Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Stick and Leaf Insects, Stick and Leaf Insects Order PhasmidaPhasmida

The order Phasmida includes some of the best camouflage artists in the insect world - the stick and leaf insects. In fact, the order name comes from the Greek word phasma, meaning apparition. Some entomologists call this order Phasmatodea. Description Perhaps no other group of insects is better named or easier to recognize than the order Phasmida. Phasmids use their unique camouflage to fool predators. With long legs and antennae, walkingsticks look much like the twiggy shrubs and tree branches where they spend their lives. Leaf insects, which are usually flatter and more colorful than stick insects, resemble foliage of the plants they eat.   Most insects in the order Phasmida, including all leaf insects, live in tropical climates. Some stick insects inhabit cooler temperate regions where they overwinter as eggs. Nearly all North American species are wingless. Phasmids are nocturnal feeders, so if you encounter one during the daytime, it will likely be resting. Stick and leaf insects have leathery, elongate bodies, and long thin legs designed for walking slowly. Leaf insect bodies tend to be flatter, with a horizontal surface that mimics a leaf. Phasmids also have lengthy segmented antennae, with anywhere from 8 to 100 segments depending on the species. Some stick and leaf insects sport elaborate spines or other accessories, to improve their mimicry of plants. All Phasmids feed on foliage and possess chewing mouthparts designed for breaking down plant material. Stick and leaf undergo simple metamorphosis. Eggs are laid, often dropping to the ground, as copulation takes place. In some species, females can produce offspring without fertilization by a male. These offspring are nearly always female, and males of those species are rare or non-existent. Habitat and Distribution Stick and leaf insects live in forests or shrubby areas, requiring leaves and woody growth for food and protection. Worldwide, over 2,500 species belong to the order Phasmida. Entomologists have described just over 30 species in the United States and Canada. Major Families in the Order Family Timemidae -- timema walkingsticksFamily Heteronemiidae -- common walkingsticksFamily Pseudophasmatidae -- striped walkingsticksFamily Phasmatidae -- winged walkingsticks Phasmids of Interest The genus Anisomorpha, called devil-riders or musk-mares, squirt terpenes in defense, chemicals which can temporarily blind their attackers.The Lord Howe Island stick insect, an Australian native, is called the rarest insect in the world. It was thought extinct in 1930, but in 2001 a population of fewer than 30 individuals was discovered.Pharnacia kirbyi, a stick insect of the Bornean rainforest, is the longest insect on record, measuring up to 20 inches in length.Ants collect the seed-like eggs of Macleays spectre (Extatosoma tiaratum). Newly hatched nymphs mimic the Leptomyrmex ants, even running quickly. Sources Order Phasmida, John L. Foltz, University of Florida, Dept of Entomology Nematology. Accessed online April 7, 2008.Phasmida (web page now unavailable), University of Vermont, Dept. of Entomology.  Accessed online April 7, 2008.The Stick Insects (Phasmida), by Gordon Ramel. Accessed online April 7, 2008.

Monday, December 23, 2019

Finance Finance For Any Reason - 2325 Words

Finance for any reason While the information on this page is educational by nature and predominantly written for the benefit of investors looking to finance investment property purchases, MRD Finance has the experience, licensing and know how to also arrange finance to buy or renovate a family home, commercial finance, developer funding, motor vehicle leasing and finance for plant and equipment. MRD Finance MRD Finance helps you compare home loans to find the right finance for your investment goals MRD Finance offers a comprehensive mortgage broking service to compare hundreds of home loan products. With over 40 plus bank and non bank lenders to choose from we have access to the right lender and right loan product to suit your individual needs, making sure you have the correct loan structure for your current investment property purchase and your long-term investment strategy. Stress-free - We do the research and compare loan products to present you the options that best fit your investment profile Armchair Service - In most instances there will be no need for you to be anywhere to have your finances arranged. That means not having to walk into a bank branch or even visit our offices unless you want to (where you’d be welcomed, of course). We respect that you’re probably busy and value your time so we have arranged our processes in such a way that everything can be arranged remotely. This may seem unusual at first but, like so many others, you’ll quickly become a convert toShow MoreRelatedBehavioral Finance And Its Effects On The Economy1180 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Throughout the history of finance mankind has devised various ways to predict future costs, price changes, changes in supply and demand, and changes to bond and stock prices. We’ve created sophisticated models and formulas to help us make financial decisions. Although, we can’t always prepare for the inevitable depression, inflation, stock bubble bursts, long or short term shocks to the economy, and changes in taste, we can try our best to protect ourselves financially from our own irrationalRead MoreEssay on Campaign Finance Reform1003 Words   |  5 PagesCampaign Finance Reform The politics is a stage for many different characters of whom each is trying to convince their audience to give them the loudest cheer and the grand applause. Politicians who played the acts will do their best and sometimes will do everything to win the hearts of their audience and that means to win at all cost. Politics involves money for it is the way to make campaign possible that is why there are campaign managers and campaign funds to whoever will run for any office inRead MoreWere the Difficulties Faced by Charles Ii Due More to Financial Concerns Than Foreign Policy?1433 Words   |  6 Pagesparticularly during the period of 1667-1678. He suffered financial difficulties, foreign policy issues and religious problems. Finance became an obvious problem due to his lack of funds, however his foreign policy was constantly needing money, and a combination of both left Charles with many difficulties. A substantial difficulty that Charles II faced was that of finance. Finance was a major issue between crown and parliament, especially in-between the years 1665 to 1667. The Crown’s income had droppedRead MoreTypes Of Sources Of Finance1393 Words   |  6 PagesIt is noted that finance is one of the most important part of the business that play a vital role to run the key activities of a business viably either it is a manufacturing business or a service it required adequate amount of resources to attain their set goals. Moreover, it is important from the prospect of CCA firm to consider different types of sources of finance in order to fulfil their requirement and start HEC (Higher Education College). There are different sources of finance that must be consideredRead MoreSources of Finance1496 Words   |  6 PagesP3 Introduction For this task I will be considering the sources of finance I will need for my company. Why might a business require finance? A business may require finance because they can either: †¢ Be setting up a new business and they do not have enough money to start up. †¢ They may need new equipment to help make the business expand and make more profit. †¢ Or they may even want to replace old machinery. †¢ They may want to move there store to a better location that might benefit thereRead MoreThe Key Role Of Finance1408 Words   |  6 PagesThe key role of finance in any business is to manage money; whether it be raising capital through share capital and bank loans, raising credit (short-term capital), or handling the costs of the business. Without finance, a business would not function, as quoted by (Griffin, 2015); ‘Money is the lifeblood of a business and finance is the nerve center’. Key activities of the finance department: Firstly, one of the key activities of the finance department is to maintain a check on the costs/outgoingsRead MoreThe Importance Of Obtaining A Position Of Finance, The Salary Range, And The Job Requirements1616 Words   |  7 Pageselaborate on the finance environment. In addition, one will discuss the types of positions and occupations available for individuals with a knowledge of finance, the salary range, and the job requirements. Finance is a field that is greatly needed by the finance industry. Particularly, since the field of finance entails the allocation and management of assets and liabilities over a period of time under conditions of certainty and uncertainty (Investopedia, 2015). In fact, the study of finance reveals thatRead MoreRisks to Information Confidentiality933 Words   |  4 Pagesof security breach is likely to ruin the contract. Controls and Reasons To minimize these risks, the executive team and CIO in Finance Co. have to think about increasing the frequency of visiting their suppliers. Additionally, for those parties managing highly confidential information such as end-user computing and wealth platform, CIO should often conduct visits in terms of their information protection controls and security. Finance Co. can also require their suppliers to provide SAS 70 reports toRead MoreThe At The Graph, There Been Fluctuations On The Price Of The Stock Market1079 Words   |  5 Pagescinema within Ireland. Task 4 Finance refers to sources of money for a business. The three main reasons as to why a firm needs finance are: starting up a business, running a business and expanding a business. There are a number of funding sources used by organisations. These include: short term sources, long term sources, internal sources and external sources. Some sources of finance are short term and must be paid back within a year whereas long term sources of finance can be paid back over many yearsRead MoreA Study on Entrepreneurial Finance1609 Words   |  6 Pages Entrepreneurial Finance Introduction and Hypothesis The field of entrepreneurial finance is one that is rapidly evolving. This study will look at ways through which, entrepreneurs rely on experiences, to make their financial decisions (Greenwood David 104-110). There are various problems and situations that entrepreneurs may face during their venture into financing their businesses. It is obvious that entrepreneurs face direct and unique challenges every time they focus on creating of value

