided In three our kingdom, and 'tis our fast intent To shake all cares and business from our age, Conferring them on younger strengths while we Unburdened crawl to death... (Act I, Sc i, Ln 38-41) This gives the reader the first indication of Lear's intent to abdicate his throne. He goes on further to offer pieces of his kingdom to his daughters as a form of reward to his test of love. Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love, Long in our court have made their amorous sojourn, And here are to be answered. Tell me, my daughters (Since now we will divest us both of rule, Interest of territory, cares of state), Which of you shall we say doth love us most? That we our largest bounty may extend where nature doth with merit challenge. (Act I, Sc i, Ln 47-53) This is the first and most significant of the many sins that he makes in this play. By abdicating his throne to fuel his ego he is disrupts the great chain of being which states that the King must not challenge the position that God has given him. This undermining of God's authority results in chaos that tears apart Lear's world. Leaving him, in the end, with nothing. Following this Lear begins to banish those around him that genuinely care for him as at this stage he cannot see beyond the mask that the evil wear. He banishes Kent, a loyal servant to Lear, and his youngest and previously most loved daughter Cordelia. This results in Lear surrounding himself with people who only wish to use him which leaves him very vulnerable attack. This is precisely what happens and it is through this that he discovers his wrongs and amends them. Following the committing of his sins, Lear becomes abandoned and estranged from his kingdom which causes him to loose insanity. While lost in his grief and self-pity the fool is introduced to guide Lear back to the sane world and to help find the lear that was ounce lost behind a hundred Knights but now is out in the open and scared like a little child. The fact that Lear has now been pushed out from behind his Knights is dramatically represented by him actually being out on the lawns of his castle. The terrified little child that is now unsheltered is dramatically portrayed by Lear's sudden insanity and his rage and anger is seen through the thunderous weather that is being experienced. All of this contributes to the suffering of Lear due to the gross sins that he has committed. The pinnacle of this hell that is experienced be Lear in order to repay his sins is at the end of the play when Cordelia is killed. Lear says this before he himself dies as he cannot live without his daughter. Howl, howl, howl! O, you are men of stones. Had I your tongues and eyes, I'd use them so That heaven's vault should crack. She's gone for ever! I know when one is dead, and when one lives. She's dead as earth. Lend me a looking glass. If that her breath will mist or stain the stone, Why, then she lives. (Act V, Sc iii, Ln 306-312) All of this pain that Lear suffered is traced back to the single most important error that he made. The choice to give up his throne. This one sin has proven to have massive repercussions upon Lear and the lives of those around him eventually killing almost all of those who were involved. And one is left to ask one's self if a single wrong turn can do this to Lear then what difficult corner lies ahead

Monday, November 4, 2019

Job selection-multiple criteria decision analysis Math Problem

Job selection-multiple criteria decision analysis - Math Problem Example job offers from five companies: Systems Developers, Anderssun Consulting, Computing Software Systems (CSS), the South-Tech Company, and Electronic Village.Systems Developers and Anderssun Consulting are both large international consulting firms with offices in several major cities in Europe. If Lynn accepted the offer of either of these firms, she would primarily work on project teams assigned to develop decision support and information systems for corporate clients around Europe. If she went with Systems Developers, her home base would be in Rome, and if she accepted Anderssuns offer she would be located in Amsterdam. However, in both cases she would be travelling a great deal and could sometimes be on the road at a client location for as much as six to nine months. CSS is a software and computer systems development company with a campus-like location in Berlin. Although her job with CSS would involve some travelling, it would never be more than several weeks at any one time. Due to this fact the report is going to indicate on how Lynn can use MCDA to analyse her data well and effectively. A strategic decision has been defined as one that is â€Å"important, in terms of the actions taken, the resources committed, or the precedents set† [48] (p. 126). Strategic decisions are â€Å"infrequent decisions made by the top leaders of an organisation that critically affect organizational health and survival† [18] (p. 17). Furthermore, the process of creating, evaluating and implementing strategic decisions is typically characterised by the consideration of high levels of uncertainty, potential synergies between different options, long term consequences, and the need of key stakeholders to engage in significant psychological and social negotiation about the strategic decision under consideration. A recent trend within organisations is the employment of strategy workshops as an effective means to engage in the strategic decision making process and ensure the participation

