Personal Experience Speech Essay

General Purpose: To inform Specific Purpose: To let the audience know how I dealt with losing my mother to drugs. Central Idea: My mother was raised by drug addict and alcoholic, left Israel for better life and still followed down the wrong path. INTRODUCTION I. Attention Material A. Do you know anyone who has lost their loved ones to drugs? B. Eight years ago I lost my mother to a long battle with drugs. II. Orienting Material A. There are more than 22 million Americans ages 12 and older addicted to drugs. B. When I lost my mother it not only affected my life but the lives of the people that surrounded us. BODY I. My mother was abandoned by her mother Israel. A.My mom tried to get a better life but drugs too powerful. B. My grandmother died year before I was born, my mom died year before my daughter born. II. I tried to help my mom the best I could. A. There are many programs available for addicts and the people who are affected. B. Be willing to let them know you love and support them. CONCLUSION I. Summary A. Drugs affect not only the user but the people surrounding them. B. When helping an addict you have to be willing to help them and not treat them as a child. They have a real problem. II. Clincher A. I always knew I would lose my mother one day but not as soon as I did. B. I pray every day that no one has to encounter the loss that my family has. My family is a blessing and so was my mother.

Bag of Bones CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

I reached for Ki with the part of my mind that had for the last few weeks known what she was wearing, what room of the trailer she was in, and what she was doing there. There was nothing, of course that link was also dissolved. I called for Jo I think I did but Jo was gone, too. I was on my own. God help me. God help us both. I could feel panic trying to descend and fought it off. I had to keep my mind clear. If I couldn't think, any chance Ki might still have would be lost. I walked rapidly back down the hall to the foyer, trying not to hear the sick voice in the back of my head, the one saying that Ki was lost already, dead already. I knew no such thing, couldn't know it now that the connection between us was broken. I looked down at the heap of books, then up at the door. The new tracks had come in this way and gone out this way, too. Lightning stroked the sky and thunder cracked. The wind was rising again. I went to the door, reached for the knob, then paused. Something was caught in the crack between the door and the jamb, something as fine and floaty as a strand of spider's silk. A single white hair. I looked at it with a sick lack of surprise. I should have known, of course, and if not for the strain I'd been under and the successive shocks of this terrible day, I would have known. It was all on the tape John had played for me that morning . . . a time that already seemed part of another man's life. For one thing, there was the time-check marking the point where John had hung up on her. Nine-forty A.M., Eastern Daylight, the robot voice had said, which meant that Rogette had been calling at six-forty in the morning . . . if, that was, she'd really been calling from Palm Springs. That was at least possible; had the oddity occurred to me while we were driving from the airport to Mattie's trailer, I would have told myself that there were no doubt insomniacs all over California who finished their East Coast business before the sun had hauled itself fully over the horizon, and good for them. But there was something else that couldn't be explained away so easily. At one point John had ejected the tape. He did it because, he said, I'd gone as white as a sheet instead of looking amused. I had told him to go on and play the rest; it had just surprised me to hear her again. The quality of her voice. Christ, the reproduction is good. Except it was really the boys in the basement who had reacted to John's tape; my subconscious co-conspirators. And it hadn't been her voice that had scared them badly enough to turn my face white. The underhum had done that. The characteristic underhum you always got on TR calls, both those you made and those you received. Rogette Whitmore had never left TR-90 at all. If my failing to realize that this morning cost Ki Devore her life this afternoon, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I told God that over and over as I went plunging down the railroad-tie steps again, running into the face of a revitalized storm. It's a blue-eyed wonder I didn't go flying right off the embankment. Half my swimming float had grounded there, and perhaps I could have impaled myself on its splintered boards and died like a vampire writhing on a stake. What a pleasant thought that was. Running isn't good for people near panic; it's like scratching poison ivy. By the time I had thrown my arm around one of the pines at the foot of the steps to check my progress, I was on the edge of losing all coherent thought. Ki's name was beating in my head again, so loudly there wasn't room for much else. Then a stroke of lightning leaped out of the sky to my right and knocked the last three feet of trunk out from beneath a huge old spruce which had probably been here when Sara and Kito were still alive. If I'd been looking directly at it I would have been blinded; even with my head turned three-quarters away, the stroke left a huge blue swatch like the aftermath of a gigantic camera flash floating in front of my eyes. There was a grinding, juddering sound as two hundred feet of blue spruce toppled into the lake, sending up a long curtain of spray, which seemed to hang between the gray sky and gray water. The stump was on fire in the rain, burning like a witch's hat. It had the effect of a slap, clearing my head and giving me one final chance to use my brain. I took a breath and forced myself to do just that. Why had I come down here in the first place? Why did I think Rogette had brought Kyra toward the lake, where I had just been, instead of carrying her away from me, up the driveway to Lane Forty-two? Don't be stupid. She came down here because The Street's the way back to Warrington's, and Warrington's is where she's been, all by herself, ever since she sent the boss's body back to California in his private jet. She had sneaked into the house while I was under Jo's studio, finding the tin box in the belly of the owl and studying that scrap of genealogy. She would have taken Ki then if I'd given her the chance, but I didn't. I came hurrying back, afraid something was wrong, afraid someone might be trying to get hold of the kid Had Rogette awakened her? Had Ki seen her and tried to warn me before drifting off again? Was that what had brought me in such a hurry? Maybe. I'd still been in the zone then, we'd still been linked then. Rogette had certainly been in the house when I came back. She might even have been in the north-bedroom closet and peering at me through the crack. Part of me had known it, too. Part of me had felt her, felt something that was not-Sara. Then I'd left again. Grabbed the carry-bag from Slips ‘n Greens and come down here. Turned right, turned north. Toward the birch, the rock, the bag of bones. I'd done what I had to do, and while I was doing it, Rogette carried Kyra down the railroad-tie steps behind me and turned left on The Street. Turned south toward Warrington's. With a sinking feeling deep in my belly, I realized I had probably heard Ki . . . might even have seen her. That bird peeking timidly out from cover during the lull had been no bird. Ki was awake by then, Ki had seen me perhaps had seen Jo, as well and tried to call out. She had managed just that one little peep before Rogette had covered her mouth. How long ago had that been? It seemed like forever, but I had an idea it hadn't been long at all less than five minutes, maybe. But it doesn't take long to drown a child. The image of Kito's bare arm sticking straight out of the water tried to come back the hand at the end of it opening and closing, opening and closing, as if it were trying to breathe for the lungs that couldn't and I pushed it away. I also suppressed the urge to simply sprint in the direction of Warrington's. Panic would take me for sure if I did that. In all the years since her death I had never longed for Jo with the bitter intensity I felt then. But she was gone; there wasn't even a whisper of her. With no one to depend on but myself, I started south along the tree-littered Street, skirting the blowdowns where I could, crawling under them if they blocked my way entirely, taking the noisy branch-breaking course over the top only as a last resort. As I went I issued what I imagine are all the standard prayers in such a situation, but none of them seemed to get past the image of Rogette Whitmore's face rising in my mind. Her screaming, merciless face. I remember thinking This is the outdoor version of the Ghost House. Certainly the woods seemed haunted to me as I struggled along: trees only loosened in the first grand blow were falling by the score in this follow-up cap of wind and rain. The noise was like great crunching footfalls, and I didn't need to worry about the noise my own feet were making. When I passed the Batchelders' camp, a circular prefab construction sitting on an outcrop of rock like a hat on a footstool, I saw that the entire roof had been bashed flat by a hemlock. Half a mile south of Sara I saw one of Ki's white hair ribbons lying in the path. I picked it up, thinking how much that red edging looked like blood. Then I stuffed it into my pocket and went on. Five minutes later I came to an old moss-caked pine that had fallen across the path; it was still connected to its stump by a stretched and bent network of splinters, and squalled like a line of rusty hinges as the surging water lifted and dropped what had been its upper twenty or thirty feet, now floating in the lake. There was space to crawl under, and when I dropped to my knees I saw other knee-tracks, just beginning to fill with water. I saw something else: the second hair ribbon. I tucked it into my pocket with the first. I was halfway under the pine when I heard another tree go over, this one much closer. The sound was followed by a scream not pain or fear but surprised anger. Then, even over the hiss of the rain and the wind, I could hear Rogette's voice: ‘Come back! Don't go out there, it's dangerous!' I squirmed the rest of the way under the tree, barely feeling the stump of a branch which tore a groove in my lower back, got to my feet, and sprinted along the path. If the fallen trees I came to were small, I hurdled them without slowing down. If they were bigger, I scrabbled over with no thought to where they might claw or dig in. Thunder whacked. There was a brilliant stroke of lightning, and in its glare I saw gray barnboard through the trees. On the day I'd first seen