Midterm Election Results - The Presidents Party Loses

Midterm Election Results - The President's Party Loses Midterm elections are not friendly to the presidents political party. Modern midterm elections have resulted in an average loss of 30 seats in the House of Representatives  and Senate by the political party whose president occupies the White House. Midterms,  held in even years in the second year of a presidents four-year term, are typically thought of as a barometer of the majority partys popularity among the electorate. And with few exceptions, theyre pretty ugly. There are  competing theories for why the presidents party suffers in midterm elections. One is the belief that a president who is elected in a landslide, or because of a coattails effect, will suffer deep losses in the midterms.  The coattail effect   is a reference to the effect  a very popular candidate president has on voters and candidates for office who are also on the ballot in presidential election years. Candidates of a popular presidential candidates party are swept into office on their coattails. But what happens two years later in the midterm elections? Apathy. The stronger the presidential victory margin or the more seats won in the presidential year and therefore at risk, the greater will be the subsequent midterm seat loss, explains the University of Houstons  Robert S. Erikson, writing in the Journal of Politics. Another reason: the so-called presidential penalty, or the tendency of more voters to go the polls only when they are angry. If more angry voters vote than do satisfied voters, the presidents party loses.  In the United States, voters typically express dissatisfaction with the presidents party and remove some of his senators and members of the House of Representatives. Midterm elections provide a check on the presidents power and give power to the electorate. Worst Midterm Election Losses Midterm elections are held two years after a presidential election; one-third of the Senate and all 435 seats in the House of Representatives are at stake. Conventional wisdom holds that the Presidents party will lose seats during a midterm election. In the 21 midterm elections held since 1934, only twice has the presidents party gained seats in both the Senate and the House: Franklin Delano Roosevelts first midterm election and George W. Bushs first midterm election. On three other occasions, the presidents party gained House seats and once it was a draw. On one occasion, the presidents party gained Senate seats. The worst midterm losses tend to occur in a presidents first term. Modern midterm election results include: In 2010, Democrats lost 69 seats, 63 in the House and six in the Senate, while Democratic President Barack Obama was in the White House. Obama, who signed an overhaul of the nations health care system that was deeply unpopular among Tea Party Republicans, later described the midterm results as a shellacking.In 2006, Republicans lost 36 seats, 30 in the House and six in the Senate, while Republican President George W. Bush was in office. Voters had grown weary of the war in Iraq and took it out on Bush, one of only three presidents whose party has picked up seats in midterms since World War II. Bush called the 2006 midterms a thumpin.in 1994, Democrats lost 60 seats, 52 in the House and eight in the Senate, while Democrat Bill Clinton was in office and the opposing party, led by conservative firebrand Newt Gingrich, orchestrated a successful Republican Revolution in Congress with its Contract With America.In 1974, Republicans lost 63 seats, 48 in the House and five in the Senate, whil e Republican President Gerald Ford was in office. The election was held just months after President Richard M. Nixon resigned from the White House in disgrace amid the Watergate scandal.   Exceptions to the Rule There have been three midterms in which the presidents party actually picked up seats since the 1930s. They are: The 2002 midterms, in which the Republicans picked up 10 seats, eight in the House and two in the Senate, while Bush was in the White House. The election was held a year after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the Republican presidents popularity surged amid the strong patriotic sentiment in the electorate.In 1998, the Democrats picked up five seats, all in the House, in Clintons second term - even as he faced impeachment hearings sought by Republicans amid the Monica Lewinsky scandal.  And in 1934, the Democrats picked up 18 seats, nine each in the House and Senate, while Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt was in office and putting in place the New Deal to ease the impact of the  The Great Depression.  Ã‚   Midterm Election Results   This chart shows the number of seats in the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate that the presidents party won or lost during midterm elections dating back to Franklin D. Roosevelt.   Year President Party House Senate Total 1934 Franklin D. Roosevelt D +9 +9 +18 1938 Franklin D. Roosevelt D -71 -6 -77 1942 Franklin D. Roosevelt D -55 -9 -64 1946 Harry S. Truman D -45 -12 -57 1950 Harry S. Truman D -29 -6 -35 1954 Dwight D. Eisenhower R -18 -1 -19 1958 Dwight D. Eisenhower R -48 -13 -61 1962 John F. Kennedy D -4 +3 -1 1966 Lyndon B. Johnson D -47 -4 -51 1970 Richard Nixon R -12 +2 -10 1974 Gerald R. Ford R -48 -5 -63 1978 Jimmy Carter D -15 -3 -18 1982 Ronald Reagan R -26 +1 -25 1986 Ronald Reagan R -5 -8 -13 1990 George Bush R -8 -1 -9 1994 William J. Clinton D -52 -8 -60 1998 William J. Clinton D +5 0 +5 2002 George W. Bush R +8 +2 +10 2006 George W. Bush R -30 -6 -36 2010 Barack Obama D -63 -6 -69 2014 Barack Obama D -13 -9 -21 [Updated  by Tom Murse in August 2018.]

