Ricci V. Destefano Essay Example For Students

Ricci V. Destefano Essay Ricci v. DeStefano Supreme Court of the United States 129 S. Ct. 2658; 174 L. Ed. 2d 490 (2009) April 22,2009, Argued June 29, 2009, Decided This 2009 Supreme Court choice was an aftereffect of supposed racial separation with respect to inside advancements of nineteen New Haven, Connecticut firemen. New Haven city authorities discredited test outcomes when no Blacks scored sufficiently high to meet the base score important to be qualified for advancement. Along these lines, the White and Hispanic competitors that passed with the essential scores felt they had been oppressed dependent on their race. The city chose not to confirm the test outcomes as a result of the lopsided number of white up-and-comers in contrast with minorities, and so as to maintain a strategic distance from likely risk for segregation. The Connecticut local group of fire-fighters sued and contended that their privileges under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection Clause were damaged. The case was contended in the United States Supreme Court where it was attested that the city inappropriately disposed of the test brings about request to accomplish a progressively alluring racial dispersion of advancement qualified applicants. The case was then sent to the United States Court of Appeals for redetermination. Equity Ginsburg plainly doesn't concur with race lack of bias. She contends whether city of New Haven had admirable motivation to nullify the test. She notes in her dispute that the city is involved more African Americans and Hispanics than some other race, suggesting the view that the local group of fire-fighters required a greater amount of these races in instructing positions. Ginsburg composes, â€Å"In settling on recruiting and advancement choices, open bosses frequently depended on standards irrelevant to work performance† and â€Å"relying vigorously on composed tests to choose fire officials is a faulty practice. † concerning business capability testing, I am sure that organizations will keep on utilizing this technique as a methods for looking for and recruiting possible up-and-comers. Ordinarily, those associated with the employing procedure ought to know about the dangers, advantages and costs engaged with testing. Character tests are in some cases utilized for those up-and-comers, regardless of whether inside or outer, looking for anagement positions. Another type of testing includes guaranteeing that potential applicants are liberated from any contrary issues that would keep an individual from acting in the activity, for example, a medication test. Qualification tests are utilized to guarantee that the potential up-and-comer is equ ipped for playing out the prerequisites of the activity, including eye tests or accomplishment or fitness tests. With such a significant number of individuals looking for positions in today’s economy, it is significant for managers to stay consistent with the laws so as to maintain a strategic distance from superfluous claims.

A Short History of the American Red Cross

A Short History of the American Red Cross Recorded Importance of the American Red Cross The American Red Cross is the main congressionally commanded association to give help to casualties of fiasco and is liable for satisfying the orders of the Geneva Convention inside the United States. It was established May 21, 1881 It has verifiably been known under different names, for example, ARC; American Association of the Red Cross (1881 - 1892) and American National Red Cross (1893 - 1978). Outline Clara Barton, conceived in 1821, had been a teacher, a representative in the U.S. Patent Office, and had earned the epithet Angel of the Battlefield during the Civil War before she established the American Red Cross in 1881. Bartons encounters of gathering and disseminating supplies to warriors during the Civil War, just as filling in as a medical caretaker on front lines, made her a hero for the privileges of injured officers. After the Civil War, Barton forcefully campaigned for the foundation of an American adaptation of the International Red Cross (which had been established in Switzerland in 1863) and for the United States to sign the Geneva Convention. She prevailing with both the American Red Cross was established in 1881 and the U.S. sanctioned the Geneva Convention in 1882. Clara Barton turned into the main leader of the American Red Cross and drove the association for the following 23 years. Only days after the principal neighborhood section of the American Red Cross was built up in Dansville, NY on August 22, 1881, the American Red Cross bounced into its first catastrophe alleviation activity when they reacted to the pulverization brought about by significant woods fires in Michigan. The American Red Cross kept on helping survivors of flames, floods, and typhoons throughout the following quite a long while; notwithstanding, their job developed during the 1889 Johnstown flood when the American Red Cross set up huge safe houses to briefly house those disengaged by the fiasco. Shielding and taking care of proceed right up 'til the present time to be the biggest obligations of the Red Cross quickly following a calamity. On June 6, 1900, the American Red Cross was given a congressional sanction that ordered the association to satisfy the arrangements of the Geneva Convention, by rendering help to those injured during the war, giving correspondence between relatives and individuals from the U.S. military, and controlling help to those influenced by catastrophes during peacetime. The sanction likewise secures the Red Cross insignia (a red cross on a white foundation) for utilize just by the Red Cross. On January 5, 1905, the American Red Cross got a marginally changed congressional sanction, under which the association despite everything works today. In spite of the fact that the American Red Cross has been given this order by Congress, it's anything but a governmentally subsidized association; it is a non-benefit, altruistic association that gets its financing from open gifts. Despite the fact that congressionally sanctioned, interior battles took steps to topple the association in the mid 1900s. Clara Bartons messy accounting, just as questions with respect to Bartons capacity to deal with an enormous, national association, prompted a congressional examination. Rather than affirming, Barton left the American Red Cross on May 14, 1904. (Clara Barton died April 12, 1912, at 91 years old.) In the decade following the congressional sanction, the American Red Cross reacted to fiascos, for example, the ​1906 San Francisco seismic tremor and included classes, for example, medical aid, nursing, and water wellbeing. In 1907, the American Red Cross started attempting to battle utilization (tuberculosis) by selling Christmas Seals to fund-raise for the National Tuberculosis Association. World War I exponentially extended the American Red Cross by fundamentally expanding Red Cross sections, volunteers, and assets. The American Red Cross sent a large number of medical caretakers abroad, sorted out the home front, set up veterans emergency clinics, conveyed care bundles, composed ambulances, and even prepared mutts to scan for injured. In World War II, the American Red Cross assumed a comparative job yet in addition sent a large number of bundles of food to POWs, started a blood assortment administration to help the injured, and built up clubs, for example, the celebrated Rainbow Corner to offer amusement and food to servicemen. After World War II, the American Red Cross built up a non military personnel blood assortment administration in 1948, has kept on offering help to casualties of catastrophes and wars, included classes for CPR, and in 1990 included a Holocaust War Victims Tracing and Information Center. The American Red Cross has kept on being a significant association, offering help to millions influenced by wars and calamities.

My mom is here!

My mom is here! Well, Parents Weekend was last weekend, but my mom is unconventional (read: cheap; there were no cheap tickets from Columbus to Boston last weekend) and decided to create her own Parents Weekend this weekend. She left my brother (age 16) and my father (still not old enough to cook for himself) back in Ohio to fend for themselves. Perhaps they will have to hunt wild game or poach a cow from a nearby farm. (Actually, I think the only farms we have near our house are sheep farms. But whatever. Cow poaching just sounds cool.) My mom arrived in Boston at 5 PM, just in time to eat an oh-so-healthy college student meal of pizza ordered on the internet. (Seriously, Adam and I cook for ourselves all the time. But were both busy and we havent had time to go grocery shopping in a while, and fresh vegetables dont just grow on trees, people. Ahem.) After dinner, she came to cheerleading practice with me she was a cheerleader in high school, so coming to practice with me makes her happy. (Aside: My mom was a cheerleader in high school. My dad was a football/basketball/baseball star. In stark contrast, I was in marching band and on the quiz team in high school when my sports-crazy parents used to take me to sporting events in elementary/middle school, I would take a book, sit in an unoccupied section, and read. I really think my mom was quite relieved when I came to MIT and joined the cheerleading squad; it assured her that I hadnt been switched at birth.) Tomorrow, Mom is going to come to 5.60 (chemical thermodynamics) with me. Adam offered to take her to 16.07 (dynamics; basically rocket science physics and math), but she declined, as she only passed high school geometry by cheating off my dad. She came to 18.02 (multivariable calc) with me one time my freshman year. The only thing she got out of it was that the variable used to represent the third dimension is z. Basically, I think were going to have to sit in the back in 5.60 tomorrow so she can goof off. But after 5.60, Mom and I are taking full advantage of the magnificent shopping opportunities in Boston the Pru, Newbury Street, Copley Place brand new winter wardrobe, here I come! And after Mom leaves on Saturday, I need to tackle some grad school and fellowship applications so I dont have to survive on ramen alone in my first year of grad school next year. (I hear that if you only eat ramen, you get scurvy.) Oh, and I have to write a paper for 21A.260 and a pset for 5.60. And lead a dorm review session for Macgregor kids in intro biology. Mmmm MIT life. Questions, answered: 1. thekeri asked how much course 9 relates to psychology. Keeping in mind that Im doing entirely molecular/cellular neuroscience, my understanding is that cognitive science = psychology. The MIT cog sci department is, to the best of my knowledge, particularly strong in psycholinguistics. The cognitive neuroscience/systems neuroscience people are focused on using tools like fMRI to find out information about the way people think and learn. I hope this helps and if it doesnt, I can try to fumble my way through a better explanation! 2. Jessie, in a moment of pedantry (:-P) correctly noted that course 9 students also have to take 2 restricted electives arranged with the advisor (although its fall of my senior year, and my advisor has yet to breathe a word about this requirement to me!), and that other classes, including easy-A Harvard classes, can be taken in lieu of 9.07. Yup. 3. Robb and Eric both enthused about the OCW site, and how much fun it is to do MIT psets. Hey, Ive got some real MIT psets you can do, if youve got the itch :) (Actually, Im completely putting words in Robbs mouth. Hee.) 4. (Your question here.)

