Bite Me: A Love Story Chapter 17

17. Wide Awake in Sucker-Free Okata scraped the last few drops of blood from the container into the burned-up white girl's mouth. He'd managed to save two of the eight quart containers, but it wasn't going to be enough, he could tell, and after the fight at the butcher shop and his escape, he knew he wasn't strong enough to give her any more of his own blood. She'd need more, and he was going to have to start thinking of her as something besides the â€Å"burned-up white girl.† She was starting to resemble a real person now, more than a person-shaped cinder. A very old, very scary dead person, to be sure, but a person nonetheless. Her red hair nearly covered the pillow now, and she'd moved, if only a little, closing her mouth after the last drops of blood went in. No ash had flaked away with the movement. Okata was glad. Her exposed fangs made him a little uneasy, but now she had lips, sort of. He picked up his sketch pad from the floor, moved to the end of the futon to get a different angle, and began drawing her, as he'd been doing every hour or so since he'd returned from the butcher. He was still covered with the blood that had splashed on him during the fight, but it had long since dried and except for washing his hands so he could work, he'd forgotten it. He finished the sketch, then moved to his workbench, where he transferred a refined version of the drawing to a piece of rice paper so thin it was nearly transparent. He would replicate this drawing four more times, then each would be glued to a woodblock and carved away to make the plate for a different line or color. He looked over his shoulder at her, and felt a tremor of shame. Yes, she looked like a person now, an old, desiccated grandmother, but he shouldn't leave her like that. He took a bowl from the shelf above his little kitchen sink, filled it with warm water, and then knelt by the side of the futon and gently sponged the last patina of ash from her body, revealing the blue-white skin underneath. The skin was smooth, like polished rice paper, but pores and hair follicles were forming as he wiped the ash away. â€Å"Sorry,† he said in English. Then in Japanese he said, â€Å"I have not been mindful, my burned-up gaijin girl. I will do better.† He went to the cabinet under his workbench and removed a cedar box that looked like it might have been fashioned to hold a set of silverware. He opened the lid and removed the square of white silk, then stood and let the garment fall open to its full length. Yuriko's wedding kimono. It smelled of cedar, and perhaps of a bit of incense, but mercifully, it didn't smell of her. He laid the kimono out next to the burned-up girl, and ever so slowly, he moved it under her, gently worked her skeletal arms into the sleeves, then closed the robe and tied it loosely with the white obi. He arranged her arms at her sides so they looked comfortable, then picked up a small flake of dried blood that had fallen from his face onto her breast. She looked better now. Still wraithlike and monstrous, but better. â€Å"There you go. Yuriko would be pleased that her kimono helped cover one who had nothing.† He returned to his workbench and began the drawing for the block that would carry the yellow ink for the futon, when he heard movement behind him and wheeled around. â€Å"Well, don't you look yummy,† Jody said. TOMMY Tommy spent the early evening in the library, reading The Economist and Scientific American. He felt as if all the words were bringing him back from the animal realm to being a human being, and there were plenty of words in those magazines. He wanted his full powers of speech and human thought before he confronted Jody. He also hoped that his memory of what had happened would come back with his words, but that didn't seem to be working. He remembered a red blur of hunger in his head, being thrown through a window and landing on the street, but between that and the time when his words returned in the basement, with the Emperor, he could remember very little. It was as if those experiences-hunting, finding shelter of darkness, snaking his way through the City in a cloud of predators gone to mist-were filed in a part of his mind that locked as soon as the ability to put words to senses returned. He suspected that he may have helped Chet kill people, but if that was the case, why h ad he saved the Emperor? Fortunately, he hadn't lost the ability to turn to mist, which was how he'd obtained the outfit he was wearing now. The whole ensemble-khaki slacks, blue Oxford-cloth shirt, leather jacket, and leather boating moccasins-had been on display in a window at a men's store on Union Square, suspended by monofilament fishing line into the shape of a casual cotton ghost that was haunting other, equally stylish but substanceless marionettes around some deck chairs and artificial sand. Just after the dinner hour, when the store was at its busiest, Tommy streamed in under the door, into the outfit and became solid. With a quick crouch, he snapped all the monofilament line and walked out of the store fully dressed, bits of fishing line curling in his wake. It would, he thought, have been the smoothest, most audaciously cool thing he had ever done, if it hadn't been for the straight pins that had fastened the shirt to the slacks. But after a minor fit on the sidewalk as he yanked the pins out of his back, hips, and abdomen, while rhythmically chanting, â€Å"Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch,† he returned to the calm and casual cotton-clad vampire aspect he'd been going for. He waited until he was at the library, in the stacks, before he pulled the piece of cardboard out of his collar and yanked off various tags and threads. Fortunately, there had been no anti-theft tags on the display outfit. Now he was ready, or as ready as he was going to get. He had to go to Jody now, hold her, tell her he loved her, kiss her, shag her until all the furniture was broken and the neighbors complained (undead predator or not, he was still nineteen and horny), then figure out what they were going to do about their future. As he walked back through the Tenderloin, dressed in his â€Å"please rob me† white boy outfit, a jittery crackhead in a hoody that had once been green, but now was so dirty it was shiny, tried to rob him with a screwdriver. â€Å"Give me your money, bitch.† â€Å"That's a screwdriver,† Tommy said. â€Å"Yeah. Give me your money or I'll stab you with it.† Tommy could hear the tweaker's heart fluttering, smell the acrid stench of rotting teeth, body odor, and urine on him, and could see an unhealthy, dark gray aura around him. His predator mind flashed the word â€Å"prey.† Tommy shrugged. â€Å"I'm wearing a leather jacket. You'll never get a screwdriver through it.† â€Å"You don't know that. I'll get a running start. Give me your money.† â€Å"I don't have any money. You're sick. You should go to the hospital.† â€Å"That's it, bitch!† The crackhead thrust the screwdriver at Tommy's stomach. Tommy stepped aside. The tweaker's movements seemed almost comically slow. As the screwdriver went by, Tommy decided it might be best if he took it, and he snatched it away. The robber lost his balance and tumbled forward into the street and lay there. With the flick of his wrist, Tommy threw the screwdriver onto the roof of a four-story building across the street. Two guys who had been standing in an alley a few feet away, thinking about taking the robbery over from the crackhead, or at least robbing him if he was successful, decided they would rather go see what was happening on the next block. Tommy was a half a block away when he heard the uneven, limping footsteps of the crackhead coming up behind him. He turned and the crackhead stopped. â€Å"Give me your money,† said the tweaker. â€Å"Stop robbing me,† said Tommy. â€Å"You don't have a weapon and I don't have any money. It's totally not working for you.† â€Å"Okay, give me a dollar,† said the crackhead. â€Å"Still don't have any money,† Tommy said, turning his pants pockets inside out. A note from inspector 18 fluttered to the sidewalk. He heard movement above-claws on stone-and cringed. â€Å"Uh-oh.† â€Å"Fifty cents,† said the crackhead. He put his hand in the pouch pocket of his hoody and pointed his finger like it was a gun. â€Å"I'll shoot.† â€Å"You have got to be the worst armed robber ever.† The crackhead paused for a second and pulled his gun-posed hand out of his pocket. â€Å"I have my G.E.D.† Tommy shook his head. He thought he'd left the cats behind, but the felines either still had some connection to him, or there were so many of them now that there was nowhere in the City you could go where they wouldn't be hunting. He didn't relish trying to explain the whole phenomenon to Jody. â€Å"What's your name?† he said to the crackhead. â€Å"I'm not telling you. You could turn me in.† â€Å"Okay,† Tommy said. â€Å"I'll call you Bob. Bob, have you ever seen a cat do that?† Tommy pointed up. The crackhead looked up the side of the building to see a dozen cats coming down the bricks, face-down, toward him. â€Å"No. Okay, I'm not robbing you anymore,† said the tweaker, his attention taken by the clutter of vampire cats descending on him. â€Å"Have a nice evening.† â€Å"Sorry,† said Tommy, meaning it. He turned and jogged up the street to put some distance between himself and the screaming, which only lasted a few seconds. He looked back to see the crackhead gone. Well, not really gone, but reduced to a pile of gray powder amidst his empty clothing. â€Å"It's how he would have wanted to go,† Tommy said to himself. He would have thought the cats would go for the two in the alley, but now they were taking the people right out on the open street. He was going to have to get Jody and talk her into leaving the City, like they should have in the first place. He jogged the twelve blocks to the loft, careful not to run so fast that he might be noticed. He tried to look like a guy who was just late getting home to his girlfriend, which, in a way, he was. He waited outside the door for a moment before pushing the buzzer. What was he going to say? What if she didn't want to see him? He didn't have any experience to draw on. She'd been the first girl he'd had sex with while sober. She was the first girl he'd ever lived with. She was the first to take a shower with him, to drink his blood, to turn him into a vampire, and to throw him broken and naked through a second-story window. She was his first love, really. What if she sent him away? He listened, looked at the plywood still over the windows, sniffed the air. He could hear people inside, at least two, but they weren't talking. There were machines running, lights buzzing, the smell of blood and rat whiz wafting under the door. It really would have felt better if there were romance in the air, but, well, okay. He ran his fingers through his hair, snatched away the last strands of fishing line trailing from his clothes like errant crystal pubes, and pushed the button. FOO Foo had just placed the vials of Abby's blood in the centrifuge when the buzzer on the intercom went off. He flipped the switch, then looked over at Abby, lying on the bed. She looked so peaceful, undead and drugged and not talking. Almost happy, despite having a tail. But the police wouldn't understand. He ran into the living room and shook Jared out of the game-induced trance he had entered on his game console. Foo could hear the death-metal sound track coming from Jared's headphones, tinny screeching and tiny chainsaw rhythms, like angry chipmunks humping a kazoo inside a sealed mayonnaise jar. â€Å"Whaaa?