Prisoners rights Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Prisoners rights - Research Paper Example This is because of the harsh living conditions that prisoners are subjected to. However being a correctional facility, the system is meant to mould inmates to follow simple rules to fit in society again once they are released (Hudson, 2007). It is important to note that prisoners are entitled to limited rights in a jail setting since some of the civil rights are stripped at the time they are incarcerated. However as per the Eighth amendment of the Federal constitution, prisoners are protected from cruel and unusual punishment on the basis of race, sex or creed. They are entitled to affordable minimum standards of living and food to sustain an average person adequately. In this regard, the sandwich given for lunch by the government is a way of according prisoners affordable living standards (Pertersilia et al, 2012). The wearing of pink pants therefore does not in any way curtail the constitution rights of prisoners. It is prudent to appreciate the correctional facilities and the role they play in our society. It is important to note that other rights are strictly regulated by individual prison systems and therefore are not guaranteed. For example, visitations are not a personal right but nevertheless are allowed. Different state correctional facilities can adopt different measures for prisoners to be law abiding citizens again. This is acceptable as long as they are not overboard and infringe on prisoner

Racial Formation Essay Example for Free

Racial Formation Essay Quitting smoking is proven to be a task that is not easy to accomplish. The average number of quitting attempts that majority of smokers try in their lifetime varies from 6 to 9 times (Pfizer, Inc. , 2007). The smoking cessation attempts are often not successful because of faulty methodologies used in the endeavor. Majority of smoker’s efforts to quit are without usage of medical drugs. Thus, the meager success rates of only 3 to 5 percent of the total yearly attempts. The availability of products like bupropion hydrochloride, nortriptyline hydrochloride, and nicotine replacement drugs manifests only modest accomplishments (Nides et al. , 2006). In line with this dilemma, a drug was manufactured to aide smokers in their quitting venture with a step-by-step technique. This drug which is manufactured by Pfizer, Inc. is known for its brand name Chantix ® but its generic name is varenicline tartrate. This drug was manufactured to offer an effective support for smokers that want to quit this vice. Drug specifics and mode of action Varenicline tartrate, the tartrate salt form of varenicline, posses the chemical name 7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-6,10-methano-6H-pyrazino[2,3-h][3]benzazepine, (2R,3R)-2,3-dihydroxy- butanedioate (1:1). This substance which is the active ingredient of Chantix ® remarkably dissolves in water and has a white to slightly yellow color when in powered form. Varenicline has the molecular formula C13H13N3†¢C4H6O6 (RxList, Inc. , 2009). This drug is a non-nicotinic drug that targets the ? 4? 2 nicotinic receptor in the brain. It acts through blockage of nicotine from attaching to the ? 4? 2 nicotinic receptor. These receptors are the same target of nicotine, a substance present in cigarette. The binding of nicotine with the ? 4? 2 nicotinic receptors after the smoker inhales cigarette smoke conveys a message to a specific part in the brain to discharge dopamine, the substance responsible for creating the pleasure feeling. The addiction to cigarette smoking is due to short duration nature of the pleasurable feeling that is created by dopamine. The body yearns for more nicotine so that a simulation of the pleasurable feeling occurs again and again. Since varenicline prevents the binding of nicotine with its brain receptors; the intake of this drug will erase the feeling of pleasure that a person experiences every time cigarette is smoked. Therefore, quitting of smoking is easier along with intake of varenicline because the act of smoking does not bring the good feeling anymore (Coe et al. 2005). Another positive attribute of varenicline is its capacity to decrease the smoking withdrawal signs through its interaction with the dopamine receptors. This interaction results in the discharge of the hormones that allows the individual to feel pleasure or â€Å"feel-good† hormones (Bullock, 2007). Thus, during varenicline medication the smoker will not experience the terrible withdrawal symptoms because high amounts of â€Å"feel-good† hormones are distributed in his or her blood. Precautions and side effects The adverse reactions associated with the intake of varenicline are: dizziness; nausea; headache; fatigue; behavioral changes like depression and crankiness; boosted appetite; vomiting; decreased bowel motility; flatulence; and, sleeping problems. This drug can not be taken along with cimetidine because the latter will amplify varenicline levels in the plasma. Insulin; blood thinners like warfarin or coumadin; and theophylline are other therapeutic medicines prohibited during varenicline medication (â€Å"MSN health and fitness†). Precautions that need to be observed during varenicline medication are: consultation with a physician about the proper dosage and duration of therapy; monitoring of behavioral changes during the medication period; this drug is not good for individuals whom are below 18 years old, pregnant, and breast feeding mothers; the intake of this drug may also alter the performance of specialized tasks; and, medication should be after food ingestion (MIMS, 2009). Further precautions indicated in the use of this drug are: non- usage among people with history of mental disease and kidney problems; compliance with proper dosage prescribed by the doctor; and, observance of prescription label (â€Å"MSN health and fitness†). Efficacy of varenicline therapy According to its manufacturer, varenicline medication has the smoking quitting success rate of 44 percent while sugar pills only have 18 percent efficacy (Pfizer, Inc. , 2007). In a study conducted by Nides et al. (2006) comparing varenicline with bupropion a significantly higher success rate among varenicline medicated subjects was observed. The efficacy of this drug in the said study was 21. 9 percent, whereas, bupropion only had 16. 1 percent. Another study which proves the capacity of this drug to increase the success rate of smoking cessation is that one done by Cahill et al. (2007). It is noted in the said study that varenicline triples the achievement of smoking termination as compared to those who are medicated with antidepressants or had no medications at all. Issues on varenicline medication Among the issues that are coupled with the medication of varenicline are the harsh side effects like hallucinations and the alterations in the perception of joy. A varenicline medicated individual reported that during his therapy with varenicline he experienced intense hallucinations as well as alterations in his fulfillment after activities that can supposedly make an individual happy. Given examples of the activities he can’t find pleasure anymore were: writing, exercising, self-stimulation tricks, and socialization (Cloud, 2009). Another issue with varenicline medication is the suicidal inclination of individuals taking this drug. There are reports of individuals having suicide thoughts and committing suicides that are attributed to the intake of varenicline as a therapeutic aide for smoking cessation. This drug is also accounted to amplify psychiatric conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. These reports were already reported to FDA thus the advice of this agency to take tremendous caution when prescribing and taking varenicline (FDA, 2007). Biochemical Pathway The maximum plasma concentration of varenicline is attained 3 – 4 hours post oral intake of the drug. This drug’s bioavailability is high after oral intake and is not altered by the dosing time and the presence or absence of food. Varenicline though has a plasma protein binding that is below or equal to 20 percent. It takes an estimate of 24 hours for the half-life elimination of this drug to take place and negligible metabolism was observed (RxList, Inc. , 2009). Conclusion Despite the side effects that are said to be attributed to the administration of varenicline, this drug’s efficacy as a smoking cessation aide remains to be unaffected. Almost all of the available drugs have side effects thus it is not alarming for varenicline to also have some side effects. That is why precautions are available to eliminate the occurrence of most of a drug’s side effects. The proper observance of all the precautions indicated for this drug ensures that the person undergoing varenicline therapy and smoking cessation endeavor will have no health problems attributable to the medication. The weight of support that this drug can lend to the smokers who are trying to leave their deadly vice (smoking) is significantly higher as compared to the risks of side effects manifestation during the therapeutic period. Thus, cessation of smoking can be made easier through the aide of varenicline tartrate (Chantix ® ). Reference List Bullock, Carole. (2007). Smokers get a kick from varenicline; new research finds drug triples quit rate. Heartwire. Retrieved March 25, 2009 from http://www.theheart. org/article/768455. do Cloud, John. (2009). Can One Drug Cure Addiction to Another? Time, Inc. Retrieved March 26, 2009 from http://www. time. com/time/health/article/0,8599,1883588,00. html? xid=rss-fullhealthsci-yahoo Coe JW, Brooks PR, Vetelino MG, Wirtz MC, Arnold EP, Huang J, Sands SB, Davis TI, Lebel LA, Fox CB, Shrikhande A, Heym JH, Schaeffer E, Rollema H, Lu Y, Mansbach RS, Chambers LK, Rovetti CC, Schulz DW, Tingley FD 3rd, ONeill BT. (2005). Varenicline: An ? 4? 2 Nicotinic Receptor Partial Agonist for Smoking Cessation. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 48(10), 3474-3477. U. S. Food and Drug Administration, (FDA). (2007). Early Communication About an Ongoing Safety Review Varenicline (marketed as Chantix). Retrieved March 26, 2009 from http://www. fda. gov/Cder/Drug/early_comm/varenicline. htm MIMS. (2009) Varenicline. Retrieved March 25, 2009 from http://www. mims. com/Page. aspx? menuid=mngname=vareniclinegenmono=true â€Å"MSN health and fitness† (2008). Varenicline. Center Multum, Inc. Retrieved March 25, 2009 from http://health. msn. com/medications/articlepage. aspx? cp-documentid=100160707 Nides, M. , Oncken, C. , Gonzales, D. , Rennard, S. , Watsky, E. J. , Anziano, R. , and Reeves, K. R. (2006). Smoking Cessation with Varenicline, a Selective an ? 4? 2 Nicotinic Receptor Partial Agonist. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166. Retrieved March 25, 2009 from http://archinte. ama-assn. org/cgi/reprint/166/15/1561

Weaponry: A History :: essays research papers

Weaponry: A History   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is the most destructive power in history? Is it a rocket torpedo that shoots straight to the surface from a submarine, flies through the air toward an enemy sub, and then dives at its target? Is it the electrically powered machine gun that spews out 110 rounds per second to obliterate its opponent completely? Maybe it’s an intercontinental ballistic missile armed with nuclear warheads, capable of killing hundreds of thousands with a single atomic bomb. Then again, is it the tank with thermal-imaging sight that senses an enemy vehicle’s heat so it can see—and kill—even it total darkness?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Actually, it is none of these. One must go all the way back to the beginning of weapons development, when humans first figured out that certain tools made warfare a lot more effective. A person’s arm, for example, could not throw a stone or stick very far, so people devised slings and sharp tips to let their projectiles travel farther, faster and land harder. Iron-tipped spears, javelins and swords came into existence when humans learned to use and shape metals thousands of years ago. Other early warfare devices included bows and arrows, catapults , and with the domestication of the horse, the horse-driven chariot.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  None of these primitive weapons seem to answer the above question, so skip ahead to the transport of gunpowder from China to Europe in the thirteenth century. With the introduction of gunpowder, the armor of the famed â€Å"knights in shining armor† gradually became useless against the penetration of ammunition shot from a harquebus, musket, or cannon . By the fourteenth century, most European armies used gunpowder, rockets and other explosives in warfare. Yet the art of war was revolutionized again by the revolver and the automatic firearm in the nineteenth century.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first major war to use the rapid-fire guns was WWI. New contraptions were needed to protect the soldiers, now huddled in trenches, unable to move, let alone fight. Enter the tank. Infantry could now be on the offensive. Progress in the building of warships led to stronger, more lethal submarines that fired torpedoes from beneath the waves. Torpedo-boat â€Å"destroyers† were then created to combat the submarines.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Germany’s defeat in WWI led to its development of ballistic missiles, one of the inventions that reformed warfare again. Advances in automatic weapons and aviation were the latest innovations on the battlefront. However, it was the deadliest weapon ever created- the atomic bomb- that decided and ended the war once and for all.

