Bloodlines Chapter Two

A COUPLE OF PEOPLE GASPED, no doubt over Keith's use of the term â€Å"vamp lover.† Neither word was that terrible in and of itself, but together†¦ well, they represented an idea that was pretty much anathema to all that the Alchemists stood for. We fought to protect humans from vampires. Being in league with those creatures was about the vilest thing any of us could be accused of. Even while questioning me earlier, the other Alchemists had been very careful with their choice of language. Keith's usage was almost obscene. Horowitz looked angry on my behalf and opened his mouth as though he might make an equally biting retort. After a quick glance at Zoe and me, he seemed to reconsider, and stayed silent. Michaelson, however, couldn't help himself from muttering, â€Å"Protect us all.† He made the sign against evil. Yet it wasn't Keith's name-calling that really set me off (though that did certainly send a chill through me). It was Stanton's earlier offhand comment. We know you requested Zoe. Keith had requested Zoe for this assignment? My resolve to keep her out of it grew by leaps and bounds. The thought of her going off with him made me clench my fists. Everyone here might think Keith Darnell was some kind of poster child, but I knew better. No girl – let alone my sister – should be left alone with him. â€Å"Keith,† said Stanton, a gentle warning in her voice. â€Å"I can respect your feelings, but you aren't in a position to make that call.† He flushed. â€Å"Palm Springs is my post! I have every right to dictate what goes on in my territory.† â€Å"I can understand why you'd feel that way,† said my father. Unbelievable. If Zoe or I had questioned authority like Keith had, our father wouldn't have hesitated to tell us our â€Å"rights† – or rather, he'd tell us that we had none. Keith had stayed with my family one summer – young Alchemists sometimes did that while training – and my father had grown to regard him like the son he'd never had. Even then, there'd been a double standard between Keith and us. Time and distance apparently hadn't diminished that. â€Å"Palm Springs may be your post,† said Stanton, â€Å"but this assignment is coming from places in the organization that are far above your reach. You're essential for coordination, yes, but you are by no means the ultimate authority here.† Unlike me, I suspected Stanton had smacked a few people in her day, and I think she wanted to do that to Keith now. It was funny that she would become my defender, since I'd been pretty sure she didn't buy my story about using Rose to advance my career. Keith visibly calmed himself, wisely realizing a childish outburst wasn't going to get him anywhere. â€Å"I understand. But I'm simply worried about the success of this mission. I know both of the Sage girls. Even before Sydney's ‘incident,' I had serious concerns about her. I figured she'd grow out of them, though, so I didn't bother saying anything at the time. I see now I was wrong. Back then, I actually thought Zoe would have been a far better choice for the family position. No offense, Jared.† He gave my father what was probably supposed to be a charming smile. Meanwhile, it was getting harder and harder to hide my incredulity. â€Å"Zoe was eleven when you stayed with us,† I said. â€Å"How in the world could you have drawn those conclusions?† I didn't buy for an instant that he'd had â€Å"concerns† about me back then. No – scratch that. He'd probably had concerns the last day he stayed with us, when I confronted him about a dirty secret he'd been hiding. That, I was almost certain, was what all of this was about. He wanted me silenced. My adventures with Rose were simply an excuse to get me out of the way. â€Å"Zoe was always advanced for her age,† Keith said. â€Å"Sometimes you can just tell.† â€Å"Zoe's never seen a Strigoi, let alone a Moroi! She'd probably freeze up if she did. That's true of most Alchemists,† I pointed out. â€Å"Whoever you send is going to have to be able to stand being around them, and no matter what you think of my reasons, I'm used to them. I don't like them, but I know how to tolerate them. Zoe hasn't had anything but the most basic of instruction – and that's all been in our home. Everyone keeps saying this is a serious assignment. Do you really want to risk its outcome because of inexperience and unsubstantiated fears?† I finished, proud of myself for staying calm and making such a reasoned argument. Barnes shifted uneasily. â€Å"But if Keith had doubts years ago†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Zoe's training is still probably enough to get by,† said my father. Five minutes ago, my father had endorsed me going instead of her! Was anyone here even listening to me? It was like I was invisible now that Keith was here. Horowitz had been busily cleaning and putting away his tattooing tools but looked up to scoff at Barnes's remark. â€Å"You said the magic words: ‘years ago.' Keith couldn't have been much older than these girls are now.† Horowitz shut his tool case and leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed. â€Å"I don't doubt you, Keith. Not exactly. But I'm not really sure you can base your opinion of her off memories from when you were all children.† By Horowitz's logic, he was saying I was still a child, but I didn't care. He'd delivered his comments in an effortless, easy way that nonetheless left Keith looking like an idiot. Keith knew it, too, and turned bright red. â€Å"I concur,† said Stanton, who was clearly getting impatient. â€Å"Sydney wants this badly, and few would, considering it means she'll actually have to live with a vampire.† Want it badly? Not exactly. But I did want to protect Zoe at all costs and restore my credibility. If it meant thwarting Keith Darnell along the way, then so much the – â€Å"Wait,† I said, replaying Stanton's words. â€Å"Did you say live with a vampire?† â€Å"Yes,† said Stanton. â€Å"Even if she's in hiding, the Moroi girl still has to have some semblance of a normal life. We figured we'd kill two birds with one stone and enroll her in a private boarding school. Take care of her education and lodging. We would make arrangements for you to be her roommate.† â€Å"Wouldn't that mean†¦ wouldn't that mean I'd have to go to school?† I asked, feeling a little puzzled now. â€Å"I already graduated.† High school, at least. I'd made it clear a number of times to my father that I'd love to go to college. He'd made it equally clear that he didn't feel there was a need. â€Å"You see?† said Keith, jumping on the opportunity. â€Å"She's too old. Zoe's a better age match.