Racism in the World free essay sample

Many people in America like to believe that racism is no longer apart of today’s world. They couldn’t be farther from the truth. In the twentieth-century, racism seemed to hit an all-time high around the world. With America trying to cope after the Civil War and Europe facing genocide, discrimination seemed inevitable, but can the problem of racism be solved? When looking back on America’s history after the Civil War, racism is apparent throughout in the form of segregation. Segregation truly started in 1865 with the Reconstruction of the United States, â€Å"A period from 1865-1877 immediately following the Civil War in which the federal government set the conditions that would allow the rebellious Southern States back into the Union† (â€Å"The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow†). A Reconstruction Policy was presented to the Congress by President Andrew Johnson but he supported white supremacy in the South and favored pro-Union Sothern political leaders who had aided the confederacy in the war. We will write a custom essay sample on Racism in the World or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Southerners, with Johnson’s support, attempted to restore slavery in substance if not in name. One way they tried to do this was with the construction of the Ku Klux Klan. In the beginning, the KKK was a secret fraternity club in Tennessee rather than a terrorist organization. Although, the Klan quickly grew and spread beyond Tennessee to every state in the South. It attracted former Civil War generals and included mayors, judges, sheriffs, as well as common criminals. With all of this terror occurring in the south, the Republican-controlled congress was trying to protect blacks. And so, in1815, in a last-ditch effort to protect what remained of Reconstruction, the Congress â€Å"managed to pass a civil rights bill that sought to guarantee freedom of access, regard less of race, to the â€Å"full and equal enjoyment† of many public facilities† (The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow). Jumping ahead to 1970, the public is shown how blacks are treated and live in Toni Morrison’s novel, The Bluest Eye. This book takes place in Lorain, Ohio at the end of the Great Depression. It is the story of three girls: Pecola, eleven; Claudia MacTeer, nine; and Frieda MacTeer, ten. They live in lower class houses and do everything they can to scrape by. In this story, these girls are faced with what is â€Å"beautiful† in the world, and in most people’s eyes that includes blonde hair, blue eyes, and white skin. Claudia could care less if she were white and does not see what all the hustle and bustle about being white is. But Pecola, on the other hand, wants nothing more than to be white. â€Å"Pecola loves Shirley Temple, believing that whiteness is beautiful and that she is ugly† (Sparknotes). Pecola’s life is a life no one should have, nor deserves. Her father drinks, her mother is distant, and the two of them often beat one another. Her mother beats her and her father has raped her on more than one occasion, eventually impregnating her. She continually receives confirmation of her own sense of ugliness. When she buys candy, the grocer looks right through her. Boys constantly make fun of her. And she is wrongly blamed for killing a boy’s cat and is called a â€Å"nasty little black bitch† by his mother. Pecola believes that if she had blue eyes, she would be loved and her life would be transformed. Around the time The Bluest Eye takes place, Europe was facing even harder times. The Holocaust refers to the period from January 30, 1933, when Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany, to May 8, 1945, when the war in Europe official ended. â€Å"During this time, Jews in Europe where subjected to progressively harsher persecution that ultimately led to the murder of six million Jews (1. 5 million of these being children) and the destruction of five thousand Jewish communities. These deaths represented two-thirds of European Jewry and one-third of all world Jewry† (â€Å"The Holocaust: An Introductory History†). In order to turn the European public against the Jews, the Nazi Party created a weekly newspaper called Der Sturmer  (The Attacker). â€Å"At the bottom of the front page of each issue, in bold letters, the paper proclaimed, The  Jews  are our misfortune!   Der Sturmer  also regularly featured cartoons of  Jews  in which they were caricatured as hooked-nosed and apelike. The influence of the newspaper was far-reaching: by 1938 about a half million copies were distributed weekly† (â€Å"The Holocaust: An Introductory History†). As Hitler’s rule progressed, the Jews were made to wear a golden star of David on all their clothing, they could only go to Jewish owned businesses, then finally, they could not own their own business and were only allowed to buy certain types of food. Soon, the Jews were isolated from the rest of the towns and had to live in ghettos. The living conditions in these ghettos were almost unbearable. What the Nazi’s did to the Jews next was unthinkable. â€Å"In June  1941  Germany attacked the Soviet Union and began the Final Solution. Four mobile killing groups were formed called  Einsatzgruppen  A, B, C and D. Each group contained several commando units. The  Einsatzgruppen  gathered  Jews  town by town, marched them to huge pits dug earlier, stripped them, lined them up, and shot them with automatic weapons. The dead and dying would fall into the pits to be buried in mass graves†¦ Jews  were singled out for Special Treatment (Sonderbehandlung), w hich meant that Jewish men, women and children were to be methodically killed with poisonous gas. (The Holocaust: An Introductory History). The camps were liberated gradually, as the Allies advanced on the German army. One survivor of the Holocaust, Elie Wiesel wrote an autobiography called Night about the different things he experienced during World War II and the Holocaust as a Jew in Europe. Only a teenager, Elie writes, after he and his father survive the first selection at Birkenau, â€Å"Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never† (Sparknotes). Although these events happened more than sixty eight years ago, it is still in our close history. All around the world there are still people who experienced these events first hand. Although times may be different, racism is still and issue. Racism is a person’s individual feeling. We cannot change what people think. We could try to teach children that everyone is equal and have all integrated schools and not have so many schools that are â€Å"predominantly† one race.

Reflection on My Vocational Rehabilitation Experience †Internship Essay

Reflection on My Vocational Rehabilitation Experience – Internship Essay Free Online Research Papers Reflection on My Vocational Rehabilitation Experience Internship Essay My overall experience at Vocational Rehabilitation has been one of the best experiences I have gone through with all of my working experiences. For my internship at Vocational Rehabilitation my job duties include the following. I gave information regarding the agency the first two weeks by working at the front desk meeting and greeting clients and answering the phones. While sitting upfront I also took referrals and set appointments for possible new consumers. I also have assisted in the intake process many of times assisting possible consumers filling out applications. I have also assisted many consumers in searching for jobs, creating and revising resumes and job applications. I have also sat in on a few counseling sessions with follow ups and Individual Employment Plans. During my many experiences at Vocational Rehabilitation the employees there have been the friendliest kindest people I have ever worked with. If I ever have any questions they always answer me with a smile. If I need something to do they always have work for me to complete that just is not â€Å"busy work.† I appreciate the work they give me knowing that it will help me understand the agency, and the human services field and my future career. Also, this will enhance my employment opportunities after graduation. Three employees from VR have had life changes so far during my internship and this means that positions have became available. Many employees have asked me to apply but because of my school load this semester I feel that I would not be able to handle them both. I appreciate the Unit Manager talking with me going back to school after graduation to get my masters degree so I am able to become a counselor in my life time. Within Vocational Rehabilitation structure of the staff is as follows: Unit Manager who is over all the employees. Two head counselors who over see the counselors. Counselors in the General unit (General being people with disabilities that are now adults and have not received services in the past.) Counselors in the Substance Abuse Unit. Case technician who helps with the clerical duties of the counselors. All the relationships within the agency are casual and very personal. Everyone who works within VR has a very good relationship with one another and a very personal as well as professional manner. As long as you are doing your job you just have the best time possible at work, whether it’s singing, listening to music, or just laughing with one another. Which make it a more productive environment. During my internship, I have helped the agency achieve their mission by assisting people with a mental or physical impairment that enables them to work in some form or fashion. I have done so by helping our community understands what Vocational Rehabilitation does and helping them decide if they are truly in need of our services or if they even qualify. I have also helped by helping them apply for services by getting them to write down there strengths and weaknesses before coming to the intake process which this allows them to already know what they need help with while finding employment with counselors in the end. I have assisted many people in find employment opportunities and assisting them in the process of what they must do after sending in a resume or application by following up with the employer. After I have told you all the wonderful experiences that I have had at my internship I do have some concerns/problems. The first being the biggest in my mind that when counselors have consumers that are in need of an interpreter for whatever reason language barrier or sign language the counselors do not look at the consumer they spend the whole time looking at the interpreter. This manner is covered on their Ten Commandments of communicating with people with disabilities but I have witnessed this many times while observing counseling sessions. This goes against my personal code of ethics with people in general and it also goes against everything I have ever learned. I have also seen this in many other professional settings with people with disabilities which really bother me because these are the people who are professionals to help people with disabilities and they aren’t even communicating with them in the correct manner. The final concern is something that I had a problem with at my last place of employment and it is that not all people are people who want to do things the right way. For instance during the referral process they have made it so easy to take a referral but there still always a problem with people taking referrals. They don’t ask the questions that are located on the cheat sheet. It only takes about 5 minutes to complete a referral so you might as well do it right the first time and save the agency sometime and money by answering the correct questions. I feel that I am learning, enhancing and achieving my overall career goal while working at Vocational Rehabilitation by assisting people with disabilities improve their lives to own goals in which they have. By doing this I am able to work with two age groups within society which are the young adults graduating high school and the older adults who already been employed and have had some live changes. This allows me to work with variety of different both disabilities and populations. My internship has allowed me to improve my communication skills as well as my skill of being straighter forward with people about what services we provide. I have also been able to improve my skill of problem solving immensely. I am really enjoying my experience at Vocational Rehabilitation and I hope to be employed by them in the future after or before graduation. All the staff there is wonderful and helping people with disabilities find places of employment is the best feeling in the world. Research Papers on Reflection on My Vocational Rehabilitation Experience - Internship EssayArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Never Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceHip-Hop is ArtBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfThe Project Managment Office SystemStandardized TestingTwilight of the UAWOpen Architechture a white paperAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever Product