For which characters in Of Mice And Men do you feel sympathy the most? Essay

Refer closely to the novel in your answer. I felt some sympathy for Curley’s wife as she was the loneliest of them all. She had a husband who didn’t love or respect her as he went to brothels. As well as Curley’s wife I pitied Slim. He has a lot of responsibility and calms everything down in a tense situation. He was the only person who knew that George shot Lennie after the death of Curley’s wife, which shows the amount of responsibility that is on his shoulders. I have some for Crooks as he is at a disadvantage as he is black so will have a lot of prejudice towards him. He is not allowed in the bunkhouse and so he would be very lonely. He also has the disability of having a crooked back. In the end I felt pity for Candy as the prospect of owning a farm is shattered. He could have lived the rest of his years in relative comfort. Steinbeck uses effective pathos after the death of Curley’s wife. ‘ His eyes blinded with tears and he turned and Went weakly out of the barn’ Now that he knows the dream is over he has nothing to look ahead to which is saddening. Because of his age he won’t be able to get a job. You also pity him because of his disability, which won’t help him find a job. ‘I wont have no place to go, an’ I can’t get no more jobs.’ Also when Carlson shot his dog to put it out of his misery I felt some sympathy. He had the dog for along time and had grown attached to it. Without his dog he would be lonely .This theme of loneliness runs throughtout the book. He then shows regret that someone other than himself shot his dog. ‘I shouldn’t ought to have let no stranger shoot my dog.’ I have sympathy for Lennie as when he had killed Curley’s wife he had ruined the dream for everyone. He would have felt bad about this and the fact that he wouldn’t be able to tend the rabbits which was one of his fears. The other being Ggeorge leaving him, which would mean that he would be lonely. His fear run’s loose as he listens to a talking rabbit: ‘If you think George, gonna let you tend the rabbit, your even crazier’n usual.’ Lennie always has George telling him what to do because he keeps on doing stupid things. In a way Lennie should be pleased about someone keeping a lookout for him but because Lennie is so slow he is upset by it and sometimes Lennie loses his temper. I felt sorry for him most when Curley started a fight with. ‘Lennie’s hands remained at his side; he was too frightened to defend himself. This is because people usually feel sorry for things that are defenceless. But even after Curley had repeatedly punched him Lennie still shows remorse for breaking his hand, which shows he is a ‘nice fella’ . A guy who you wouldn’t want something like this to happen to. ‘I didn’t wanta hurt him.’ The reason I don’t feel sorry for Lennie is because he has a companion like George to look after him and because he is so stupid he doesn’t realise what how poor his lifestyle is. ‘But he was too dumb even to know he had a joke played on him’ I feel sympathy for George as he is lumbered with Lennie. ‘Lennie for god’s sake don’t drink so much.’ It’s as if George is looking after Lennie like they have a parent/child relationship. A similar thing occurs when George threw away the dead mouse Lennie kept in his pocket I feel pity for George as he has a lot of pent up aggression as he uses phrases like ‘son of a bitch’ and ‘crazy bastard’. This is probably caused by the situation he is in. He has no security and his only companion is Lennie who is always getting into trouble. I feel empathy for George, as he is so lonely. This is the same with all the other characters. ‘Guys like us that work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world’. The only way George can escape this position is through his and Lennies’s dream, of owning a farm. George and Lennie ‘aint got nothing to look ahead to’ but the dream sets them a goal. Then George has to do a horrible thing by killing his only friend. He didn’t even seem to think about other alternatives but he saved Lennie from being tortured. Steinbeck builds this up from when Candy’s dog was shot to save it from the pain of living up until George saving Lennie from the pain of being tortured The reason I don’t feel sorry for George is that he has a companion like Lennie. Someone he can trust. If Lennie was in the same position he wouldn’t survive like George, as he doesn’t have the brain. So George can be thankful that it wasn’t vice versa. ‘Lennie who had been watching imitated George exactly’ This shows that Lennie adores George and is a kind of role model. It also shows that Lennie likes him so he won’t double cross him. He is too stupid to do that anyway. I have little empathy to with Curley, as he is lonelier than ever without his wife. He is always getting into fights, which could mean that he is looking for attention. I have sympathy for is the Boss, as he owns the place. He is most probably rich and has a lot of luxuries compared to the workers .I do have some empathy towards the boss .He also has a lot of responsibility as he has to run the ranch and has a son like Curley who is always causing trouble. Through this book Steinbeck tried to portray what the poor people felt at the time. It shows us that the ‘American’ dream doesn’t always come true and that the battle between the ‘good guy’ and the ‘bad guy’ doesn’t always go in the ‘good guy’s’ favour.

Erik Peterson Case Analysis Essay

Inefficient employees (Hardy), or line manager with inadequate knowledge Technical issues at lower level employees Handling his employees’ lack of work, inventory control etc. No. of cells to be operational (16) by the turn on date was too many to handle, yet it was vital to have them all operational Construction of towers were already behind the schedule; HQ reluctant to terminate the contract since the former company did a great deal of work on the construction Peterson’s management and leadership on the start-up? Raised the issues & problems with top management; replacing employees Appointing trusted people to other departments; Construction coordination Prepared to solve the zoning problems (failed to get the approval of the top management) Helped improve Curt in his job, but wasn’t quite successful since Curt was a technical person and didn’t have much knowledge on management. He provided technical support to him and others, but went too much into details. Kind of micro-managing He at least had identified the problems and causes Weekly construction Meetings to involve everyone, yet some people weren’t active enough Established an inventory control system Actions to be taken by Peterson to improve the situation and to prepare for his upcoming meeting? He should build a detailed organogram of the company and define the roles and responsibilities of each employee He shouldn’t get involved in each and every issues for which his staff needs to deal with. He should be more a result oriented leader. Staff mobility; the overall idea is good, but shouldn’t move in a way to change the reporting line He should prepare a list of his recommendations and the support required from HQ with concrete results on success or failure of his recommendations and do a follow up to those recommendations The first support he needs to ask from HQ, should be more authority to get control over his employees Since the project is in a critical phase to meet deadlines, the reporting line may change temporarily until everything gets on track

buy custom Delinquency essay

buy custom Delinquency essay In the current case study, three teenagers were found outdoors at 1 AM on a Thursday night; one of them was smoking a cigarette, and two others were holding the beer cans. The young people were violating a number of laws; consequently, I, as a police officer, decided to investigate this issue. All the teenagers have violated the city ordinance regarding the curfew. According to the juvenile curfew ordinance, adopted by the Houston City Council, the minors under 17 years old are not allowed to stay in a public place after midnight without their conservator or parent. When I approached the teenagers, I asked them whether they were returning from their employment, were involved in the intrastate transportation, were on the emergence errand, and about other exceptional cases that allowed minors to stay outdoors after midnight (Houston Police Department, n.d.). The teenagers were certainly loitering and violating the city curfew ordinance. Two male teenagers were holding beer cans when I approached the group. They were to be charged with the offenses under the Minor-in-Possession and Minor-in-Consumption laws. The boys were under the legal drinking age; they both were only 17 years old. The teenagers were not drinking from the bottles, when I saw them; therefore, they can be charged only with breaking the Minor-in-Possession law. However, when the minors started talking, I understood that they were in an advanced state of alcohol intoxication. The male teenagers could not speak audibly, demonstrated inadequate reactions, and reeked of alcohol. Because of these issues, they can be also charged with an underage drinking offense. The teenage girl, who was 16 years old, was holding a cigarette in her hands. Despite the laws that prohibit selling cigarettes to the minors, she was not breaking the law because, in fact, the purchase of that igarette by her could not be proven. The possession of cigarettes by a minor, on the other hand, is not a legal offense (Washington State Legislature, n.d.). The girl did not have the symptoms of visible alcoholic intoxication; consequently, de jure, she violated only the city ordinance regarding the curfew. My investigation of this status offense case began with the examination of the teenagers concerning the reasons of their staying outdoors at night and check of their identity. When I understood that the two minors were seriously drunk, I asked them to take a sobriety test to prove my apprehension with evidence. One of the male teenagers agreed to pass a breathanalyzer test, and I recorded the results. He was drunk but was reacting normally to my words. That is why I told him about the inadmissibility of such behavior; we called up his parents to come to that place and take the teenager home. In addition, they had to attend an alcohol awareness classes together with their son. The teenager, in turn, received a verbal warning for the violation of the curfew ordinance. Another male teenager, however, was uncooperative during our conversation. He showed certain signs of unmotivated aggression and was impolite with the police officer. The teenager also refused to pass the alcohol test. That is why he was charged with resisting law enforcement and was arrested. The minor was taken to the detention center for juveniles, and his parents were called up to come to the center. His parents had to pay 300 dollars as a fine while the teenager was put on probation for a year. Nevertheless, the case did not require a trial, and it will be closed after the probation period (Texas Criminal Defense, n.d.). For the violation of the curfew ordination, the teenager had to serve 50 hours of the community service (Theoharis, n.d.). The problem aggravated when his parents refused to come to the detention center, to paay the fine and take their son home. As it became clear later, the teenagers parents were in the state of divorce; any problems with their son, in turn, on ly worsened the family climate. That is why I decided that it would be better to bring the teenager home in the morning and speak with him when he is sober. As it was mentioned earlier, the teenage girl could be charged with neither alcohol possession nor consumption. Moreover, she also agreed to cooperate and passed the alcohol test. There was no alcohol in her blood; that is why I only issued her a verbal warning for violating the curfew ordinance. The girl seemed to be sorry for her behavior; that was why I did neither took her into the juvenile center nor called up her parents, but took her home by myself (Find Law, n.d.). Nevertheless, I spoke to the mother concerning the behavior of her daughter, and the woman agreed to speak with her child seriously and to control her. The behavior of the teenagers defined my decisions on how to handle these status offense cases. I understand that the written records about the offenses related to the alcohol abuse might affect the lives of those teenagers. Their chances to enter institutes or find prestigious jobs in the future might significantly reduce because of the minor mistakes of their youth. However, for their parents and me, it was necessary to make the teenagers understand the importance of abiding the laws and taking responsibility for their actions. That is why I made an attempt to handle the status offenses in a comparatively mild manner. I can hope that the girl and the first male teenager had understood their mistakes from my verbal warnings and the educational lectures of their parents. I also think that the second male teenager, who obviously had problems with his behavior, which perhaps was caused by the complicated relationships in his family, will overcome these problems. Buy custom Delinquency essay