Sunday, December 15, 2019

You Suck A Love Story Chapter 23~24 Free Essays

string(40) " gain information and offer assistance\." Chapter Twenty-three Being the Chronicles of Abby Normal: The Hunted Apparently I am the Hunted, which, I want to note here, I am totally not qualified for. Here I sit, perched in the rafters (I think these things are rafters) of the Oakland Bay Bridge like a crippled night bird, waiting for doom to descend on me in the form of an ancient, undead thing, to wrench the very limbs from my delicate body. So that sucks. We will write a custom essay sample on You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 23~24 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Fortunately I have some sustenance until my Dark Lord and Lady rise from their diurnal slumber to kick some fucking ass. I know I should be eating bugs and spiders and stuff to facilitate my vampyrism, but as a vegetarian, I haven’t developed the hunting skills, so I’ve started with some Gummi Bears I got at the theater. (Supposedly they are made out of beef pectin or extract of horse hooves or something, so I think they make a good transition to the nosferatu diet. And I like biting off their tiny heads.) Here, high above the City – well, actually, we’re about ten feet above some homeless people who live under the bridge – I feel like the guardian of an ancient tomb, willing to face any attacker to protect my master and mistress, who are wrapped in tarps, lying on the next beam or rafter or whatever. OMFG, there are fucking pigeons everywhere! Sorry, one just pooped on my notebook. Never mind. Move along. I’m over it. But ewwww! Jared has gone to his dad’s house in the Noe Valley to get the lawn cart and minivan so we can transport my masters to safety. He left me his dagger, which I’ve only had to brandish once, against a woman who wanted to take the tarp from over my Dark Lord. Then I used it to scrape off my old nail polish, which was totally chipped and stuff from doing minion manual labor. So, my masters like met up with us outside the Museum of Modern Art and they were all, â€Å"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?† And they were being all secretive around Jared, like he didn’t know we were vampyres. And I was all, â€Å"Just chill, he’s assistant minion.† So they relaxed. Then Flood pulls this bronze hand out of his bag and he’s all, â€Å"Abby, do you know what this is?† And I was all, â€Å"Why yes, Lord Flood,† because I speak obvious as a second language. â€Å"It’s a bronze hand, correct?† So the Countess took the hand from him. â€Å"Abby, this is what’s left of the shell of the vampyre who turned me.† So I’m all, â€Å"Begging your pardon and whatnot, Countess, but that’s a statue hand.† And she’s all, â€Å"That’s what I’m saying.† Which is not what the fuck she was saying at all. So it turns out that the bronze statue that used to be in the loft was actually the vampyre who turned the Countess, and then the Countess turned the vampyre Flood, except he was just Flood then. So the old vampyre, whose name is Elijah, got all PMS and started fucking with the Countess by leaving dead bodies all over town with evidence pointing toward her, and threatening to kill her minion, who was Flood at the time, and it got completely out of hand, with some cops and the geeks from the Safeway blowing up Elijah’s yacht and really pissing him off, and then the Countess pretending to save Elijah when in fact she was extracting his ancient vampyry secrets, and Flood bronzing them both, but letting the Countess out because she is the love of his life and whatnot. So Flood, who is not a mysterious and ancient creature of the night at all, but has been a vampyre like a week longer than I have, took the statue down to the waterfront to drop it in the Bay, so it wouldn’t r emind the Countess of her heart being torn asunder by the yearning for two lovers and stuff. But the sun came up and Flood left the statue on the Embarcadero, and when they went back it was gone, and it turns out that Elijah is loose and he was the crusty vampyre in the yellow tracksuit I saw shaking the huge cat guy and he is now stalking me to get back at the Countess for being a duplicitous ho. So Jared was all, â€Å"Fuck. That’s awesome.† And I was all, â€Å"You lied to me.† And the Countess was all, â€Å"Yeah, sunshine, that’s why I’m telling you this now.† Which was completely unnecessary sarcasm on her part. And Jared was like, â€Å"This is the best Christmas ever.† And I was all, â€Å"Shut up, gay-bait. I’ve been betrayed.† And the Countess was all, â€Å"You’ll get over it. We have to go see if William is okay.† And I see now that she was right, but I brooded as we went back to the loft, just to make a point, because I hate it when people take me for granted. When we got to the Countess’s block, there was an ambulance there and cops all over the place, so Flood and the Countess hung back and sent me over to get the 411. I could see that the huge cat guy was on a stretcher and they were strapping oxygen on him. And I was all, â€Å"Let me through, this man is my father.† And the EMTs were all, â€Å"No way.† And I was all, â€Å"Who called you, anyway?† And they were like, â€Å"The guy in the building. A sculptor or something.† And then the cat guy was all, â€Å"Let her through.† So they let me through. So I blew by the EMT to the huge cat guy, and I was all, â€Å"Are you okay?† And he was like, â€Å"Well, my head hurts like hell, and I think my leg is broke.† And I was all, â€Å"Is there anything I can do?† Because I was under orders of the Countess to gain information and offer assistance. You read "You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 23~24" in category "Essay examples" And he was like, â€Å"If you could take care of Chet. He’s in the stairwell. He’ll be hungry.† And I was all, â€Å"You got it.† So then he like pulled the oxygen mask off and had me bend over so he could whisper, and I was all, â€Å"Yes, Dad,† for the EMTs who were watching. And he whispered like, â€Å"Before they take me away, could I see your tits.† So I kicked him in the ribs. And the EMTs went all byzerk and shit, and told me to get away, but they were totally overreacting, because I had on my red Converse All Stars, which will hardly even bruise you. So they loaded him into the ambulance, and just as they were shutting the doors, he reached out his hand, like he was a drowning man reaching for the last spark of his mortality before the inky waves of death swept him away – so I flashed my boobs for him, just a quick lift of my bra and top at the same time, because I don’t think we do enough to help the homeless, and I wanted him to die a happy man. And besides, they’re small and I don’t get that many requests. So I got Chet out of the stairway of the old loft and was carrying him kid-style when I saw the two cops from before – the ones the Countess said helped blow up Elijah – so I went up to the Hispano-cop and I was all, â€Å"So, what’s up, cop?† And he was all, â€Å"You need to get home, and you have no business out at this hour, and we should take you to the station and call your parents and blah, blah, blah, threat, threat, disapproval, and fascist dogma all up in your darkly delicious grille.† (I’m paraphrasing. Although I do have a delicious grille as I had to wear braces for three years when I was a kid, and now my teeth are like my most acceptable feature. I hope my fangs come in straight.) And the big gay cop was all, â€Å"What are you doing here?† And I was all, â€Å"I live here, bone-smoker, what are you doing here? Aren’t you guys homicide cops?† And he was all, â€Å"Let’s see some ID blah, blah, bluster, bluster, Oh My God I am so full of shit.† And I was like, â€Å"I guess you wouldn’t have to deal with this shit if you had properly blowed up that old vampyre when you stole his art collection.† So all of a sudden the Hispano-cop and his big gay partner were all, â€Å"Whaaa – ?† And I’m like, â€Å"Just so we know where we stand. How long you bitches going to be here?† And they were like, â€Å"Just a half hour or so longer, miss. We need to interview some witnesses and go clean out our boxers where we have just completely shit ourselves. Do you need a ride somewhere?† (Again paraphrasing.) So I walked off, while they were still stunned, let Chet into the new loft down the street like it was mine, then ran around the block and reported to the Countess and Flood. Jared was just staring at them like he was hypnotized or something. I was like, â€Å"Hey, Boo,† to remind him what a tard he was being and Jared snapped out. (Lily and Jared and I watched the To Kill a Mockingbird DVD like six times together and our favorite part is when Scout sees Boo Radley behind the door and goes, â€Å"Hey, Boo.† It’s like thanking the universe for sending you a benevolent retard to help you out, which is how I often feel about Jared.) So I was like, â€Å"Buy me a coffee.† And the Countess and Flood look at each other and shake their heads. No money. So I was like, â€Å"You guys are so fucking lame. You have piles of cash and you roll with no money. You are no longer the Dark Lord and Lady of me.† Which I totally didn’t mean, but I was stressed and starting to get a low-on-caffeine headache. But Jared goes, â€Å"Hey, Boo† at me, and he’s holding a ten-dollar bill. And I pretended to find a snag in my fishnets so everyone would quit looking at me. The Countess said she knew of a Chinese diner off Freemont Street that was open all night on Christmas and we could hang out there until the cops left. Jared and I had cups of coffee and an order of fries, which FYI, taste a little like shrimp in a Chinese diner. And Flood and the Countess are watching us, looking all sad. So I’m like, â€Å"What? What? What?† And the Countess is all, â€Å"Nothing.† Which I know is totally something, because I say it all the time. And I watch her eyes follow Jared’s cup as he sips his coffee and I’m all, â€Å"Oh, fucksocks, Countess, cowboy the fuck up, would you?† Then I slipped Jared’s dagger out of his boot, grabbed his hand, and poked him in the thumb. I’d like to say right here that the screaming was totally unnecessary. And whatever the Chinese guy was saying at me from behind the counter was a total overreaction and how does he expect me to understand him when he’s talking that fast AND in Chinese? Anyway, after I squeezed Jared’s thumb into his cup, then a little into my own and gave it to Flood, everyone calmed down, even the Chinese guy after Jared paid him for two more coffees – and the meeting of the Immortal SOMA Drama Queens officially came to order. It seemed like we waited forever, and the Countess and Flood wouldn’t answer any of my questions about the way of the nosferatu. It was like they had no idea what they were doing. Like last year I took Advanced Foods class (which is like cooking for nerds) after lunch, and so I usually took a nap. Which was fine, because I’m not even thrilled about regular foods, so, you know, what do I need with like advanced digital HD wi-fi foods and whatnot – so I took the course pass-fail and slept. But then, at the end of the semester, my mom springs this trap on me, like – â€Å"Oh, Allison, I’ve bought ingredients and you can prepare dinner for Ronnie and me to show what you learned in your Advanced Foods class. It’ll be fun.† You can pretty much bet that anytime Mom uses the phrase â€Å"it’ll be fun,† she is about to drive a stake in fun’s heart so that it may never rise again. Which is what happened. Artichokes? Who eats something like that? I thought it was a weapon. So anyway, after nine eternities in the diner, we went back to the loft, where the Countess said she had my Christmas present waiting. When we got to the block, the cops and EMTs were gone and it looked like the coast was clear, but when the Countess opened the security door to the loft, there, sitting on the steps, was the old vampyre, naked. Well, the Countess and Flood jumped about eighteen feet in the air and I’m pretty sure I peed a little. Yes, I definitely peed. Jared just started an asthma attack, not the whole attack, just the first gasp. He just stopped breathing after that. So Elijah is all, â€Å"I needed to do some laundry.† Let me say right here, if I haven’t made it clear, that I have seen as many pale, naked old-man parts in the last twenty-four hours to bruise my delicate psyche for a lifetime, so don’t be surprised if you someday find me wandering the moors at midnight, a crazed look in my eye, babbling about albino Tater Tots nesting in Brillo pads and being pursued by sagging man ass, because that shit can happen when you’ve been traumatized. Then Flood threw himself against the door and screamed for us to run as he bravely held the door against our ancient vampyre ancestor’s assaults. I was beginning to doubt Flood’s ability to fulfill his duties as my Dark Lord until he stepped up and saved us – valiant vampyre hero that he is – because I was starting to think he was just a geek with a passing knowledge of poetry. As we ran I could hear Elijah saying, â€Å"He peed on my tracksuit,† as he threw himself against the door, or I guessed he did, because I didn’t turn around until we were two blocks away. The Countess was all, â€Å"I’ve got to go back for him.† But before she even turned around, my Dark Lord came running around the corner. And he was all, â€Å"Go, go, go!† waving at us. And we were all, â€Å"Where? Where? Where?† And then as the Countess threw her arms around Flood and started to squeeze the bejeezus out of him, and Jared was all, â€Å"Gasp, get a room, gasp,† her watch started beeping. Then Flood’s watch was beeping, too. And they were all, â€Å"Uh-oh.† So we had like ten minutes to find someplace dark to hide them, and no one had any money for a hotel, even if we had the time to check in and whatnot. So they ran toward a big construction site under the Bay Bridge. And I was thinking, I do not want to bury my masters in the construction site. What if they got paved? It would totally freak them out to get paved. And the Countess was all, â€Å"How did you get away?† And the vampyre Flood was all, â€Å"The dryer buzzer went off.† And she was all, â€Å"He let you live because his laundry was done?† And Flood goes, â€Å"Lucky, huh?† Totally not out of breath, even with the running. So when we got to the construction site, everything was either open or would be when everyone came to work. And the Countess looked up into the rafters or whatever of the bridge and goes, â€Å"There.† So there is where we went. I grabbed some tarps that were covering this generator thing by the construction site and Jared and I climbed up into the rafters with our vampyre sires and helped tuck them in just in time for them to go out. But as it got lighter, and we saw all the homeless people around, Jared and I realized that our masters would not be safe here when all the homeless people who lived under the bridge noticed the tarps and our delicate youth or smelled my Gummi Bears and came after us. So Jared went to get the garden cart, some trash bags and duct tape, and hopefully his stepmom’s minivan so we can move our masters to a safer realm. Oh, check it, before the Countess passed into the inky sleep of the undead, I was like, â€Å"So what did you get me for Christmas?† And she was all, â€Å"Ten thousand dollars.† And I was like, â€Å"I didn’t get you guys anything.