† â€Å"Sydney can pass for a senior. She's the right age.† Stanton gave me a once-over. â€Å"Besides, you were homeschooled, right? This'll be a new experience for you. You can see what you were missing.† â€Å"It would probably be easy for you,† said my father grudgingly. â€Å"Your education was superior to anything they can offer.† Nice backhanded compliment, Dad. I was afraid to show how uneasy this deal was making me. My resolve to look out for Zoe and myself hadn't changed, but the complications just kept growing. Repeat high school. Live with a vampire. Keep her in witness protection. And even though I'd talked up how comfortable I was around vampires, the thought of sharing a room with one – even a seemingly benign one like Jill – was unnerving. Another woe occurred to me. â€Å"Would you be an undercover student too?† I asked Keith. The idea of lending him class notes made me nauseous again. â€Å"Of course not,† he said, sounding insulted. â€Å"I'm too old. I'll be the Local Area Mission Liaison.† I was willing to bet he'd just made that title up on the spot. â€Å"My job is to help coordinate the assignment and report back to our superiors. And I'm not going to do it if she's the one there.† He looked from face to face as he spoke that last line, but there was no question who she was. Me. â€Å"Then don't,† said Stanton bluntly. â€Å"Sydney is going. That's my decision, and I'll argue it to any higher authority you want to take it to. If you are so against her placement, Mr. Darnell, I will personally see that you are transferred out of Palm Springs and don't have to deal with her at all.† All eyes swiveled to Keith, and he hesitated. She'd caught him in a trap, I realized. I had to imagine that with its climate, Palm Springs didn't see a lot of vampire action. Keith's job there was probably pretty easy, whereas when I'd worked in St. Petersburg, I'd been constantly having to do damage control. That place was a vampire haven, as were some of the other places in Europe and Asia my father had taken me to visit. Don't even get me started about Prague. If Keith were transferred, he took the risk of not only getting a bigger workload but also of being in a much worse location. Because although Palm Springs wasn't desirable for vampires, it sounded kind of awesome for humans. Keith's face confirmed as much. He didn't want to leave Palm Springs. â€Å"What if she goes there, and I have reason to suspect her of treason again?† â€Å"Then report her,† said Horowitz, shifting restlessly. He obviously wasn't impressed with Keith. â€Å"The same as you would anyone.† â€Å"I can increase some of Zoe's training in the meantime,† said my father, almost as an apology to Keith. It was clear whose side my father was on. It wasn't mine. It wasn't even Zoe's, really. â€Å"Then, if you find fault with Sydney, we can replace her.† I bristled at the thought of Keith being the one to decide if I had faults, but that didn't bother me nearly as much as the thought of Zoe still being tied to this. If my father was keeping her on standby, then she wasn't out of danger yet. The Alchemists could still have their hooks in her – as could Keith. I vowed then that no matter what it took, even if I had to handfeed him grapes, I would make sure Keith had no reason to doubt my loyalties. â€Å"Fine,† he said, the word seeming to cause him a lot of pain. â€Å"Sydney can go†¦ for now. But I'll be watching you.† He fixed his gaze on me. â€Å"And I'm not going to cover for you. You'll be responsible for keeping that vampire girl in line and getting her to her feedings.† â€Å"Feedings?† I asked blankly. Of course. Jill would need blood. For a moment, all my confidence wavered. It was easy to talk about hanging out with vampires when none were around. Easier still when you didn't think about what it was that made vampires who they were. Blood. That terrible, unnatural need that fueled their existence. An awful thought sprang into my mind, vanishing as quickly as it came. Am I supposed to give her my blood? No. That was ridiculous. That was a line the Alchemists would never cross. Swallowing, I tried to conceal my brief moment of panic. â€Å"How do you plan on feeding her?† Stanton nodded to Keith. â€Å"Would you explain?† I think she was giving him a chance to feel important, as a way of making up for his earlier defeat. He ran with it. â€Å"There's only one Moroi we know of living in Palm Springs,† said Keith. As he spoke, I noticed that his tousled blond hair was practically coated in gel. It gave his hair a slimy shine that I didn't think was attractive in the least. Also, I didn't trust any guy who used more styling products than I did. â€Å"And if you ask me, he's crazy. But he's harmless crazy – inasmuch as any of them are harmless. He's this old recluse who lives outside the city. He's got this hang-up about the Moroi government and doesn't associate with any of them, so he isn't going to tell anyone you guys are there. Most importantly, he's got a feeder he's willing to share.† I frowned. â€Å"Do we really want Jill hanging out with some anti-government Moroi? The whole purpose is to keep them stable. If we introduce her to some rebel, how do we know he won't try to use her?† â€Å"That's an excellent point,† said Michaelson, seeming surprised to admit as much. I hadn't meant to undermine Keith. My mind had just jumped ahead in this way it had, spotting a potential problem and pointing it out. From the look he gave me, though, it was like I was purposely trying to discredit his statement and make him look bad. â€Å"We won't tell him who she is, obviously,† he said, a glint of anger in his good eye. â€Å"That would be stupid. And he's not part of any faction. He's not part of anything. He's convinced the Moroi and their guardians let him down, so he wants nothing to do with any of them. I've passed a story to him about how Jill's family has the same antisocial feelings, so he's sympathetic.† â€Å"You're right to be wary, Sydney,† said Stanton. There was a look of approval in her eyes, like she was pleased at having defended me. That approval meant a lot to me, considering how fierce she often seemed. â€Å"We can't assume anything about any of them. Although we also checked out this Moroi with Abe Mazur, who concurs he's harmless enough.† â€Å"Abe Mazur?† scoffed Michaelson. He scratched at his graying beard. â€Å"Yes. I'm sure he'd be an expert on who's harmless or not.† My heart lurched at the name, but I tried not to show it. Do not react, do not react, I ordered my face. After a deep breath, I asked very, very carefully, â€Å"Is Abe Mazur the Moroi who's going with Jill? I've met him before†¦ but I thought you said it was an Ivashkov who was going.