School Spirit in Schools - 1768 Words

Who is to Blame? The lack of school spirit in schools is an increasing problem. The first group of people I blame is the school itself and the second is the people at school. Theres a ton of other things that I could blame for the fact that theres no school spirit but these are just the ones that first came to mind. The school is the problem for the lack of school spirit. For starters, Having to go to school 35 hours of the week is not fun. Plus, for those of us who have to get a job when we are able to thats not fun either. So you figure 35 hours at school plus a part-time job and you sleep. That hardly leaves any time for us to relax. Thats not even considering the fact that most of our teachers give homework. The first couple of weeks, were happy to be in school and we have school spirit then it slowly diminishes until the end of the year because were getting burnt out. Speaking of which, How do teachers expect us to recharge if they give homework over break?Personally, I hate sch ool. Its really stressful and I dont exactly have the best time while Im at home. I have a very stressful life and school only makes it worse. So the fact that were dont get time to recharge and we get stressed out because of the amount of stuff we have to do, makes it hard to have school spirit. The other thing I blame for the lack of school spirit is the people at school, that includes teachers. Sometimes, you hate teachers or other students and they just mess up your whole day,Show MoreRelatedThe Power of School Spirit841 Words   |  4 Pagesadministrators demand more of? School spirt answers both questions. Many schools across the nation do not grasp the importance of school spirit. School spirit has the power to perform miracles in the athletic and educational world, and schools have taken notice. Student athletes and coaches crave more school spirit because enthusiasm from a crowd provides a team with energy unattainable in any other circumstance. Teachers and administr ators yearn for more school spirit because they wish for studentsRead MoreGraduation Speech : My School Spirit1361 Words   |  6 Pageshigh school graduation took place on that day, and because of my family, it is a very special day in my life. Senior year is often occupied with various class exclusive activities—prom, class field trips, football games—all events that screamed school spirit. My own school spirit was barely a whisper as I began my junior year at Lee Davis High School, and this was due to my family moving following my sophomore year at Varina High school. All of the people that I knew from middle school attendedRead MoreEssay about Improvement in School Spirit at the University of Waterloo1012 Words   |  5 Pages Administrators at the University of Waterloo are disappointed with the lack of the school spirit. School spirit can be defined as ones’ emotional support for their educational institute. To be fair our university certainly does have numerous clubs, sports, and other nonacademic programs to join on campus, however, it does not seem to entice students to join in comparison to other schools. The following will demonstrate why the university needs to improve on student engagement as well as the benefitsRead More Law School Admissions Essay - The Spirit Lives1138 Words   |  5 Pagestwo grades of Incomplete from my last semester of study, which I am in the process of completing now.   I did not complete the work in these  Ã‚   two classes because I was working too many hours at my job in conjunction with too many unites (18) at school.   I enrolled in these two lower-division classes, U.S. History and English Literature, as a matter of personal interest - a way of enjoying my last semester at San Francisco State.   When I realized that I had more work than I could mange, I gave theseRead MoreMy Participation in the ASB to Raise School Spirit at Homecoming543 Words   |  3 PagesExecutive Council, trying to formulate a plan to diminish the apathy that pervaded our school. The student morale was at an all time low, and the administration had lost confidence in the ability of ASB to successfully conduct school events.? As ASB President, I knew that the week of Homecoming needed to be the pivotal experience that would electrify and regenerate the declining spirit of Fallbrook High School. Since my first Pep rally experience as a freshman, I knew I wanted to participate inRead MoreShould Kids At Middle School Students Wear Uniform?1462 Words   |  6 PagesShould Kids in Middle School Students Wear Uniform? In the best interest for students, I strongly believe that our children in Middle school should wear uniforms. Uniforms are an easy way to distinguish who your children are. Parents spend more money on school clothes for their kids to look nice each year. It is not easy being a parent of a child that worries so much about what people think of them. There would be no possible way for kids to get bullied by what they are wearing because everyoneRead MoreThe Awful Possibility of Schools Cutting Athletic Programs Essay611 Words   |  3 Pages Schools everywhere give students opportunities to participate in sports by participating in athletic programs. With budget cuts, the administration is considering the possibility of eliminating all athletic programs. Admittedly, eliminating all athletic programs would save Lexington some money, but, on the other hand, it opens up opportunities for students who might not have a chance elsewhere. In fact, it has been proven that students who were i nvolved in sports as teenagers are healthier as adultsRead MoreHomecoming Persuasive Essay734 Words   |  3 Pagesmuch fun, you also get to know more about your school, and learning there traditions of the school. To begin with, homecoming could be fun to new students and former students. In homecoming week they do something called spirit week. In spirit they allow you to dress up and show your school spirit. They have a homecoming football game which is so fun because you have people coming out to support your school. They also all teacher to show their spirit and dress up. They have students running for homecomingRead MoreHigh School And Middle School Essay1614 Words   |  7 PagesAs you enter freshmen year you will immediately notice the differences between high school and middle school. Change will be inevitable. With a new building to explore, new faces in the halls, and a new schedule to memorize nothing will be the same. Most importantly, the biggest change you will notice will be the change within yourself. Transitioning from middle school to high school means growing, it means taking risks and stepping outside of your comfort zone. How you change will depend on yourRead MoreThank Y ou For Taking The Time To Consider My Application1143 Words   |  5 Pagesfor the Principal position at Holy Spirit Catholic School. It excites me to learn about the current opening from my father and mother-in-law, Michael and Lynn Paul, who are parishioners at Holy Spirit. In visiting Holy Spirit over the last three years, the growth of the school has stunned me. The physical building was not the sole thing that impressed me, but meeting families from the school and reading the school webpage revealed a deeper beauty that the school possesses. Maintaining a strong Catholic

Biography of Civil Rights Activist James Weldon Johnson

James Weldon Johnson, an esteemed member of the Harlem Renaissance, was determined to help change lives for African-Americans through his work as a civil rights activist, writer and educator. In the preface of Johnson’s autobiography, Along This Way, literary critic Carl Van Doren describes Johnson as â€Å"†¦an alchemist—he transformed baser metals into gold†(X). Throughout his career as a writer and an activist, Johnson consistently proved his ability to uplift and support African-Americans in their quest for equality. Family at a Glance Father: James Johnson Sr., - HeadwaiterMother: Helen Louise Dillet - First female African-American teacher in FloridaSiblings: One sister and a brother, John Rosamond Johnson – Musician and songwriterWife: Grace Nail – New Yorker and daughter of wealthy African-American real estate developer Early Life and Education Johnson was born in Jacksonville, Florida, on June 17, 1871. At an early age, Johnson showed great interest in reading and music. He graduated from the Stanton School at the age of 16. While attending Atlanta University, Johnson honed his skills as a public speaker, writer and educator. Johnson taught for two summers in a rural area of Georgia while attending college. These summer experiences helped Johnson realize how poverty and racism affected many African-Americans. Graduating in 1894 at the age of 23, Johnson returned to Jacksonville to become principal of the Stanton School. Early Career: Educator, Publisher, and Lawyer While working as a principal, Johnson established the Daily American, a newspaper dedicated to informing African-Americans in Jacksonville of various social and political issues of concern. However, the lack of editorial staff, as well as financial troubles, forced Johnson to stop publishing the newspaper. Johnson continued in his role as principal of the Stanton School and expanded the institution’s academic program to  ninth and tenth grades. At the same time, Johnson began studying law. He passed the bar exam in 1897 and became the first African-American to be admitted to the Florida Bar since the Reconstruction. Songwriter While spending the summer of 1899 in New York City, Johnson began collaborating with his brother, Rosamond, to write music. The brothers sold their first song, â€Å"Louisiana Lize.† The brothers returned to Jacksonville and wrote their most famous song, â€Å"Lift Every Voice and Sing,† in 1900. Originally written in celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, various African-American groups throughout the country found inspiration in the song’s words and used it for special events. By 1915, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) proclaimed that â€Å"Lift Every Voice and Sing† was the Negro National Anthem. The brothers followed their early songwriting successes with â€Å"Nobody’s Lookin’ but de Owl and de Moon† in 1901. By 1902, the brothers officially relocated to New York City and worked with fellow musician and songwriter, Bob Cole. The trio wrote songs such as â€Å"Under the Bamboo Tree† in 1902 and 1903’s â€Å"Congo Love Song.† Diplomat, Writer and Activist Johnson served as United States counsel to Venezuela from 1906 to 1912. During this time Johnson published his first novel, The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man. Johnson published the novel anonymously, but rereleased the novel in 1927 using his name. Returning to the United States, Johnson became an editorial writer for the African-American newspaper, New York Age. Through his current affairs column, Johnson developed arguments for an end to racism and inequality. In 1916, Johnson became field secretary for the NAACP, organizing mass demonstrations against Jim Crow Era laws,  racism and violence. He also increased the NAACP’s membership rolls in southern states, an action that would set the stage for the Civil Rights Movement decades later. Johnson retired from his daily duties with the NAACP in 1930 but remained an active member of the organization. Throughout his career as a diplomat, journalist and civil rights activist, Johnson continued to use his creativity to explore various themes in African-American culture. In 1917, for instance, he published his first collection of poetry, Fifty Years and Other Poems. In 1927, he published God’s Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse. Next, Johnson turned to nonfiction in 1930 with the publication of Black Manhattan, a history of African-American life in New York. Finally, he published his autobiography, Along This Way, in 1933. The autobiography was the first personal narrative written by an African-American to be reviewed in The New York Times. Harlem Renaissance Supporter and Anthologist While working for the NAACP, Johnson realized that an artistic movement was blossoming in Harlem. Johnson published the anthology, The Book of American Negro Poetry, with an Essay on the Negro’s Creative Genius in 1922, featuring work by writers such as Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes and Claude McKay. To document the importance of African-American music, Johnson worked with his brother to edit anthologies such as The Book of American Negro Spirituals in 1925 and The Second Book of Negro Spirituals in 1926. Death Johnson died on June 26, 1938, in Maine, when a train struck his car.

The Fall House Of Usher And The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

In most stories, the setting creates a backdrop for events to come, sometimes the setting dictates the theme as well as behavior of some of the characters. Between Edger Allan Poe’s The Fall House of Usher and Shirley Jackson’s The lottery, both writers were meticulously keen on using setting as a driving force behind the narrative and also set the tone for the theme. Whilst both stories ended with tragedy of the protagonist, both writers chose different moods to ease the reader into the atmosphere of the stories. In Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher, Poe in his usual writing style did not beat about the bush before shoving the reader right into a world of horror with the first sentence of the story by describing the day as â€Å"dull,†¦show more content†¦From the narrators’ perspective, The House of Usher was â€Å"mansion of gloom† (Poe 4) that entrapped its occupants and in an â€Å"atmosphere peculiar to themselves and their immed iate vicinity—an atmosphere which had no affinity with the air of heaven† (Poe 6). There is no guessing as to what mood both Roderick and the narrator were in, granted the House of Usher only exhumed an aura of doom and gloom. The Fear in the heart Roderick along with his madness left nothing to the reader’s imagination. Similarly, but on a subtler level, the village folks on the day of the Lottery were filled with a feeling of uncertainty, even among the children who were freshly out of school for the summer season succumb to the fear of events to follow as â€Å"feeling of liberty sat uneasily on most of them† (Jackson 1). In both stories, we find characters in an environment they would rather not be in, but certain circumstances prevent them from leaving at will, clearly conflicted. The battle can be even more difficult when external forces such as your town or your home works against you. In The Fall House of Usher, the Usher mansion served as a major conflict for both the narrator and Roderick. In the narrator’s case, he could have made the decision not to deal with the mysterious even that were taking place at the Usher mansion, but he chose to stay and serve as a companion to his boyhood friend who was in dire need of a friend; to an extent, the narrator was dealingShow MoreRelatedComparing The Lottery and Fall of the House of Usher1119 Words   |  5 PagesLiterature Poe Jackson There are a number of literary elements that successful authors creatively and effectively combine so as to demonstrate their style, technique, and knowledge of writing fundamentals. In the short stories, The Lottery and The Fall of the House of Usher written by Jackson and Poe respectively, the authors depend heavily upon the settings within each story to enhance or explore elements such as mood, atmosphere, conflict, and theme. Jacksons The Lottery takes place inRead MorePsychological Horror : The Mind As The Monster Of The Story1500 Words   |  6 Pagesimagining his escape. Plot twists like this is a very common literature device used in psychological horror. Psychological horror can take the form of a novel such as The Shining by Stephen King or also in short story as is â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson. It is a very popular genre that has translated with astonishing success in films. Psychological horrors are written in a variety of characteristics that helps the reader understand what the protagonist is going through. The main componentRead MoreHistory of the Development of the Short Story.3660 Words   |  15 Pagespost-war era The period following World War II saw a great flowering of literary short fiction in the United States. The New Yorker continued to publish the works of the form’s leading mid-century practitioners, including Shirley Jackson, whose story, â€Å"The Lottery,† published in 1948, elicited the strongest response in the magazine’s history to that time. Other frequent contributors during the last 1940s included John Cheever, John Steinbeck, Jean Stafford and Eudora Welty. J. D. Salingers

