A Dirty Job Chapter 16

16 THE CALL OF BOOTY II: REQUIEM FOR A FUCK PUPPET Ray threw the door open so hard that the little bell went flying off its holder and tinkled across the floor. â€Å"Oh, jeez,† Ray said. â€Å"You won't believe it. I can't believe it myself.† Lily looked at Ray over her half-frame reading glasses and set down the French cookbook she'd been looking at. She didn't really need reading glasses, but looking over the top of them conveyed instant condescension and disdain, a look that she felt flattered her. â€Å"I have something I need to tell you, too,† Lily said. â€Å"No,† Ray said, looking around to make sure there were no customers in the store. â€Å"What I have to tell you is really important.† â€Å"Okay,† Lily said. â€Å"Mine's not that important to me. You go first.† â€Å"Okay.† Ray took a deep breath and launched. â€Å"I think Charlie may be a serial killer with ninja powers.† â€Å"Wow, that is good,† Lily said. â€Å"Okay, my turn. A Miss Me-So-Horny called for you. She wanted you to know that she's packing eight inches of luscious man-meat.† Lily held up Ray's cell phone, which he'd left under the register. â€Å"Oh my God, not again!† Ray cradled his head in his hands and fell against the counter. â€Å"She said she was eager to share it with you.† Lily examined her nails. â€Å"So, Asher's a ninja, huh?† Ray looked up. â€Å"Yes, and he's stalking a fuck puppet from my gym.† â€Å"Think you're living a rich enough fantasy life, Ray?† â€Å"Shut up, Lily, this is a disaster. My job and my apartment depend on Charlie, not to mention that he has a kid, and the new light of my life is a guy.† â€Å"No, she's not.† Lily wondered about herself, giving in so early – she didn't enjoy torturing Ray the way she used to. â€Å"Huh? What?† â€Å"I'm just fuckin' with you, Ray. She didn't call. I read all of your e-mail and IMs.† â€Å"That stuff is private.† â€Å"Which is why you have it all here on the store's computer?† â€Å"I spend a lot of time here, with the time difference†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"And speaking of privacy, what's the deal with Asher being a ninja and a serial killer? I mean, both? At the same time?† Ray moved in close, and talked into his collar, as if revealing a huge conspiracy. â€Å"I've been watching him. Charlie's been taking in a lot of stuff from dead people. It's gone on for years. But he's always having to take off on a moment's notice, having me cover his shifts, and he never explains where he's going, except soon after that happens, one of the dead people's things shows up in the shop. So today I followed him, and he was after a woman who goes to my gym, who we might have seen the other day.† Lily stepped back, crossed her arms, and looked disgusted with Ray, which was fairly easy, since she'd had years of practice. â€Å"Ray, did it occur to you that Asher handles estates, and that we've been doing much better business since he started doing more estates – that the quality of the merchandise is much higher? Probably because he gets there early?† â€Å"I know, but that's not it. You're not around as much now, Lily. I was a cop, I notice these things. For one thing, did you know that there was a homicide detective keeping track of Charlie? That's right. Gave me his card, told me to call if anything unusual happened.† â€Å"No, Ray, you didn't.† â€Å"Charlie disappeared, Lily. I was watching him, and he just blinked out of existence, right before my eyes. And last I saw him he was going into the fuck puppet's building.† Lily wanted to grab the stapler off the counter and rapidly drive about a hundred staples into Ray's shiny forehead. â€Å"You ungrateful fucktard! You called the cops on Asher? The guy who has given you a job and a place to live for what, ten years?† â€Å"I didn't call the black-and-whites, just this Inspector Rivera. I know him from when I was on the force. He'll keep it on the down low.† â€Å"Go get your checkbook and your car,† Lily barked. â€Å"We're going to bail him out.† â€Å"He probably hasn't even been processed yet,† Ray said. â€Å"Ray, you pathetic toss-beast. Go. I'll close up the store and wait for you out front.† â€Å"Lily, you can't talk to me that way. I don't have to put up with it.† Because he couldn't turn his head, Ray wasn't able to avoid the first two staples Lily put in his forehead, but by then he had decided it was best to go get his checkbook and his car, and backed away. â€Å"What's a fuck puppet, anyway?† Lily shouted after him, somewhat surprised at the violent intensity of her loyalty to Charlie. The policewoman fingerprinted Charlie nine times before she looked up at Inspector Alphonse Rivera and said, â€Å"This motherfucker got no fingerprints.† Rivera took Charlie's hand and turned it palm up, and looked at his fingers. â€Å"I can see the ridges, right there. He's got completely normal fingerprints.† â€Å"Well, you do it, then,† said the woman. â€Å"‘Cause alls I got on the card is smooth.† â€Å"Fine, then,† Rivera said. â€Å"Come with me.† He led Charlie over to a wall that had a big ruler painted on it and told him to face a camera. â€Å"How's my hair?† Charlie said. â€Å"Don't smile.† Charlie frowned. â€Å"Don't make a face. Just look straight ahead and – your hair is fine, though now you've got ink on your forehead. This is not that hard, Mr. Asher, criminals do this all the time.† â€Å"I'm not a criminal,† Charlie said. â€Å"You broke into a security building and harassed a young woman, that makes you a criminal.† â€Å"I didn't break into anything and I didn't harass anyone.† â€Å"We'll see. Ms. McKerny said you threatened her life. She's definitely going to press charges, and if you ask me, you're both lucky I showed up when I did.† Charlie wondered about that. The fuck puppet had started screaming and backed into her apartment, and he had followed her, trying to explain, trying to figure out how this was going to work, and at the same time paying way too much attention to her breasts. â€Å"I didn't threaten her.† â€Å"You said she was going to die. Today.† Well, they had him there. Charlie had, in all the confusion and screaming, mentioned that he had to get hold of her breasts because she was going to die today. In retrospect, he felt he probably should have kept that information to himself. Rivera led him upstairs and into a small room with a table and two chairs. Just like on TV, Charlie looked for a one-way mirror but was disappointed to see only concrete-block walls painted in easy-clean moss-green enamel. Rivera had him sit, but then went to the door. â€Å"I'm going to leave you here for a few minutes, until Miss McKerny comes down to file charges. It's more hospitable here than the holding cell. You want something to drink?† Charlie shook his head. â€Å"Should I call an attorney?† â€Å"It's up to you, Mr. Asher. That's certainly your right, but I can't advise you one way or another. I'll be back in five. You can make your call then if you'd like.† Rivera left the room and Charlie saw the inspector's partner, a gruff, bald-headed bull of a guy named Cavuto, standing outside the door waiting for him. That guy actually scared Charlie. Not as much as the prospect of having to retrieve Madison McKerny's breast implants, or what would happen if he didn't, but still scary. Cut him loose,† Cavuto said. â€Å"What, cut him loose? I just got him processed, the McKerny woman – â€Å" â€Å"Is dead. Boyfriend shot her, then, when our guys responded to the shots-fired call, did himself.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Boyfriend was married, McKerny wanted more security and was going to tell the wife. He flipped out.† â€Å"You know all that already?† â€Å"Her neighbor told the uniforms as soon as they arrived. Come on, it's our case. We need to roll. Cut this guy loose. Ray Macy and some Goth-chef chick are waiting for him downstairs.† â€Å"Ray Macy is the one who called me, he thought Asher was going to kill her.† â€Å"I know. Right crime, wrong guy. Let's go.† â€Å"We still have him on the concealed-weapon charge.† â€Å"A cane with a sword in it? What, you want to go before a judge and tell him that you arrested this guy on suspicion of being a serial killer but he plea-bargained it down to being a huge fucking nerd?† â€Å"Okay, I'll cut him loose, but I'm telling you, Nick, this guy told McKerny that she was going to die today. There's some weird shit going on here.† â€Å"And we don't have enough weird shit to deal with already?† â€Å"Good point,† Rivera said. Madison McKerny looked beautiful in her beige silk dress, her hair and makeup perfect, as usual, her diamond-stud earrings and a platinum-diamond solitaire necklace complemented the silver handles of her walnut-burl casket. For someone who wasn't breathing, she was breathtaking, especially for Charlie, who was the only one who could see her hooters pulsing red in the casket. Charlie hadn't been to a lot of funerals, but Madison McKerny's seemed nice, and fairly well attended for someone who had been only twenty-six. It turned out that Madison had grown up in Mill Valley, just outside San Francisco, so a lot of people had known her. Evidently, except for her family, most of them had lost touch and seemed somewhat surprised that she had been gunned down by her married boyfriend who had kept her in an expensive apartment in the city. â€Å"Not like you vote ‘most likely' for that in the yearbook,† Charlie said, trying to make conversation with one of her classmates, a guy he'd ended up standing next to at the urinals in the men's room. â€Å"How did you know Madison?† said the guy, a condescending tone in his voice. He looked like he'd been voted â€Å"most likely to piss everyone off by being rich and having nice hair.† â€Å"Oh, me? Friend of the groom,† Charlie said. He zipped up and headed to the sink before hair guy could think of something to say. Charlie was surprised to see a few people at the funeral whom he knew, and each time he walked away from one, he'd run into another. First Inspector Rivera, who lied. â€Å"Had to come. It's our case. I've gotten to know the family a little.† Then Ray, who lied. â€Å"She went to my gym. I just thought I should pay my respects.† Then Rivera's partner, Cavuto, who didn't lie. â€Å"I still think you're kinky, and that goes for your ex-cop friend, too.† And Lily, who was also honest. â€Å"I wanted to see a dead fuck puppet.† â€Å"Who's running the store?† Charlie asked. â€Å"Closed. Death in the family. You know Ray called the cops on you, right?† They hadn't had a chance to talk since Charlie had been released. â€Å"I should've figured,† Charlie said. â€Å"He said he saw you go into the dead chick's building and just disappear. He thinks you have ninja powers. That part of the thing?† She bounced her eyebrows – a Groucho Marx conspiracy bounce – made less effective by the fact that her eyebrows were pencil thin and drawn on in magenta. â€Å"Yeah, it's kind of part of the thing. Ray doesn't suspect about the thing, does he?† â€Å"No, I covered for you. But he still thinks you might be a serial killer.† â€Å"I thought he might be a serial killer.† Lily shuddered. â€Å"God, you guys need to get laid.