s Judicial Branch

Panama’s Judicial Branch Panama is a federal democracy. As with all democracies, there is a national and state government. Of the three branches of government, executive, legislative and judicial, I will be discussing the judicial branch of government. The power of all three branches is shared and intertwined. The President, head of the executive branch, nominates members to the Supreme Court of Justice (Conniff, 2002). Those nominees must be ratified by the legislature (Conniff, 2002). If so, they serve office for a period of 10 years (Conniff, 2002). Within the judicial branch itself, there are five Superior Courts, three Appellate Courts and other tribunals such as Municipal Courts (Conniff, 2002). There are five Superior Courts in the Republic of Panama; Family Courts, Minor Courts, Maritime Courts, Boards of Conciliation and Decision and of course the Supreme Court (AAM, 1). Beginning with the Family Courts, this court is based in the capital of each province and has jurisdiction over adoption related topics as well as divorce proceedings (AAM, 1). Then, there are Minor Courts, which, as it’s name obviously points out, â€Å"has jurisdiction over offenses committed by minors up to 18 years of age† (AAM, 1). Next, there are Boards of Conciliation and Decision. This court has complete jurisdiction in Panama as well as handling law suits claiming labour benefits under $1,500 and case dismissals (AAM, 2). Another superior court is the Maritime Court created by law 8 of March 1982 and ratified by law 11 of May 23, 1986 (AAM, 2). These courts, as the name suggests, has jurisdiction over areas concerning maritime commerce and traffic within Panama (AAM, 2). Maritime Courts also handle â€Å"claims arising elsewhere form maritime commerce and traffic when actions are filed against a vessel or it’s owner and the vessel is attached within the jurisdiction of the Republic of Panama† (AAM, 2). Finally, there is the Supreme Court... 's Judicial Branch Free Essays on Panama\'s Judicial Branch Panama’s Judicial Branch Panama is a federal democracy. As with all democracies, there is a national and state government. Of the three branches of government, executive, legislative and judicial, I will be discussing the judicial branch of government. The power of all three branches is shared and intertwined. The President, head of the executive branch, nominates members to the Supreme Court of Justice (Conniff, 2002). Those nominees must be ratified by the legislature (Conniff, 2002). If so, they serve office for a period of 10 years (Conniff, 2002). Within the judicial branch itself, there are five Superior Courts, three Appellate Courts and other tribunals such as Municipal Courts (Conniff, 2002). There are five Superior Courts in the Republic of Panama; Family Courts, Minor Courts, Maritime Courts, Boards of Conciliation and Decision and of course the Supreme Court (AAM, 1). Beginning with the Family Courts, this court is based in the capital of each province and has jurisdiction over adoption related topics as well as divorce proceedings (AAM, 1). Then, there are Minor Courts, which, as it’s name obviously points out, â€Å"has jurisdiction over offenses committed by minors up to 18 years of age† (AAM, 1). Next, there are Boards of Conciliation and Decision. This court has complete jurisdiction in Panama as well as handling law suits claiming labour benefits under $1,500 and case dismissals (AAM, 2). Another superior court is the Maritime Court created by law 8 of March 1982 and ratified by law 11 of May 23, 1986 (AAM, 2). These courts, as the name suggests, has jurisdiction over areas concerning maritime commerce and traffic within Panama (AAM, 2). Maritime Courts also handle â€Å"claims arising elsewhere form maritime commerce and traffic when actions are filed against a vessel or it’s owner and the vessel is attached within the jurisdiction of the Republic of Panama† (AAM, 2). Finally, there is the Supreme Court...

Working with GIF images in Delphi

Working with GIF images in Delphi Even though Delphi does not natively support GIF image files formats (like BMP or JPEG), there are a few great (free source) components available on the Net, which add the ability to display and manipulate GIF images at run as well as at design time to any Delphi application. Natively, Delphi supports BMP, ICO, WMF, and JPG images. These can be loaded into a graphics-compatible component (such as TImage) and used in an application. Its important to note that, as of Delphi version 2006, GIF format is supported by the VCL. To use animated GIF images you would still need a third-party control. GIFsor Graphics Interchange Formatsare the most widely supported (bitmap) graphics format on the Web, both for still images and for animations. Using in Delphi Natively, Delphi (until version 2007) does not support GIF images, due to some legal copyright issues. What this means, is that when you drop a TImage component on a form, use the Picture Editor (click the ellipsis button in the Value column for properties, such as the Picture property of TImage) to load an image into the TImage, you will not have an option to load GIF images. Fortunately, there are a few third-party implementations on the Internet that provide full support for the GIF format: TGIFImage: free with source (a version of Anders Melanders TGIFImage ported to Delphi 7). Full TGraphic implementation of the GIF graphics format. Reads, writes and displays animated and transparent GIFs and can convert to and from any format supported by TGraphic (e.g TBitmap, TJPEGImage, TIcon, TMetaFile, etc.). Implements the complete GIF87a and GIF89a specification and most common GIF extensions. Advanced features include:Integrates with TPicture to add GIF support to the TImage, TOpenPictureDialog and TSavePictureDialog components. Also works at design time.Imports images with more than 256 colors using color quantization and 6 different dithering methods (e.g. Floyd-​Steinberg).Multi-threaded drawing engine.GIF optimizer reduces the size of your GIFs.GIF to AVI and AVI to GIF converter.GraphicEx image library: an addendum to Delphis Graphics.pas to enable your application to load many common image formats. This library is primarily designed to load images as background ( buttons, forms, toolbars) and textures (DirectX, OpenGL) or for image browsing and editing purposes as long as you dont need to save images. Currently, only TTargaGraphic also supports saving an image. GraphicEx is open source under the Mozilla Public License (MPL). Thats about it. Now all you have to do is to download one of the components and start using gif images in your applications.You can, for example: Store GIF images in a database table. Youll need the GIF images magic numbers.Show GIF graphics as Glyph on a SpeedButton.Store GIF graphics and an HTML file as a  resource  inside am exe.

General Motor new weekly case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

General Motor new weekly - Case Study Example Learning the operational environments of a business, including the weaknesses, strengths, threats and opportunities would enable investments into the sectors of production that are likely to help in the realization of business goals (Teece, 2010). In an attempt to understand the implication of proper management and challenges facing the operations of a large business cooperation, this paper is purposed to conduct analysis of a case study of the general electrics (G.E), which is part of the Major Appliance Business Group (MABG), a company specializing in household electronic implements. The analysis will focus on understanding the reasons for the success or failure of the business in relation to decisions undertaken by the management of the company. According to the case study, in 1970’s, MABG was a lead US kitchen appliance manufacturer specializing in products such as microwave ovens, refrigerators, ranges, home laundry appliances as well as dishwashers. The operations of the company were thus segregated into three major lines; applied research and engineering, manufacturing and marketing with a fourth smaller division of product management being a component of the three lines. In 1979, the company’s board of directors authorized an investment of $28 million in a project code-named Project C, a project initiated for the manufacture of dishwashers of materials with higher value that their predecessor. This was meant to improve the brands of the company as well as improve the company’s employment rate (Wheelwright, 1992). Despite the market shares exceeding 20%, the company’s management viewed its dishwasher business as a setback. The research conducted by the company indicated its dishwasher brands were just a medium quality owing to the material (steel coated with soft vinyl known as plastisol). Plastisol was susceptible to scratches thus exposing the steal. This led to higher incidences of rusting of the dishwashers in comparison

Strategic Management Case Study Analysis Adam Aircrafts Term Paper

Strategic Management Case Study Analysis Adam Aircrafts - Term Paper Example A strategy is the game plan the company is using to stake out market position, conducts its activities, attract and service customers, compete successfully for achieving its organizational objectives and encompasses mobilization of resources, perceiving and utilizing the opportunities, managing risks in its operations, resolving uncertainties and meeting challenges and threats for survival and success. The corporate strategy should be flexible, dynamic and is generally long term in nature. In this paper strategic management with reference to Adam Aircrafts has been studied for identifying the objectives of the company, problems faced by the company and the causes for such problems, strengths and weaknesses of the company, the opportunities in the industry, the external threats in relation to its operations and strategies of the company for a careful analysis and possible solutions and recommendations. The promoter’s or the management’s views and conclusions about the company’s direction and the product-customer-market-technology focus constitute a strategic vision for the business. The promoter Rick Adam, a licensed pilot for over 18 years, hailing from a family of aviators with his successful foray into IT field had a vision on aviation sector. The company was closed and now Triton America is redesigning the A500 and A700 with the intent to return the aircraft to production at the  Port of Skagit County, Washington. (Wikipedia, 2010) The mission of the enterprise has not changed, that is building smaller and lighter aircraft designed for the most common trip length and passenger load to deliver optimal efficiency. Also, the company wants to focus on personal jet aircraft for the average mission of less than a two-hour flight, with three and a half people on board. Though it could be construed as a narrow segmentation, the idea of the company could be to es tablish itself in niche market, though