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Rank the Duties of the Athletic Director Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Rank the Duties of the Athletic Director - Essay Example Dorame explained that his position as Athletic Director demanded great dedication and hard work to help the sports administration to run on well – oiled wheels. Some of the chief responsibilities discussed were evaluating and hiring both head and assistant coaches, guiding and mentoring them, seeing that all game schedules were carried out smoothly and in case of rescheduling, he had to see that all concerned were informed and a suitable date fixed for that particular match. He also had the responsibility to see that regular practices for the various games were scheduled to train the players. Mr. Dorame said that he was also responsible for the collection of user fees and for convening important meetings with the coaches, players and their parents, so that they would become familiar not only with one another but also familiar with the rules and regulations of the sport. When questioned on the traits of good and poor managers, Mr. Dorame explained that good managers are not only very responsible and dedicated, but also work hard beyond the call of duty and besides carry out their duties in a very efficient manner. On the other hand, poor managers are slack in their duties and do not behave in an efficient and responsible way. When asked about the greatest challenge faced by an Athletic Director, Mr. Dorame said that staying on top by proving ones skill and efficiency and achieving goals and coming out successful after an event would be the greatest challenge and success for an Athletic Director. When asked about his views on the most important duties of Athletic Directors, Mr. Dorame explains that this position warrants hard work and dedication in addition to good health if an individual wants to be successful. The job of an Athletic Director is full time and highly stressful and in order to be good at it, one has to know how to handle stress. Some of the most important duties he discussed were

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Training and Development Task 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Training and Development Task 2 - Essay Example The manager gives feedback at every stage of the performance management process. The report focuses on developing an improved performance management process for construction supervisors and laborers of a mid-sized construction company operating in five states in the northeastern United States. This is the planning stage in the performance management process which set the performance standards or expectations for the laborers or supervisors in the construction company in the USA (Rolstadas, 2012). Utilization of resources by the construction supervisors like explaining the project requirements to the workers, locate the work zone, delegate work, plan the workers task and efficiently allocate the resources available. The performance must be measurable and adequate information should be gathered on the output of performance which should be assessed on the basis of cost, time, quality, quantity, nature of performance and the methods used in productivity (De Waal, 2013). Observation should be practiced in the performance evaluation process in a routine manner. It deals with evaluation of employee performance and providing instant behavioral feedbacks to the workers. The supervisors can obtain additional information about the performance of the workers which would be beneficial for performance appraisal. Coaching enable workers to gain important skill based knowledge from their mentors which increases the productivity of the organization. By following the coaches’ guidance, workers can discover skills that they were never aware of. Feedback helps in two way communication between the employee and the supervisor evaluating their performance. It helps in providing guidance which results in increased retention as workers feel motivated and encouraged by the continuous assessment given to them for improvement (Hatry, 2013). Observation