† â€Å"True, but right now I'm here to do a thing regarding the thing.† â€Å"You still haven't gotten her thing thing?† â€Å"I can't even figure out how to get it. Her thing is still in the thing.† He nodded to the casket. â€Å"You're fucked,† Lily said. â€Å"We have to go sit now,† Charlie said. He led her into the chapel, where the service was beginning. Behind him Nick Cavuto, who had been standing three feet away with his back to Charlie, made a beeline for his partner and said, â€Å"Can we just shoot Asher and find cause later? I'm sure the fucker's done something to deserve it.† Charlie didn't know what he was going to do, how he was going to retrieve the soul implants, but he really thought something would occur to him. Some supernatural ability would manifest itself at the last minute. He thought that all through the ceremony. He thought that when they closed the casket, during the funeral procession to the cemetery, and all through the graveside ceremony. He began to lose hope as the mourners dispersed and the casket was lowered, and by the time the ground crew started throwing dirt down the hole with a backhoe, he'd pretty much given up on having an idea. There was grave robbing, but that really wasn't an idea, was it? And even with his years of experience in the death-dealing business, Charlie didn't think he was up for breaking into a cemetery, spending all night digging up a casket, then cutting the implants out of a dead woman's body. It wasn't the same as swiping a vase off the mantel. Why couldn't Madison McKerny's soul be in a vase on the mantel? â€Å"Didn't get the thing, then,† said a voice beside him. Charlie turned to see Inspector Rivera standing not a foot away. He hadn't even seen him since they'd left the funeral home. â€Å"What thing?† â€Å"Yeah, what thing?† Rivera said. â€Å"They didn't bury her with those diamonds you saw, you know that, right?† â€Å"That would have been a shame,† Charlie said. â€Å"Sisters got them,† Rivera said. â€Å"You know, Charlie, most people don't stay to watch them actually cover the box.† â€Å"Really?† Charlie said. â€Å"I was just curious. See if they used shovels or what. How about you?† â€Å"Me? I'm watching you. You ever get over that thing with the storm sewers?† â€Å"Oh, that? I just needed a little adjustment in my medication.† It was an expression that Charlie had picked up from Jane. She wasn't actually on medication, but the excuse seemed to work for her. â€Å"Well, you keep an eye on that, Charlie. And I'll keep an eye on you. Adios.† Rivera walked off. â€Å"Adios, Inspector,† Charlie said. â€Å"Hey, by the way, nice suit.† â€Å"Thanks, I bought it from your store,† Rivera said without turning around. When was he in my store? Charlie thought. For the next couple of weeks Charlie felt as if someone had dialed his nervous system up past the recommended voltage and he was nearly vibrating with anxiety. He thought that perhaps he should call Minty Fresh, warn him of his failure to retrieve Madison McKerney's soul vessel, but if the sewer harpies weren't rising because of that, maybe the contact with another Death Merchant would put them over the top. Instead he kept Sophie home and made sure that she was never out of sight of the hellhounds. In fact, he kept the hellhounds locked in her room most of the time; otherwise they kept dragging him to his day planner, which had no new names. Only the overdue Madison McKerny and the two women – Esther Johnson and Irena Posokovanovich – who had appeared on the same day, but still had some time left before expiration – or whatever you called it. So he started his walks again, listening as he passed storm drains and manhole covers, but the darkness didn't appear to be rising. Charlie felt naked walking the street without his sword-cane, which Rivera had kept, so he set out to replace it, and in the process found two more Death Merchants in the city. He found the first at a used-book store in the Mission, Book 'em Danno. Well, it wasn't really a bookstore anymore – it still had a couple of tall cases of books, but the rest of the store was a bricolage of bric-a-brac, from plumbing fittings to football helmets. Charlie understood completely how it happened. You started with a bookstore, then you made a single innocent trade, a set of bookends for a first edition maybe, then another, you picked up a grab-all box at a yard sale to get one item – pretty soon you had a whole section of unmatched crutches and obsolete radio tubes, and couldn't for the life of you remember how you'd acquired a bear trap, yet there it was, next to the lime-green tutu and the Armadrillo penis pump: secondhand out of hand. In the back of the store, by the counter, stoo d a bookcase in which every volume was pulsing with a dull red light. Charlie tripped over a spittoon and caught himself on an elk-antler coatrack. â€Å"You okay?† asked the proprietor, looking up from the book he was reading. He was maybe sixty, skin spotted from too much sun, but he hadn't seen any in a while and he'd gone pasty. He had long, thinning gray hair and wore oversized bifocals that gave him the look of an educated turtle. â€Å"No, I'm fine,† Charlie said, ripping his gaze off the soul-vessel books. â€Å"I know it's a little cluttered in here,† the turtle guy said. â€Å"I've been meaning to clear it out, but then, I've been meaning to clear it out for thirty years and I haven't managed it yet.† â€Å"It's okay, I like your store,† Charlie said. â€Å"Great selection.† The owner looked at Charlie's expensive suit and shoes and squinted. It was clear he recognized the worth of the clothes and was qualifying Charlie as a rich collector or antiques hunter. â€Å"You looking for anything special?† he asked. â€Å"Sword-cane,† Charlie said. â€Å"Doesn't have to be antique.† He wanted to buy this guy a coffee and share stories of snatching soul objects, of confronting the Underworlders, of being a Death Merchant. This guy was a kindred spirit, and from the size of his collection of soul objects, all of them books, he'd been doing this longer than Minty Fresh. Turtle guy shook his head. â€Å"Haven't seen one for years. If you want to give me a card, I'll put out feelers for you.† â€Å"Thanks,† Charlie said. â€Å"I'll keep looking. That's part of the fun.† He started backing down the aisle, but he couldn't leave without saying something else, getting some kind of information. â€Å"Hey, how is it, doing business in this neighborhood?† â€Å"Better now than it used to be,† said the guy. â€Å"The gangs have settled down some, this part of the Mission has turned into the edgy, artsy-fartsy neighborhood. That's been good for business. You from the City?† â€Å"Born and raised,† Charlie said. â€Å"Just haven't been to this neighborhood much. You haven't had any weird stuff on the street last couple of weeks, then?† The turtle guy looked fully at Charlie now, even took off his giant glasses. â€Å"Except for the thumper sound systems going by, quiet as a mouse. What's your name?† â€Å"Charlie. Charlie Asher. I live over in the North Beach – Chinatown area.† â€Å"I'm Anton, Charlie. Anton Dubois. Nice meeting you.† â€Å"Okay,† Charlie said. â€Å"I have to go now.† â€Å"Charlie. There's a pawnshop off Fillmore Street. Fulton and Fillmore, I think. The owner carries a lot of edged weapons. She might have your cane.† â€Å"Thanks,† Charlie said. â€Å"You watch yourself, Anton. Okay?† â€Å"Always do,† said Anton Dubois, and he looked back to his book. Charlie left the store feeling even more anxious, but not quite as alone as he had five minutes before. The next day, he found a new sword-cane at the pawnshop in the Fillmore, and he also found a case of cutlery and kitchen utensils that pulsated with red light. The owner was younger than Anton Dubois, late thirties maybe, and wore a.38 revolver in a shoulder holster, which shocked Charlie less than the fact that she was a woman. He'd envisioned all the Death Merchants as being men, but of course there was no reason to think that. She wore jeans and a plain chambray shirt, but was dripping with mismatched jewelry that Charlie guessed was a self-indulgence she justified for being â€Å"in the business† the same way he justified his expensive suits. She was pretty in a lady-cop sort of way, with a nice smile, and Charlie found himself wondering if he should maybe ask her out, then heard an audible pop in his head as that bubble of self-destructive stupidity exploded. Sure, dinn er and a movie, and release the Forces of Darkness on the world. Great first date. Everyone was right, he really needed to get laid. He bought the sword-cane for cash, without quibbling, and left the store without engaging the owner in conversation, but he took a business card from the holder on the counter as he left. Her name was Carrie Lang. It was all he could do to not warn her, tell her to be careful of what might be coming from below, but he realized that every second he was there, he was probably increasing the danger to all of them. Watch yourself, Carrie, he whispered to himself as he walked away. That evening he decided to take action to ease some of the tension in his life. Or at least it was decided for him when Jane and her girlfriend Cassandra showed up at the apartment and offered to watch Sophie. â€Å"Go, find a woman,† Jane said. â€Å"I got the kid.† â€Å"It doesn't work that way,† Charlie said. â€Å"I was gone all day, I haven't spent any quality time with my daughter.† Jane and Cassandra – an athletic, attractive redhead in her midthirties, who Charlie promised himself he would have asked out if she hadn't been living with his sister – pushed him out the door, slammed it in his face, and locked it. â€Å"Don't come home until you've gotten some,† Jane shouted over the transom. â€Å"Does that work for you?† Charlie shouted back. â€Å"Just go find someone to do you, like a scavenger hunt?† â€Å"Here's five hundred dollars. Five hundred dollars works for anyone.† A wad of bills came flying over the transom, followed by his cane, a sport coat, and his wallet. â€Å"This is my money, isn't it?† Charlie shouted. â€Å"It's you that needs to get laid,† Jane shouted back. â€Å"Go. Don't come back until you've done the dance of the beast with two backs.† â€Å"I could just lie.† â€Å"No, you can't,† Cassie said. She had a sweet voice, like you'd want her to tell you a bedtime story. â€Å"The desperation will still show in your eyes. And I mean that in a nice way, Charlie.† â€Å"Sure, how else could I take it?† â€Å"Bye, Daddy,† Sophie said from the other side of the door. â€Å"Have fun.† â€Å"Jane!† â€Å"Relax, she just came in. Go.† So Charlie, thrown out of his own home, by his own sister, said good-bye to the daughter he adored and went out to find a total stranger with whom to be intimate. Just a massage,† Charlie said. â€Å"Okay,† said the girl as she arranged oils and lotions on a shelf. She was Asian, but Charlie couldn't tell from where in Asia, maybe Thailand. She was petite and had black hair that hung down past her waist. She wore a red silk kimono with a chrysanthemum design. She never looked him in the eye. â€Å"Really, I'm just tense. I don't want anything but a completely ethical and hygienic massage, just like it says on the sign.