† And she was like, â€Å"That’s okay. You are our most special favorite minion and it’s all good.† Which is why I love her and will guard her to the death. Then she like kissed the vampyre Flood and passed out. I’m sure their love will span the ages, if Jared and I don’t fuck up and fry them during transport. OMG! I just remembered, we forgot to feed Chet! Chapter Twenty-four The Half-Life of American Cheese The Cheddar Princess of Fond du Lac was toasted. It wasn’t just the bursting into flames that had crispied her up more than somewhat physically, it was that Drew’s blood tasted like bong water, and she was still a little mentally baked from feeding on him. She’d made the mistake of trying to get the taste out of her mouth with some orange juice and had been rewarded with five minutes of the dry heaves. She brushed at her arms and great black flakes of burned skin came away, revealing fresh, unscarred skin below. Drew’s blood was healing her, but it appeared that the process was going to take time and, like life in general, was going to be messy. Maybe a bath. She padded naked into the bathroom, which was done all in slabs of granite and green glass, and ran her bath. While the tub filled, she picked the last few burned tatters of her dress away from her skin and dropped them into the toilet. There was a swath of gray dust across the black tile, the remains of the original owner, and she was tracking him all over the bathroom and bedroom suite, so she stopped to sweep him into the corner with a towel. That had sort of been a surprise (in what was turning out to be a long line of surprises) when her first victim had disintegrated in her arms two nights ago, just as she was getting the hang of blood drinking. â€Å"Oops.† He had been so nice, too. Had picked her up in his Mercedes not two minutes after she’d stumbled out of Lash’s apartment building wearing nothing but a leather bustier and thigh-high platform boots. It wasn’t the first time she’d been on the street with her ass hanging out – that wasn’t what had thrown her. It was waking up feeling like her tits were on fire to see her body rejecting the giant silicone globes she had spent so much money having implanted. Even as she tried to push them back in with her hands, the implants pushed through her skin, opening her up like they were aliens hatching out of her. She screamed as they broke through and rolled to the floor, then lay there, quivering on the carpet. As she watched, her skin mended, her breasts tightened and lifted, the pain had turned to a tingling, but now she felt a squirming in her face – her lips specifically, and she wiped her mouth and came away with two sluglike lines of silic one that had been injected years ago. It was only then, in looking at the grotesque globs of lip filler on her hand, that Blue realized she wasn’t blue at all. Her palms were baby white. Her arms, her legs – she ran to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. An old familiar stranger looked back at her – the Cheddar Princess of Fond du Lac. She hadn’t seen this person since high school; the milky-white skin, hair almost white blond, still in the severe cut of the blue call girl, but looking somewhat like a pageboy cut now. Even the tattoos she’d had done in her early days in Vegas were gone. I’m alive, she thought. Then: And I’m going to be alive forever. Then: And I’m going to need some fucking money. She ran to Lash’s bedroom to where she’d left her makeup case. It was gone. Her money was gone! She ran out of the apartment and down the steps like she might see a green trail of bills blowing in the wind in the direction her money had escaped, but once on the street, she headed for the only place she knew, toward the Marina Safeway. She got half a block before the Mercedes pulled up and the electric window rolled down. â€Å"Hey, you need a ride? It’s a little chilly out here for that outfit.† His name had been David, and he did something that had to do with moving money around. Whatever it was, it must have paid well. He was wearing a two-thousand-dollar suit and his penthouse apartment on Russian Hill looked out on Golden Gate Bridge and the massive dome at the Palace of Fine Arts. He’d given her his coat to wear up in the elevator. It was in the elevator that the hunger had come upon her. Poor David. They hadn’t even talked price before she’d had him bent over the green glass vanity in the bathroom, drinking his life away. â€Å"Oops.† The difference, she realized, between what had happened to her and what had happened to David had been the bloody kiss she’d taken from Tommy. But for a kiss, she, too, would be a pile of dust. There should be a song like that, she thought. At least she’d learned before she took her victims. Now she swept the last of David into the corner, then scraped him up with a piece of cardboard from his shirt drawer and dumped him into the wastebasket. Then she slipped into the tub full of bubbles and began to scrub off her charred skin. She wouldn’t be able to stay long. David had been married or had a girlfriend. Blue had found a whole closet full of women’s clothes – expensive clothes, and the woman would probably be back. Of course, this would make a great base of operations, maybe she could just wait for the wife to return and sweep her into the wastebasket with David. Blue leaned back and closed her eyes, listened to the bubbles popping, the wires humming through the building, the traffic out on the streets, to fishing boats leaving the wharf – then a sudden intake of breath from the living room, then another, deeper gasp as the second one found life, then a long man-scream. The dead Animals she’d collected were coming back to life. â€Å"Sit tight, boys,† Blue said. â€Å"Mama’s just going to get cleaned up and put on a new dress, then we’ll go get you something to eat and pick up my money.† She ran a sponge over her arm and smiled. She really could be Snow White now. One dwarf at a time, she thought. Elijah Ben Sapir had roamed the planet for eight hundred and seventeen years. In that time he had seen empires rise and fall, miracles and massacres, ages of ignorance and ages of enlightenment: the full spectrum of mankind’s cruelty and kindness. He had seen all manner of freakishness, from the perversions of nature to the perversions of mind, twisted, beautiful, terrifying: he thought he had seen it all. But for all of his years, and all the acuity of perception enabled by his vampire senses, he had never seen a huge shaved cat in a red sweater, and sitting there in his newly washed yellow tracksuit, still warm from the dryer and smelling of soap and fabric softener, he smiled. â€Å"Hey, kitty,† the old vampire said. The huge cat eyed him suspiciously from across the loft. The cat could sense that he was a predator, just as Elijah could sense that the cat had been prey to a vampire. Kitty treat. â€Å"I’m not going to eat you, kitty. I’ve fed quite enough.† It was true. Elijah was feeling a little bloated from trying to keep the body count up. Perhaps he should just kill the next few, not feed. But no, the police wouldn’t know it was a vampire then, and there’d be no joy in terrorizing the fledgling. He just wasn’t ready to feed yet. There was someone in the stairwell right now, he could hear her breathing and smell patchouli and clove cigarette odor wafting under the door. Soon enough, he thought. â€Å"Perhaps we’ll find something for you to eat, hey, kitty?† Elijah vaulted off the bar stool and began opening cupboards. In the third one he found pouches of Tender Vittles. He took a bowl from the cupboard that looked as if it had never been used, dumped in the meatish nuggets, and shook them around. â€Å"Come, kitty.† Chet padded a few steps toward the kitchenette, then stopped. Elijah put the bowl down and stepped away. â€Å"I understand, kitty. I don’t like to eat in front of witnesses either. But sometimes – â€Å" The vampire heard a car pull up outside, a car that hadn’t been tuned in a while. He cocked his head and listened as the doors opened and slammed. Four got out. He heard their steps on the concrete, a female voice, hissing at the other three. In an instant he was at the window looking down, and in spite of himself, he smiled again. There was no vivid life aura around the four down on the sidewalk. No healthy pink glow, no black shadow of death. The visitors below were not human. Vampires. On one hand, an indication of an enormous problem – one that just might attract attention that he could ill afford – but on the other, exciting in a way that he hadn’t felt in a hundred years. â€Å"Four against one. Oh my, kitty, how ever will I prevail?† The old vampire ran his tongue over his fangs. For all the rage, frustration, and discomfort he’d endured since choosing the redhead as his fledgling, he was, for the first time in decades, not bored. He was having the time of his very long life. â€Å"Killing time, kitty,† he said, slipping into a pair of Tommy’s Nikes. Jody awoke to the smell of clove cigarettes and the crunching of Cheese Newts. There was music screeching, too – a whiny guy singing about some girl named Ligeia, who apparently he missed a great deal because he was talking about dragging her worm-worn corpse from the earth and caressing her cheek on a cliff above the sea before throwing himself off, with her in his arms. The singer sounded a little down, and like he could have used a throat lozenge. She opened her eyes and was initially blinded until she adjusted to the black light, then she yelped. Jared White Wolf was sitting on the bed about two feet away from her, shoving handfuls of crunchy Cheese Newts into his mouth. There was a brown rat on his shoulder. â€Å"Hi.† Newt crumbs sprayed and fluoresced on the black sheets and clothing. â€Å"Hi,† Jody said, turning her head to avoid the crumbs. â€Å"This is my room. Do you like it?† Jody looked around, for once not really that thrilled with her vampire night-vision abilities. There were disturbing stains glowing on the sheets, and almost everything else in the room was black with a patina of vibrant blacklight-enhanced dust or lint – there was even lint on the rat. â€Å"It’s swell,† she said. Interesting, she thought. She was no longer afraid of gang members and street criminals, and would even throw down with an eight-hundred-year-old vampire if need be, but rodents still sort of gave her the willies. The rat’s eyes were glowing silver in the black light. â€Å"This is Lucifer Two.† Jared scooped the animal off his shoulder and held him out. Despite an attempt at self-control, Jody climbed backwards halfway up the wall, shredding a Marilyn Manson poster with her nails in the process. â€Å"Lucifer One went on to his dark reward when I tried to dye him black.† â€Å"Sad,† Jody said. â€Å"Yeah.† Jared turned the rat and rubbed noses with him. â€Å"I was hoping we could turn him to nosferatu when you bring Abby and me into the fold.† â€Å"Yeah, sure, that’ll happen. Why am I in your room, Jared?† â€Å"It was the only place we could think to bring you. It wasn’t safe under the bridge. Abby had to go, so I’m in charge.† â€Å"Good for you. Where’s Tommy?† â€Å"Under the bed.† She would have known that – would have heard him breathing if the music wasn’t cranked up to coffin-splitting volume. â€Å"Could you turn the music down a little, please?† † ‘Kay,† Jared said. He tucked Lucifer Two in his pocket and spidered across the bed, getting a little tangled in his black duster, then rolled to the floor and across the room in a commando-under-fire move until he got to the stereo, where he twisted the dial, putting the keening Emo singer out of his misery, or at least shutting him the fuck up. â€Å"Where are we?† Tommy’s voice from under the bed. â€Å"It smells like gym socks stuffed with ground-up hippies.† â€Å"We’re in Jared’s room,† Jody said. She let a hand drop off the edge of the bed. Tommy took it and she pulled him out. He was still partially wrapped in duct tape and garbage bags. â€Å"Was I a hostage again?† â€Å"We had to cover you up to keep you from burning in the sun.† â€Å"Well, thanks.† Tommy looked at Jody, who shrugged. â€Å"I was unwrapped when I woke up,† she said. â€Å"That’s because Abby says you’re the Alpha vamp. Do you guys want to play Xbox or watch a DVD? I have The Crow Special Collector’s Edition.† â€Å"Gee,† Jody said, â€Å"that would be great, Jared, but we’d better be going.† Tommy had already picked up the Xbox controller, but set it down with marked disapproval, as if he’d notice a little botulism there on the trigger button. â€Å"Oh, you can’t go until the ‘rents go to bed.† Jared giggled, high and girlish. â€Å"The door is right by where they watch TV.† â€Å"We’ll go out a window,† Jody said. Jared giggled again, then snorted a little, then started to honk, then took a hit from the inhaler that hung around his neck before he went on. â€Å"There’s no window. This basement is totally windowless. Like we’ve been walled up in here with our own grotesque despair. Isn’t it sweet?† â€Å"We could go to mist,† Tommy said. â€Å"Go out under the door.† â€Å"That would be so cool,† Jared said, â€Å"but my dad put rubber gaskets around the door to contain my disgusting Goth stench. That’s what he calls it: my ‘disgusting Goth stench. Although I don’t think I’m really Goth, more like death punk. He just doesn’t like cloves. Or pot. Or patchouli. Or gay people.† â€Å"Philistine,† Tommy said. â€Å"Oh, would you guys like some Cheese Newts?† Jared picked the box up off the floor and held it out. â€Å"I can open a vein on them if you need me to.† He waved the thumb Abby had stabbed to prepare their coffee the night before, now wrapped in a ragged ball of gauze and medical tape the size of a racquetball. â€Å"I’m good,† Tommy said. Jody nodded in agreement; although she would love a cup of coffee, she didn’t think she should ask the kid to stab himself quite so soon. She checked her watch. â€Å"What time do your parents go to bed?† â€Å"Oh, around ten. You’ll have plenty of time to stalk the night and whatnot. Would you like to wash up or something? There’s a bathroom down here. And a washing machine. My room was the wine cellar, then my dad crashed his car and started twelve-stepping, so I got this sweet room for my own. Abby says it’s dank and disgusting – and she says it like it’s a bad thing! I think it’s just her perky side manifesting. I love her, but she really can be perky sometimes – don’t tell her I said so.† Jody shook her head, then nudged Tommy, who shook his head in agreement. â€Å"We won’t tell.† The kid was sort of giving her the creeps. She thought she might have lost that ability with blood drinking and the sleep of the undead and all, but nope, she was getting completely creeped out. â€Å"Jared, when is Abby coming back?† â€Å"Oh, she should be here any minute. She went to your loft to feed the cat.† â€Å"She went to our loft? The loft where Elijah was?† â€Å"No, it’s okay. She went during daylight so he couldn’t hurt her.† â€Å"It’s not daylight anymore,† Jody said. â€Å"How do you know?† Jared said â€Å"No windows, duh.† Tommy Stooge-smacked his forehead with enough force to render a mortal man unconscious. â€Å"Because we’re awake, you fucking moron!† â€Å"Oh yeah, ha,† Jared said. The trilling giggle again. â€Å"That’s bad, huh?† How to cite You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 23~24, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Criticism on PuddnHead Wilson free essay sample