Rogette I'd only been able to catch glimpses of Warrington's lodge, but now the forest had been torn open like an old garment this area would be years recovering. The lodge's rear half had been pretty well demolished by a pair of huge trees that seemed to have fallen together. They had crossed like a knife and fork on a diner's plate and lay on the ruins in a shaggy X. Ki's voice, rising over the storm only because it was shrill with terror: ‘Go away! I don't want you, white nana! Go away!' It was horrible to hear the terror in her voice, but wonderful to hear her voice at all. About forty feet from where Rogette's shout had frozen me in place, one more tree lay across the path. Rogette herself stood on the far side of it, holding a hand out to Ki. The hand was dripping blood, but I hardly noticed. It was Kyra I noticed. The dock running between The Street and The Sunset Bar was a long one seventy feet at least, perhaps a hundred. Long enough so that on a pretty summer evening you could stroll it hand-in-hand with your date or your lover and make a memory. The storm hadn't torn it away not yet but the wind had twisted it like a ribbon. I remember newsreel footage at some childhood Saturday matinee, film of a suspension bridge dancing in a hurricane, and that was what the dock between Warring-ton's and The Sunset Bar looked like. It jounced up and down in the surging water, groaning in all its slatted joints like a wooden accordion. There had been a rail presumably to guide those who'd made a heavy night of it safely back to shore but it was gone now. K yra was halfway out along this swaying, dipping length of wood. I could see at least three rectangles of blackness between the shore and where she stood, places where boards had snapped off. From beneath the dock came the disturbed clung-clung-clung of the empty steel drums that were holding it up. Several of these drums had come unanchored and were floating away. Ki had her arms stretched out for balance like a tightrope walker in the circus. The black Harley-Davidson tee-shirt flapped around her knees and sunburned shoulders. ‘Come back!' Rogette cried. Her lank hair flew around her head; the shiny black raincoat she was wearing rippled. She was holding both hands out now, one bloody and one not. I had an idea Ki might have bitten her. ‘No, white nana!' Ki shook her head in wild negation and I wanted to tell her don't do that, Ki-bird, don't shake your head like that, very bad idea. She tottered, one arm pointed up at the sky and one down at the water so she looked for a moment like an airplane in a steep bank. If the dock had picked that moment to take a hard buck beneath her, Ki would have spilled off the side. She regained some precarious balance instead, although I thought I saw her bare feet slide a little on the slick boards. ‘Go away, white nana, I don't want you! Go . . . go take a nap, you look tired!' Ki didn't see me; all her attention was fixed on the white nana. The white nana didn't see me, either. I dropped to my belly and squirmed under the tree, pulling myself along with my clawed hands. Thunder rolled across the lake like a big mahogany ball, the sound echoing off the mountains. When I got to my knees again, I saw that Rogette was advancing slowly toward the shore end of the dock. For every step she took forward, Kyra took a shaky, dangerous step backward. Rogette was holding her good hand out, though for a moment I thought this one had begun to bleed as well. The stuff running through her bunchy fingers was too dark for blood, however, and when she began to talk, speaking in a hideous coaxing voice that made my skin crawl, I realized it was melting chocolate. ‘Let's play the game, Ki-bird,' Rogette cooed. ‘Do you want to start?' She took a step. Ki took a compensatory step backward, tottered, caught her balance. My heart stopped, then resumed racing. I closed the distance between myself and the woman as rapidly as I could, but I didn't run; I didn't want her to know a thing until she woke up. If she woke up. I didn't care if she did or not. Hell, if I could fracture the back of George Footman's skull with a hammer, I could certainly put a hurt on this horror. As I walked, I laced my hands together into one large fist. ‘No? Don't want to start? Too shy?' Rogette spoke in a sugary Romper Room voice that made me want to grind my teeth together. ‘All right, I'll start. Happy! What rhymes with happy, Ki-bird? Pappy . . . and nappy . . . you were taking a nappy, weren't you, when I came and woke you up. And lappy . . . would you want to come and sit on my lappy, Ki-bird? We'll feed each other chocolate, just like we used to . . . I'll tell you a new knock-knock joke . . . ‘ Another step. She had come to the edge of the dock. If she'd thought of it, she could simply have thrown rocks at Kyra as she had at me, thrown until she connected with one and knocked Ki into the lake. But I don't think she got even close to such a notion. Once crazy goes past a certain point, you're on a turnpike with no exit ramps. Rogette had other plans for Kyra. ‘Come on, Ki-Ki, play the game with white nana.' She held out the chocolate again, gooey Hershey's Kisses dripping through crumpled foil. Kyra's eyes shifted, and at last she saw me. I shook my head, trying to tell her to be quiet, but it was no good an expression of joyous relief crossed her face. She cried out my name, and I saw Rogette's shoulders go up in surprise. I ran the last dozen feet, raising my joined hands like a club, but I slipped a little on the wet ground at the crucial moment and Rogette made a kind of ducking cringe. Instead of striking her at the back of the neck as I'd meant to, my joined hands only glanced off her shoulder. She staggered, went to one knee, and was up again almost at once. Her eyes were like little blue arc-lamps, spitting rage instead of electricity. ‘You!' she said, hissing the word over the top of her tongue, turning it into the sound of some ancient curse: Heeyuuuu! Behind us Kyra screamed my name, stagger-dancing on the wet wood and waving her arms in an effort to keep from falling in the lake. Water slopped onto the deck and ran over her small bare feet. ‘Hold on, Ki!' I called back. Rogette saw my attention shift and took her chance she spun and ran out onto the dock. I sprang after her, grabbed her by the hair, and it came off in my hand. All of it. I stood there at the edge of the surging lake with her mat of white hair dangling from my fist like a scalp. Rogette looked over her shoulder, snarling, an ancient bald gnome in the rain, and I thought It's him, it's Devore, he never died at all, somehow he and the woman swapped identities, she was the one who committed suicide, it was her body that went back to California on the jet Even as she turned the other way again and began to run toward Ki, I knew better. It was Rogette, all right, but she'd come by that hideous resemblance honestly. Whatever was wrong with her had done more than make her hair fall out; it had aged her as well. Seventy, I'd thought, but that had to be at least ten years beyond the actual mark. I've known a lot of folks name their kids alike, Mrs M. had told me. They think it's cute. Max Devore must have thought so, too, because he had named a son Roger and his daughter Rogette. Perhaps she'd come by the Whitmore part honestly she might have been married in her younger years but once the wig was gone, her antecedents were beyond argument. The woman tottering along the wet dock to finish the job was Kyra's aunt. Ki began to back up rapidly, making no effort to be careful and pick her footing. She was going into the drink; there was no way she could stay up. But before she could fall, a wave slapped the dock between them at a place where some of the barrels had come loose and the slatted walkway was already partly submerged. Foamy water flew up and began to twist into one of those helix shapes I had seen before. Rogette stopped ankle-deep in the water sloshing over the dock, and I stopped about twelve feet behind her. The shape solidified, and even before I could make out the face I recognized the baggy shorts with their fading swirls of color and the smock top. Only Kmart sells smock tops of such perfect shapelessness; I think it may be a federal law. It was Mattie. A grave gray Mattie, looking at Rogette with grave gray eyes. Rogette raised her hands, tottered, tried to turn. At that moment a wave surged under the dock, making it rise and then drop like an amusement-park ride. Rogette went over the side. Beyond her, beyond the water-shape in the rain, I could see Ki sprawling on the porch of The Sunset Bar. That last heave had flipped her to temporary safety like a human tiddlywink. Mattie was looking at me, her lips moving, her eyes on mine. I had been able to tell what Jo was saying, but this time I had no idea. I tried with all my might, but I couldn't make it out. ‘Mommy! Mommy!' The figure didn't so much turn as revolve; it didn't actually seem to be there below the hem of the long shorts. It moved up the dock to the bar, where Ki was now standing with her arms held out. Something grabbed at my foot. I looked down and saw a drowning apparition in the surging water. Dark eyes stared up at me from beneath the bald skull. Rogette was coughing water from between lips that were as purple as plums. Her free hand waved weakly up at me. The fingers opened . . . and closed. Opened . . . and closed. I dropped to one knee and took it. It clamped over mine like a steel claw and she yanked, trying to pull me in with her. The purple lips peeled back from yellow toothpegs like those in Sara's skull. And yes I thought that this time Rogette was the one laughing. I rocked on my haunches and yanked her up. I didn't think about it; it was pure instinct. I had her by at least a hundred pounds, and three quarters of her came out of the lake like a gigantic, freakish trout. She screamed, darted her head forward, and buried her teeth in my wrist. The pain was immediate and enormous. I jerked my arm up even higher and then brought it down, not thinking about hurting her, wanting only to rid myself of that weasel's mouth. Another wave hit the half-submerged dock as I did. Its rising, splintered edge impaled Rogette's descending face. One eye popped; a dripping yellow splinter ran up her nose like a dagger; the scant skin of her forehead split, snapping away from the bone like two suddenly released windowshades. Then the lake pulled her away. I saw the torn topography of her face a moment longer, upturned into the torrential rain, wet and as pale as the light from a fluorescent bar. Then she rolled over, her black vinyl raincoat swirling around her li ke a shroud. What I saw when I looked back toward The Sunset Bar was another glimpse under the skin of this world, but one far different from the face of Sara in the Green Lady or the snarling, half-glimpsed shape