Analysis of the Development of Enterprise Resource

The overall report mainly includes an effective evaluation of the overall ERP system, which could help Disk4U to support their changing business environment. In addition, the study effectively evaluates the case study and identifies the overall requirements of Disk4U. Furthermore, effective business process is mainly depicted, which could help in understanding the business requirement of Disk4U. After the evaluation of the overall business requirement, effective system requirement could be identified. The identification of system requirement is mainly essential for choosing the appropriate ERP system to support the business process (Arvidsson, Holmstrà ¶m & Lyytinen, 2014). The main identification of the overall ERP system is essential for selecting the adequate software, which might be used by Disk4U. Lastly, the identification of adequate vendor is essential for Disk4U to select an effective accounting system (Becker, Kugeler & Rosemann, 2013). Disk4U is a small family owned business situated in Sydney, which only sells CDs and Vinyl Records. The company previously operated only in four outlets, which was spread around Sydney metropolitan. In addition, the company has effectively adopted the use of phone and email for generating the required level of sales. However, the company has currently adopted the use of online sales from eBay platform, which might increase its overall sales. Furthermore, this expansion into the new market could effectively help the company in generating high revenue, which will require an effective accounting system to support the business process. Furthermore, the change in overall business process has indicated to improve the manual process of accounting, which is been currently being used by Disk4U (Arvidsson, Holmstrà ¶m & Lyytinen, 2014). The company mainly requires depicting the overall latest technologies, which could be used in improving the current accounting system for supporting the onlin e presence in EBay. Moreover, an effective improvement in business accounting and report is need by Disk4U within specified budget of $150,000. Disk4U is a small business operation, which mainly provides products like CDs and Vinyl Records. The company has been effectively operating within the small location in Sydney with four outlets, email, and phones orders (Becker, Kugeler & Rosemann, 2013). Moreover, the company has been using manual accounting process, which was effective for supporting the small business operations conducted within a region. However, the adoption of online sales from EBay platform is effective in improving the current sales of the company. In addition, the company mainly aims is carrying the both online and physical sales. Furthermore, the use of effective online business operation could help the business in generating higher revenue. Nwankpa & Roumani (2014) mentioned that companies are mainly able to generate high revenue by incorporating online sales, which increases its customer reach. Moreover, after the evaluation of business processes certain challenges, which the company might face could be i dentified. In addition, effective use of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) could be utilised by Disk4U for supporting the current change in business environment. Kilic, Zaim & Delen (2014) argued that high end ERP system could reduce the smooth functioning of the business, which in turn reduce its overall profitability. The changing business requirement could effectively help in improving of Disk4U could mainly need an effective ERP system, which could support its accosting needs. The use of online platform could increase the overall needs of an effective accounting system, which might comprehend the change in inventory. Effective monitoring is mainly needed on stock level, financial performance, and supplier quotation, which might be used in new business operations. Chou, et al., (2014) stated that companies to improve the overall performance by implying effective online system mainly use ERP system. On the contrary, Nwankpa (2015) argued that ERP system mainly loses its friction if adequate analysis is mainly not conducted to identify the accurate requirements of the company. The increased accumulation of data, which is mainly provided by the online platform, is satisfied by the ERP system. In addition, ERP system could automatically identify the overall need of inventory and contact the supplier for replenishing the stock. The adequate flow of orders could effectively be comprehended by an ERP system, which could help in flowing adequate information to relative participants (Becker, Kugeler & Rosemann, 2013). Furthermore, implementation of the overall advanced ERP system could effectively help Disk4U for improving its operational ability. Furthermore, the ERP system mainly needs different types of applications, which could improve the overall experience and reduce problems. The Disk4U for suiting the overall needs could effectively customise the ERP system, which could help in improving its business process. Lin, Zhao & Wei (2014) mentioned that companies are mainly able to customise the overall ERP system for supporting the business requirement. Moreover, with the implementation of ERPs system adequate system needs to be required by Disk4U for increasing productivity. In addition, the use of ERP Cloud, Social ERP and Mobile ERP could also be utilised. In addition, the adoption of overall mobile ERP system could effectively help the company in delivery the information to adequate employee in real-time. Kilic, Zaim & Delen (2015) mentioned that due to technological advancements incorporation of ERP system in mobile device mainly easy the flow of information. Furthermore, the use of cloud ERP system could also be effective for Disk4U to reduce the problem of data loss. In addition, the incorporation of both mobile and cloud ERP system could help the company in improving its productivity and accounting system. Furthermore, incorporation of Social ERP system could also help the company in making a social presence, which might attract potential investors. Shukla et al., (2016) argued that high costs incurred in ERP implementation mainly reduces the overall cash balance of companies and hamper its ability to make any new investments. Table 1: Depicting the costing of three different ERP system From the overall evaluation of different ERP system, Accountmate ERP per year could be used as an effective system, which might be cost effective. In addition, other ERP system is mainly costly and might increases expenses of Disk4U. Jinno, Abe & Iizuka (2017) mentioned that use of effectively ERP system is essential for companies to increase their efficiency and information flow. From the case study, it was gathered that AIS or the ERP systems could facilitate the employees of Disk4U in realizing their issues and offering specific solutions (Antero, 2015). It was also realized from the analysis of the case study of Disk4U, that the organization is dealing with problems that requires being decreased through appropriate implementation of information systems. This is also because of the reason that the smooth business operation of the company is ensured (Arvidsson, Holmstrà ¶m & Lyytinen, 2014). Implementation of ERP systems will make sure of the company several effective business processes, preparing business requirements along with deciding the software and vendor selection. The case study is dealing with the concerns specifically for the identified issues experienced by Disk4U. The Disk4U Company intends to reconstruct the business operations through adopting Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) that is required for effective Business Process Management (BPM) (Bansal, 2013). Identifying suitable software and vendor for Disk4U will help in analyzing the current state of business operation affairs and realization of the areas those requires improvement. Implementation of suitable software and vendor in the company will also support in obtaining increased understanding concerning ways that can be adopted for the betterment of overall business operations of Disk4U (Becker, Kugeler & Rosemann, 2013). Management of the Disk4U Company might consider several business operations in order to ensure efficient data structure, networks, mobile computations, algorithms along with optimization of business process along with scheduling process (Bernroider & Mitlohner, 2015). Along with considering the ERP implementation of the system of business process management along with appropriate design of network, the management of the company can make sure of implementation regarding the integration of Application Programming Interface (API). (Bradford, 2015) discovered the fact that implementation of the Application Programming Interface (API) software will signify allowance along with several business processes in order to deliver programs that is aligned with different programs. Additionally, if Disk4U Company considers the implementation of software-to-software interface, it can facilitate ample vendors to communicate with each other devoid of having any previous understanding or intervention. For instance, ample online channels associated with functions can support the process utilization of integration of API software (Chang, 2016). This can further facilitate the process of entering the accurate information in support of credit cards along with application of API for transferring vital information to a distinct isolated application in order to verify provided information. The â€Å"Business Process Management† set can be employed for viewing at different areas of the upcoming analysis techniques (Dumas et al., 2013). In addition, the design of support process facilitates in delivering support for vital activities employed by numerous resources along with the infrastructure in a specific format. This can be deemed as a vital differentiator that considers several primaries along with support techniques for the development of direct value with regard to target consumers in the situation of major processes (Falkenberg, Hesse & Olivà ©, 2016). Certain examples of support services include relevant information technology management along with effective human resource management as well as infrastructure management. Conversely, the processes of support services majorly include cross-functional limits along with the evaluation in the future years. For this reason, it is included in the managerial capability processes along with the direction of value offered to customers in supporting the total capability of the company (Seethamraju, 2015). This can facilitate efficient offering of products along with th e company’s services. The business process management can take into account implementation of software tools those can be employed in order to deal with major business issues of Disk4U Company. Conversely, this also has a considerable role within business process management that has a difference between the flows of work along with the software of Business Process Management (Jain & Sharma, 2016). This can facilitate the automation of work with unaffected process improvement in a better manner. In addition to that, the management of Disk4U Company can also consider the process of advanced technology implementation for the production business operations. This focuses on implementation of advanced systems to deal with product data, automatic process of planning, manufacturing, execution, and scheduling (Savage, Kautz & Clarke, 2016). Moreover, the company production and marketing products can adopt mechanized process of production, scheduling, planning along with implementation. Additionally, the production and marketing products of the company can adopt mechanized technique of data gathering, Compliance administration, lean manufacturing, and planning, scheduling, total quality management along with management of product life cycle (Esteves, 2014). Therefore, it might be ascertained that the functions of business process have entered within a new stage of rapidly tracked transformation to mature along with improved technologies. The cloud based and mobile