A critical analysis of Mark Twains novel, `PuddnHead Wilson. The writer of this paper presents a critical review of American author, Mark Twains, novel PuddnHead Wilson`. The paper outlines the story of the book and introduces its characters. It then shows the reasons why this particular book is liked and disliked by modern readers by exploring the authenticity of the setting, the humor used and its relevance to todays social problems in America. This book paints a picture of life in a particular Mississippi town when slavery was legal. Some critics claim it is the best book he has written, others find fault with it and call it a short story overgrown into a novel. It is an important work though because of the view of slavery in the south. At the heart of Puddnhead Wilson is Twains most despairing vision relating to the fall of man and his ultimate inability to reform. We will write a custom essay sample on Criticism on PuddnHead Wilson or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page (Davis 147) Puddenhead Wilson also has an Almanac written by Twain with tongue firmly planted in cheek. It was printed as a real calendar by The Century magazine where his story serial was first published.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Risk factors, staging, and treatment of breast cancer

Introduction Breast cancer is a disease that originates from the breast tissue and the curative time of the patient is dependent on the level of spread and to what organs it has spread to. In the advent of new technology, computer models have been programmed and developed to help in the staging process and determine how long a person is going to live. Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Risk factors, staging, and treatment of breast cancer specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More With best treatments available, most of the breast cancer patients can survive up to ten years with a 98% to 10% disease free body within this period. On the other hand, it has been discovered that breast cancer is the most common type of cancer especially with women with the total percentage of 10% of all the kinds of cancer. This does not mean that it does not attack men but the probability is higher in women. If the diagnosis is fast a nd early, then the spread rate can be stemmed or even eliminated altogether. This requires the use of trained oncologists with the right equipments to be able to remove it from the stem altogether or if a cure is impossible then the patient’s life can be significantly prolonged with the aid of a cancer drugs. This is so because huge amounts of resources have been used in the research and the development of the breast cancer drugs that in effect help the body to combat the cancer by providing additional immune to boost the fighting power of the body. Additionally in the process of research, new methods that are effective the fight against drugs have been experimented and proven to be effective in the fight against the breast cancer. However, breast cancer remains a killer disease and more research needs to be conducted to ensure that its prevalence level is reduced (Hart, 2007). Age Age is very instrumental in determining the risk a woman has in getting breast cancer and the risk to get the breast cancer increases significantly as the woman ages. For instance it has been found that a woman living up to the age of 90 years has a risk factor of up to 14% to contact the cancer compared to a middle aged woman. The manner in which cancer attacks the two age’s differences is quite different. Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In older women, the cancer spreads slowly and is not as severe but in younger woman it attacks more vigorously and is difficult to control. In addition, it has also been out that in most cases of breast cancer in older people, a higher depression rate among the patients was noted, and this contributes to the faster death as compared to the younger people. This is because young people have the necessary hope to fight on due to the life before them but the older people have lost hope in life and when they are diagnosed most tends to seclude themselves or live in denial. This means that in the research for breast cancer apart from trying to develop cures and ways to eliminate the cancer, lots of research should also be done on the psychological support programs to help stem this tide (Hart, 2007). Gender Men have a lower risk of getting breast cancer compared to women but the risk is appearing to be on the increase in men too. This has been noted especially in the men with prostate cancer and in the case a man is affected the prognosis even in the first stage is very aggressive and worse than in women. The treatment for the cancer in men is the same as the treatment for an older woman and is a combination of surgery radiation and chemotherapy. Genetics Change or mutations of genes in our bodies can also increase the probability of having cancerous cells in the breasts. This is supported by studies that explicitly show that up to 10% of all breast cancers are hereditary. This is supported by the fact that women with both hereditary genes of breast cancer gene 1 and breast cancer gene2 have a higher risk of developing breast cancer with women having breast cancer gene 1 accounting for over 5% of all the cancers that occur. Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Risk factors, staging, and treatment of breast cancer specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Human epidermal growth receptor 2(HER2) is another gene that is found on the surface on the human skin and can increase the chance or probability of acquiring breast cancer. This is caused by the over production of the HER2 cells when the gene is altered. If this happens, then aggressive tumor cells develop which account to about 25-30% of all the cancer patients. If the p53 gene undergoes mutation then the risk is even more. This is confirmed by the studies that have shown that women with this mutated gene have a poorer breast cancer outcome than those tha t do not posses this gene (Ellmann, 2009). Family history The family history deeply increases the risk of having breast cancer especially if a close member had the cancer. To the victims whose mother or father had the cancer then the risk doubles. The following people have a risk of having the cancer depending on the background and according to the genetics. These conditions can increase breast cancer Having relatives with breast cancer Having relatives with two different kinds of cancer Having a male relative with case or cases of breast cancer .If the same family is of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage then the odds are even more A family history that includes history of diseases such as hereditary breast cancer and diseases such as Li-Fraumeni or even Cowdens Syndromes Diet It has been shown that there are higher rates and incidence of the breast cancer in areas that have high fat yield content in their diet like in the USA compared with the low fat yield places like Japan. However, th e link between the two is not straight and is dependent on the type of fats that a woman has. Monounsaturated fats are linked to low breast cancer risk compared with polyunsaturated fats that have a slightly higher prevalence. A study was conducted in the USA that showed that despite the link between the diet and the cancer, the reduction of fats in the diet does not automatically mean or lead to a reduction in the risk of having the breast cancer. However, it was found out that there is a 9% reduction rate in the postmenopausal women if they followed a strict low fat diet. In the end, it was decided that the cutting of fats in the diet can cause a reduced rate of risk in some women but they did not have the necessary solid evidence to make conclusions. Hormone replacement therapy Recent studies have indicated the use of this kind of therapy can add to the risk of breast cancer. In the year 2002 a study was carried out by the group Women heath initiative and it was found out that in they were eight cases of invasive breast cancer in about 10000 women. This represented an increase of about 26% compared to those who did not have the hormone replacement therapy. Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On the same note, it was found out that between the years 2002 and 2003 there was an increase in the prevalence rate of the breast cancer. Although the tests and the results are not conclusive or even solid, this little link has alarmed experts who believe that women seeking hormone replacement therapy should consult an expert on the matter to ensure that they are well informed (Foster, 2008). Tobacco It had not been discovered that tobacco smoking could cause an increase of breast cancer until the beginning of the mid 1990’s when a number of studies were conducted on the same topic. The study had disturbing results that predicted a higher risk rate for both active and passive smokers. Based on the epidemiological studies and the mammary carcinogens, the rate had reached 70% by 2005. In the year 2006, another study was done which pegged the risk rate at a higher rate due to the risk of non-smokers who are passive smokers. This is especially rife in young women who can suffer from an increased risk rate of up to 70% if they are in their primary pre-menopausal stage because at this stage, the breast tissue is sensitive to the carcinogens; they are still young, and not fully developed Staging of breast cancer This process is used to determine the level in which the cancer has attacked the body making a diagnosis. Knowing the stage of the cancer is very important since the doctor gets to know the best way on which to offer treatment and how to determine the prognosis of the cancer (Foster, 2008). The staging is done in stages that are: Stage 0: This is called the pre-cancerous state because the cancer cells are located in the milk duct and have not yet spread to the breast tissue or have not invaded the nodes or distant sites. Such cancers like lobular carcinoma can be classified as stage 0 cancer. Stage 1: The cancer has started spreading to the other parts of the breast and the tumor is less than 2cm long however the cancer cells have not spread to the lymph nodes or even the distant cells. Stage II: This stage is divided into two categories namely stageIIA and stageIIB. In stage II, the tumor will be located and restricted to the breast with no further spreading. Finally, the tumor can be more than 2cm but less than 5cm and has not yet spread to the auxiliary nodes or the distant sites. StageIIB can involve cancer cells that have a tumor larger the 2cm but being less than 5cm. At this stage, the cancer cells will have spread to auxiliary nodes but the distant cells will be safe. In addition, during the later stages of the stage, the tumor is more than 5cm long but the spread to the chest walls will not have started. This stage also has the cells localized and have not spread to the distant sites Stage III has three sub categories that are categorized according to the level of spreading the cancer has undergone. In stageIIIA, the tumor is less than 5cm in diameter and the cells have spread to 4-9 auxiliary nodes but not to the dis tant sites. The tumor can be larger than 5cm in diameter and the cells having spread to the mammary nodes but the distant sites will still be healthy. In stageIIIB,the tumor can take up any size and the spread will have encroached the chest walls. The spreading of the cancer can be to the auxiliary nodes in the breast themselves or the lymph nodes that are near the breastbones. Finally in stageIIIC the tumor can be of any size and the cancer cells having spread to 10 0r more of the auxiliary cells or even to 1 or more of the regional lymph nodes or even to the internal mammary glands StageIV: At this stage, the tumor can take up any size depending on the attack and the cancerous cells might have spread to the lymph nodes that are nearby. In most cases, the cells will have spread to the distant cells (Foster, 2008). Treatment of cancer Treatment of breast cancer is dependent on the stage the cancer is and the whether the cells are sensitive to hormones. Personal preferences also com e into effect with many people preferring one method of treatment to another because of their own reasons. Overall, these methods are all-effective and are all instrumental in ensuring that all the cells are ejected from the body. Treatment methods The most common method is surgery. In surgery, there are many forms all depending on the level of spread and the staging. A lumpectomy is an effective way ot breast cancer treatment because the removes the entire tumor plus some surrounding cell tissues that are healthy. This method is however reserved for the smaller tumors. The entire breast can also be removed (mastectomy).In this method the doctor usually removes all the breast tissue and all the parts that border or are integral with the breast. The surgery can also be performed by removing one lymph node, this is because the cancer will have spread to that lymph alone and if removed the chance of finding cancer in other cells is very low to the point that the surgeon leaves all the other parts intact. On the other hand, several lymph nodes can also be removed depending on the level of spread (Ellmann, 2009). Radiation therapy â€Å"This kind of therapy involves the use of high-powered beams of energy to kill the cancer cell† (Ellmann, 2009, p. 49). It is done using a big machine that emits the rays to ensure that all the cancerous cells are killed. In most cases, some doctors will recommend this therapy instead of mastectomy to be able to save the entire breast tissue. Chemotherapy â€Å"This process involves the use of drugs to destroy the cancer cells† (Connolly, 2008, p. 52). Some doctors can recommend chemotherapy after surgery to avoid the cells forming again and it can be used before surgery to allow the tumor to shrink to a level where it can be safely removed. It is used in women whose breast cancer has spread to the other organs present in the body Hormone therapy â€Å"This is another of treatment to treat breast cancers especially is the cells are sensitive to hormones† (Backus, 2005, p. 379). It can be used after a surgery to make sure that the cancer does not rejuvenate or it can be used to reduce the size of the tumor before any surgery can be done. The drugs also prevent the hormones from attaching themselves to the cancer cells or they help to eliminate the production of estrogen especially in menopausal women . One disadvantage of these drugs is that they are only used for postmenopausal women. Herceptin breast cancer metastatic treatment Due to the increased level of research and dedication, new methods have been developed to curb the spread of breast cancer. One of this is by the use of herceptin breast cancer metastatic treatment. This kind of therapy is injected in the body by the use of a needle and can be used together with the other types of breast cancer drugs .It is new and still not in use especially in the developing world but its use is catching on. References Backus, M. (2005). Is the re a role for iodine in breast. The Breast, 10 (5), 379–382. Connolly, T. (2008). Robbins Basic Pathology. Philadelphia: Saunders. Ellmann, R. (2009). Breast carcinoma in men: a population-based study. Cancer, 101 (1), 51–58. Foster, J. (2008). Metalloestrogens: an emerging class of inorganic xenoestrogens with potential to add to the oestrogenic burden of the human breast. Journal of Applied Toxicology, 26 (3), 191–198. Hart, C. (2007). Breast Cancer. London: Faber Faber. This research paper on Risk factors, staging, and treatment of breast cancer was written and submitted by user Laila Good to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Free Global Imbalances Informative Essay

Free Global Imbalances Informative Essay Brief by the United Nations University, some countries in the region were undergoing a positive economic advancement. The report reveals that some African countries richly endowed with natural resources were recording unprecedented rates of economic growth as a result a price boom generated by the growing demand for raw material and fossil energy from China and India amongst others (1). However, the report reveals that after the crisis, the price of oil and many other primary commodity items fell sharply, and reverted to tear pre-boom levels. The prices of most mineral ores, in particular, declined considerably in response to the sluggish in international markets (1). The long-term dreams of the resource endowed states of attaining industrial and scientific revolutions based on the exports of raw materials came to an abrupt end. The continent experiences a paradoxical situation of having plenty of resources and being the poorest and least developed continent in the world. The contin ent relies on foreign exchange earnings from the exports of locally produced goods. The foreign exchange rates, which are greatly affected by the economic and financial crisis resulting from the global imbalances, greatly determine what the continent receives in return. Similar scenarios were witnessed in the Latin American countries. Conclusion It is worth noting that most of the developed countries currently exhibit low economic growth rates compared to the developing countries. As Peters, et al (11) observed that many countries including the United States experience negative growth whereas countries like China and India still maintain positive growth in real GDP in 2009. A significant impact that global imbalance has is that it leads to excessive foreign exchange reserve. The question as to why many countries including the developed ones continue to improve on their current account status while the US deteriorates should be the governments main task. On the other hand, what the developing countries need to understand, especially those in Africa and the Latin America, is that they should not continue with their economic dependency principle. The countries have adopted a routine of exporting their products to their former colonial states. Besides, the colonial governments established education systems that could only endow the natives of these countries with limited technical knowledge that could be used to transform the raw products into consumable goods locally thereby calling for export. These systems should be abolished and the governments should embark on inventive and innovative educational systems.