Accounting Information Of Philly Landscaping †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Accounting Information Of Philly Landscaping. Answer: Business situation and purpose of analysis: The present business situation is of Philly landscaping who has been in business for quite long time and its owner Steve is concerned about his retirement plan. In this regard, owner of business is provided with their investment options after his retirement. He would be guided with informed decision making using the decision support system software. The three investment options comprise of selling the company and investing the proceeds generated that would yield annual income of $ 100000. Secondly, building company by taking out loan that help in running operations by hiring general manager at an annual salary of $ 85000. Thirdly, he has the options of buying out. The main purpose of analysis is to determine the impact on annual cash flows in all the scenarios mentioned above. Moreover, the analysis is done to forecast the future cash flow that would help in assessing all three investments options. Description of tested scenarios: Do Nothing Loan-Low ROI Loan-High ROI Buyout Sum of Cash Flow from 2018 to 2027 $591,205 $179,878 $713,261 $1,000,000 Year with enough profit to general manager? 8 0 6 NA Year with income over expected annuity earnings? 0 0 3 10 If Steve considers doing nothing then this would lead to reduction in customer base by 5% and generates an annual income of $65000. The forecasted amount of cash flow stood at $ 4311999. Forecasted annual income till year 2027 stood at $ 668751. Now, if he accept low from bank at lower return on investment, would lead to an increase in annual income $ 100000. The total value of annual income for forecasted period is computed at $ 257423. Now, considering loan from bank at higher return on investment would generated total annual income for forecasted year at $ 790807. Now, if Steve seeks buying out then, it would generate total annual income till forecasted year at $ 1077545. Therefore, it can be inferred from the calculated figures that buying out generates higher amount of total annual income till forecasted year as compared to other three scenarios. Conclusion: From the analysis of all the scenarios, it can be concluded that option of buying out the business generates significantly higher cash flow from year 2018 to 2027. Highest value of total cash flow stood at $ 1000000 as against accepting loan from bank with lower return on investment at $ 179878. The expected annuity earnings are higher for buyout. Therefore, after carrying out thorough analysis of all the scenarios, it can be said that the feasible investment options for Steve after retirement would be buying out business. References: Ball, R., Li, X., Shivakumar, L. (2013). Mandatory IFRS adoption,fair value accounting andaccounting information in debt contracts. Fair Value Accounting andAccounting Information in Debt Contracts (September 11, 2013). Bhimani, A., Willcocks, L. (2014). Digitisation,Big Dataand the transformation of accounting information. Accounting and Business Research, 44(4), 469-490. Collier, P. M. (2015). Accounting for managers: Interpreting accounting information for decision making. John Wiley Sons. Demski, J. (2013). Managerial uses of accounting information. Springer Science Business Media. Diatmika, I. W. B., Irianto, G., Baridwan, Z. (2016). Determinants of Behavior Intention Of Accounting Information Systems Based Information Technology Acceptance. Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research, 2(8). Ismail, N. A., King, M. (2014). Factors influencing the alignment of accounting information systems in small and medium sized Malaysian manufacturing firms. Journal of Information Systems and Small Business, 1(1-2), 1-20. Simkin, M. G., Norman, C. S., Rose, J. M. (2014). Core concepts of accounting information systems. John Wiley Sons. Worrell, J., Wasko, M., Johnston, A. (2013). Social network analysis in accounting information systems research. International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, 14(2), 127-137.

10 Expository Essay Topics on Evolution of Human Behavior

10 Expository Essay Topics on Evolution of Human Behavior If you are searching for facts on the evolution of human behavior for an expository essay, please consider the 10 below: Given the changes in technology, behavioral psychologists have studied the evolution of technology on previously held theories. Some studies have focused on the effects of watching television or listening to television while completing homework (Cool, et al., 1994). These researchers provided their participants with a specific amount of time during which they were instructed to complete and assignment. Some of the participants were exposed to television as they worked a day job and others were not. The research discovered that significantly fewer questions were filled within the given time frame when exposed to television as compared to those participants who were not One study by Pool, et al., (2003) focused specifically on the impact soap opera had on students trying to complete their homework. In this study the participants were placed in three different conditions. First was a visual soap opera, the second was the audio soundtrack of a soap opera and the third was image without sound. The results from this study indicated that participants who were in the visual soap opera category required significantly more time to complete the same assignment compared to the other two groups. In addition, this half of the participants had to increase the amount of time it took for them to complete the work. Reviewing the evolution of behavioural psychology changes has been viewed through marital theory. Marital theory is not the only communication theory that affects the marital relationship and leads to divorce and the effects of children. The social exchange theory affects marital power and marital solidarity which, combined with economic exchange, can delineate a marriage relationship. Research by Gottman (1993) provides insight into the prediction of marital dissolution. In essence, no matter the marriage type, marital dissolution begins with a cascade as the balance between the relationship type and communication begins to decline. This is described most plainly by examining the relationship between social exchange theory and social penetration theory. Marriage is cultivated, like any other relationship by interpersonal communication. This is any type of communication between two or more people. Communication can be conducted via letters, computer, phone or in person, so long as tw o people are communicating. Social exchange theory is a communication theory which states that people are motivated by rewards. Most commonly, people want to maximize their rewards and minimize their costs. Along the same lines, social penetration theory suggests that as people get to know someone else better, they will divulge more about themselves. This means that when a couple first meets, they might not reveal intimate details, but if they think they will benefit in some way, they will reveal more and more and as time passes, they might reveal more than the other party revealed. Combining social exchange theory and social penetration theory within the confines of marital theory, a person might be willing to risk a specific type of marriage because they view little loss and a lot of gain from it. This does not prove to be troublesome for many couples initially, but can quickly cascade into an unbalanced relationship, the future of which can potentially harm children. Eventually, as time passes and spouses continue to share with each other, they might encounter major differences or things which prompt more cost and less benefit. As the benefits continue to deplete and the cost increase, the relationship will falter and divorce will become eminent. This is especially dangerous if the involved couple has children. Ellis and colleagues (1987) investigated priming using pictures. They conducted three similar experiments to support how priming affected the recognition of familiar faces. Their first experiment copied aspects of a study by Bruce and Valentine by initially exposing participants to a picture of a celebrity, with no name. Once time had passed, the participants were asked if the face was familiar. Their findings supported that the faces in the first experiment were in fact, noted as being someone the participant recognized by face and by the name. The second experiment used pictures of personal acquaintances of the participants, editing the photo so that the body, clothes, hair, and other features (not the face) were altered to inhibit immediate recognition. Participants recognized their acquaintances by their faces. The final experiment demonstrated that priming can be obtained through exposure to a photograph identical to a famous face. A smaller, but still significant recognition co uld be obtained through exposure to a dissimilar photograph. Ellis and colleagues concluded that the â€Å"instance-based† model proposed by McClelland and Rumelhart (1985) could explain the results. Thus, despite repetitive priming, the overall lack of physical similarity between the subject and the test stimuli was the result of a lack of priming between bodies and faces. Hence, the link between priming with pictures was attributed to photographic memory (implicit memory) as it is tied to recognition based on personal exposure to the subject matter. Their research led to the new opportunity to research how exposure to the media and famous faces influences a person’s recognition, as well as how exposure to friends images would influence their recognition even if they were distorted. The Affective Primacy Hypothesis developed by Murphy (1993), declares that positive and negative affective responses can be evoked with minimal stimulus input and practically no priming. This research supported that priming does not need to be large and direct, but rather, with little effort alterations can be made to subjects regarding their decision making processes. Participants were repeatedly exposed to ideographs which were degraded and then administered directly through recognition memory tests. The participants were unable to acknowledge they had been exposed to the material previously. However all of those participants picked the previously exposed material as their favorite in comparison to latter. Incorporating brief suboptimal and optimal exposures, the authors presented empirical information analyzing the effects of affect and cognition, both of which are areas never clearly defined but they claimed to be interdependent. Oyserman (2008) took social priming to yet another level by incorporating a study of cultural priming. By conducting a meta-analysis of individualism and collectivism, she was first able to determine how each of the aforementioned categories influences cognitive style and relationship assumptions within that spectrum. While torn between experimenting with individuals or groups to determine the level at which cultures affect decisions, Oyserman and Lee made it clear that cultural factors will empirically influence psychological processes. Reviewing multi-national studies and cross-cultural comparisons, they sought to determine if it was possible to manipulate independent variables. Their hypothesis was supported in that once primed, participants’ values increases as directed, their sense of self was redefined, and their relations with others were imagined to be. These facts should give your paper enough support to get the best grade. We also offer you to check our 20 topics on evolution of human behavior as well as a guide to writing an expository essay on it. References: Cool, V., Yarbrough, D. B., Patton, J. E., Runde, R. Experimental Effects of Radio and Television Distractors on Children’s Performance on Mathematics and Reading Assignments. Journal of Experimental Education, (1994) 62, 181-194. Goldstein, E. B., Cognitive Psychology, Connecting Mind, Research, and Everyday Experience. (2005) Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth. Gottman, John M. A Theory of Marital Dissolution and Stability.  Journal of Family Psychology  7.1 (1993): 57-75. Print. Gottman, John, Notarius Cliff, Markman Howard, Bank Steve, Yoppi Bruce, and Rubin Mary Ellen. Behavior Exchange Theory and Marital Decision Making.  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology  34.1 (1976): 14-23. Print. Laland, Kevin N., and Gillian R. Brown.  Sense and Nonsense: Evolutionary perspectives on Human Behaviour. Oxford University Press, 2011. Lewens, Tim.  Cultural Evolution: Conceptual Challenges. OUP Oxford, 2015. Nakonezny, Paul, and Wayne Denton. Marital Relationships: A Social Exchange Theory Perspective.  The American Journal of Family Therapy  36.5 (2008): 402-12. Print