applications in addition to progressive analytics with collaboration processes can increase the impacts of properly understood functioning model levers such as shared services, global delivery system, and outsourcing as re-engineering process (Rodrigues et al., 2016). Moreover, the application along with the impact of innovative technologies might not be at a great level. Additionally, it is deemed vital to realize certain technology interventions as well as process re-engineering in consideration to organizational re-design. This includes shared services along with business process outsourcing that is combined within the International Business Service (Altamony et al., 2016). The aforementioned process cab directs the business concerns in focusing on the scarce resources that can finally affect the vital business findings. Such process also supports the process of decrease of intricacies of several distinct processes, which significantly encompass various cross-disciplinary squads (Erturk & Arora, 2017). This team can consider it quite difficult in struggling in order to observe conjoint ground along with language. Conversely, the ability to identify various levels for pulling is not increased and relies on experience collected by transformation, designing and functioning business conducts. The most effective tactic can be to identify partners that can have the capability to manage expenditure along with research on consumption. This can finally also result in risk of losing the momentum along with time in a fierce competitive surrounding (Esteves, 2014). Identifying suitable software and vendor for Disk4U Company will help in analyzing the current state of business operation affairs and realization of the areas those requires improvement. Implementation of ERP systems will make sure of the company several effective business processes, preparing business requirements along with deciding the software and vendor selection (Arvidsson, Holmstrà ¶m & Lyytinen, 2014). Net suite, Account mate and Sage 300 are the three most user-friendly and effective ERP software that can be used by the company. However, Account-mate is considered as the best Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software to be implemented by Disk4U Company because of several advantages that this software can offer to the company (Becker, Kugeler & Rosemann, 2013). The advantages that this ERP software implementation can provide to the company are it comes in lowest price, supports multicurrency, effective document management, and superior expense management, or reporting, ef fective LIFO and FIFO process, effective Point-of-Sale option, and integrates with the important business process reports (Bansal, 2013). Moreover, Account-mate ERP software cal also facilitate the company to attain certain benefits associated with its use such as, it integrates with F9, effectively managers sales and tax use, enables effective human resources, consumer relationship management (CRM) and project management (PM). Account-mate ERP software is the most suitable software for Disk4U Company as it facilitates enhanced materials requirement processing (MRP), Supply Chain Management (SCM) and business intelligence (BI) (Dumas et al., 2013). Account-mate ERP software has certain advantageous features such as it is non-profit version along with vertical warehousing, construction and distribution (Frankenberg, Hesse & Olivà ©, 2016). This ERP software can solve the issues faced by Disk4U Company in its business operations though facilitating superior transaction drill down and exceptional â€Å"audit trial report† ability. This software also provides with beneficial features of increased online training and supports functionality along with allowing cut and paste transactions from the spreadsheet of Microsoft excel (Arvidsson, Holmstrà ¶m & Lyytinen, 2014). However, Disk4U Company must also manage few cons associated with implementation of Account-mate ERP software in order to obtain best business operation process advantages from it. These disadvantages include lack of "business process flowchart" navigation, no point-of-sale (POS), or human resource (HR) modules for implementations of ERP. Certain drawbacks of t he ERP software also include limited charting and graphics (Bernroider & Mitlohner, 2015). After implementing Account-mate ERP software for managing its business operations effectively, it must configure the task shortcuts from scratch as no template exists in this ERP software along with no proper dashboards. Implementation of Account-Mate ERP software can support the company’s back-office operations along with financial business processes that encompass inventory, accounting, supply chain, order management, as well as business intelligence (BI). Implementation of this software wholesale distributor is available in several countries that reach out to the new markets and consumer segments through online medium along with decreasing person-to-person administrative expenses (Falkenberg, Hesse & Olivà ©, 2016). Account-Mate ERP Software has self-service vendor centre in which the company offers its self-owned vendors with great access to information that is important to the company’s partnership that encompass purchase orders, data of accounts payable along with major other documents. Account-Mate ERP Software established an international partner network. Purchase and implementation of the software is offered on an on-demand subscription-based service through the web. Moreover, purchase of the software through self-service vendor centre considers no hardware to procure, no high up-front license charges or extremely difficult set-ups (Arvidsson, Holmstrà ¶m & Lyytinen, 2014). With Account-Mate ERP Software’s unified platform, distributors and manufacturers streamline and automate all the major business processes of a company that includes from purchasing the software and manufacturing through to order to cash, fulfillment, multichannel commerce along with effective consumer service that is devoid of complexity and expenses on on-spot IT systems. The overall report mainly included an effective evaluation of the overall ERP system, which could help Disk4U to support their changing business environment. In addition, the study effectively evaluates the case study and identifies the overall requirements of Disk4U. The company mainly requires depicting the overall latest technologies, which could be used in improving the current accounting system for supporting the online presence in EBay. Moreover, the company has been using manual accounting process, which was effective for supporting the small business operations conducted within a region. However, the adoption of online sales from EBay platform is effective in improving the current sales of the company. In addition, the company mainly aims is carrying the both online and physical sales. Furthermore, the use of effective online business operation could help the business in generating higher revenue. Implementation of the overall advanced ERP system could effectively help Disk4U for improving its operational ability. Furthermore, the ERP system mainly needs different types of applications, which could improve the overall experience and reduce problems. Incorporation of Social ERP system could also help the company in making a social presence, which might attract potential investors. The business process management can take into account implementation of software tools those can be employed in order to deal with major business issues of Disk4U Company. Account-mate is considered as the best Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software to be implemented by Disk4U Company because of several advantages that this software can offer to the company. Altamony, H., Tarhini, A., Al-Salti, Z., Gharaibeh, A., & Elyas, T. (2016). The relationship between change management strategy and successful enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementations: A theoretical perspective.  International Journal of Business Management and Economic Research,  7(4), 690-703. Antero, M., (2015). A Multi-case Analysis of the Development of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP) Business Practices. Copenhagen Business SchoolCopenhagen Business School, Institut for IT-LedelseDepartment of IT Management. Arvidsson, V., Holmstrà ¶m, J. & Lyytinen, K., (2014). Information systems use as strategy practice: A multi-dimensional view of strategic information system implementation and use. The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 23(1), 45-61. Bansal, V., (2013). Enterprise Resource Planning. Pearson Education India. Becker, J., Kugeler, M. & Rosemann, M. eds., (2013). Process management: a guide for the design of business processes. Springer Science & Business Media. Bernroider, E.W. & Mitlohner, J., (2015). Characteristics of the multiple attribute decision making methodology in enterprise resource planning software decisions. Communications of the IIMA, 5(1), 6. Bradford, M., (2015). Modern ERP: select, implement, and use today's advanced business systems. Lulu. com. Chang, J.F., (2016). Business process management systems: strategy and implementation. CRC Press. Chou, H. W., Lin, Y. H., Lu, H. S., Chang, H. H., & Chou, S. B. (2014). Knowledge sharing and ERP system usage in post-implementation stage.  Computers in Human Behavior,  33, 16-22. Dumas, M., La Rosa, M., Mendling, J. & Reijers, H.A., (2013). Fundamentals of business process management, 1(2). Heidelberg: Springer. Erturk, E., & Arora, J. K. (2017). An Exploratory Study on the Implementation and Adoption of ERP Solutions for Businesses.  arXiv preprint arXiv:1701.08329. Esteves, J. M. (2014). An empirical identification and categorisation of training best practices for ERP implementation projects.  Enterprise Information Systems,  8(6), 665-683. Falkenberg, E.D., Hesse, W. & Olivà ©, A. eds., (2016). Information System Concepts: Towards a consolidation of views. Springer. Jain, D., & Sharma, Y. (2016). Cloud computing with ERP-A push business towards higher efficiency. Jinno, H., Abe, H., & Iizuka, K. (2017). Consideration of ERP Effectiveness: From the Perspective of ERP Implementation Policy and Operational Effectiveness.  Information,  8(1), 14. Kilic, H. S., Zaim, S., & Delen, D. (2014). Development of a hybrid methodology for ERP system selection: The case of Turkish Airlines.  Decision Support Systems,  66, 82-92. Kilic, H. S., Zaim, S., & Delen, D. (2015). Selecting â€Å"The Best† ERP system for SMEs using a combination of ANP and PROMETHEE methods.  Expert Systems with Applications,  42(5), 2343-2352. Lin, R., Zhao, X., & Wei, G. (2014). Models for selecting an ERP system with hesitant fuzzy linguistic information.  Journal of Intelligent & Fuzzy Systems,  26(5), 2155-2165. Nwankpa, J. K. (2015). ERP system usage and benefit: A model of antecedents and outcomes.  Computers in Human Behavior,  45, 335-344. Nwankpa, J., & Roumani, Y. (2014). Understanding the link between organizational learning capability and ERP system usage: An empirical examination.  Computers in Human Behavior,  33, 224-234. pcmag.com. (2016).  PCMag India. Retrieved 12 February 2017, from https://au.pcmag.com/se/?q=SaaS+ERP Rodrigues, J., Ruivo, P., Johansson, B., & Oliveira, T. (2016). Factors for Adopting ERP as SaaS amongst SMEs: The Customers vs. Vendor Point of View.  Information Resources Management Journal (IRMJ),  29(4), 1-16. Savage, C., Kautz, K., & Clarke, R. (2016). Fears and Triggers: A Conceptual Study of Vendor-Supplied Maintenance and Maintenance Deferral of Standard Package Software.  arXiv preprint arXiv:1606.00749. Seethamraju, R. (2015). Adoption of software as a service (SaaS) enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).  Information systems frontiers,  17(3), 475-492. Seethamraju, R. (2015). Adoption of software as a service (SaaS) enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).  Information systems frontiers,  17(3), 475-492. Shukla, S., Mishra, P. K., Jain, R., & Yadav, H. C. (2016). An integrated decision making approach for ERP system selection using SWARA and PROMETHEE method.  International Journal of Intelligent Enterprise,  3(2), 120-147.