† If Abe Mazur was in residence in Palm Springs, that would alter things significantly. Michaelson scoffed. â€Å"No, we'd never send you off with Abe Mazur. He's simply been helping with the organization of this plan.† â€Å"What's so bad about Abe Mazur?† asked Keith. â€Å"I don't know who he is.† I studied Keith very closely as he spoke, looking for some trace of deception. But, no. His face was all innocence, openly curious. His blue eyes – or eye, rather – held a rare look of confusion, contrasting with the usual know-it-all arrogance. Abe's name meant nothing to him. I exhaled a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. â€Å"A scoundrel,† said Stanton flatly. â€Å"He knows far too much about things he shouldn't. He's useful, but I don't trust him.† A scoundrel? That was an understatement. Abe Mazur was a Moroi whose nickname in Russia – zmey, the serpent – said it all. Abe had done a number of favors for me, ones I'd had to pay back at considerable risk to myself. Part of that payback had been helping Rose escape. Well, he'd called it payback; I called it blackmail. I had no desire to cross paths with him again, mostly because I was afraid of what he'd ask for next. The frustrating part was that there was no one I could go to for help. My superiors wouldn't react well to learning that, in addition to all my other solo activities with vampires, I was making side deals with them. â€Å"None of them are to be trusted,† my father pointed out. He made the Alchemist sign against evil, drawing a cross on his left shoulder with his right hand. â€Å"Yes, well, Mazur's worse than most,† said Michaelson. He stifled a yawn, reminding all of us that it was the middle of the night. â€Å"Are we all set, then?† There were murmurs of assent. Keith's stormy expression displayed how unhappy he was at not getting his way, but he made no more attempts to stop me from going. â€Å"I guess we can leave anytime now,† he said. It took me a second to realize that the â€Å"we† meant him and me. â€Å"Right now?† I asked in disbelief. He shrugged. â€Å"The vampires are going to be on their way soon. We need to make sure everything's set up for them. If we switch off driving, we can be there by tomorrow afternoon.† â€Å"Great,† I said stiffly. A road trip with Keith. Ugh. But what else could I say? I had no choice in this, and even if I did, I was in no position to turn down anything the Alchemists asked of me now. I'd played every card I had tonight, and I had to believe being with Keith was better than a re-education center. Besides, I'd just fought a hard battle to prove myself and spare Zoe. I had to continue showing I was up for anything. My father sent me off to pack with the same briskness he'd ordered me to make myself presentable earlier. I left the others talking and scurried quietly up to my room, still conscious of my sleeping mother. I was an expert in packing quickly and efficiently, thanks to surprise trips my father had sprung on me throughout my childhood. In fact, I always had a bag of toiletries packed and ready to go. The problem wasn't so much in speed as it was in wondering how much to pack. The length of time for this assignment hadn't been specified, and I had the uneasy feeling that no one actually knew. Were we talking about a few weeks? An entire school year? I'd heard someone mention the Moroi wanting to repeal the law that endangered Jill, but that seemed like the kind of legal process that could take a while. To make things worse, I didn't even know what to wear to high school. The only thing I was certain of was that the weather would be hot. I ended up packing ten of my lightest outfits and hoped I'd be able to do laundry. â€Å"Sydney?† I was putting my laptop in a messenger bag when Zoe appeared in my doorway. She'd redone her braids so that they were neater, and I wondered if it had been an attempt to impress our father. â€Å"Hey,† I said, smiling at her. She slipped into the room and shut the door behind her. I was glad she'd come to say goodbye. I would miss her and wanted her to know that – â€Å"Why did you do that to me?† she demanded before I could get a word out. â€Å"Do you know how humiliated I am?† I was taken aback, speechless for a few moments. â€Å"I†¦ what are you talking about? I was trying to – â€Å" â€Å"You made me sound incompetent!† she said. I was astonished to see the glint of tears in her eyes. â€Å"You went on and on about how I didn't have any experience and couldn't handle doing what you and Dad do! I looked like an idiot in front of all those Alchemists. And Keith.† â€Å"Keith Darnell is no one you need to worry about impressing,† I said quickly, trying to control my temper. Seeing her stormy face, I sighed and replayed the conversation in the study. I hadn't been trying to make Zoe look bad so much as do whatever I could to make sure I was the one sent away. I'd had no clue she would take it like this. â€Å"Look, I wasn't trying to embarrass you. I was trying to protect you.† She gave a harsh laugh, and the anger sounded weird coming from someone as gentle as Zoe. â€Å"Is that what you call it? You even said yourself that you were trying to get a promotion!† I grimaced. Yes, I had said that. But I could hardly tell her the truth. No human knew the truth about why I'd helped Rose. Lying to my own kind – especially my sister – pained me, but there was nothing I could do. As usual, I felt trapped in the middle. So, I dodged the comment. â€Å"You were never intended to be an Alchemist,† I said. â€Å"There are better things for you out there.† â€Å"Because I'm not as smart as you?† she asked. â€Å"Because I don't speak five languages?† â€Å"That has nothing to do with it,† I snapped. â€Å"Zoe, you're wonderful, and you'd probably make a great Alchemist! But believe me, the Alchemist life†¦ you don't want any part of it.† I wanted to tell her that she'd hate it. I wanted to tell her that she'd never be responsible for her own future or get to make her own decisions again. But my sense of duty prevented me, and I stayed silent. â€Å"I'd do it,† she said. â€Å"I'd help protect us from vampires†¦ if Dad wanted me to.† Her voice wavered a little, and I suddenly wondered what was really fueling her desire to be an Alchemist. â€Å"If you want to get close to Dad, find another way. The Alchemist cause might be a good one, but once you're in it, they own you.† I wished I could explain to her how it felt. â€Å"You don't want this life.† â€Å"Because you want it all for yourself?