Narcotraffic Consequences (spanish) essays

Narcotraffic Consequences (spanish) essays Quien no recuerda a Carlos Rodrà ­guez Gacha, Pablo Escobar o a Miguel y Gilberto Rodrà ­guez Orejuela. Personajes que al ser, unos asesinados y otros encarcelados, determinaron el fin de las organizaciones de traficantes. Al menos asà ­ lo proclam el ilustre presidente del momento Ernesto Samper al igual que su antecesor Cesar Gavirà ­a. Pero afortunadamente para, esto slo significaba, tal vez, el fin de los llamados carteles y de los seres conocidos como capos quienes se hicieron famosos en el mundo por su violencia, su dinero y sus pintorescas acciones. Hombres que fueron idolatrados, odiados he incluso inmortalizados por toda una generacin. Pero los promotores del desarrollo y Hombres de paz no eran inmortales y en algà ºn momento fueron derrotados. Pero hubo un comienzo, un tiempo glorioso donde se destacaron como un nà ºcleos importantes de trfico de cocaà ­na, Cali y Medellà ­n. A estos le siguieron Bogot, Valle, la Costa he incluso Ibagu, Neiva y Pereira con el negocio de la amapola. Y a todas se les conoci con la figura americanizada del cartel, dndolas a entender como organizaciones jerrquicas y centralizadas. Aunque parecà ­an ajustarse ms al trmino de clanes, con costumbres y maneras propias de ser. Y es asà ­ como vimos a unos narcos cale El derroche de dinero y de fuerza, el consumo fastuoso y el ritual religioso son mecanismos de reafimacin personal y colectiva de quienes vienen del mundo de los excluidos . Recordemos que muchos de estos capos provienen de familias y sectores humildes de las ciudades. Para ellos el dinero y el poder carecà ­an de sentido sino habà ­a la posibilidad de exhibirlos pà ºblicamente  ¿ qu mejor manera...

Research proposal Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Research proposal - Dissertation Example The advancements in digital communications technology and the further strengthening of multilateral trade ties have created an environment in the 21st century more receptive than that which characterised international business a few decades ago. A greater understanding and familiarity with other countries’ cultures, laws, and social institutions has greatly diminished the uncertainty and distrust that held countries back from openly participating in international trade and business. Furthermore, the faster pace of technology transfer and development of productive capacity in less developed economies have created new markets that provide added impetus for cross-border trade. The United Kingdom is one such developed economy that may itself benefit from, as it may benefit others through, increased participation in other markets. A country which presents attractive opportunities for expanded trade relations is Ecuador. The prospects have to be examined further, however, and a basi s for the formulation of a viable marketing strategy has to be established before concrete plans could be drawn. 1.2 Research aim This study aims to examine implications and directions for strategic marketing that U.K firms may explore in their effort to establish a presence in the Ecuadorean market. Existing macroeconomic and industrial data for Ecuador, industry information on U.K. firms, and the use of established strategic theory in a competitive environment shall provide the context and constraints within which the aim is to be attained. 1.3 Objectives In order to satisfactorily accomplish the above-stated aim, the proposed study seeks to attain the following objectives: 1.3.1. To describe the social, political, economic, technological, ecological, and legal situations in Ecuador that may impact upon the business opportunities of foreign firms wishing to enter the market, using the PESTLE country analysis framework; 1.3.2. To identify industries in Ecuador where U.K. firms may successfully enter and create a significant impact, citing particular advantages and disadvantages, through use of Porter’s Diamond Framework. 1.3.3. To suggest strategic directions that U.K. firms may take for the industry or industries identified, in order to initially effect entry, and thereafter to sustain competitive performance in the Ecuadorean market, through the three fundamental marketing strategy paradigms, namely (a) standardization-adaptation, (b) concentration-dispersion, and (c) integration-independence. 1.4 Research questions The study shall strive to achieve the aforestated objectives, guided by the following research questions to which it shall provide relevant answers: 1.4.1 What are the social, economic, political, technological, ecological, and legal conditions existing in Ecuador that may influence the business environment? 1.4.2 On the basis of the results of the environmental scan on Ecuador, what possible industries may be engaged in by U.K. firms see king to enter the market in this country? 1.4.3 In relation to the industries identified, what possible strategic marketing directions may U.K. firms adopt in entering into and sustaining performance in these markets? 2. Literature review 2.1 International marketing strategy In deciding upon entering a foreign market, a firm takes on considerable risks, but foresees that there is an opportunity to earn considerable returns as

What are the organisational benefits of performance review Essay

What are the organisational benefits of performance review - Essay Example While these individuals may differ on how and when performance reviews should be conducted they are all united on the point that such reviews and the review process itself is an essential part of employee growth which in turn leads to the growth of the company. Jack Welch served as the CEO of General Electric for more than two decades and links performance reviews to the overall mission of the company. Welch (2005, Pg. 16) says that â€Å"Every decision or initiative was linked to the mission. We publicly rewarded people who drove the mission and let go of people who couldn’t deal with it for whatever reason.† GE’s own mission, when Welch was running the company, was to be the most competitive company in the world which fits with the two pronged approach of rewarding and doing the utmost to keep the best talent within the company and letting go of those who do not perform to a certain level. Such tactics could only be employed when effective performance review processes are in place and GE’s system for performance reviews has been lauded by critics and copied verbatim by the competition simply because it is one of the best. The current issues faced by our organisation are mostly concerned with the human resource management of the company. Before an outline of these issues as well as a discussion of the problems is made, it must be noted that none of these issues are large enough to cripple the company but they do make the management process more difficult. Additionally, all these issues come with simple solutions and if those solutions are applied with careful consideration there should be no reason why the company can not gain competitive advantages over time. The central issue for the company comes from the fact that many of our senior managers and other personnel have little or no formal training in management which leads to a lack of