How to Open and Read a GEDCOM File

How to Open and Read a GEDCOM File One of the most common methods used to exchange genealogical information is a GEDCOM file, an acronym for GEnealogical Data COMmunication. In simple terms, GEDCOM is a method of formatting your family tree data into a text file which can be easily read and converted by any genealogy software program. The GEDCOM specification was originally developed in 1985 and is owned and managed by the Family History Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. GEDCOM is 5.5 and 5.5.1 (legacy GEDCOM) are no longer maintained as development continues on GEDCOM X.   Using GEDCOM Almost all major genealogy software packages and websites - including Reunion, Ancestral Quest, My Family Tree, and others - both read and write to the GEDCOM standard, although most of those tools also have their own proprietary formats. Depending on the GEDCOM version and the version of any given genealogy software program, you might encounter some standards problems that lead to imperfect interoperability. For example, Program X might not support a few tags that Program Y supports, so some data loss might occur. Youll want to check each programs technical specifications to see if and how it differs from the GEDCOM standard. Anatomy of a Genealogy GEDCOM File If you open a GEDCOM file using your word  processor, youll see a jumble of numbers, abbreviations, and bits and pieces of data. There are no blank lines and no indentations in a GEDCOM file. Thats because it is a specification for exchanging information from one computer to another and was never intended to be read as a text file. GEDCOMs basically take your family information and translate it into an outline format. Records in a GEDCOM file are arranged in groups of lines that hold information about one individual (INDI) or one family (FAM) and each line in an individual record has a level number. The first line of every record is numbered zero to show that it is the beginning of a new record. Within that record, different level numbers are subdivisions of the next level above it. For example, the birth of an individual may be given level No. 1 and further information about the birth (date, place, etc.) would be given level No. 2. After the level number, you will see a descriptive tag, which refers to the type of data contained in that line. Most tags are obvious - BIRT for birth and PLAC for place - but some are a little more obscure, such as BARM for Bar Mitzvah. A simple example of GEDCOM records: 0 I2 INDI 1 NAME Charles Phillip /Ingalls/ 1 SEX M1 BIRT2 DATE 10 JAN 18362 PLAC Cuba, Allegheny, NY1 DEAT2 DATE 08 JUN 19022 PLAC De Smet, Kingsbury, Dakota Territory1 FAMC F21 FAMS F30 I3 INDI1 NAME Caroline Lake /Quiner/1 SEX F1 BIRT2 DATE 12 DEC 18392 PLAC Milwaukee Co., WI1 DEAT2 DATE 20 APR 19232 PLAC De Smet, Kingsbury, Dakota Territory1 FAMC F211 FAMS F3 Tags can also serve as pointers - for example, I2 - which indicate a related individual, family or source within the same GEDCOM file. For example, a family record (FAM) will contain pointers to the individual records (INDI) for the husband, wife, and children. Here is the family record that contains Charles and Caroline, the two individuals discussed above: 0 F3 FAM1 HUSB I21 WIFE I31 MARR2 DATE 01 FEB 18602 PLAC Concord, Jefferson, WI1 CHIL I11 CHIL I421 CHIL I441 CHIL I451 CHIL I47 A GEDCOM is basically a connected web of records with pointers that keep all of the relationships straight. While you should now be able to decipher a GEDCOM with a text editor, you will still find it much easier to read with the appropriate software. GEDCOMs contain two additional pieces: A header section (led by the line  0 HEAD) with metadata about the file; the header is the very first section of the file. The final line - called a  trailer - indicates the end of the file. It simply reads  0 TRLR. How to Open and Read a GEDCOM File Opening a GEDCOM file is usually straightforward. Begin by ensuring that the file is truly a genealogy GEDCOM file and not a family tree file created in some proprietary format by a  genealogy software program. A file is in GEDCOM format when it ends in the extension .ged. If the file ends with the extension .zip then it has been zipped (compressed) and needs to be unzipped first.   Back up your existing genealogy databases, then open the file (or import it) with your software. How to Save Your Family Tree as a GEDCOM File All major family tree software programs support the creation of GEDCOM files. Creating a GEDCOM file does not overwrite your existing data or change your existing file in any way. Instead, a new file is generated by a process called exporting. Exporting a GEDCOM file is easy to do with any family tree software by following the basic instructions offered in the software help tool. Remove private information such as birth dates and  Social Security numbers  for people in your family tree who are still living in order to protect their privacy.   List of Tags The GEDCOM 5.5 standard supports quite a few different tags and indicators: ABBR  {ABBREVIATION} A short name of a title, description or name. ADDR  {ADDRESS} The contemporary place, usually required for postal purposes, of an individual, a submitter of information, a repository, a business, a school or a company. ADR1  {ADDRESS1} The first line of an address. ADR2  {ADDRESS2} The second line of an address. ADOP  {ADOPTION} Pertaining to the creation of a child-parent relationship that does not exist biologically. AFN  {AFN} A unique permanent record file number of an individual record stored in Ancestral File. AGE  {AGE} The age of the individual at the time an event occurred or the age listed in the document. AGNC  {AGENCY} The institution or individual having the authority or responsibility to manage or govern ALIA  {ALIAS} An indicator to link different record descriptions of a person who may be the same person. ANCE  {ANCESTORS} Pertaining to forbearers of an individual. ANCI  {ANCES_INTEREST} Indicates an interest in additional research for ancestors of this individual. (See also DESI) ANUL  {ANNULMENT} Declaring a marriage void from the beginning (never existed). ASSO  {ASSOCIATES} An indicator to link friends, neighbors, relatives, or associates of an individual. AUTH  {AUTHOR} The name of the individual who created or compiled information. BAPL  {BAPTISM-LDS} The event of baptism performed at age eight or later by priesthood authority of the LDS Church. (See also BAPM, next) BAPM  {BAPTISM} The event of baptism (not LDS), performed in infancy or later. (See also  BAPL, above, and CHR.) BARM  {BAR_MITZVAH} The ceremonial event held when a Jewish boy reaches age 13. BASM  {BAS_MITZVAH} The ceremonial event held when a Jewish girl reaches age 13, also known as Bat Mitzvah. BIRT  {BIRTH} The event of entering into life. BLES  {BLESSING} A religious event of bestowing divine care or intercession. Sometimes given in connection with a naming ceremony. BLOB  {BINARY_OBJECT} A grouping of data used as input to a multimedia system that processes binary data to represent images, sound, and video. BURI  {BURIAL} The event of the proper disposing of the mortal remains of a deceased person. CALN  {CALL_NUMBER} The number used by a repository to identify the specific items in its collections. CAST  {CASTE} The name of an individuals rank or status in society, based on racial or religious differences, or differences in wealth, inherited rank, profession, occupation, etc. CAUS  {CAUSE} A description of the cause of the associated event or fact, such as the cause of death. CENS  {CENSUS} The event of the periodic count of the population for a designated locality, such as a  national or state  census. CHAN  {CHANGE} Indicates a change, correction or modification. Typically used in connection with a DATE to specify when a change in information occurred. CHAR  {CHARACTER} An indicator of the character set used in writing this automated information. CHIL  {CHILD} The natural, adopted or sealed (LDS) child of a father and a mother. CHR  {CHRISTENING} The religious event (not LDS) of baptizing or naming a child. CHRA  {ADULT_CHRISTENING} The religious event (not LDS) of baptizing or naming an adult person. CITY  {CITY} A lower level jurisdictional unit. Normally an incorporated municipal unit. CONC  {CONCATENATION} An indicator that additional data belongs to the superior value. The information from the CONC value is to be connected to the value of the superior preceding line without a space and without a carriage return or newline character. Values that are split for a CONC tag must always be split at a non-space. If the value is split on a space the space will be lost when concatenation takes place. This is because of the treatment that spaces get as a GEDCOM delimiter, many GEDCOM values are trimmed of trailing spaces and some systems look for the first non-space starting after the tag to determine the beginning of the value. CONF  {CONFIRMATION} The religious event (not LDS) of conferring the gift of the Holy Ghost and, among protestants, full church membership. CONL  {CONFIRMATION_L} The religious event by which a person receives membership in the LDS Church. CONT  {CONTINUED} An indicator that additional data belongs to the superior value. The information from the CONT value is to be connected to the value of the superior preceding line with a carriage return or newline character. Leading spaces could be important to the formatting of the resultant text. When importing values from CONT lines the reader should assume only one delimiter character following the CONT tag. Assume that the rest of the leading spaces are to be a part of the value. COPR  {COPYRIGHT} A statement that accompanies data to protect it from unlawful duplication and distribution. CORP  {CORPORATE} A name of an institution, agency, corporation or company. CREM  {CREMATION} Disposal of the remains of a persons body by fire. CTRY  {COUNTRY} The name or code of the country. DATA  {DATA} Pertaining to stored automated information. DATE  {DATE} The time of an event in a calendar format. DEAT  {DEATH} The event when mortal life terminates. DESC  {DESCENDANTS} Pertaining to the offspring of an individual. DESI  {DESCENDANT_INT} Indicates an interest in research to identify additional descendants of this individual. (See also ANCI) DEST  {DESTINATION} A system receiving data. DIV  {DIVORCE} An event of dissolving a marriage through civil action. DIVF  {DIVORCE_FILED} An event of filing for a divorce by a spouse. DSCR  {PHY_DESCRIPTION} The physical characteristics of a person, place or thing. EDUC  {EDUCATION} Indicator of a level of education attained. EMIG  {EMIGRATION} An event of leaving ones homeland with the intent of residing elsewhere. ENDL  {ENDOWMENT} A religious event where an endowment ordinance for an individual was performed by priesthood authority in an LDS temple. ENGA  {ENGAGEMENT} An event of recording or announcing an agreement between two people to become married. EVEN  {EVENT} A noteworthy happening related to an individual, a group or an organization. FAM  {FAMILY} Identifies a legal, common law or other customary relationship of man and woman and their children, if any, or a family created by virtue of the birth of a child to its biological father and mother. FAMC  {FAMILY_CHILD} Identifies the family in which an individual appears as a child. FAMF  {FAMILY_FILE} Pertaining to, or the name of, a family file. Names stored in a file that is assigned to a family for doing temple ordinance work. FAMS  {FAMILY_SPOUSE} Identifies the family in which an individual appears as a spouse. FCOM  {FIRST_COMMUNION} A religious rite, the first act of sharing in the Lords supper as part of church worship. FILE  {FILE} An information storage place that is ordered and arranged for preservation and reference. FORM  {FORMAT} An assigned name given to a consistent format in which information can be conveyed. GEDC  {GEDCOM} Information about the use of GEDCOM in a transmission. GIVN  {GIVEN_NAME} A given or earned name used for official identification of a person. GRAD  {GRADUATION} An event of awarding educational diplomas or degrees to individuals. HEAD  {HEADER} Identifies information pertaining to an entire GEDCOM transmission. HUSB  {HUSBAND} An individual in the family role of a married man or father. IDNO  {IDENT_NUMBER} A number assigned to identify a person within some significant external system. IMMI  {IMMIGRATION} An event of entering into a new locality with the intent of residing there. INDI  {INDIVIDUAL} A person. INFL  {TempleReady} Indicates if an INFANT- data is Y (or N). LANG  {LANGUAGE} The name of the language used in a communication or transmission of information. LEGA  {LEGATEE} A role of an individual acting as a person receiving a bequest or legal devise. MARB  {MARRIAGE_BANN} An event of an official public notice given that two people intend to marry. MARC  {MARR_CONTRACT} An event of recording a formal agreement of marriage, including the prenuptial agreement in which marriage partners reach an agreement about the property rights of one or both, securing property to their children. MARL  {MARR_LICENSE} An event of obtaining a legal license to marry. MARR  {MARRIAGE} A legal, common-law or customary event of creating a family unit of a man and a woman as husband and wife. MARS  {MARR_SETTLEMENT} An event of creating an agreement between two people contemplating  marriage, at which time they agree to release or modify property rights that would otherwise arise from the marriage. MEDI  {MEDIA} Identifies information about the media or having to do with the medium in which information is stored. NAME  {NAME} A word or combination of words used to help identify an individual, title or other items. More than one NAME line should be used for people who were known by multiple names. NATI  {NATIONALITY} The national heritage of an individual. NATU  {NATURALIZATION} The event of obtaining  citizenship. NCHI  {CHILDREN_COUNT} The number of children that this person is known to be the parent of (all marriages) when subordinate to an individual, or that belong to this family when subordinate to a FAM_RECORD. NICK  {NICKNAME} A descriptive or familiar that is used instead of, or in addition to, ones proper name. NMR  {MARRIAGE_COUNT} The number of times this person has participated in a family as a spouse or parent. NOTE  {NOTE} Additional information provided by the submitter for understanding the enclosing data. NPFX  {NAME_PREFIX} Text which appears on a name line before the given and surname parts of a name. i.e. (Lt. Cmndr.) Joseph /Allen/ jr. NSFX  {NAME_SUFFIX} Text which appears on a name line after or behind the given and surname parts of a name. i.e. Lt. Cmndr. Joseph /Allen/ (jr.) In this example jr. is considered as the name suffix portion OBJE  {OBJECT} Pertaining to a grouping of attributes used in describing something. Usually referring to the data required to represent a multimedia object, such as an audio recording, a photograph of a person or an image of a document. OCCU  {OCCUPATION} The type of work or profession of an individual. ORDI  {ORDINANCE} Pertaining to a religious ordinance in general. ORDN  {ORDINATION} A religious event of receiving authority to act in religious matters. PAGE  {PAGE} A number or description to identify where information can be found in a referenced work. PEDI  {PEDIGREE} Information pertaining to an individual to parent lineage chart. PHON  {PHONE} A unique number assigned to access a specific telephone. PLAC  {PLACE} A jurisdictional name to identify the place or location of an event. POST  {POSTAL_CODE} A code used by a postal service to identify an area to facilitate mail handling. PROB  {PROBATE} An event of judicial determination of the  validity of a will. May indicate several related court activities over several dates. PROP  {PROPERTY} Pertaining to possessions such as real estate or other property of interest. PUBL  {PUBLICATION} Refers to when or where a work was published or created. QUAY  {QUALITY_OF_DATA} An assessment of the certainty of the evidence to support the conclusion drawn from evidence. Values: [0|1|2|3] REFN  {REFERENCE} A description or number used to identify an item for filing, storage or other reference purposes. RELA  {RELATIONSHIP} A relationship value between the indicated contexts. RELI  {RELIGION} A religious denomination to which a person is affiliated or for which a record applies. REPO  {REPOSITORY} An institution or person that has the specified item as part of their collection(s) RESI  {RESIDENCE} The act of dwelling at an address for a period of time. RESN  {RESTRICTION} A processing indicator signifying access to information has been denied or otherwise restricted. RETI  {RETIREMENT} An event of exiting an occupational relationship with an employer after a qualifying time period. RFN  {REC_FILE_NUMBER} A permanent number assigned to a record that uniquely identifies it within a known file. RIN  {REC_ID_NUMBER} A number assigned to a record by an originating automated system that can be used by a receiving system to report results pertaining to that record. ROLE  {ROLE} A name given to a role played by an individual in connection with an event. SEX  {SEX} Indicates the sex of an individual - male or female. SLGC  {SEALING_CHILD} A religious event pertaining to the sealing of a child to his or her parents in an LDS temple ceremony. SLGS  {SEALING_SPOUSE} A religious event pertaining to the sealing of a husband and wife in an LDS temple ceremony. SOUR  {SOURCE} The initial or original material from which information was obtained. SPFX  {SURN_PREFIX} A name piece used as a non-indexing pre-part of a surname. SSN  {SOC_SEC_NUMBER} A number assigned by the United States Social Security Administration. Used for tax identification purposes. STAE  {STATE} A geographical division of a larger jurisdictional area, such as a state within the United States of America. STAT  {STATUS} An assessment of the state or condition of something. SUBM  {SUBMITTER} An individual or organization who contributes genealogical data to a file or transfers it to someone else. SUBN  {SUBMISSION} Pertains to a collection of data issued for processing. SURN  {SURNAME} A family name passed on or used by members of a family. TEMP  {TEMPLE} The name or code that represents the name of a temple of the LDS Church. TEXT  {TEXT} The exact wording found in an original source document. TIME  {TIME} A time value in a 24-hour clock format, including hours, minutes, and optional seconds, separated by a colon (:). Fractions of seconds are shown in decimal notation. TITL  {TITLE} A description of a specific writing or other work, such as the title of a book when used in a source context, or a formal designation used by an individual in connection with positions of royalty or another social status, such as Grand Duke. TRLR  {TRAILER} At level 0, specifies the end of a GEDCOM transmission. TYPE  {TYPE} A further qualification to the meaning of the associated superior tag. The value does not have any computer processing reliability. It is more in the form of a short one- or two-word note that should be displayed any time the associated data is displayed. VERS  {VERSION} Indicates which version of a product, item, or publication is being used or referenced. WIFE  {WIFE} An individual in the role as a mother or married woman. WILL  {WILL} A legal document treated as an event, by which a person disposes of his or her estate, to take effect after death. The event date is the date the  will  was signed while the person was alive. (See also PROB)