of the Outsider. Kyra stood on the wide wooden porch in front of the bar amid a litter of overturned wicker furniture. In front of her was a waterspout in which I could still see very faintly the fading shape of a woman. She was on her knees, holding her arms out. They tried to embrace. Ki's arms went through Mattie and came out dripping. ‘Mommy, I can't get you!' The woman in the water was speaking I could see her lips moving. Ki looked at her, rapt. Then, for just a moment Mattie turned to me. Our eyes met, and hers were made of the lake. They were Dark Score, which was here long before I came and will remain long after I am gone. I put my hands to my mouth, kissed my palms, and held them out to her. Shimmery hands went up, as if to catch those kisses. ‘Mommy don't go!' Kyra screamed, and flung her arms around the figure. She was immediately drenched and backed away with her eyes squinched shut, coughing. There was no longer a woman with her; there was only water running across the boards and dripping through the cracks to rejoin the lake, which comes up from deep springs far below, from the fissures in the rock which underlies the TR and all this part of our world. Moving carefully, doing my own balancing act, I made my way out along the wavering dock to The Sunset Bar. When I got there I took Kyra in my arms. She hugged me tight, shivering fiercely against me. I could hear the small dicecup rattle of her teeth and smell the lake in her hair. ‘Mattie came,' she said. ‘I know. I saw her.' ‘Mattie made the white nana go away.' ‘I saw that, too. Be very still now, Ki. We're going back to solid ground, but you can't move around a lot. If you do, we'll end up swimming.' She was good as gold. When we were on The Street again and I tried to put her down, she clung to my neck fiercely. That was okay with me. I thought of taking her into Warrington's, but didn't. There would be towels in there, probably dry clothes as well, but I had an idea there might also be a bathtub full of warm water waiting in there. Besides, the rain was slackening again and this time the sky looked lighter in the west. ‘What did Mattie tell you, hon?' I asked as we walked north along The Street. Ki would let me put her down so we could crawl under the downed trees we came to, but raised her arms to be picked up again on the far side of each. ‘To be a good girl and not be sad. But I am sad. I'm very sad.' She began to cry, and I stroked her wet hair. By the time we got to the railroad-tie steps she had cried herself out . . . and over the mountains in the west, I could see one small but very brilliant wedge of blue. ‘All the woods fell down,' Ki said, looking around. Her eyes were very wide. ‘Well . . . not all, but a lot of them, I guess.' Halfway up the steps I paused, puffing and seriously winded. I didn't ask Ki if I could put her down, though. I didn't want to put her down. I just wanted to catch my breath. ‘Mike?' ‘What, doll?' ‘Mattie told me something else.' ‘What?' ‘Can I whisper?' ‘If you want to, sure.' Ki leaned close, put her lips to my ear, and whispered. I listened. When she was done I nodded, kissed her cheek, shifted her to the other hip, and carried her the rest of the way up to the house. ‘T'wasn't the stawm of the century, chummy, and don't you go thinkin that it was. Nossir. So said the old-timers who sat in front of the big Army medics' tent that served as the Lakeview General that late summer and fall. A huge elm had toppled across Route 68 and bashed the store in like a Saltines box. Adding injury to insult, the elm had carried a bunch of spitting live lines with it. They ignited propane from a ruptured tank, and the whole thing went kaboom. The tent was a pretty good warm-weather substitute, though, and folks on the TR took to saying they was going down to the MASH for bread and beer this because you could still see a faded red cross on both sides of the tent's roof. The old-timers sat along one canvas wall in folding chairs, waving to other old-timers when they went pooting by in their rusty old-timer cars (all certified old-timers own either Fords or Chevys, so I'm well on my way in that regard), swapping their undershirts for flannels as the days began to cool toward cider season and spud-digging, watching the township start to rebuild itself around them. And as they watched they talked about the ice storm of the past winter, the one that knocked out lights and splintered a million trees between Kittery and Fort Kent; they talked about the cyclones that touched down in August of 1985; they talked about the sleet hurricane of 1927. Now there was some stawms, they said. There was some stawms, by Gorry. I'm sure they've got a point, and I don't argue with them you rarely win an argument with a genuine Yankee old-timer, never if it's about the weather but for me the storm of July 21, 1998, will always be the storm. And I know a little girl who feels the same. She may live until 2100, given all the benefits of modern medicine, but I think that for Kyra Elizabeth Devore that will always be the storm. The one where her dead mother came to her dressed in the lake. The first vehicle to come down my driveway didn't arrive until almost six o'clock. It turned out to be not a Castle County police car but a yellow bucket-loader with flashing yellow lights on top of the cab and a guy in a Central Maine Power Company slicker working the controls. The guy in the other seat was a cop, though was in fact Norris Ridgewick, the County Sheriff himself. And he came to my door with his gun drawn. The change in the weather the TV guy had promised had already arrived, clouds and storm-cells driven east by a chilly wind running just under gale force. Trees had continued to fall in the dripping woods for at least an hour after the rain stopped. Around five o'clock I made us toasted-cheese sandwiches and tomato soup . . . comfort food, Jo would have called it. Kyra ate listlessly, but she did eat, and she drank a lot of milk. I had wrapped her in another of my tee-shirts and she tied her own hair back. I offered her the white ribbons, but she shook her head decisively and opted for a rubber band instead. ‘I don't like those ribbons anymore,' she said. I decided I didn't, either, and threw them away. Ki watched me do it and offered no objection. Then I crossed the living room to the woodstove. ‘What are you doing?' She finished her second glass of milk, wriggled off her chair, and came over to me. ‘Making a fire. Maybe all those hot days thinned my blood. That's what my mom would have said, anyway.' She watched silently as I pulled sheet after sheet from the pile of paper I'd taken off the table and stacked on top of the woodstove, balled each one up, and slipped it in through the door. When I felt I'd loaded enough, I began to lay bits of kindling on top. ‘What's written on those papers?' Ki asked. ‘Nothing important.' ‘Is it a story?' ‘Not really. It was more like . . . oh, I don't know. A crossword puzzle. Or a letter.' ‘Pretty long letter,' she said, and then laid her head against my leg as if she were tired. ‘Yeah,' I said. ‘Love letters usually are, but keeping them around is a bad idea.' ‘Why?' ‘Because they . . . ‘ Can come back to haunt you was what rose to mind, but I wouldn't say it. ‘Because they can embarrass you in later life.' ‘Oh.' ‘Besides,' I said. ‘These papers are like your ribbons, in a way.' ‘You don't like them anymore.' ‘Right.' She saw the box then the tin box with JO'S NOTIONS written on the front. It was on the counter between the living room and the sink, not far from where old Krazy Kat had hung on the wall. I didn't remember bringing the box up from the studio with me, but I suppose I might not have; I was pretty freaked. I also think it could have come up . . . kind of by itself. I do believe such things now; I have reason to. Kyra's eyes lit up in a way they hadn't since she had wakened from her short nap to find out her mother was dead. She stood on tiptoe to take hold of the box, then ran her small fingers across the gilt letters. I thought about how important it was for a kid to own a tin box. You had to have one for your secret stuff the best toy, the prettiest bit of lace, the first piece of jewelry. Or a picture of your mother, perhaps. ‘This is so . . . pretty,' she said in a soft, awed voice. ‘You can have it if you don't mind it saying JO'S NOTIONS instead of ‘KI'S NOTIONS. There are some papers in it I want to read, but I could put them somewhere else.' She looked at me to make sure I wasn't kidding, saw I wasn't. ‘I'd love it,' she said in the same soft, awed voice. I took the box from her, scooped out the steno books, notes, and clippings, then handed it back to Ki. She practiced taking the lid off and then putting it back on. ‘Guess what I'll put in here,' she said. ‘Secret treasures?' ‘Yes!' she said, and actually smiled for a moment. ‘Who was Jo, Mike? Do I know her? I do, don't I? She was one of the fridgearator people.' ‘She ‘ A thought occurred. I shuffled through the yellowed clippings. Nothing. I thought I'd lost it somewhere along the way, then saw a corner of what I was looking for peeking from the middle of one of the steno notebooks. I slid it out and handed it to Ki. ‘What is it?' ‘A backwards photo. Hold it up to the light.' She did, and looked for a long time, rapt. Faint as a dream I could see my wife in her hand, my wife standing on the swimming float in her two-piece suit. ‘That's Jo,' I said. ‘She's pretty. I'm glad to have her box for my things.' ‘I am too, Ki.' I kissed the top of her head. When Sheriff Ridgewick hammered on the door, I thought it wise to answer with my hands up. He looked wired. What seemed to ease the situation was a simple, uncalculated question. ‘Where's Alan Pangborn these days, Sheriff?' ‘Over New Hampshire,' Ridgewick said, lowering his pistol a little (a minute or two later he holstered it without even seeming to be aware he had done so). ‘He and Polly are doing real well. Except for her arthritis. That's nasty, I guess, but she still has her good days. A person can go along quite awhile if they get a good day every once and again, that's what I think. Mr. Noonan, I have a lot of questions for you. You know that, don't you?' ‘Yes.' ‘First off and most important, do you have the child? Kyra Devore?' ‘Yes.' ‘Where is she?' ‘I'll be happy to show you.' We walked down the north-wing corridor and stood just outside the bedroom doorway, looking in. The duvet was pulled up to her chin and she was sleeping deeply. The stuffed dog was curled in one hand we could just see its muddy tail poking out of her fist at one end and its nose poking out at the other. We stood there for a long time, neither of us saying anything, watching her sleep in the light of a summer evening. In the woods the trees had stopped falling, but the wind still blew. Around the eaves of Sara Laughs it made a sound like ancient music.