Friday, November 22, 2019

An individual reflection about the course of Advanced Project Essay

An individual reflection about the course of Advanced Project Management - Essay Example Some other authors also define project management in a different and impressive way that the use of expertise, skills and the most important intellectual capital for the execution of any task (What is Project Management 2012). Therefore, it is clear that either a project manager or a team member both require certain set of strengths and expertise. If they have any weakness then at least they should be capable to find out ways to overcome that particular weakness. Projects may fail or may achieve their goals and objectives. There might be a list of reasons behind success and failure of any project. It is important to sort out these reasons so that project managers can behave accordingly. In this essay, the main objective is to find out the ways of implications of different models and theories, which we learn in the course work of advance project management, in our personal daily life projects as individual and as a project manager. The course work increases our self-awareness about our own strengths and weaknesses. In addition to that, it is also important to know that how we can use our skills, expertise and talents to handle all the coming hurdles and challenges. It is also necessary to know that how we can overcome our weakness and thus facing the world and their challenges. Project management is a vast field covering many aspects, which are really needed for the success of the task or the project. The importance of personal strengths and weaknesses is vital for the success and failure of the task (Palmer 2014). Here it is to be noted that personal strength and weakness analysis is necessary for both the workers and the project manager. A project manager should be strong enough to command and control the whole team of workers and the activities. If a project manager fails to control the project and the activities then there is always a risk of resource wastage and ultimately the failure of the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Fashion and Consumers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fashion and Consumers - Essay Example The essay "Fashion and Consumers" analyzes fashion and consumerism. The rules were established at the end of the eighteenth century: coat, trousers and vest, designed and constructed to produce a uniformly ideal silhouette and image for any man. A slightly wider lapel here, a fractionally narrower trouser leg there, is as much as most of us are willing to tolerate† (Boyer). From there, consumers influences the market of fashion because of their interest and needs during a period of time. decisions because it is as set of symbols and artifacts created by a society and handed down from generation to generation. From there, customer segmentation is important understanding consumer behavior so that marketers can know what they need to appeal to each consumer’s social class. Since customer segmentation is at the root of CRM, each business that performs CRM is ready to address the bigger question of deploying unique messages to the right customer at the right time. The booming CRM industry has provided the in-depth customer data that is vital for successful direct mail campaigns and integrated channel strategies focused on keeping and growing profitable customers. Data can become customer insight. Customer insight can become action. Action can grow the value of customer base and grow net income. Unlike women's hemlines, which seem to go from here to there in a blink, more than a half-inch taken or given anywhere in a man's wardrobe constitutes a revolution. The general thrust in menswear. since the beginning of the twentieth century has been to make the basic suit more comfortable: lighter-weight fabrics and construction techniques have reduced stiffness, heaviness and constriction. Men's tailoring today is positively airy compared to what it was before mid-century (Boyer). Social classes From there, social classes are likely to respond differently to a sellers marketing program. However, there are other situational factors that encourages consumers to purchase organic food such as store location and personal preference. Due to this fact, marketers may need to design marketing programs tailored to specific social classes so that that they can be more successful in understanding their customers needs without making mistakes. Customers have the ability to make a choice about what they want to purchase. Customers want excellent service from the companies that they patron and they want competitive pricing. This may appear to them that the company is weakening or is inconsistent. By communicating goals and strategy early on, the organization pays respect to customers and employees, and deals openly with uncertainty and doubt. (Baron, A. p. 13, 2006). Customer trends Customer trends change and so does their choices, which means people are generally tired of the same brands that they had been using over the years. When they do not see the expected innovation they migrate to new brands. With that, maintaining the standards of such a huge chain becomes feasible. However, when there is lack of quality service in one store it affects the whole brand. In order to overcome the issues, marketers of organic food need to consider group thinking and conformity so that everyone can work together. Working on a team can be very rewarding and exciting, but also frustrating if some of the team member are not committed

Monday, November 18, 2019

The Effects Of The Society In The Black Community Case Study

The Effects Of The Society In The Black Community - Case Study Example The movie leaves the audience to ponder whether the young characters were truly morally responsible for their ultimate fate. Looking through the lens of Galen Strawson’s â€Å"Hard Determinism† the movie seems to prove the philosophy that no individual is truly responsible since it requires the ideal determination of the self. The film is based on the black community and the director uses several characters to portray the characteristics and the problems faced by society. Before the beginning of the film, the director supplies statistics, which states that their counterparts in the community kill most of the black males. The story is told through Tre Styles- the main protagonist in the film. Due to some problems in the school, he is moved to the black neighborhood of Los Angeles. His father Furious mentors him there and he is acquainted with two boys- Doughboy and Ricky. Furious is seen to have a conversation with Tre about sex and is seen to teach the importance of having precaution while having sex. The major plot in the film is the presence of the violent neighborhood of the black community and the violence within it. Most of the film revolves around the violence. There are minor plots in the film like the bias of culture in the testing procedures and the gentrification of the society. The Whites did no t take care of the problems faced by Blacks in society. Drug abuse is a minor subplot that underlines the narrative of the film. The film highlights how racial discrimination, lack of communal unity and lack of a neutral approach in all sectors were responsible for the ill fate of the Afro Americans. There are certain cases where the film shows some important incidents that underline the social structure in the country.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The premier food