Video Game To Movie Cross Media Film Studies Essay

Video Game To Movie Cross Media Film Studies Essay Following the Teaser Show the benefits, its about selling your service. If the service allows them to win money this should be clear, if its of a narrative experience then the teaser, should have that inherent embedded into it. Reeling Them In- You need to constantly appeal to your audience and give a sense that your service is worth spending more time in. This is where meticulous planning of phased releases of story fragments across the media channels comes into its own. To some extent this is no different from a series editor/writer who has to arc each episodes narrative to keep them coming back for more. 2.2.4 Breaking the Fourth Wall Usually seen as an ad or end credit sequence where the voice over tells you why it is worth your while to carry on somewhere else with them. Breaks the fourth wall but is a clear directive. 2.2.5 Parallel Dimension There is something on another platform running synchronous to the one you are watching. Such as watching football on TV, while listening to Radio 5, because I prefer a more in-depth commentary. Now of course there are many other parallel channels. Web, mobile and TV all running along with each other. I am more and more involved with parallels between real and virtual worlds. The techniques to draw audiences into these experiences are often inherent in the service such that if you are on one you can actually see the other one taking place. 2.2.6 On Their Own The expectation from the audience that there will be other media elsewhere drives their journey through the story. The technique here is the hardest to identify but it follows the same technique of designing a physical hunt. You hide things, dont give easy clues and then set the ground rules. They expect something on all platforms and this is where the term cross-media will eventually become redundant. All properties will have something on all platforms, the same way DVDs now all have extras. If they have enjoyed cross-media experiences from you before they will come back. It is about trust, being consistent and giving them a media world to play in. 2.3 Franchise A franchise is a property which involves characters, settings and trademarks of original media. This can be a film, a piece of literature a TV program or a video game. Generally, a whole series is made in a particular medium, and multiple sequels are often planned well in advance. The most famous franchise to use Cross-Media Narrative is the Star Wars Saga, since its creation in 1977 it still expands its universe to the present day (2010). It consists of 6 feature films, and has since been extended, to more films, radio films, books, comic books, Animated TV series and also Video Games. Star Wars is an epic science fiction franchise conceived by George Lucas. It is best known for its 6 feature films, this consisted of two trilogies, the original trilogy and then the prequel trilogy. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, by 20th Century Fox, and it became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, the film spawned two immediate sequels, released at three-year intervals. Sixteen years after the release of the first trilogys final film, the first in a new prequel trilogy of films was released, again released at three-year intervals, with the final film released on May 19, 2005. Other Media, in which the Star Wars film series has spawned, includes books, a TV series, video games, and comic books. All of this supplements to the film trilogies and comprises the Star Wars Expanded Universe, which is an umbrella term for officially licensed Star Wars material outside of the six feature films and keeps the franchise going in the interim between the film trilogies. In 2008, a 7th film was released to theaters, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and it was the first ever worldwide theatrical Star Wars film outside of the main trilogies. It was the franchises first animated film, and was created as an introduction to the TV series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, a CGI animated series. Since the creation Star Wars in 1977, the franchise keeps on expanding and each type of media created still stays within the Star Wars timeline of events taking place anywhere from 25,000 years before Episode 1: The Phantom Menace to 140 years after Episode 6: Return of the Jedi. George Lucas retains artistic control over the Star Wars universe. For example, the death of central characters and similar changes in the status quo must first pass his screening before authors are given the go-ahead. In addition, Lucasfilm Licensing devotes efforts to ensure continuity between the works of various authors across companies. George Lucas has played a large role in the production of various television projects, usually serving as storywriter or executive producer, as mentioned in Pablo Hidalgos article From EU to Episode II: Aayla Secura. Star Wars has had a number of radio adaptations, such as A New Hope which was first broadcast on National public radio in 1981(StarWars.com 2010) Since the creation Star Wars in 1977, so many different types of media have been created, even now there is currently the idea of a Blu-ray release and 3D release of the trilogies, all of this keeps the Star Wars franchise alive. As you can see the Star Wars franchise is so huge and successful it is a prime example of how cross-media narrative is used and been effective. Other successful franchises are Indiana Jones, Batman, Superman, X-Men and others. Now is this purely for the viewers benefit or is it for financial profit for the studio. This is what I hope to find out. 3 Types of Cross-Media Currently the main types of cross-media are TV shows that have been made into films and also TV shows that have created webisodes. Also I will show films that have spawned video games and video game that have spawned films. I will cover all these topics in this section, giving examples of franchises that have expanded there universe, a quick example being how Batman has gone on to make films, video games, cartoons, TV series, comics etc. 3.1 TV Shows made into Films Now and then certain TV Shows, are that successful that Films are made from the series, a good example of this is Sex and the City, and also the series Police Squad which went on to make the Naked Gun Trilogy. Sex and the City Sex and the City is an American Television series. The original run of the show was broadcast on HBO from 1998 until 2004, for a total of ninety-four episodes. The show was set in New York City, and it focused on four American women, three of them in their mid-thirties and one in her forties. The series had multiple continuing story lines throughout episodes and seasons and it tackled socially relevant issues such as sexually transmitted diseases, safe sex, and promiscuity. It specifically examined the lives of big-city professional women in the late 1990s/early 2000s and how changing roles and expectations for women affected the characters. A feature film based on Sex and the City has been produced. The film originally was slated for production near the end of the broadcast series run in 2004, but the movie deal fell through at that time. The film was later released in 2008 and Michael Patrick King wrote and directed. The four lead actresses returned to reprise their roles, and Chris Noth signed to reprise his role as Mr. Big. The plot of the film revolves around the lives of the four main characters, four years after the time frame of the finale of the series. The films world premiere was in Londons Leicester Square in early May 2008. The film was released on May 28, 2008 in the UK and was released May 30, 2008 in the US with an unprecedented $55.7 million three-day gross. The debut made Sex and the City the top-opening R-rated romantic comedy of all time. Police Squad Police Squad! Was a comedy TV series which was first broadcast in 1982. The show was a spoof of police dramas, packed with visual gags and non sequiturs. Despite critical acclaim, the show was cancelled after just six episodes. However these 6 episodes were enough to gain a strong cult following through repeat broadcasts, and this led to the 1988 film version The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! And two further sequels. Many gags from the show were recycled for the films (Roger Ebert 1988). The film The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! Performing well at the box office, grossing around $78,756,177 (Box Office Mojo (n, d)).It became a hit comedy, it became so popular that two sequels were created The Naked Gun 2 ½: The Smell of Fear in 1991 and Naked Gun 33à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬Å": The Final Insult in 1994. The Naked Gun 2 ½: The Smell of Fear was considered the most successful of the three, grossing around $86,930,411(Box Office Mojo (n, d)), while Naked Gun 33à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬Å": The Final Insult grossed $51,132,598 (Box Office Mojo (n, d)). Roger Ebert rated the first movie 3 1/2 out of four stars, and gave 3 stars to the two following films. The second film won a Golden Screen award for Best Picture. The creators stated this in a featurette for The Naked Gun 2 ½: The Smell of Fear. 3.2 Films made into Video Games Most films when being created also make video games to accommodate the film. The story is usually similar to the film, we see this in James Camerons Avatar, but this is not always the case as film such as the Indiana Jones franchise, the video games tend to have their own story, just set in the same fictional universe. Avatar James Camerons Avatar is an epic science fiction film. The film is set in the year 2154, when humans are mining a precious mineral called unobtanium on Pandora, a lush moon of gas giant in the Alpha Centauri star system. The expansion of the mining colony threatens the continued existence of a local tribe of Navi, a sentient humanoid species indigenous to Pandora. The films title refers to the genetically engineered Navi-human hybrid bodies used by a team of researchers to interact with the natives of Pandora. Ubisoft Montreal was chosen by James Cameron to create an Avatar game for the film in 2007. The filmmakers and game developers collaborated heavily, and James Cameron decided to include some of Ubisofts vehicle and creature designs into the film. James Camerons Avatar: The Game was released on December 1, 2009, for most home video game consoles. James Camerons Avatar: The Game is 2009 is a 3rd person action video game. Speaking in an interview with MCV, It was announced by Ubisoft that it will be using the same technology as the film to be displayed in stereoscopic 3D (PSU 2009) Indiana Jones Indiana Jones is a fictional character in the Indiana Jones franchise. The characters full name is Dr. Henry Walton Indiana Jones, Jr and first appeared in Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, is the first of four films, and pits Indiana Jones against the Nazis, who search for the Ark of the Covenant, in an attempt to make their army invincible. The film was to be followed by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in 2008. Other than the films the Indiana Jones franchise has a TV series, novels, comics, video games, and other media. The character has appeared in many licensed video games the latest being Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings, which was released on June 9, 2009 Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings is the third in the series of original 3D Indiana Jones games, preceded by Indiana Jones and the Emperors Tomb, and Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine. 3.3 Video Games made into Films When certain video games become increasingly popular there has always been speculation about making that game into a film. This is has happened with many games, such as Tomb Raider, Resident Evil, Hitman, Prince of Persia, and many others. The films may not always be true to the game but are usually a commercial success. One of the latest films that are under speculation to be made into a film is the PlayStation 3 game Uncharted. Tomb Raider Tomb Raider is a video game developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive. Tomb Raider follows the exploits of Lara Croft, an English female archaeologist in search of ancient treasures kind of like Indiana Jones. It was originally released in 1996 for the Sega Saturn followed shortly thereafter for MS-DOS and PlayStation versions. Since the release of the original in 1996, the series developed into a lucrative franchise of related media, and Lara went on to become a major icon of the video game industry. The game was commercially and critically successful, and is considered widely influential according to Gamespots article 15 most influential games of all time Gamespot (n. d.). It spawned a number of sequels and a franchise of related media. Six games in the series were developed by Core Design, and the latest three by Crystal Dynamics. To date two movies, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, have been produced starring American actress Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider is a 2001 adventure film which was an adaptation from the Tomb Raider video game series, as it didnt follow the same story as in the game but instead had an entirely new story. A sequel, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life was released in 2003. Hitman Hitman is a stealth game developed by Danish company IO Interactive, now a division of Square Enix. The game series has since expanded into a novel, Hitman: Enemy Within and in 2007 a film was released loosely based on the storyline of the games. IESB has confirmed that 20th Century Fox has hired writer Kyle Ward to pen the script for the sequel to Hitman (IESB 2009) . Adrian Askarieh, Daniel Alter and Chuck Gordon will return as producers. Introducing British actor David Hess and Timothy Olyphant will return as 47 in June of 2010. 3.4 Films made into TV shows When a film has become really popular, it is often made into a TV show, to keep the story and the films universe alive. Star Wars has done this, with creating the animated TV series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Also Terminator has done this, by creating Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Star Wars Star Wars is an epic space opera franchise, best known for its 6 feature films; this consisted of two trilogies, the original trilogy and then the prequel trilogy. In 2008, Star Wars: The Clone Wars was released, and it was the first ever worldwide theatrical Star Wars film outside of the main trilogies. It was the franchises first animated film, and was intended as an introduction to the series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, a 3D CGI animated series based on a previous 2D animated series of a similar name made in 2003. Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a 3D CGI animated television series. It is set in the fictional Star Wars Galaxy, during the same time period as the previous 2003 series. The show itself takes place from 22 BBY (Before the battle of Yavin) to 20 BBY. Each episode has a running time of 22 minutes, to fill a half-hour time slot. Season 2 premiered on October 2, 2009 and now Star Wars: The Clone Wars has been granted a third season, beginning in October 2010. Terminator The Terminator series is a science fiction franchise encompassing a series of films and ancillary media concerning battles between Skynets artificial intelligent machine network, and John Connors Resistance forces and the rest of the human race. The Terminator is the original film which was released in 1984. The film has been followed by three sequels. The franchise has evolved to one of the most successful franchises of all time (IGN 2006), which includes video games and a TV series. From the success of the franchise, a spin-off was created titled Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles with Lena Headey as Sarah Connor and Thomas Dekker as John Connor. The series, created by Josh Friedman, centers on Sarah and John after Terminator 2 as they try to live under the radar after the explosion at Cyberdyne. Summer Glau plays a female Terminator protecting the Connors. The series premiered on Sunday, January 13, 2008. Production for the series was provided by Terminator 2 and Terminator 3 producers and it consisted of 2 seasons. Season one with nine, 40 minute episodes, and Season two with twenty two, 40 minute episodes. The Terminator Franchise has had a measurable impact on popular culture, most notably James Camerons original films, The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The film franchise placed it at 17 on the top 25 greatest film franchises of all time by IGN and is also in the top 25 grossing franchises of all time. 3.5 TV Shows that have created Webisodes Many TV shows have made webisodes lately, these shows include, Heroes, Chuck, and The Office: An America Workplace. Heroes Heroes, is a science fiction TV drama series by Tim Kring that tells the stories of ordinary people who discover extraordinary abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the characters lives. The series emulates the aesthetic style and storytelling of Comic Books, using short, multi-episode story arcs that build upon a larger, more encompassing arc. Since its beginning there have now been 4 seasons and a number of webseries. The first Heroes webseries was released on July 14, 2008 between seasons 2 and 3, called Going Postal. It was a trilogy of online-only videos introducing Echo DeMille, a seemingly ordinary mailman with an extraordinary ability. On November 10, 2008 during Season 3, the second Heroes webseries, Destiny, was released. This webseries is a quadrilogy. A Month after the third Heroes webseries, The Recruit, was released on December 15, 2008. The Recruit introduces Rachel Mills, a marine who survives the explosion at Pinehearst. This follows the finale of volume three. Also in that month the fourth Heroes webseries, Hard Knox, was released. Hard Knox flashes back to 18 months ago, to a time when Matt Parkman knew the villain, Knox, before his abilities began to manifest. Following Hard Knox, Nowhere Man was released in April 2009, and it picked up where the third season leaves off, focusing on the life of Eric Doyle. Then on September 28, 2009, Slow Burn began airing alongside Season 4. It showed behind-the-scenes goings-on of the Sullivan Bros. Carnival as it follows the character of Lydia, revealing she has a pyrokinetic daughter named Amanda who she discovers is in trouble and tries to help. Chuck Chuck is an action-comedy television series created by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak. The show centers around the main character Chuck Bartowski an average computer-whiz-next-door, who receives an encoded e-mail from an old college friend now working in the CIA; the message embeds the only remaining copy of the worlds greatest spy secrets into Chucks brain. It currently has 3 seasons, and 3 webseries. It has Chuck Versus the Webisodes, which consists of 5 Buy More training videos. Meet the Nerd Herders, which also contains 5 webisodes, each video contains staff from the Buy More, giving their thoughts on specific topics. The third webseries is Morgans Vlog, which is a video blog, it has 4 parts, but the first 3 parts, are Morgan and Chuck on making a movie end a lot quicker, and the fourth episodes is Morgans view on movie villains. The Office: An American Workplace The Office: An American Workplace is an adaptation of the BBC series, The Office a Mockumentary created by Ricky Gervais and Stephan Merchant, the series depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. To simulate the look of an actual documentary, it is filmed in a single-camera setup, without a studio audience or any canned laughter. There has currently been 6 webseries, the first being The Accountants which aired between the second and third seasons. The webisodes follow the accountants Angela, Oscar, and Kevin as they try to find out who stole $3,000 from the books. Between the fourth and fifth seasons, the summer webisode series Kevins Loan was released in four weekly episodes, the first premiering on July 10, 2008. Then during the airing of the fifth season, the winter webisode series The Outburst was released in weekly episodes, the first premiering on November 20, 2008. At the conclusion of the fifth season, the summer webisode series Blackmail was released similarly to the previous two, in weekly episodes. During the sixth season, the webisode series Subtle Sexuality aired in its entirety on October 29, 2009. The series focuses on Kelly and Erin forming their own girl group, called Subtle Sexuality. The first two webisodes document the behind-the-scenes aspects and troubles of shooting the music video for their first single Male Prima Donna, while the third and final webisode is the music video itself, which features Ryan as a guest rapper and Andy singing the bridge. Also during the sixth season, the webisode series The Mentor aired in its entirety on March 4, 2010. Erin wants to be an accountant so Angela decides to train her. But, Erins relationship with Kelly turns bad when she spends too much time with Angela. Kelly and Ryan then interfere in Angela and Erins relationship. 4 Financial Successes After seeing how many games are made into films and films are made into games, I wanted to see if financially it is a success. Is it worth expanding the franchise if the financial profit is not there? 4.1 Game to Film Tomb Raider Lara Croft: Tomb Raider Budget $115,000,000 Gross Revenue $274,703,340 (Box Office Guru 2001) Tomb Raider debuted at number one with $48.2 million, giving Paramount its second-best debut and the fourth-highest debut of 2001. It beat the opening record for a film featuring a female protagonist, and it is currently the most successful video game adaptation to date, grossing $300,000,000 worldwide. Cradle of Life Budget $120,000,000 Gross Revenue $156,505,388 Despite its better review, Cradle of Life suffered a disappointing opening weekend, as it debuted in fourth place with a take of $21.7 million (Box Office Mojo 2003) a 55% drop from the originals opening gross of $47.7 million (Box Office Mojo 2001). The film finished with a domestic gross of only $65 million; therefore it had to rely on the foreign box office to make a profit. Its total earnings amounted to $156.5 million, which represented a loss of $118 million when compared to the success of the original; the loss nearly equals the cost of Cradle of Lifes budget alone. Figures for the Tomb Raider movies come from the weekend box office websites, box office mojo and box office guru. Hitman Hitman Budget $23,000,000 Gross Revenue $99,965,792 Hitman opened in 2,458 theaters in the United States and Canada, grossing $13,180,769 in its opening weekend, ranking fourth at the box office. As of July 2, 2008, the film has grossed $39,687,694 (Box Office Mojo (n, d) in the United States and Canada and $60,245,563 in other territories for a worldwide total of $99,933,257. The films DVD sales equal $27,858,148 in the US alone, putting the total profits for Hitman at around $128 million. The figures established from the box office data, on the website the-numbers.com 4.2 Film to Game Avatar James Camerons Avatar videogame has not been as successful as the film; Ubisoft has sold over 1.3 million copies of the game worldwide across all platforms (GamerLive.TV 2010). According to Michael Pachter, video game analyst for webush securities, Ubisoft shipped 2.5 million copies of the game at launch. He also believes that with Blu-ray and DVD releases of the movie there could be another push for the game at retail. But for the most part, the game has sold what its going to sell. He said the poor reviews that Ubisofts game received hurt hardcore gamer sales. 5 Receptions The reception of films and video games has always been vital, as reviews can determine whether a film or game can be successful. I looked at reviews and I also did some user tests, to see if they get involved or not with cross-media so they can try to feel every part of that universe. 5.1 Reviews I shall look at reviews of the two Tomb Raider Films, Hitman film and Avatar: The Game. Tomb Raider (Films) Lara Croft: Tomb Raider The film received generally negative reviews, with rotten tomatoes giving it an approval rating of 19%, with 27 out of 140 critics giving it a positive review all with an average rating of 3.9/10 (Rotten Tomatoes (n, d)). The general consensus is Angelina Jolie is perfect for the role of Lara Croft, but even she cant save the movie from a senseless plot and action sequences with no emotional impact. An unlikely positive review came from Roger Ebert who awarded the film three out of four stars and said, Lara Croft Tomb Raider elevates goofiness to an art form. Here is a movie so monumentally silly, yet so wondrous to look at, that only a churl could find fault. It was controversial for its many objectionable plots like an evil thing in a Hindu temple and breaking statues of a World heritage site. Cradle of Life Cradle of Life received slightly higher reviews than the original, with a 23% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 151 reviews (Rotten Tomatoes (n, d)) and a 43/100 rating on Metacritic (Metacritic (n, d)). It was described by Salon as a highly enjoyable summer thrill ride (Salon 2003). Roger Ebert gave the film 3 out of four stars, stating that the film was better than the first one, more assured, more entertaining..it uses imagination and exciting locations to give the movie the same kind of pulp adventure feeling we get from the Indiana Jones movies (Roger Ebert 2003). Cradle of Life was as heavily panned as its predecessor. Wesley Morris of the Boston Globe wrote, Its a bullet-riddled National Geographic special that produces a series of dumb, dismal shootouts that are so woefully choreographed theres reason to believe Debbie Allen may be behind them (boston.com (n, d)). Hitman (Film) The Hitman film has been almost universally panned by critics. The most common complaints are a lacking, often confusing plot, dry acting and extreme violence. On the film review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, Hitman has received a rating of 14% based on 98 reviews (Rotten Tomatoes (n, d)). However, film critic Roger Ebert gave it three stars out of four, saying Hitman stands right on the threshold between video games and art. On the wrong side of the threshold, but still, give it credit. On the Metacritic website, the film has received a Metascore of 35 out of 100 based on 22 reviews (Metacritic (n, d)). In 2009, Time listed the film on their list of top ten worst video games movies (Time (n, d)). Avatar (Video Game) Avatar: The Game has received mixed reception. It has been criticized for the games linear gameplay and said its controls are unintuitive and camera sloppy. The Wii version received mediocre scores mostly, having poor camera angling, frame rate and storytelling, but visuals and controls were spoken well of. The PC version garnered a Metascore of 65 on Metacritic (Metacritic (n, d)). On IGN, the game received a score of 5.9 for Wii, and 6.8 for the other consoles (IGN (n, d)). It got a 5.5 on Gamespot for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, while it got a 4.0 for the PSP edition (Gamespot (n, d)). In contrast, according to Meant to be Seen (MTBS), the PC version fared much better with a rating of 8.2 out of 10. Its rationale is PC stereoscopic 3D displays are readily available. The reviewer of MTBS said In a year or two when S-3D gaming is much more common, I really think Avatar: The Game will be a regularly cited example that demonstrates how things should be done and what the artistic potential is behind good 3D gaming (MTBS 2009). Also, Gamesradar.com gave the Wii version a score of 7 out of 10, saying, Youll love that the forest world is lush and nicely realized, fun stealth-focused combat, and an overall a surprisingly decent movie tie-in. However, the site also said that, Youll hate heaps of ugly clipping; control frustrations hamper its stealthy nature, and its repetitive goals (Gamesradar 2009) Indiana Jones (Video Game) Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings has received average reviews from the critics, Metacritic gave it an average of 55% (Metacritic (n, d)) The most universal criticism of the Wii version is the poorly implemented and only partially responsive motion controls. IGN gave it a 5.0/10 praising its interface, graphic effects, amount of extras, interactive levels, and varied gameplay, but criticizing its stupidly implemented motion controls(IGN 2009). The Origin (A.V. Club) gave it an F, a 0 on the Metacritic scale, calling the motion controls inexcusable and stating the games best aspect was the inclusion of the point-and-click adventure Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, further adding it surpasses Staff of Kings in everything, but the Gamecube-like graphics. Gamespot gave it a 3.5/10, criticizing its terribly laid-out checkpoints, out-of-date visuals and atrocious, annoying motion controls (AV Club 2009). 5.2 User Test Next is my User test, I will first outline the test, then analyse the questionnaire. 5.2.1 Outline of test The test consists of a list of questions which will be about which films, games, TV shows, and webisodes, people have seen and if they have seen or played them, because they have seen or played the original game, film, TV show and webisodes, example if you have seen the Avatar film have you played the game. I will try to get 20 people to fill out the questionnaire, and I will then analyse the results. Appendix: 5.2.2 Analysis of Questionnaire After completing my testing, this was the list of my results from the questionnaire that were filled out. I list them in a table with a 1 representing you had seen or played the media, and a 0 representing that you havent. I made the table more visual by highlighting the majority people who had watched or played both types of media from the same franchise. I highlighted the people who had watched the most (more or equal to 7), in terms of 2 of the same franchise, and I also highlighted the franchises which had been seen or played the most (more or equal to 7) this gave me a cross section of which is cross-media works best and which age group it appeals to more. After completing the testing and analyses you can see that majority of the results point at TV shows who expand their franchise, and that it is mainly 22-24 year olds who who follow the franchise. The trend in the age range seems to be if they like a show, they will follow it in different media. I will compare this to reviews to see if it is coincidence or if the reviews are generally responsible for this kind of response. 5.3 Compare Reviews and User Test Comparing the reviews from section 5.1 I looked at with table of results I created I have come to the conclusion, that if the review is bad then more often than not the audience wont go to watch or play that medium. The only exception I came across was Tomb Raider, in which both film reviews were poor, an average of 3.1/10, it still did increasingly well at the box office. There is even talk o