Reasons for Quarrels between Friends Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reasons for Quarrels between Friends - Essay Example .. severe and demonstrate a lack of trust and respect. In these cases, a firm break up may be the right answer. â€Å"She goes on to explain the reasons as to why friends could end up arguing and what the end result of that action brings for the parties concerned. As we grow up, we come to realize that we may have a lot of friends, but only one whom we feel deeply close and connected to. That person is termed as a best friend. A best friend is someone whom we share our inner most thoughts and feelings with. That friend is the physical representation of the trust that we have learned to share with other people. Then something happens, your best friend betrays you for some reason. The betrayal could be something as petty as telling your parents about the day that you skipped school to go see a movie or something major (as in the case of adults) that resulted in the breaking of the trust because your best friend told someone else about your secret or, in some cases, started some gossip about you based upon the secrets that you told her. Whatever the reason, the trust you gave that person was broken. The betrayal you feel can be so severe that arguing with your friend does not produce a healthy solution to the situation. Sometimes the only logical path for your relationship to take with that person is to end the friendship since the sense of betrayal is sometimes overwhelming. Other times the reason for the break-up or quarrel in a friendship stems from the lack of support from people whom you expected to have your back during rough patches of your life. Say for example you move to a new school but still live in the same neighborhood. Your classmates used to be the same kids who lived on the same block. Now, you have a totally new set of classmates whom you have to adjust to because the new school standards and social set up is a far cry from your old one. When you get home, you expect to see your neighbors, whom you consider to be friends, and spend time with the m. Sharing your thoughts and feelings and just letting them know how hard it is to adjust to your new set up. However, instead of lending you an ear and offering you a shoulder to cry on, your friend or friends choose instead to make a joke out of your situation and make you feel like an outsider within a group of people whom you thought were your friends. This lack of support can often be a major cause of friction between friends that could also lead to the breakup of friendships if the problem is not resolved in time. Oftentimes such cases of lack of friend support are just a minor reason for arguments between friends and, if caught in time, the friendship can actually still be mended. Let's not forget, arguments between friends can also be caused by petty jealousy over things as simple as who looked better in an outfit, or who got the higher grade in a test. This feeling of inferiority between friends often results in the jealous friend acting all unreasonable and mean towards th e other friend who is deemed to have gotten the better result in a given situation. This failure to be happy for the success of other friends is a major cause of arguments between friends but can usually be ironed out in the end with a simple explanation. Jealousy does not often result in the end of

A.i. artifcial inteligence (2001) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

A.i. artifcial inteligence (2001) - Essay Example The robot is highly developed that can feel love was adopted by Henry (Sam Robards) and his wife (Frances O’Connor). Henry and his wife have a son named Martin who is unwell and ill. But when Martin returns home, both Martin and David are jealous between each other. Henry’s wife, Monica sends David loose in the woods as Monica thinks that David may be a threat. David is truly determined to find Blue Fairy who can help David to turn to a real boy to get back love from Monica. The science fiction movie Artificial intelligence was directed, written, and also produced by Steven Spielberg. The idea behind the movie Artificial Intelligence was originated by Stanley Kubrick. Stanley entrusted Steven Spielberg the proposed project. But in the year 1999 suddenly Stanley Kubrick died. Then Kubrick’s wife persuaded Spielberg to complete the direction and artistic control of the film. Steven Spielberg is regarded as one of the best known and influential film personalities in the film industry. The movie A.I. is based on the short story by Brian Aldiss named as super –toys last all summer which was released in the year 1969. ... Artificial Intelligence was released in the year 2001. Structure/ Form Artificial Intelligence A.I. is very much a visionary, complex, ad spellbinding film that helps to tutor everyone through the faculty of imagination and in the name of love. Maximum shot of the film was done in studio where the famous Flesh fair and Gondola sets were developed in the Long beach of the south Los Angeles and in the enormous Spruce Goose Dome. These sets were built in the year 1983. It was built to house famous Howard Hughes plane. Artificial Intelligence is cinematically wonderful to watch and tells emotional story about the robot child and quest for maternal love (Westfahl, 2005). The title of the movie perfectly blends with the movie. Normally Artificial Intelligence means a branch of computer science that develops advance software and machines. The whole movie is sci-fi and movie is about future machines like David which was created and can act normally as a kid. The title of the movie connects w onderfully with the theme of the movie. Artificial Intelligence movie was distributed by DreamWorks Pictures in international theatrical and Warner Bros. Pictures in USA theatrical. In the opening credits only movie name is presented. And movie name is presented in such a way that both words Artificial and Intelligence words are coming from sideways to join at a center of a screen to become A.I. It perfectly blends with the setting of the movie. The setting of the movie is futuristic. The film commences with a narrative after the catastrophic global warming that lead to flood which destroyed landscapes and thousands of population (Kowalski, 2008). The commencement of movie gives the view everything changed in