The premier food EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report aims to critically appraise various internal and external factors which contributed to the success of Premier Foods grocery division restructuring programme. Examples of effective change management disciplines are integrated throughout the project to achieve a successful business strategy. Although, no matter how effective and efficient you plan for change, risks are inevitable. The report aims to identify the key risks associated with the restructuring plan and identify the possible effects on human, physical and cultural resources. In the latter stages, the report will come to a close, highlighting the main points which the author believes has had an influence on the entire grocery divisions restructuring process. ORGANISATIONAL OVERVIEW Premier Foods has been established as the UKs leading food manufacturer, specialising in many known consumer brands such as OXO, Quorn, Hovis, Batchelors and Branston Pickle. Its estimated that 99.4% of the UK population buy at least one Premier Food product each year and a total of 43 million people, eat a leading brand food product every two weeks. Therefore, current turnover is estimated at  £2.6 billion and the company currently employs 17,000 people at 60 manufacturing sites around the United Kingdom and Ireland. Although, these figures would have been unrealistic without Premier Foods  £460 million acquisition of Campbells UK and Irish market share in August 2006. In March 2007, Premier Foods also captured RHMs market share for  £1.2 billion and therefore, turnover figures increased dramatically from  £760 million to the current turnover figure of  £2.6 billion. In 2008, Premier foods had successfully undertaken a comprehensive restructuring programme, which was deemed extremely complex in the UK. The aim was to radically transform the Grocery Division, which would drive the business through lower costs and higher technical standards. Premier Foods wished to implement the following key changes: The eradication of eight manufacturing sites between September 2007 and December 2008. Five core sites would increase the number of consumer brands manufactured. Capability and capacity are critical. The transfer of more than 1500 consumer brands and 2000 materials (136,700 tonnes). Capital Investment of  £47 million, of which  £19 million would need to be delivered in savings. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PLAN REASONS BEHIND THE CHANGES External Market Pressures The United Kingdom has one of the fastest growing food and drink markets in the world (UK Trade Investment Services, 2009). The food and drink sector alone generates sales estimated at  £70 billion and significant growth areas lie in value added products i.e. ready meals or Non-European recipes. Recent studies had estimated the UKs organic sector at  £1.2 billion a year and the chilled food market a staggering  £7 billion. Therefore this accounts for almost 60% of the overall European chilled food market. However, in the East Midlands, food manufacturing is rapidly expanding. 15.1% of the UKs food produce is manufactured here and over the forthcoming years, this figure is expected to increase by 40%. Food companies such as NOM, an Austrian Diary Producer, have taken decisions with the help of the UK government (Trade and Investment) to expand into the UKs rapidly expanding food markets. Therefore, it was imperative that Premier Foods assess the external market and plan for radical change. Premier foods understood that the UK food market is highly competitive, demanding consistent product quality and reliable supply whilst seeking more competitive pricing and innovative new products (Premier Foods, 2010). The company had a policy to, generate economies of scale to reduce production costs in order to support promotional activity, investment in building brand awareness with the consumer and new product development (Premier Foods, 2010). Over the years, Premier Foods had marginalised its market position through organic and inorganic growth. Through this initiative, the company has strengthened its competitive position by undertaking various initiatives in order to boost efficiencies and minimize costs (Just-Food, 2010). During 2009, Premier Foods excelled it strategy of developing growing branded sales and expanding gross margin through the benefits of consumer scales and insights. The company recognised the need to continually develop this through 2010. In this period, the company wishes to deliver efficiency savings over and above the synergies already delivered in 2009. The benefit strategies of 2009 were particularly absorbed by inflation (Input Costs) and by tougher consumer and trading environments. Therefore, this allowed promotional costs to rise and the company are to remain cautious in the 2010 shortfall. Nevertheless, the company has the desire to challenge market growth rates and developed the strategy of identifying particular categories and brands they can push most. This new strategy splits consumer brands into, Drive, Core and Defend. Premier Foods represent Drive categories as the consumer brands which will inherit the most market investment i.e. Hartleys, Quorn, Ambrosia etc. However, Premier Foods agree that cooking sauces / accompaniments, desserts and cakes would have immediate success rates within the consumer market. A company statement had concluded that although the cake category was in decline over recent years, lunchbox, ready-to-eat sweet snacks or treats are proving extremely popular. In theory, taking advantage of this opportunity would eventually start a trend, where Premier Foods would target other popular categories. In other words there is ample room for additional market growth. Bearing this in mind, the company is still confident in delivering a three year market strategy in demonstrating the company is moving in the right direction, ability to make profits and increases in the UK / Ireland market share. Internal Pressures Organisational Reform By successfully developing an external market strategy plan, Premier Foods needed to radically transform the entire business, which would be a rationale for its success. The first phase was to conduct a review of all the manufacturing sites to identify their capabilities, infrastructure and skill base. This activity was conducted in the first three weeks by a small group of senior management. The site review allowed senior management to develop viable options and allowed the initial steps towards a cost benefit analysis. Once satisfied with this, a presentation was developed for the companies board and an agreement was passed to take the initial work to a full business case. A larger team, comprising representatives from each in scope sites, was formed and a clear consensus regarding the optimum option was quickly reached (Wilkinson, 2010). The agreement of the business case, allowed all main stakeholders to be involved within the development. The main intention was to secure a unanimous agreement on the final proposal. Fortunately, agreement was reached within six-weeks of the business case and provided a solid rationale for delivery of the restructuring programme. However, part of the business case recommended the closure of six manufacturing sites in the United Kingdom and two in Ireland. There would be a period of twenty-one months, in which a mixture of consumer brands would be manufactured over five expanded sites. By now, people including stakeholders, board directors, managers etc knew which consumer brands would move from one manufacturing site to another, the expected costs of the entire restructuring programme, target delivery points and detailing the benefits that would occur across the entire organisation. The output of this work also demonstrated the overall level of benefits that could be achieved and provided a baseline for delivering the programme (Wilkinson, 2010). Therefore, market strategy developments, extensive cost cutting exercises, combined with effective efficiency strategies developed a recipe for success. BUSINESS STRATEGY PLAN Rationale In July 2003, Premier Foods were initially floated on the London Stock Exchange with a business strategy of: Development within consumer focused brands. Development through effective consumer relations. Cost Reduction strategies and business simplification. Parallel to this, there was spotlight within the UK and the desire to acquire Great British brands. The integration of these, would rapidly contribute to further strategies based on scale. However, the main aim was to expand company competitiveness with other British food manufacturers, whilst still improving company returns to the shareholders. Premier Foods anticipated that corporate responsibility is a strategic priority that should be parallel to the overall business objectives. The company ensured that responsible business practice should be a fundamental operation of the business and place in the core of the corporate responsibility strategy of, doing the right thing. Premier Foods adopted a business strategy which analyses current issues and attitudes. This allows the company to anticipate any trends which could hamper the business. This business strategy has been untouched and still currently forms the central core of the companies aspirations. Due to the rapid growth of the company, the individuals and the manufacturing sites involved in the restructuring programme had very different cultures and people who came from different work backgrounds. Therefore, there was different levels of understanding in both project and programme management processes. Although, to implement an effective restructuring process, an effective change management strategy had to come into operation and to get an overview; there are five key principles that are extremely important: (Briggs, M., 1995) Individuals tend to react differently to change. Everyone has a desired need, which should be met. Change tends to involve a loss or reduction in something. Realistic targets and expectations. Fears need to be dealt with. Bearing this in mind, Premier Foods had to be open and honest about the entire restructuring strategy. The company were open and not too overoptimistic in theory. In other words, the company set realistic targets and deliverance dates. Project Management Strategy To improve how the company manages large or small scale projects, Premier Foods embarked on integrating a new project management process. Currently, there were various project management systems integrated across the entire organisation and the proposal was to have one standard system based upon Prince2. Prompt, would be the system which Premier Foods integrated across the entire organisation and benefits in Prompt allowed Premier Foods to manage and initiate projects in each work stream. Work stream managers were responsible for this and would manage project teams, to complete any work as necessary. Resource Management Strategy To increase flexibility and reduce project delivery risk, interdependencies between specific work streams and projects were minimised. Time scales and achieving key delivery dates were crucial in this process. However, to support this, Premier foods ensured a structured organisational programme was in place and at the same time, avoided the utilisation of common resources. On the other hand, the company sourced resources at the work stream level, through process of common procurement approach. This allowed work streams to progress at a constant level, whilst having the ability to maintain an overview of contract resource usage and ability to view potential competing priorities at an early stage. Environmental Strategy Due to recent European legislations in place, there are pressures within industry to curb the amount of carbon dioxide produced in the manufacturing of consumer goods. Premier Foods is committed to supporting the UK Governments position on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol (Premier Foods, 2010). The company has a Five Star Environmental Award Scheme in structure, which was rolled out to all manufacturing sites in 2009. The scheme is a benchmark ensuring energy usage, waste, water usage and carbon dioxide emissions are carefully monitored (Wilkinson, 2010). Scheduling Milestone Management Strategies The original business case recommended a tight delivery timescale and was substantially dictated by the seasonality of transferring food categories. In other words, the transferring of a food line had a set delivery date. If the opportunity was missed then the company would have to wait to the next available opportunity i.e. desserts are more popular in the winter and therefore move production to the summer. At different intervals during the project, there was the requirement to assess the restructuring programmes ability to deliver within the target timescales. Whilst towards completion of the programme, various groups of people needed to be coordinated around specific milestone dates. Therefore, Premier foods had to ensure a sufficient scheduling and milestone management programme was in operation. Programme Assurance, Change Control and Scope Management Strategies The scope of the restructuring programme was controlled within overall programme approvals through the formal initiation of projects and associated funding in each work stream (Wilkinson, 2010). Each element within the restructuring programme had strict parameters to adhere too and were closely monitored i.e. funding and timescale delivery. However, if parameter changes were necessary, agreement would have to be obtained through steering committees, by the change control process. Information Communication Strategies Due to a large number of individuals being involved in the restructuring programme, an effective communication strategy was implemented to ensure information was circulated both internally and externally. Therefore, to ensure employees fully understand the strategic approach, Corporate Responsibility Road shows, were presented at all manufacturing sites to Senior Management teams. This ensured that they were aware of the long term sustainability goals and could effectively brief all employees about the planned changes in the company i.e. maintain involvement and commitment to employees whose