Latin America News Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Latin America News Review - Essay Example Fossil fuels include petroleum, coal and natural gas. These sources of energy are non-renewable. Lack of deliberating a course towards sustainable development would lead to depletion of the non-renewable energy sources. Big oil corporations hinder the development of renewable sources of energy, and the also receive the government’s support since they are a significant source of government revenue through the immense taxes they pay. A study by Mark Jacobson (2009) aims at strategizing on how a hundred percent of the world’s energy is achievable through the use of renewable sources. With the changes the world has been experiencing, campaign on the use of biofuels has been on the rise since it is a more sustainable source of energy. The Latin American governments have been creating awareness and opportunities such as tax incentives to companies that utilize green energy in their production activities. Renewable sources of energy include solar power, biogas, bio-diesel, bio-ethanol and algae concentrates. In Brazil, production of vehicles that use biofuels is ongoing (Digest 2015). As at now reliance on fossil fuels has been on the decline since the introduction of fuel blends. For1 example, diesel that is a fossil fuel may be combined in bio-diesel to produce a more sustainable source of fuel. The Latin American governments should, therefore, strategize and formulate policies that will encourage the use of biofuels and green energy. Through this, the countries will not only experience economic development but also will ensure that the development is sustainable. Digest, Bio fuels. positive review of sustainable development of biofuels in latin America and the Caribbean. Washington, February 16th, 2015. http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2015/02/16/positive-review-of-sustainable-development-of-biofuels-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean/ Lawrence, Frank Thomas and John. Conversion to renewable energy is going

Alcatel-Lucent Success in Brazil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Alcatel-Lucent Success in Brazil - Essay Example Alcatel-Lucent Brazil utilized various entry strategies which included adapting to the customers and industry, developing consumer confidence in the company’s products and services as well as creating and improving brand awareness in the country. In its effort to adapt to the clientele, the company researched on the various needs of its diversified customers which included government agencies, local service providers, and carriers among others. By understanding their clientele, the company was able to develop a customer portfolio specific to the client’s needs and as such adapt its products and services to its customers. Further, the company invested in building the consumer confidence as well as increasing brand awareness by using various marketing strategies such as the use of social media and TV adverts. Managing MNCs is quite a challenge to many companies as they have operations in different countries. These countries have varied cultures and value as well as other varied business environment and the poses a challenge to the company in its management (Matthews & Zander, 2007). It is thus important for companies such as Alcatel-Lucent Brazil to have an effective strategy to use in managing its subsidiaries in different parts of the world. One o0f the challenges facing the company in Brazil is that the company is in its development phase causing a lot of problems in the management and operations of the business. This, for instance, is in regards to political instability, varying exchange, and inflation rates.