The Impact of International Interest in Afghanistan’s Access to Oil :: Essays Papers

The Impact of International Interest in Afghanistan’s Access to Oil Newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and the web: everywhere one turns, the media confronts our society with news concerning Afghanistan. Although September 11th was the peak of Afghanistan’s spotlight in the international media, this event was not the first time that Afghanistan has gained international attention. Beginning with its political relationship with Russia, Afghanistan slowly gained recognition, acknowledgment and even popularity among world powers. Moving towards the present, in which the United States, Great Britain, Russia, Japan, and China are competing for Afghanistan. Why all this commotion over a politically-torn, landlocked, Middle Eastern country? Although each country has several potential interests invested in Afghanistan, all of these nations share the common interest of Afghanistan’s access to oil. Many political conventions have resulted form the global interest in creating oil pipelines through Afghanistan. Although Afg hanistan is not a world power, the fact that this country can provide access to rich oil and gas reserves has allowed Afghanistan to have influence over and even affect international diplomacy. To begin, it is important to understand the political history of Afghanistan in order to comprehend the current political tension and issues concerning this country. Afghanistan’s history is complete with numerous wars and invasions throughout various historical periods. Majority of these conflicts occurred because of a political Afghan leader’s desire to continue holding the state of power in the country or because of foreign invasion. Desire to maintain power becomes an issue in Afghanistan due to the multi-ethnic nature of the population1. To begin, â€Å"the location of Afghanistan astride the land routes between the Indian subcontinent, Iran, and central Asia has enticed conquerors throughout history†2. First, the Muslim-Arab conquests left Afghanistan a Muslim country in the late 7th century. In the following centuries Afghanistan was invaded from the north by Genghis Khan and later by the Moguls. The conquests up to the 17th century lef t devastated Afghanistan. However, authorities invested the majority of their interests in attempting to control the political power against rebellious activities preventing swaying them from focusing on social and economical forms as well as the development of the country. The first unified Afghanistan State was not established until 1747 by Ahammad Khan Durani.