The Importance of Theory and Research in Child Development Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Theory and Research in Child Development Essay In order for us to understand how a child develops we must conduct research on theories that we believe and others believe to be true. When we do understand the development of children we will be able to understand the skills and behaviors of children. This will help us to understand why they will not eat certain foods or how children of different ages react differently to certain things. In the early 20th century many theories were put forward to help explain why and how children develop. A theorist who played a major influence in how we understand children was Jean Piaget. According to Mossler (2014) â€Å"While administering Binet’s intelligence test to Parisian schoolchildren, he became fascinated by children’s incorrect answers. After many years of observing the mental limitations of children, including his own, Piaget came to the conclusion that children of different ages think differently.† (p. 16) When an individual says the phrase â€Å"I did that with my children and it worked fine for them,† I believe that they are trying to get the other individual to do what they did with their children. Whether they are explaining to them how they punished their children or how they made it easier for them to learn something. This statement is not true in all cases. How one child understands and learns can be different than how another child understands and learns. For example, growing up my parents would punish me by spanking me, by doing this I learned that what I was doing was wrong. In order to teach me something new, my parents would show me how to do it once and then let me try it. This method of teaching has always worked with me but with my little sister, she had to study it a few times before she got the hang of it. It is important to utilize developmental theory to explain a foundational knowledge of childrens development so that parents and caregivers will be able to properly raise  these children in healthy and trusting environments. According to Virginia Department of Social Services (2004) Child development is the foundation upon which early childhood practice is bas ed. Because the psychomotor, socioemotional, cognitive, and linguistic developmental domains are inter-related, early childhood professionals in all types of programs (e.g., family child care homes, early childhood education centers) must comprehend both the processes of development and the adult’s role in supporting each child’s growth, development, and learning. (p. 1) Scholarly researchers will form a hypothesis, and then while referring back to previous research or writing by other academics or scholars, conduct research on the hypothesis in order to make their information available to the rest of the scholars. Unlike scholarly research, anecdotal evidence is something that is experienced by the researcher and is not considered very reliable. According to Mossler (2014) â€Å"Anecdotal evidence is not a substitute for good research. Only controlled experimental studies can properly answer the question of cause and effect.† (p. 48) Cognitive developmental theory i s founded on the idea that children gain knowledge by exploring and influencing the world that is all around them. According to Mossler (2014) â€Å"After many years of observing the mental limitations of children, including his own, Piaget came to the conclusion that children of different ages think differently. Mental activity evolves in a predictable pattern of distinct stages related to natural maturation of the brain (Piaget, 1983).† (p. 16) The key points to Piagets theory of cognitive development are the four stages of his theory. The first stage is the sensorimotor stage, which occurs from the time the child is born up to the age of two. In this stage the idea that infants â€Å"think† by influencing the world around them is considered. The second stage is the preoperational stage, which occurs from the age of two to the age of seven. This is characterized stage by the impression that children use symbols to represent their discoveries. In the third stage, the concrete operational stage, transpires when the child is seven up to eleven years old. This stage is categorized by the idea that children’s reasoning becomes focused and logical. In the final stage, the formal operational stage, children from ages eleven to adulthood are described by the indication that children develop the ability to think in abstract ways. (Boundless, 2015) The value of continued learning is important for an individual to learn and  grow. The way we think and act is constantly evolving and this happens from new understandings, new knowledge and new skills. We should incorporate both personal experience and scholarly research grounded in theory in order to learn new things and help others learn them as well. Most research starts with an idea and is developed from there. References Boundless. â€Å"Piagets Theory of Cognitive Development.† Boundless Psychology. Boundless, 27 Jun. 2014. Retrieved 05 Apr. 2015 from https://www.boundless.com/psychology/textbooks/boundless-psychology-textbook/human-development-14/theories-of-human-development-70/piaget-s-theory-of-cognitive-development-270-12805/ Mossler, R. (2nd ed.). (2014). Child and Adolescent Development. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education. Virginia Department of Social Services. (2004). Competencies for early childhood professionals’ area II: Understanding child growth and development. Retrieved from http://www.dss.virginia.gov/files/division/cc/provider_training_development/intro_page/publications/competencies/chapters_individually/04.pdf

Sci-fI Films Essay -- essays research papers

In this essay I am going to discuss about the topic: â€Å"Science fiction often plays off the real against the artificial, either in the form of humans versus non-human (androids, cyborgs, synthetics), or the world versus the non-world (cyberspace, inner-space, intentional space)†. I have chosen the films â€Å"The Matrix† and â€Å"Bicentennial Man† An explosion in information access and exchange is fueling the Information Superhighway that was created as a result of the computer revolution. If technology has truly become a god, then cyberspace is definitely its bible. Its scope is endless; its breadth enormous. Although the foundation of cyberspace, the computer, definitely serves to dehumanize culture, the Information Superhighway itself does not. If anything, cyberspace is re-humanizing the computer revolution. The World Wide Web, through pictures and graphics, has added personality and more personal contact to a technology that for years was ‘just the facts.’ Although the statement might be made that this is a pseudo-rehumanization that masks true human characteristics with digital ones, this is at least a step in the right direction. Something that removes the human qualities or attributes from culture can be said to dehumanize it. This technology destroys our view of truth and meaning. The basic presupposition of the Information Superhighway is that it contains information on any subject and can answer any question. It causes people to search places other than God for direction, truth, and meaning. Involvement with the technology serves to replace our involvement with reality. There is a tendency for people to start thinking of themselves and others in terms of their online personalities. Many people develop a whole other life on-line and some even end up being unable to separate their on-line identity from their real one. Recent movies such as The Matrix and Bicentennial Man serve to further blur this already fuzzy line. Bicentennial Man, directed by Chris Columbus (US, 1999), is based on a story Isaac Asimov wrote in 1975 and like many of his stories, it deals with the enigma of a machine with the intelligence of a man, but without the rights or the feelings. As we might expect the film presents Asimov's concept of the intelligent robot, a concept that, like Asimov himself, pre-dates the modern world of personal computers, video games, the Internet, 'e... ...housand years ago. If the portrayal of intelligent machines in films teaches us anything, it is that it is fortunate that such machines do not yet exist. It is fortunate that is, for the machines, because all the evidence would indicate that we are not yet ready to treat them as fellow persons. Fortunate too for us perhaps, because when they became smart enough to mount a successful rebellion they might make us pay for their oppression (Mitchell 2003). Reference: 1. Edwards, D A, ‘The Matrix’, The Matrix: An Ideological Analysis, viewed 5 June 2005, http://fiffdimension.tripod.com/matrix.htm1. 2. Menor F 2000, The Matrix(1999), viewed 7 June 2005, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/ 3. Mitchell, D 2003, What s it like to be a Robot?, viewed 7 June 2005, http://www.zenonic.demon.co.uk/zenorobot.htm 4. Setzer V W 2002, AI - Artificial Intelligence or Automated Imbecility, viewed 7 June 2005, http://www.transintelligence.org/articles/Artificial%20Intelligence.htm 5. The Matrix 1999, motion picture, Prod. Joel Silver. Dir. The Wachowski Brothers. Perf. Laurence Fishburne, and Keanu Reeves 6. www.duke.edu/~djs12/Lit%20Theory/ Lit%20Theory%20-%20The%20Matrix.doc

Deontological ethics Essay

In life one must deal with moral and ethical dilemmas. â€Å"Ethics is defined as the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral obligation† (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2013). It studies human moral behavior and how one should act. Ethics helps to explain how a person should feel about a particular situation. There are several groups of studies of ethics that defend and recommend concepts of right and wrong. The focus of this paper will be to describe three of the groups of within ethics, which are virtue theory, utilitarianism, and, deontological ethics. Afterward, it will show how virtue theory played a major part in a personal ethical dilemma. â€Å"Virtue ethics is a classification within Normative Ethics that attempts to discover and classify what might be deemed of moral character, and to apply the moral character as a base for one’s choices and actions† (Gowdy, 2009, Virtue Ethics, para. 1). The general perspective of virtue ethics is that one should choose their own personal excellence and contentment. If the person’s character is good, one should not be judged mainly by rules and customs. Virtue theory looks at someone’s habits of excellence for long term and forgives for minor mistakes. The Utilitarianism theory means â€Å"The greatest good for the greatest number† (Boylan, 2009, p. 153). â€Å"Utilitarianism is an ethical principle according to which an action is right if it tends to maximize happiness, not only the agent also of everyone affected† (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2013). They focus on the acts of a person rather than ones motives. The moral action in this theory must be the greatest aggregate utility or the average utility. Bentham and Mills supported the theory of utilitarianism and created the pleasure principle. They believed that pleasure principle is a clearly identifiable end to what humans strive. â€Å"Deontological is a moral theory that emphasizes one’s duty to do a particular action just because the action, itself, is inherently right and not through any other sorts of calculations such as consequences to the action† (Boylan, 2009, p. 171). Deontology advocates the nature of principle. Moral principles are warranted through an understanding of the structure, reason and will. The foundation of commands in deontology involves laws and natural moral duties. Kant was a strong proponent of deontology and believed that people must act from duty. He argued that it is not the effects of actions that make them right or wrong but the motives of the person. My moral dilemma relates to the virtue theory because of my family’s strong religious values and beliefs. My family nurtured me in a strict Catholic household and with high family religious morals. I performed all the Catholic rituals starting from when I was very young, such as first communion and all the way to confirmation. We went to church every Sunday and my family and I still continue the same rituals. I encountered my moral dilemma when I became pregnant before I was married. My family was very disappointed when they discovered I was pregnant and wanted us to get married right away. In the Catholic religion it is considered a major sin to have a baby out of wedlock. My boyfriend and I believed we were not prepared to get married at the time. Marriage is a strong sacrament in our religion as well. We did not want to rush into getting married just because of my family’s religious values. We married in Catholic Church two years after our son was born. Even though I lived my life as a respectable Catholic, I could not conform strictly to their rules. I had to decide what was best for my absolute moral value and character. In conclusion it is good to question ethics because one must decide from right and wrong. We have learned through virtue, utilitarianism, and deontological theories that there are different ways to rationalize a dilemma. The responsibility of an individual is to decide how to deal with each ethical situation to the best of our own abilities. It is from actual life experiences and ethical values that make us who we are. References Boylan, M. (2009). Basic Ethics (2nd ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Ethics. (2013). In Merriam-Websters Online Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www. merriam- webster. com/dictionary/ethic Gowdy, L. N. (2009). Ethic Morals. Retrieved from http://www. ethicsmorals. com/ethicsvirtue. html Utilitarianism. (2013). In Merriam-Websters Online Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/utilitarianism.