Mental Illness and Suicide in Juvenile Detention Facilities Research Paper

Mental Illness and Suicide in Juvenile Detention Facilities - Research Paper Example Department of Justice, 2009). A study conducted in California revealed that close to 32 percent of detained male juveniles had post-traumatic stress disorder (Hayes, 2009). The study also found that these youths experienced high levels of distress, depression and anxiety while exhibiting lower degrees of impulse control, restraint, and suppression of aggression (Hayes, 2009). Another study conducted in Mississippi established that at least 66 percent of detained juveniles had mental disorders, with more than half suffering from multiple mental disorders such as substance abuse and conduct disorders (Hayes, 2009). Through the study, Hayes (2009) noticed that 60 percent of the youths detained in juvenile correction centers in Virginia had mental health treatment needs. This situation was similar in Georgia where it was reported that about 61 percent of the juveniles in correction centers had mental problems (Samaha, 2005). The following are the statistics related to the disorders that U.S. youths in juvenile detention facilities experience. Between 50% and 90 % experience conduct disorders, 46 % attention disorders, 6-41 % anxiety disorders, 25-50 % substance abuse, 32-78 % affective disorder, 1-6 % psychotic disorders, and 50 % co-occurring mental disorder and substance abuse disorders. These statistics show that the juveniles exhibit signs of conduct disorder. This disorder is characterized by aggressive physical conduct aimed at injuring others and non-aggressive conducts aimed at causing damage to properties, theft, violation of rules and deceit (Hayes, 2009). Hayes (2009) also notes that Juveniles in detention show high rates of physical, sexual and emotional abuse than their counterparts in the community. According to a past study, Juveniles in Maryland were associated with high rates of physical violence which stood at 35 percent, and sexual abuse at 18 percent (Hays, 2009). Hayes (2009) asserts that

New Product Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6500 words

New Product Development - Essay Example This has been done with a real life case study in a country as diverse as India, which is on the platform of achieving full fledged development. In India, with the booming rate of the rupee, as well as widespread exposure owing to the information technology and BPO boom, there has been a concerted effort on behalf of producers and manufacturers from various quarters to create new products targeted at the segment that now has more and more disposable income at its disposal. In this regard, I would like to point out that there is a lot that I have learnt from this seminar and the lectures contained in it. This knowledge has helped me greatly while doing this paper. One of the chief things that I have learnt revolves around the conception of competitive advantage in context of the new principles of demand and supply. This has helped me develop a broader perspective. Accordingly, I have been able to apply the principle of a variety of factors of production to a variety of fields. In doing so, I have been able to zero in on an apt field from which I have chosen a case study for this paper. Further, throughout this seminar, we were taught by way of experience and research which greatly helped me in the construction of concept cards and helped me demonstrate some amount of creativity. In this regard, the seminar has been a great help in helping me determine how a market is influenced by various kinds of products and how a new line can affect a brand's standing in the process. This seminar has also greatly enhanced my understanding of the process of the new product development and the various nuances that are attached with the same. Through the course of this seminar and this paper, I was given ample opportunities to implement everything that had been taught during the classroom sessions and lectures. This helped me identify the gaps and how the same may be bridged in real life situations. In doing so, I have realised how important research is in every field of study. This will be reflected in the description of the case study I have used in this paper. Apart from the points that I have made above, I would like to mention that this seminar has helped me come to terms with my ambitions as a business students. I have been able to do so by understanding and studying my strengths and weaknesses and applying the same to my preparation work for and actual completion of this paper. The teachings of this seminar will remain with me in everything that I undertake and every venture where I am a participant. Personally, this seminar has helped me understand my actual standing as far the achievement of my goals are concerned, and this in turn has given me the scope to take on any new venture with greater confidence. I would also attribute the same to the level of knowledge I have achieved and hope that the same is reflected in this paper. Introduction The world of commerce in this era is one where there is an amalgamation of a global market place as well as the theories of competitive advantage with the strong backing of innovation. Any marketer or producer in this modern market place needs to adhere to these practices and theories in order to gain any measure of success, whether small or big. Before delving any deeper into the paper, let us fist consider the elements of the modern world

Internet for Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Internet for Business - Essay Example The client needs the site to reflect the activities of the company. The company provides a list of services and has executed projects across the world in various locations. They expect to put in the following points on the website of the company. All these need to be represented and any inconsistencies in the pages need to be cleared. Ideally try to adopt to the web standards as much as possible and make a usable and user friendly site. The client wants all these to be represented in his website organized in an appropriate manner so that it is impressive. Based on the requirements, functionalities listed down and on the contents briefed earlier, the site needs to be revised. The structuring of the site will be as follows in order to fulfill the requirements of the client: 1. The home page will have a top level menu and a secondary menu. Top level menu will outline Solutions offered by the company, About Us and Contact Us while the secondary menu will list the services offered. Security level of the site need to be at the normal level and a higher security is not needed since there is no confidential data maintained in the site. The data that is available for the general consumption is displayed. However, hacking of the site by any third party should be adequately protected. To this extent, the site has to be protected by the administrator. 2.6 Time Line In order to make these changes

Education system in Saudi Arabia and the United States Research Paper

Education system in Saudi Arabia and the United States - Research Paper Example Similarities between the US and Saudi Arabian education systems In both countries, the government has a great influence on education. For instance, governments of both countries fund the free public education. It is mandatory for children to attend school in both countries. Education is offered by the public and private institutions in both countries. Public institutions are obliged to follow a common curriculum set by the various education boards. The private institutions are free to develop their curriculum, but the designed curriculum should be within the limits of low. The private institutions have freedom determine the fee to be paid by students for offering the education services. In both countries, the higher education has gone through massive improvement and transformation (Cordesman, 2003). The number of universities and tertiary institution in both countries has been on an increase in the past few decades. The government and the private sectors have been involved in developing the higher education in both the US and Saudi Arabia. In addition, the systems in both countries facilitate awarding of scholarships to students wishing to pursue higher education. Awarding of scholarships is open not only to the residents of the respective countries but also students from foreign countries. Essentially, the education systems of both countries accommodate foreign education exchange programs.

Bibliography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Bibliography - Essay Example The case of Quebec is used as an example for showing the resistance of a region to globalization using a particular element: the language; in accordance with Di Sciullo the French language has been used by Quebecers as a cause for protecting the region’s identity, even if the region is indispensable part of Quebec. In this way, the political choices of Trudeau in regard to ethnicity and identify of Quebec, as compared to other regions of Canada, can be clearly understood. Dufour, Christian. â€Å"Trudeau’s Canadian Legacy from a Quebec Perspective: New Canadian Nationalism Weakens Canada.† London Journal of Canadian Studies 18(2002/2003): 5-13, accessed February 12, 2012. The study of Dufour emphasizes on the role of Trudeau in the misunderstanding caused in regard to the demands of Quebecers, as citizens of a critical Canadian region. Moreover, through the above study it is made clear that the political decisions of Trudeau had led to the following problem: various cultural groups across Canada have been benefited from the changes in Canadian constitution while the rights of the citizens of Quebec were ignored. In other words, the study of Dufour, analyzing the conflicts between Quebecers and the rest of Canadians, makes clear the failure of Trudeau to secure national unity, especially as of the area of Quebec. The specific aspect of Trudeau’s legacy in regard to national unity is quite important, taking into consideration Quebec’s geopolitical value for Canada. In any case, the failures of Trudeau in managing the claims of Quebecers can be used for evaluating his practices in other regions with similar issues. Although the specific su bject is partially covered also in the study of Di Sciullo, the use of the study of Dufour is important in order to understand the challenges that nationalism has faced in Canada, especially since the information

Impact of international field experience on agricultural Education Article

Impact of international field experience on agricultural Education - Article Example According to Bruce (2001) until now the demand to sensitize the agricultural teachers who are trained to enhance international field experience has been driven further and acknowledged widely. This is due to the movement of world cultures and global contacts that are increasing through international experience. In this respect, the new rule is that many schools are increasing their diversity and enrolling students with challenging and unique needs with teachers that are recruited internationally. This has made agricultural teachers to be agents of responsibility for global and cultural education. In agricultural education, international field experience is a vital aspect to the educational professionals who prepare for natural resource and agricultural management industries. It gives out experience which reinforces the instruction of the classroom. It also gives out a chance to agricultural students to engage and observe the application of the knowledge that has been acquired. This m eans that international field experience helps students to achieve valuable insights towards the operation and organization of agencies and businesses in different industrial sectors. In this regard, field experience that is properly supervised and pursued with enthusiasm could be of significant meaning towards agricultural education. ... Purpose of international field experience. Field experience is a factor which is of great importance in agricultural education. Its main purpose has always been to give students a chance of combining the theoretical studies with an application of practical knowledge in the actual environment of work. In the students’ academic program, field experience plays a crucial role as it gives students a room for application of the knowledge gained while in the classroom. Field work also gives students a chance to continue learning under a professional supervisor during the field work. Additionally, student interns should always undertake their study abroad responsibilities with professional and quality dedication. Student interns are also expected to be assets to the agency of placement and that they need to establish an enormous contribution due to their experience in the work. The objective of the research. This is a research work that is set out to among other things achieve one key objective. Thus, the overarching objective was to find out the impacts of international field experience on agricultural education. The topic to be examined would be the impacts of field experience on agricultural education. Limitations of the study. This study will focus mainly on international field experience and its influence in agricultural education. This, thus, implies that study would be limited on international rather than local. This excludes a similar local experience which has not been explored. Moreover, the scope of the study does not take into consideration other field of education despite limited studies contacted in such fields. Basic assumptions. This study had to