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

Films - Essay Example Furthermore, it may be believed that almost fifty years later, these directors and auteurs may have lost their magic. These thoughts could not be further from the truth. Film is an ever-changing entity, though this does not mean that what was in the past is no longer accepted in the present. The works of Scorsese, Coppola, Lucas, and Allen are still being highly praised for their unique styles. Not only have some of these directors and auteurs made new films that still hold true to their extraordinary talents, such as Scorsese’s newest animated film and Lucas’s consistent reign over the Star Wars franchise, but their older works - the ones that brought these men under a still-burning spotlight - are continuing to be held in high regard. Their style of films may not be as common today as they were decades ago, but they are still appreciated and revered. As such, the time of these men have not passed. Indeed, these men are going as strong as ever. As long as people continue to value and praise the works of these talented men, they will still be considered some of the film industry’s greatest and most unique contributors. These men may be getting along in age and experimenting with new methods of film, but they will never be past their

Critique assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Critique assignment - Essay Example It should be noted that the author has also helped in identifying a flow of the problem with the research purpose. The manner in which the topic has been discussed in the introduction makes it easier for the reader to expect the research methodology and findings. From the first instance of having a look at the title of the article, the readers can expect that the introduction will be able to create a textual as well as contextual construct. In simpler words, it can be said that the introduction of the article is clearly relevant with the objective as appointed by the author. It can also be said that the author has address some of the information tags in the introduction which may provide information which takes the reader beyond the understanding of article’s subject matter. This may be considered as irrelevant by some of the critiques but it is important to note that additional information in the introduction allows the readers to evaluate the peculiarities of the research. T hus, overall it can be said that the introduction written by the author in the article proves to be a stronger context to the research’s findings (Barton et al. 2012) The article has been published by International Journal of Audiology which is one of the most significant contributions in the field. The article was received on 15th September 2010. As per the reliability test, the acceptance of the article was done on 10 September 2011. Since the journal in publishing the content for the research purpose, it took another year for the journal to publish the article. The affiliation of the article is with International Journal of Audiology which makes it joint with British Society of Audiology and Nordic Audiological Society. The article’s publishing source, International Journal of Audiology has been a publishing source for many high-rated contributors in the field of audiology. The journal includes both original articles as well as reviews of

Stateless nation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Stateless nation - Essay Example In essence, the Catalonia community has a similar surface area and population as Switzerland. The nation’s history is ancient with Phoenicians, Romans, and Greeks all leaving a mark on the community. The nation was united with Castile in the 15th century through marriage of the two communities’ royal families, although the union resulted in a confederate state that had different languages, laws, and parliaments. The Catalonia community has been involved in various wars over the centuries, losing the Harvester War in 1640, which forced it to give up part of its northern territory to France, as well as the 18th century’s Spanish Succession War that they lost and lost their institutions and right to use their language in official channels (Payne 29). The state structure of Catalonia was ended, and assimilation with Spain began until the 20th century. However, their national conscience was re-awakened in the early 20th century as Europe found itself in a wave of nati onalism (Payne 30). While it started as a movement focused on the Catalan culture and their literary and political richness, the re-awakening soon became a regionalist movement that sought increased autonomy from Spain. Prior to the Spanish Civil War of the mid to late 1930s, Catalonia was, at various times, self-ruled, and they twice proclaimed a Catalan Republic. The victory of General Franco at the end of the decade, however, began what is one of the Catalonia nation’s darkest periods. It is essential to understand the dictatorship of General Franco, in order to understand modern Catalonia. Although Franco’s regime was harsh on majority of Spaniards, Catalonia suffered what can only be described as an attempt to annihilate them systematically and cruelly. It was during this period that their cultural rights were repressed collectively and individually, including banning of the Catalan language, punishment for any expression of their culture, and public officials pub licly denying regarding their identity (Payne 30). Democracy, which was institutionalized in 1975, started a period of recuperation for the language, culture, and institutions of the Catalonia. At present, the nation is enjoying self-governance at a level that was only possible during the advent of the Bourbon Dynasty some three hundred years ago (Alba 23). Substantial responsibilities have been placed in an autonomous Catalan parliament and government, especially in fields like policing, healthcare, culture, and education. Spain, therefore, after Belgium and Germany, is the EU’s most decentralized state, consisting of Catalonia, Navarre, and Basque. To understand the identity of Catalonia, their language is vital. Surviving over three hundred years of repression has not dulled their literary scene with over 8 million people still using the Catalan language across all societal levels. The language is used in Valencia, Catalonia, Balearic Islands, Andorra, Aragon, Southern Fra nce, and Alguer in Italy. In fact, the language is more popular than some languages with official status in the EU, such as Maltese, Lithuanian, Danish, Slovenian, Slovak, and Finnish. However, the language is not recognized by national institutions in Spain and the EU, despite the prevalence of magazines, newspapers, and TV and radio channels in Catalan (Alba 24). Still, the language is weaker in the Spanish bi-lingual society and continues to face numerous threats. Catalonia, apart from its tradition of literature, has also

Critique assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Critique assignment - Essay Example It should be noted that the author has also helped in identifying a flow of the problem with the research purpose. The manner in which the topic has been discussed in the introduction makes it easier for the reader to expect the research methodology and findings. From the first instance of having a look at the title of the article, the readers can expect that the introduction will be able to create a textual as well as contextual construct. In simpler words, it can be said that the introduction of the article is clearly relevant with the objective as appointed by the author. It can also be said that the author has address some of the information tags in the introduction which may provide information which takes the reader beyond the understanding of article’s subject matter. This may be considered as irrelevant by some of the critiques but it is important to note that additional information in the introduction allows the readers to evaluate the peculiarities of the research. T hus, overall it can be said that the introduction written by the author in the article proves to be a stronger context to the research’s findings (Barton et al. 2012) The article has been published by International Journal of Audiology which is one of the most significant contributions in the field. The article was received on 15th September 2010. As per the reliability test, the acceptance of the article was done on 10 September 2011. Since the journal in publishing the content for the research purpose, it took another year for the journal to publish the article. The affiliation of the article is with International Journal of Audiology which makes it joint with British Society of Audiology and Nordic Audiological Society. The article’s publishing source, International Journal of Audiology has been a publishing source for many high-rated contributors in the field of audiology. The journal includes both original articles as well as reviews of

Regionlized Endogenous Growth in Est si Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Regionlized Endogenous Growth in Est si - Essay Example Following the pth of tht sin industril forerunner, four "tigers" - the two Jpnese ex-colonies, South Kore nd Tiwn, nd two islnds, Singpore nd Hong Kong, the first city-stte, the other British colony tht will soon revert to Chin - embrked on their own export-led mnufcturing revolution, doubling rel GDP every eight yers during 1950 to 1985 (n eight-fold increse in ll). In the lte 1970s, Chin ccelerted its mssive moderniztion progrm, introduced mrket mechnisms, nd welcomed foreign investment; since the 1980s, it hs been the world's fstest-growing economy, verging lmost 10% yerly in the lst decde nd hlf. Over tht period, three Southest sin countries - Indonesi, Mlysi, nd Thilnd - hve proved tht they, too, cn sustin growth rtes of over seven percent yer, speed tht doubles the size of n economy ech decde. Since the 1980s, these Est sin economies hve been growing three times fster thn the OECD economies, twice s fst s the rest of Est si, three times s fst s Ltin meric nd South si, nd five t imes s fst s sub-Shrn fric. Their export performnce hs been prticulrly impressive, with their shre of world exports of mnufctures shooting up from nine percent in 1965 to 21% in 1990. Those re the indictors behind the phenomenon tht hs vriously been clled "Pcific Shift," the "rise of si," the "Pcific Century," or, s the title of recently published World Bnk study puts it, "The Est sin Mircle." One of the Est sin Mircle hs tken plce under the egis of the Px mericn, which ppered fter WWII. TPx mericn constitutes n economic system of wht my be clled "hegemn-led mcro-clustering". The ltter implies phenomenon in which hegemon economy propgtes growth stimuli to its closely ligned cohort of countries by mens of dissimiltion of technology, knowledge, skills, mrket informtion etc. The rise of the Paz Americana originated from "Yankee ingenuity" in the innovation of interchangeable parts and assembly-line operations, which eventually culminated in the techniques of mass production - and the pattern of mass consumption. Under Px mericn many South Eastern countries received a benefit as their economies significantly improved and were enhanced. Particularly, Japanese automobile industry replaced "just-in-time" parts delivery by "just-in-case" inventory, which relied heavily on a cooperative group of suppliers of parts, components, and accessories. Furthermore, Japanese process fragmentation has become all the more fine-tuned to make use of labour costs and technological capabilities of suppliers at divergent levels of country's industrial hierarchy.In the wake of Japan's rapid catch-up with its current account surplus rising, the Japanese yen became grossly undervalued and soared in market value. As for East Asian countries they benefited a lot from the catch-up economics as well. According to the World Bank (1993), Asian Economies got the fundamentals right by way of: 1) carefully limited and "market-friendly" government activism; 2) strong export orientation; 3) high levels of domestic savings; 4) accumulation of human and physical