† she demanded. She was a few inches shorter than me but filled with so much fury and fierceness right now that she seemed to take up the room. â€Å"No! I don't – you don't understand,† I finally said. I wanted to throw my hands up in exasperation but held back, as always. The look she gave me nearly turned me to ice. â€Å"Oh, I think I understand perfectly.† She turned around abruptly and hurried out the door, still managing to move quietly. Her fear of our father overpowered her anger at me. I stared at where she'd been standing and felt terrible. How could she have thought I was really trying to steal all the glory and make her look bad? Because that's exactly what you said, a voice inside me pointed out. I supposed it was true, but I'd never expected her to be offended. I'd never known she had any interest in being one of the Alchemists. Even now, I wondered if her desire was more about being a part of something and proving herself to our father than it was about really wishing she'd been chosen for this task. Whatever her reasons, there was nothing to be done for it now. I might not like the heavy-handed way the Alchemists had dealt with me, but I still fiercely believed in what they were doing to protect humans from vampires. And I definitely believed in keeping Jill safe from her own people if it meant avoiding a massive civil war. I could do this job and do it well. And Zoe – she would be free to pursue whatever she wanted in life. â€Å"What took you so long?† my father asked when I returned to the study. My conversation with Zoe had delayed me a couple minutes, which was two minutes too long for him. I didn't attempt to answer. â€Å"I'm ready to go whenever you are,† Keith told me. His mood had shifted while I was upstairs. Friendliness oozed from him now, so strongly that it was a wonder everyone didn't recognize it as fake. He'd apparently decided to try a more pleasant attitude around me, either in the hopes of impressing the others or sucking up to me so that I wouldn't reveal what I knew about him. Yet even as he wore that plastic smile, there was a stiffness in his posture and the way he crossed his arms that told me – if no else – that he was no happier about being thrown together than I was. â€Å"I can even do most of the driving.† â€Å"I don't mind doing my share,† I said, trying to avoid glancing at his glass eye. I also wasn't comfortable being driven by someone with faulty depth perception. â€Å"I'd like to speak to Sydney in private before she goes, if that's all right,† my father said. No one had a problem with that, and he led me into the kitchen, shutting the door behind us. We stood quietly for a few moments, simply facing each other with arms crossed. I suddenly dared to hope that maybe he'd come to tell me he was sorry for how things had been between us this last month, that he forgave me and loved me. Honestly, I would've been happy if he'd simply wanted a private, fatherly goodbye. He peered down at me intently, his brown eyes so identical to mine. I hoped mine never had such a cold look in them. â€Å"I don't have to tell you how important this is for you, for all of us.† So much for fatherly affection. â€Å"No, sir,† I said. â€Å"You don't.† â€Å"I don't know if you can undo the disgrace you brought down on us by running off with them, but this is a step in the right direction. Do not mess this up. You're being tested. Follow your orders. Keep the Moroi girl out of trouble.† He sighed and ran a hand through his dark blond hair, which I'd also inherited. Strange, I thought, that we had so many things in common†¦ yet were so completely different. â€Å"Thank God Keith is with you. Follow his lead. He knows what he's doing.† I stiffened. There was that note of pride in his voice again, like Keith was the greatest thing walking the earth. My father had seen to it that my training was thorough, but when Keith had stayed with us, my father had taken him on trips and lessons I'd never been part of. My sisters and I had been furious. We'd always suspected that our father regretted having only daughters, and that had been proof. But it wasn't jealousy that made my blood boil and teeth clench now. For a moment, I thought, What if I tell him what I know? What will he think of his golden boy then? But staring into my father's hard eyes, I answered my own question: No one would believe me. That was immediately followed by the memory of another voice and a girl's frightened, pleading face staring at me with big brown eyes. Don't tell, Sydney. Whatever you do, don't tell what Keith did. Don't tell anyone. I couldn't betray her like that. My father was still waiting for an answer. I swallowed and nodded. â€Å"Yes, sir.† He raised his eyebrows, clearly pleased, and gave me a rough pat on the shoulder. It was the closest he'd come to real affection in a while. I flinched, both from surprise and because of how rigid I was with frustration. â€Å"Good.† He moved toward the kitchen door and then paused to glance back at me. â€Å"Maybe there's hope for you yet.†

Philosophy- Locke Hume and Kafka

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Juxtapositions of the modern and the archaic - Essay Example It was extremely absurd; when his aunt continuously corrected him to be addressing respectable black man by the initials, Mr. Her aunt told him that he should address them by the name nigger. This went on until young children got used to addressing black people as Negros. White men held rituals that showed respect and affection to maintain the impression of personal relationship that never existed. Black men used the initials Mr. once addressing a white man and Miss to a woman (Ayers 100). This never happened when white people were addressing black people as they addressed them rather by their names, which was a sign of disrespect. Black women did not have the privilege of having the initials Mrs by their names but instead assumed the name of an â€Å"aunt† prior their first names. Black men’s address was Negros, which mostly was evident in the newspapers or just as two boys were killed. It was not customary for the two races to shake hands or socialize in public beside s black men to removing their hats in public places especially those meant for the whites, but white people did not remove hats in homes owned by black people. There were days that were set aside for black people to shop and socialize. Saturday was set aside for black people to shop and socialize thus white people did not go to towns. ... Many white and black people tried to create a humane relationship even though hate and