Essay on Democracy Essay Example for Free

Essay on Democracy Essay Democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even though the concept of democracy form of governance has long been in existence for centuries, it was the emergence of country state government system which gave birth to the rise and flourish of democracy that we enjoy today. In the modern day, almost three quarters of the world countries claim to be democratic. As accepted this form of governance may seem to be, still it has some inherent flaws as a system of governance. Most of the critics of this form of government claim that democracy is morally corrupt, humanly unfair, economically inefficient and humanly unfair. It is because of this view that Winston Churchill said that, â€Å"Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those that has been tried from time to time. Democracy definition   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to the English oxford Dictionary, democracy is defined as the system of government by all the eligible members of the state or the whole population. One time US president, Abraham Lincoln, summed up the very essence of democracy as it being, the government of the people, by the people and for the people (History Place 2012). This of course was an idealist view and in regard to the current system, we can say that the true democracy was only demonstrated in 1918 when the representation of people act gave women the right to vote or they were declared as eligible voters. Before this act enactment or reform, democracy in Britain was only afforded by the rich and in fact up to the end of the 18th century, only about two percent of the population were entitled to vote. Following a number of vital reforms in the break of the 19th century, voting rights were extended slowly that lead to the culmination of the third Reform Act of 1884 that saw all men acquiring votes. This is the time that we can term as the crucial turn of event that led to the democracy that we all enjoy today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are differences to the democratic forms of government that exist today. In UK, we have the centralistic form of government where decisions are made in the capital and the local authorities are demanded to act according to these decisions and rules. In contrast to this, the federal government of Germany gives a lot of power to the federal state and this is the same form of democracy that is practiced in the United States (Dobson, 2012) Other forms of government   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As we know, democracy is not the standardised form of government that is practiced all over the world. There are many other alternatives that are apparent in other countries. For example in the republic of Korea, there exists a totalitarian regime. This form of government is solely based on ideology. This ideology claims the general validity for all the life aspects and often tries to replace religion. A totalitarian form of governance does not tolerate any kind of deviation from the known ideology and any person who attempts to oppose this ideology is persecuted. This was of course the form that was adopted by the Nazi Germany that led to the political opponents being persecuted and tortured and also detained in the concentration camps leading to the genocide of the ethnic minorities who were in line with the Nazi policy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even though the authoritarian form of governance is linked to the totalitarian regime, they have no distinct state ideology and they also grant some cultural and economic freedoms being careful not to jeopardize their policies. The goal that the authoritarian regime takes as being the most important is the maintenance of power along with personal enrichment on the cost of the population and the country as a whole (democracy-building website, 2005.).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are other forms of government that are apparent and the one that is of particular interest is the Theocracy form of governance that is practiced by the Republic of Iran. This is known as â€Å"government by God†. This is where the official policy is governed by divine guidance or by people or official regarded as divinely guided, or it is simply pursuant to the doctrine of a specific religion or a religious group (merriam-webster online encyclopaedia 2012).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With regard to the UK’s democratic form of governance that we have in place, its success can be determined by how the government interpret what we as people wants. The recent changes like the Scottish devolution along with the creation of the Welsh assembly sends light that if democracy is for the people, then such constitutional changes can be termed as integral and also successful part of practice of democracy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As we said earlier, the literal meaning of democracy is the government of the people, for the people and by the people. But when the concept of democracy is mixed up with that of governance, this is really not the case even though we get the supporters of democracy pretending to be so. When the people are told that democracy is the rule by the people, then that’s a fallacy. If there is governance that is over those people, than there exist no government or governance by the people. Owing to this argument, the democracies that are adopted by many countries for instance the western countries are in fact oligarchies in every detail. But the people who are the main subjects believe that there are free and become apathetic of the same and they do not see any further need for revolution. The formation that is surely oligarchy is the one that makes democracy to be termed as the worst form of government like Winston Churchill termed it. Bel ow the arguments that point out the worseness of the democratic form of government are discussed. Among these are democracy and economic instability and Democracy as a vehicle of chaos and anarchy. Also the connection of police violence in Canada and democracy will be discussed in details citing the main features of the issue, the advocates of the issue and also the perspectives of the issue. Democracy breeds Economic instability   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The frequent changes of power that follows the democratic concept of carrying a general election after a term period of four or five years is a major source of economic instability for the countries that practice democratic form of government. Prior to election, each political party comes out with their manifesto of how they will govern the nation. A political party that wins the election may not be the one that was previously on power. When a new political party takes power they bring other policies that were not the ones adopted by their successor. This leads to frequent changes of policies with regard to the country’s economy. These changes can not only highly daunt investments but also affects corporate and individual businesses, hence limiting the country’s economic growth. The short and limited duration that a certain political party takes power also leads to short term policies. This comes in because the politicians ha ve the idea that they are in power for a limited time period and so they adopt This leads to frequent changes of policies with regard to the country’s economy. These changes can not only highly daunt investments but also affects corporate and individual businesses, hence limiting the country’s economic growth. The short and limited duration that a certain political party takes power also leads to short term policies. This comes in because the politicians have the idea that they are in power for a limited time period and so they adopt short term policies that will bring immediate gratification for the citizens so that they can win their votes for the next general election. These policies are adopted even though they could be disadvantageous in the long-run. This means that the democratic nations mostly will sacrifice their short term pains for the long run gains. This adversely affects the economy of the country. In most cases, the economies are the ones that suffer because policies are not given that time period to be tested and tried before they are adopted. Only come with a policy that will proof to be effective to the common people even though it could be disastrous in future. The These policies are adopted even though they could be disadvantageous in the long-run. This means that the democratic nations mostly will sacrifice their short term pains for the long run gains. This adversely affects the economy of the country. In most cases, the economies are the ones that suffer because policies are not given that time period to be tested and tried before they are adopted. Only come with a policy that will proof to be effective to the common people even though it could be disastrous in future. The ever rising debt of the UK and Us and many of other democratic countries could be attributed to the economic instability that is brought about by short-termism which is the main flaw of the democratic form of government. These changes can not only highly daunt investments but also affects corporate and individual businesses, hence limiting the country’s economic growth. The short and limited duration that a certain political party takes power also leads to short term policies. This comes in because the politicians have the idea that they are in power for a limited time period and so they adopt short term policies that will bring immediate gratification for the citizens so that they can win their votes for the next general election. These policies are adopted even though they could be disadvantageous in the long-run. This means that the democratic nations mostly will sacrifice their short term pains for the long run gains. This adversely affects the economy of the country. In most cases, the economies are the ones that suffer because policies are not given that time period to be tested and tried before they are adopted. Only come with a policy that will proof to be effective to the common peopl e even though it could be disastrous in future. The ever rising debt of the UK and Us and many of other democratic countries could be attributed to the economic instability that is brought about by short-termism which is the main flaw of the democratic form of government. This means that the democratic nations mostly will sacrifice their short term pains for the long run gains. This adversely affects the economy of the country. In most cases, the economies are the ones that suffer because policies are not given that time period to be tested and tried before they are adopted. Only come with a policy that will proof to be effective to the common people even though it could be disastrous in future. The ever rising debt of the UK and Us and many of other democratic countries could be attributed to the economic instability that is brought about by short-termism which is the main flaw of the democratic form of government.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The free market economists like Milton Friedman believed that democracy produces inefficient economic systems. These economists argue that if the government were to make effective economies, they need to make what is generally regarded as unpopular decisions, for instance mass privatisation; removing the rights of the workers and also deregulation especially a time like this of economic austerity. This example is the one that is termed as ‘governing paradox’ (Flinders, 2010, p. 311). Mostly, this is what is seen as inherent contradiction between capitalism and democracy in that, as economic agents, all individuals are expected to act in their own interest but when it comes to casting their votes, they are expected to act in the interest of the society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The critics are perhaps rights when they say that democracy can lead to ineffectual government. This can be traced many years ago when Aristotle started establishing typologies and categorising political systems. According to him, democracy was a ‘perverted’ form of governance or rule by many. Democracy as a vehicle of chaos and anarchy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The ancient great thinkers and philosophers like Plat, Machiavelli and Thomas Hobbes were very critical on the flaws that come by with the democracy form of governance. They saw the concept of democracy as an unlimited freedom and liberty for all which is a tool of manipulation that can culminate into chaos and disorder in the society. Despite democracy being the most popular form of governance in today’s world, this form of government is prone to the manipulation of wild politicians and other stakeholders who are out to use it as a tool to acquire power and accumulate the country’s wealth for their selfish interest hence create anarchy and chaos to the society as a whole. For instance, Tomas Hobbes saw democracy as a form of government that permits reckless liberty that will usually undermine the law conservation and the societal order. Most of the politicians usually will exploit the antagonism between the economic classes and the dissimilarity in the ethnic groups to turn them into votes for their political parties. Instead of intervening for good and for the passions of the people, these politicians unruly politicians will obviously fun them so that they can be seen as the heroes. Firstly, they monopolize the media and use it to propagate these courses. This eventually pokes holes into the community and creates differences that eventually results into chaos and riots in these groups. In the year 2006 for instance, two major national wide riots erupted in the country of France. The first was in economic in nature and started in the month of February and the next was both religious and ethnic erupted in November the same year. These riots are among the examples that can be brought about by the diverse opinions within the nation. For instance, Tomas Hobbes saw democracy as a form of government that permits reckless liberty that will usually undermine the law conservation and the societal order. Most of the politicians usually will exploit the antagonism between the economic classes and the dissimilarity in the ethnic groups to turn them into votes for their political parties. Instead of intervening for good and for the passions of the people, these politicians unruly politicians will obviously fun them so that they can be seen as the heroes. Firstly, they monopolize the media and use it to propagate these courses. This eventually pokes holes into the community and creates differences that eventually results into chaos and riots in these groups. In the year 2006 for instance, two major national wide riots erupted in the country of France. The first was in economic in nature and started in the month of February and the next was both religious and ethnic erupted in November the same year. These riots are among t he examples that can be brought about by the diverse opinions within the nation. For instance, Tomas Hobbes saw democracy as a form of government that permits reckless liberty that will usually undermine the law conservation and the societal order. Most of the politicians usually will exploit the antagonism between the economic classes and the dissimilarity in the ethnic groups to turn them into votes for their political parties. Instead of intervening for good and for the passions of the people, these politicians unruly politicians will obviously fun them so that they can be seen as the heroes. Firstly, they monopolize the media and use it to propagate these courses. This eventually pokes holes into the community and creates differences that eventually results into chaos and riots in these groups. In the year 2006 for instance, two major national wide riots erupted in the country of France. The first was in economic in nature and started in the month of February and the next was both religious and ethnic erupted in November the same year. These riots are among t he examples that can be brought about by the diverse opinions within the nation. For instance, Tomas Hobbes saw democracy as a form of government that permits reckless liberty that will usually undermine the law conservation and the societal order. Most of the politicians usually will exploit the antagonism between the economic classes and the dissimilarity in the ethnic groups to turn them into votes for their political parties. Instead of intervening for good and for the passions of the people, these politicians unruly politicians will obviously fun them so that they can be seen as the heroes. Firstly, they monopolize the media and use it to propagate these courses. This eventually pokes holes into the community and creates differences that eventually results into chaos and riots in these groups. In the year 2006 for instance, two major national wide riots erupted in the country of France. The first was in economic in nature and started in the month of February and the next was both religious and ethnic erupted in November the same year. These riots are among t he examples that can be brought about by the diverse opinions within the nation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Democracy can be said to be a pluralist system of power distribution that is set to distribute power among the many and diverse competing groups even though not equally. Even if democracy can be said to be somehow worse, it achieves a greater level of political equality amongst the citizens than any other form and hence reflects the fundamental belief that all individuals or humans are all born equal and so the consent of governance should originate from the governed (Dahl, 1998). In addition, this form of government allows individuals to protect their self interests. The nature of humans dictates that each and every individual desires some control over their needs and wants and John Stuart Mill said that the ability to protect ones interests protects us from evil in the hands of others. The competition that exists between different groups of people within the society is exactly what differentiates democracy from authoritarianism. As it wa s argued by (Flinders, 2010), â€Å"Difference is good†. The discussion and debate along with the exercise of the right to freedom of speech act as the pillars upon which democracy is formed. Inherently, democracy is a system of rights. By definition, democracy grants both civil and political rights to the citizens so that they can fully participate in the democratic process. The nature of humans dictates that each and every individual desires some control over their needs and wants and John Stuart Mill said that the ability to protect ones interests protects us from evil in the hands of others. The competition that exists between different groups of people within the society is exactly what differentiates democracy from authoritarianism. As it was argued by (Flinders, 2010), â€Å"Difference is good†. The discussion and debate along with the exercise of the right to freedom of speech act as the pillars upon which democracy is formed. Inherently, democracy is a system of rights. By definition, democracy grants both civil and political rights to the citizens so that they can fully participate in the democratic process.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   So as for all the citizens to participate and hear the voice of their people, it is then very vital to grant these citizens the right to the freedom of assembly that is not provided for in the totalitarian nor in the authoritative regimes. The belief of equality is also one of the building pillars of democracy and thus enforcing and establishing the rights gives this a greater degree of equality than any other non-democratic form of government. In fact, granting these rights helps shield the minority from persecution and also allow them to also protect their interests. The society that we are in these days is made up of heterogeneous groups, all which represent different and varied interests; all these must be respected and recognized. If we do not observe this, we will obviously be committing ourselves to rule by an elite or selected few who think that their interest are over those of the other people. The police violence and democracy in Canada   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Canada, the use of police force and violence has become one of the greatest concerns to the society. Many civilians and students are becoming more concerned about the force that is applied by the police in most encounters with the citizens in different situation. Following some of the bad encounters the people had with the police officers, many people are now tending to think that police in most of the time act to deprive the people their constitutional rights and hence they are violating the rule of democracy. The critics say that police sometimes employ much power to the civilians by use of violence and force. On the other hand, the advocates of this say that the police are entitled to use any power to stop crimes and also secure the people’s wellbeing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For years the violence and force that has been used by police officers and the local authority in Canada has been not only of major concern but also a significant issue that has to be addressed for democracy to be realised. It all commences when a police officer abuse the powers that has been delegated to them by the state and constitution. In Canada, it has become obvious that each day in and day out there must be a case where a police officer has employed excessive power to the civilians.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the literacy levels are increasing all day, people are becoming more aware of their democratic rights and the voices are becoming united daily. The authorities and the officers are in place to protect, help and promote safety in communities. There many people who are filing complaints daily against the police officers who are causing violence and using unnecessary force during arrest. In many instances in the city, we have seen how two or three police officers beat up a defenceless citizen using their batons or how they mistreat women and teenagers. These are all the cases that are act against democracy of whom the people should be enjoying, owing to the fact that this is a rule for the people, for the people and by the people. The heightened technology and the media has promoted the awareness that the police are culminating violence by abusing their powers. This has created fear and mistrust by the people towards the police departments . In accordance to the penal law guidelines, the police are only justified to use force that is only necessary to prevent homicide or a crime. The advocates   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The advocates for the police usage of power and force term the police as an armed force for participation and protection. They declare the power of the police by them being armed forces; then, they demonstrate their power by stating protection and express their community connection by stating that they participate. First these officers have the delegated power by their weapon that they carry and the ability that this weapon has to make other people to comply to the law. They argue that, by the fact that police have been given the mandate to protect; they must in any means pursue this goal even if it means use of excessive or unnecessary powers. Finally, the participation concept emphasizes the relationship between the officer and the community. To ensure that the communities are safeguarded effectively, they are free to use any power whether it means to deprive a person his/her constitutional rights or not. How we can improve democracy on this issue   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The police officers also being one of the citizens, they should strive to serve the communities they are in with their best interest at heart while safeguarding the democratic rights of the civilians. The police officers are the officials that are mandated to impose the laws while preserving order in the society and they should not act in a manner that may culminate violence or in any case deprive any individual his/her democratic rights. In the cases that the police officers are called into some stressful and dangerous events that may involve violent altercations, that must be controlled. We as the citizens also do not want to see our streets run by criminals who terrorize other people. It is true that in some cases police officers are allowed to use force but not in all the situations or self created situations geared at harassing a civilian or depriving him/her his/her democratic rights. Let us all observe the law. References Abraham Lincoln. The Gettysburg Adddress. Available http://www.historyplace.com/speech/gettysburg.htm. Last assessed 05 June 2012 Dahl, Robert A. On Democracy. New Haven: Yale UP, 1998. Print. Dobson, William J. The Dictators Learning Curve: Inside the Global Battle for Democracy. New York: Doubleday, 2012. Print. Flinders, Matthew V. Democratic Drift: Majoritarian Modification and Democratic Anomie in the United Kingdom. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2010. Print. Johnson, Marilynn S. Johnson, ed. Street Justice: A History of Police Violence in Canada. Beacon Press. p.  365. 2004. Loree, Don Corruption in Policing: Causes and Consequences; A Review of the Literature. Research and Evaluation Community, Contract and Aboriginal Policing Services Directorate. Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 2006 Peterson, Amsterdam.Democracy, Policy and Economic development. Stockholm: Stockholm Press, 2005. Stein Ringen. Three Priorities to Improve UK Democracy,2007 Theocracy. Available: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theocracy.Last accessed 05 Jude 2012 Source document