† Charlie stood at the end of a narrow cubicle, fully dressed, with a massage table on one side of him and the masseuse and her shelf of oils on the other. â€Å"Okay,† said the girl. Charlie just looked at her, unsure of what to do next. â€Å"Clothes off,† said the girl. She placed a clean white towel on the massage table near Charlie, nodded to it, then turned her back. â€Å"Okay?† â€Å"Okay,† Charlie said, feeling now that he was here, he needed to go through with it. He'd paid the woman at the door fifty dollars for the massage, after which she made him sign a release that stated that all he was getting was a massage, that tipping was encouraged, but did not imply any services beyond a massage, and that if he thought that he was getting anything but a massage he was going to be one disappointed White Devil. She made him initial each of the six languages it was printed in, then she winked, a long slow wink, exaggerated by very long false eyelashes, and performed the internationally accepted blow-job mime, with round mouth and rhythmic tongue pushing out the cheek. â€Å"Lotus Flower make you bery relax, Mr. Macy.† Charlie had signed Ray's name, not so much as a small revenge for calling the cops on him, but because he thought the management might recognize Ray's name and give him a discount. He kept his boxers on and climbed on the table, but Lotus Flower slipped them off him as deftly as a magician pulling a scarf from his sleeve. She draped a towel over his bottom and dropped her kimono. Charlie saw it fall and glanced back to see a tiny, seminaked woman rubbing oil on her palms to warm it. He looked away and slammed his forehead into the table several times even as he felt his erection struggling for freedom beneath him. â€Å"My sister made me come here,† he said. â€Å"I didn't want to come.† â€Å"Okay,† she said. She rubbed the oil into his shoulders. It smelled of almonds and sandalwood. There must have been menthol or lavender or something in it, because he felt it tingle on his skin. Every place she touched hurt. Like he'd dug a ditch to Ecuador the day before, or pulled a barge across the Bay with a rope. It was like she had special sensory powers, she could find the exact spot where he carried his pain, then touch it, release it. He moaned, just a little. â€Å"Bery tense,† she said, working her fingers up his spine. â€Å"I haven't slept well in two weeks,† he said. â€Å"That nice.† She reached across to work his rib cage and he felt her small breasts press against his back. He stopped breathing for a second and she giggled. â€Å"Bery tense,† she said. â€Å"I had this thing happen at work. Well, not at work, but I'm afraid I did something that could put everyone I know in danger, and I can't make myself do what needs to be done to fix it. People could die.† â€Å"That nice,† said Lotus Flower, kneading his biceps. â€Å"You don't speak English, do you?† â€Å"Oh. Little. No worries. You want happy ending?† Charlie smiled. â€Å"Can you just keep rubbing?† â€Å"No happy ending? Okay. Twenty dollar, fifteen minute.† So Charlie paid her, and talked to her, and she rubbed his back, and he paid her again, and he told her all the things that he couldn't share with other people: all the worries, all the fears, all the regrets. He told her of how he missed Rachel, yet how sometimes he would forget what she looked like and would run to the dresser in the middle of the night to look at her photo. He paid her for two hours in advance and dozed off, feeling her hands on his skin, and he dreamed of Rachel and sex, and when he woke up Lotus Flower was massaging his temples and tears were running into his ears. He told her it was the menthol in the oil, but it was the lonely coming up in him, like the pain in his back that he hadn't known he'd had until it was touched. She massaged his chest, reaching over his head and letting her breasts rub against his face as she worked, and when he rose again under the towel, she asked, â€Å"You want happy ending now?† â€Å"Nah,† he said. â€Å"Happy endings are so Hollywood.† Then he caught her wrists, sat up, kissed the back of her hands, and thanked her. He tipped her a hundred dollars. She smiled, put on her kimono, and left the cubicle. Charlie dressed and left the Happy Relax Good Time Oriental Massage Parlor, which he had walked by a thousand times during his life, always wondering what was behind the red door with brown paper taped over the window. Now he knew: the pathetic puddle of lonely frustration that was Charlie Asher, for whom there would be no happy ending. He made his way up to Broadway and headed up the hill into North Beach. He was only a few blocks from home when he sensed someone behind him. He turned, but all he saw was a guy a couple of blocks back buying a newspaper from a machine. He walked another half block and could see the activity on the street up ahead: tourists out walking, waiting for tables in Italian restaurants, barkers trying to lure tourists into strip clubs, sailors barhopping, hipsters smoking outside of City Lights bookstore, looking cool and literary before the next poetry slam, which would go off in a bar across the street. â€Å"Hey, soldier,† a voice at his side. A woman's voice, soft and sexy. Charlie turned and looked down the alley he was passing. He could see a woman in the shadows, leaning against the wall. She was wearing an iridescent body stocking or something and a mercury light at the other end of the alley was drawing a silver outline of her figure. The hair rose on his neck, but he felt something twinge in his loins as well. This was his neighborhood, and the hookers had been calling to him since he was twelve, but this was the first time he'd ever stopped and paid more attention than a wave and a smile. â€Å"Hey,† Charlie said. He felt dizzy – drunk or stoned – maybe all the toxins had broken loose from the long massage, but he had to lean on his cane to steady himself. She stepped away from the wall and the light silhouetted her, highlighting outlandish curves. Charlie realized he was grinding his teeth and his right kneecap began to bounce. This was not the street-worn body of a junkie – a dancer maybe, a goddess. â€Å"Sometimes,† she said, hissing the last s, â€Å"a rough fuck down a dark alley is the best medicine for a weary warrior.† Charlie looked around: the party a block ahead, the guy reading his newspaper under the streetlamp two blocks back. No one down the alley waiting to ambush him. â€Å"How much?† he asked. He couldn't even remember what sex felt like, but all he could think about right now was release – a rough fuck down a dark alley with this†¦this goddess. He couldn't see her face, just the line of a cheekbone, but that was exquisite. â€Å"The pleasure of your company,† she said. â€Å"Why me?† Charlie said, he couldn't help himself – it was his Beta nature. â€Å"Come find out,† she said. She cupped her breasts, fell back against the wall, and propped one heel up on the bricks. â€Å"Come.† He walked into the alley and leaned the cane on the wall, then took her uplifted knee in one hand, a breast in the other, and pulled her against him for a kiss. She felt like she was wearing velvet, her mouth was warm and tasted base, gamy, like venison or liver. He didn't even feel her undo his jeans, just a strong hand on his erection. â€Å"Ah, strong meat,† she hissed. â€Å"Thanks, I've been going to the gym.† She bit his neck, hard, and he squeezed her breast and thrust against her hand. She threw her uplifted leg around his back and pulled him hard against her. He felt something sharp, painful digging into his scrotum and he tried to pull away. She pulled him tighter with her leg. She was incredibly strong. â€Å"New Meat,† she said. â€Å"Don't fight me or I'll tear them off.† Charlie felt the claw on his balls and the breath caught in his throat. Her face was an inch from his now, and he looked for her eyes, but could see only an obsidian blackness reflecting the highlights from the streetlight. She held her free hand in front of his face and he watched as claws began to grow out of her fingertips, reflecting the streetlight like brushed chrome, until they were three inches long. She poised them over his eyes and he reached for his sword-cane against the wall. She knocked it away, and the claws were at his face again. â€Å"Oh no, Meat. Not this time.† She hooked a claw into his nostril. â€Å"Shall I drive it into your brain? That would be quickest, but I don't want quick. I've waited so long for this.† She released the pressure on his balls, and to his horror, he realized that he was still hard. She started rubbing his erection, pushing the claw deeper into his nose to hold him steady. â€Å"I know, I know – when you come, I'll put it in your ear and yank. I've taken off a half a man's head that way. You'll like it. You're lucky, if Nemain had been sent you'd be dead already.† â€Å"Bitch,† Charlie managed to say. She was stroking him harder and he was cursing his body for betraying him this way. He tried to pull away and her leg wrapped behind him crushed the breath out of him. â€Å"No, you come, then I'll kill you.† She pulled the claw from his nose and put it next to his ear. â€Å"Don't make me leave unsatisfied, Meat,† she said, but in that instant her claw caught the side of his scalp and he hit her as hard as he could in the ribs with both of his fists. â€Å"You fuckface!† she shrieked. She let her leg fall; yanked him aside by his penis, and reared back for a full slash of her claws to his head. Charlie tried to raise his forearm to take the blow, but then there was an explosion and a piece of her shoulder splattered on the wall, spinning her around. Charlie felt her release his penis, and he threw himself across the alley. She rebounded off the wall with both claws aimed at his face. There was another explosion and she was knocked back again. This time she came up facing the street, and before she could brace to leap, two more shots hit her in the chest and she screeched, the sound like a thousand angry ravens set afire. Five more quick shots and she was danced backward by the impacts; even as she went she was changing, her arms getting wider, her shoulders smoothing. Two more shots, and the next screech wasn't even remotely human, but that of a huge raven. She rose into the night sky trailing feathers and spattering a liquid that might have been blood, except that it was black. Charlie climbed to his feet and staggered out of the alley to where Inspector Alphonse Rivera was still in shooting stance, holding a 9 mm Beretta aimed at the dark sky. â€Å"Do I even want to know what the fuck that was?† Rivera said. â€Å"Probably not,† Charlie said. â€Å"Tie your coat around your waist,† said the cop. Charlie looked down and saw that the front of his jeans had been shredded as if by razors. â€Å"Thanks,† Charlie said. â€Å"You know,† Rivera said, â€Å"this could have all been avoided if you'd just taken the happy ending like everybody else.†