Interpersonal communication research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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Social Systems and Constructivism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Social Systems and Constructivism - Essay Example Constructivism is a learning-making or meaning-making theory, which offers an explanation about the nature of knowledge as well as how human beings learn. It sustain that individuals build or construct their own new knowledge via the interaction which have been believed, known and the ideas as well as activities with which are encountered. In a constructivist setting, learning activities are characterized by lively engagement, problem solving, inquiry, and collaboration by the learners. Teachers are considered as the facilitator, guide and co-explorer who motivate learners to question, and not just dispenser of knowledge. As to Brooks and Brooks (1993: vii), constructivism is a theory about learning. The author believe that learner uses a â€Å"self-regulated mechanism† in order to resolve inner cognitive conflicts which often become obvious through concrete experience, reflection and collaborative discourse. Integrating the idea of constructivism to education is not anymore a new phenomenon. Trace back the efforts of Jean Piaget (1973), a Swiss developmental psychologist and also Russian psychologist Lev Vigotsky (1978). The idea has further influenced by the developmental philosopher Jacques Rousseau, followed by the theories of John Dewey, Arnold Gesell and G. Stanley Hall. Matthews Vadeboncoeur (1997) classifies three important strands in interpreting Jean Piaget’s socio-cultural, and emancipatory constructivism. The said strands vary primarily by; its subject of study, views.