† said Jared, yanking out his earbuds. â€Å"Someone's at the door,† whispered Foo. â€Å"Hide Abby.† â€Å"Hide her? Where? The closet is full of medical crap.† â€Å"Between the mattress and the box springs. She's skinny. You can mash her in there.† â€Å"How will she breathe?† â€Å"She doesn't need to breathe.† â€Å"Sweet.† Jared went for the bedroom, Foo for the intercom. â€Å"Who is it?† he said, keying the button. He really should have installed a camera. They were easy to wire and he got a discount at Stereo World. Stupid. â€Å"Let me in, Steve. It's Tommy.† Foo thought for a second he might pee a little. He hadn't finished building the high-intensity UV laser, and Abby hadn't worn her sun jacket. He was defenseless. â€Å"I can see why you might be mad,† said Foo, â€Å"but it was Abby's idea. I wanted to turn you back to human, like you wanted.† Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck. Tommy was going to kill him. It would be humiliating. The guy didn't even have an undergrad degree. He was going to be murdered by an undead Anglo liberal-arts tard who quoted poetry. The buzzer went off again. Foo jumped and keyed the intercom. â€Å"I didn't want to do it. I told her it was cruel to put you guys in there.† â€Å"I'm not mad, Steve. I need to see Jody.† â€Å"She's not here.† â€Å"I don't believe you. Let me in.† â€Å"I can't, I have things to do. Scientific things that you wouldn't understand. You have to go away.† Okay, now he was a tard. â€Å"I can come in, Steve, under the door or through the cracks around the windows, but when I go back to solid, I'll be naked. Nobody wants that.† â€Å"You don't know how to do that.† â€Å"I learned.† â€Å"Oh, that's cool,† said Foo. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. Could he get the door shut and duct taped before Tommy could ooze in. The great room was already taped up to contain the rat fog. â€Å"Buzz me in, Foo. I have to see Jody and I have to feed. You still have some of those blood pouches, right?† â€Å"Nope. Sorry, we're all out. And Jody's not here. And we've installed sunlamps all over the loft, Tommy. You'd be toast.† He did have some blood bags. In fact, he still had some of the ones with the sedative in it that he'd used to knock Abby out. â€Å"Steve, please, I'm hungry and hurt and I've been living in a basement with a bunch of vampire cats and if I turn to mist my new outfit is going to get stolen while I'm up there snapping your neck with my junk hanging out.† Foo was trying to think of a better bluff when a dark sleeve shot by him and he heard the door lock buzz downstairs. He looked up at Jared. â€Å"What the fuck have you done?† â€Å"Hi,† Tommy said in Foo's ear. â€Å"He sounded so sad,† Jared said. THE OLD ONES At sundown the three awoke inside a titanium vault under the main cabin and checked the monitors that were wired like a nervous system to every extremity of the black ship. â€Å"Clear,† said the male. He was tall and blond and he'd been lean in life, so he remained so, would remain so, forever. He wore a black silk kimono. The two females cranked open the hatch and climbed out into what appeared to be a walk-in refrigerator. The male closed the hatch, pushed a button concealed behind a shelf, and a stainless-steel panel slid across the hatch. They walked out of the fridge, into the empty galley. â€Å"I hate this,† said the African female. She had been Ethiopian in life, descended from royalty, with a high forehead and wide eyes that slanted like a cat's. â€Å"It was to this face that Solomon lost his heart,† Elijah had told her, holding her face in his hands as she died. And so he called her Makeda, after the legendary Queen of Sheba. She didn't remember her real name, for she had worn it for only eighteen years, and she had been Makeda for seven centuries. â€Å"It's different,† said the other female, a dark-haired beauty who had been born on the island of Corsica a hundred years before Napoleon. Her name had been Isabella. Elijah had always called her Belladonna. She answered to Bella. â€Å"It's not that different,† said Makeda, leading the way up a flight of steps to the cockpit. â€Å"It seems like we just did this. We just did this-when?† â€Å"A hundred and fifty years ago. Macao,† said the male. His name was Rolf, and he was the middle child, the peace-maker, turned by Elijah in the time of Martin Luther. â€Å"See what I mean,† said Makeda. â€Å"All we do is sail around cleaning up his messes. If he does this again I'm going to have the boy drag him out onto the deck during the day and video it while he burns. I'll watch it every night on the big screen in the dining room and laugh. Ha!† Although the oldest, Makeda was the brat. â€Å"And what if we die with the sire?† asked Rolf. â€Å"What if you wake up in the vault on fire?† He palmed a black glass console and a panel whooshed open in the bulkhead. The cockpit, big enough to host a party for thirty, was lined in curving mahogany, stainless steel, and black glass. The stern half was open to the night sky. But for the ship's wheel, it looked like an enormous Art Deco casket designed for space travel. â€Å"I've died before,† said Makeda. â€Å"It's not that bad.† â€Å"You don't remember,† said Bella. â€Å"Maybe not. But I don't like this. I hate cats. Shouldn't we have people for this?† â€Å"We had people,† said Rolf. â€Å"You ate them.† â€Å"Fine,† said Makeda. â€Å"Give me my suit.† Rolf touched the glass console again and a bulkhead opened to reveal a cabinet filled with tactical gear. Makeda pulled three black bodysuits from the cabinet and handed one each to Rolf and Bella. Then she slid out of her red silk gown and stretched, naked, her arms wide like Winged Victory, her head back, fangs pointed at the skylight. â€Å"Speaking of people,† said Bella. â€Å"Where's the boy? I'm hungry.† â€Å"He was feeding Elijah when we awoke,† said Rolf. â€Å"He'll be along.† Elijah was kept below in a vault similar to their own, except the prime vampire's vault was airtight, locked from the outside, and was fitted with an airlock system so the boy could feed him. â€Å"Irie, me undead dreadies,† said the pseudo-Hawaiian as he came up the steps, barefoot and shirtless, carrying a tray of crystal balloon goblets. â€Å"Cap'n Kona bringin' ya the jammin' grinds, yeah?† The vampires each spoke a dozen languages but none of them had the slightest idea what the fuck Kona was talking about. When he saw Makeda stretching, the blond Rastafarian stopped and nearly dumped the goblets off the tray. â€Å"Oh, Jah's sweet love sistah, dat smoky biscuit givin' me da rippin' stiffy like dis fellah need to poke squid with that silver sistah on de Rolls-Royce, don't you know?† Makeda fell out of her â€Å"Nike† posture and looked at Rolf. â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"I think he said he would enjoy violating you like a hood ornament,† said Rolf, taking a snifter from the tray and swirling dark liquid under his nose. â€Å"Tuna?† â€Å"Just caught, bruddah,† said Kona, having trouble now balancing the tray while trying to hunch to conceal the erection tenting his baggies. Bella took her snifter from the tray and grinned as she turned to look out the windscreen at the City. The Transamerica Pyramid was lit up in front of them, Coit Tower just to the right, jutting from Telegraph Hill like a great concrete phallus. Makeda took a slinky step toward Kona, â€Å"Should I let him rub oil on me, Rolf? Do I look ashy?† â€Å"Just don't eat him,† Rolf said. He sat in one of the captain's chairs, loosened the belt of his black kimono, and began working the Kevlar bodysuit over his feet. â€Å"Quaint,† said Makeda. She took another step toward Kona, held her bodysuit before her, then dropped it. In an instant she had gone to mist and streamed into the suit, which filled as if a girl-shaped emergency raft had been deployed inside. She snatched the last goblet out of the air as Kona flinched and dumped the tray. â€Å"Will you oil me up later, Kona?† Makeda said, standing over the surfer now as he cowered. â€Å"Nah need, matey, you shinin' plenny fine. But dat other ting bein' a rascal fo' sure.† He held his hand to his chest and ventured a glance up at her. â€Å"Please.† â€Å"It's your turn,† said Bella with a smile, her lips rouged with tuna blood. â€Å"Oh, all right,† said Makeda. â€Å"But use a glass.† Kona reached into the pocket of his baggies and came out with a shot glass, which he held with both hands before his head like a Buddhist monk receiving alms. She pushed her thumb against one of her fangs, then let the blood drip into Kona's shot glass. Ten drops in, she pulled her thumb away and licked it. â€Å"That's all you get.† â€Å"Oh, mahalo, sistah. Jah's love on ya.† He drained the blood then licked the shot glass clean, as Makeda watched and sipped her tuna blood. After a full minute, with the ersatz Hawaiian still lapping away at the glass, his breath heaving like he was hoisting the anchor by hand, she took the shot glass and held it away from him. â€Å"You're done.† â€Å"Bug eater,† Bella said, disgusted. Now she was in her own bodysuit and had drained her goblet of blood. â€Å"Oh, I think he's cute,† said Makeda. â€Å"I may let him oil me up yet.† She ruffled Kona's dreadlocks. He was staring blankly into space, his mouth open, drooling. â€Å"Just don't eat him,† Rolf said. â€Å"Stop saying that. I won't eat him,† said Makeda. â€Å"He's a licensed captain. We need him.† â€Å"All right. I'm not going to eat him.† Bella walked over, yanked a dreadlock from Kona's head, and used it to tie back her own, waist-length black hair. The surfer didn't flinch. â€Å"Bug eater,† she repeated. Rolf was back at the cabinet, snapping together various bits of weaponry. â€Å"We should go. Grab a hood, gloves to go with the sunglasses. Elijah said they had some sort of sunlight weapons.† â€Å"This is different,† said Bella, gathering all the high-tech kit from the weapons cabinet, as well as a long overcoat to cover it all. â€Å"We didn't have all this in Macao.† â€Å"As long as you're not bored, darling,† said Rolf. â€Å"I hate cats,† said Makeda as she pulled on her gloves.