dislike characterized the then atmosphere in the atmosphere. The whites believed that being kind to the old and respectable blacks was a sign of strong character. Rituals that revealed race relationship normally marked the Christmas holiday. Southern blacks celebrated Christmas as a moment of white giving gifts to the blacks and offering freedoms. However, the ritual went on fading, and it only remained in some plantations (Ayers 102). This practice remained in some parts since the white people deemed that black people were naturally beggars. This annoyed the white people as blacks begged from morning to evening. Besides, black Negroes demonstrated that there were laws in Christmas. They could move around the streets making jokes and shouting since they recognized themselves as equals to white people. When black people had nobody else to turn to, they sought help from the white people. They begged for bread and others edible stuffs during Christmas, though some could resolve to toil for themselves. For illustration, there was woman left by  the   husband, and he had to borrow food for Christmas. His husband who fled with another woman left her, and she worked all day long to provide for his family. There are laws, which barred or discouraged rural urban - race relations. Sectors like rural roads, cotton grins and stores; there was no evidence of segregation. Anglers and hunters respected laws and rules as long they were fair regardless of law. White and black men used to work together in these sectors besides seen around fireplaces while women cooked from the same kitchen,

The quantitative analysis of Affordable Care Act Essay

The quantitative analysis of Affordable Care Act - Essay Example The policy denies the rich their rightful earnings from the work that they do through the high taxes levied against them, and as such discouraging them from working hard. They earn less when they work for more hours, whilst the low-income earners earn more when they work for less hours. This creates an economic state of reservation, whereby people feel reluctant, especially the low-income earners, from working hard and improving their social setting for fear of upgrading into a higher taxation level (Akosa, Asako and Kosali 45). Nevertheless, it is imperative to note that the Health care policy brought about the much-needed reforms into the heath care policy. The ObamaCare Act dubbed after president Obama, or the Patient protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) promotes social justice and equality by ensuring the low incomes earners who cannot afford insurance policies have the capacity to access them, and as such have access to a higher quality health insurance. The act provides regulations that govern the insurance market, thereby mandating the purchase of insurance. This creates a state of social equality in the health insurance market. Unlike before where these insurance firms preferred the rich and healthy as their most viable and valuable customers, and as such, shunned the low income earners and those with a sickness history, the act compels them to sell their insurance to the low-income earners as well, which promotes social care and affordability of health insurance (Dye 82). The best theory to use in analyzing this Affordable Care Act is the Theory of Marginal Utility, which is the additional increment to utility obtained through the consumption of an additional unit of good, or service. The marginal utility of the two income brackets in the United States subjected to this policy is very different. For instance, the Marginal Utility for the rich people is much lower than

Strategic Planning for Digital Marketing Communications Essay

Strategic Planning for Digital Marketing Communications - Essay Example SV has expanded footings catering section for airlines (Saudi Airlines a, 2012). SV has partnered with Sky team Alliance; a group of 18 international Airlines to provide more flexibility, convenience and choices to customer of member alliances (Saudi Airlines b, 2012). SECTION 1: CHALLENGES AND OBJECTIVES Section 1a: â€Å"General† marketing communications challenges ISSUES CHALLENGES 1 Global business is moving around the slogan of â€Å"Be Global – Act Local† (Amey, 2012). Globalization &Localization on increasing destination as well as service. 2 Tightening of policies, increasing taxes resulting in job losses; counts up to 1.6 mn in UK in 2010 the trend continues till date (The Economic Times, 2012), US waiting for sustained pick up in consumption, Top ten areas of change in consumer spending worldwide are aimed to be financially considerate (Delotte, 2011). Adopting product marketing that persistently stands business product to be best value for money spent. 3 Spending moved from bricks to clicks and now on to mobile. 52% of US consumers using mobile for purchases overall with more than 20% of air-tickets are purchased through mobile. Availability and adaptability with most digital mediums. 4 51 % rely on online shopping for product search and evaluation. In 2012, 167 million people shopped online with average amount of $1800. Sufficient information with easy purchase option to attract customer base. Accelerated pace of globalization with media in general and social media in specific Performance is open is for anyone and everyone for evaluation; more importantly beyond managements control. Priority challenges and risks: Globalization expansion in China (Amey, 2012). Increased accessibility: increased communication through interactive mobile. Huge risks are associated as increasing pace of digital has not been adopted with similar pace. Currently flight passengers’ account in 58% of Saudis, 22% of Arab and while70% is guest trave lers. Consistent travelers are less (for instance, seasonal travelers in holy months). Travelers’ consideration of SV as best value for money can be ranked medium as it ranks n 6th among the top 10 economy class (Sky Trax, 2012) but mainly accounts for the guest. Focusing mainly on guests and not growing business class is risk. Digital connectivity for flight bookings only (Clear Trip, 2012). Industry challenges ISSUES CHALLENGES 1 Post 9/11Security issues. Redeveloping travelers trust along with strong force than 9/11 updates on various mediums. 2 Fuel prices and economic uncertainty increasing continuously shrinking profits. IATA project Airline profit $ 3.0 Bn. Maintaining effective flights schedule and promptly passing on updated information to customer at easiest disposal 3 Deregulation/privatization of airlines; advertising fare regulation (Zacks Equity Research, 2012) Retaining customer along with detailing price component of tax in advertisement 4 Blocks or strategic alliances to maintain Selection of marketing tactic to exploit benefits of alliances and possible issues. Priority challenges & risk 1. SV developed alliance with Sky team gained the benefits cost saving, flexibility etc but not marketed other than press releases updates on member websites (Sky Team, 2012). 2. For increasing efficiency its flight program Al- Fursan has been developed. This program has been provided with internet based marketing as present on the airline’

Investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Investment - Essay Example Thus why they have steady feature for portfolio. Bonds also have a better planning. This is due to the higher stability in their returns as opposed to real estate. It is easier for a person to plan for his or her future. Having the knowledge that the amount you invested in bonds will pay you the interest it has earned in a year enables a person to set a target on the savings. Also he or she will be in a better position to estimate his or her return on investment. A house may is not an investment, this is because houses are not efficient ways of investing. They usually cost more to buy and to manage. Though it may seem as if it will have more returns in future this does not hold because of the cost that was incurred in purchasing it, renovating, insuring, repairing and paying taxes on it. All this costs will not make the house to appreciate in price in reality. Even if I was to sell the house in the future the profit I will earn is not a true one but it will just be a large refund of the cost incurred. I do not view jewelry as an investment because not all the times it appreciates in values. Many jewels although they seem to be pretty they may not be having any significant value in them. Most of the jewels are only covered with precious materials and the underneath material might be of less value. Others are not made of pure materials thus making them depreciate it value. Also other factors that determine the value of the jewelry are: when you purchase jewelry from a trader, its mark up is rather heavy. Also the size of the jewelry will determine how it is going to appreciate. A large size will appreciate more than a small one. A high quality jewel will have more value as compared to a low quality one. Lastly the jewel will appreciate depending on its history and uniqueness. The one which was made by a famous designer is likely to have more value. The more rare the jewel

Developing good study skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Developing good study skills - Essay Example Furthermore, it is possible to overcome procrastination by developing proper studying habit, and hence improving the studying habit of an individual is the key of good study, and success in education. This paper takes a stand that good studying habits are an important tool that a student should have in their toolbox of life. Ability to develop good studying habits is able to create great organizational skills, and this develops the testing ability of a student, providing less stress and frustration when meeting and preparing deadlines. Rawlings (2008) explains that the tips of achieving success for onsite classroom students, is the same as the tips of achieving success for online students. Following a series of studying tips are essential in helping students to effectively learn new academic theories as well as concepts. Zimmerman and Schunk (2011) explains that effectively following these studying tips is an example of a good studying habit, and hence it helps a student to be organized in his or her work. One of the best methods that a student can use to stay organized is through using folders which can help him or her to keep assignments and any school work, until the time when these assignments and school work are needed. Rawlings (2008) explains that when children are able to reach a grade whereby tests and homework are part and parcel of their school curriculum, then there are a variety of actions that parents can undertake for purposes of encouraging good studying habits. It is important to explain that when students are faced with a variety of home work and tests, without proper guidance, chances are high that they may develop stress. On this basis, a good and proper studying habit is to carry a study before and during the process of doing the homework. It is important to understand that little amount of home studies will play a great role in helping elementary school

Courtroom Players Response Essay Example for Free

Courtroom Players Response Essay In the courtroom there is a group of key players that work together on a daily basis. They are made of a group of professionals. These professional are those who know all aspects of a criminal trial and they work together in performing the duties of the court. The courtroom work group is all of the professionals that participate in a court proceeding. They include the judge, prosecuting attorneys, defense attorneys, public defenders and any other individuals who earn a living by giving service to the court. These individuals act together with a common goal of bringing any and all court room proceedings to a successful close. Each of professional in the courtroom work group has its own duties. The prosecutor is responsible for presenting the states evidence and preparing the states case against the accused. It is up to the prosecuting attorney to determine which cases should be pursued and which to let the charges drop. The prosecutor makes these decisions based on a variety of criteria. They will look at the evidence against the accused, the crime itself, the history of the accused as well as many other factors. If the criteria where more strict which would end up in fewer cases being prosecuted, the court would be less crowded for time but there would be more criminals on the streets going unpunished. On the other hand if they were too loose, there would be a risk of more innocent people being charged with crimes they didnt commit and an already overtaxed court system becoming completely bogged down. I would not really recommend any changes in the court system that we have now. I understand it is not a perfect system but it is better than many and it has the right goals in mind. Reference: Schmalleger, F. (2011). Criminal justice today: An introductory text for the twenty-first century (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson Prentice Hall.