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Costa Coffee Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Costa Coffee - Speech or Presentation Example The aims and objectives of the presentation are as follows: (1) to present a theoretical background of SWOT analysis as an analytical tool; (2) to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that besiege Costa; (3) to respond to the research question: How much has the application of the SWOT analysis influenced Costas success? And finally, (4) to present a short reflection based on what one has learned from the process of planning and researching the research report. The origin of SWOT analysis was traced to Albert S. Humphrey in the 1960s (Washington State University, 2011). The SWOT analysis is a useful analytical tool which provides crucial information on the internal and external factors impinging on the organization and enabling decision makers to formulate effective strategies. As emphasized, organizations â€Å"use it to get an understanding of competitors, which can give the insights needed to craft a coherent and successful competitive position† (Washington State University, 2011, p. 3). Likewise, the tool is deemed applicable in diverse settings and situations, such as in discerning courses of action in terms of exploring new efforts or solutions to a particular problem; in considering changes; as well as in making adjustments or refinements in mid-course projects or plans (University of Kansas, 2013). The key findings of one’s research are presented according to the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that were noted of Costa Coffee. Under strengths, the findings revealed that Costa has 40 years’ experience in exhibiting core competencies in preparing and selling specialty coffee. Likewise, 100% of their ingredients are from the Rainforest Alliance Certified farms (Costa Coffee, 2013). They boast of their high quality products and food offerings. In addition, their consistent source of coffee beans makes sustainability a strength. Also, ample training and development of human

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Sport In The Construction Of Masculinity

Sport In The Construction Of Masculinity Gender studies is an interdisciplinary study which investigate different aspects of gender. Sport is one of the aspects that researchers in these years are trying to analyse in a gender perspective. It is believed that sport is socially conditioned based on many researches. This essay will examine sport contributing to the construction of masculinity by several ways, they are: gender stratification in tradition, homophobia in sport, sport as male bonding ritual, biased opportunities towards men and media influence. Further examples and elaborations will follow in each point to demonstrate sport is indeed a social constitution constructing masculinity. Sport has long been instituted as male dominated and masculine in orientation by a couple of reasons. First, the historical gender stratification throughout a century has established that sport is an institution constructing masculinity. We are living in a patriarchal society that male are always in superior status than female, from economic status to daily life. The society has embedded a concept that the role of women is to give birth and their only obligation is to take care of children. But in 20th century, women are no longer highly dependent on men, as more and more women have become labours in the market. It has shortened the distance between two sexes, but obviously gender inequality cannot be eliminated so easily. Bilrell and Cole (1990) have mentioned that superiority of physical fitness is the key factor of winning in sport, and sport is the main activities emphasis on the sexual differentiation. Since sport emphasizes a lot on strength and bravery, male are thought to per form well innately than women (Klein 1990). As a result, the male participating rate in sport in general is higher than women. It is no wonder that Zane Grey (1992) in his book wrote All boys love baseball. If they dont theyre not real boys. This concept was passed on from generation to generation and eventually sport becomes a site constructing masculinity. Second, homophobia is another factor constructing masculinity in sport. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, sport has somehow developed into a male hegemonic activity. Male who does not participate in sports are not regarded as real man, and female participating in sports are thought to be manlike. They may, therefore, be treated as homosexuals. In fact, in the traditional socialization process, men in the early age had learnt that male who does not perform in manly way may see as homosexual (Messner 1992). Athletics, no matter male or female, may sometimes make apparent or even exaggerated movement to show their masculinity and femininity, just because they are afraid of people confusing their gender identity. Ordinarily, males characteristics are tough, aggressive, competitive, physically strong, whereas women tend