Paper on Haroun and the Sea of Stories Essay Example for Free

Paper on Haroun and the Sea of Stories Essay A tale of adventure can pertain to an individual’s journey, whether it is a story in which the character physically journeys from one place to another, or a story encompassing a journey within the character. Salman Rushdie’s Haroun and The Sea of Stories takes readers on a journey of their own as they experience the enchanting tale of a young boy, Haroun, and his heroic journey from one realm to another. In a way, this story amounts to the structure of the standard hero’s journey, however revising the structured way the series of events unfolds. Characteristic of a hero’s myth, Haroun is an ordinary young boy at the beginning of the novel. His father tells stories, yet never comes forth with a legitimate explanation of their creation. As it turns out, the stories that Haroun’s father has told are in fact magically gathered from a different world than is known to ordinary man. Haroun encounters the magical water genie that provides his father with his flow of stories. This water genie notes the beginning of a profound journey between different worlds and environments, working to spark realizations and character evolvement. The mystical world created by Rushdie envelops the reader as the context lays out incredible imagery—immense enough to pull one into its story like a harsh tide could pull back into the sea. A mythic hero journey typically begins with an ordinary character, called to adventure for one reason or another. In Rushdie’s work, Haroun embodies this heroic character, when he realizes he is at fault for his father’s inability to continue with story telling. When he encounters the water genie, the genie becomes his mentor in a sense—bringing him from the ordinary world to his magical world of stories, where Haroun will be able to save his father’s stories. The reader becomes increasingly aware of Haroun’s motive and drive when he drinks a certain wishwater and sees his father’s face in his mind: â€Å"just do this one thing for me, my boy, just this one little thing† (Rushdie, 70). With this motivation, Haroun proclaims himself a hero for a cause—his father. However, as the story progresses, he becomes all the more heroic as the story land is faced with problems of its own and Haroun steps in to help. Haroun crosses into a new realm, as a hero would in a mythic story, yet does so without knowing his ultimate cause. Furthermore, a standard hero typically has a point in which he doubts going on the journey or quest. This becomes a waiting period in which the hero is depressed or setback. Haroun experiences his setbacks in different ways, which revises the natural alignment of the hero tale. He faces a problem in which he cannot focus for more than eleven minutes, and because of this cannot focus enough to effectively use his mind. When he fails to make the wishwater useful, he feels like a failure, as typical for a hero at this point of doubt. However, this moment is quick and does not hold much significance until the end of the novel, when he can finally use his attention for beneficial outcome. A hero story is incomplete without an ultimate enemy and an army to help back the heroic cause. Through his journey, Haroun stays true to this plot of the heroic myth, and creates a set of allies when he explores this new world. He meets the bird Iff, the floating gardener Mali, the page Blabbermouth, and of course the water genie. After his allies have been collected, Haroun is made aware of the enemy: Kattham Shud. Upon hearing his name, â€Å"Haroun felt his blood run cold† (75). After the enemy has been pronounced, another journey is to be taken to rid the land of stories of its troubles. Haroun’s father somehow winds up on the second world and aids in this heroic feat. The story continues with multiple themes of the typical heroic myth, including the conquering of the enemy, a profound heroic moment and realization, and the return home. Haroun is still a young boy, but he has become a hero and has matured with the soul of a man. His accomplishments match those of a mythic hero story, yet they differ in the sense that he is a boy, and needs guidance and support from elders and those with more knowledge. Additionally, the story did not play out exactly how one would ordinarily unfold. However, this story of heroic accomplishment and inward stride is one representing a story of ultimate journey: both inward and outward.

Essay --

Hundreds of professional athletes across the world have been accused of taking performance enhancing drugs. The use of performance-enhancing drugs by professional athletes, or "doping", has been acknowledged as a problem since at least the 1960s. The first use of performance-enhancing drugs has been traced back to the first Olympics in Greece. Scandinavian mythology says Berserkers could drink a concoction prepared from a mushroom, to increase their physical power a dozen times. â€Å"We have to make some radical move to get the attention of everyone. Cheaters can't win and steroids have put us in the position that it's OK to cheat.† (Lou Brock, 2009) This quote describes how almost every professional player feels when they know that their opponents are cheating. Performance enhancing drugs should be banned and players should be punished more harshly because it leads to numerous diseases, young athletes would be tempted to take it, and players would be unpredictable and can ca use. Performance enhancing drugs are known to cause numerous diseases such as tumors, cancer, and can cause fertility problems. There are numerous cases of players dying or ruining their careers because they have gotten caught up in getting bigger and taking these drugs For instance in professional wrestling alone, 28 people have died because of PED’s (All of these people are died younger than 45 years old.) (wrestlinginc.com, 2010). There are hundreds of known PED’s. The most commonly used drug is steroids which gives you an increased risk of heart and liver disease. Players use this drug because it makes you have better endurance, it makes your blood flow faster and it makes you stronger. Another popular PED is Human Growth Hormone. This drug has been and still ... ...t these drugs are catastrophic and cause so many diseases and sicknesses that should not happen to an athlete. Athletes will be looked at as superheroes and children would not want to idolize a player that got to where he is because he did drugs. A child wants to look up to a player that beat the odds and worked harder than everyone else. If Performance Enhancing Drugs were legalized and allowed in all professional sports, there would be a lot of deaths, and player that have diseases caused by the drugs they took. Also High school and college players would begin to take it because they would feel like that is the only way to get to the pros. And lastly players would hurt themselves and their teammates and fellow players. PED’s have a lot of potential but not yet. There are too many health defects and we do not want our â€Å"heroes† to die from a disease caused by drugs.