The First Driving-Lesson Day Essay Example for Free

The First Driving-Lesson Day Essay The Cost of Carelessness Driving a genuine car was my initial dream when I was a young child because I really love speed and sports car. Eventually, with a lot of efforts, my dream comes true and the day I got my driver license was one of the happiest days in my life. Hence, I can drive a car and go to everywhere I want, but it also reminds me of the first day I sat behind the wheel. That day was a cool, breezy Sunday with a mild temperature on the morning of February 20, 2011. It was the first exciting driving-lesson I ever took and little did I know, it was about to teach me a practical lesson I will never forget. A week before that day, my mom registered for me a six-driving-lesson package at Pleasant School, a moto school near my house in Chelsea, MA. The first driving-lesson day would be taught next week so I was absolutely excited about what would happen to me in that day. My mind was really possessed with a lot of thoughts about that day and I couldn’t wait to see it coming true. Finally, the day which I dreamed of was about to come. At 7am, I woke up with a happy mood and an eager attitude, and then I had a delicious breakfast with a big bowl of cereals and milk. After that, I changed my clothes and went outside my house to wait for my teacher’s car coming. In front of my house, there is a one-way street with its width that can barely let one car pass another one, and there weren’t a lot of cars rolling on the street at that moment. From outside, I could see that today was really a beautiful day with the vivid sun, the wide-and-high cloudless sky; the breezy wind and the fresh air. That was a good omen for the start of something new. I loosened my whole body, let my mind stay empty, closed my eyes and took a deep breath to enjoy that never-forgotten moment. Finally, my teacher arrived at my house with a black, 2008 model Toyota. I felt really relieved and delighted, and I ran quickly to him with a big smile on my face while he opened the car-door. He was an African-American man in sport clothes with a pair of glasses. He gave me a warm smile and seemed to be a good, patient, experienced instructor because he asked me gently about my information and smiled all the time he talked with me. After that, John, my teacher, told me to get in the car and sit on the driver’s seat position while he sat on my right seat for passenger. I felt absolutely comfortable with the cool air-conditioned system and the soft seat in that car. By seeing my satisfied appearance, John looked at me and asked with a friendly smile, â€Å"Are you ready? † â€Å"Yes, I hope so. I’m actually excited about this moment but I still feel a little nervous and worried about what I’m going to do next,† I answered. â€Å"Well, that’s just a normal feeling because it’s your first time. All you need to do is try your best, stay focused and practice as much as you can. Everything will be fine,† he said. â€Å"Oh, I will, thank you,† I looked at him and said. After that brief and open conversation, John began to teach me about the steering wheel, gearshift, accelerator, clutch, brake, mirror, light signal, etc, and how they work. Then, on the street outside my house, he taught me how to adjust my seat, how to start or stop the car, how to use hand signal, how to check the mirror and the blind spot, how to look over behind my shoulder to check the traffic, how to turn left and right, how to pull over on the right side of the street, etc. He talked slowly to me with a gentle voice. After the verbal instruction, he told me it was time for me to take action about what I just learned. By hearing that, I felt extremely happy because my driving-a-car dream was about to come true, so I couldn’t hold that moment back. Without hesitating, I started the engine; signal left; change the gearshift from P-Park into D-Drive and I did all the preparation before driving a car that was taught by my instructor, except one important step that can cost me my whole life: carefully look over behind your left-shoulder to check the upcoming traffic. Then, without a careful thought, I turned the wheel to the left, directed the head of my car to the traffic lane and try to merge into it. I didn’t see a coming car behind me at a distance of 20 feet. The coming car got to my car closer and closer, and I didn’t realize how terrible it was going to be. But John could foresee what would happen to me next because he kept his eyes carefully to whatever I had done. So he pedaled quickly into the second brake beneath his seat to make the car stop immediately. The coming car just passed my car in a very small space; it seemed like nearly hit the head of my car. By observing what just happened to me, it took my breath away for a while. My whole body was totally and completely frozen, I couldn’t say or do anything else but shivering from head to toe. My face was becoming pale with fear and a lot of goose-pimples rose on my skin. I couldn’t believe that I just got out of an accident which would have hurt me or somebody else badly. After a couple of minutes, I still felt panic about that moment. I tried to take a deep breath and turned my head to my teacher and said, â€Å"I’m so sorry. Thanks for helping me out and saving me. † â€Å"That’s my pleasure and it’s also a lesson for you: You should think carefully and stay focused on what you’re going to do, don’t ever hurry because you always have time to do it,† he said with a beautiful voice just like my father did when he tried to teach me how to ride a bike twelve years ago. â€Å"I appreciate that and I will concentrate more on what I’m doing. Thank you again. Later then, I tried my best to listen to John and to practice what I had learnt from him. And the results not only made him happy but also help me get over that horrible moment. I did all the practices successfully and we had a happy, comfortable time after the incident. Finally, my one-hour driving lesson came to an end and John took me home with a big smile on his face. He seemed so happy right because he kn ew that he did a good job. And to me, I had learned a useful lesson for both my driving skills and my normal life. In conclusion, I never think I can learn a vital lesson from my driving lesson but now I completely change my mind and the way I approach things. So after the first driving-lesson day, I actually grow up my mind with one more experience added to my life to help me pay attention to what I’m doing and what I’m going to do next, and the final purpose is to make me become a good man with better personality. Needless to mention, at the bottom of my heart, I’m really grateful to my driving teacher for what he had taught me that day.

CAD for Electromagnetic Devices Laboratory Exercise

CAD for Electromagnetic Devices Laboratory Exercise An introduction to numerical modelling techniques for electromagnetic problems using finite element analysis Contents 2. Introduction 3. Simulation Results 3.1 Electric Potential 3.2 Magnetic Flux Density 3.3 Magnetic Flux Density For Single Conductor 3.4 Finite Difference vs Finite Element 3.5 Comb Drive Micro Actuator 3.6 Magnetic Circuit 4. Discussion Finite element analysis (FEA) is the modelling of products and systems in a virtual environment, for the purpose of solving potential (or existing) structural or performance issues. (1) FEA is the practical application of the finite element method (FEM), a numerical technique for approximating solutions to boundary value problems for partial differential equations (2) which cannot be solved analytically. This method works by separating a large system into smaller parts called finite elements, known as discretization (3). The simple equations governing these finite elements are accumulated to form an overall system of equations for the problem, which FEM uses to approximate a solution. Computational Electromagnetics is the process of modelling the interaction of electromagnetic fields with physical objects and the environment. (4) The electromagnetic analysis that this involves is based on solving Maxwells equations subject to given boundary conditions. Maxwells equations can be expressed in general differential form and therefore the solutions to electromagnetic problems governed by these equations can be modelled and solved using FEM. (5) The electromagnetic problems outlined in this report have been modelled and approximated in two-dimensional space using the finite element program pdetool in MatLab. This is done through the use of linear triangular elements. 3.1 Electric Potential The aim of this experiment was to model the electric potential between two circular metallic conductors of radius 30 cm and centre distance 120cm. The left and right conductors were subject to Dirichlet boundary conditions and given potentials of 1 and -1 respectively. The enclosed area was modelled using the Neumann boundary condition (6) and the current source set to 0. The following model was observed: The purple to blue shading demonstrates the varying electric potential across the model, with V = 0 at the midpoint of the two conductors as anticipated due to the equation†¦ The electric field is visualised through the red arrows, confirming the expectation that the current would flow from the positively charged conductor to the negatively charged conductor. 3.2 Magnetic Flux Density This experiment aimed to model the magnetic field between two cylindrical, current-carrying conductors of radius 5cm and centre distance of 60cm. The magnetic permeability of both conductors was set to and the current density set to 1 and -1 respectively. The enclosed area was modelled using Dirichlet boundary conditions with magnetic potential set to 0, and the magnetic potential and current density set to and 0 correspondingly. The following model was observed: The red arrows show the direction of the magnetic field at certain points, while the shading demonstrates the magnitude of the magnetic flux density, clearly highlighting that the strength of magnetic flux decreases with distance away from the conductors. The current in each conductor is given by the equation , where J is the current density and A is the cross sectional area of the conductor. Using this equation yields a current of 7.85mA for the left conductor and -7.85mA for the right conductor. 3.3 Magnetic Flux Density For Single Conductor The experiment from 3.2 was then replicated using a single, circular, current-carrying conductor of radius 0.2cm. The boundary conditions for the enclosed area remained the same while, for the conductor, magnetic permeability was set to and current density to 1. The following model was observed: The magnetic flux density was then measured from the FEM model for a number of distances and compared with results calculated from theory; this comparison can be found in table 1 below. 3.4 Finite Difference vs Finite Element For this electrostatic model, a 16cm x 12cm square was plotted to represent four electric diodes of differing electric potential, shown in figure 4. The dielectric permittivity of the electric diodes was set to 1 and the electric potential and electric field for the system was modelled as shown below: The variation of electric field between the positive and negative diodes is represented through the shading and the electric field lines are shown in black. Values for the electric potential at particular geometric coordinates were then measured from the FEM model and compared against the results calculated from FDM; this comparison can be found in table 2. 3.5 Comb Drive Micro Actuator This experiment aimed to model the electric field distribution of a voltage controlled, comb-drive, electrostatic micro-actuator, consisting of a movable comb and a fixed comb, with the latter containing four fingers. The dimensions of the comb were specified as follows: w=1, d=1, dl=0.6 and Lc=3 (all figures are in mm) and explained through figure 6: The movable comb was given a potential of 5V and the fixed comb a potential of -5V to simulate a 10V applied voltage. The electric potential of the enclosed area was set to 0 and the space charge density to 0 as well. The following model, demonstrating electric field distribution, was observed: 3.6 Magnetic Circuit A model for an electromagnet was created as shown in figure 8 below: The magnetic permeability of the iron was set to 500 and current density 0. The coil was represented in the model by two rectangles either side of where the coil appears in figure 6, one with positive and one with negative current density. Given that the current in the coil is 10 A-turns, the current density is given by the equation, where A is equal to the area of the approximated coil. The magnetic permeability of both the coil and the enclosed area were set to and models for the magnetic flux density and magnetic field were achieved. These are shown below: The experiment was then altered to model the effects of the coil if the material of the magnet was plastic, with a relative permeability of 1, and therefore the magnetic permeability of the magnet was set to . All the other values remained constant. The magnetic flux density and magnetic field were then found and are shown below:

Twinning In Cattle :: essays research papers fc

Twinning in Cattle   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Due to the continual fluctuation of the cattle market cattle producers have been searching for ways to improve their production and increase their profits any way possible. For years genetic engineers have been working hard on improving economic efficiency in cattle. It is their hope that through genetic research they can improve the yield and the income of cattle producers around the world. Research has shown that twinning is one way that farmers can increase their yield . Twinning has a significant influence on producers as well as people who are involved in all realms of agriculture. The reason for this large impact at this time is the fact that the occurrences are limited. However, many producers have a vision that twinning can be more than a once in a blue moon occurrence. These producers see twinning as a way to dramatically increase their yield per calving season. Producers will increase their income due to more weight per year per cow. It is necessary ;however, that the producer be well educated on how to handle twinning, in order for it to be successful for them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many agencies see twinning as an economic move upward. The American Breeder Service has made efforts to produce semen as well as embryos with high predicted breeding values available to producers. They have been recorded based on twinning probabilities and ovulation rates. A large amount of work on twinning has also been done by the Meat and Animal Research Center. Since the early eighties, they have located cattle with a high frequency of twinning and been forming a breeding foundation based on this characteristic. â€Å"We believe the time has come to make some of these unique genetic resources available to the beef industry through artificial insemination and embryo transfer† (Gregory 23). An extensive amount of research has been done using embryo transfer in cattle. In one study recipients were implanted with either a single embryo, two embryo in one uterine horn, or one embryo in each uterine horn. It is also possible to split embryos using a micro manipulator and implant each half to produce identical twins. On the average about 16% of the cows implanted with two embryos produced twins. When two embryos were implanted, and one was placed in each horn, conception rates were comparable with the prior method, however the twinning rate was much higher when the embryos were in separate horns (73% vs. 45%). For the most part, when one embryo was split in an attempt to produce identical twins, only one of the offspring survived birth (Davis 302).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many producers see twinning as a possible advancement in

Comparing Characterization in Steinbecks Of Mice and Men and The Pearl :: Steinbeck Of Mice and Men Essays