Rise of E Vehicle Essay Example for Free

Rise of E Vehicle Essay MANILA, Philippines? There? s something about electric vehicles. They don? t use gasoline or diesel and therefore don? t pollute the air. They run without noise and are cost-efficient. If Filipinos are educated about the benefits of using these ? plug-in? modes of transportation, they would be wondering why we haven? t caught up with the craze yet. Going ? green? is all the rage right now because of climate change due to greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. Global warming threatens not only the survival of the human species, but also of other living things big and small that call Earth home. Serious efforts have been made to counter or at least minimize the adverse effects of global warming. Because emissions like carbon dioxide from fossil fuels are a major source of global warming, people have sought alternative sources of energy like solar, hydro and wind power. They have also come up with electric vehicles. Four different kinds of electric vehicles now on the market were showcased at PowerTrends 2009, a renewable energy exhibition held on Sept. 9-10 at World Trade Center in Pasay City. The e-vehicles displayed at PowerTrends? the e-jeep, e-car, e-bike and e-quad? are generally priced higher than their gasoline-powered counterparts. E-vehicle makers, however, are after advocacy, not profits, says Karl Magsuci, business planning and development manager for EVnnovations Inc. , distributor of the first Land Transportation Office-registered e-car in the Philippines. ?What we? re doing right now is education and raising awareness,? he says. All four e-vehicles have zero carbon emission. Their batteries could be charged via a simple household electric socket. Plans to build a biogas-powered recharging station are in the works. In some areas, like Puerto Princesa City and Boracay, plans to phase out gasoline-powered jeepneys are underway, with e-vehicles gradually being incorporated into their transportation system. e-car The Reva e-car, popularly known in London as G-Wiz, was first launched in Bangalore, India, in June 2001. EVnnovations Inc. wants to introduce Reva to the Philippines as a viable mode of transportation. This two-seater uses eight 48-volt deep-cycle-lead-acid batteries, which charge in eight hours at a cost of P84. Charging for two hours already powers 80 percent of Reva? s batteries, says Magsuci. Fully charged, Reva has a maximum range of 80 kilometers, 60 km when the air-con is used, and a top speed of 80 kph. By contrast, a gasoline-powered car would require about P350-worth of gas to travel 80 km. No change oil There? s virtually no maintenance involved when using the e-car, says Magsuci. ?No change oil, for instance.? The batteries have an average life span of two to three years. Changing batteries would cost around P50,000, says Magsuci. The only drawback to the e-car is the price, says Magsuci. ?There? s apprehension in the market due to the prohibitive price,? he says. The e-car is considered a luxury vehicle here, says Magsuci, thus, the cost almost doubles upon reaching our shores. Costing around $10,000 in India or around P500,000, plus import tax, Reva? s cost could reach close to a million pesos, he says. He explains, however, that Reva is initially not meant for everyone, but only for a very specific market? the ? high-end,? and environmentally conscious individuals and companies. ?Walk the talk,? he says. ?It? s time for us to introduce green alternatives, mitigate climate change, and make people ? green? in their motoring habits.? Leasing program. Selling Reva in the Philippines may not be that easy, says Magsuci. That? s why EVnnovation is looking at the possibility of a renting or leasing program. Introducing the e-car through public transportation, he adds, is also another way to make its presence known. The e-car, however, cannot compete with one? s existing car at this time, Magsuci says. ?It? s only meant to supplement your current fleet as an alternative vehicle,? he says. ?Think about the future, long-term effects.? At the moment, there? s still no tangible support from the government for the promotion of Reva, according to Magsuci. He hopes that trade shows such as PowerTrends will help promote ? green? alternatives. For more information on Reva electric car, contact Karl Pietrus Magsuci of EVnnovations at 3701314, fax No. 3741671-72, e-mail [emailprotected] com, or visit http://www. evnnovations. com/. Their office address is 8F Ramcar Center 80-82 Roces Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City. e-jeep The e-jeep was first launched in 2007 in the cities of Makati, Puerto Princesa and Bacolod as part of the Climate Friendly Cities project of Green Renewable Independent Power Producers Inc. (GRIPP). It started its commercial run last year. GRIPP is a local consortium of environmental groups, including Greenpeace. Tapped by GRIPP to produce the electric vehicle, the Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturers Association of the Philippines now assembles e-jeepneys through its business arm, Philippine Utility Vehicles Inc. (PhUV). The first prototypes were imported from China. The e-jeep costs P650,000. It uses 12 6V 220AH batteries, which charge for eight hours at a cost of P150, says John Marasigan, PhUV assistant sales manager for electric vehicles. A fully charged e-jeep has a maximum range of 55 km and a top speed of 35 kph. Thirty-five units of this 14-seater have so far been sold to a number of government and private institutions in the Philippines, 20 of which are in Makati, says Marasigan. They include De La Salle University in Dasmarinas, Cavite; Plantation Bay Resort in Cebu; the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in Manila; the House of Representatives in Quezon City; and Embarcadero waterfront development in Legazpi City. e-quad The e-quad, or e-tuktuk, marks its launching at PowerTrends 2009. With a seating capacity of six, the vehicle is designed as an alternative to tricycles in subdivisions, according to Marasigan. ?It is ideal in subdivisions because there? s less noise,? he said. ?Plus it can run in floods.? The e-quad sells for P300,000. For inquiries about the e-jeep, e-bike and e-quad, contact John Marasigan of Philippine Utility Vehicles Inc. at 9365022 or 9308012, e-mail [emailprotected] com, or visit www. gripp. org. ph and www. ejeep. org. The office address is 2 Susano Road in Bo. Deparo, Novaliches, Caloocan City e-bike. Twenty-five units of e-bikes have so far been sold by Philippine Utility Vehicles Inc. Ideal for use in beach resorts and other recreational spots, most e-bikes can now be seen running in Boracay. Selling for P27,000, the e-bike has a maximum range of 25 km and top speed of 20 kph. Its batteries require only four hours to fully charge, costing around P100. What? s good about the e-bike is that once the battery runs out of power, the bike can still be used in the traditional way. By pedaling the e-bike, one does not only get good exercise, but also charges the batteries.