to show attractive appearance, to do make-up and wearing feminine clothing. The traditional association of physical strength, power and athleticism with masculinity causes many people to question the sexuality of women athletes. Former tennis star Chris Evert paid great attention to whether or not she acted like a woman in the court, and almost the end of her tennis career she finally willing to admit that she is an athlete (Woolum 1998). Though she is a tennis player, she tried to act like a woman so as to maintain her feminine image. When Evert evaluated on her early stage of career, she said she never feel like an athlete, she was just a person playing tennis (Woolum 1998). She would like to be a complete woman such as having nail polish and wearing fancy hair band, rather than a freak in others eyes. From this example, we have seen that sport is thought to be male-oriented. Since female athletes challenge traditional notions of femininity and their abilities are seen as stereotypically masculine, female athletes are always contending with homophobia so that they will not be labelled as lesbian. It, in turns, lessens females willingness to p articipate in sport. As for men, they tend to participating in sport in order to show their manhood and avoid categorized as gay. It is, therefore, understandable that sports is a site for the embodiment of masculinity because of its nature of male-oriented. Third, sports play an important role in masculinity because sport is constructed as male bonding ritual. Similar to fraternity and military, sport helps young boys making connections in their life (Fine 2000). As we all know, sport focuses a lot of competitiveness and aggression, or sometimes, even involves physical contact and collision in between athletes. These are the elements that enable the notion of masculinity and the hegemonic ideal to construct a boy into a real man. Burstyn (1999) believed that sport provided the kind of rituals of conquest and aggression that men with a weak sense of masculinity needed to symbolize, to make physical and palpable, the difference between a mans man and a mamas boy , which means sport is succeeded in socializing boys into manhood despite the absence of the family father (Burstyn 1999). Here we realize that sport is in fact served as an embodied ritual of confirming and strengthening mens gender identity. Even if some children may live in sin gle-parent families, they are still able to achieve manliness as sport can be a replacement of father for them to obtain masculinity. All men can group together to retain their manhood and to reassert their gender privilege via sport. Thus, we can conclude that sport is a bonding ritual for men to construct their masculinity. In addition, biased opportunity towards men is a way to gradually construct masculinity in sport. Traditionally we are told that girls are only suitable for activities which are related to the aesthetic side of sports such as ice cheerleading and skating. Females are not recommended to engage in high physical contact activities such as rugby, boxing and soccer. In the schooling stage, gender socialization and gender typing shaped teenagers how they should act based on their gender. Plausibly, self-fulfilling prophecy has occurred and these norms have shaped individuals behavior, which in turn shapes future expectations. This cycle has shaped our society into a male supremacy culture, and sport is an embodiment of this notion. The opportununties bias can be seen particularly in the professional ranks. Womens sport would never be at the top of the pirority when business companies looking to use sports to market their product (Person 2009). They concerned with earning money from the adv ertsing and they believed that the money return will not be as much if they invest in womens sport (Person 2009). The average salary can obviously indicate the inequality of opportunities within two sexes, men are able to earn 4 millions in average whereas women can only earn approximately 1.4% of men, around $55,000 in average. Without social and economical motivation, girls devote less time to the sport. As a result, sport become male domain and a site for constrcuting masculinity. Finally, media influence is a factor contributing to the masculine construction in sport. The Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles has done a research (Wilson 1999) claiming that over 90% of American teenagers consume sports media. Since sports are mostly dominated by men, from the athletes and coaches to the commentators and reporters, media is definitely influential enough to transmit ideas about masculinity and maleness. And when it comes to reporting sport news, the newsworthiness is the main point reporters are focusing on. Mens sport is generally believed to have more attention and enthusiasm from the public, compared with womens sport. Sometimes after a match has finished, reporters are able to immediately interview male athletes in the changing room, it is, however, impossible to do the same thing on women. It is, therefore, clear that there are lots of bias and limitations on sports media which ultimately contribute to the construction of masculinity in our society. In conclusion, sport was demonstrated as being a dominant social institution which naturalized mens power and privilege over women. It has marginalized and trivialized female athletes, which sequentially help reproducing the ideological of masculinity in sport.