The Golden Lily Chapter 16

I WASTED NO TIME in getting the group together. This was big. I still didn't know the level of danger we were facing, but I refused to take any chances. I chose Clarence's house as a meeting spot, seeing as the hunters didn't know about it yet. It still made me nervous. I would've been nervous even if we'd been meeting in an Alchemist bunker. And apparently, â€Å"hunters† wasn't even the right term. According to their low-quality pamphlet, they called themselves â€Å"The Warriors of Light.† I wasn't sure they deserved that fancy title, especially since in their mission statement, they spelled â€Å"abyss† as â€Å"abiss.† The pamphlet was really very sparse, simply stating that there was an evil walking among humanity and that the Warriors were the force there to destroy it. They urged their fellow humans to be ready and stay pure. None of the vampires were mentioned by name, for which I was glad. The pamphlet also didn't mention much about any of the shared history they claimed to have with the Alchemists. Before we went to Clarence's, Eddie scoured Latte for any sort of tracking device. The very idea creeped me out, the same way being watched at Adrian's did. There was a feeling of violation to it all. It was only my lack of faith in their technology that made me feel somewhat better. â€Å"It seems unlikely they'd be that advanced,† I told Eddie, as he wiggled under the car. â€Å"I mean, that pamphlet looked like it had been made on a 1980s copy machine. I don't know if that's because they've had the pamphlets sitting around that long or if that's the actual machine they still use†¦ but regardless, they don't scream high tech to me.† â€Å"Maybe,† he agreed, voice slightly muffled. â€Å"But we can't take any chances. We don't know what they're capable of. And for all we know, they're trying to hook up with the Alchemists to score technology.† Chills ran through me. It was an outrageous thought: that the Alchemists and this violent fringe group could be related. It had been crazy when Adrian and I had speculated about it and was hard to accept even in the face of mounting evidence. At least now I had enough information to take to my superiors without being ridiculed. Even though I'd never heard of hunters like this, it seemed plausible that somewhere, at some point, they'd tried to connect with my organization. Hopefully someone in the Alchemists could help. Eddie scooted out from under Latte. â€Å"You're clean. Let's head out.† Jill and Angeline were waiting nearby, both tense and anxious. Jill gave Eddie an admiring smile. â€Å"I didn't know you knew how to do any of this. I never would have even thought about it.† He wiped sweat off his forehead. â€Å"You thought guardian training was all about hitting and kicking?† She flushed. â€Å"Pretty much, yeah.† â€Å"Can you tell me about some of this stuff sometime?† asked Angeline. â€Å"Seems like I should know it.† â€Å"Sure,† said Eddie, sounding like he meant it. She beamed. He'd been much easier around her ever since her attitude had become more serious and restrained. I think some of that good behavior had played a role in me getting permission for her to join us tonight. She was still technically on suspension, but I'd managed to get a special exemption on the grounds of our family's so-called religion. I'd used a similar excuse when Jill had been suspended last month, in order to take her to feedings. Even still, we were on very strict orders with Angeline tonight. She couldn't be out for more than two hours, and the price was adding an extra day of suspension to her sentence. We took an abnormal route to Clarence's, and Eddie watched behind us carefully, looking for any signs of pursuit. He tried to explain some of the things I needed to watch for when I was on my own. I was so nervous, I hardly heard. After a tense ride, we made it safely to Clarence's. There, we found Adrian already waiting for us. Dimitri had apparently been downtown earlier and picked Adrian up – no doubt taking all the same precautions Eddie had for travel. I'd given Eddie and Dimitri some of the info on the hunters, but everyone else required a more thorough explanation. We gathered in our usual spot, the formal living room, and Dimitri paced around the room, bracing for an attack at any moment. Clarence looked on from his chair with that typical distracted gaze. When I held up the pamphlet, however, he came to life. â€Å"That's them!† he cried. I thought he might actually spring up from the chair and rip the pamphlet from my hands. â€Å"Those are their symbols!† Most of the same alchemical symbols that had been on the sword were strewn across the pamphlet's front. â€Å"That circle. I remember that circle.† â€Å"The gold symbol,† I confirmed. â€Å"Or, I guess in their case, the sun symbol since they're so obsessed with light and dark.† Clarence looked around frantically. â€Å"They're back! We have to get out of here. I came to this city to escape them, but they've found me. We have no time. Where's Dorothy? Where's Lee? I must pack!† â€Å"Mr. Donahue,† I said, in as a gentle a tone as I could manage, â€Å"they don't know you're here. You're safe.† I didn't know if I believed that and hoped I was convincing. â€Å"She's right,† said Dimitri. â€Å"And even if they did, you know I wouldn't let them hurt you.† There was such confidence and strength in the way Dimitri spoke that I had a feeling that we'd believe him even if a group of Strigoi were invading, and he said, â€Å"It's fine, you're safe.† â€Å"If what you're saying is true,† said Sonya, â€Å"I'm the one that's in danger.† She seemed much calmer than I would be in that situation. â€Å"They're not going to hurt you either,† said Dimitri sharply. â€Å"Especially if you don't leave this house.† â€Å"The research – † she began. † – is nothing compared to your safety,† he finished. There was a look in his eyes that said he would tolerate no arguments. â€Å"You need to get back to Court. You were planning on it anyway. Just make the trip early.† Sonya didn't look happy about that. â€Å"So I leave the rest of you in danger?† â€Å"Maybe we aren't,† said Eddie, though the tension in his body said otherwise. â€Å"From what Sydney said – and their mini-manifesto – their focus seems to be Strigoi, not Moroi.† He glanced over at Jill. â€Å"Not that we can let our guard down. If they've mistaken Sonya for a Strigoi, who knows what other craziness they might do? Don't worry. I won't let them near you.† Jill looked ready to swoon. â€Å"That's a good idea,† I said. â€Å"They still think the Moroi are a threat but not as much as the Strigoi.† â€Å"Kind of like the Alchemists,† said Adrian. He was sitting in a corner armchair and had been quiet this whole time. I hadn't seen him since the night of the dance or had any communication with him, which was odd. Even when he wasn't sending me pathetic e-mails about the experiments, he almost always had some witty quip to pass along. â€Å"True,† I admitted, with a smile. â€Å"But we're not trying to kill any of you. Not even Strigoi.† â€Å"And there's the problem,† said Dimitri. â€Å"These warriors are convinced Sonya used to be a Strigoi and is using some trick to disguise herself.† â€Å"Maybe they have some tracking or inventory system,† Sonya mused. â€Å"They keep tabs on various Strigoi in the country and then try to hunt them down.† â€Å"And yet they didn't know about you,† I pointed out to Dimitri. His face stayed neutral, but I knew it was hard for him to be reminded of his Strigoi days. â€Å"And from what I know†¦ you were much more of a, um, notable figure than Sonya.† He'd essentially been a Strigoi mobster. â€Å"So, if you're off their radar, they probably don't have an international presence – or at least not a Russian one.† Angeline leaned forward, hands clasped, and regarded Clarence with a smile sweet enough to justify her name. â€Å"How do you know about them? How did you first run into them?† At first, he looked too terrified to answer, but I think her kindly attitude soothed him. â€Å"Well, they killed my niece, of course.† We all knew Lee had killed Clarence's niece, but the old man didn't believe this any more than he believed Lee was dead. â€Å"Did you see them when they did it?† asked Angeline. â€Å"Did you ever see them at all?† â€Å"Not when Tamara died, no,† he admitted. His eyes got a faraway look, as though he were staring straight into the past. â€Å"But I knew what signs to look for. I'd run into them before that, you see. Back when I was living in Santa Cruz. They like California, you know. And the Southwest. Goes back to their sun fixation.† â€Å"What happened in Santa Cruz?† asked Dimitri. â€Å"A group of their young ones began stalking me. Trying to kill me.† The rest of us exchanged glances. â€Å"So they do go after Moroi,† said Eddie. He actually moved closer to Jill. Clarence shook his head. â€Å"Not usually. From what Marcus told me, they prefer Strigoi. These were young, undisciplined members of their order going off on their own, without the knowledge of their superiors. I assume it was the same type who killed Tamara.† â€Å"Who's Marcus?† I asked. â€Å"Marcus Finch. He saved me from them a few years ago. Fended them off during an attack and later got in touch with their order to keep those ruffians away from me.† Clarence shivered at the memory. â€Å"Not that I stayed around after that. I took Lee and left. That was when we moved to Los Angeles for a while.† â€Å"This Marcus,† I said. â€Å"Was he a guardian?† â€Å"A human. He was about your age then. He knew all about the hunters.† â€Å"I suppose he would if he got in touch with them,† Dimitri speculated. â€Å"But he must be friendly to Moroi if he helped you?† â€Å"Oh, yes,† said Clarence. â€Å"Very much so.† Dimitri looked over at me. â€Å"Do you think – â€Å" â€Å"Yes,† I said, guessing his question. â€Å"I'll see if we can find this Marcus guy. It'd be nice to get a source of info that's not one of these crazy warriors. I'm also going to report on all of this, actually.† â€Å"Me too,† said Dimitri. Although Clarence wasn't the expert on the hunters that this mysterious Marcus was, the old Moroi still had a surprising amount of info to share – info none of us had wanted to hear before. He verified what we'd already deduced, about the hunters' â€Å"devotion to the light.† The group's focus was Strigoi (for now), and all of their hunts were carefully planned and organized. They had a ritualized set of behaviors, particularly in regard to their younger members – which was why the rogue group harassing Clarence had been stopped. From what Clarence had gathered, the group was quite tough on their new recruits, emphasizing discipline and excellence. With the clock ticking down on Angeline's reprieve, we needed to wrap things up shortly thereafter. I was also in charge of taking Adrian home, since we figured it'd be best to eliminate any chance of Dimitri being followed back to Clarence's. Besides, I could tell Dimitri was anxious to begin putting certain things in motion. He wanted to finalize Sonya's departure and also confer with the guardians – in case Jill needed to be removed. Her face reflected what I felt about that possible outcome. We'd both become attached to Amberwood. While he was giving some last-minute instructions to Eddie, I pulled Sonya aside for a quiet word. â€Å"I†¦ I've been thinking about something,† I told her. She studied me carefully, probably reading my aura and other body language. â€Å"What is it?