Of Mice and Men and The Pearl: Characterization What is depth, and what does it mean? Depth is the extent, the intensity, depth is a distinct level of detail. When someone talks about depth of characterization, they are talking about the level of intensity that someone is using in order to describe a character. John Ernst Steinbeck, in The Pearl, Of Mice and Men, and The Grapes of Wrath describes many of his main characters in great depth. Steinbeck and Characterization What is depth, and what does it mean? Depth is the extent, the intensity, depth is a distinct level of detail. When someone talks about depth of characterization, they are talking about the level of intensity that someone is using in order to describe a character. John Ernst Steinbeck, in The Pearl, Of Mice and Men, and The Grapes of Wrath describes many of his main characters in great depth. In Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, a story of two traveling laborers who are on their way to a job loading barley at a California ranch. The two most important characters in the novel are George Milton and Lennie Small. They are ordinary workmen, moving from town to town and job to job, but they symbolize much more than that. Their names give us our first hints about them. One of Steinbeck's favorite books when he was growing up was Paradise Lost by John Milton. In this long poem, Milton describes the beginnings of evil in the world. He tells of Lucifer's fall from heaven and the creation of hell. He also describes Adam and Eve's fall from grace in the Garden of Eden. By giving George the last name of Milton, Steinbeck seems to be showing that he is an example of fallen man, someone who is doomed to loneliness and who wants to return to the Garden of Eden. Perhaps this is why George is always talking about having his own place and living "off the fat of the land," as Adam and Eve did before their fall. Lennie is anything but small physically. He is a big man who is often described with animal images. In the opening scene of the book his hands are called paws and he snorts like a horse (Steinbeck, Mice 3). Yet Lennie is small on brains and on responsibility. Someone has always taken care of Lennie and done his thinking and talking for him. First his Aunt Clara looked after him, and now George does. He is like a child, a term George uses several times in describing Lennie to Slim.

Global Markets vs. Local Realities Essay examples -- Consumption Econo

Global Markets vs. Local Realities "What happens to commodities when they cross cultural borders?" Howes' recent edited volume, Cross-Cultural Consumption, sets out explicitly to answer this very question. Through a diverse and highly accessible set of collected papers, inspired and adapted from a special issue of Anthropogie et Sociitis on "Culture and Consumption," the reader finds an excellent introduction to the major themes in the anthropological approach to consumption. Situated squarely within the booming literature on the globalization of consumer society, the papers in this volume are expressly geared towards students of consumer studies from a range of disciplines. Howes makes his objectives clear - this book is actually intended as a teaching tool (p.8), which likely accounts for its notable clarity. Unlike many similar ventures, Howes et. al.'s pedagological approach allows him to openly pose a set of ethical questions by way of conclusion, challenging the reader to actively reflect on the issues raised in the various chapters. That "cultures and goods stand in a relation of complex interdependence" (p.1), is by now a widely recognized feature of consumer studies in anthropology. Using this perspective as premise, the papers in this volume address the interface between the local and the global. Ulf Hannerz's popular "Creolization Paradigm" provides the appropriate framework for discussion. After rejecting the polar extremes of global homogenization and local fragmentation, Howes reifies another persistent dichotomy: that real and constructed distinction between the West and the rest'. Although the world of commodity flows presents multiple opportunities for various border crossings, it is this primary division... ...early the full range of themes which make up the corpus of anthropological studies of consumption, the authors sacrifice to some extent the coherence a more limited project might have produced. Taken together, the chapters in this work are somewhat uneven in terms of quality and content. As it stands, the book requires a more comprehensive conclusion than that provided. However, despite the criticisms presented here, this volume on the whole does successfully accomplish its objectives. The issues raised are clear and comprehensive and the personal flavor of many of the chapters help make the issues more accessible and immediate to the first-time reader. I would certainly recommend it as an introductory reader for students interested in consumption. Source Cited Cross Cultural Consumption: Global Markets Local Realities David Howes, ed. London: Routledge; 1996

Economic Impact Of The Development Of Airline Industry Essay

Hardly many inventions can manage to change the way people live and also how they experience the world like the way inventing airplane has done. The airline industry offer air transport for passengers. The airlines companies own the airplanes or may lease them. Airlines Company differs in terms of capacity, some are smaller with one or two airplanes to transport mail and cargo, while other are big multinational companies with hundreds of aircrafts. Majority of airlines are privately owned, though some are government owned. Today, the air travel has grown to an extent that no one can imagine life without it. Air travelling as greatly reduced travelling time and opened up links all over the world. Economic Impact of the development of airline The air airline industry has played a major role in world economic growth; it has improved the mobility and facilitated world supply lines all over the world. The aviation industry not only serves as an economic tool for nations and cities, but also servers as a vital network for transport within the world. The industry creates jobs by providing them directly and also by creating opportunities in the travel and hotel industry. Aviation industry has continued to be critical in the world economy, in terms of creating these job opportunities, and the industry has employed thousands of employees in the whole world. And has the industry continue to grow more jobs are created. This leads to economic growth. Transport plays a major role in making sure that goods reach their destinations. The World Bank estimates that the airline industry contributes to a total of 5% economic growth in the world. Competition Competition in the industry can be traced back when most governments deregulated the industry I order allow competition among the industry to regulate fares. For many years now this resulted in low fares as the airline industry responded to customers needs. Most of the reduced fare also comes from new players on the market, and also from the big airlines themselves. With the growth of economy in many countries, more travellers are using the air, this id due to the fact that the fares have also been reducing gradually. In a report carried out in America by the senate, it was found out that competition has resulted into low fares, and from 1990 the traffic has gone up by over 33%, it was found out that the number of flights had also gone up to over 20%. This of course has a positive impact on economic growth. Competition in the industry has also lead to mergers as small companies fail to compete. This has improved the industry service delivery. It is important to note better service delivery has economic advantage. With the economic development being witnessed in many countries, the amount of travelling has gone up. Many people are travelling to transact their business. The high demand of air passengers has caused resource constraints, on airports and also on airways, especially during the peak travelling periods. Business community usually travels at these times and normally makes last minute bookings. However, main airlines have planned their networks to be able to meet the high rate flight requirement by the business passengers, though; these fares are expensive as the airlines need to cover cost of servicing high number flight. Nevertheless, airline competition and the way they price their tickets causes concerned. It has been noted that, with the emerging of low fare trends that have been occurring since 1996, when smaller airlines enter into this market with low fares, the major airlines drastically reduce their prices. And also avail a high number of low fare seats. This behaviour seems to be ill intended because it aims at repressing competition from the smaller airlines. Increase in fuel prices Oil and fuel prices have continuously increased for the past 10 years, for example, in 2001 the price per barrel was $20, yet in 2006 it had reached $75. The increase in price can be attributed to various such as, high demand of oil, collapse of Yukos Oil Company in Russia and political instability in the Middle East. This high increase in oil prices has affected the aviation industry. The increase in fuel prices has lead to reduction in the global trade. It is estimated that about 40% of goods traded on the world market are transported by the air, and cargo traffic is used to reflect economic growth. Fuel account for 20-30% of the total cost of operation expenses of the airline industry. Due to this high cost in oil the economy has suffered negatively. The microeconomic effect for those countries which import oil will be harsh, in the industry high prices is a big problem; the companies are forced to increase consumers’ fares to upset the fuel price increase, for example if fuel price reached 100$ per barrel, then a gallon of jet fuel will be more than 3$. This will imply that a passenger will have to pay 50$ more to travel than previous. This will result in reduction of passengers and for the case of cargo transporters it may lead to high reduction in demand of their services, which may spell down for the airline companies. The indirect impact on the airline industry caused by high fuel prices in the increase in airline products prices. The overall impact is reduction in international trade. As pointed out by the world trade organisation , increase in oil prices leads to low economic growth as it was observed in 2005. Terrorist threat Since the September 11 terrorist attack, the airline industry suffered so much, the industry experience a reduced number of passengers as many opted to use alternative means. The economic impact on the global level was immerse, has many countries experienced low foreign exchange due reduced business especially in tourism industry. The terrorist attack had a big effect on the aviation industry, and also on the economy. In America alone, more than 2 million passengers travel on air daily. Airline industry and tourism alone account for mote than 8% the world GDP. With the imminent threat of terrorism, the industry has undertaken different security measures. For example in America, the industry has to use over 11$ billion in security improvements. This costs at the end of the day have to be met by the passengers, thus, the fare in the industry have steadily gone up. This has reduced the volume of goods and passengers using the industry and negatively affected the economy. Any small distractions in the industry send shock waves in many other industries. Currently, the industry has experienced a trend by which they are weak economy, insecurity fear and other issues. This has led to reduced number of passengers flying. Even those passengers who are flying they are paying less because most of them are taking economy seats. This trend has resulted in decline of the growth of the industry. In decline in the industry usually result in reduction of economy growth of the world economy. After the September 11 many airline companies grounded their business due to security concerns this was so pronounced in America. The impact of the attack reverberated all over the world. It was estimated that the attack caused a reduction of 1% world economic growth. In this area of global economy the aviation industry all over the world suffered. The industry saw an increase in costs of airline insurance, increased expenses on security, and customer fear to travel using the air due to insecurity. This led to massive losses for the industry in the whole world. This was the worst disaster the industry had suffered in the past 50 years. In whole world more than 400,000 jobs were lost. Decline in the air travel has a direct consequence on number of business which includes tourism, travel agencies and entertainment spots, this is felt global. It is important to note that, in the continuous threat of terrorist, the world economy has been affected badly. The industry had to go through lean times and some companies had to shut down. Conclusion The airline industry is very important in economic development, the airline employees a lot of people directly and indirectly. The industry has developed steadily over the last 50 years, and has continuous grown. Competition, fuel increase and terrorist attack pose a serious challenge to the industry and the industry should come up with ways to controlling these effects to maintain profitable. However, the airline industry will continue to grow though, it will be faced with more challenges.