Detail Explanation And Statistics Of Gangsterism Education Essay

Detail Explanation And Statistics Of Gangsterism Education Essay Problem of gangsterism always concerned by the society, because it is the problem linked to young people. According to the legal dictionary, gangsterism which is a group of three or more people who form in the illegal organization. Those peoples like to stick together and establishment of an assemblage to do something consider as crime in their daily life. Examples are they extort money from shop owners, hawkers and others, receive payment by threatening others or to beat someone up for fun. At the beginning, maybe they are just scrawl in a public place, stealing, speaking vulgar words, force someone to join their own gang and destroy public property. When goes worse they could involve in selling drugs or illegal pills, fighting with others, provide a loan to people, operate gambling house. All this can make them have rest of life in jail or face the death penalty. 2.0 Detail Explanation and statistics of gangsterism According to Utusan Malaysia (1998), the social phenomenon of gangstersim has shown to increase the rate of vandalism threatening and drug addicts among the teenagers.Nowadys, gangsters are a threat to society and people. Gangs also become more dangerous and wild. A gangster is a member of a gang and some of the gangs areconsidering being part of organized crime. Gangsters are also call mobsters, a term derived from mob and the suffix. The statistical figure was brought out by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin during the Parliamentary session on June 9, 2010 portrays thenumber of students who involved with gangsterism. From the figure, it stated that thenumber of students nearly doubled since 2005.It begins with 32 cases recorded and the numbers reach its high peak on 2008 with the value of 81.Although the number had slightly decreased to 60 cases in 2009 but the number still considered high compared to the earlier cases recorded in 2005.As for figure which provided by ACP Amar Singh Sidhu on his journal title, Journal of the Kuala Lumpur Royal Malaysia Police College, No.4 on 2005, it reveal that majority of delinquents detained in the rehabilitation centre was from India races with the number of 316 people. On the other hand, both Malay and Chinese represent the similar number with 111 people for each race to be detained. 2.1Causes of Gangsterism Time has changed, so do the social issues. Problems arising among the youth are at the alarming state. Most of the teenagers that involved in gangsterism are getting younger and younger, probably from the ages of ten to sixteen years old. Theres many factor to lead the teenagers step in the path of gangsterism. 2.1.1 Caused by the surrounding Many people feel that gangsterism is caused by the teenagers oneself. But, these facts were actually causes by the surrounding matters of the teenagers. Such like the peoples they met in daily, the activity they used to do after school, and the relationship between teenager and their family. The purpose of teenagers is to attract others attention and to protect them because they feel alone, lack of attention and caring from others. So they started to do some gangsters activities to the environment just trying to attract other peoples attention. 2.1.2Caused by school mates and friends Next, in most case,those who involves in gang activities are influenced by their school mates and friends who is also involved in such of activities. Their friends lead them to do the gangs activities such as extort money from others, fighting with the others gang members and received payment from threatening others. During the period, teenagers are very sensitive. In order to they want get respect from their friends, they join the gangs. So, the teenagers are affected by their friends and start to do some gangs activities with them in school. Then they will bully the othersstudents in school or after school. 2.1.3Caused by multimedia Besides, teenagers may also be instilled by the media to become gangster. Nowadays, multimedia such as internet, television and radio are very popular and common among to the teenagers. However, there are many dramas and movies that show out gangsters activities and some even built the character of the gangster as a hero. At the end, the teenagers start to copy the character in the gangsters movie and learn some bad attitude and critical thinking. 2.1.4Caused by parents On the other hand, some teenagers are not good in social activities and they are bore with the family members. To the last they join gangsterism because wanted to attract others attention and no longer feel alone .This idea probably because of their parents are busy with own work or teenager are from single parent family, so they are lack of concerned by their parents. They desire to get attention and caring that could not get from parents or elder when they start to feel helpless and lonely. This is the reason why they join gangsterism. 2.2 Effects of Gangsterism No matter what are the reasons for teenagers to involve in gangsterism, it willbring many negative effects to the teenagers themselves and also to the society. So, there are many effects of gangsterism like towards individual, parents and society. 2.2.1Effect towards individual First of all is the effect towards individual. The teenagers who involve themselves with gangsterism will face bad consequences in their life including have an uncertain future, ignore from others people and their future might be threatened due to the result of their behavior. They will detained because somehow they able to create the chaotic scene in their surroundings. This will also affect their life as they unable to perform well and they will not graduate successfully in their study and they might spend their years in juvenile school. Research shows that teenagers who involve themselves in gang have no real friends in school and are only respected by his group of gangster friends since they always stick together to do illegal activities. 2.2.2Effect towards parents Next, the effects towards parents. In the environment of family, their parents have to face the bad criticism from others people because of their childrens behavior. Most probably, parents might be insulted or become the subject of hatred by others in their surroundings. They also might be blame on what their children had done to the peoples. Some of the parents are trying hard to encourage their children quit gangs in order to make them back to their right path. Although some of them are fail. 2.2.3Effect towards community Peoples are so worrying about the gangsters activities become more and more active in the town. As a result, the society becomes not peaceful anymore and everyone needs to aware of gangsters activities that take place in their town and they will feel insecure with the threatened over this matter because the surrounding is not the safe place anymore due to the violent act of gangster. Their behavior of gangster might endanger their life.Besides that, number of crime in the town increasing as the result of number of teenage gangsters increase. 2.3Recommendations and Preventive Measures In conclusion, gangsterism is caused by many causes and factors. No matter caused bysurrounding, parents, friends or media.Gangsterism also brings a lot of negative effects to the teenagers and the society. So to curb these social ill, parents, educators and community should be aware of what is going on among the youths. Though there are various psychological and physical factors that caused a person to choose to become a gang member, so parents or guardians should help them to give their children with love, respect and always to be concerned them to reduce they join gangsterism. They should provide their children with a good religious and moral background. Thus, teenagersshould also control themselves then often join some healthy social activities such as sports, jungle trekking with friends and listening to the music. So they can far away from gang activities. The parents also must teach them the value of money since they are in puberty, so do not spoil them with a big allowance. B esides, the parents also can set a curfew for their own children so they dont go back home lately. Then they always want be aware of changes in their children whether its their behavior or attitude when they come back from school or the other places. The teenagers also should be caution to choose friends in school or in community.It would be best not to make friends which they involved in gangs activities. The teenagers also avoid visiting discos, snooker and gaming centers because there got many unhealthy activities and gang members. The teenagers also must always think positive in their life. If face any problems in studies or life, they can find their parents, teachers or counselors to solve the problems. They are willing to help the teenagers and enlighten them well with right path and givegoodadvice to them. We must maintain the safety of community in our life and decrease theactivities of gangsterism. 