Mother’s Day Kiss Off Summary

A Mother’s Day Kiss Off In the Article, Leslie Bennetts talks about women who have been given the wrong impression of life. The impression of life being a fairy-tale, in which the man is the breadwinner and the wife stays home and tends to the house and the children. She also talks about, the so called fairy-tale crashing when the prince leaves for good. The gender roles in the home are women being taken advantage of. Marriage in the American society has had clearly defined gender roles in the past.The husband’s role of the house is to be the breadwinner. The wife’s carries the role of being the caregiver. Three main phases of American economy, how family lived and made money to support the family, have influenced the gender roles of the household. As economy changed to a wages of family economy the gender roles became more defined. Women have a lot of tasks to do in the household. The men worked outside of the home and women were restricted to the home to provid e childcare and attend to household duties.Most men still have the mindset that cleaning up around the house and tending to the children are the part of women’s work. When emotional support, social and intellectual development for the child is needed the mother/ woman of the house is the sole provider. It’s not necessarily a disadvantage for the women but it is an added task for them to provide, even though it’s a form of nursing the children. It especially becomes useful if the man of the house is absent due to work, death or has abandoned the household, for the children already look to her to tend to their needs.Some women take on the role of being a stay at home mom instead of working in a field where they would happy this can lead to feeling resentful for some. Women who have had careers have quit their jobs to take on the role as house wife are upset as well. Women can grow angry if they feel left behind to do everything as far as taking care of the childre n, household and now take care of the finances due to the absence of the breadwinner for various reasons. Women prefer to manage their marital status simultaneously with their career.The ability of a woman to do well lies in the perception that she can handle household duties and other tasks with strength. They have worked hard to get the education. If possible women should chose to work because if she were to remain at home she would be wasting all the knowledge she got through education during the early years of her life. It would be a â€Å"waste of human resources† if she does not work no matter if her husband has a well paying job or is rich enough to support her and the entire family.

Business Transformation Management Methodology

Transformational plans are implemented in an organization thereby providing them better facilities and strategies for improving the future growth of the firm. It helps in diagnosing the opportunities that the firm could enhance, thereby providing them with the scope to achieve its vision and objectives. Transformational planning is coordinated with the organizational change, which helps in imposing new and altered business processes or procedures (Gollenia, 2016). It helps in accepting the sponsors of the related systems. The main objective of the transformational changes being implemented in an organization is to transfer knowledge and skills thereby enabling the users to adopt the new vision, mission, and systems and to identify the minimum sources of resistance to the changes. Semco is an industrial machine manufacturing company with its headquarters in brazil. This company manufactures machine pumps for shipbuilding industry. During the recession era of 1980, the company had faced some tough situations where the company had typical hierarchical management structures with a patriarchal figure as a leader (Mintzberg, 1994). The organization had set some rules and regulations that had the control; over every aspect of the activities undertaken in the firm. The founder’s son Richard Semler had undertook the responsibility of managing the organization and returning back its prosperity as before. In order to do so, he had strategically framed some transformational plans for the firm. He aimed at radically transforming the organization thereby dealing with consistent poor performance (Maresco & York, 2005). According to the transformational plan that had been undertaken by Semler, he had dismissed all the top management heads and had dismantled the layer of managers in the firm. It reduced the hierarchy of the firm from seven to three. He eliminated the job titles that were used by the employees in the organization, and had rotated the position of chief operating officer among the workers in a span of 6 months. The organization had aimed at maintaining transparency in the salaried that were paid and the workers were given the opportunity to set their own working hours according to their convenience. The organization had accepted diversification rather than the maintenance of heavy reliance on the industry. The transformational plan that has been implemented by the organization is universally applicable. It is quite motivating and attention seeking dor the workers. These kinds of plans show its total dependency and the importance of the workers that the firm holds. It helps in maintaining the sustainability of the firm and raiding the loyalty of the workers towards the firm. There are three forms of motivations achieved by the workers of an organization, which helps them in sustaining their trust towards the firm. These categories of motivational theories could be named as content theories, process theories and reinforcement theories of motivation.   The content theories of motivation help us to understand human needs and the response of people with different needs. The process theories of motivation offer additional insights into how people give meaning to rewards and then respond with various work-related behaviours. The reinforcement theory of motivation focuses attention on the environment as a major source of rewards and influence on human behaviour. According to the case study of Semco, it could be stated that the company had quite efficiently implemented the transformational changes, which had helped the firm in regaining their old profit aspects. Richard Semler had implemented various strategies that would positively affect the workers of the organizations. These facilities were considered as an important tool for the firm to regain the organization from its deceased state and thereby sustaining growth in the market. According to the three categories of motivational theories, the company had implemented the content theories where, Semco had followed Herzberg’s Motivational Theory, Mcclelland’s Human Motivation Theory, Maslows Hierarchy Of Needs Theory and ERG. Under Herzberg’s Theory Of Motivation, it could be stated that the theory deals with the factors which maintains the cause for job satisfaction. Under this context, it has stated that there are two factors, which sustain the satisfaction to be attain ed from jobs in an organization. These two factors are motivators and hygiene factors  (Park, 2013) . Motivators deals with the positive access of work that are acknowledged by the works , whereas, hygiene deals with the status, job security, salary , benefits and other facilities to be enjoyed by the workers. Semco had undertaken this theory by removing the middle managers of the organization. The work was settled among the workers, where it was under their responsibility to produce better products using innovative and cost effective techniques. Secondly, it provided the workers with the choice of settling their own salary. This shows that the firm had followed the theory, fulfilling both the two factors for the workers. Mcclelland’s human motivation theory deals with three dominant motivating factors, affiliation, achievement and power. This theory suggests that in a diversified organization, it is very important to motivate the employees based upon their expectations (Mi ner, 2015). Semco had been able to implement these criteria where it provides the availability of reward systems, empowerment plan system and the independence of the workers to set their own salary. These two theories have been quite vital in supporting the strategic plans undertaken by the organization. According to Maslows Hierarchy Of Needs Theory, a particular pattern of psychological, safety, belongingness, esteem, self actualization and self transcendence have been taken into consideration (Lester, 2013). It states that according to the complexity of the human brain, this theory had been developed which helped in acknowledging the likelihood of the people thereby identifying the basic forms of motivation the company need to implement. Semco had evaluated Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs Theory, thereby analysing the most important factors for the workers of the firm. These factors are transformed into extra benefits, services, reliability, and job satisfaction. Among the listed factors, the major factors selected by the firm are psychological needs, love and belonging towards the family and self-transcendence. The ERG Theory under motivational needs have been implemented by altered further. It aims at providing the basic requirement and necessities. It has three dominant char acteristics of existence, relatedness and growth (L?z?roiu, 2015). Semco had been quite crucial in maintaining the factors to affect the reliability of the workers towards the firm. Semco has granted the opportunity to its workers to discuss the main matters of the organization, thereby disposing the manuals of the previous regime. It provided its workers with the opportunity to include their own ideas and innovative measures of production. He empowered his workers with a negotiated salary along with a percentage of the company’s profit. The existing structure of Semco was a part of the bureaucratic design where a bureaucracy can be described as a form of organisation based on logic, order and the legitimate use of formal authority. Its distinguishing features include a clear-cut division of labour, a strict hierarchy of authority, formal rules and procedures, and promotion based on competency. Semco had been facing various kinds of tensions that could have been solved and handled in a better way. Hence, a transformational change for such existing scenario of the firm was necessary. One of the most important sources of tension in the existing structure was the organizational structure. Semco was considered as a typically hierarchical management structure with a patriarchal figure as leader. The organization had a core management layer of seven steps, where the managers had been experiencing a fixed position. By following this method in the company, the lower level workers and members of the firm had been facing sever e issues with the management team. While taking a particular decision regarding the well-being of the firm, the workers were not included. Various levels of managers were given the authority of making plans for the firm. By implementing the transformational change over the structure of the organization, Semler had provided the incentive for the firm to implement variations in the organization with lesser complications (Birkinshaw, 2015). The second source of tension with the existing structure of the firm was related to the various job titles and maintenance of non-transparency in salaries.   Bureaucracies become unwieldy and rigid in nature, which needs to be implemented from the high authorities of the organization (Gollenia, 2016). Various job titles in the organization, makes the organizational structure complicated and distributive. There is a los of unity among the members of the firm. Along with the job titles, there had been narrow span of control of the firm, where only the management team was responsible to take decisions. By implementing the transformational change, Richard Semler had been able to overcome the issue of job titles by eliminating them. It had even maintained the transparency over the salaries provided by the firm (Neubert, 2016). The salaries were written on the blackboard thereby not providing any scope for the workers to feel de-motivated. It provided the workers with the title of associ ates in the organization, where it had given them the opportunity to frame their own groups depending upon their needs, choose their own package of salaries, and shift time for work. Transformational changes undertaken by an organization is considered to be adhered to certain changes that would be totally opposite to the past structure of the firm. These changes prove to improve the current situation of the firm, along with some risks to be inferred. The risks that are associated with the transformational changes for the organization must be adhered to, so that it does not alter the motive for such changes in the company. The changes that were undertaken by Richard Semlar in Semco were quite different from the normal business practices that had some associated risks with it. One of the most important risk associated was the change in the management structure of the firm. Tough it had reflected positively in the well being of the organization, yet, dismissing all the top management of the organization might pose severe risk. The senior management team were solely responsible for the past decisions that had been taken. These past decisions and their experience migh t have been helpful in implementing the plans. The second risk associated to the change plan transparency in income. With the transparency in income of all the partners, counsellors and associates in the firm, there was a possibility of de-motivating the workers in spite of motivating them. Transparency without a clear salary policy generated by the firm poses certain threats to the well being of the firm (Wang, 2016. ). The third risk-associated with the transformational plan had been the implementation of empowerment plan in the company. According the plan, the workers of the firm had the authority to enjoy certain percentage of the company’s profit along with their salaries. This plan had given them the incentive of working better for their organization. Semler himself was not sure regarding the success of the empowerment plan. Though the plan had affected the company in a sustainable and positive manner, yet, with a slight change in the views of the workers, the plan would have been quite abrupt in nature (Hayes, 2014). The workers might have been over confident regarding the importance provided to them, thereby posing a threat for the firm to function negatively. Semco has been one of the ideal companies that had been positively affected by transformational changes. It had quite beneficially implemented the changes, which existed in the firm. In order to manage the firm better, there must be a provision for motivating the people with respect to the diversified nature. Birkinshaw, J.., 2015. What Lessons Should We Learn From Valve’s Innovative Management Model?. Journal of Organization Design, pp.4(2), pp.8-9. Gollenia, L.A.., 2016. Business Transformation Management Methodology.. Routledge. Hayes, J.., 2014. The theory and practice of change management.. Palgrave Macmillan.. L?z?roiu, G.., 2015. Employee Motivation and Job Performance.. Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations, pp.(14), pp.97-102. Lester, D.., 2013. Measuring Maslow's hierarchy of needs.. Psychological Reports, pp.113(1), pp.15-17. Maresco, P.A. & York, C.C.., 2005. Ricardo Semler: Creating Organizational Change Through Employee Empowered Leadership. Resource document, Academic Leadership Online Journal, available at: https://www. newunionism. net/library/case, 20.. Miner, J.B.., 2015. Organizational behavior 1: Essential theories of motivation and leadership. Routledge. Mintzberg, H.., 1994. The fall and rise of strategic planning. Harvard business review., pp.72(1), pp.107-114. Neubert, M.J.a.D.B.., 2016. Developing sustainable management theory: goal-setting theory based in virtue.. Management Decision, pp. 54(2), pp.304-320. Park, S.C.a.R.S.Y.., 2013. An empirical investigation of end-users’ switching toward cloud computing: A two factor theory perspective.. Computers in Human Behavior, pp.29(1), pp.160-170. Van der Voet, J.., 2014. The effectiveness and specificity of change management in a public organization: Transformational leadership and a bureaucratic organizational structure.. European Management Journal, pp.32(3), pp.373-382. Wang, Q.., 2016.. The Choice of Salary Transparency.