St. Francis of Assisi

In the year 1181, a Giovanni Bernardone was born to an aristocratic family in Assisi, Umbria Italy. His father had been abroad, traveling for his businesses, while his child had been born and he came with the displeasing fact that his son was named after what the Italian thought of as the version for John the Baptist. Not wanting his son to be a Son of God, he began referring to his son as Francesco, otherwise known as Frances. Growing up, Frances grew up as a very privileged child, using his father’s money to his advantage.He and a group of boys would run around town stirring up trouble ‘til late, and Frances was known as the party animal . St. Frances of Assisi referred to that time as, â€Å"I lived in sin. † [â€Å"St. Francis of Assisi – Saints & Angels. † Catholic Online] Francis, whose father urged him to join him in his business, wanted more than wealth: power. Eager to receive it, he quickly joined in the battle against Perugia, Assisiâ€⠄¢s long time enemy. Many of the troops were killed, and those who weren’t were taken into captivity to be ransomed.Francis had been kept in captivity for almost a year in a small dungeon with several other men, but once his family had paid the ransom he returned to his old reckless ways. Seizing another opportunity to become a knight, Francis joined the Fourth Crusade boasting that he would return as a great prince. But less than two days into the journey, he received a vision from God that came to him in his dreams telling him that, â€Å"You have mistaken the meaning of your vision. Return to your own town. † [Chesterton, G. K. â€Å"Francis the Fighter. † St. Francis of Assisi,. New York: George H.Doran, 1924. 39. ] Unwilling, he returned back to Assisi, humiliated and ashamed that he had gone away in the first place. In Assisi, he had not returned to his old ways but began to mope around the pastures and streets, believing he had no purpose. One day he had been roaming around an abandoned field when off in the distance he saw a figure, which, as he drew closer, was a leper. And suddenly, a revelation came to St. Francis. This was what he was afraid, being poor and alone. Embracing the leper, he kissed him on both cheeks and gave him all of the money he had on him.Riding on toward the town, he has said that when he turned around the leper had disappeared, nowhere to be found. He always looked at it as a test from God, which he had rightly passed. St. Francis first got his start when he came across the Church of St. Damien which had been neglected to rubble. As he entered the collapsing Church, he heard a voice telling him to restore His house, and Francis realized that God was speaking to him. Like he had always done when he needed financial help, he ran to his father.His father, never being a man of God, put his son away under lock and key, declaring him a thief. Francis was put in front of the bishop, whom declared that Francis had t o repay his father the money. Francis then did something which declared his love for God: He referred to God as his only father, and shed all of his clothes as to repay his Earthly father. Running out into the streets on a snowy winter day, he ran through the streets of Assisi in nothing but rags taking refuge in the run down Church of St. Damien. He became a beggar, the one thing he had always feared, begging for nothing but stones.With the stones had built the Church with his own bare hands. Completing the Church, he began to live the Gospel, which no one had ever done before. Living out in the Church, Francis began to value nature, not looking at it as a whole but individually and as a child of God. St. Francis is the patron saint of animals and the environment for he focused most with God on nature and how each and everything, living or nonliving, was a creation of God, therefore a child of God. He’s also a patron saint of merchants, and his own country, Italy. St.Francis , though not a patron saint of, is frequently represented with poverty since he lived as a beggar and hermit, no solid roof over his head. St. Francis’ was canonized on July 16, 1228 by Pope Gregory IX where by that time he had been succumbed to blindness and became crippled with the way he had lived in his younger years. His Feast Day is on October 4th, and is celebrated universally. One of St. Francis’ major shrines is the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Assisi, Italy, which is the mother Church for all Franciscan Orders. Locally, we can find a St.Francis of Assisi Church in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey. St. Francis has many prayers, both inspired by him and those that he has written himself. One of the prayers he had written when he was nearing his death was the Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon, where he prayed to God during a time of need. He was undergoing an eye surgery to restore his sight, where they had to burn most of his face off, and he used this p rayer as a reassurance. One of his most famous prayers which had been inspired by his life was the Peace Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.This prayer is considered somewhat of the beatitudes of the Franciscan community. St. Francis of Assisi is one of my favorite saints because of where he had come from. Most saints start off poor and burdened but Francis had everything and still chose to continue with God. He devoted his life to the poor and to nature, not regretting leaving his past life. He practiced what he preached, leaving a life filled with poverty and pain, suffering from the stigmata and blindness. St. Francis served his God throughout his life, though in the beginning unknowing. He was indeed, one of the greatest saints. St. Francis of Assisi In the year 1181, a Giovanni Bernardone was born to an aristocratic family in Assisi, Umbria Italy. His father had been abroad, traveling for his businesses, while his child had been born and he came with the displeasing fact that his son was named after what the Italian thought of as the version for John the Baptist. Not wanting his son to be a Son of God, he began referring to his son as Francesco, otherwise known as Frances. Growing up, Frances grew up as a very privileged child, using his father’s money to his advantage.He and a group of boys would run around town stirring up trouble ‘til late, and Frances was known as the party animal . St. Frances of Assisi referred to that time as, â€Å"I lived in sin. † [â€Å"St. Francis of Assisi – Saints & Angels. † Catholic Online] Francis, whose father urged him to join him in his business, wanted more than wealth: power. Eager to receive it, he quickly joined in the battle against Perugia, Assisiâ€⠄¢s long time enemy. Many of the troops were killed, and those who weren’t were taken into captivity to be ransomed.Francis had been kept in captivity for almost a year in a small dungeon with several other men, but once his family had paid the ransom he returned to his old reckless ways. Seizing another opportunity to become a knight, Francis joined the Fourth Crusade boasting that he would return as a great prince. But less than two days into the journey, he received a vision from God that came to him in his dreams telling him that, â€Å"You have mistaken the meaning of your vision. Return to your own town. † [Chesterton, G. K. â€Å"Francis the Fighter. † St. Francis of Assisi,. New York: George H.Doran, 1924. 39. ] Unwilling, he returned back to Assisi, humiliated and ashamed that he had gone away in the first place. In Assisi, he had not returned to his old ways but began to mope around the pastures and streets, believing he had no purpose. One day he had been roaming around an abandoned field when off in the distance he saw a figure, which, as he drew closer, was a leper. And suddenly, a revelation came to St. Francis. This was what he was afraid, being poor and alone. Embracing the leper, he kissed him on both cheeks and gave him all of the money he had on him.Riding on toward the town, he has said that when he turned around the leper had disappeared, nowhere to be found. He always looked at it as a test from God, which he had rightly passed. St. Francis first got his start when he came across the Church of St. Damien which had been neglected to rubble. As he entered the collapsing Church, he heard a voice telling him to restore His house, and Francis realized that God was speaking to him. Like he had always done when he needed financial help, he ran to his father.His father, never being a man of God, put his son away under lock and key, declaring him a thief. Francis was put in front of the bishop, whom declared that Francis had t o repay his father the money. Francis then did something which declared his love for God: He referred to God as his only father, and shed all of his clothes as to repay his Earthly father. Running out into the streets on a snowy winter day, he ran through the streets of Assisi in nothing but rags taking refuge in the run down Church of St. Damien. He became a beggar, the one thing he had always feared, begging for nothing but stones.With the stones had built the Church with his own bare hands. Completing the Church, he began to live the Gospel, which no one had ever done before. Living out in the Church, Francis began to value nature, not looking at it as a whole but individually and as a child of God. St. Francis is the patron saint of animals and the environment for he focused most with God on nature and how each and everything, living or nonliving, was a creation of God, therefore a child of God. He’s also a patron saint of merchants, and his own country, Italy. St.Francis , though not a patron saint of, is frequently represented with poverty since he lived as a beggar and hermit, no solid roof over his head. St. Francis’ was canonized on July 16, 1228 by Pope Gregory IX where by that time he had been succumbed to blindness and became crippled with the way he had lived in his younger years. His Feast Day is on October 4th, and is celebrated universally. One of St. Francis’ major shrines is the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Assisi, Italy, which is the mother Church for all Franciscan Orders. Locally, we can find a St.Francis of Assisi Church in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey. St. Francis has many prayers, both inspired by him and those that he has written himself. One of the prayers he had written when he was nearing his death was the Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon, where he prayed to God during a time of need. He was undergoing an eye surgery to restore his sight, where they had to burn most of his face off, and he used this p rayer as a reassurance. One of his most famous prayers which had been inspired by his life was the Peace Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.This prayer is considered somewhat of the beatitudes of the Franciscan community. St. Francis of Assisi is one of my favorite saints because of where he had come from. Most saints start off poor and burdened but Francis had everything and still chose to continue with God. He devoted his life to the poor and to nature, not regretting leaving his past life. He practiced what he preached, leaving a life filled with poverty and pain, suffering from the stigmata and blindness. St. Francis served his God throughout his life, though in the beginning unknowing. He was indeed, one of the greatest saints.

Specialist Research Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Specialist Research Project - Essay Example The marketing entails presenting the business product to the customer, to create sales. Thus, these as features of business success, Nike invest largely in the various aspects of branding and marketing to establish customer loyalty; hence, establishing the successful; business culture and history as it possesses today. The company has strategic marketing capabilities that compliment the product and service brand accordingly for the successful engagement of the customer. Further, the subject area of cultural and historical developments relating to the company entails a listing of various structures established since the inception of the company. Thus, from these prospects of the company as a multinational operative corporation, the synthesis of the areas of branding and marketing, as well as, cultural and historical studies constitute the proposal of the research project. The proposed project will seek to explore the extent of these fashion business areas as they institute the profile of Nike Corporation. Marketing entails the set of processes and tools engaged in promoting the business success. However, in developing an identity of the product or service the business engages the area of branding remains the influential factor for consideration. Further, organizational culture developed over time also defines the success of the business venture as developed in the area of operation. Thus, in selecting a portfolio to establish and synthesis the subject areas of marketing and branding in addition to cultural and historical studies, the â€Å"Fashion Icon† Nike, remains most conveniently placed as an illustrative reference. Branding entails the culture itself, the message that permeates and regulates the processes of the business (Katz, 2004, 39). Thus, the project proposal seeks to establish the common misconceptions over the subject areas of branding and marketing as they develop a culture and

Space Shuttle Challenger Accident Research Paper

Space Shuttle Challenger Accident - Research Paper Example The research paper "Space Shuttle Challenger Accident" talks about the Space Shuttle Challenger accident when the Shuttle exploded into flames in 1986. The accident unnecessarily took the lives of the seven astronauts instantly. The officers of NASA and its related agencies are to blame for the Space Shuttle Challenger Explosion. The Space Shuttle Challenger's explosion can be explained using the domino effect theory reiterated the Space Shuttle Challenger’s launch environment was characterized as freezing cold. The dull and wintry sunrise shone over the Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Station. There were several flood lights adding vividness to the launch area as the Space Shuttle was about to begin its ill-fated journey into space. The spacecraft blew up on Tuesday, 28 January 1986. Analysis: the people from the NASA could have done better than what they had done. The people were too self-centered that they failed to heed the warnings of the engineers who presented an unexpected report. The unexpected report states that some parts of the Space Shuttle Challenger would not function well. However, the managers of NASA were banking on their many years of experience on Space Shuttle launches. In fact, the Space Shuttle Challenger had made several launches with flying colors. The managers believed that the launch should not be stopped. Stopping the launches would mean a failure to meet schedules. The managers felt that the original launch date had been postponed for several times too long.