† she asked. â€Å"If you want†¦ if you really want it, you can have some of my blood.† It was a huge, huge admission. Was it something I wanted to do? No. Absolutely not. I still had the same instinctive fears about giving my blood to Moroi, even for scientific purposes. And yet, yesterday's events – and even the alley attack – had begun making me re-analyze my worldview. Vampires weren't the only monsters out there. They were hardly monsters at all, especially next to these vampire hunters. How could I judge the enemy on race? I was being reminded more and more that humans were just as capable as vampires of evil – and that vampires were capable of good. It was actions that mattered, and Sonya and Dimitri's were noble ones. They were fighting to destroy the ultimate evil of all, and as squeamish as I felt about giving my blood, I knew the right thing was to help them. Sonya knew what a sacrifice this was for me. Her face stayed calm – no whoops of joy – and she nodded solemnly. â€Å"I have my collection kit here. I can take a sample before you leave, if you're sure.† So soon? Well, why not. It was best to get it over with – especially if Sonya would be leaving town soon anyway. We did it in the kitchen, which seemed slightly more sanitary than the living room. Sonya was no doctor, but whatever training she'd had, it was right in line with what I'd observed when getting physicals. Antiseptic, gloves, a new syringe. All the right procedures were followed, and after a quick poke of the needle, she had my blood sample. â€Å"Thank you, Sydney,† she said, handing me a plastic bandage. â€Å"I know how difficult this must have been for you. Believe me, this could really help us.† â€Å"I want to help,† I told her. â€Å"I really do.† She smiled. â€Å"I know. And we need all the help we can get. After being one of them†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her smile faded. â€Å"Well, I believe more than ever that their evil needs to be stopped. You might be the key.† For one second, her words inspired me – that I might somehow play a greater role in the fight against evil and possibly even stop it. Immediately, that thought was replaced by my old panic. No. No. I wasn't special. I didn't want to be. I would make a good faith effort to help, but surely nothing would come of it. I returned to fetch the others. Adrian and Jill were having some earnest conversation in the corner. Eddie and Angeline were also talking, and I overheard her say, â€Å"I'll stay with Jill more at school, just to be safe. We can't have her be part of some accident or mistaken identity.† Eddie nodded and looked impressed that she'd suggested it. â€Å"Agreed.† Amazing, I thought. I left soon with my carpool and swung by downtown to drop Adrian off. As I pulled up in front of his building, I saw something that made my jaw drop. Awe and disbelief rolled through me. In what was probably the most ungraceful parking job I'd ever done in my life, I brought Latte to an abrupt stop and was out of the car the second I pulled my keys from the ignition. The others followed moments later. â€Å"What,† I breathed. â€Å"Is that?† â€Å"Oh,† said Adrian casually. â€Å"That's my new car.† I took a few steps forward and then stopped, afraid to approach it in the same way someone hesitated before royalty. â€Å"It's a 1967 Ford Mustang convertible,† I said, knowing my eyes were probably bugging out of my face. I began walking around it. â€Å"The year they did a major overhaul and increased the size to keep up with other high-powered competition. See? It's the first model with the concave tail lights but the last to have the Ford block lettering up front until 1974.† â€Å"What in the world is that color?† asked Eddie, not sounding impressed at all. â€Å"Springtime Yellow,† Adrian and I said in unison. â€Å"I would've guessed Lemon Chiffon,† said Eddie. â€Å"Maybe you can get it repainted.† â€Å"No!† I exclaimed. I tossed my purse over onto the grass and carefully touched the car's side. Brayden's beautiful new Mustang suddenly seemed so ordinary. â€Å"It's been touched up, obviously, but this is a classic color. Which engine code is this? C, right?† â€Å"Um†¦ not sure,† said Adrian. â€Å"I know it's got a V-8 engine.† â€Å"Of course it does,† I said. It was hard not to roll my eyes. â€Å"A 289. I want to know what the horsepower is.† â€Å"It's probably in the paperwork,† Adrian said lamely. It was at that moment that I really processed Adrian's earlier words. I looked up at him, knowing my face must be filled with disbelief. â€Å"This is really your car?† â€Å"Yup,† he said. â€Å"I told you. The old man spotted me the money for one.† â€Å"And you got this one?† I peered in through the window. â€Å"Nice. Black interior, manual transmission.† â€Å"Yeah,† said Adrian, a note of unease in his voice. â€Å"That's the problem.† I glanced back. â€Å"What is? The black is great. And the leather's condition is fantastic. So is the rest of the car.† â€Å"No, not the interior. The transmission. I can't drive a stick.† I froze. â€Å"You can't drive a stick?† â€Å"Neither can I,† said Jill. â€Å"You don't have a license,† I reminded her. Although, my mother had taught me to drive before I had a license – both automatic and manual transmission. I knew I shouldn't be surprised the stick was a lost art, as savage as such a lack seemed to me. That paled, of course, in comparison to the other obvious problem. â€Å"Why on earth would you buy a car like this if you can't drive a stick? There are dozens of cars – new cars – that have automatic transmission. It'd be a million times easier.† Adrian shrugged. â€Å"I like the color. It matches my living room.† Eddie snorted. â€Å"But you can't drive it,† I pointed out. â€Å"I figure it can't be that hard.† Adrian sounded remarkably unconcerned about what I found blasphemous. â€Å"I'll just practice taking it around the block a few times and figure it out.† I couldn't believe what I was hearing. â€Å"What? Are you out of your mind? You'll ruin it if you don't know what you're doing!† â€Å"What else am I supposed to do?† he asked. â€Å"Are you going to teach me?† I turned back to the beautiful Mustang. â€Å"Yes,† I said adamantly. â€Å"If that's what it takes to save it from you.† â€Å"I can show you too,† said Eddie. Adrian ignored him and focused on me. â€Å"When we can start?† I ran through my school schedule, knowing I'd have to make talking to the Alchemists about the Warriors of Light my top priority. Then, the obvious hit me. â€Å"Oh. When we see Wolfe this week. We'll take this out there.† â€Å"Is that really to help me?† asked Adrian. â€Å"Or do you just want to drive the car?† â€Å"Both,† I said, not embarrassed to admit it. Angeline's clock at school was ticking, so the rest of us had to leave. I'd driven three blocks away when I realized I'd left my purse on the grass. With a groan, I looped around and returned to his building. My purse was there, but the Mustang was gone. â€Å"Where's the car?† I asked, panicked. â€Å"No one could have stolen it that fast.† â€Å"Oh,† said Jill from the backseat, sounding slightly nervous. â€Å"I saw through the bond. He, um, moved it.† It was handy having the bond as a source of information, but her words made me panic more than if the car actually had been stolen. â€Å"He what?† â€Å"Not far,† she said quickly. â€Å"Just behind the building. This street's got weird overnight parking rules.† I grimaced. â€Å"Well, I'm glad it won't get towed, but he should've had me move it! Even if it's not far, he could ruin the transmission.† â€Å"I'm sure it's fine,† said Jill. There was a strange note to her voice. I didn't respond. Jill was no car expert. None of them were. â€Å"It's like letting a toddler loose in a room full of china,† I muttered. â€Å"What was he thinking? About any of this?† No one had an answer for that. I got us back to Amberwood in time for Angeline's curfew and retreated to the sanity and calm of my room. As soon as I was satisfied my friends were safe and secure for the night, I e-mailed Donna Stanton – a high-up Alchemist whom I'd inexplicably developed a good relationship with – about the hunters and what we'd learned. I even took pictures of the pamphlet and e-mailed those as well. Once that was done, I sat back and tried to think if there was anything else at all I could provide her with that might help. It was only when I'd exhausted all options (and refreshed my inbox a few times to see if she'd responded already) that I finally moved on to homework. As usual, I was pretty much caught up on every assignment – save one. Ms. Terwilliger's. That stupid book was on my desk, staring back at me, daring me to open it. I still had a number of days before her spell was due, time during which I could continue to procrastinate. I was beginning to accept, however, that this assignment wasn't going to go away. Considering how long some of the prep on these took, maybe it'd be best to bite the bullet and get it out of the way. Resolved, I brought the book over to my bed and opened it to the table of contents, scanning some of the spells she'd gone over with me. My stomach twisted at most of them, every instinct telling me how wrong it was to even be attempting these. Magic is for vampires, not humans. I still believed that to be true, but the analytical part of my mind couldn't help but apply some of the defensive spells to various situations. Much like my decision to give blood, recent events had made me look at the world differently. Was magic wrong? Yes. But that blindness spell would have certainly been useful in the alley. Another spell, one that temporarily immobilized people, could've been used if I'd wanted to flee from the hunters at the cafe. Sure, it only lasted thirty seconds, but that was more than enough time for me to have escaped. On and on, I went down the list. They were all so wrong and yet†¦ so useful. If I hadn't seen the fire charm I'd made ignite a Strigoi, I wouldn't have believed any of these were possible. But by all accounts, they were. So much power†¦ the ability to protect myself†¦ Immediately, I rebuked myself for such a thought. I had no need for power. That kind of thinking was what led freaks like Liam to want to be Strigoi. Although†¦ was it really the same? I didn't want immortality. I didn't want to hurt others. I just wanted to protect myself and those I cared about. Wolfe had a lot to teach me, but his preventative techniques wouldn't help if determined vampire hunters cornered Sonya and me again. As time went on, it was becoming clear that the hunters were very determined. I returned to the table of contents, finding several that would be useful and well within my capabilities to make. According to Ms. Terwilliger, someone like me had excellent potential for magic because of inborn talent (which I didn't entirely believe) and the rigorous Alchemist training in measurement and attention to detail. It wasn't difficult to figure out how long it would take me to produce any of these likely candidates. The question was which spell did I make? Which did I have time to make? The answer was eerily simple. I had time to make all of them.