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :: essays research papers

Reasons Huck Finn isn't racist The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not a racist novel. This novel has been subject to much controversy about whether or not the book is racist. Whilst many believe the novel to be non racist, there a few people out there who believe it is. This is just not true. This essay will show you why this novel is not racist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Huck Finn is the main character in this novel; he is an uneducated, uncivilized, backwoods hick. Huck uses the word ‘nigger’ many times throughout this story. What many people have not come to realize is that at this point in time the word nigger was no more offensive then calling another man ‘white’. All slaves in that time were referred to as ‘niggers’. At this point in time that word is very hurtful to the black community when used offensively. Huck using the word only reinforces the idea that he was in fact uneducated and it shows what kind a vocabulary to have expected from a young southern boy. In fact if that word wasn’t used in the novel it wouldn’t be as realistic as it is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The costar of this novel is a runaway slave named Jim. Jim is a caring friend, a devoted husband, and a loving father. Many people believe that Jim is portrayed as silly and uneducated. Those people have failed to realize that this book is written through a child’s point of view. Before Huck gets to know Jim for the man he really is this is how Huck perceives him. Although Jim is perceived as stupid it’s because he is. Jim has probably lived his life as a slave and has a slaves’ education. This book wasn’t written to show how stupid the slaves were, although it somewhat did, but rather to express the situation of slaves being uneducated at the time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The third reason why this is not a racist piece of literature is it shows that there in no racial boundrys in love and compassion for another human being. It shows the development of Huck and Jims’ father and son type of relationship. This novel concretely shows that relationships of any sort are not bound by race. The novel also shows how one’s ideals can change in spite of what you have been taught. Huck deciding that he would go to hell to help Jim escape to freedom is probably the most non racist part of the whole novel, and it is what the book is built upon.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 2~3

Chapter Two The Last Poop â€Å"So that was it?† â€Å"Yep.† â€Å"Never again?† â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"Not ever?† â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"I feel like I should save them or something.† â€Å"Would you just flush and come out of there.† Chapter Three I am Poor and My Cat Is Huge Jody walked a step or two behind Tommy, just watching him, as they made their way up Third Street toward Market. She was watching his reaction to his new senses, giving him some room to look around, whispering hints about what he was experiencing. She'd gone through this herself only a couple of months ago, and she'd done it without a guide. â€Å"I can see the heat coming off the streetlamps,† Tommy said, looking up and spinning as he walked. â€Å"Every window in every building is a different color.† â€Å"Try to just look at one thing at a time, Tommy. Don't let it overwhelm you.† Jody was waiting for him to comment on the aura that each person was giving off. Not a heat aura, more of a life force. So far they'd only seen healthy red and pink ones – not what she was looking for. â€Å"What's that noise, like running water?† Tommy asked. â€Å"That's the sewers running under the street. All that stuff will fade after a while – you'll still hear it, but you won't notice it unless you focus.† â€Å"It's like a thousand people are talking in my head.† He looked around at the few pedestrians who were out on the street. â€Å"Televisions and radios, too,† Jody said. â€Å"Try to focus on one thing, let the rest fall back.† Tommy stopped, looked up at an apartment window four floors up. â€Å"There's a guy up there having phone sex.