The Host Chapter 13: Sentenced

Are they here?† We choked out the words-they burst from us like the water in our lungs had, expelled. After water, this question was all that mattered. â€Å"Did they make it?† Uncle Jeb's face was impossible to read in the darkness. â€Å"Who?† he asked. â€Å"Jamie, Jared!† Our whisper burned like a shout. â€Å"Jared was with Jamie. Our brother! Are they here? Did they come? Did you find them, too?† There was barely a pause. â€Å"No.† His answer was forceful, and there was no pity in it, no feeling at all. â€Å"No,† we whispered. We were not echoing him, we were protesting against getting our life back. What was the point? We closed our eyes again and listened to the pain in our body. We let that drown out the pain in our mind. â€Å"Look,† Uncle Jeb said after a moment. â€Å"I, uh, have something to take care of. You rest for a bit, and I'll be back for you.† We didn't hear the meaning in his words, just the sounds. Our eyes stayed closed. His footsteps crunched quietly away from us. We couldn't tell which direction he went. We didn't care anyway. They were gone. There was no way to find them, no hope. Jared and Jamie had disappeared, something they knew well how to do, and we would never see them again. The water and the cooler night air were making us lucid, something we did not want. We rolled over, to bury our face against the sand again. We were so tired, past the point of exhaustion and into some deeper, more painful state. Surely we could sleep. All we had to do was not think. We could do that. We did. When we woke, it was still night, but dawn was threatening on the eastern horizon-the mountains were lined with dull red. Our mouth tasted of dust, and at first we were sure that we had dreamed Uncle Jeb's appearance. Of course we had. Our head was clearer this morning, and we noticed quickly the strange shape near our right cheek-something that was not a rock or a cactus. We touched it, and it was hard and smooth. We nudged it, and the delicious sound of sloshing water came from inside. Uncle Jeb was real, and he'd left us a canteen. We sat up carefully, surprised when we didn't break in two like a withered stick. Actually, we felt better. The water must have had time to work its way through some of our body. The pain was dull, and for the first time in a long while, we felt hungry again. Our fingers were stiff and clumsy as we twisted the cap from the top of the canteen. It wasn't all the way full, but there was enough water to stretch the walls of our belly again-it must have shrunk. We drank it all; we were done with rationing. We dropped the metal canteen to the sand, where it made a dull thud in the predawn silence. We felt wide awake now. We sighed, preferring unconsciousness, and let our head fall into our hands. What now? â€Å"Why did you give it water, Jeb?† an angry voice demanded, close behind our back. We whirled, twisting onto our knees. What we saw made our heart falter and our awareness splinter apart. There were eight humans half-circled around where I knelt under the tree. There was no question they were humans, all of them. I'd never seen faces contorted into such expressions-not on my kind. These lips twisted with hatred, pulled back over clenched teeth like wild animals. These brows pulled low over eyes that burned with fury. Six men and two women, some of them very big, most of them bigger than me. I felt the blood drain from my face as I realized why they held their hands so oddly-gripped tightly in front of them, each balancing an object. They held weapons. Some held blades-a few short ones like those I had kept in my kitchen, and some longer, one huge and menacing. This knife had no purpose in a kitchen. Melanie supplied the name: a machete. Others held long bars, some metal, some wooden. Clubs. I recognized Uncle Jeb in their midst. Held loosely in his hands was an object I'd never seen in person, only in Melanie's memories, like the big knife. It was a rifle. I saw horror, but Melanie saw all this with wonder, her mind boggling at their numbers. Eight human survivors. She'd thought Jeb was alone or, in the best case scenario, with only two others. To see so many of her kind alive filled her with joy. You're an idiot, I told her. Look at them. See them. I forced her to see it from my perspective: to see the threatening shapes inside the dirty jeans and light cotton shirts, brown with dust. They might have been human-as she thought of the word-once, but at this moment they were something else. They were barbarians, monsters. They hung over us, slavering for blood. There was a death sentence in every pair of eyes. Melanie saw all this and, though grudgingly, she had to admit that I was right. At this moment, her beloved humans were at their worst-like the newspaper stories we'd seen in the abandoned shack. We were looking at killers. We should have been wiser; we should have died yesterday. Why would Uncle Jeb keep us alive for this? A shiver passed through me at the thought. I'd skimmed through the histories of human atrocities. I'd had no stomach for them. Perhaps I should have concentrated better. I knew there were reasons why humans let their enemies live, for a little while. Things they wanted from their minds or their bodies†¦ Of course it sprang into my head immediately-the one secret they would want from me. The one I could never, never tell them. No matter what they did to me. I would have to kill myself first. I did not let Melanie see the secret I protected. I used her own defenses against her and threw up a wall in my head to hide behind while I thought of the information for the first time since implantation. There had been no reason to think of it before. Melanie was hardly even curious on the other side of the wall; she made no effort to break through it. There were much more immediate concerns than the fact that she had not been the only one keeping information in reserve. Did it matter that I protected my secret from her? I wasn't as strong as Melanie; I had no doubt she could endure torture. How much pain could I stand before I gave them anything they wanted? My stomach heaved. Suicide was a repugnant option-worse because it would be murder, too. Melanie would be part of either torture or death. I would wait for that until I had absolutely no other choice. No, they can't. Uncle Jeb would never let them hurt me. Uncle Jeb doesn't know you're here, I reminded her. Tell him! I focused on the old man's face. The thick white beard kept me from seeing the set of his mouth, but his eyes did not seem to burn like the others'. From the corner of my eye, I could see a few of the men shift their gaze from me to him. They were waiting for him to answer the question that had alerted me to their presence. Uncle Jeb stared at me, ignoring them. I can't tell him, Melanie. He won't believe me. And if they think I'm lying to them, they'll think I'm a Seeker. They must have experience enough to know that only a Seeker would come out here with a lie, a story designed for infiltration. Melanie recognized the truth of my thought at once. The very word Seeker made her recoil with hatred, and she knew these strangers would have the same reaction. It doesn't matter anyway. I'm a soul-that's enough for them. The one with the machete-the biggest man there, black-haired with oddly fair skin and vivid blue eyes-made a sound of disgust and spit on the ground. He took a step forward, slowly raising the long blade. Better fast than slow. Better that it was this brutal hand and not mine that killed us. Better that I didn't die a creature of violence, accountable for Melanie's blood as well as my own. â€Å"Hold it, Kyle.† Jeb's words were unhurried, almost casual, but the big man stopped. He grimaced and turned to face Melanie's uncle. â€Å"Why? You said you made sure. It's one of them.† I recognized the voice-he was the same one who'd asked Jeb why he'd given me water. â€Å"Well, yes, she surely is. But it's a little complicated.† â€Å"How?† A different man asked the question. He stood next to the big, dark-haired Kyle, and they looked so much alike that they had to be brothers. â€Å"See, this here is my niece, too.† â€Å"Not anymore she's not,† Kyle said flatly. He spit again and took another deliberate step in my direction, knife ready. I could see from the way his shoulders leaned into the action that words would not stop him again. I closed my eyes. There were two sharp metallic clicks, and someone gasped. My eyes flew open again. â€Å"I said hold it, Kyle.† Uncle Jeb's voice was still relaxed, but the long rifle was gripped tightly in his hands now, and the barrels were pointed at Kyle's back. Kyle was frozen just steps from me; his machete hung motionless in the air above his shoulder. â€Å"Jeb,† the brother said, horrified, â€Å"what are you doing?† â€Å"Step away from the girl, Kyle.† Kyle turned his back to us, whirling on Jeb in fury. â€Å"It's not a girl, Jeb!† Jeb shrugged; the gun stayed steady in his hands, pointed at Kyle. â€Å"There are things to be discussed.† â€Å"The doctor might be able to learn something from it,† a female voice offered gruffly. I cringed at the words, hearing in them my worst fears. When Jeb had called me his niece just now, I'd foolishly let a spark of hope flame to life-perhaps there would be pity. I'd been stupid to think that, even for a second. Death would be the only pity I could hope for from these creatures. I looked at the woman who'd spoken, surprised to see that she was as old as Jeb, maybe older. Her hair was dark gray rather than white, which is why I hadn't noticed her age before. Her face was a mass of wrinkles, all of them turning down into angry lines. But there was something familiar about the features behind the lines. Melanie made the connection between this ancient face and another, smoother face in her memory. â€Å"Aunt Maggie? You're here? How? Is Sharon -† The words were all Melanie, but they gushed from my mouth, and I was unable to stop them. Sharing for so long in the desert had made her stronger, or me weaker. Or maybe it was just that I was concentrating on which direction the deathblow was going to fall from. I was bracing for our murder, and she was having a family reunion. Melanie got only halfway through her surprised exclamation. The much-aged woman named Maggie lunged forward with a speed that belied her brittle exterior. She didn't raise the hand that held the black crowbar. That was the hand I was watching, so I didn't see her free hand swing out to slap me hard across the face. My head snapped back and then forward. She slapped me again. â€Å"You won't fool us, you parasite. We know how you work. We know how well you can mimic us.† I tasted blood inside my cheek. Don't do that again, I scolded Melanie. I told you what they'd think. Melanie was too shocked to answer. â€Å"Now, Maggie,† Jeb began in a soothing tone. â€Å"Don't you Now, Maggie' me, you old fool! She's probably led a legion of them down on us.† She backed away from me, her eyes measuring my stillness as if I were a coiled snake. She stopped beside her brother. â€Å"I don't see anyone,† Jeb retorted. â€Å"Hey!† he yelled, and I flinched in surprise. I wasn't the only one. Jeb waved his left hand over his head, the gun still clenched in the right. â€Å"Over here!† â€Å"Shut up,† Maggie growled, shoving his chest. Though I had good reason to know she was strong, Jeb didn't wobble. â€Å"She's alone, Mag. She was pretty much dead when I found her-she's not in such great shape now. The centipedes don't sacrifice their own that way. They would have come for her much sooner than I did. Whatever else she is, she's alone.† I saw the image of the long, many-legged insect in my head, but I didn't make the connection. He's talking about you, Melanie translated. She placed the picture of the ugly bug next to my memory of a bright silver soul. I didn't see a resemblance. I wonder how he knows what you look like, Melanie wondered absently. My memories of a soul's true appearance had been new to her in the beginning. I didn't have time to wonder with her. Jeb was walking toward me, and the others were close behind. Kyle's hand hovered at Jeb's shoulder, ready to restrain him or throw him out of the way, I couldn't tell. Jeb put his gun in his left hand and extended the right to me. I eyed it warily, waiting for it to hit me. â€Å"C'mon,† he urged gently. â€Å"If I could carry you that far, I woulda brought you home last night. You're gonna have to walk some more.