Real estate law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Real estate law - Coursework Example to be followed when the rent is defaulted, the provisions available under the break clause for the tenant and what needs to be done by both landlord and tenant when the agreement is made outside of Part II of the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954. As per the Landlord and Tenant Law UK, there have been proposed new procedures for landlords when there is a default from a commercial tenant. It is necessary for the commercial landlords to review their procedures when there is an instance of commercial tenants default in giving rent. The new rules and regulations for commercial tenants default came into existence from April 2012. The name of the new process is given as Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery or CRAR. The rule is being made in such a way that it is only be available in case of pure rent arrears along with any other components associated with the rent, which is considered to be a part of the rental like VAT and interests on rent. However, service charges and insurance would not come under consideration. The CRAR will replace the common law that offers right to the distress of rent (Martin 2009). As far as the distress is concerned it allows the landlord to sell off the goods of the commercial tenant up to the value of the rent without initiating any legal proceedings. With the new law it is mandatory for the landlord to initiate legal proceedings before selling off the commercial tenant’s goods to recover the rent. In this scenario as the tenant, Spotted Dice Limited, is a defaulter of the rent to the landlord, the landlord has every right to file a case against the commercial tenets under the CRAR Act and proceed accordingly to recover the rent and the associated components that come under the rental of the commercial premises (Pawson & Mullins 2010). According to Justice Minister Helen Grant, the aim of the introduction of the new law is to protect the vulnerable people from aggressive bailiffs. In this scenario if the landlord has a written lease or rental

Who do you think you are Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Who do you think you are - Essay Example Further, as far as my future life is concerned, I must enroll myself in courses that give a good value and which make me feel proud of who I am. Another aspect of my personality is that my confidence has always been at its top level. It has made me realize that nothing in life is unachievable and one needs to go out there and work his best to find out the success that is hidden. The right skills that I possess make me feel confident with every passing day and for this reason my goals become attainable. My future considerations get strengthened with the confidence that has been fed in my personality and which allows me to give my best no matter how tough or trying the circumstances turn out to be. I see a number of opportunities coming up for me in the future which is something that is a plus at any time. Adding to the aspects that are significant within my personality make-up, I am having good physical health which is a definite plus as well. It gives me a solid chance to perform at my very best within my work domains and live my life to the maximum. Since everyone wishes to live a long life, my desire is the same nonetheless. I believe if I remain fit and healthy, nothing can take away the happiness that I have. I am a friendly individual who believes in social behavior to the maximum possible levels. I am good at making friends with people and get along with them quickly. This is one of my biggest strengths and I enjoy it a lot. My personal life is made richer with so many friends around me. It helps me to find out the real side of me that I have. I call them, invite them to go and hang out with me and thus have fun with them all this while. It is a face that some or the other friend is always around me and hence I enjoy their company a lot. What is important here is that I am always available to them whenever they need me. In the end, my profession is that of a registered nurse. As I have

The Hundred Schools of Thought (Ancient Chinese Philosophies) Research Paper

The Hundred Schools of Thought (Ancient Chinese Philosophies) - Research Paper Example The phenomenon has remained in the history books of the Chinese nation and given the title â€Å"Contention of a Hundred Schools of Thought†. The ideas and thoughts refined and discussed in this period have since then intensely influenced the social consciousness and the lifestyles of the people up to the modern days not just in China but the whole of East Asia . The intellectual part of the society during this time was characteristic of itinerant scholars who were employed by several state rulers most of the time as advisers of the war, government and diplomacy methods. This memorable period in history ended with the coming of the Qin Dynasty together with purge of dissent that flowed after. The major philosophies and characters/tenets of this era include Legalism, Confucianism, Maoism, Taoism, logicians and the school of Ying-yang. The philosophies and characters are believed to have had great impacts in influencing the lifestyles, culture and the social atmosphere in Chines e history. Confucianism Confucianism or â€Å"School of scholars’ was the philosophical body that most people believe had the most lasting impacts on the life of Chinese people. The legacy of this line of thought has been written on the Confucian Classics that was later made the traditional society foundation. The Confucianism took place between 551-479 BC, the period being referred to as the Kongzi of the master king2. The philosophy was named after the main founder called Confucius. Confucianism reflects back to the Zhou dynasty early days in order to come up with a political-social order that is ideal. Confucius believed that an effective government system should play a big role in necessitating each individuals prescribed relationships. He insisted that the government system should be in such a way that it ensures the ruler is given his role of ruling and the subject remains a subject. To him, for a king to rule properly, he had to be virtuous. According to Confucianism, social stratifications and the government functions were life facts that had to be sustained by the use of ethical values. To Confucius, his ideal human being went by the title ‘junzi’, meaning a superior person or a gentleman. Mencius or Mengzi (371-289) BC come up with philosophical teaching formulated directly to respond to Confucius work. The impact of the combined Confucius work who served as an interpreter and codifier of an ethical behavior based on relationship system and the emergence of Mencius, who came out as being a developer and synthesizer of Confucianism thoughts, provided the Chinese society with a framework that was comprehensive by which every life aspect was virtually ordered. Many accretions came out of Confucian thoughts immediately and after many years coming from within or without his school. The interpretations that were adapted and made use in the contemporary society gave room for Confucianism flexibility, allowing the essential system of beh avior that had been modeled from ancient literature to constitute its philosophical core3. Completely different from Mencius work with reference to the nature of human beings was Xunzi interpretation that took place between c. 300-237 BC. This was another follower of Confucian. Xunzi argued that man cannot be innately good; he believed that goodness

The First Amendment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The First Amendment - Essay Example The First Amendment speaks to the very heart of what it means to be an American.In guaranteeing the freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition, it ensures that each and every individual in the United States is offered some rudimentary inalienable rights With these rights comes the inescapable task of responsibility.These responsibilities were not clearly delineated in the constitution.In fact, the notion of free speech has been challenged to a great degree in that it is very esoteric in nature and when exercised to the full extent, it holds the potential of endangering lives.This paper will present an in-depth examination of the right to free speech and the notion that there should be a limit placed on such a right.First and foremost, the First Amendment refers to the rudimentary freedom of expression.At the forefront of the freedom of expression is the notion of freedom of speech.This freedom facilitates the expression of individuals without the interference or constr aint of the government—federal or state. It, however, operates under the assumption that this freedom may be limited if it proves to be detrimental to others or infringes upon the rights of others. One such case is one in which a person’s freedom to speak serves to effectively and efficiently facilitate a breach of peace or cause violence. In those cases the Supreme Court places a stringent requirement on the government wherein there must be a justification for the actions of the government to interfere or otherwise regulate those rights. Freedom of speech is not limited to verbal expression. It extends to other mediums which facilitate communication (Cornell School of Law-First Amendment, http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/index.php/First_amendment). Substantive treatments of freedom of speech in the United States tend to be Court-based, meaning they focus primarily or entirely on Supreme Court decisions. Studies such as James E. Leahy's The First Amendment. 1791-1991: Two Hundred Years of Freedom (1991), Rodney A. Smolla's Free Speech in an Open Society (1992), James Brewer Stewart's The Constitution, the Law, and Freedom of Expression, 1787-1987 (1987) and Cass R. Sunstein's Democracy and the Problem of Free Speech (1993) all exhibit a similar tendency-the tendency to frame or categorize Free Speech in terms of various "issues." and then to clarify each of those issues by relying on specific, "landmark" decisions, or a chronology of decisions, by the Supreme Court. In A Worthy Tradition: Freedom of Speech in America, for example. Harry Kalven, Jr. begins by exploring the concept of "Content"-in terms of "Heresy and Blasphemy" (Cantwell v. Connecticut, 1940: Burstyn v. Wilson, 1952: Epperson v. Arkansas, 1968: Torcaso v. Watkins , 1961) then "False Doctrine" (Kingsley Pictures v. Regents. 1959: Street v. New York. 1969): and "Taste" (Hannegan v. Esquire. 1946: Winters v. New York. 1948: Cohen v. California. 1971; Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire. 1942). While limited in ways, these approaches do reveal one important thing-the inadequacy of these definitions of Free Speech. At the very least, they show that the various Courts have always been in the business of weighing Freedom of Speech against other interests and values- which is to say that the Courts have never construed Freedom of Speech as even remotely absolute. Contingencies such as location (public/private, for example), situation