The HR problems at MPC Finance Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The HR problems at MPC Finance - Case Study Example MPC has been gaining reputation for its products as with its personal policies. However the organizational outcomes concerning HRM were poor and questionable due to some issues as identified by the HR manager at MPC Finance (Ehnert, 2009). HRM practices at MPC were poor growth drivers and employees feel that little is done to recognize good performance and that the policies are out of date. Thus the employees' pay is tied to seniority rather than performance. As such it is noticed that there is less equal opportunity for the employees. MPC is about to lose good employees who are assets to the company due to the lack of training /development, performance review and advancement opportunities (Kearny, 2009). Therefore HRM practices at MPC Finance need to be refurbished to increase employee morale and job satisfaction. Thus it is essential to introduce some international HR policies (Chanda, 2009). Big business organizations such as Smith& Williamson and Moore Stephens have all one thing in common, viz. they all strive hard to satisfy the employees by focusing on effective HRM practices. Organizational outcomes or/and corporate goals at MPC need to be clearly defined in order to achieve at least some of them in the long term. ... Inability to come to terms with employee motivation, performance and communication interconnect would have been one of the biggest issues at MPC (Nkomo, Fottler, & McAfee, 2007). Also it needs to develop appropriate measuring tools to measure the impact on various issues at organisation level, e.g. organization-wide feedback surveys (Foot, & Hook, 2008). The development of an appropriate organizational reward system is probably one of the strongest motivational factors. Smith & Williamson and Ernst & Young implemented this practice very well.Employee training should be provided when required and this would help them to be in touch with the newest technology available and improve their efficiency which also counts as a company goal. Also performance evaluation practices must be based on the recognition of especial abilities of employees (Grugulis, 2007). Thus it is noticed that women who work at MPC have less opportunity be at senior position. Minority community has less opportunity work at company. It is ideal to introduce system to treat workers where despite their ethnic/race differences (Tocher, & Rutherford, 2009). Working environments may develop some pr oblems, for instance sitting long time period in front of the computer made some health issues (vision problems / back pain) on employees at MPC. Therefore management should minimise work stress when going for high targets with long hours of work.2.3. HRM practices & issues at the UK finance industry During the last ten years the finance industry in the UK has noticed a variety of HRM issues including absenteeism, work related stress and turnover. Against this backdrop of ever increasing competition, it's imperative for MPC to initiate some far reaching

Answer questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Answer questions - Assignment Example Starting a project requires definition of what the project is required to accomplish. A project starts with an idea them the vision that must be associated with the vision of the business. Project charter acts as the starting point where it established the foundation of the project. This must include the business needs and the deliverables to be executed. All the stipulations must be tied up to roles and responsibilities of the project development team. Human and material resources must be well defined (Goldratt, 1997). Often, an organization must put more efforts in estimation of the cost of the project in the chartering stage. The risks affecting the projects are also considered and their effects to the duration and cost of the project evaluated. The benefits and cost estimates must be supported using consistent approaches which provide realistic estimates for both costs and benefits. The establishment of the vision of a project in accordance with the project charter facilitates the success of the project. The project charter must corresponds to the business case put across to demonstrate that the project is viable and will assist in achieving the financial, employee and customer goals. The project chartering phase allows for establishment of an effective process that identifies and resolves various issues and actions that arise during the project development process. The chartering process forms the first step in execution of Lean project (Leach & Lawrence, 2005). Getting the sponsors and management to sign is normally difficult. Only one person is required in championing the project and passing it around. A good charter must be in a position to offer a written documentation that efficiently approves the launch and the requests of the efforts in project planning. Furthermore, the documentation of the project charter allows for collaboration of the major stakeholders and improves the deliverables. This must fairly represent the views of major

Employment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Employment - Coursework Example Other professionals will find themselves locked into an arms race with their competitors, and companies will have to provide their teams with the best equipment or face serious defeat. The advancements in medicine will reduce the population of potential employers lost through disease, and increased child care cost will force most employees to find ways of bettering their wages, either through job hoping, or making themselves marketable. Workers will telecommute; enabling them to use time spent commuting into productive work. The choices available for reemployment will be endless due to new, upcoming jobs including computer programmer, day care provider, environmental engineer, and elder specialist. People will be working during the weekends, in the evenings and on holidays (Roger Backhouse).   Inflation Inflation is expected to increase in the next five years, because the rising prices of commodities is not lasting a short time. Prospects of currency shifts and high commodity price s will cause the inflation to increase. In my view, the current market imbalances will continue keeping commodity prices rising in the next five years, with the inflationary pressures hitting emerging markets more, since a bigger share of their consumption is commodities. New emerging markets have in the past been a source of disinflation for most of the developed economies, because cheap imports from countries like China decreased inflation in the US and Europe, but that dynamic will be changed with higher commodity prices. The developed world policy makers will also try making their economies competitive through a cheaper currency, which in my view; will cause higher inflation for net importers like United States. In addition, emerging economies will let their currencies appreciate with a bid to combat inflation causing exportation of inflation to countries that buy their goods (Roger Backhouse). Interest rates Suppressing interests now will lead to disproportionate rise after fiv e years. In addition, the proposed low rate encourages depositors, who can relocate their money elsewhere, leading to more pressure for a rise. In my opinion, the monetary system is in a complete mess characterized by cons and quick solutions to serious economic problems. Currently no single borrower or saver can be immune. There is a lot of fake currency with no fixed value, and the trend seems to be escalating with time. Although there are few exceptions including gold silver coins and liberty dollars. With the currency and legal system plus savings and pension, most people are enslaved. There is no longer money, and people are just dealing with negative and positive numbers, which are illusions of debt and credit, of which we have no control. Probably, we can introduce some feel in the monetary system by nailing the currency to stabilize the unstable financial environment. The question, therefore, is how one can plan and be successful with their finances. This, therefore, makes i nterest rate speculation meaningless (Roger Backhouse). Level of taxation The middle class has been the category of tax payers who have mostly felt the weight of the tax mans demands. With increasing government spending, and demand for more infrastructures, the level of taxation is expected to go up, because the government will have to meet its high budget, while at the same time provide necessary social facilities for its citizens. The expected rise in inflation would also mean the governments would be faced with the challenge of getting the

W3D 590 perceive people Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

W3D 590 perceive people - Essay Example These aspects may render one perceive or view people positively or negatively. They affect the way one senses certain information before showing any impression. Therefore, there are several factors that commonly incite the way we perceive people. The first one is the mood state experienced by a person (Smith, 2013). Moods affects strongly on the way we perceive someone. We are able to think properly or make a positive impression of others when we are happy compared with times when we are depressed. When in undesirable mood, we are most probably going to evaluate others unfavorably than when in a positive mood state. An interviewer will make a good recommendation about a job applicant when his or her mood state is welcoming. The second factor is the attitude of the perceiver towards someone being perceived. The attitude that we have towards others affects the impressions we make on others. For example, if a male interviewer has a negative attitude on female that they are not capable to handle the job given, then his perception of a female job applicant will automatically be affected (Chris & Peter, 2014). The third one is the interests we have. Our attention, focus mostly appears to be affected by our interests which differ from one individual to the other. What one notices in situation may differ from what the other perceives. Before the interviewer makes any impressions, he or she will consider his or her interest in the job applicant. Self-concept is another factor that affects our thinking over others.Picking up traits in others will depend on our self-concept, one with a positive self-concept will always have positive attributes of others (Collela et al, 2010). Motive also affects the way we perceive. The interviewer who has an ill motive of a job applicant with better papers than him, he feels unsecured of his position. Fearing that the applicant might take his position will affect his perception. Another factor is knowledge,

Product and Place Marketing Activities Movie Review

Product and Place Marketing Activities - Movie Review Example Bob McDonald, Procter & Gamble’s CEO, insists the customers will prefer the higher priced better quality P & G products over the lower priced low-quality competitors’ alternatives. (Money.CNN.com, 2009). Wal-Mart’s Green Balancing Act. Wal-Mart offers its grocery-based green products in a place where the target customers can easily reach. The grocery is located in major communities. The strategic plan of the grocery is to sell organic food to the community. The current and future customers visit the nearby Wal-Mart branch to purchase Wal-Mart’s several organic food alternatives. The company cares about sustainability. By prioritizing the marketing of green products, the company is able to achieve its sustainability goals. Consequently, people who need the healthy food sources are able to travel to the next block to purchase another vegetable product (Money.CNN.com, 2010). Further, Supermarkets arrange the product choices to persuade the customers to buy more than what they really currently need (CBSNews.com, 2009). Swagger Wagon/Toyota. The company produces a very persuasive Toyota car promotion advertisement. The promotion includes singers promoting the safety, comfort and other attractive benefits of owning the Swagger Wagon Toyota car. The singers dance to the melody of the song. The promotion advertises the car’s benefits for the Mom, Dad, and children. The male singer represents the child-caring dad. The female singer depicts the wife or mother who feels the car helps the mother’s resolve her determine whether the children are safe. The promotion, advertisement shows the Swagger Wagon Toyota car helps ensure the safety and location of the young child (Youtube.com, 2010). Next, Rosco emphasizes K-9 dogs are used to determine if the cast iron is high-quality products (Youtube.com, 2009). Exotic Car Rentals Rev Up. Gotham Dream Cars offers reasonable car rental rates.The company offers