You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 27~28

Chapter Twenty-seven Well, That Was Fucked Up â€Å"Then, Lucifer Two attains the blood sword and takes Jared the White as his consort, and they hold dominion over all of the Kindred for ever and ever,† said Jared White Wolf, concluding the hour-long plot synopsis of his unwritten epic vampire adventure novel. â€Å"So what do you think?† â€Å"I really liked it, but I think you may need to work on the characters more,† Tommy said, flexing his writer muscles a little. It helped him to not think about the thirst that was rising in him. Jared looked to Jody, and raised a drawn-on eyebrow. â€Å"I think we must get out of this basement right now,† Jody said, â€Å"and if that means murdering your parents and little sisters, well, you don't make an omelet – â€Å" â€Å"But what did you think of my novel?† Jared said. â€Å"I think it's not a novel, it's a sexual fantasy about you and your rat.† â€Å"It is not. That's just the characters' names.† â€Å"Try Abby's cell again, Jared.† Jody was gritting her teeth. â€Å"Tell her to get back here,† Tommy said. He was starting to get cramps from the blood thirst. â€Å"Hold on, I get shit reception down here.† Jared took his cell and his rat and headed out the door and up the steps. When he was gone, Tommy turned to Jody. â€Å"I'm really feeling the hunger.† â€Å"Me, too.† â€Å"Should we maybe just, you know, sample Jared?† â€Å"I don't think that's a good idea.† â€Å"Well,† Tommy said. â€Å"William is in the hospital, and we don't know where Abby is, and I don't see as we have that many options.† â€Å"Tommy, let's just walk out of here. What's the worst that can happen? We shock Jared's parents? I get the feeling they may be desensitized.† â€Å"That's fine, but then where do we go tomorrow? A hotel? I guess, if we get the money, we can have Abby guard the door to keep the maid from coming in and frying us.† Tommy brightened. â€Å"Hey, maybe Abby grabbed some money from the loft?† â€Å"Abby might not even be alive,† Jody said, more than just irritation in her voice now. â€Å"You know how Elijah was going to kill you to fuck with me? If he's been watching us, he has to know about Abby. She'll be next. We should have left here right away. I feel horrible for leaving her out there alone.† â€Å"She went right to him.† Tommy cradled his head in hands. â€Å"I hate this, Jody. Why did you do this to me? It could have worked. I could have looked out for you and had a real life. Now I just live from feeding to feeding, putting people in danger. Everyone wants to kill us or take something from us. I'm from Indiana, they don't prepare us for this kind of thing in the Midwest.† Jody slid off the bed to the floor and sat next to him, put her arm around his shoulders. â€Å"It's not like that, Tommy. We're like gods. Sure, we have to hunt, but if you let go to the predator part of you, you'll lose that anxious feeling. You have to feel the power of it.† â€Å"Power? What power? I was ready to have the rat as a snack.† â€Å"Well, you can have the rat if you need him, because that little fucker is creepy.† Tommy pulled away from her. â€Å"Don't.† Jared came through the door then, pumping his inhaler. â€Å"Oh my God! Oh my God! She met the hottest guy who is a ninja, and they're like totally into each other. And those guys you told us about, that kidnapped you, a bunch of them are vampires now. And there's a tall woman vampire, too, who tried to bite Abs. And Abby totally took them all on and burned them up with some kind of portable sunlight. Oh my God, she's so awesome. I wish I had balls like her.† â€Å"Where is she now?† Jody asked. â€Å"She's having a Mochaccino at Tulley's on Market. I loaned her like twenty dollars. Which she's going to pay me back out of her Christmas bonus you're giving her. Hey, do I get a Christmas bonus, because – â€Å" â€Å"Call her and tell her to stay right where she is,† Jody said. â€Å"We're on our way.† â€Å"We are?† Tommy said. They could get out of here, find a – a donor! â€Å"No, not you,† Jody said. â€Å"We are.† She patted Jared on the shoulder, careful not to get her hand near the rat. â€Å"We are?† Jared said. â€Å"Yes, Jared, you have to come out to your parents. You have to confess that you've had a girl in your room all day. We'll walk up and you can just introduce me as your girlfriend.† â€Å"Okay. I guess. You might want to borrow some eyeliner and touch up your lipstick a little first, okay?† â€Å"I will slap the gloom off of you, rat shagger,† Jody said with a smile that was just a few degrees below being warm. Over his very long life, Elijah Ben Sapir had been hunted, beaten, tortured, drowned, impaled, imprisoned, and even burned on two occasions – tolerance for those who live off the lifeblood of others being what it is – but in eight centuries, this was the first time he had been flash-fried by a tricked-out Honda. Despite the novelty of it, when novelty had just become his new joy, he figured that if he went another eight hundred years before it happened again, he'd be okay. Creeping down a SOMA alley, snatching rats from behind Dumpsters and draining them to dust just so he could heal himself enough to hunt a real victim, was serving as an abject lesson as to why he and his kind were sworn to remain concealed. It was bound to happen: the application of new technology for the detection and destruction of vampires. Hadn't he adopted technology to protect himself? His self-piloting yacht with its sensors and sealed vault had served him as well as any guarded castle. But he'd forgotten the rule – not forgotten, really, but ignored it – deciding to indulge in hope, to the point of faith, that he would always prevail. So some clever cow had figured out how to package sunlight and unleash it upon his arrogant carcass. The cow would never have found the solution had the vampire not shown him the problem. Humbled was Elijah, and angry, and hungry, and a little sad, because he had loved his yellow tracksuit, and now it was but beads of blackened pol yester burned into his skin. He picked at them as he listened for prey, tucked between a Dumpster and a white step-van full of bread racks. Here came one now – fat enough to complete the healing, Elijah could tell by the weight of his step. The back door of the bakery opened and the rotund baker stepped out and shook a cigarette out of his pack. His life aura was pink and healthy, his heart thumped strong, and would for a long time if Elijah did not suck it dry. Normally he only took the sick and the weak, those who were short for the grave anyway, but this was a desperate time. He leapt on the big man's back and rode him to the ground, catching his scream in one hand, using the other to hit pressure points in his neck that had the baker unconscious in two seconds. Elijah drank, listening to his blackened skin crackle, slough, and heal, even as the baker still breathed. There would be no neck snap, no body to find this time. He dumped the dust from the baker's clothes and slipped into them. His white Nikes were the only survivors of his previous outfit, so he threw the baker's clogs into the Dumpster along with his wallet, pocketed the cash, and took off, dressed in white from head to foot. The vampire smiled to himself, not with joy, but with the grim irony of the situation. People often speak of things coming to them in a flash of inspiration, but the clich held new meaning for Elijah. The flash meant that the game was over, that his foray into human desire, even for revenge, had gone far enough, and now it was time for damage control. They all had to die. He wouldn't enjoy killing her. Not her. After being burned up for the second time in two days, Blue was ready for a healing massacre – a bloodbath – but the Animals had stopped her, citing sissy ethical reasons like murder was, you know, wrong. â€Å"You're burned up!† Blue said. â€Å"This is no time to develop a conscience. Where was your conscience when you were making me do you a dozen times a day, huh?† â€Å"That's different,† said Drew. â€Å"You were in on it.† â€Å"Yeah,† added Jeff. â€Å"And we paid you.† â€Å"No one was hurt, amiga,† Gustavo added. Blue broke off some charred crust coming over the seat of the Mercedes at Gustavo, who was in the passenger seat. Drew dragged her back into her seat by her hips. She crossed her arms and pouted, huffing out little flakes of ash in exasperation. They were supposed to be doing her bidding. They were supposed to be her seven – well, three – dwarves. â€Å"You shut the fuck up, bean town. I was hurt. I am hurt. Look at me.† They didn't look at her. They were all burnt black from the waist up, in the front at least. Their shirts hung on them in charred shreds. The linen dress that Blue had been wearing had incinerated almost completely. She was wearing only her panties and a severely singed bra. Her face was still a bit lopsided from where Elijah had banged it on the car hood. â€Å"We didn't do this, Blue,† Drew said. Blue smacked him repeatedly in the head a half-dozen times, knocking off most of one of his charred ears and all of the carbon strands that were what was left of his hair. The tip of her little finger broke off in the process, at which point she sat back and growled like a beaten dog. â€Å"We need blood to heal,† Blue said. â€Å"Lots of it.† â€Å"I know,† Jeff said. The charred power forward was driving. â€Å"I'm takin' care of it.† â€Å"You just passed five perfectly good teenagers,† Blue said. â€Å"Where the fuck are you going?† â€Å"Somewhere where the donors can handle our action,† Jeff said. â€Å"Well, we're broke until you get my money back, so your donors better have some fucking cash.† â€Å"We can't exactly go into a bar in the financial district,† Drew said. â€Å"Not looking like this.† â€Å"Oh, like they'd let you dirtbags in at your best.† Blue found that being burnt up put her on edge more than normal. She'd tried taking a Valium left by the Mercedes guy, just like Drew and the other had downed handfuls of his painkillers, only to find their vampire systems rejected them with extreme violence. â€Å"We're here,† Jeff said, pulling the Mercedes into a wide public parking lot. â€Å"You're fucking kidding me,† Blue said. â€Å"The zoo?† Tommy waited half an hour before he called Jody's cell, only to get a dropped signal, then voice mail. He called three more times in the next half hour, played two rounds of Gunning for Nuns Xtreme on Jared's Xbox, called Abby's cell only to get voice mail, then made his first sincere attempt at turning to mist. Jody had said it was a mental thing, you just had to see yourself as mist, force yourself to mist, â€Å"like flexing a muscle,† she had said. â€Å"Once you've done it once, you just know how it feels and you can do it again. Like getting up on water skis.† It wasn't that he could get out of the basement undetected, it was what Jody had said about being in the mist state – that time sort of just glided, like you were in a dream. It was the only reason, she said, that she hadn't beaten him senseless for having her bronzed. When you were mist, it just wasn't all that bad. Maybe if he could turn to mist, he could pass the time without driving himself nuts with worry. For all his mental flexing, all he got was a flatulent toot that sent him diving for the door and fanning the room out with it. He was truly a foul dead thing – fouler than he'd even guessed. He looked for paint peeling off the walls. That was it. He was not a kid hiding in his friend's basement, he was a – what did Abby call it? – he was one of the anointed, a prince of the night. He was going to walk out of here, right past the family, and if he had to take them out, well, so be it. That would teach Jody for leaving him behind and turning her phone off. How do you feel now, Red? Huh? Massacred, dismembered family? Huh? Glad you saved your anytime minutes now?! He tramped up the steps and into Jared's parents' family room. â€Å"Hi,† Jared's father said. Tommy had expected a bit of a monster based on Jared's description of his father. Instead what he saw was a bit of an accountant. He was about forty-five, in pretty good shape, holding a little girl on his lap who was coloring a picture of a pony. Another little girl, who looked about the same age, was coloring on the floor at his feet. â€Å"Hi,† Tommy said. â€Å"You must be the vampire Flood,† Jared's dad said, with a bit of a knowing smile. â€Å"Uh. Well. Kinda.† It showed. He could no longer hide among the humans. It must be because it had been so long since he had fed. â€Å"Sort of a weak ensemble, don't you think?† Jared's dad said. â€Å"Weak,† repeated the little girl without looking up from her pony. â€Å"Huh?† Tommy inquired. â€Å"For a vampire. Jeans, sneakers, and flannel?† Tommy looked at his clothes. â€Å"Black jeans,† he pointed out. Shouldn't this guy be cowering in fear, maybe begging Tommy not to put his little daughter in a sack for his vampire brides? â€Å"Okay, I suppose times change. You know that Jared and his girlfriend went up to Tulley's on Market to meet Abby, right?† â€Å"His girlfriend, Jody?† â€Å"Right,† said Dad. â€Å"Cute girl. Not as many piercings as I expected, but we're just happy she's a girl.† An attractive blond woman in her late twenties came into the room carrying a tray with carrot and celery sticks on it. â€Å"Oh, hi,† she said, dazzling a smile at Tommy. â€Å"You must be the vampire Flood. Hi, I'm Emily. Would you like some crudites? You're welcome to stay for dinner. We're having mac and cheese, it was the girls' night to pick.† I should drink her blood and put her kids in a sack, Tommy thought. But his vicious predator nature was overcome by his Midwestern upbringing, so instead he said, â€Å"Thank you very much, Emily, but I really should be going if I'm going to catch up to Jared and Jody.† â€Å"Well, okay then,† said the woman. â€Å"Girls, say good-bye to the vampire Flood.† â€Å"Good-bye, the vampire Flood,† the girls sang in chorus. â€Å"Uh, bye.† Tommy bolted out of the room, then back in again. â€Å"Where's the door?† Everyone pointed through the kitchen, whence Jared's stepmonster had just come. He ran through the kitchen and out the door, then stood with his back against the minivan in the drive, trying to catch his breath. â€Å"That was fucked up,† he gasped, then realized that he wasn't out of breath from exertion at all. He was having an anxiety attack. â€Å"That was really, really fucked up.† Chapter Twenty-eight Wallflowers of the Night It was a lot like trying to get your courage up to ask a girl to dance, except that in this case it wasn't so much the fear of rejection, or that you'd be awkward and embarrass yourself, although that was a consideration, but that whoever you picked was going to be reduced to dust, which was somewhat more significant than trampling her toes. Tommy stood on Castro Street looking for his next victim. His first victim, really. He was tired of being the apprentice. If Jody was going to just leave him in the basement because he wasn't vampire enough for her, then maybe he'd have to become like her. Maybe he'd learn about this predator nature she talked about. Maybe, like that guy in the basement in The Phantom of the Opera, he would have to hear â€Å"The Music of the Night.† He wasn't sure what had happened to the basement guy. He'd gone to see the movie with a girl from his high school, but had to leave halfway through to keep from taking his own life. It hadn't been a good date. There were plenty of people out on the street, even at this hour, but none of them screamed victim. There were no women in low-cut dresses who had just turned an ankle. There were no girls in negligees running down the street, glancing back over their shoulders. There were, in fact, not many girls at all. Lots of guys. Lots. He reckoned that it wasn't really necessary that he pick a woman. After all, he'd fed off of William and Chet, both of whom were male, but this was different. This was really becoming the hunter, and despite his hunger, there was no little bit of revenge in his decision to bite someone. So it had to be a girl. He had to get back at Jody for ditching him at Jared's. He had to show her that she wasn't the only vein in the circulatory system. Or whatever. The few women he saw were so healthy, with big bright pink life auras around them, and weren't alone either. He had to get someone alone. Frustrated, he backed down the alley and started pacing back and forth. After a short time he took a run at the wall, ran up ten feet or so, then turned and ran back across the alley and up the other wall about ten feet, then back, and up the wall fifteen feet – like a skateboarder working a half-pipe, he ran back and forth, feeling the strength and speed of what he was – feeling his confidence rise. I am a superior being, he thought. I am a friggin' god! Then his foot went through a window and he sank up to his crotch into the building, then dangled over the alley upside down, three stories up, flailing. Stupid place for a window, he thought. Then he saw her. She was sort of tall, but dressed in a red evening gown, with athletic curves, and long red hair that had been lacquered into ringlets. She was perfect, and she was coming down the alley. It was like he'd ordered her from an old Hammer film to be the hapless victim. Sweet! So he was hanging upside down by one leg. That could be a tactic. He felt his fangs extending and he drooled a little, which hit her on the shoulder. She started a little, and that's when he made his move. He'd always loved the scene in Dracula where Jonathan Harker sees the Count climbing, facedown, down the castle walls and thinks, Hey, something is up here. Tommy had pleaded with Jody to try it, but she never would, so this was his chance. He pulled himself out of the window, hooked his fingers between the bricks, and began his climb. And dropped thirty feet to the alley, landing flat on his back. â€Å"Ouch.† Upon Tommy's impact, his intended victim had let out a very masculine scream, jumped three feet straight up, and came down sideways on her high heels. She knelt over him rubbing her ankle. â€Å"Cheesy Christ on a cracker, darlin'. Where did you come from?† Southern, and deep. â€Å"Slipped,† Tommy said. â€Å"You're a man, huh?† â€Å"Well, let's say that is a street which I have walked, to which I do not wish to return.† â€Å"You're very pretty,† Tommy said. â€Å"Sweet of you to say.† He tossed his hair a bit. â€Å"You want I should call an ambulance?† â€Å"No, no. Thanks. I'll be okay.† â€Å"What were you doing up there, anyway?† Conveniently, Tommy was still staring straight up at the sky, framed by the buildings, and he could see that she thought he'd fallen from the roof. â€Å"Listening for ‘the music of the night. â€Å" â€Å"Were you watching the DVD? I heard people tried to kill themselves rather than sit through it.† â€Å"Something like that.† â€Å"Honey, just push pause. Just push pause.† â€Å"I'll remember that. Thanks.† â€Å"You sure you don't want me to call someone?† â€Å"No, no. I'll call someone as soon as I catch my breath.† Tommy reached into his back pocket and pulled out a handful of broken plastic and wires that had once been his cell phone. â€Å"Okay then, y'all take care.† She stood, turned, and walked slowly out of the alley, trying not to limp. â€Å"Hey, miss,† Tommy called after him. â€Å"I'm not gay.† † ‘Course you aren't, darlin'.† â€Å"I rule the night!† She waved without looking as she rounded the corner. â€Å"Redheads,† he growled. He could feel his broken ribs knitting together. It wasn't pleasant. As soon as they were healed enough, it was back to Jared's house to eat the rat. Move up the food chain slowly, maybe. An hour later the torn and tattered vampire Flood limped up the driveway to Jared's house. Abby and Jared were smoking in the driveway. â€Å"Lord Flood,† Abby said. â€Å"What are you doing here?† â€Å"You look like someone opened a whole six-pack of whup-ass on you,† Jared said. â€Å"You shut up. How did your family know I was a vampire?† â€Å"Well, certainly not from your wardrobe.† â€Å"Jared, I am all busted up, and I'm feeling hungry, and a little fragile. Now answer my question or I will go inside and murder your family, feed on their blood, step on your rat, and break your Xbox.† â€Å"Whoa, drama queen much?† â€Å"Fine,† Tommy said. He shrugged, which hurt, and headed for the kitchen door. â€Å"Find me a sack big enough for your two little sisters.† Jared jumped in front of him. â€Å"I told them we were playing Vampire the Masquerade and that your part was the Vampire Flood.† Abby nodded. â€Å"We used to play all the time before we actually became minions.† â€Å"It's like Dungeons and Dragons but way cooler,† Jared said. â€Å"Okay.† Tommy nodded. Which hurt. There they were, two perfectly healthy donors from whom he could feed, who would be willing. And he was hurt, and he needed to feed in order to heal. Still, he couldn't ask. He was staring at Abby's neck, then looked away when she appeared to notice. â€Å"Where's Jody?† â€Å"She'll be here soon,† Abby said. â€Å"She sent us back to find you. We called but your cell wasn't on.† â€Å"Where is she?† â€Å"She went to the new loft. She said she'd bring some money and what was left of William's blood back for you. You can stay in a hotel. Jared and I can guard you.† â€Å"She went to the loft? Where Elijah is?† â€Å"Oh, that's not a problem,† Abby said. â€Å"My Samurai prince burned him up while rescuing me from the blond vampire ho and her grocery-store vamplets.† Tommy looked at Jared. † ‘Splain please.† â€Å"Just knock,† Drew said. â€Å"They'll unlock it for you. You're almost naked.† They stood by the front door of the Marina Safeway. Drew had healed a little from his burns, but was still bald and covered with a dusting of soot. Blue was completely healed, but wore only her charred underwear and the beige high heels that had looked so lovely with her linen dress. Since the first time she took the stage in high heels and a bikini back in her first Fond du Lac beauty pageant, right through her career stripping and then bonking for dollars, she thought the whole idea of high heels and underwear patently absurd. Yet here she was, rich, powerful, and immortal – yet still standing around wearing high heels and underwear. This time, however, there was some rationale for the outfit beyond that it floated some horndog's hormonal boat. At the zoo, while the Animals had pursued their prey among animals, she had found two night watchmen, each isolated on his rounds, and took them down. Unfortunately, she hadn't taken their clothing because she didn't want to have to explain to the Animals why she was dressed like a night watchman, since they had suddenly decided to take the moral high ground on slaughter. The Animals had not fared so well. Drew was the only one in better shape than when they'd first been burned. He'd gone for a llama, because he'd always thought they were cute. He was able to feed only a little, however, before he was bitten and spat upon, and decided to call it a night. Gustavo had gone for a zebra, under the mistaken assumption that his experience with horses as a boy in Mexico would somehow give him an edge in handling the African equine. Consequently, he had been summarily stomped, and now had several broken bones, including a nasty compound fracture of one leg, in addition to being burned up. Jeff, the basketball failure, was still embarrassed about having been taken down by a girl, and so picked a jungle cat as his victim, thinking that he would take on the strength and speed of his donor. His right arm was attached only by a few muscles and much of that shoulder was gone altogether. His skin was still crusty black from the waist up. â€Å"Fuck knocking,† said Blue. The big front window had only that day been replaced, but she was going to lead her charge right through it. â€Å"Get in, find them, and take them.† She found she was falling back on her dominatrix experience a lot lately, which was not a skill in which she had complete confidence, having only recently been killed while performing it. She took three quick steps up, snatched up the steel-reinforced trash can that Jody had used on the window only days ago, and flung it underhanded with all her strength. The can rocketed through the air, bounced off the new, double-impact-resistant Plexiglas window, and knocked Blue on her ass. Blue climbed to her feet without making any eye contact with her undead posse, dusted off her bottom, then snapped her newly broken nose back into place. â€Å"Well, knock then, fuckstick,† she said to Drew. â€Å"Knock, knock, knock. We don't have all night.†