History of, and Impact of Cinema

History of, and Impact of Cinema INTRODUCTION Cinema is one of the few mediums which have managed to successfully depict the true reality of society in general and our lives in particular. As like other art forms, it depicts the multiple realties that one is faced with. It explores one of the most discarded yet eternal truths which every individual experiences and that is isolation. Each individual longs for social ties despite belonging to organized societies; it is what each one of us is ultimately reduced to. A Short filmis a technical description originally coined in theIndian film industryand used in the North American film industry in the early period ofcinema. The description is now used almost interchangeably withshort subject. Although the North American definition generally refers to films between 20 and 40 minutes, the definition refers to much shorter films inEurope,Latin AmericaandAustralasia. InNew Zealand, for instance, the description can be used to describe any film that has duration longer than one minute and shorter than 15 minutes. The North American definition also tends to focus much more on character whereas the European and Australasian forms tend to depend much more on visual drama and plot twists. In this way, the North American form can be understood to be a derivation of the feature film form, usually acting as a platform for aspirant Hollywood directors. Elsewhere, short films tend to work as showcases for cinematographers and commercial directors. (Short Film) A short film manages to tell the same tale as a full length feature film, but in a shorter duration of time. It is characterized by the directors reflection of the existing social, political and economic conditions. A short film narrative is one which can easily be created by people from all walks of life, it has universal applicability. It enables directors functioning on a small budget to tell their stories to the world. The talent in creating a short film lies in communicating the message of the film to the audience in a very limited period of time. The transitions in a short film are of critical importance. What I find intriguing is how any person imbibes from their existing social conditions and produce work which is effectively communicable to most individuals. Another reason to dwell into this topic of research is that many youngsters and amateurs start by making short films and use it as a path to grow. AsDaniel Wiernicki states, â€Å"Short films are often popular as first steps into the film industry among young filmmakers. This is because they are cheaper and easier to make, and also their length makes shorts more likely to be watched by financial backers and others who want some demonstration of a filmmakers ability. Many things can be achieved by creating a short film so are an ideal opportunity to get recognized and get into the industry.† (Wiernicki) Through this dissertation, I aim to explore the world of short films in the context of movies which have won the CannesShort Film Palme dOr(French:Palme dOr du court mÃÆ' ©trage), which is the highest prize given to ashort film at theCannes Film Festival. These short films are a representation of different cultures, ideologies, people, religion, economic background, and political thoughts and history from across the world that come together on one platform and showcase their art. The cinema is not an art which films life: the cinema is something between art and life. Unlike painting and literature, the cinema both gives to life and takes from it, and I try to render this concept in my films. Literature and painting both exist as art from the very start; the cinema doesnt. Jean- Luc Godard LITERATURE REVIEW Throughout our history, humans have looked for different forms of expressing themselves. These expressions were in the form of poetry, literature, songs, plays, dancing, etc. films are one of the latest forms of expression that has been adopted by the people around the world to portray their views on their surroundings, any event, or moment that captivates them and they want to show it to the world. The beauty of the films nowadays is that you can detract from reality and present something beyond the human imagination at the same time one can present the harsh realities of life that some dont know about. Films as a medium of communications can be used to spread ones message or view across the world. History of Cinema(History of Film) The birth of the films happened in 1878, when Eadweard Muybridge recorded a horse running in fast motion using a series of 24 stereoscopic cameras. With the development of technology came of the ‘Silent era. Till the 1920s movies were silent, though at times they were accompanied by musicians, sound effects, or even commentary at times. 1940s to 60s- War and Post War Cinema The wartime saw immense change in the cinema as more focus was given to propaganda and patriotic films. Films like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Citizen Cane were pieces of this period. The cold war era brought movies filled with paranoia such as Invading Armies of Evil Aliens and anti- communist movies such as the Manchurian Candidate. The onset of television in the post war era also threatened the cinematic industry as a medium of watching films. During this Period, Asian Cinema specifically saw a golden age. Some of the greatest masterpieces of the Asian cinema were produced during this period. These include works like: Yasujiro OzusTokyo Story(1953),Satyajit RaysThe Apu Trilogy(1955-1959) andThe Music Room(1958),Kenji MizoguchisUgetsu(1954) andSansho the Bailiff(1954),Raj KapoorsAwaara(1951),Mikio NarusesFloating Clouds(1955),Guru DuttsPyaasa(1957) andKaagaz Ke Phool(1959), and theAkira Kurosawa films Rashomon (1950), Ikiru(1952),Seven Samurai(1954) andThrone of Blood(1957). 1970s: Post-classical cinema This term is used to describe the period following the decline of thestudio systemduring the 1950s and 1960s and the end of theproduction code. During the 1970s, filmmakers increasingly depicted explicit sexual content and showed gunfight and battle scenes that included graphic images of bloody deaths. The 1980s were filled with movies releasing with sequels like Star Wars, Jaws, and Indiana Jones. The audience also started to watch movies on their VCR at home during this period. 1990s to present: Contemporary Cinema The 1990s saw the development of the independent cinema with commercial success. Special effects also ruled during this period as it was being heavily used by the successful movies of the period like: Terminator 2: Judgment Day(1991) andTitanic(1997). During the 2000s, documentary genre of film making also rose as can be seen with the success of movies such as March of the Penguins, and Fahrenheit 9/11. Increase in the problem of digital distribution due to infringement of copyrights, and piracy also has reached heights during this period. Cinema as a whole during this decade has become more global with foreign-language films gaining popularity in English-speaking markets. Films such as City of Gods (Portugese), Lagaan (Hindi), and the Passion of the Christ (Aramaic). â€Å"Some have described the prevailing style of the period aspostmodernbecause many contemporary films are apolitical, ahistorical, intertextual, and less tied to the conventions of a single genre or culture. The transnational circulation and genre hybridity of contemporary films is exemplified by the increasing global popularity of non- English speaking cinema.† (Film Studies, 2009) Major Genres of Films: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime Gangster films, Drama, Epic/ Historical films, Horror, Musical, Science fiction, War (anti- war), Western, and Eastern films. Theyare broad enough to accommodate practically any film ever made, although film categories can never be precise. By isolating the various elements in a film and categorizing them in genres, it is possible to easily evaluate a film within its genre and allow for meaningful comparisons and some judgments on greatness. Films werenotreally subjected to genre analysis by film historians until the 1970s. All films have at least one major genre, although there are a number of films that are considered crossbreeds or hybrids with three or four overlapping genre (orsub-genre) types that identify them. (Dirks) History of Short Films ‘Short subject a name initially given to Short Films came into existence in the 1910s when the majority of the feature movies were being made into loner run-time editions. The name ‘short subject is an American film industry term, which was assigned to any film within 20 minutes long or running two reels. Short subject films could be comedy, animated, or live action. One of the best known users of short subject was Laurel and Hardy and Charlie Chaplin. In 1930s came the slowdown of the short subjects, basically produced by Warner Bros and Famous studios that owned their own theatres to showcase the films. By 1995s, the rise of television led to the strangulation of the live action- short and at the same time the fall cartoon short. Since the 1960s, majority of the directors of short films have been special studio projects or independent film makers. Since the 1980s, short film term was being used for short subject. Short film as a term describes the non- commercial film that is much shorter in time length than a feature film/ an analogy that can be drawn for short film to a feature film is that of a novella and a novel. The short filmmakers heavily depend on the short film festivals and art exhibitions to showcase their short films. At the same time, these film makers have more freedom to take up more difficult topics than normal feature films as the risks are lower. Short film making is now a growing as more and more amateurs, students, common man, and enthusiasts are taking this up because of the affordability of the technology to make such films. At the same time one can showcase his work to the world by uploading it on web portals and sharing it with others. It is an area where people are turning to as a hobby, as an art, to achieve their form expressions. (Wiernicki) Festival de Cannes The Festival is an apolitical no-mans-land, a microcosm of what the world would be like if people could contact each other directly and speak the same language. Jean Cocteau Being first large international cultural event after the World War II, the Festival de Cannes opened on 20th September, 1946. The Palme dOr was created in 1955. Palme dOr became the enduring symbol of the Cannes Film Festival, awarded each and every year since to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition. At present, Festival de Cannes invites film makers from around the world to present their work in one place and exchange cultural experiences. The selections for the awards are done from a nomination of films from all over the world, from different socio-economic backgrounds, different cultures, and different historical backgrounds. Cannes offers an opportunity to determine a particular countrys image of its cinema. Festival de Cannes is a melting pot of global cinema and filmmakers. This is the reason why I have undertaken the study of the award winning short films at festival de Cannes. (Festival History) KNOWLEDGE GAP Looking at the current literature review, we see that there is a knowledge gap regarding the study of Short Films in the contemporary cinema as a communication medium. This subject requires an in-depth analysis and more research to come up with some perspectives in this area. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES To take selected works of Short Films of contemporary cinema, last ten years winner of Cannes Palme dOr du court mÃÆ' ©trage (1999-2009), and analyse the context and form of Short films. Content of the winners of the Cannes Short Film awards (1999-2009) in context of political, sociological, economical, and historical backgrounds. To study the narrative codes in the films to arrive at a deeper understanding of the short films. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The Qualitative research methodology is used in this study. The method would involve content analysis (Roland Barthes), text/narrative analysis and semiotic analysis of the movies. The Sample: The Short Film award winners of Palme dOr du court mÃÆ' ©trage (Cannes Short Film Palme dOr) in Festival de Cannes in the last 10 years (1999-2009). The following Short Films have been selected for the study: Arena Megatron Ver Llover Sniffer Podorozhni Trafic Cracker Bag Eso Utan Bean Cake Anino Why the above Sample? The above following sample has been chosen for the reason being that theFestival de Cannes(le Festival de Cannes), founded in 1946, is one of the worlds oldest, finest and most prestigiousfilm festivals which has a very good representation of directors from across the world from different cultural, political, historical, religious, economical, and sociological backgrounds. This provides us with a variety of content for our study. The above movies are selected also on the basis of them being a part of contemporary cinema. How to Study Short Films Some of the salient points/ questions that will be used to do this study of short films are as follows: 1. Who is telling the story? Why is it being told? Does it appear to have a purpose? (media agencies, authorial voice, writers and auteurs, marketing, economics, ideology) 2. How is it experienced? Who consumes it, where and in what way? (readers and media audiences- private and public experience, narrative structures) 3. How is it made? (film technology, publishing and episodic publishing-the differences they make to the production process as well as to the finished product) 4. How does it construct meaning? (film language and written language-expectations of audiences and readers, codes and conventions, narrative structures) 5. How does it represent its subject- especially with reference to period? (representation, use of stereotypes, representation of the past) (FILM STUDY GUIDE FOR TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, 2003) 6. Three Ways of Thinking Talking About Films(Wilder, 1997) Literary Aspects Dramatic Aspects Cinematic Aspects Who are the characters in the film? Did the actors make you forget they were acting? How? What vivid visual images did you note? What did they make you feel or think about? What is the films setting? Were costumes, make-up, and set equally important to the success of the film? What sounds or music do you remember? What did they make you feel or think about? What are the main plot elements? In what scene was an actors voice (pitch, volume, expression) particularly effective? What scenes can you understand even without dialogue? Why? From whose point of view is the story told? Select a scene that must have been difficult to act. How did the actor make his or her body movements appropriate and convincing? What scene has very effective or unusual editing? What is the theme of the film? Describe a scene in which facial expression was important. What feelings were developed? Were words necessary? If the film uses special effects, do they add to or detract from your enjoyment of the film? What is the mood of the film? Did the actors establish their characters more through dialogue or through movement and facial expressions? What symbols did you notice? How is this film like or unlike other films by the director? Does this director have a recognizable style? Was there anything about the acting, set, or costumes that bothered you or interfered with your watching of the film? EXPECTED CONTRIBUTION Given that the art of making Short Films is on the upward trend it is necessary to analyze the current trends, narratives, and the context of the Short Films genre in our contemporary cinema. We have enough knowledge on feature length movies but we lack information on the Short Films of our age. The study of this medium is important as Short films are a highly effective medium of communication and will gain importance going forward. As more and more people are turning towards Short Film making due to accessibility to technology, it is one field that needs attention in our world of cinema. A study of its content will give us a better understanding of the Short Films and world around us through their camera scope is imperative.

Lost in Translation by Ewa Hoffman Essay -- Lost in Translation Ewa Ho

Lost in Translation - A Place to Remember As people grow up, there are special places that remain in the memories. These places become a safe haven when life becomes too rough to handle. All the bad qualities of this place disappear in their minds so that only a perfect world exists. This is a place where everything is right and everyday troubles do not exist. In the novel Lost in Translation by Ewa Hoffman, she describes this paradise of sorts as her hometown of Cracow, Poland. Cracow, Poland is where Ewa spent the majority of her childhood up until age fourteen when she emigrated to the Canada with her mother, father, and younger sister Alina. Although she only spent fourteen years there, this place became a magical entrapment for her. In Cracow, Ewa...

Four Elements of Transformational Leadership Essay

Organizations emphasize the concept of leadership in training managers or group leaders to propel a team or the organization forward. Within leadership, the effectiveness of the transformational versus transactional leader is often debated. Transactional leadership relies more on a â€Å"give and take† understanding, whereby subordinates have a sense of duty to the leader in exchange for some reward. Transformational leadership, on the other hand, involves a committed relationship between the leader and his followers. In 1985, industrial psychologist Bernard Bass identified and wrote about four basic elements that underlie transformational leadership. Ads by Google Stanford Exec. Leadership Where innovation and visionary leadership meet. Learn More. gsb.stanford.edu​/​SeniorLeadership Idealized Influence Transformational leaders act as role models and display a charismatic personality that influences others to want to become more like the leader. Idealized influence can be most expressed through a transformational leader’s willingness to take risks and follow a core set of values, convictions and ethical principles in the actions he takes. It is through this concept of idealized influence that the leader builds trust with his followers and the followers, in turn, develop confidence in their leader. Inspirational Motivation Inspirational motivation refers to the leader’s ability to inspire confidence, motivation and a sense of purpose in his followers. The transformational leader must articulate a clear vision for the future, communicate expectations of the group and demonstrate a commitment to the goals that have been laid out. This aspect of transformational leadership requires superb communication skills as the leader must convey his messages with precision, power and a sense of authority. Other important behaviors of  the leader include his continued optimism, enthusiasm and ability to point out the positive.