English Language Learners Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

English Language Learners - Research Paper Example This essay discusses that when one viewed the wealth of materials regarding the topic ‘English Language Learners’ from the online search medium, one would be awed at the magnanimity of results amounting to more than 16 million in various informational categories. The fact signifies the extensive interest on the topic manifested by an array of practitioners and users, especially in the field of education. This area of education would thereby be more explored in the current research to proffer pertinent details that led to the development and continued focus on English Language Learners (EELs) in the contemporary academic setting. This area is chosen to enhance one’s awareness on the subject of interest and thereby enable one to share the knowledge, including crucial information to assist and guide other ELLs that one would potentially interact with in the near future, specifically in terms of improving learning outcomes. The discourse would initially present the de finition of key terms, evolution, historical development and continued growth within this area of academic discipline. Likewise, one would determine current legislation that shapes it in contemporary times; in conjunction with expounding on the best practices related to curriculum and instruction utilized in English as the Second Language (ESL) setting. In addition, one would also identify and describe specific technological applications and future trends that influence and affect English Language Learners (ELLs). ... 1). On the other hand, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) differentiated analogous terms such as ELL, ESL (English as Second Language), LEP (Limited English Proficiency) and EFL (English as Foreign Lanuage), as summarized in Table 1 below: Table 1: Definitions of Key Terms KEY TERMS DEFINITIONS ELL (English Language Learner): an active learner of the English language who may benefit from various types of language support programs. This term is used mainly in the U.S. to describe K–12 students. ESL (English as a Second Language): formerly used to designate ELL students; this term increasingly refers to a program of instruction designed to support the ELL. It is still used to refer to multilingual students in higher education. LEP (Limited English Proficiency): employed by the U.S. Department of Education to refer to ELLs who lack sufficient mastery of English to meet state standards and excel in an English- language classroom. Increasingly, English Language Lear ner (ELL) is used to describe this population, because it highlights learning, rather than suggesting that non-native-English-speaking students are deficient. EFL (English as a Foreign Language)Students:nonnative- English-speaking students who are learning English in a country where English is not the primary language. Source: (National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), 2008, p. 2) Historical Development The origin of instruction to ELL was actually traced as early as the 1600s and 1700s when some states were reported to establish private and public schools with bilingual education regulations during the European colonization of the United States

Organisation on learning Essay Example for Free

Organisation on learning Essay Background: Previous research suggests that the organisation of information is integral to its storage in and recall from memory. Aim: Differences with regard to the use of categorisation of information have been observed between cultures and age groups, so the aim is to find out the degree to which categorisation affects the learning of information in 16-18 year olds. Method: 20 participants aged 16-18 had 60 seconds to learn as many words as they could from a grid containing 24 words. The grid contained 6 words in 4 different semantic categories and was either categorised (control) or randomised (experimental). Participants then recalled as many of the words as they could. The amount of words that they recalled was observed. Results: The difference in the number of words remembered between the two conditions was found to be insignificant when put to the independent t-test and tested at the 0.05 level. In fact, participants in Condition B (randomised) recalled more words on average than those in Condition A (organised). However, participants in Condition B showed 68.83% categorisation upon recall, compared with 0.5% that would have been shown if participants recalled the words in the order that they appeared on the radomised grid. Conclusion: The results suggest that the degree of organisation of information upon presentation does not affect the amount of information remembered. However, the actual process of mentally organising the information may be a significant factor in the amount of information remembered. Individual differences may affect the way the information is organised, but this study found that categorical organisation was the most common form of this. Introduction Much evidence suggests that information in memory is highly organised, and that we remember large amounts of information by associating it with other similar pieces of information already stored. It may even be that the organisation of information is a prerequisite for information to be stored; for example, Mandler (1967) stated that memory and organization are not only correlated, but organization is a necessary condition for memory. From this viewpoint, it follows that, by definition, any information stored in the memory must be organised somehow. It may also be that the organisation of information upon presentation facilitates its storage, and that if information is not organised, people will attempt to create their own methods of organisation (Tulving, 1968). Categorical clustering is a term coined by Bousfield (1953) in order to describe one type of organisation in learning. In his research, he presented participants with a list of 60 words (15 from 4 different categories: animals, anthroponyms, professions and vegetables) and asked participants to free-recall the list. He found that, despite not having been told what the categories were, participants tended to recall the words according to their category and thus demonstrated the phenomenon. Bower et al. (1969) presented participants with words which were arranged into conceptual hierarchies. For one group, these were arranged in hierarchical form, and for the other they were listed randomly. The participants who were presented with the words in hierarchical form recalled almost 31/2 times as many words as those to whom they were presented randomly, suggesting that the organisation of the words upon presentation facilitated their storage in memory. A similar trait has also been observed with naturally occurring stimuli. Rubin and Olson (1980) asked students to recall the names of as many members of staff in their school as they could, and found that students showed a strong tendency for the members of staffs names to be recalled by their respective departments. This also shows evidence for categorical organisation. They further found that students who re-arranged word cards into more categories remembered more words on average than those who created less categories, and that those who were not told to actively remember the words, instead just sort them, remembered the same amount as those asked to remember them. These indicate that not only does categorisation increase the amount of information remembered, but the active process of organisation may even cause the information to be remembered. More support that organisation and learning are intertwined comes from Kahana and Wingfield (2000), who found that the relation between organisation and learning remained the same even after significant differences between participants mnemonic abilities had been taken into account.  One case study which suggests that memory is highly organised comes from Hart et al. (1985). Having almost made a complete recovery from a stroke two years previously, M.D. experienced no problems except that he was unable to name different types of fruit and vegetable or sort them into categories. However, he was able to name and sort types of food, for example, and vehicles, which suggests that his inability to carry out these tasks was limited to specific semantic categories. Aims The findings of this previous research suggest that organisation does play a large role in the storage, structuring and restructuring of information in memory. However, organisation does not necessarily imply categorisation, which is what will be tested here. Also, in a similar way that Gutchess et al. (2006) found that age and culture affected the way in which categorisation was used in memory, it may be that young people in turn use it differently. So, the following experiment aims to investigate the effects of organisation on learning in 16-18 year-olds. More specifically, it will investigate the degree to which organisation of information upon presentation affects the storage and recall of words presented in a randomised grid. Following on from research by Bower et al. (1969) and Rubin and Olson (1980), two hypotheses have been drawn:  Experimental hypothesis  Participants will recall, on average, fewer words when the words given are listed randomly, than will the participants for whom the words are listed categorically.

Instructions for OpenStack

Instructions for OpenStack OpenStack is an arrangement of free and open-source software tools that is utilized for controlling substantial pool of compute, storage and networking resources managed through a datacenter which is overseen through a dashboard that gives head control while permitting their clients to spare assets through a web interface. Since OpenStack is overseeing distributed computing platform for both public and private cloud, it is supported by a portion of the greatest organizations and also a large number of individual group individuals. For creating an instance in OpenStack we need to use the URL cloud.ncirl.ie. To access the cloud compentency centre there is an option for OpenStack. We need to click on that option. A login page will appear where the Domain name is ncirl, we need to put login details like username and password. After login we can check the Instances, VCPUs, RAM, Floating IPs, Security groups, Volume and Volume storage etc. if any previous instances is there we can also check those. In order to create an OpenStack Instances we need to create Key pair. To create key pair we need to select Project à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Compute. In Compute options like Overview, Instances, Volumes, Images and Access Security. In Access Security we choose the second option Key Pairs. In Key Pairs there is an option create key pair, we have to choose that option. Inside create key pair we have to enter the desired key pair name and click on the option Create key pair. A .pem file will be downloaded to the system, which is used to login to instance using putty. The second step is to click on instances à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Launch instance then a pop up appears where we have to put an instance name. Available zone is nova and count should be 1. We need to select the source for the instance, we select boot source as image and the required operating system can be Ubuntu 14.04. Now we need to select the Flavor, the required flavor is m1.large. In network tab we select private_default. We dont have to make any changes in network port. In security group tab we select default and http-8080. In key pair we have to select the key pair which was created earlier. In configuration tab we have to paste the shell script for cloud from: https://docs.openstack.org/developer/devstack/guides/single-vm.html. Now on clicking the launch instance an instance will be created. Now we have to associate a floating point IP to the instance so that it can be accessed from outside the cloud. The third step is to go to Puttygen and load the .pem file to generate a .pkk file to access the created instance by windows operating system. Now go to Putty and paste the floating IP in the host name bar and then we add the private key which is .pkk which was earlier generated using Puttygen, now click open. I command prompt will appear to the created instance where login details is required like username and password. The username is Ubuntu and password is password. After login we have to verify whether the username is stack or not by using the command line cd ~/../stack. Now we have to check whether the script got completed by using tail/var/log/cloud-init-output.log. The final step is to open the browser and type the floating IP associated to the instance in the address bar. An OpenStack dashboard will appear where we have to input the username as admin and password as password. An OpenStack horizon will appear where we need to go to Project à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Compute à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Overview to get the following screen. Personal experience while creating instances in OpenStack While creating key pair I saved the .pem file on my local folder in my system. While generating instance, I faced a problem of getting three IP address on the same instance. I tried for three times each time deleting the previous instance and creating a new one, finally got a single IP on the third try. To make instance visible and for usage we need a floating IP address, but due to limited floating IP it was very difficult to get an IP for my instance. In Puttygen I had to load the .pem file and generate .pkk file which is a private key for windows user. Then after I had to open the putty and type the floating IP address in Host Name session. After that I had to prompt .pkk file from Auth inside SSH.The other issue was after creating .pkk file I was not able to access the command prompt for instance, then by getting guidance from Dr. Ralf Beirig in lecture and only then I was able to overcome this issue. After accessing into cloud I checked the user stack by giving commond line   cd ~/../stack to check whether stack is present or not in home folder then I gave command line of tail /var/logs/cloud-init-output.log to show the status of current script. In the URL, I pasted my floating IP and could access the OpenStack horizon by entering username as admin and password as password.