job role were becoming redundant. Regular meetings with key external stakeholders ensured that the company advised them on any major changes, ensured the company was on the front foot and most importantly, minimised any potential damage to corporate reputation from any foreseeable redundancies (Wilkinson, 2010). Moving food production from one manufacturing site to another, impacts both the suppliers and customers. Therefore, both had to understand the changes which were being devised and reassured that supplies in a particular food category were managed effectively i.e. there was sufficient stock in the warehouses, while the transfer of a particular food line was being made. Quality Management Strategy Quality Consumer Brands Although moving manufacturing lines from one site another is relatively a straightforward process, ensuring the quality of the produce is critical. The company initiated a quality protocol which ensured that an individual product would move to a new location, meeting all necessary standards. Therefore, ensuring you protected the consumer experience was fundamental to the programme. This operation was strictly controlled and managed centrally. This ensures that the steering committee could monitor the quality control process and highlight any problem areas. Quality Control Premier Foods technical and commercial teams ensured that resources were utilised where required. Food tasting panels were utilised to ensured product matching and consumer testing in more severe cases. This ensured that the companies acquisitions of additional food brands were protected from other manufacturers. Efficient Supply Chain Management Peer review stage gate processes were introduced to ensure decisions were made appropriately. Individual project managers would check a list of criteria leading up to a Go / No Go decision. Review teams were constituted from all areas of business, ensuring there specialist area was implemented to high standards. Supply change management and independent business activities were amalgamated into one process, to ensure risks to the business and customer service levels were understood and managed appropriately. Issue Management Strategy Dealing effectively and efficiently with issues was seen as a competitive advantage for whole organisation. Individuals could identify any issues, at any point with the restructuring programme. Once identified, the responsible manager or line manager would deal with the issue. If required, an issue could be escalated to high level through steering committees for example. Alignments between, operational business, programme delivery and benefit achievement, demonstrated clear ownership and responsibility of the programme (Wilkinson, 2010). Therefore, issue management procedures could be reduced, as the result of effective communication forums and clear governance routes (Wilkinson, 2010). Therefore, the delivery of the restructuring programme within, target timescales, benefits and customer service constraints demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach (Wilkinson, 2010). Health and Safety Strategy Premier Foods, employed 16,000 employees across 60 manufacturing sites and they recognise that our employees are our single most valuable asset and we strive to be an employer of choice in areas which we operate (Premier Foods, 2010). Health and safety was a critical aspect in the programme, ensuring a safer manufacturing environment and safety improvements within plant and machinery. Strict guidelines were put in place and key initiatives were presented to line managers in workshops to ensure that risk assessment and risk management initiatives were enforced throughout the company. Value Engineering Approach The value engineering approach was utilised throughout project delivery dates, operational design and high safety food standards. By scrutinising the entire project build i.e. capital costs, then positive decisions could be made. Likewise, a change control mechanism was in place to acquire a cycle of positive feedback. Therefore, changes could be made prior to management decisions. Feedback from the value engineering approach was shared across the entire restructuring programme, in the ability to deliver efficiencies i.e. value for money. PROJECT RISKS Human Physical Impacts As quoted by the Boston Consulting Group (2010), Premier Foods restructuring strategy was one of the largest and most complex restructuring of food manufacturing in the UK. Risks are inevitable with a restructuring strategy the size of Premier Foods and precautions need to be put in place to counteract any eventualities. To begin, risks begin with the agreement of all the key stakeholders within the company. If by any means the stakeholders were unable to come to a unanimous decision, then the entire restructuring process could be in jeopardy. The key to its success would be to present an excellent business case, identifying the key drivers and reasons behind the change. Whenever there are redundancies, it can be a devastating blow to the surrounding area, local economy and families. It may happen because a work place is closing down or because few employees are needed for work of a particular kind (Holland, et al, 2008). In this instance, part of Premier Foods restructuring programme involved closing eight manufacturing sites and distributing current food categories over five existing sites. Senior Management closed a site based upon a number of factors i.e. site throughput. The aim was to improve productivity, lower costs and increase profits. Nevertheless, redundancies were inevitable at this point and the key was to maintain the companies reputation to avoid scrutiny. A reputation of a company is its important and valuable asset. A positive one may bring many benefits to a company, when a negative one may significantly harm it (Westcott, 2005). Although it was a devastating blow, the company would have to ensure all employees were treated in the best possible interests. Fortunately, the company offered generous redundancy packages and liaised with the local councils to ensure all redundant employees would have help getting back into employment. Once the workforce has been restructured, logistics and the redistribution of resources are crucial. The overall business challenge was to redistribute; 1500 products, 2000 materials, build new facilities, transfer 51 manufacturing lines, put a 2.5 million pallet stock build in place to maintain customer supply and complete 1800 line trial activities (Premier Foods, 2010). Besides this, the company needed to maintain both the company image and the customer service performance of a demanding business. Keeping the consumer supplied was at foremost importance, as there was the possibility of loosing contracts with some of Britains major brand stockists i.e. Tesco, ASDA, Sainsburys. As well as ensuring the survival of major cultural brands that have been produce for generations i.e. Hovis. Likewise, due to the rapid growth of the company, individuals and manufacturing sites that were affected by the restructuring programme had very different cultures. Cultural Impacts Culture, is seen as a pattern of beliefs and expectation that are shared by an organisations members (Schwartz, et al, 1981). These factors tend to produce norms which, powerfully shape the behaviour of individuals and groups in the organisation (Schwartz, et al, 1981). Culture, intends to concentrate upon the nature of these expectations. Taking Premier Foods into context, the individuals involved have been told various incentives which are behind the grocery divisions restructuring process. Therefore, the company have the responsibility to deliver their business strategy and individuals are right to dispute whether company expectations are being met i.e. Do they promise what they wish to deliver in the short-term and long term future? There is the risk that Premier Foods simply do not deliver and again, elements including corporate image could be affected. Likewise, the individual and manufacturing sites involved, originated from different work backgrounds. There were different levels of understanding in both project and programme management processes. Although, its good when an organisation is built around people who have different ethics i.e. the ability to share ideas to improve an organisations structure, the problem is getting everyone to agree upon a particular thing and ensuring people work upon a standard level. The key is to ensure everyone has good understanding of both principles, to ensure the restructuring programme is at minimum risk as possible. If not, then conflicts can arise (behavioural factors) and the restructuring programme could have major issues. Generally, it doesnt work if one individual has a strong understanding in one area and a weak understanding in another. Other Potential Risks The organisational restructuring programme was also surrounded by other critical integration projects, which were being implemented at the same time. Some of these included the integration of key administrative functions i.e. Human Resources and Finance. In the marketplace, the company itself faced soaring food cost inflations, as well as the impact of a major economic recession. Human and physical resources were thinly spread and significantly challenged during this tense period. In other words, it was either make or break time and fortunately, the gamble succeeded in the end. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Summary On a generic scale, the implementation of the entire restructuring programme was a complete success, taking the size and complexity of the programme into consideration. From research, the author identified the main critical elements for change. To begin, the author believes that Premier Foods wishes to be the leading competitor in the UK food market, to compete with other competitors. Once this is established, there maybe future business development plans to expand and compete with the European Food Market or on an International Scale. However, current infrastructure could not cope with future expansion and therefore, major internal reform was needed to improve the quality of food produced, the quantity of food produced and overall manufacturing costs. Although there were harsh reforms in the workforce for example, this allowed the company to focus on long-term developments and improve profits. In the short-term, this allows major shareholders to gain a healthy return in investments and can continue to provide investments for the future. Recommendations Taking the following into contention, no major improvements are needed. The Premier Foods restructuring programme demonstrates high professionalism, within a large strategic scale. All project delivery points were delivered on time and within budget. Although, a possible thought to consider is cultural differences. Current levels of project and programme management were at different levels between individuals and the manufacturing sites involved. Offering solutions that allow everyone to have the same level of knowledge may be advantageous. Nevertheless, its good when people have different ranges of knowledge and experience. This allows people to express their own interpretations, leading to new ideas. REFERENCES Boston Consulting Group (2010) Premier Foods. Available at: http://www.bcg.com/2010. (Accessed: 15th February 2010). Briggs, M. (1995) Change Management: Five basic principles and how to apply them. Available at http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/changemanagement.html. (Accessed: March 2nd 2010). Holland, J., Burnett, C. (2008) Employment Law. Revised Edition. New York: Oxford University Press Inc. Just Foods (2010) Just Foods website. Available at: http://www.just-food.com/store/product.aspx?id=60647. (Accessed: 14th February 2010). Premier Foods (2009) Premier Foods website. Available at: http://www.premierfoods.co.uk. (Accessed: 20th February 2010). Schwartz, H., Davis, S.M. (1981) Organisational Dynamics. 1st Edition. New York. AMACOM UK Trade Investment Services (2009) UK Trade Investment Services website. Available at: http://www.ukinvest.gov.uk/Food--drink/en-GB-list.html. (Accessed: 14th February 2010). Westcott, J (2005) Corporate Image. Available at http://docs.google.com/viewer. (Accessed March 4th 2010). Wilkinson, R. (2010) Premier Foods Guest Lecturer Grocery Manufacturing Consolidation Programme. Available at http://elp.northumbria.ac.uk (Accessed 25th February 2010). BIBOLOGRAPHY Boston Consulting Group (2010) Premier Foods. Available at: http://www.bcg.com/2010. (Accessed: 15th February 2010). Briggs, M. (1995) Change Management: Five basic principles and how to apply them. Available at http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/changemanagement.html. (Accessed: March 2nd 2010). Guardian News (2010) Premier Foods. Available at http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/marketforceslive/2010/feb/16/premierfoods (Accessed 15th February 2010). Holland, J., Burnett, C. (2008) Employment Law. Revised Edition. New York: Oxford University Press Inc. Just Foods (2010) Just Foods website. Available at: http://www.just-food.com/store/product.aspx?id=60647. (Accessed: 14th February 2010). Kotter, J. (1995 2002) Change Management. Available at http://www.businessballs.com/changemanagement.htm. (Accessed March 1st 2010). Premier Foods (2009) Premier Foods website. Available at: http://www.premierfoods.co.uk. (Accessed: 20th February 2010). Schwartz, H., Davis, S.M. (1981) Organisational Dynamics. 1st Edition. New York. AMACOM UK Trade Investment Services (2009) UK Trade Investment Services website. Available at: http://www.ukinvest.gov.uk/Food--drink/en-GB-list.html. (Accessed: 14th February 2010). Westcott, J (2005) Corporate Image. Available at http://docs.google.com/viewer. (Accessed March 4th 2010). Western Mail (2010) High Beam Research, Premier Foods hails sales rise as Hovis takes 25% of market, 1, pp. 1. International Newspapers, Local Markets Li-Z [Online]. Available at http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-219048662.html (Accessed March 4th 2010). Wilkinson, R. (2010) Premier Foods Guest Lecturer Grocery Manufacturing Consolidation Programme. Available at http://elp.northumbria.ac.uk (Accessed 25th February 2010).