† â€Å"No!† Kyle grunted. â€Å"I'm takin' her back,† Jeb said, and for the first time there was a harsher tone to his voice. Under his beard, his jaw flexed into a stubborn line. â€Å"Jeb!† Maggie protested. â€Å"‘S my place, Mag. I'll do what I want.† â€Å"Old fool!† she snapped again. Jeb reached down and grabbed my hand from where it lay curled into a fist against my thigh. He yanked me to my feet. It was not cruelty; it was merely as if he was in a hurry. Yet was it not the very worst form of cruelty to prolong my life for the reasons he had? I rocked unsteadily. I couldn't feel my legs very well-just prickles like needle points as the blood flowed down. There was a hiss of disapproval behind him. It came from more than one mouth. â€Å"Okay, whoever you are,† he said to me, his voice still kind. â€Å"Let's get out of here before it heats up.† The one who must have been Kyle's brother put his hand on Jeb's arm. â€Å"You can't just show it where we live, Jeb.† â€Å"I suppose it doesn't matter,† Maggie said harshly. â€Å"It won't get a chance to tell tales.† Jeb sighed and pulled a bandanna-all but hidden by his beard-from around his neck. â€Å"This is silly,† he muttered, but he rolled the dirty fabric, stiff with dry sweat, into a blindfold. I kept perfectly still as he tied it over my eyes, fighting the panic that increased when I couldn't see my enemies. I couldn't see, but I knew it was Jeb who put one hand on my back and guided me; none of the others would have been so gentle. We started forward, toward the north, I thought. No one spoke at first-there was just the sound of sand grinding under many feet. The ground was even, but I stumbled on my numb legs again and again. Jeb was patient; his guiding hand was almost chivalrous. I felt the sun rise as we walked. Some of the footsteps were faster than others. They moved ahead of us until they were hard to hear. It sounded like it was the minority that stayed with Jeb and me. I must not have looked like I needed many guards-I was faint with hunger, and I swayed with every step; my head felt dizzy and hollow. â€Å"You aren't planning to tell him, are you?† It was Maggie's voice; it came from a few feet behind me, and it sounded like an accusation. â€Å"He's got a right to know,† Jeb replied. The stubborn note was back in his voice. â€Å"It's an unkind thing you are doing, Jebediah.† â€Å"Life is unkind, Magnolia.† It was hard to decide who was the more terrifying of the two. Was it Jeb, who seemed so intent on keeping me alive? Or Maggie, who had first suggested the doctor-an appellation that filled me with instinctive, nauseated dread-but who seemed more worried about cruelty than her brother? We walked in silence again for a few hours. When my legs buckled, Jeb lowered me to the ground and held a canteen to my lips as he had in the night. â€Å"Let me know when you're ready,† Jeb told me. His voice sounded kind, though I knew that was a false interpretation. Someone sighed impatiently. â€Å"Why are you doing this, Jeb?† a man asked. I'd heard the voice before; it was one of the brothers. â€Å"For Doc? You could have just told Kyle that. You didn't have to pull a gun on him.† â€Å"Kyle needs a gun pulled on him more often,† Jeb muttered. â€Å"Please tell me this wasn't about sympathy,† the man continued. â€Å"After all you've seen†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"After all I've seen, if I hadn't learned compassion, I wouldn't be worth much. But no, it was not about sympathy. If I had enough sympathy for this poor creature, I would have let her die.† I shivered in the oven-hot air. â€Å"What, then?† Kyle's brother demanded. There was a long silence, and then Jeb's hand touched mine. I grasped it, needing the help to get back on my feet. His other hand pressed against my back, and I started forward again. â€Å"Curiosity,† Jeb said in a low voice. No one replied. As we walked, I considered a few sure facts. One, I was not the first soul they'd captured. There was already a set routine here. This â€Å"Doc† had tried to get his answer from others before me. Two, he had tried unsuccessfully. If any soul had forgone suicide only to crack under the humans' torture, they would not need me now. My death would have been mercifully swift. Oddly, I couldn't bring myself to hope for a quick end, though, or to try to effect that outcome. It would be easy to do, even without doing the deed myself. I would only have to tell them a lie-pretend to be a Seeker, tell them my colleagues were tracking me right now, bluster and threaten. Or tell them the truth-that Melanie lived on inside me, and that she had brought me here. They would see another lie, and one so richly irresistible-the idea that the human could live on after implantation-so tempting to believe from their perspective, so insidious, that they would believe I was a Seeker more surely than if I claimed it. They would assume a trap, get rid of me quickly, and find a new place to hide, far away from here. You're probably right, Melanie agreed. It's what I would do. But I wasn't in pain yet, and so either form of suicide was hard to embrace; my instinct for survival sealed my lips. The memory of my last session with my Comforter-a time so civilized it seemed to belong to a different planet-flashed through my head. Melanie challenging me to have her removed, a seemingly suicidal impulse, but only a bluff. I remembered thinking how hard it was to contemplate death from a comfortable chair. Last night Melanie and I had wished for death, but death had been only inches away at the time. It was different now that I was on my feet again. I don't want to die, either, Melanie whispered. But maybe you're wrong. Maybe that's not why they're keeping us alive. I don't understand why they would†¦ She didn't want to imagine the things they might do to us-I was sure she could come up with worse than I. What answer would they want from you that bad? I'll never tell. Not you, not any human. A bold declaration. But then, I wasn't in pain yet†¦ Another hour had passed-the sun was directly overhead, the heat of it like a crown of fire on my hair-when the sound changed. The grinding steps that I barely heard anymore turned to echoes ahead of me. Jeb's feet still crunched against the sand like mine, but someone in front of us had reached a new terrain. â€Å"Careful, now,† Jeb warned me. â€Å"Watch your head.† I hesitated, not sure what I was watching for, or how to watch with no eyes. His hand left my back and pressed down on my head, telling me to duck. I bent forward. My neck was stiff. He guided me forward again, and I heard our footsteps make the same echoing sound. The ground didn't give like sand, didn't feel loose like rock. It was flat and solid beneath my feet. The sun was gone-I could no longer feel it burn my skin or scorch my hair. I took another step, and a new air touched my face. It was not a breeze. This was stagnant-I moved into it. The dry desert wind was gone. This air was still and cooler. There was the faintest hint of moisture to it, a mustiness that I could both smell and taste. There were so many questions in my mind, and in Melanie's. She wanted to ask hers, but I kept silent. There was nothing either of us could say that would help us now. â€Å"Okay, you can straighten up,† Jeb told me. I raised my head slowly. Even with the blindfold, I could tell that there was no light. It was utterly black around the edges of the bandanna. I could hear the others behind me, shuffling their feet impatiently, waiting for us to move forward. â€Å"This way,† Jeb said, and he was guiding me again. Our footsteps echoed back from close by-the space we were in must have been quite small. I found myself ducking my head instinctively. We went a few steps farther, and then we rounded a sharp curve that seemed to turn us back the way we'd come. The ground started to slant downward. The angle got steeper with every step, and Jeb gave me his rough hand to keep me from falling. I don't know how long I slipped and skidded my way through the darkness. The hike probably felt longer than it was with each minute slowed by my terror. We took another turn, and then the floor started to climb upward. My legs were so numb and wooden that as the path got steeper, Jeb had to half drag me up the incline. The air got mustier and moister the farther we went, but the blackness didn't change. The only sounds were our footsteps and their nearby echoes. The pathway flattened out and began to turn and twist like a serpent. Finally, finally, there was a brightness around the top and bottom of my blindfold. I wished that it would slip, as I was too frightened to pull it off myself. It seemed to me that I wouldn't be so terrified if I could just see where I was and who was with me. With the light came noise. Strange noise, a low murmuring babble. It sounded almost like a waterfall. The babble got louder as we moved forward, and the closer it got, the less it sounded like water. It was too varied, low and high pitches mingling and echoing. If it had not been so discordant, it might have sounded like an uglier version of the constant music I'd heard and sung on the Singing World. The darkness of the blindfold suited that memory, the memory of blindness. Melanie understood the cacophony before I did. I'd never heard the sound because I'd never been with humans before. It's an argument, she realized. It sounds like so many people arguing. She was drawn by the sound. Were there more people here, then? That there were even eight had surprised us both. What was this place? Hands touched the back of my neck, and I shied away from them. â€Å"Easy now,† Jeb said. He pulled the blindfold off my eyes. I blinked slowly, and the shadows around me settled into shapes I could understand: rough, uneven walls; a pocked ceiling; a worn, dusty floor. We were underground somewhere in a natural cave formation. We couldn't be that deep. I thought we'd hiked upward longer than we'd slid downward. The rock walls and ceiling were a dark purpley brown, and they were riddled with shallow holes like Swiss cheese. The edges of the lower holes were worn down, but over my head the circles were more defined, and their rims looked sharp. The light came from a round hole ahead of us, its shape not unlike the holes that peppered the cavern, but larger. This was an entrance, a doorway to a brighter place. Melanie was eager, fascinated by the concept of more humans. I held back, suddenly worried that blindness might be better than sight. Jeb sighed. â€Å"Sorry,† he muttered, so low that I was certainly the only one to hear. I tried to swallow and could not. My head started to spin, but that might have been from hunger. My hands were trembling like leaves in a stiff breeze as Jeb prodded me through the big hole. The tunnel opened into a chamber so vast that at first I couldn't accept what my eyes told me. The ceiling was too bright and too high-it was like an artificial sky. I tried to see what brightened it, but it sent down sharp lances of light that hurt my eyes. I was expecting the babble to get louder, but it was abruptly dead quiet in the huge cavern. The floor was dim compared to the brilliant ceiling so far above. It took a moment for my eyes to make sense of all the shapes. A crowd. There was no other word for it-there was a crowd of humans standing stock-still and silent, all staring at me with the same burning, hate-filled expressions I'd seen at dawn. Melanie was too stunned to do anything more than count. Ten, fifteen, twenty†¦ twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven†¦ I didn't care how many there were. I tried to tell her how little it mattered. It wouldn't take twenty of them to kill me. To kill us. I tried to make her see how precarious our position was, but she was beyond my warnings at the moment, lost in this human world she'd never dreamed was here. One man stepped forward from the crowd, and my eyes darted first to his hands, looking for the weapon they would carry. His hands were clenched in fists but empty of any other threat. My eyes, adjusting to the dazzling light, made out the sun-gilded tint of his skin and then recognized it. Choking on the sudden hope that dizzied me, I lifted my eyes to the man's face.