The Goose Fish

In the first stanza, two lovers and their actions are visualized and beautified. For example, the speaker describes thrill and romance of their love by using poetic expressions such as â€Å"For them by the swift tide of blood/That silently they took at flood,/And for a little time they prized/Themselves impressed. â€Å". Then, In the second stanza, There is a turn with the appearance of a goose fish (â€Å"The goose fish turning up, though dead/His hugely grinning head†). At the same time, air of the poem changes. (â€Å"Then, as if shaken by stage-fright†) The goose fish and its tenderness strongly contrast with sweet atmosphere two lovers created before.As the author of the textbook says, Their sudden discovery of the fish, a rude shock, Injects a grotesque, almost macabre, not Into the poem. The goose fish plays a key role In revealing and symbolizing the couple's love. After sudden appearance of the goose fish, the narrator portrays how two lovers respond to it. They are â€Å"Embarrassed in each other's sight†¦ As though the world had found them out† From these lines, It is inferred that the couple, so passionate and eager that they feel ‘impressed' to e together, is having illicit, secret relationship.Although they feel a sense of guilt for a moment, they think about its meaning and decide to take the fish as an emblem of their love. (â€Å"He might mean failure or success. /But took it for an emblem of/ Their sudden, new and guilty love/To be observed by, when they kissed/That rigid optimist. â€Å"). Just like relationship of the couple, the goose fish stands for ambiguity. Their affair Is Illicit, so they feel embarrassment, guilt, and shame. But at the same time, It makes them feel pleasure, whether It's sexual or emotional. Similarly, the fish's presence doesn't give clear meaning to them.It's rather mysterious. (It was a wide and moony grin/Together peaceful and obscene:/They knew not what he would express†¦ He might mean failure or success). It could be a friend, a comedian, an optimist, an emblem, or a patriarch. The moon' also makes frequent appearances and gives a sort of consistency. In the first stanza, the moon creates a romantic atmosphere, in which main focus is two lovers. (On the long shore, lit by the moon/To show them properly alone. ) In the second stanza, the moon also sheds light on the goose fish, giving strong impact to the scene. Beneath the moon's bony light†¦ The goose fish turning up, though deadheads hugely grinning head. ) Also, according to the text book, the moon makes indirect appearance in the third stanza, too. (The moon's light comes to seem fragile – â€Å"china† – as It exposes the fish directly; the moon's role as lookout and protector seems abandoned, or at least endangered. And In the last stanza, the moon went down to disappear', marking the end of the poem. The Goose Fish By emergency than what it is in real life. ‘T he goose Fish' is a fairly typical case of the kind.Using visual images and strong contrast, the speaker articulates his interpretations. In following paragraphs three points, how the narrator used irony and strong contrast, what the goose fish means and represents, and how the moon involves in the poem, they took at flooding for a little time they prized/Themselves impressed. â€Å". Then, injects a grotesque, almost macabre, not into the poem. The goose fish plays a key role in revealing and symbolizing the couple's love. After sudden appearance of the Their affair is illicit, so they feel embarrassment, guilt, and shame.But at the same mime, It makes them feel pleasure, whether it's sexual or emotional. Similarly, the fish's presence doesn't give clear meaning to them. It's rather mysterious. (It was a wide and moony grin/Together peaceful and obscene;/They knew not what he would optimist, an emblem, or a patriarch. ‘The moon' also makes frequent appearances goose fish tur ning up, though dead,/His hugely grinning head. ) Also, according to the light comes to seem fragile – â€Å"china† – as it exposes the fish directly; the moon's role as lookout and protector seems abandoned, or at least endangered. ). And in the last