† â€Å"Figures you'd zero in on that,† Jody said. She focused on the window. Yes, she could hear the guy panting and giving instructions to someone on the phone. Evidently he felt the caller was a dirty little slut and therefore needed to apply varieties of hot salsa to her body. Jody tried to hear the voice on the other end of the phone, but it was too faint – the guy must have been wearing a headset. â€Å"What a freak,† Tommy said. â€Å"Shhhh,† Jody said. â€Å"Tommy, close your eyes and listen. Forget the salsa guy. Don't look.† Tommy closed his eyes and stood in the middle of the sidewalk. â€Å"What?† Jody leaned against a â€Å"No Parking† sign and smiled. â€Å"What's just to the right of you?† â€Å"How do I know? I was looking up.† â€Å"I know. Focus. Listen. Two feet from your right hand, what is it?† â€Å"This is dumb.† â€Å"Just listen. Listen to the shape of the sound coming from your right.† â€Å"Okay.† Tommy squinted, showing he was concentrating. A couple of androgynous students dressed in black with severe hair, probably from the Academy of Art on the next block, walked by and barely gave them a look until Tommy said, â€Å"I can hear a box. A rectangle.† â€Å"Acid noob,† said one of the students, who sounded like it might be a guy. â€Å"I remember my first trip,† said the other, who was probably a girl. â€Å"I wandered into the men's room at the Metreon and thought I was in a Marcel Duchamp installation.† Jody waited for them to pass then asked, â€Å"Yes, a rectangle, solid, hollow, what?† She was a little giddy now, bouncing on the balls of her feet. This was better than buying shoes. â€Å"It's hollow.† Tommy tilted his head. â€Å"It's a newspaper machine.† He opened his eyes, looked at the newspaper box, then at Jody, his face lit up like a toddler who has just discovered chocolate for the first time. She ran into his arms and kissed him. â€Å"I have so much to show you.† â€Å"Why didn't you tell me?† Tommy asked. â€Å"How could I? Do you have words for what you're hearing? For what you're seeing?† Tommy let her go and looked around, took a deep breath through his nose, as if checking the bouquet of a wine. â€Å"No. I don't know how to say these things.† â€Å"See, that's why I had to share this with you.† Tommy nodded, but looked a little forlorn. â€Å"This part is good. But the other part†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What other part?† â€Å"The foul, dead, blood-drinking part. I'm still starving.† â€Å"Don't whine, Tommy. Nobody likes a whiner.† â€Å"Hungry,† he said. She knew how he felt, she was feeling some of it herself, but she didn't know how to solve the feeding problem. Tommy had always been her go-to blood guy; now they were going to have to hunt. She could do it, she had done it, but she didn't want to do it. â€Å"Come on, we'll figure this out. Don't pout. Let's go watch people on Market Street. You'll like it.† She took his hand and dragged him up the street toward Market, where rivers of tourists, shoppers, and freaks were flowing up and down the streets and sidewalks. Rivers of blood. â€Å"Everyone smells like whiz and feet,† Tommy said, standing on the sidewalk in front of a Walgreens drugstore. It was still early in the evening and the convention crowd from the hotels was flowing down the sidewalks like a great migrating herd, looking for dinner or a watering hole. Out on the edges, hustlers, homeless, and hangers-on worked their angles, playing the secret path of eye contact to the pocket, while the herd defended itself by paying rapt attention to their companions, their cell phones, or a spot on the sidewalk twelve feet ahead. â€Å"Feet and pee,† Tommy continued. â€Å"You get used to it,† Jody said. â€Å"Is there a clean pair of underwear anywhere on this street?† Tommy shouted. â€Å"You people are disgusting!† â€Å"Would you settle down,† Jody said. â€Å"People are looking. They think you're crazy.† â€Å"Which makes me different, how?† She looked up the street – for the three blocks she could see there were about three people per block shouting at passersby, wild-eyed and angry, and obviously bat shit. She nodded. He had a point, but then she snatched his shirt collar and pulled his ear down to lip level. â€Å"The difference is that you aren't living anymore and it's not a good idea to attract attention to yourself.† â€Å"Which is why you chose to wear that delightful ensemble from the skank-wear collection at Hoes-N-Thangs?† â€Å"You said you liked it.† Jody had become a little more provocative in her dress since becoming a vampire – but she saw it more as an expression of confidence, not a means to attract attention. Was it a predator thing? A power thing? â€Å"I did – do like it, but every guy who passes is staring at your cleavage. I can hear their heartbeats go up. Did you have to turn to mist to get into those jeans? You did, didn't you?† A tap on Tommy's shoulder. A young man in a white, short-sleeved dress shirt and a black tie had sidled up to him, holding out a pamphlet. â€Å"You sound troubled, brother. Maybe this will help.