Consultancy Report Essay

As a subsidiary of one of the largest cosmetics organizations in the world, you are in a position to dramatically increase your potential and further capitalize on your brands recognition. My hope is that you will establish and maintain a broader, more diverse customer base and increase your overall profitability. Based on an in-depth analysis and research conducted on your organizations behalf, I have identified several problematic areas in need of immediate attention. The following document will serve to provide valuable information to address these issues accordingly. One such issue and perhaps one of the most crucial is that of the organization’s brand awareness levels in the United Kingdom. This is due in part to the fact that Mary Kay U.K. is not as widely recognized in the United Kingdom as it is in the Americas. I recommend increasing your presence to reach potential customers who would otherwise be unaware of your organization. We will seek to address the significant growth of new potential competitors while developing a means of competing effectively against already established competitors. You will learn of new methods in which to remain relevant and a viable global contender in the cosmetics industry. New products will serve to provide your organization with a competitive edge and differentiate your organization from all its competitors. New policies and changes in the organization’s infrastructure will increase employee satisfaction an important factor for employee retention. These enhancements to the organization’s current dealings can ultimately increase profitability, improve customer satisfaction levels, and increase employee productivity. As Mary Kay U.K. adopts these changes and once in effect, there will be a need to take on additional employees to tend to the day-to-day operations and supplementary qualified/experienced executive-level professionals, allowing for a more focused approach on the management aspects of the organization. Effective documentation of the organization’s financials will allow for more educated and informed decision-making procedures. Adequate fiscal records serve as effective management tool for predicting future success, identify problem areas and to make decisions that will assist in the organization’s overall effectiveness. In addition to significantly changing the inner workings of the organization in the United Kingdom, substantial changes to the organizations image and frontend interfaces may be required to assist with the issue of brand awareness. The organization must become a well-oiled machine internally as well as an aesthetically pleasing entity for potential customers, future investors and for those considering strategic business alliances. Creating a more convivial atmosphere with which your organization would then be associated will give these interested parties a respectable first impression. It is apparent that lacking presentation and unfocused management gives rise to the decrease or stagnation of profitability and employee retention. Changes to policy, organizational image, and infrastructure will not only prove beneficial but may in fact be necessary for the success of the organization and its future viability within the United Kingdom. In addition, there must be changes in customer behavior to increase the probability of the organization’s adoption. The organization needs to appeal to a broader customer base after shifting consumer views of cosmetics to match that of American consumers. Thus, by implementing novel, eye-catching, and feeling invoking imagery or advertisements, people will in turn be more inclined to purchase Mary Kay products. In order to be more successful, I recommend the transformation of current marketing strategies. Implementation of a marketing plan that encompasses the arguably successful word-of-mouth strategy in addition to overt and persistent adverts by way of social media will benefit the organization’s image. Because a constant stream of information pertaining to the actual products will allow the consumer to easily recall the information and develop a need for the product as presented by the advertisement. In addition, there must be a vested interest in appealing to the variety of potential consumers within the United Kingdom. Mary Kay U.K. would be wise to capitalize on United Kingdom’s ever-growing and diverse population, via the translation and representation of the multitude of languages spoken within the target areas of operation. This will allow for a more comfortable customer experience and personalized identification with the Mary Kay brand. Brand Awareness is at an all-time low as target populations fail to recognize the Mary Kay Brand. The organization must increase its visibility in the growing cosmetics market in the United Kingdom. This is possible with improved advertising and re-imagined brand association. Increased brand recognition will assist with declining profits. The proposals presented in this consultancy report, should Mary Kay U.K. opt to adopt them will serve to promote the organization’s business aptitude and increase overall profitability and effectiveness. My hope is that this educated and informed counsel will effectively navigate the organization into a state of increased viability and the optimization and growth of Mary Kay U.K. business operations and clientele. INTRODUCTION This consultancy report will serve to provide the Mary Kay U.K. Ltd. Subsidiary of Mary Kay Cosmetics with informed suggestions to increase the organization’s revenues and improving the day-to-day dealings of the organization from a management perspective. Following extensive research of the organization’s operations, I have prepared a comprehensive examination of the organization in its entirety. This research has been comprised of a thorough analysis of the organization’s fiscal and promotion facets. This report also takes into account the consumer aspect of the organization, and the organization’s image as viewed by the public. In addition, it will serve to demonstrate the manner in which the target audience does or fails to accept this image. Crucial organizational issues have been identified and addressed accordingly, supplemented with recommendations for minimizing or eliminating potentially negative effects. These suggestions may prove insightful for the achievement of further profitability and consumer satisfaction should the organization choose to implement any or all of the changes proposed in this report. The information provided in this report comes via thorough research and analytical dismantling of data and industry trends and its reassembling in the form of a well-formulated business plan. Suggestions provided will seek to address Mary Kay U.K.’s organizational structure, the organization’s inclination to incorporate a corporate social responsibility element, consumer satisfaction, employee turn-over rates, decreasing or non-existent profits, brand recognition and awareness among target consumers and product quality, to name the most imperative of organization’s issues. In all, if implemented, these changes could ensure a significant turnaround for the Mary Kay U.K. entity. Numbers will rise to the status of or potentially rival those of its American contemporary. The organization would hold a strong position before its global competitors and open the door for future business strategic affiliations. The organizational redesign will prove beneficial for Mary Kay’s United Kingdom division as an organization, for the consumers now receiving increased quality services, and for the leveling of the cosmetics industry in the United Kingdom. ANALYSIS OF CLIENT BUSINESS Company Description and History Mary Kay Inc. is one of the largest cosmetics companies in the world to date. Headquartered in Addison, Texas at 16251 Dallas Parkway Addison, TX 75001 in the United States, it has manufacturing plants located in Dallas, Texas, Hangzhou, China and La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland for its European market. Mary Kay Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Mary Kay Holding Corporation. Founded by Mary Kay Ash in 1963 and based on personally established values that guided her everyday life she sought to help women live the life of their dreams. Company values include integrity, honesty and a belief in the Golden Rule; â€Å"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.† The mission, to assist and provide the vehicle that would allow prospective independent beauty consultants to have their respective dreams come true via the distribution, promotion, and retailing of a handful of products. Mary Kay Inc. identifies itself as a â€Å"Generation Everything† organization, meaning it serves everyone from all walks of life and of all ages. The organization recently posted that its revenues are up to 3 billion due to sales in its 35 + markets globally. All made possible by its 25 million global independent sales force.