Brazil and Argentina Hyperinflation Experience at the Beginning of the Research Paper

Brazil and Argentina Hyperinflation Experience at the Beginning of the 1990s - Research Paper Example The period of the relatively high level of inflation lasted for about 15 years i.e. from 1980 to 1994 and resulted in significant political, economic as well as a social crisis for the country. One of the key reasons for this hyperinflation in the country was the creation of money supply to finance fiscal expenditure of the country. Government rather than using the taxes or borrowing started to created new money and hence the creation of money supply. During the 1990s, consumer price index ran into the factor of over 5 trillion thus indicating the overall severity of the inflation faced by the country. Argentine also faced the similar situation during the 1990s however, the consistent increase in inflation lasted from 1975 to early 1990s. during that period the overall value of Argentine’s Peso went down and the country introduced massive changes and reforms in the 1990s to initiate the process of recovery.   Hyperinflation in Brazil Brazil was a case of chronic inflation wh ich finally turned into hyperinflation and resulted in serious damage for the country. The key reason for this hyperinflation was the excessive creation of money to finance the expansion projects of the government. Rather than relying on the borrowing or improving tax collection, the government simply resorted to printing new money thus creating excessive money supply in the country. At the start of 1990, the consumer price index in the country was to the factor of 100 Million which reached to over 5 trillion by the end of 1997. Such sharp and abnormal increase in the level of consumer price index sustained for almost a decade and proved detrimental to the overall economic future of the country. It is, however, critical to note that the 1990s were the period during which the overall rate of inflation started to moderate owing to strict reforms being undertaken by the government. Since Brazil was facing higher episodes of inflation since the 1970s, therefore, 1990s was the period dur ing which country started to take measures to arrest such trends. (Barbosa, Cunha, and Elvia,183 ) At the start of the 1990s, the rate of inflation was over 30,000% however, it gradually started to decline and reached a level of 16% in 1997. As discussed above, this was a period of relatively important reforms undertaken by the country which resulted in sharp decline in the hyperinflation and economy started to witness the relatively moderate level of inflation rates. (Samuels,547) During this period, saving rates were almost negative as people continued to spend their cash due to the fact that its value was being eroded rapidly. Interest rates soared to a relatively high level in order to reduce the inflation and people who were already suffering from high inflation rates were forced to face higher interest rates also. It is, however, critical to note that the real GDP during the period remained at stagnant levels due to better agriculture output as well as a consistent increase in population during the decade. A real high level of hyperinflation affected the real incomes of the households as the consistent increase in inflation eroded the purchasing power of the individuals.

Human Trafficking Policy Development Paper Essay

Human Trafficking Policy Development Paper - Essay Example However, only 49,105 cases of human trafficking victims across the world have been identified with only 4,166 of these cases being successful prosecuted in 2009 (Cullen-DuPont, 2009). 335 of the successful prosecutions were related to forced labor. Previous research revealed that1.8 per 1,000 inhabitants was incidence of trafficking casualties in the world. Globally, the ratio of labor trafficking victims to sex trafficking victims currently stands at 9:1. Surprisingly, there are about 800,000 people trafficked across the international borders each year, as of 2007. Nonetheless, the number increased to 1.2 million people trafficked globally by 2013. Human Trafficking is undoubtedly the world’s fastest-growing concern in the criminal industry. It destroys the lives of so many women, children as well as young men each year in the globe. The public acknowledges that as a mother, grandmother, a sister, a relative, a brother, or a friend, it sickens to think that millions of our kin aged below 18 are sold to other parts of the world as victims of sex and/ or labor trafficking every year across the globe. The most horrible thing is that 80 percent of these trafficking victims are usually sexually exploited. Senators from most states, judges, defense attorneys, prosecutors, administrators, law enforcement officers and law-abiding citizens I’ve agreed all too well that indeed traffickers have no respect to gender, age or economics. Thus, they all advocate and support my proposed policy to help eradicate this inhuman act. My proposed policy focus to give a renewed attention on prevention overseas, a non-porous border at every state, tougher action on perpetrators as well as better identification of victims and care for these victims. This policy adopts a comprehensive approach as far as tackling trafficking is concerned. It will lay down legislations to: framework

Internet Marketing Essay Example for Free

Internet Marketing Essay Topshop is clothing store selling clothes, shoes and jewellery; they have stores in nearly all towns across the UK. Topshop also has an online store that you can buy they’re products from and they deliver to your home for a small price. You can order your chosen products wherever you are in the world, as they deliver worldwide. Also on the Topshop website you can choose the language preferred to shop online making it easier for people to use. If you change the language to shop on the Topshop website the currency automatically changes. This allows the business to sell globally, which will make them a lot more profit. Topshop also use social networking sites and mobile apps to support their communication, as they have a Facebook and Twitter page to promote their products and answer any questions from customers. Also Topshop have a mobile app so you can save, send and share all your favourite looks, and shop the pieces you’re after from their website. This is a great way of promotion as everyone today uses social networking websites, so it’s a way for them to be seen and keep up to date with what people are wearing and what people want. Topshop can also promote their last minute promotions such as sales through their website and mobile app. There are plenty of advantages for this, as not only is it money efficient it’s quick and Easy and can be seen by a lot of people. Using their website to promote sale is money efficient as they already have the website and the staff working it, if they printed out flyers or advertised in magazines etc. it would cost a lot more and it would probably be seen by less people. Topshop also sells ranges from different designers other than themselves; I think they do this to attract customers who buy from them specific designers to buy from them. Also this gives them a lot more variety and they will make a profit from it. ASDA also have an online store, which they sell everything from food to car insurance. ASDA tries to engage customers on their website by the use of videos, slide shows, animated backgrounds and their own radio station you can listen to online. They do this so people will want to look further into the website and hopefully buy the advertised products. Also the slideshows appears on the home page of the website, so people can see everything they provide on the first page. ASDA have a lot of competitors such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s etc. so they are constantly updated and new things to their website to beat the competitors. ASDA have identified new market development opportunities such having an in store opticians and pharmacy, doing this not only helps them make a profit but it keeps them ahead of their competition. River Island communicates with their customers through their website very well as they give customers a choice to make an online account; this is so the customers can keep record of their orders, order faster and efficiently. This helps them understand their customers as they know what their customers want and it benefits them as they know what sells the most and is popular with their target audience. River Island’s website provides the opportunity for the customers to use their online size guide for both men and woman, so their customers buy the correct sizes that customers will feel comfortable in. I think this is really effective for both the business and the customer, as the business will have fewer complaints and returned from the wrong sizes. For the customer this is good because you know that you will defiantly buy the size that fits and you don’t need to worry about sending them back or not having an outfit on time.