3.0 Introduction to Information Technology According to the Wikipedia, definition of Information Technology is nothing but technology which deals with information. In broaden sense information technology refers to combination of software and hardware products and services that people use to manage, access, communicate, and share information.Therefore,Information Technology is that technology by which the information is processed,communicated,exhibite and retrieved in a fast, error-fee and proper-way. Information Technology also can said is a technology in with both telecommunication computer technologies work together to supply founding.The term Information Technology or simply know as IT is a generic name given to all development that are taking place in our world due to the inter-linked advancement in technology, learning and information. Then, the term refers to modern technological developments that are taking place in the world as a result or better technology due to better information. 4.0Presentation and Analysis of Findings Nowadays, the community becomes more small and small because any information or latest news can be exchanged and spread by people in a few minutes toanother people in the Information Technology. All of this has been possible through ITlike telephone, fax, telex, computers, internet, e-mail, photocopler, printer, scanner, cellularphones, videophone, pagers, multimedia, digital camera, etc.Of course, IT also includedFacebook, twitter, Gmail, YouTube, Google and so on also had influenced to a collegestudent. So that can said our age is known as the age of IT world. IT revolution issweeping our culture to bring about unfathomable changes today. Thats why twentyfirst century belongs to the IT world now. The issue about Information Technology provides powerful catalyst for change.According to the Gloria Hancock, acting executive director of the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission, said that emphasized the value of evidence based programs in helping prepare young people in the justice sy stem to function as constructive citizens. Hancock mentioned that Gov. Chris Christies proclamation making September Recovery Month is a sign that there is increasing awareness that education can change lives.Col. Thomas A. Kolditz, Ph.D., head of the department of behavior science and leadership at the U.S. Military Academy, also said, I believe future leaders must be good listeners who use external input as a catalyst. Open-minded learners make great leaders. The ability to listen to one another may be the key to survival in this fast-changing world. 4.1 Advantages of Information Technology Todays world is the world of information and telecommunication.Now, we just want press any button then we can get any information that we want know from everywhere in the world. There are some advantages of information technology to a college student. 4.1.1 Get the information easily First of all, I can get their information and news from IT. I search from the internet because there have many details and data as a reference resource for me when I am doing my assignments, presentation, investigation reports and homework. 4.1.2 Improve knowledge Through the information technology, I will improve my knowledge too since IT always provide healthy and good materials to me. So I will learn some new things and knowledge from there. My knowledge is increasing day by day due to the development of Information Technology. 4.1.3 Communicate around the world Information Technology changed our life to make it easier to communicate between each other such as nowadays I want to contact my friends which are in different country in the world. So I will use IT to contact them and keep in touch with them although they are in different country in the world. Besides that, I also make new friends which come from different country in the world through the information technology like Facebook, Twitter, and so on. So that I can learn different culture, language and race from my friends around the world. Information Technology promotes a good relationship with me and my friends. Sometimes just sending email, follow Facebook status and Twitter also can know about each others situation. 4.2 Disadvantages of Information technology to a college student. Information Technology has become a very important part for our life. Advancements in information technology have many good advantages on society; however, this has not come without its downsides. 4.2.1Waste much time and energy First, I waste much time on Information Technology such as playing games and Facebook. I would be speed too many hours on IT to do useless things. Playing games can be allowing me to more relax but sometimes I had abused it from day to midnight. However, I also waste my energy due to they put more effort on the IT that not assist in their studies. Therefore I definitely lose their force and resources. 4.2.2 Addicted in Information Technology This is also a disadvantage of Information Technology to a college student. Sometimes I face to the IT constantly and is addicted to playing games or playing with a group of friends in cyber cafà ©. Some of the students also will gamble about the games whether they win or not. When long time ago, we will addict in IT and will less get attention in our study. 4.2.3 Effect body and brain health Due to face to the Information Technology for long-term, which could be effect bodys healthy and have some trouble in the body. If maintain to face IT in all the time, it will bring many diseases in the end. So it would be best to discover and to be able to rescue it in time. 4.2.4 Provide laziness Information Technology has made our life more comfortable because we can access information easily and it can help us to save more time but it provides laziness. For example, when a student has a research in school or at home, all he is going to type the words in the internet and they will copy and paste the information and prints it out, rather than they will borrow books from the library and reads it one by one. So, they are getting lazy and importance of books in our life is fading away slowly from now. 4.3 Conclusion and Recommendations Information (IT) is playing a very necessary character in our life today since IT provides us a convenient, easily and rapidly network application to us. Like example, we can use Global Positioning System (GPS) to forecast our location when we are losing our ways on the road or find out the accurate place to arrive our destination. For students, they can explore for any information and data through the information technology to solve their problems and doubts. IT has many advantages to ours if we can use IT correctly. But some of the students misuse the IT that playing games non-stop, searching for sexual film without parents and gambling for some football games through the network. So their parents should control them strictly and teach them with the true IT knowledge. Information Technology also supply for the purpose of business, management, banking, hotel and etc to fulfill their own objective. Development of IT has more and more progress to become a successful IT world for the c oming generations. Finally, our country will turn into a development IT country.