Night World : Secret Vampire Chapter 8

When the Jetta turned into the parking lot of a7-Eleven, James smiled. There was a nice isolatedarea behind the store, and it was getting dark. He drove his own car around back, then got out to watch the store entrance. When Phil came outwith a bag, he sprang on him from behind. Phil yelled and fought, dropping the bag. It didn'tmatter. The sun had gone down and James's powerwas at full strength. He dragged Phil to the back of the store and put him facing the wall beside a Dumpster. The classicpolice frisking position. â€Å"I'm going to let go now,† he said. â€Å"Don't try torun away. That would be a mistake.† Phil went tense and motionless at the sound of hisvoice. â€Å"I don'twantto run away. I want to smash your face in, Rasmussen.† â€Å"Go ahead and try.† James was going to add,Makemy night, but he reconsidered. He let go of Phil, who turned around and regarded him with utter loathing. â€Å"What's the matter? Run out of girls to jump?† hesaid, breathing hard. James gritted his teeth. Trading insults wasn't going to do any good, but he could already tell it was going to be hard to keep his temper. Phil had that effect on him. â€Å"I didn't bring you out here to fight.I brought you to ask you something. Do you care about Poppy?† Phil said, â€Å"I'll take stupid questions for five hundred, Alex,† and loosened his shoulder as if gettingready for a punch. â€Å"Because if you do, you'll get her to talk to me.You were the one who convinced her not to see me,and now you've got to convince her that shehastosee me.† Phil looked around the parking lot, as if calling for somebody to witness this insanity. James spoke slowly and dearly, enunciating eachword. â€Å"There is something I can do to help her.† â€Å"Because you're Don Juan, right? You're gonna heal her with your love.† The words were flippant,but Phil's voice was shaky with sheer hatred. Not just hatred for James, but for a universe that would givePoppy cancer. â€Å"No. You've got it completely wrong. Look, youthink I was making out with her, or trifling with her affections or whatever. That's not what was going onat all. I let you think that because I was tired ofgetting the third degree from you-and because Ididn't want you to know what we weredoing.† â€Å"Sure, sure,† Phil said in a voice filled with equal measures of sarcasm and contempt. â€Å"So whatwereyou doing? Drugs?† James had learned something from his first encounter with Poppy in the hospital. Show and tellshould be done in that order. This time he didn't sayanything; he just grabbed Phil by the hair and jerked his head back. There was only a single light behind the store, butit was enough togive Phil a good view of the baredfangs looming over him. And it was more thanenough for James, with his night vision, to see Phillip's green eyesdilate as he stared. Phillip yelled, then went limp. Not with fear, James knew. He wasn't a coward.With the shock of disbelief turning to belief. Phillip swore. â€Å"You'rea †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Right.† James let him go. Phil almost lost his balance. He grabbed at theDumpster for support. â€Å"I don't believe it.† â€Å"Yes, you do,† James said. He hadn't retracted hisfangs, and he knew that hiseyes were shining silver.Philhadto believe it with James standing right infront of him. Phil apparently had the same idea. He was staringat James as if he wanted to look away, but couldn't.The color had drained out of his face, and he keptswallowing as if he were going to be sick. â€Å"God,† he said finally. â€Å"I knew there was something wrong with you. Weird wrong. I could neverfigure out why you gave me the creeps. So this is it.† I disgust him, James realized. It's not just hatred anymore. He thinks I'm less than human. It didn't augur well for the rest of James's plan. â€Å"Now do you understand how I can help Poppy?† Phil shook his head slowly. He was leaning againstthe wall, one hand still on the Dumpster. James felt impatience rise in his chest. â€Å"Poppy hasa disease. Vampires don't get diseases. Do you needa road map?† Phillip's expression said he did. â€Å"If,†James said through his teeth, â€Å"I exchangeenough blood with Poppy to turn her into a vampire,she won't have cancer anymore. Every cell in herbody will change and she'll end up a perfect specimen: flawless, disease-free. She'll have powers thathumans don't even dream of. And, incidentally,she'll be immortal.† There was a long, long silence as James watchedthis sink in with Phillip. Phil's thoughts were toojumbled and kaleidoscopic for James to make anything of them, but Phil's eyes got wider and his facemore ashen. At last Phil said, â€Å"You can't do that to her.† It was thewayhe said it. Not as if he were protesting an idea because it was too radical, too new.Not the knee-jerk overreaction that Poppy had had. He said it with absolute conviction and utmost horror. As if James were threatening to steal Poppy'ssoul. â€Å"It's the only way to save herlife,†James said. Phil shook his head slowly again, eyes huge andtrancelike. â€Å"No. No. She wouldn't want it. Not atthat cost.† â€Å"What cost?† James was more than impatientnow, he was defensive and exasperated. If he'd realized that this was going to turn into a philosophical debate, he would have picked somewhere less public.As it was, he had to keep all his senses on the alertfor possible intruders. Phil let go of the Dumpster and stood on his owntwo feet. There was fear mixed with the horror in his eyes, but he faced James squarely. â€Å"It's just-there are some things that humansthink are more important than just staying alive,† hesaid. â€Å"You'll find that out.† I don't believe this, James thought. He sounds likea junior space captain talking to the alien invadersin a B movie.You won'tfind Earth peoplequitethe easymark you imagine. Aloud, he said, â€Å"Are you nuts? Look, Phil, I wasborn in San Francisco. I'm not some bug-eyed monster from Alpha Centauri. I eat Wheaties forbreakfast.† â€Å"And what do you eat for a midnight snack?† Phil asked, his green eyes somber and almost childlike. â€Å"Or are the fangs just for decoration?† Walked right into that one, James's brain told him.He looked away. â€Å"Okay. Touch?. There are somedifferences. I never said I was a human. But I'm notsome kind of-â€Å" â€Å"If you're not a monster, then I don't knowwhat is.† Don't kill him, James counseled himself frantically.You have toconvincehim. â€Å"Phil, we're not like what you see at the movies. We're not all-powerful. We can't dematerialize through walls or travel through time, and we don't need to kill to feed. We're not evil, at least not all of us. We're not damned.† â€Å"You're unnatural,† Phillip said softly, and James could feel that he meant it from his heart. â€Å"You'rewrong. Youshouldn't exist.† â€Å"Because we're higher up on the food chain thanyou?† â€Å"Because people weren't meant to †¦feed †¦ on other people.† James didn't say that his people didn't think ofPhillip's people as people. He said, â€Å"We only do whatwe have to do to survive. And Poppy's already agreed.† Phillip froze. â€Å"No. She wouldn't want to becomelike you.† â€Å"She wants to stay a!ive—or at least, she did, before she got mad at me. Now she's just irrationalbecause she hasn't got enough of my blood in her tofinish changing her. Thanks to you.† He paused, then said deliberately, â€Å"Have you ever seen a three-weekold corpse, Phil? Because that'swhat she's going to become if I don't get to her.† Phil's face twisted. He whirled around and slammed a fist into the metal side of the Dumpster.†Don't you think I know that?I've been living withthat since Monday night.† James stood still, heart pounding. Feeling the anguish Phil was giving off and the pain of Phil's injured hand. It was several seconds before he was ableto saycalmly,†And you think that's better than whatI can give her?† â€Å"It's lousy. It stinks. But, yes, it's better than turning into something that hunts people. Thatusespeo ple. That's why all the girlfriends, isn't it?† Once again, James couldn't answer right away.Phil's problem, he was realizing, was that Phil wasfar too smart for his own good. He thought too much.†Yeah. That's why all the girlfriends,† he said at last,tiredly. Trying not to see this from Phil's point of view. â€Å"Just tell me one thing, Rasmussen.†Phillip straightened and looked him dead in the eye. â€Å"Didyou†-he stopped and swallowed-â€Å"feed on Poppybefore she got sick?† â€Å"No.† Phil let out his breath. â€Å"That's good. Because if you had,I'd have killed you.† James believed him. He was much stronger than Phil, much faster, and he'd never been afraid of ahuman before. But just at that moment he had nodoubt that Phil would somehow have found a way to do it. â€Å"Look, there's something you don't understand,†he said. â€Å"Poppy did want this, and it's something we've already started. She's only just beginning tochange; if she dies now, she won't become a vampire.But she might not die all thee way, either. She couldend up a walking corpse. A zombie, you know?Mindless. Body rotting, but immortal.† Phil's mouth quivered with revulsion. â€Å"You're justsaying that to scare me.† James looked away. â€Å"I've seen it happen.† â€Å"I don't believe you.† â€Å"I've seen it firsthand!†Dimly James realized hewas yelling and that he'd grabbed Phil by the shirtfront. He was out of control-and he didn't care.†I've seen it happen to somebodyIcared about, allright?† And then, because Phil was still shaking his head:†I was only four years old and I had a nanny. Allthe rich kids in San Francisco have nannies. Shewas human.† â€Å"Let go,† Phil muttered, pulling at James's wrist.He was breathing hard-he didn't want to hear this. â€Å"I was crazy about her. She gave me everythingmy mom didn't. Love, attention-she was never too busy. I called her Miss Emma.† â€Å"Let go.† â€Å"But my parents thought I was too attached to her.So they took me on a little vacation-and they didn'tlet me feed. Not for three days. By the time they brought me back, I was starving. Then they sent MissEmma up to put me to bed.† Phil had stopped fighting now. He stood with hishead bowed and turned to one side so he wouldn'thave to look at James. James threw his words at theaverted face. â€Å"I was only four. I couldn't stop myself. And the thing is, I wanted to. If you'd asked me who I'd rather have die, me or Miss Emma, I'd've said me. But when you're starving, you lose control. So I fed on her, and all the time I was crying and trying to stop. And when I finally could stop, I knew it wastoo late.† There was a pause. James suddenly realized that his fingers were locked in anagonizingcramp. He letgo of Phil's shirt slowly. Phil said nothing. â€Å"She was just lying there on the floor. I thought,wait, if I give her my own blood she'll be a vampire, and everything will be okay.† He wasn't yelling anymore. He wasn't even really speaking to Phillip, butstaring out into the dark parking lot. â€Å"So I cut myselfand let the blood run into her mouth. She swallowedsome of it before my parents came up and stoppedme. But not enough.† A longer pause-and James remembered why hewas telling the story. He looked at Phillip. â€Å"She died that night but not all the way. The twodifferent kinds of blood were fighting inside her. Soby morning she was walking around again-but shewasn't Miss Emma anymore. She drooled and her skin was gray and her eyes were flat like a corpse's.And when she started to-rot-my dad took her out to Inverness and buried her. He killed her first.† Bilerose in James's throat and he added almost in a whisper, â€Å"I hope he killed her first.† Phil slowly turned around to look at him. For thefirst time that evening, there was something otherthan horror and fear in his face. Something like pity, James thought. James took a deep breath. After thirteen years of silence he'd finally told the storyto Phillip North,of all people. But it was no good wondering aboutthe absurdity. He had a point to drive home. â€Å"So take my advice. If you don't convince Poppyto see me, make sure they don't do an autopsy onher. You don't want her walking around without herinternal organs. And have a wooden stake ready forthe time when you can't stand to look at heranymore.† The pity was gone from Phil's eyes. His mouth wasa hard, trembling line. â€Å"We won't let her turn into†¦ some kind of halfalive abomination,† he said. â€Å"Or a vampire, either. I'm sorry about what happened to your Miss Emma,but it doesn't change anything.† â€Å"Poppyshould be the one to decide-â€Å" But Phillip had reached his limit, and now he was simply shaking his head. â€Å"Just keep away from my sister,† he said. â€Å"That's all I want. If you do, I'll leaveyou alone. And if you don't-â€Å" â€Å"What?† â€Å"I'm going to tell everybody in El Camino what you are. I'm going to call the police and the mayorand I'm going to stand in the middle of the streetand yell it.† James felt his hands go icy cold. What Phil didn't realize was that he'd just made it James's duty to killhim. It wasn't just that any human who stumbled onNight World secrets had to die, but that one activelythreatening to tellabout the Night World had to die immediately, no questions asked, no mercy given. Suddenly James was so tired he couldn't seestraight. â€Å"Get out of here, Phil,† he said in a voice drainedof emotion and vitality both. â€Å"Now. And if you reallywant to protect Poppy, you won't tell anybody anything. Because they'll trace it back and find out thatPoppy knows the secrets, too. And then they'll killher-after bringing her in for questioning. It won'tbe fun.† â€Å"Who're ‘they'? Your parents?† â€Å"The Night People. We're all around you, Phil.Anybody you know could be one-including themayor. So keep your mouth shut.† Phillip looked at him through narrowed eyes. Thenhe turned and walked to the front of the store. James couldn't remember when he'd felt so empty. Everything he'd done had turned out wrong. Poppywas now in more kinds of danger than he couldcount. And Phillip North thought he was unnatural andevil. What Phil didn't know was that most of thetime James thought the same thing. Phillip got halfway home before he rememberedthat he'd dropped the bag with Poppy's cranberryjuice and wild cherry Popsicles. Poppy had hardly eaten in the last two days, and when she did get hungry, it was for something weird. No-somethingred,he realized as he paid for a second time at the 7-Eleven. He felt a sick lurch in his stomach. Everything she wanted lately was redand at least semiliquid. Did Poppy realize that herself? He studied her when he went into her bedroom togive her a Popsicle. Poppy spent most of the time inbed now. And she was so pale and still.. Her green eyes werethe only alive thing about her. They dominated herface, glittering with an almost savage awareness. Cliff and Phil's mother were talking about gettinground-the-clock nurses to be with her. â€Å"Don't like the Popsicle?† Phil asked, dragging achair to sit beside her bed. Poppy was eyeing the thing with distaste. She tooka tiny lick and grimaced. Phillip watched her. Another lick. Then she put the Popsicle into anempty plastic cup on her nightstand. â€Å"I don't know †¦ I just don't feel hungry,† she said, leaning backagainst the pillows. â€Å"Sorry you had to go out fornothing.† â€Å"No problem.† God, she looks sick, Phil thought.†Is there anything else I can do for you?† Eyes shut, Poppy shook her head. A very smallmotion. â€Å"You're a good brother,† she said distantly. She used to be so alive, Phil thought. Dad calledher Kilowatt or Eveready. She used to radiateenergy. Without in the least meaning to, he found himself saying, â€Å"I saw James Rasmussen today.† Poppy stiffened. Her hands on the bedspreadformed not fists, but claws. â€Å"He'd better keep awayfrom here!† There was something subtly wrong about her reaction. Something not-Poppy. Poppy could get fierce,sure, but Phil had never heard that animal tone inher voice before. A picture flashed through Phil's mind. A creaturefromNight of the Living Dead,walking even though its intestines were spilling out. A living corpse likeJames's Miss Emma. Was that really what would happen if Poppy diedright now? Was she that much changed already? â€Å"I'll scratch his eyes out if he comes around here,†Poppy said, her fingers working on the spread like acat kneading. â€Å"Poppy-he told me the truth about what hereally is.† Strangely, Poppy had no reaction. â€Å"He's scum,†she said. â€Å"He's a reptile.† Something about her voice made Phillip's fleshcreep. â€Å"And I told him you would never want to become something like that.† â€Å"I wouldn't,† Poppy said shortly. â€Å"Not if it meanthanging around withhimfor eternity. I don't want to see him ever again.† Phil stared at her for a long moment. Then heleaned back and shut his eyes, one thumb jammedagainst his temple where the ache was worst. Not just subtly wrong. He didn't want to believe it, but Poppy wasstrange.Irrational. And now thathe thought about it, she'd been getting stranger everyhour since James had been thrown out. So maybe she was in some eerie in-between state. Not a human and not a vampire. And not able tothink dearly. Just as James had said. Poppy should be the one to decide. There was something he had to ask her. â€Å"Poppy?† He waited until she looked at him, her green eyes large and unblinking. â€Å"When we talked,James said that you'd agreed to let him-change you.Before you got mad at him. Is that right?† Poppy's eyebrows lifted. â€Å"I'm mad at him,† sheconfirmed, as if this was the only part of the questionshe'd processed. â€Å"And you know why I like you?Because you've always hated him. Now we bothhate him.† Phil thought for a moment, then spoke carefully. â€Å"Okay. But when youweren'tmad at him, back then,did you want to turn into-what he is?† Suddenly a gleam of rationality showed in Poppy's eyes. â€Å"I just didn't want to die, â€Å"she said. â€Å"I was so scared-and I wanted to live. If the doctors could doanything for me, I'd try that. But they can't.† Shewas sitting up now, staring into space as if she saw something terrible there. â€Å"You don't know what itfeels like to know you're going to die,† shewhispered. Waves of chills washed over Phillip. No, he didn'tknow that, but he did know-he could suddenly picture vividly-what it was going to be like forhimafter Poppy died. How empty the world was going tobe without her. For a long time they both sat in silence. Then Poppy fell back onto the pillows again. Phillipcould see pastel blue smudges under her eyes, as ifthe conversation had exhausted her. â€Å"I don'tthinkitmatters,† she said in a faint but frighteningly cheerfulvoice. â€Å"I'm not going to die anyway. Doctors don't know everything.† So that's how she's dealing with it,Phillipthought.Total denial. He had all the information he needed, though. He had a clear view of the situation. And he knew whathe had to do now. â€Å"I'll leave so you can get some rest,† he said to Poppy, and patted her hand. It felt very cool andfragile, full of tiny bones like a bird's wing. â€Å"Seeyou later.† He slipped out of the house without telling anyone where he was going. Once on the road, he drovevery fast. It only took ten minutes to reach the apart ment building. He'd never been to James's apartment before. James answered the door with a cold, â€Å"What areyou doing here?† â€Å"Can I come in? I've got something to say.† James stood back expressionlessly to let him in. The â€Å"place was roomy and bare. There was a singlechairbeside a very cluttered table, an equally clut tered desk, and a square unbeautiful couch. Cardboard boxes full of books and CDs were stacked inthe corners. A door led to a spartan bedroom. â€Å"What do you want?† â€Å"First of all, I have to explain something. I knowyou can't help being what you are-but I can't helphow I feel about it, either. You can't change, andneither can I. I need you to understand that from the beginning.† James crossed his arms over his chest, wary anddefiant. â€Å"You can skip the lecture.† â€Å"I just need to make sure you understand, okay?†Ã¢â‚¬ What do youwant,Phil?† Phil swallowed. It took two or three tries before he could get the words out past the blockage of hispride. â€Å"I want you to help my sister.†