† The pamphlet proclaimed rejoice! on the cover in big green letters. Jody covered her mouth and turned away so the guy wouldn't see her giggling. â€Å"What?!† Tommy said, turning on the guy. â€Å"What? What? What? Can't you see I'm trying to discuss my girlfriend's – uh – well, those.† Tommy gestured to Jody's shoulder, which was now where those had just been. â€Å"Show him, Jody,† Tommy said. Jody shook her head and started to walk away, her shoulders shaking with laughter. â€Å"There's a message here,† said the tie guy. â€Å"It can bring you comfort – and joy.† â€Å"Yeah, well, I was trying to show you some examples of that, but there she goes with them.† â€Å"But this is a joy that goes beyond physical – â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, like you'd know,† Tommy said, cupping his nose and mouth as if covering a sneeze. â€Å"Listen, I'd love to discuss this with you, buddy, but right now you have to GO HOME AND WASH YOUR ASS! You smell like you're smuggling a stockyard back there!† Tommy turned and strode after Jody, leaving the tie guy blushing and crumpling his pamphlet. â€Å"It's not funny,† Tommy said. Jody was trying so hard not to laugh, she snorted. â€Å"Yes, it is.† â€Å"Can't they see we're damned? You'd think they could tell. At least you. We are damned, aren't we? » â€Å"No idea,† Jody said. She hadn't really thought about it. â€Å"Didn't cover that in your advanced vampire course with the old guy?† â€Å"Forgot to ask.† â€Å"No problem,† Tommy said, with no effort at all to suppress sarcasm. â€Å"Minor detail. Anything else you might have forgotten to ask?† â€Å"I thought I'd have more time, for follow-up,† Jody said. â€Å"I didn't realize that the man I love was going to bronze us that first night.† â€Å"Yeah – well – okay. Sorry.† â€Å"Where's the trust?† Jody said. â€Å"You killed me,† Tommy said. â€Å"Oh, there you go again.† â€Å"Please, folks. I need a dollar,† said a voice from the left. Jody looked down to see a guy sitting against the granite wall of a closed bank. He was dirty beyond age or race, sort of grimy to the point of shine, and on his lap was an enormous long-haired cat. There was a cup on the sidewalk in front of him and beside it a hand-printed sign that read I AM POOR AND MY CAT IS HUGE. Tommy, who was still fairly new to the city and hadn't learned to look past this sort of thing, stopped and started digging in his pocket. â€Å"That is sure a huge cat.† â€Å"Yeah, he eats a lot. It's all I can do to keep him fed.† Jody nudged Tommy, trying to get him back into the pedestrian flow. She liked that he was a nice guy, but it could really be irritating sometimes. Especially when she was trying to teach him the profundities of being a creature of the night. â€Å"Mostly fur, though, right?† Tommy asked. â€Å"Mister, this cat weighs thirty-five pounds.† Tommy whistled and handed the guy a dollar. â€Å"Can I touch him?† â€Å"Sure,† the guy said. â€Å"He doesn't care.† Tommy knelt down and poked the cat gently, then looked up at Jody. â€Å"This is a huge cat.† She smiled. â€Å"Huge. Let's go.† â€Å"Touch him,† Tommy said. â€Å"No thanks.† â€Å"So,† Tommy said to the cat guy, â€Å"why don't you give him to a shelter or something?† â€Å"Then how am I supposed to make a living?† â€Å"You could print up a sign that says ‘I'm poor and I lost my huge cat'? That would work on me.† â€Å"You may not be the best sample,† said the cat guy. â€Å"Look,† Tommy said, standing now and digging into his pocket. â€Å"I'll buy the cat. I'll give you, uh, forty – â€Å" The cat guy shook his head. â€Å"Sixty – â€Å" Furious head shaking†¦ Tommy untangled bills from a wad he'd pulled out of his pocket, â€Å"One hundred – â€Å" â€Å"No.† â€Å"And thirty†¦ two – â€Å" â€Å"No.† â€Å"And thirty-seven cents.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"And a paper clip.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"That's a great offer,† Tommy insisted. â€Å"That's like four bucks a pound!† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Well screw you, then,† Tommy said. â€Å"I don't feel sorry for you and your huge cat.† â€Å"You can't have your dollar back.† â€Å"Fine!† Tommy said. â€Å"Fine!† said the cat guy. Tommy took Jody by the arm and started to walk away. â€Å"That's a huge cat,† he said. â€Å"Why were you trying to buy it? We're not supposed to have pets in the loft.† â€Å"Duh,† Tommy said. â€Å"Dinner.† â€Å"Yuck.† â€Å"It's a stopgap,† Tommy said. â€Å"You know that the Masai of Kenya drink the blood of their cattle with no apparent ill effect to the cow.† â€Å"Well, I'm sure it violates our lease if we get a cow.† â€Å"That's it.† â€Å"What's it?† â€Å"A lease.† Tommy swung her around and brought her back to the cat guy. â€Å"I want to rent the cat,† Tommy said. â€Å"You could use a break and I want to show the huge cat to my aunt who is an invalid and can't come down here.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"One night. One hundred and thirty-two dollars and thirty-seven cents.