Struggles of a Single Mother going to College Essays

Struggles of a Single Mother going to College Essays Struggles of a Single Mother going to College Essay Struggles of a Single Mother going to College Essay Essay Topic: Mother To Mother The three year old needs help to the potty. Dinner is in the oven and thirty minutes until time for work. Single Mothers do this all the time, nothing new, now add college to the mix, such challenging times. Single mothers face several struggles such as: finding time to study, getting back to good study habits, and not having a good support system. Being a single mother going to college it is hard finding time to study. Having to work full time while going to school is very hard, but it can be done. It is also a struggle to Juggle family time in with time for study. Children are so demanding, the younger they are the more demanding they become for ones time. Some find time to study during breaks at work, while others study during the childs nap time. Single moms also find time to study while the children are doing their homework. It is always an awesome thing for the children to see mom devote time to her studies. Hang in there, there results will be worth it at the end. It is also a struggle to get back into good study habits. One sometimes finds It more fun to play with their children rather than study. Allow 20 minutes a day to study. Keeping a written dally schedule on a pocket calendar is a good way to stay on task. Another way to develop good study habits is to write homework down. Also write down when tests are due on the calendar. When you check your emails, also check the calendar dally. Dont be discouraged, consider the struggles as exciting, and motivational, It really can be fun. Life sometimes gets overwhelming for a single mother, and not having a good support system would be even more challenging. Not having a steady babysitter would seem disastrous. Enlist a family member to set with the child. Some are discouraged because one doesnt understand the material one Is working hard on. A church member Is maybe good at English. A coworker maybe good at math. The more people that know a single mom Is going to college the more support one obtains. The church member Is good at English and offers to help with the struggles In that course, while the coworker Is good at math. No matter what struggles one Is going through, with a good support system, one will make It through. Now that you have read about some challenges a single mom may face going back to school, understand that with determination and hard work It can be done. The struggle of having a good support system, time to study, and use good study habits gets overwhelming sometimes. Remember the ways to help the struggles to become challenges to meet. Then they become Like brownie badges you have earned. One will receive a degree at the end and hopefully a better Job. Struggles of a Single Mother going to College By vertebrae back into good study habits. One sometimes finds it more fun to play with their children rather than study. Allow 20 minutes a day to study. Keeping a written daily the calendar. When you check your emails, also check the calendar daily. Dont be discouraged, consider the struggles as exciting, and motivational, it really can be fun. Scourged because one doesnt understand the material one is working hard on. A church member is maybe good at English. A coworker maybe good at math. The more people that know a single mom is going to college the more support one obtains. The church member is good at English and offers to help with the struggles in that course, while the coworker is good at math. No matter what struggles one is going through, with a good support system, one will make it through. Now that you understand that with determination and hard work it can be done. The struggle of challenges to meet. Then they become like brownie badges you have earned.

Healthy Foods Versus Unhealthy Foods Lesson Plan

Healthy Foods Versus Unhealthy Foods Lesson Plan An important component in staying healthy is knowing which foods are goods for you and which ones are not. Students will enjoy learning about this because its one thing that they know a little bit about. Here is a healthy versus unhealthy food  lesson plan for students in grades K-3. Use this in conjunction with your thematic unit on nutrition. Healthy vs. Unhealthy Foods Lesson Plan Help students to understand foods role in their bodies by completing the following steps. Invite students to share the types of foods they eat on a daily basis.Discuss why they need to eat and what food does for our bodies.Compare our bodies to machines and how in order to work we need the fuel of food.Ask students what would happen to them if they did not eat. Talk about how they would feel cranky, tired, would have no energy to play, etc. Healthy Eating Tips The following healthy eating tips are provided to help you lead this lesson on nutrition. Snack on fruits, vegetables, unbuttered popcorn, and rice cakes.Drink plenty of water.Eat vegetables with lunch and dinner.Limit the amount of fatty, salty foods like potato chips and french fries.Drink low-fat milk, and eat low-fat yogurt and cheese.Enjoy garden salads often.Encourage your family and friends to eat healthy with you. Activity For this activity, students will determine what foods are healthy or unhealthy. Materials YarnTrash bag Direct Instruction Follow these steps to complete the nutrition lesson plan. Healthy foods are full of nutrients that our bodies need. Challenge students to come up with a list of healthy foods and snacks and write this list on the front board under the title Healthy Foods. If students name a food that is not considered healthy such as french fries, list that food item under the list Unhealthy Foods.Next, ask students to list foods that they consider unhealthy. Foods that are processed such as bologna and pizza should be listed in this category.A good way to visually show students healthy vs unhealthy is to hold up a ball of yarn and tell students that the yarn represents nutrients that are in the healthy foods that they eat. Then hold up a bag of trash and tell students that the trash represents the sugar, fat, and additives that are in the unhealthy foods that they eat. Talk about how unhealthy foods do very little for their health and how healthy foods help fuel their body.Once your list is complete, discuss why they foods listed are considered healthy or unhealthy. Students may say the healthy foods provide our bodies with fuel and vitamins that give our bodies energy. The unhealthy foods may make us sick, tired, or cranky. Extension Activity To check for understanding, ask students if anyone has ever been to a junkyard. If someone has asked them what kinds of things they saw there. Show the other students pictures of a junkyard and talk about how the items in the junkyard are things people cant use anymore. Compare the junkyard to junk food. Talk about how the unhealthy foods that they eat are full of ingredients that our bodies cant use. Junk food is full of fat and sugar that make us overweight and sometimes sick. Remind students to eat healthily and limit or avoid junk food. Closure To make sure students really grasp the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods, challenge students to draw and label five healthy and five unhealthy foods.

Source Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Source Evaluation - Essay Example He has previously served the American Society for the History of Rhetoric (ASHR) in the capacity of the president. He got his PhD in Communication Studies in 2000, from the Northwestern University. This is on top of the 1997 MA in Communication Studies, from the Northwestern University. Presently, he is an Associate Professor who teaches classical rhetoric and rhetorical stylistics. The poetry work was published in 2011 in a journal referred to as Rhetorica: A journal of the History of rhetoric. The journal contains literature and related academic articles. The thesis explained by the source illustrates a comparison of two literary styles, as applicable to the Early Greek literature and also the modern literary context. Poetry is basically distinguished from the aspects of prose through the verse arrangement (Richard 304). Another distinguishing feature according to Richard is that, â€Å"prose is cast in sentences, poetry in lines† (304). Prose syntax is determined through meaning, and poetry syntax is determined by the visual characteristics of the poem. Before the nineteenth century, the concept of poetry was adequately understood as a literary aspect arranged in metrical lines. During this period, the preferred meaning of poetry entailed any literary subject that has rhythm and verses. This was due to the high influence of Aristotle. Poetry during this period was also viewed as a technical verse designation, instead of the normal illustration of rhetorical and fictive artwork (Richard 315). The source illustrates adequate examples in the literary areas of poetry and prose. The author explains that poetry is one of the earliest pre-date works on literacy. Earlier cases of poetry were composed and sustained through the oral tradition processes. Hence, poetry is the earliest category of literature. On the contrary, prose is a language category that applies natural speech and also the concept of ordinary

Financial & Management Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Financial & Management Accounting - Essay Example It is a way for organisations to be accountable to their stakeholders, but is also a management tool to improve the performance of the organisation. This essay focuses on understanding the role accounting, including social and ethical accounting, plays in identifying and maintaining accountability from the viewpoint of a publicly traded business organisation. Adopting social and ethical accounting has helped organisations to achieve improved results in their quest for excellence. This helps in enlightening the stakeholders about the activities of the organisation that meet the need to be accountable to the society, environment and the government. It also has shown to affect the performance on other fronts, viz. The use and extensive deployment of digital technologies and growing concerns about the social and environmental responsibilities of organisations calls for a change in the traditional view of accounting practices. In the new scenario the affect is felt in not just their functioning in economic terms, but also brings broader social, institutional and organisational effects into play. On a purely technical level, mobilisation of Information Technology (IT) influences organisational processes directly. As understanding of its potential is growing, the definition of managerial pursuits and the search for enhanced organisational performance is also changing. Inevitably, IT impacts the form, substance and provenance of internal accounting information. This influences the behaviour and actions of decision-makers. Knowledge about the influence of digital technologies on accounting thinking processes and practices is starting to emerge. Thinking on a variety of issues relating to pricing strategies, cost management and control mechanisms has already changed. However, the implications for the field are far wider. Aspects of trust, organisational power and influence, cultural shifts, and choice of strategy are altering management accounting systems, structures, thinking and practices. 3.0 Financial and Management Accounting 3.1 Financial Accounting Finance is used by governments, businesses and individuals as well as by a wide variety of organisations including schools and non-profit organisations. In general, the goals of each of them are achieved through the use of appropriate financial instruments, with consideration to their institutional setting. Financial Accounting studies and addresses the ways in which individuals, businesses and organisations raise, allocate and use monetary resources over time and reporting the results to all those who participate in the risk associated with the projects undertaken. Financial accounting may thus incorporate the study of money and other assets and the management and control of those assets. In contemporary organisations the finance is usually provided by a set of people or organisations completely different from those who are responsible for the management of the money and assets of these