Piracy in the International Film Sector

Piracy in the International Film Sector â€Å"these days, folks across the world chat a lot more about the excellent exploding market connected with what sort of web piracy improves within the last the recent past, some preceding experiments related to the particular honesty, behavior in addition to digital camera piracy. the research within this report will become by means of exploring the particular movements connected with motion picture market so that you can determine if your motion picture possesses commenced to be able to battle within the the recent past as the fee in addition to ease of piracy specifically the net piracy that will improved amongst people who have many different a long time. the net piracy will certainly divided in what exactly elements are actually helpful to anticipate along with effect the actual accomplishment of videos on this sporadic market, examines motion picture piracy, precisely how this takes place, plus the effects within the motion picture enterprise and lastly examines what exactly aspects of anti-piracy may be employed so that you can beat the actual propagate of piracy along with what exactly the industry may anticipate to accomplish†. â€Å"Within Nov associated with 1903, The truly amazing Coach Robbery grew to be the 1st story movie introduced pertaining to viewers in lots of theaters throughout Nj-new jersey (IMDB, 2008). Since then, the particular movie marketplace has grown in explodes along with range among the most often used pleasurable goods in the us, tugging more substantial viewers as compared to design parks along with main sports put together (MPAA, 2007; Vogel, 1998). Within 2007, the particular world-wide field workplace gross sales achieved $26. 7 billion dollars, a all-time substantial with the marketplace (MPAA, 2007). This kind of expansion in field workplace gross sales has occurred despite the current transfer in this market toward home movie with the advantage along with expansion associated with DISC technologies. At present, home video lessons take into account over 50% associated with studio profits while field workplace profits take into account with regards to 20% associated with studi o profits (MPAA, 2007; Vogel, 1998). Since marketplace received their best world-wide field workplace season previously in 2007 and this solely makes up with regards to 20% associated with profit, it really is obvious how the leisure organization will be thriving†. â€Å"Inside film market there are three methods consciousness may be lifted for that launch of the particular film: advertising by the distributing company, testimonials by critics, and also community word-of-mouth consequences. Together, several consumers help to make his or her binary decision to watch or maybe certainly not watch the actual film while using good quality and also curiosity regarding ads thought of, the actual discourse regarding well known or maybe nearby critics, along with the thoughts of the relatives and buddies with already thought of the actual given film. This cyclical relationship in between success and also consciousness implies that film manufacturers want to have the ideal promotion autos. Advertising and marketing is the just distributor-controlled aspect of the actual advertising clout†. â€Å"Tough unpredictability inside the movie industry of which witout a doubt is available, it seems like there are number of aspects that can produce points more difficult, still before 5 several years this MPAA has commenced to earnestly turn its care about the situation regarding movie piracy. This piracy regarding copyrighted supplies, which includes modified this songs industry since creation regarding Napster, has commenced to look at the obvious toll within the movie industry. At the moment, this MPAA puts most of its initiatives in the direction of anti-piracy action and understanding, showing a particular devotion as to the they will comprehend because major increasing danger towards the movie industry (MPAA, 2005). This 2005 report on piracy with the MPAA simply by LEK Visiting had been a report performed above 1 . 5 years which in turn surveyed 20, six hundred people in 25 places and experimented with approximate earnings losses depending on legitimate movie sale diminis hes because the consequence of fake versions being available. Given that this MPAA accounts the household package company income in with regards to $10 billion dollars and dangerous package company income in $17 billion dollars, this kind of maintain regarding $6. 1 billion dollars is often a massive recommended affect this industry’s achievements†. â€Å"Despite the fact that study on video piracy has become tied to most of the paperwork talked about preceding, a great deal of study has become performed in relation to copyright laws infringement inside songs marketplace. There are various classes to get realized from the battling songs marketplace as caused by piracy: particularly in which safeguard is crucial as well as answering and adjusting piracy in various methods is essential pertaining to intellectual property organizations when they intend on growing. The actual songs marketplace provides modified because of pirating, for instance, the widely used iTunes program permits people to be able to download personal melodies for $. 99. The actual flexibility given with the iTunes technique and also other identical songs accessing products and services get helped steer clear of the multiply associated with piracy. Nonetheless, your songs marketplace provides observed as well as documented the truly great deficits to be able to piracy, specially caused by net piracy as well as P2P hosting space. Despite the fact that a new correlation is available in between piracy pertaining to movies as well as songs, it is important to be aware your differences†. â€Å"In summary, this specific paper is not refuting which piracy is really a considerable dilemma inside the movie sector; this investigator realizes how significant this matter will be. That said, this rising price regarding tickets inside the package workplace shows deficiencies in fiscal work with film distributor’s behalves inside attempting to reduce the number of purchaser cutbacks to piracy. In addition, this impression regarding a myriad of piracy may not be because substantive because proposed by the MPAA, no less than, certainly not regarding this pace in which piracy will be launched. This kind of supports extremely true with regard to cam leaks, the location where the low quality on the video simply may seem to awareness this little movie purchaser . â€Å"Considering cam leaks have been available for 184 on the 185 films inside the Oscar Video Piracy along with Income Dataset, this film sector might want to give attention to battling anti-piracy inside fiscal phrases rather than just attempting to quit this, seeing as that they seem unable to stop piracy worldwide. On the other hand, this MPAA’s concerns with regards to screener leaks may be additional founded operational common sense, along with just before releasing screeners with regards to films film marketers may decide to take into account how not too long ago their own movie opened inside theaters. Needless to say, film marketers are usually loathe to pass by Oscar or Academy Give possibilities, yet the benefit of this esteem along with following involvement in this movie need to be weighed from the considerable chance for profit burning to piracy†. â€Å"References:- Vogel, H.L. (1998). Entertainment industry economics: A guide for financial analysis.New York: Cambridge University Press. Walls, W.D. (2005). Modeling movie success when ‘nobody knows anything’:Conditional stable-distribution analysis of film returns. Journal of Cultural Economics, 29(3), 177-190. Walls, W.D. (2008a). Cross-country analysis of movie piracy. Applied Economics, 40(4-6), 625-632. Walls, W.D. (2008b). Screen wars, star wars, and sequels: Nonparametric reanalysis of movie profitability. Working Paper. Retrieved January 15, 2009, from http://ideas.repec.org/e/pwa195.html#affiliation. Walls, W.D, Harvey, P.J. (2003). Laboratory markets in counterfeit goods: Hong Kong versus Las Vegas. Applied Economics Letters, 10, 883-887. Walls, W.D., Harvey, P.J. (2008). Digital pirates in practice: Analysis of markettransactions in Hong Kong’s pirate software arcades. International Journal of Management, 23(3), 207-216. Waterman, D., Ji, S.W., Rochet, L.R. (2007). Enforcement and control of piracy,copying, and sharing in the movie industry. Review of Industrial Organization,30(4), 255-289†.

Great Gatsby :: essays research papers

One night, Gatsby waylays Nick and nervously asks him if he would like to take a swim in his pool; when Nick demurs, he offers him a trip to Coney Island. Nick, initially baffled by Gatsby's solicitousness, realizes that he is anxiously waiting for Nick to arrange his meeting with Daisy. Nick agrees to do so. Gatsby, almost wild with joy, responds by offering him a job, a "confidential sort of thing," and assures Nick that he will not have to work with Meyer Wolfsheim. Nick is somewhat insulted that Gatsby wishes to reimburse him for his help, and so declines Gatsby's offer. It rains on the day that Gatsby and Daisy are to meet, and Gatsby becomes extremely apprehensive. The meeting takes place at Nick's house and, initially, their conversation is stilted and awkward. They are all inexplicably embarrassed; when Gatsby clumsily knocks over a clock, Nick tells him that he's behaving like a little boy. Nick leaves the couple alone for a few minutes; when he returns, they seem luminously happy, as though they have just concluded an embrace. There are tears of happiness on Daisy's cheeks. They make their way over to Gatsby's mansion, of which Gatsby proceeds to give them a carefully rehearsed tour. Gatsby shows Daisy newspaper clippings detailing his exploits. She is overwhelmed by them, and by the opulence of his possessions; when he shows her his vast collection of imported shirts, she begins to weep tears of joy. Nick wonders whether Gatsby is disappointed with Daisy; it seems that he has made of her a goddess, and  ­ though Daisy herself is alluring  ­ she cannot possibly live up to so grandiose an ideal. Gatsby has Ewing Klipspringer, a mysterious man who seems to live at his mansion, play "Ain't We Got Fun" (a popular song of the time) for himself and Daisy: In the morning, in the evening Ain't we got fun! Got no money, but oh, honey Ain't we got fun! As Klipspringer plays, Gatsby and Daisy draw closer and closer together; Nick, realizing that his presence has become superfluous, quietly leaves. Analysis The exchange between Nick and Gatsby that opens this chapter highlights the uncertainty at the heart of their relationship: is Gatsby's friendship with Nick merely expedient  ­ that is, is he merely using him to draw closer to Daisy  ­ or is he genuinely fond of him? The question cannot be absolutely decided: while it becomes clear that Gatsby has great affection for Nick, it is also true that he uses his money and power as leverage in all of his personal relationships.

The family is the biggest piece of the pie Essay -- Social Control Th

The key writers of social control theories were influenced by the mid 19th century conservative ideals, in which people were adhering to the unchanging state of affairs. Social control theorist viewed crime as normal behaviour that resulted from "the absence of effective beliefs that forbid delinquency" (Jones, 2009, p. 228). Rather than questioning why humans deviated and became criminals, social control theorist wondered why most people conformed and did not engage in criminal activity. With elements from several theories, including anomie, social disorganization and differential association, criminologist have argued that social control theory is not new (William & McShane, 2010, p. 157). These conservative criminologist were looking for alternative ways of explaining crime and deviance from the explanations they already had (Sears, personal communication, November 2, 2010). While there are several different perspectives of social control theory, for the purpose of this paper, th e focus will be aimed at Hirschi's social bond theory. First off, by introducing Travis Hirschi's theoretical premise and specifically highlighting his main arguments. Secondly, some examples will be provided on how this theory has been implemented and discuss an authentic program created by me which applies his theory. Lastly, the focus will be directed towards the effectiveness and the limitations that his theory has. The origin of Travis Hirschi's social control theory can be traced back to Emile Durkheim, who not only came up with the idea of anomie, he also talked about forces of integration and forces of regulation (Cartwright, 2010, p. 68). Forces of integration were described by Durkheim as being informal forces, and included peoples commo... ...be that it helps to eliminate the critique that parents could be the root of the problems (Sears, personal communication, November 9, 2010). Given that the 'old' ways eventually become eliminated form society, my program would provide proper parenting skills for all individuals in which people would learn Hirschi's core elements. In contrast, one weakness that haas been argued is that social control theories "over-predict delinquency and relegate motivation to a matter of minor significance" (Jones, 2009, p. 243). Also, it has been said that these theorist have made an unjustified assumption that all individuals are bound to partake in delinquent activities. Overall social control theories, particularly Hirschi's social bond theory, have proved to provide striking effects and perhaps that is why it is popular to both the general public and the policy level.