Marketing Communication Strategies of Skoda

Marketing Communication Strategies of Skoda Marketing The Process Precisely defined, marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to satisfy customers (Google). It is a dynamic process of ensuring a close fit between the core competencies of an organization and the external demands placed upon it. The fundamental role of marketing is often associated with the promotional aspect of a product or service. It consists of making the consumer aware of what youre offering, and convincing them to buy it. Marketing Communications Marketing Communications Mix Marketing Communications takes a leap further to streamline the actions a firm takes to communicate with end-users, consumers and external parties. It identifies the best media available for any particular product or service to communicate with the market (Smith Taylor, 2005). It is primarily concerned with demand generation and product and service positioning. The marketing communications mix is essentially a conceptual framework that helps to structure the approach to marketing. It covers all the communication tools available to a marketer, such as advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing, sponsorship, e-marketing, corporate identity, etc. This report is an attempt to study the marketing communications strategies and mix for consumer vehicle brands in the UK, namely Skoda and Volkswagen Passenger Cars (now-on referred to as Volkswagen or VW). These are two sister companies and hence an interesting comparison. Automotive Industry Marketing The competitive nature of the automobile industry in the UK has prompted the automobile manufacturers to explore new and innovative marketing strategies to thwart the deadly competition. Almost all companies offer diverse range of vehicles in almost all segments as a part of their marketing strategy. This is in the endeavor to make sure that the customer is driving one of their vehicles only. The automobile industry relies not just on one medium of advertising and promotion; rather they aim to develop a combination of almost all options to leave the most impact-ful trail of marketing. The audio-visual medium is a rage since it gives the vehicle manufacturers an opportunity to flaunt their cars. The print medium, on the other hand, provides an opportunity to explain the functions of a car in detail and highlight their unique selling proposition (USP) to the customers. More recently, the automobile industry has shifted focus to the online medium, exploring the internet, which offers greater flexibility in terms of utilizing its interactive features such as demonstrating the interiors of the car with its salient features, etc. Aims Objectives: The aims and objectives of the report shall remain the following: Study the automobile industry dynamics in the UK, with specific focus on history and evolution of Skoda and Volkswagen as significantly important brands. Study the marketing communications strategies and tactics used by Skoda and Volkswagen to fight competition. Study the campaigns, media used and the brand image projected by Skoda and Volkswagen and how successful have they been in reaching out to their target. Chapter 2: Literature Review UK Automotive industry Market Overview The UK automotive sector is a highly flexible, dynamic and a global enterprise. The UK is the 12th largest automobile producer in the world and UK car industry has always been export-oriented and is known for exclusive brands, such as the Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Land Rover, Aston Martin and Jaguar. Amongst the key multinational players are: Ford, Toyota, Diamler-Chrysler, GM and Volkswagen. The top five UK car producers include Nissan, Toyota, Honda, MINI and Land Rover (Cunningham et al., n.d.). The automotive sector in the UK is in a state of constant change which is imperative for adapting to challenging commercial, regulatory and technological trends worldwide. However,at present, the UK car industry is in major turmoil. With credit crunch, spiraling oil prices and fragile consumer confidence, the industry is witnessing its worst since 1966. The buyers are shunning dealerships in droves and the manufacturers are in deep thoughts of how to revive the declining sales. The slowdown in the UK mirrors the difficult conditions being experienced across the main European markets. (Paul Everitt, SMMT). The major trends in the UK automotive industry over the last five years, as identified by the Society of Motor Manufacturers Traders Ltd (SMMT), depict the following: UK new car market has eased in recent years, after witnessing a peak of 2.579mn in the fiscal year 2003. The market is now contested by many marques. Fuel-efficiency is a big issue in the UK automotive industry. UK vehicle output has declined, but will recover over the next 18 months (figures as of 2007). In the year 2006 there were 1.65 million cars and commercial vehicles (CVs) produced in the UK alone. In the year 2006 the UK new car market eased to 2.345 million units, its lowest level since 2001. Estimates show that over 2 million vehicles are currently scrapped each year. Global automotive market is very positive and is largely driven by Asian demand, in particular in China and India. Skoda- The Brand and the Re-Branding Skoda Auto is an automobile manufacturer based in the Czech Republic. It was once one of Europes leading producers of quality, highly engineered cars but its fortunes plummeted under the post-Second World War communism phenomenon. It was until 1989 when Volkswagen took a 30% stake in the beleaguered car firm, that there were any signs of hope for the uplift of the company. In 21991, Volkswagen bought Skoda outright and this was when the journey of improvement triggered off for Skoda. Backed by VWs expertise and investments, the design of Skoda, both in terms of style and engineering, improved greatly. Although Skoda cars were quite at par with those of the rivals, in terms of function, style and value for money, the entire brand image of Skoda lagged far behind. As Chris Hawkens (Marketing Director Skoda, 1999) stated: All the research showed quite substantial levels of rejection of the Skoda brand by consumers. (Creativity Works, 2003) Trying to Sell Skodas is Like Trying to Sell Nuclear Waste. Hawken took up the initiative to challenge the negative perceptions about Skoda and to create a new brand platform to ensure future growth. The action plan called for innovation and a carefuly integrated marketing communications strategy which comprised of three core strands: Advertising Direct marketing Public relations As a result, the entire image of the Skoda brand improved and eventually changed altogether. Volkswagen The Brand Volkswagen commercial vehicles is another brand of the Volkswagen group, like Skoda, and is a separate marque to Volkswagen Passenger Cars since 1995. VWs relationship with the UK automobile industry dates back to 1952 when the first two models of Beetles were introduced into the market. In 1953 Volkswagen Motors Ltd officially became the UK importer, and the brand thereon went from strength to strength and became to be knows as the peoples car. The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand runs a combination of three core values: innovative, providing enduring value and responsible. Technology, people and the environment dominate the philosophy and actions of Europes largest automaker. Double marketing has been the key for Volkswagen. It is not about stuffing multiple messages into one campaign, ratherrunning multiple campaigns on different messages concurrently. Volkswagen has more often indulged in launching many models collectively and hence has exploited this marketing strategy. The campaigns of 2006 provide a classic example of this phenomenon at Volkswagen: the Unpimp my ride campaign about design and control, the obeying your fast campaign for the GTI and the safe happens bold TV ads for the Jetta. Chapter 3: Research Methodology The research methodology for this report entails a careful blend of both primary and secondary sources available. Primary Sources of Data Five customers of Skoda and Volkswagen were randomly interviewed for their views about the marketing strategies of both the companies, using open-ended questions to yield maximum response. This helped to assess their response towards the media and campaigns deployed by these brands and to evaluate the extent of impact and penetration of the marketing tools used into the target customers. Attempts were made to interview at least one reliable personnel from the respective companies. However, due to lack of time and confidentiality issues of the company, this mode of research did not yield any reliable information for evaluation purposes. Secondary Sources of Data The secondary sources tapped include various books, published material, both from official as well as unofficial sources and both from electronic as well as print media. These include expert reviews on the marketing strategies of each company, company annual reports and other authentic related articles available on marketing strategies of Skoda and Volkswagen. Various advertisements, both from the print as well as electronic media, have also been carefully studied to conduct a comparative analysis for both the companies. Chapter 4: Discussion Analysis Skoda Turning Negative Perceptions into Positive Rather than try to make it into a hero brand, which wasnt realistic, we made it the underdog, and everyones on the side of the little guy. (James, 2002) Under the marketing communications strategy deployed by Hawkens and the innovative It is a Skoda, honest campaign, the market share of the company almost doubled. He confronted head-on the cars negative image using subtle, intelligent humor, targeting Skoda rejecters precisely. The rejuvenating marketing communications strategy of Skoda comprised of (James, 2002): Advertising: targetting the entire country, primarily through TV. Drect Marketing: targetted prospective buyers and existing customers, designed to encourage test-driving the new car. Public Relations: played a supplemental role by image-changing articles. Press was fed with information about motoring awards and VK backing. The success stories about Skoda now read Historys biggest comeback since Bobby Ewing stpped out of the shower, the new Skoda is hip and sexy yes, sexy. For a budget of about $7 million, Skoda witnessed increased sales, more than 23%, over the course of the 18-month campaign which marked the turn-around for the brand (James, 2002). Skodas Marketing Communication Mix The recent marketing communication strategy of Skoda constitutes the following key elements: TV Advertising Most Talked About Add of 2007 TV advertising has always been a win for Skoda. The baking of add of 2007 is a remarkable example of the strategic advertising vision of the company. The award-winning add featured a group of master bakers creating a life-size car out of cake icing, jelly headlights and full of lovely stuff strapline. The Favorite Things soundtrack provided the background score for the extremely attractive recepie. The cake add was indeed a radical move for Skoda. It was accompanied by columns in leading journals and magazines as the PR team took the initiative to send cake tins with ingredients to journalists. As a part of the direct marketing campaign, chocolate scented air fresheners were sent to potential and existing custoemrs of Skoda. Being an extremely bold positoning, Skoda adds communicated the message of how Skoda delivered exceptional customer service (Turner, 2007). Award winning website Skoda UKs official website (www.skoda.co.uk) is yet another critical element of the marketing communications mix of the brand. The highly attractive, animated and engaging website played a crucial role in nurturing the marketing mix of Skoda. Its online marketing campaign won it laurels in 2008- the Best Motor Manufacturer Home Page and Best Motor Manufacturer for Purpose Intent (www.skoda.co.uk). The criteria for judgment included factors such as web design, use of animation, ease of navigation, and search tools available. The sites creative effectiveness has been demonstrated by a remarkable 400% increase in requests for test drives and brochures. MyClick Technology Skoda has indulged in a mobile WAP site MMS MyClick advertising platform as a recent communication strategy. This is an endeavor to deliver a unique brand experience to consumers on their mobile devices.The image recognition technology of MyClick allows Skoda to reach end users with instant services wherever they are. Skoda is using this idea to provide an interactive platform where mobile users can access its Believe In Life information by simply clicking their mobile phone camera (Roberts, 2008). Volkswagens Marketing Communications Mix Volkswagen, the brand, deploys two key elements in its marketing communications strategy: Online Marketing The official website (www.volkswagen.co.uk) provides the most life-like experience of choosing a car on the internet. It allows the visitors to access the retailers booking systems and book test drives in real time. Also they are able to see which models are available at any specific time and retailer and make online reservations. The dynamic feedback mechanism employed by the website allows the customer to search and modify their preferred car in real time hence, as initially imagined by Volkswagen. The website is much responsive and provides a much richer customer experience Double Marketing Volkswagen and the Blues A multi-tiered, fully integrated marketing strategy was incorporated for the multiple-model launch in 2003, with the help of The Blues promotional team (Volkswagen and The Blues, n.d.). The marketing strategy adopted covered a diverse range of communications media including: TV and radio ads Online marketing on The Blues website Paid advertising: print ads in leading journals, in-flight marketing campaign with major national airlines Events marketing: Radio City concert, presence at key film and music festivals, etc. Ancillary products Educational outreach: Letter from Volkswagen and logo presence in Teachers Guides sent to 45,000 teachers nationwide. Chapter 5: Conclusion Skoda has gone from trash to treasure with the overwhelmingly innovative marketing strategy of the Volkswagen group. This can be accredited to simply revamping the marketing communications mix, which even called for complete elimination of typical elements such as sponsorships. Instead it focuses primarily on four key aspects of marketing: advertising, direct mail, public relations and more recently online marketing. Ultimately transforming the company image from a joke to a hero brand, the correct marketing strategy and timely deployment of that strategy have radically changed the perceptions of Skoda and it is today one of the fastest growing car brands in the UK. Volkswagen Passenger Cars, on the other hand, is a brand of the same parent group, however with much lesser prominence as compared to that of Skoda. The most prominent feature of VWs marketing strategy is double marketing, vis-Ã ¡-vis the three-pronged strategy of Skoda. Both brands have strong market presence and are working effectively with their individual marketing strategies. However, those deployed by Skoda are much more impact-full and far-reaching than VWs. Chapter 6: Recommendations Skoda is suggested the following set of recommendations: Although the negative perceptions have withered off, the positive preconceptions are to be secured. Hence, Skoda needs to promote a we-are-not-as-bad-as-you-think impression. Create a new communications theme that is able to sustain the brands sense of individuality, without Skoda being perceived as just any other car brand. Volkswagen Passenger Cars is suggested the following set of recommendations: Enhance the marketing communications mix with more emphasis on the advertising campaigns, such as those launched by Skoda. References Creativity Works (2003) HOW SKODA USED CREATIVITY TO INCREASE SALES BY 27% Available at: www.dandad.org/inspiration/creativityworks/pdf/skoda.pdf [Accessed 8th November 2009] Cunningham, Margaret; Doherty, Joanne; Douglas, Thomas; Garland, Philip; Guo Xiadi; Harmer, Chris (n.d.) The Death of the Skoda Joke and the Rebirth of the Brand. Available at: www.busmgt.ulst.ac.uk/modules/bmg900j3/Skoda%20Report.ppt [Accessed 8th November 2009] James, Dana (2002) Rebuilding Reputations Skoda goes from trash to treasure Available at: www.amaphoenix.org/files/Rebuidling%20Reputation [Accessed 18th November 2009] Roberts, Benna (2008) Skoda users MyClick Mobile image recognition technology for Mobile Marketing Available at: http://www.gomonews.com/skoda-users-myclick-mobile-image-recognition-technology-for-mobile-marketing/ [Accessed 5th November 2009] Smith, P R Taylor, Jonathan (2005) Marketing Communications Turner,Clark (2007) How Skoda created the most talked about ad of 2007 Available at: www.utalkmarketing.com//Article.aspx?Skoda_created_the_most_talked_about_ad_of_2007 [Accessed 18th November 2009] Volkswagen and The Blues (n.d) Available at: www.sgptv.org/sponsor-casestudies/original/5.pdf [Accessed 5th November 2009]