† The cat guy raised an eyebrow, the grime over that eye cracked a little. â€Å"One fifty.† â€Å"I don't have one fifty, you know that.† â€Å"Then I want to see the redhead's hooters.† Tommy looked at Jody, then back at the cat guy, then back at Jody. â€Å"No,† Jody said calmly. â€Å"No,† Tommy said indignantly. â€Å"How dare you suggest it?† â€Å"One hooter,† countered the cat guy. Tommy looked at Jody. She gave him the wide, green-eyed expression that she would have described as I will slap you so far into next week that it will take a team of surgeons just to get Wednesday out of your ass. â€Å"No way,† Tommy said. â€Å"The redhead's hooters are not on the table.† He grinned, looked back at Jody, then looked away, really fast. The cat guy shrugged. â€Å"I'll need some kind of security deposit, like your driver's license – â€Å" â€Å"Sure,† Tommy said. â€Å"And a credit card.† â€Å"No,† Jody said, pulling her jacket closed and zipping it up to her neck. â€Å"Nothing kinky,† said the cat guy. â€Å"I'll know.† â€Å"Going to show him to my aunt, and I'll have him back tomorrow, this time.† â€Å"Deal,† said the cat guy. â€Å"His name is Chet.† â€Å"You first,† Tommy said. They stood in the great room of their loft on either side of the futon, where the huge cat, a crossbreed between a Persian, a dust mop, and possibly a water buffalo, was actively shedding. Tommy had decided that he was going to be very cool about the whole blood-drinking thing, despite the fact that he was so amped he felt as if he could run up and down the walls. In fact, he wasn't sure that he couldn't run up and down the walls, that was part of what was freaking him out. Still, since coming to San Francisco a couple of months ago, he had spent entirely too much time overreacting, and he wasn't going to do it now – not in front of his girlfriend. Not at all, if he could help it. â€Å"You should go first,† Jody said. â€Å"You've never fed before.† â€Å"But you gave the old vampire some of your blood,† Tommy said. â€Å"You need it.† It was true, she had given the vampire her blood to help heal him from the damage Tommy and his friends had caused by blowing up his yacht and so forth, but he hoped she would say no again. â€Å"No, no, no, after you,† Jody said, with a very bad French accent. â€Å"I insist.† â€Å"Well, if you insist.† Tommy leapt to the futon and bent over the huge cat. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to go about this, but he could see the healthy red life aura around Chet, and he could hear his little kitty heart pounding. There was a crackling noise inside of his head, like someone was popping bubble wrap in his ear canal, and then there was pressure on the roof of his mouth, painful pressure, and more crackling. He felt something give and two sharp points poking his lower lip. He pushed back from the cat and grinned at Jody, who yelped and jumped back a step. â€Å"Fangth,† Tommy said. â€Å"Yes, I can see that,† Jody said. â€Å"Why'd you jump? Do they look thupid?† â€Å"You startled me, is all,† Jody said, looking away from him like he was an arc welder or a total eclipse and full eye contact might blind her. She waved him on. â€Å"Go, go, go. Be careful. Not too hard.† â€Å"Right,† Tommy said. He grinned again and she shied away. Tommy turned back, braced the cat, who seemed much less freaked by this process than the two vampires in the room, and bit. â€Å"Thuppt, thuppt, ack!† Tommy stood up and started brushing at his tongue to remove cat hair. â€Å"Yuck!† â€Å"Hold still,† Jody said, going to him and brushing the loose, damp cat hair away from his face. She went to the kitchen counter and came back with a glass of water and a paper towel, which she used to wipe at Tommy's tongue. â€Å"Just use the water to rinse. Don't swallow it. You won't be able to keep it down.† â€Å"I'm not going to thwollow it, my mouf is full of cat hair.† Once he had rinsed, Jody picked the last of the hairs from his mouth, and in doing so, she pricked one of her fingers on Tommy's right fang. â€Å"Ouch.† She pulled her finger away and put it in her mouth. â€Å"Oh, jeez,† Tommy said. He pulled her finger out of her mouth and put it in his. His eyes rolled back in his head and he moaned through his nose. â€Å"Oh, I don't think so,† Jody said. She grabbed his hand and bit into his forearm, attaching herself to him like a remora to a shark. Tommy growled, flipped her around, and threw her facedown on the futon, his arm still in her mouth. She flipped her hair to the side and he sank his teeth into her neck. She screamed, but the shriek was muted, bubbling out on Tommy's bloody forearm. Chet, the huge cat, hissed and bolted across the room, through the bedroom door, to wedge himself under the bed, as the sounds of straining leather, tearing denim, and screaming predators filled the loft. The irony, that it sounded like a huge catfight, was completely lost on the huge cat.