The Important of Semantics Knowledge in Teaching English

Speech act theory and the analysis of conversations. Sequencing and interpretation in pragmatic theory Jacques Moeschler Department of Linguistics University of Geneva 1. Introduction Conversation has recently become a focus of interest for speech act theory and several proposals have been formulated concerning the possible extension of speech act theory to the analysis of conversation. This debate (cf. Searle et al. 1992) has to be interpreted as a reactive move rather than as a natural extension of the domain of speech act theory.Nevertheless, this reaction, either sceptical (cf. Searle 1992) or optimistic (cf. Dascal 1992, Vanderveken 1992 and 1994), has brought interesting issues which contrast with the various attempts by linguists at extending speech act theory to the domain of discourse1 . The first purpose of this paper is to explicit the divergence between philosophers and linguists about the possible extension of speech act theory to discourse analysis. This paper has anoth er purpose : it also deals with the possible domain of pragmatic theory with respect to discourse analysis.I shall argue that the main purpose of discourse analysis is the definition of necessary and sufficient 2 MOESCHLER conditions for sequencing and interpretating utterances in discourse. I claim that these two aspects of discourse (sequencing and interpretation) are intrinsically related and cannot be accounted for independently from each other. I claim furthermore that speech act theory cannot give any insight into the sequencing and interpretation problems, because speech act theory is neither a theory of interpretation (it is a theory of meaning) nor a global theory of action.Finally I show how a radical pragmatic theory (in the Gricean sense) accounts for the sequencing and interpretation problems. 2 2. Speech act theory and conversation There is a common sense argument shared by philosophers and linguists in favour of the possible extension of speech act theory to discourse analysis. This argument is the following : Speech acts are not isolated moves in communication : they appear in more global units of communication, defined as conversations or discourses.Vanderveken (1994, 53) gives an explicit version of this thesis when asserting that speakers perform their illocutionary acts within entire conversations where they are most often in verbal interaction with other speakers who reply to them and perform in turn their own speech acts with the same collective intention to pursue with success a certain type of discourse. Thus, above all, the use of language is a social form of linguistic behavior.It consists, in general, of ordered sequences of utterances made by several speakers who tend by their verbal interactions to achieve common discursive goals such as discussing a question, deciding together how to react to a certain situation, negociating, consulting or more simply to exchange greetings and talk for its own sake. For terminological convenience, I will call such ordered sequences of speech acts conversations. SPEECH ACTS AND CONVERSATION 3 The basis of this argument is that conversation is made of sequences of speech acts.This certainly is a plausible theoretical claim3 , but gives rise to a certain number of objections, raised mainly by Searle (1992) in his skeptical argument. These objections concern essentially the possible relations between questions and answers in conversation, and can be stated as follows. First of all, questions are defined in speech acts theory as requests for information, and as such impose representative acts as replies. But this cannot be correct, since a reply may have another illocutionary point (as a promise) if the question is a request for a promise.Secondly, certain questions require a directive as a reply, and not a representative, when the question contains a modal auxiliary verb (cf. the exchange : â€Å"Shall I marry Sally ? † – â€Å"Yes, do†/ â€Å"No, donâ€⠄¢t† / â€Å"*Yes, you shall† / â€Å"*No, you shall not†). The third counter-example is given by indirect reponses, which do not satisfy syntactic conditions, although the answer is pragmatically appropriate. To these three arguments, we could add an even more embarrassing one : answer is not a specific illocutionary force, which could be analysed by the seven components of illocutionary force (cf.Searle & Vanderveken 1985). Answer is a functional discursive qualification, but certainly not the semantic definition of a speech act type. These objections make explicit an important difference between the structure of illocutionary acts and the structure of conversation. In speech act theory, and more precisely in illocutionary logic, illocutionary force is decomposed into seven components, which are all necessary conditions for the successful and non defective accomplishment of illocutionary acts.These components (cf. Searle & Vanderveken 1985, 12-20) are the illoc utionary point, the degree of strength of the illocutionary point, the mode of achievement of the illocutionary point, the propositional content conditions of the illocutionary act, the preparatory conditions of the illocutionary act, the sincerity conditions of the illocutionary act, and finally the degree of strength of the sincerity conditions. That predictions 4 MOESCHLER bout the sequencing in conversation are difficult to come by follows from the fact that the internal structure of illocutionary acts (and more specifically the set of conditions for success) cannot determine the set of possible replies for any type of illocutionary act. By contrast, discourse analysis, while specifying sequential relations in discourse between speech acts, does not constrain sequencing in conversation depending on the set of possible components of illocutionary force. The constraints are not structural, in the sense of speech act theory, they are on the contrary functional.This means that the b asic structures of conversation (exchanges) are made of lower order conversational units (moves) which carry functional properties. If speech act theory has been used so extensively within this paradigm of discourse analysis4 , it is because the functional properties associated with speech acts as units of meaning have been exported to speech acts as units of communication and discourse. This has several consequences for the description of speech acts within discourse analysis. The first consequence is that the structure of conversation is not only based on a hierarchy of constituency, but is also functional.To take a classical discourse model (cf. Sinclair & Coulthard 1975), discourse categories (exchange, move, and act) are defined functionally. For instance, an act of ELICITATION is part of a move of ELICITATION, which governs an exchange of ELICITATION. Thus all discourse constituents receive a communicative function, that is, an interactive meaning. But we are here far from the conventional and semantic-meaning defining speech acts in speech act theory5 . As we have just noticed, discourse analysis supposes principles of constituency which allow interpretive or functional inheritance.If we assume, as above, that an ELICITATION is a two-place predicate relating utterance-units and discourse-units, we must assume too that the functional properties of the smallest discourse units (acts) are inherited by the larger constituents (moves and exchanges). This principle is structurally identical to the projection principle in generative grammar : a phrase is a maximal projection of a lexical head (for SPEECH ACTS AND CONVERSATION 5 instance NP is a maximal projection of a N); in discourse, then, an exchange is thus functionally a maximal projection of an act.The principle of functional projection is not a necessary consequence of discourse analysis. Another classical discourse model, the Geneva hierachicalfunctional model (cf. Roulet et al. 1985, Moeschler 1985, M oeschler 1989a) makes a different claim : functional values do not stand in a one-to-one relationship with discourse structures. In this model, there is a basic difference between rules of discourse formation and principles of functional interpretation. The structural dimension is based on the following rules of formation : R1 Units of type Exchange are made of units of type Move.R1’ Exchanges are composed of at least two Moves. R2 Units of type Move are made of units types Act, Move or Exchange. R2’ Moves composed by a single Act are well-formed. R2†Moves composed by an Act and another discourse-unit type (Move or Exchange) are well-formed. R2†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Moves composed by a single Exchange are ill-formed. Thus, the following discourse structures are well-formed : (1) a. b. c. > where E = exchange, M = move, A = act The structures in (1a-c) are the hierarchical representations corresponding to the following short exchanges in (2)-(4): (2) A B A B A Are you re ady ?We can leave. Are you ready ? Why ? We must leave now. (3) 6 B (4) A B A B A MOESCHLER Okay, but when I am in a hurry, I always forget something. Are you ready ? Because we must leave now. Yes I am Good. Let’s go Let’s go Okay We can represent the bracketting structures given in (1) by the following tree-schemata : (5) (a) E M2 A We can leave. M1 A Are you ready ? (b) E E M2 M M1 M1 M2 M M1 A A A A A A A A A A A A A Are you ready ? Why ? We must leave now. Okay, but when I am in a hurry, I always forget something. (c) M1 E M2 M3 E M2 M3Are you ready ? Because we must leave now. Yes I am Good Let's go Let’s go Okay These structures mean that in (5a) the exchange is made of two moves both composed of a single act, in (5b) the exchange is composed of two moves, the second of which is made of an exchange with two moves, and a move composed by an act and a move, and in (5c) the three-move exchange contains in the first move an exchange made of three moves. SPEEC H ACTS AND CONVERSATION 7 What are the functional counterparts of the structural aspects of conversational discourse ?There are two dimensions of functional properties associated with the structural device : the first dimension is a restricted inheritance principle, and the second, a general procedure for assigning interpretation to discourse constituents. The first principle is a principle of functional composition : Principle of functional composition (i) Constituents of exchanges bear illocutionary functions. (ii) Constituents of moves bear interactive functions. Definitions (i) Illocutionary functions are of three types : initiative, reactive, and reactive-initiative. (ii) Interactive functions are of two types : directive, and subordinate.The first move of an exchange (M1) is always initiative; the final move of an exchange is always reactive. For instance M2 in the exchange is the reactive move, and M1 is the initiative move. An inserted move (for example M2 in the structure ) is a reactive-initiative move. A directive (D) constituent is of the type move or act, and contains the act from which the move receives its illocutionary function; a subordinate (constituent (of rank act, move or exchange) is cancellable, and generally completes, argues for, or justifies the main or directive constituent of the move. We can now ive the complete hierachical-functional structures given in (1) and (5) as (6) and (6’) : (6) a. b. c. 8 MOESCHLER where E = exchange, sE = subordinate exchange, M = move, sM = subordinate move, dM = directive move, sA = subordinate act, dA = directive act (6’) (a) E M2 dA We can leave. M1 dA Are you ready ? (b) E M2 dM sE M1 M1 M 2 dM dA dA dA sA sA dA dA sA dA dA dA dA dA Are you ready ? Why ? We must leave now. Okay, but when I am in a hurry, I always forget something. (c) M1 E M2 M3 sE M1 M2 M3 Are you ready ? Because we must leave now. Yes I am Good Let's go Let’s go OkayThe second functional counterpart of the stu ctural device is a procedure of interpretation assignment. It is not sufficient to have functional values assigned to discourse constituents; required is also to have a procedure governing the assignment of a functional interpretation to each constituent. In other words, the types of structures given in (1), (5) or (6) are syntactic representations of discourse; we need in addition a semantics, which can for instance assign to the hierarchical-functional structures given in (6) the following functional interpretations : SPEECH ACTS AND CONVERSATION 9 (7) a. b.