Ghosts of Mississippi essays

Ghosts of Mississippi essays On the night of June 13th 1963, President John F. Kennedy was giving his speech on Civil Rights. Among the many thousands of people in America viewing this event on National Television were Myrlie Evers and her three children. Suddenly, this occurrence was rudely disrupted by the deathly sound of a loud gunshot. Frantically running to their driveway, Myrlie and the kids found Medgar Evers shot in the back and lying in a pool of blood gasping for his last breath. Myrlie clung on to her husbands body as she and the children wept for this mans life. Almost thirty years later, the man charged with this murder would be tried again in a court of law, in front of a different jury of eight blacks and four whites. Justice was going to be served in the state of Mississippi no matter how long it was going to take. This murder case was tried in the racist state of Mississippi in the racist period of 1963. The judge was also a racist white man by the name of Moore and the jury consisted of twelve men. All white. Much evidence was presented to the court, such as the gun used to kill Medgar Evers consisting of fingerprints belonging to the convicted, Byron de la Beckwith. Byron and his vehicle were also spotted at the parking lot of Joes Drive-thru, a block away from the Evers household, on the night of the murder. On the other hand, two white men, Holly and Cresswell, claimed to have witnessed Byron de la Beckwith at a gas station in Greenwood, 90-95 miles away from the scene, on the same night. This case was tried twice ending both times in a hung jury, leaving Byron innocent and free of charge. Twenty-six years later, on October 1989, Myrlie Evers seeks to reopen the Medgar Evers case. A Mississippi lawyer named Bobby Delaughter, the son-in-law of Judge Moore, slowly took this task into his hands and dug up information and such on this forgotten trial. Upon making this decision, his wife leaves him, but he l...

A Study of Luxury Fashion Brand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A Study of Luxury Fashion Brand - Essay Example The paper "A Study of Luxury Fashion Brand" analyzes the influence of social media marketing on brand loyalty and purchase intention of Chinese youth fashion customers. Social media is one of the most emerging marketing medium in the global business scenario. Recently, such marketing mediums are used highly used by the firms in order to attract customers from different economic and demographic segments. Social media portals are using Web 2.0 base, which offers higher interaction among the potential customers. According to DeLuca (2011), social media is highly used in the Chinese regions. It has been observed that out of 1367 million Chinese populations, 642 million peoples are using internet actively and 629 million peoples are having active social media accounts. In addition, it has been observed that 506 million people are having active mobile social accounts (Das, 2014). It has been observed that Chinese people are using social media like Qzone, Tencent Weibo, Sina Weibo, Peng you and Renren. Therefore, it can be said that luxury fashion retailers will share the features of clothing products, pricing information, store information, product range and collecting feedbacks from the customers. Denk (2010) stated that customers purchasing intention varies for different factors like shopping orientation, product interest, product types, experience of the previous purchase, and trust on the particular products. Such traits are observed in luxury fashion retail brand’s purchase intension.

Effects Of Adoption On Young Adoptees Assignment

Effects Of Adoption On Young Adoptees - Assignment Example Parents without adopted children think adoption is a simple process whereby the adopted child has only to seek truth about his or her true parentage. This is not the correct because the child experiences other emotional and psychological effects. In this article, the author outlines common feelings adopted kids have. They feelings include a sense of loss and grief over real parentage, lack of control over life, curiosity about family heritage, feels abandoned, guilt, and fear of rejection. In addition, the writer mentions that the adopted children thinks about how life would have been with the birth parents, feels angered by real parent or adoptive ones and feels unworthy of love and fear getting emotionally involved with other people. However, due to the difference in the adoption situation, some children do not experience the feelings since they are at peace with the adoptive parents. They are exceptional. Despite this, parents should work hard to help children learn and cope with the emotions accompanying adoption