Both Sides of Capital Punishment Essay -- social issues

Both Sides of Capital Punishment Murder is the unlawful killing of another human being with an intentional or criminal intent. In today's world, terrible crimes are being committed daily. Many believe that these criminals deserve one fate: death. Capital punishment, the death penalty, is the maximum sentence used in punishing people who kill another human being - and is a very controversial method of punishment. In most states, a person convicted of first degree murder has the potential to be given the death penalty. Capital punishment is a subject that can be counted upon to stir emotion and controversy into any conversation or argument. The very concept provokes a profusion of valid questions and opinions. Today's daily world of crime and violence calls for punishment of a severe nature, and many citizens argue that the punishment necessary is the death penalty. These people quote passages such as the "an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" concept from the Old Testament of the Judeo-Christian bible. Some people take the neutral position that there is no right or wrong answer, that each opinion on capital punishment is valid in its own way. Opponents of the death penalty claim that sentencing a person to death does not change the reality of the situation; the harm already done simply cannot be fixed from a vengeance standpoint. You cannot bring the murdered person back by taking the prisoner's life. Proponents of capital punishment tend to defend their opinion mainly on two grounds: death is a fitting punishment for murder, and executions maximize public safety through incapacitation and deterrence. The view of proponents of the death penalty in reference to the "let the punishment fit the crime" ideal is that, in the eyes of many law officials and citizens of the United States, if a crime is so serious that it causes irreversible damage or the loss of human life, then the only penalty for such crimes would be death for the individual that committed this act. Many also feel that if an individual can possess the strength and will to take the life of another human being in a planned manner, then they must also in turn be able to face their punishment which could only be a punishment of the same magnitude as the crime they have committed; that being for their life to be ended for the common good. These people feel that, while it is the cruelest pu... ...ng the Revolutionary War, once said, "I shall ask for the abolition of the punishment of death until I have the infallibility of human judgment demonstrated to me." Some radical death penalty opposers even go so far as to claim that those who support such punishment with the excuse of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" are like immature children who continue to insist on the principle of childish payback and petty revenge. They sy that these people did not listen to their mothers when they were told "two wrongs do not make a right." They say these men and women have not grown out of a tendency toward violence and a shunning of the virtues of mercy and forgiveness, in addition to morality. Opposing the death penalty does not mean sympathy with convicted murderers. On the contrary, murder and manslaughter both demonstrate a lack of respect for life. For this very reason, a policy of state-authorized killings is immoral. Criminals no doubt need to be punished, but severity of punishment should have its limits, beginning with the use of human dignity. Governments that respect these limits do not use premeditated and violent homicide as an instrument of keeping the peace. Both Sides of Capital Punishment Essay -- social issues Both Sides of Capital Punishment Murder is the unlawful killing of another human being with an intentional or criminal intent. In today's world, terrible crimes are being committed daily. Many believe that these criminals deserve one fate: death. Capital punishment, the death penalty, is the maximum sentence used in punishing people who kill another human being - and is a very controversial method of punishment. In most states, a person convicted of first degree murder has the potential to be given the death penalty. Capital punishment is a subject that can be counted upon to stir emotion and controversy into any conversation or argument. The very concept provokes a profusion of valid questions and opinions. Today's daily world of crime and violence calls for punishment of a severe nature, and many citizens argue that the punishment necessary is the death penalty. These people quote passages such as the "an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" concept from the Old Testament of the Judeo-Christian bible. Some people take the neutral position that there is no right or wrong answer, that each opinion on capital punishment is valid in its own way. Opponents of the death penalty claim that sentencing a person to death does not change the reality of the situation; the harm already done simply cannot be fixed from a vengeance standpoint. You cannot bring the murdered person back by taking the prisoner's life. Proponents of capital punishment tend to defend their opinion mainly on two grounds: death is a fitting punishment for murder, and executions maximize public safety through incapacitation and deterrence. The view of proponents of the death penalty in reference to the "let the punishment fit the crime" ideal is that, in the eyes of many law officials and citizens of the United States, if a crime is so serious that it causes irreversible damage or the loss of human life, then the only penalty for such crimes would be death for the individual that committed this act. Many also feel that if an individual can possess the strength and will to take the life of another human being in a planned manner, then they must also in turn be able to face their punishment which could only be a punishment of the same magnitude as the crime they have committed; that being for their life to be ended for the common good. These people feel that, while it is the cruelest pu... ...ng the Revolutionary War, once said, "I shall ask for the abolition of the punishment of death until I have the infallibility of human judgment demonstrated to me." Some radical death penalty opposers even go so far as to claim that those who support such punishment with the excuse of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" are like immature children who continue to insist on the principle of childish payback and petty revenge. They sy that these people did not listen to their mothers when they were told "two wrongs do not make a right." They say these men and women have not grown out of a tendency toward violence and a shunning of the virtues of mercy and forgiveness, in addition to morality. Opposing the death penalty does not mean sympathy with convicted murderers. On the contrary, murder and manslaughter both demonstrate a lack of respect for life. For this very reason, a policy of state-authorized killings is immoral. Criminals no doubt need to be punished, but severity of punishment should have its limits, beginning with the use of human dignity. Governments that respect these limits do not use premeditated and violent homicide as an instrument of keeping the peace.

Use of Color in Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye :: Bluest Eye Essays

Pauline saw the beauty of life through the colors of her childhood down South. Her fondest memories were of purple berries, yellow lemonade, and "that streak of green them june bugs made on the trees the night we left down home. All them colors was in me"1. Pauline and Cholly left the colors of the South when they moved North to Ohio to begin their life together. Through Cholly, Pauline hoped to find those colors of beauty that she left "down home". For a while she did find her colors, her beauty, in the eyes of Cholly. He released in her all the colors of life which were sealed down in her soul. Everything about their early married life was described in vivid colors. This was true even of her sexual experiences with him. Everything was fine, ordered and beautiful in both Pauline and Cholly's life until they moved "up North". Once they moved North everything changed. The colors went out of Pauline's life. "I missed my people. I weren't used to so much white folks...Northern colored folk was different too"2. Cholly only became "meaner and meaner and wanted to fight all of the time"2. He did not help the situation and contributed to his wife's dissatisfaction and disillusionment by not coming home. He found his satisfaction through other people, thus he neglected Pauline. To make up for this neglect and her own insecurities, Pauline sought comfort through movies. Here she would sit and watch the perfect "white" world of Hollywood. Here she would find her colors on the "silver screen". She had a longing for these colors which was going to affect her life and the lives of her family until it destroys them, especially Pecola. When Pecola was born, a major change occured in Pauline's life. According to Susan Willis, "Adjectives become substantives, giving taste and color and making it possible for colors to trickle and flow and finally be internalized..."3. She now wished to live her life like this, through the colors in herself. Right after Pecola was born Cholly again began to pay attention to Pauline again the way he used to when they lived down South. The only problem was that the colors had dimed in Pauline. By working for a white family, she found her order and her colors again but not with the intensity that she once did.

Medellin, Colombia :: essays research papers

Medellin was founded in 1616 in the scenic Aburrà ¡ valley, but remained small until the coffee boom. Medellin now has a population of almost 3 million people, with an area of 362 kilometers squared, and an average temperature of 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Medellin is widely regarded in Colombia as a clean, well-organized and economically vibrant community. Its people are hard-working and industrious. Major industries include coffee and flower export, information technology and hotel services. It is also the fashion capital of Colombia. Each year the "Feria de Las Flores" (Flower Festival) attracts visitors from all over South America for parades and conventions. The city's fast and efficient metro is the only public transit subway system in Colombia. In culinary delights, Medellin is said to have created Colombia's unique "arepa" - a bread and corn patty stuffed with cheese which I enjoy very much, but both of my parents hate. The Medellin Lady, affectionately called Paisa, is seen by many as the most beautiful of the Colombian Latinas. A famous Colombian saying goes: "If you want a pretty mistress, go to Cali, but if you want a beautiful wife, go to Medellin." Medellin is considered by many outside of South America to be the most dangerous city in the world, Medellin, Colombia is internationally renowned as the home of Colombian icon Pablo Escobar, a drug lord. During the Pablo Escobar time, people were scared to roam the streets in fear for their lives. It was said that Pablo Escobar owned a lot of the government and that because of him the police department was a corrupted one. After Pablo Escobar's capture in 1982, a prison was built specifically for him the man who was known as "the billionaire godfather of international cocaine trafficking." This prison, however, actually looked more like a three- or four-star hotel. In July 1992, Escobar escaped, and was killed in a dramatic rooftop shooting. However, some believe he is still alive. With the death of Pablo Escobar, Medellà ­n is slowly recovering, but is not yet a full-fledged tourist destination. However, there is plenty to do and see in the city itself and the scenic surroundings. There is a lot to Medellin that the international community does not see. Medellin is also home of Fernando Botero, as well as the annual Flower Festival, a huge event that takes place in the city in late July and early August.