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Message in John Miltons Paradise Lost :: free essay writer

Paradise Lost is an epic of epic proportions! It chronologs the designs of Satan, the fall of the angels, the creation and subsequent fall of man from paradise, and finally ends with some hope for a paradise regained. At first glance it seems to be two epics rolled into one. The book begins right away introducing us to the would be protagonist, Satan, up against an indominable force, God. We are made to sympathise with Satan's plight and almost admire him or hope for his success. There is a certain excitement and allure to Satan and even to Hell. But, quickly our hero begans to degenerate right before our eyes in book III with the introduction of God and Christ. The focus on Satan seems to be all but abandoned with the introduction of man, and now Satan only plays a sinister role in a new story centered around our greatest ancestor, Adam. We are painfully reminded of our initial affiliation with Satan and his doomed aspirations when Rapheal recounts the war in heaven in book VI. It seems the first epic revolving around Satan was over before it was started, and now our would be underdog threatens us by threatening our new protagonist in Adam. The brief warnings of Raphael are not enough to preserve paradise and save Adam & Eve from the vengence of the Devil. It seems our hero is destined to ruin once again, but this time there is hope. Man turns out to be more repentant than Satan, and God turns out to be a little more leniant to man. Adam and Eve are still banished from Paradise but the oppurtunity for inner paradise is still offered before them by the angel Michael. Which leads me to my comment earlier about Paradise Lost seeming like two epics (the plight of Satan and then that of man). But, really Paradise Lost is like three epics, because there is a third story, that of the reader. Milton paints the characters with such a humanity that they all become real people and not just the entities of some Sunday school lesson. Because of this, we find ourselves initially enamoured with Satan and his "heroic" aspirations, but quickly we get slapped on the hand by our hero's destruction. Then we are taken by the arguments of Eve & Adam and are made to question some of God's actions when it comes to informing them and protecting them, so we then go through the fall with them.