Dilemma of Asian Bags Essay

Asia Paper Bag has since 1990 operated as a manufacturer of plastic carrier bags supplying them on a contract-manufacturing basis to well-known supermarket chains, fast-food outlets, pharmacies and department stores. Lately, Asia Paper Bag exports customized plastic carrier bags to Marks n Spencer and Boots Pharmacy in the United Kingdom. During the Asian financial crisis, Asia Paper Bag had difficulties in meeting its term loan repayment, and had to restructure the term loan last year. The term loan was restructured by way of a debt moratorium of 24 months on the principal and an extension of the maturity period from five years to eight years. Currently, Asia Paper Bag‘s turnover is about Rs 3million per month with an average net profit margin of 7%. Lately, with the increase in world oil prices, raw materials for plastic bag production have increased by over 5% to USD1,200 per ton. Asia Paper Bag’s capacity utilization is still low at only 40%, after it expanded rapidly pre-crisis. Asia Paper Bag Sdn Bhd ‘s production capacity increased from 200,000tonnes per annum to 350,000tonnes per annum during the pre-crisis period. This was when the company borrowed a term loan of Rs. 10 million to finance the machinery. The raw materials, PE resins, are purchased mainly from Singapore and Thailand, whilst only 15% is sourced domestically. Q.1 List the qualitative risks of Asia Paper Bag relation to bank lending . Q.2 List and explain the appropriate financial ratios to analyze the financial performance (profitability) of Asia Paper Bag Sdn Bhd (Malay equivalent of incorporated). Q.3 State the motives for using ratio analysis as a credit evaluation tool. EQUITY RESEARCH Mr. Prashant Gupta is interested in investing in equity shares of Infosys and Hamdard. Infosys Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: INFY) which was started in 1981 by seven people with US$ 250. Today, it is a global leader in the â€Å"next generation† of IT and consulting with revenues of over US$ 4 billion. It offers span business and technology consulting, application services, systems integration, product engineering, custom software development, maintenance, re-engineering, independent testing and validation services, IT infrastructure services and business process outsourcing. Hamdard (Wakf) Laboratories, India is a famous pharmaceutical company in India known for its Unani and Ayurvedic products. It is the world’s largest manufacturer of Unani medicinesSome of its more famous products include Safi, Sharbat Rooh Afza, Cinkara, Roghan Badam Shirin and Pachnol. It is associated with Hamdard Foundation, India. Being conservative in nature, he wants to determine the risk associated with investments. In specific terms, he wants to seek data related to both levered and unlevered beta of these companies. He approaches Nitin Shah, a financial consultant to do the needful. Nitin has collected the relevant information detailed below: Number (i) Monthly returns on equity shares of Infosys and Hamdard for a period of 2 years (w.e.f. October 2006 to September 2008) along with portfolio of S&P CNX NIFTY. (ii) Return on 364-days treasury bills issued by Government of India for the period 2007-08 is 5.15 per cent per annum and 0.419 per month. This rate is to be used as a proxy for risk-free rate of return. (iii) Debt-equity ratio (based on the average of 2004 to 2008) is 1.6 per cent for Wipro and 31.4 per cent for Dabur. (iv) Corporate tax is 35 per cent. Q. 1 Compute the Beta and interpret it for Prashant. Examine different circumstances with analysis of data. __________________________________________________________________ SUBJECT – RISK UNDERWRITING AND CLAIMS (A) Mr. Wilson has a car which is 12 years old. The Market value of which is Rs. 1.00 Lacs. However, Mr. Wilson wishes to insure this car for Rs. 5 lacs due to his sentiments attached to it. (B) Mr. Mathew purchased a ‘Money Back Policy’ from M/s. Supreme Life Insurance’ for a Sum Assured of Rs. 2.00 Lacs for 15 years. The survival  Benefit after 5 years accrues @ 25% of Sum Insured. A bonus was accumulated to the maturity. Q.1 Discuss as a Motor Insurance Underwriter, how you would react to this? Q.2 Calculate the sum payable at the maturity of the Policy.

Panic Attack Outline Essay

I. Introduction A. Panic Attacks are a form of Anxiety characterized by unexpected and repeated episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms. B. Panic Attack disorder affects about 6 million American adults and is twice as common in women as men. (Huppert) C. Panic Attacks often begin in late adolescence or early adulthood, but not everyone who experiences panic attacks will develop panic disorder. II. Thesis Statement A. Panic Attacks can occur at any time, even while sleeping. B. I would like to discuss this disabling condition and how most people go undiagnosed and untreated. (Ebell) III. Body A. Many people have just one or two panic attacks in their lifetimes, and the problem goes away, perhaps when a stressful situation ends. 1. But if you’ve had recurrent, unexpected panic attacks and spent long periods in constant fear of another attack, you may have a condition called panic disorder. 2. Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia, in which people experience seemingly out-of-the-blue panic attacks. a. Sometimes they develop a fear of going into places where they have had previous panic attacks. About one in three people with panic disorder develops agoraphobia. b. They stick to places they consider safe, and avoid public places (such as malls, trains, and stadiums) where escape may be difficult. c. Some people develop a fixed route or territory, and it may become impossible for them to travel beyond their safety zones without suffering severe anxiety. (A.P.A.) B. Panic attacks were once dismissed as nerves or stress, but they’re now realized as a real medical condition. 1. Although can significantly affect your quality of life, treatment can be very effective. 2. A person with panic disorder may become discouraged and feel ashamed because he or she cannot carry out normal routines like going to the grocery store or driving. Having panic disorder can also interfere with school or work. C. Panic attacks typically begin suddenly, without warning. 1. They can strike at almost any time — when you’re driving the car, at the mall, sound asleep or in the middle of a business meeting. 2. Panic attacks have many variations, but symptoms usually peak within 10 minutes. You may feel fatigued and worn out after a panic attack subsides. a. Panic attacks typically include a few or many of these symptoms: Sense of impending doom or danger, fear of loss of control or death, rapid heart rate, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, hyperventilation, chills, hot flashes, nausea, abdominal cramping, chest pain, headache, dizziness, faintness, tightness in your throat, and trouble swallowing. b. One of the worst things about panic attacks is the intense fear that you’ll have another one. You may fear having a panic attack so much that you avoid situations where they may occur. You may even feel unable to leave your home (agoraphobia) because no place feels safe. (Iacoviello) IV. When to see a doctor. A. If you have any panic attack symptoms, seek medical help as soon as possible. 1. Panic attacks are hard to manage on your own, and they may get worse without treatment. 2. And because panic attack symptoms can also resemble other serious health problems, such as a heart attack, it’s important to get evaluated by your health care provider if you aren’t sure what’s causing your symptoms. B. Early treatment can often prevent agoraphobia, but people with panic disorder may sometimes go from doctor to doctor for years and visit the emergency room repeatedly before someone correctly diagnoses their condition. 1. This is unfortunate, because panic disorder is one of the most treatable of all the anxiety disorders, responding in most cases to certain kinds of medication or certain kinds of cognitive psychotherapy, which help change thinking patterns that lead to fear and anxiety. (Ebell) 2. First, talk to your doctor about your symptoms. Your doctor should do an exam to make sure that another physical problem isn’t causing the symptoms. The doctor may refer you to a mental health specialist. V. Causes A. It’s not known what causes panic attacks or panic disorder, but these factors may play a role: 1. Genetics. 2. Major stress. 3. Temperament that is more susceptible to stress. 4. Certain changes in the way parts of your brain function. B. Some research suggests that your body’s natural fight-or-flight response to danger is involved in panic attacks. 1. For example, if a grizzly bear  came after you, your body would react instinctively. Your heart rate and breathing would speed up as your body prepared itself for a life-threatening situation. 2. Many of the same reactions occur in a panic attack. But it’s not known why a panic attack occurs when there’s no obvious danger present. VI. Risk Factors A. Symptoms of panic disorder often start in the late teens or early adulthood and affect more women than men. B. Factors that may increase the risk of developing panic attacks or panic disorder include: 1. Family history of panic attacks or panic disorder. 2. Significant stress. 3. Death or serious illness of a loved one. 4. Major changes in your life, such as the addition of a baby. 5. History of childhood physical or sexual abuse. 6. Experiencing a traumatic event, such as an accident or sexual assault. (A.P.A) VII. Treatment. A. Psychotherapy, also called talk or behavior therapy, is considered an effective first choice treatment for panic attacks and panic disorder. 1. Psychotherapy can help you understand panic attacks and panic disorder and learn how to cope with them. 2. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help you learn through your own experience that panic symptoms are not dangerous. a. During therapy sessions, your therapist will help you gradually re-create the symptoms of a panic attack in a safe, supportive setting. b. Once the physical sensations of panic no longer seem threatening, the attacks begin to resolve. c. Successful treatment can also help you overcome fears of situations that you’ve been avoiding because of panic attacks. B. Medications (US DH&HS) 1. Medications can help reduce symptoms associated with panic attacks as well as depression if that’s an issue for you. Several types of medication have been shown to be effective in managing symptoms of panic attacks, including: a. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). b. Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). c.  Benzodiazepines. VIII. Prevention. A. There’s no sure way to prevent panic attacks or panic disorder. However, these recommendations may help. B. Get treatment for panic attacks as soon as possible to help stop them from getting worse or becoming more frequent. C. Stick with your treatment plan to help prevent relapses or worsening of panic attack symptoms. D. Get regular physical activity, which may play a role in protecting against anxiety. IX. In Conclusion A. Panic Attacks are very real and can happen to anyone at any given time. B. Be aware of yourself and everyone around you; never know when a panic attack can occur. Any Questions? Bibliography American Psychiatric Association (2009). Practice guideline for the treatment of patients with panic disorder. Available online: http://psychiatryonline.org/guidelines.aspx. Ebell MH. Diagnosis of anxiety disorders in primary care. Am Fam Physician. 2008 Aug 15;78(4):501-2. Huppert JC, et al. (2009). Anxiety disorders: Cognitive-behavioral therapy. In BJ Sadock et al., eds., Kaplan and Sadock’s Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry, 9th ed., vol. 1, pp. 1915–1926. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. Iacoviello BM, Mathew SJ (2010). Anxiety disorder. In EG Nabel, ed., ACP Medicine, section 13, chap. 1. Hamilton, ON: BC Decker. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2008). 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (ODPHP Publication No. U0036). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Website: http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/guidelines/default.aspx.