Motet Music Essays - Medieval Music, Renaissance Music, Free Essays

Motet Music Essays - Medieval Music, Renaissance Music, Free Essays Motet Music The beginning of the motet is, similar to the scriptural birth of Eve, a matter of limb. On account of Eve, a rib was expelled from Adam and formed into a ladies; the motet was a rib added to previous clausulae. James C. Thomson depicts this advancement as follows: In the thirteenth century, maybe sooner, it turned into the training to add another content to the upper voice of a clausula. The recently worded, was then called motetus. (Thomson, 56) Despite its to some degree erratic birth, the structure was broadly acknowledged. Grout portrays its fame as: Thousands of motets were written in the thirteenth century; the style spread from Paris all through France and to all pieces of western Europe. (Grout, 99) Innovation was not a sign of the thirteenth century motet. Truth be told, of the two fundamental attributes of the motet, one was that it was built on a cantus firmus, some prior song (Thomson, 57) The other was that it had at any rate two distinct writings. As Grout brings up, the supply of motet tunes, the two tenors and upper parts, lay in the open space; authors and entertainers uninhibitedly grabbed the music of their antecedents without affirmation and adjusted it without notice. (Grout, 99) A special attribute of the motet of this period is the blending of songs and rhythms. Alfred Einstein depicted this strategy as: This might be called polymelody, the necessary blend of the at least two particular tunes with various rhythms (Einstein, 26) With the acknowledgment of such mixes came the improvement of more interesting blends. One next to the other with a hallowed ritualistic book seemed common writings of in some cases crazy complexity. The blend of consecrated and common content was an aftereffect of the way that less and less notification was taken of the association between the writings of the tenor and duplum. Einstein guessed this improvement was discretionary, anyway most conviction the music is introduced on an, inner discernment (Bukofzer, 28) and to the performer, to them a detail was an incentive in itself. (Mathiassen, 70) The motet mixed the various planes of music. An extra improvement in the method of blending and including is that in addition to the fact that it was polyphonic, polyrythmic, and polytextual, however music was currently multilingual: at least one vernacular (French) writings may be fill in for Latin ones. (Thomson, 57) During this time, arrangers of the Notre Dame School worried about the improvement of clausulae in musically indistinguishable examples. (Harman, 53) Harman composes: This was not just the zenith of the Notre Dame distraction with musicality, but at the same time was a significant advancement, since it inevitably formed into the boss basic gadget of the fourteenth century motet. (Harman, 53) The basic gadget implied above, goes under name of isorhythm, (same beat). From the start, this idea of single mood was applied exclusively to the tenor part, however step by step the standard was applied to different parts. Making a more prominent solidarity and feeling of entire to the audience. Philippe de Vitry (1291-1361) was an ace of the isorythmic motet. (Thomson, 59) It was he who spearheaded the utilization of the guideline to different parts. He and Guillaume de Machaut (c.1300-c.1377), whose guarantee that the ear ought to be utilized to check a finished piece was the primary sign that the mix of the given tunes was starting to respect a more liberated, increasingly singular disposition towards inventive workmanship. (Einstein, 34) Machaut was the most conspicuous professional of the strophic motet and favored the utilization of French content. (Saide, 625) The fourteenth century likewise saw an adjustment in disposition toward text. The polytextual thirteenth-century motet was supplanted by the fourteenth-century structures, which normally had a solitary book, rewarded either as a performance (the French ditty) or circulated between the voices so as to keep the words in every case plainly reasonable. (Grout, 157) The advancement of the motet from the thirteenth to the fifteenth hundreds of years can be portrayed as a steady getting some distance from the theoretical, nonsensuous standards of development toward joy of sounds for the wellbeing of their own, and toward a clearness of structure promptly evident from the music itself, without reference to recondite implications. (Grout, 157) Many of the motets composed during the fourteenth century were developed in

Societal Values free essay sample

We See Society and the Individual Clash When cultural desires conflict with singular convictions and ethical quality, an air of pressure will undoubtedly happen, regardless of whether that is inside the individual or between the individual and society. Verifiably, the most unstable issues are fixated on this difficulty. The stages directly before the progressive war when the pilgrims were concluding whether to announce autonomy exempli? es this superbly. In increasingly American and European social orders, the individual works for himself and society second, while in Middle Eastern and Asian societies, there is progressively a propensity to put society as the ?rst need. Huck Finn experiences this situation. By and by, I have gone over this quandary when enticed with things like medications and liquor. Numerous high schoolers capitulate to these enticements since it is much simpler to go with the cultural standard, I. e. your companions, than with what you know is correct inside. It basically happens with his relationship with Jim. We will compose a custom paper test on Cultural Values or on the other hand any comparable theme explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page While Jim is Hucks companion, Huck comprehends the cultural standard of looking downward on slaves and anticipating that that a runaway slave should be gone in to the specialists. Society versus the person: who wins? Society Wins and get someone to go for that pack and get them out of their scratch, so they can be hung when their opportunity arrives. (Ch. 13) Social expectationsare all over the place. At the point when individuals, particularly ladies, see supermodels that are tall and meager, there is a quiet desire that they likewise need to resemble this. The clouded side to this industry is the implicit way to how the ladies arrive. This is the place social desires conflict with inner ethical quality. These models realize that bulimia and anorexia are not beneficial approaches to thin down, yet society expects that these ladies will look a specific way. For this situation, society wins. In another celebrated model, Anne Franks story is the place society wins. In spite of the fact that ethically one sides with Frank, she was in the long run murdered by the Nazis. The Nazi society won. In Huck Finn, society wins during the family quarrel. The two families cannot recollect what they are ? ghting over, anyway in a general public that in a way loves brutality in unobtrusive ways, the families ? ght thoughtlessly. It even raises to the point of death. The Individual Wins I was sorry to learn Jim state that, it was such a bringing down of him. My still, small voice got to working me up more sizzling than any time in recent memory. (Ch. 16) When the individual successes, it is commonly against an a lot bigger rival of the acknowledged standard. Vigilantes like the KKK or neo-Nazis represent this point well. At the point when a general public has advanced to where prejudice doesn't promptly exist in regular day to day existence, vigilantes w ho despite everything have supremacist propensities accept that society isn't right. In their brain, by purging society of another race, they are doing acceptable. For this situation, the individual successes. At the point when Huck chooses not to turn Jim in after he battles with the idea of harboring a runaway slave, the individual successes. Society in the South had been in the grasp of servitude for quite a while. It was acknowledged that a white individual would see themselves as over a slave, accordingly handing them over if a slave was known to have runaway. Huck inevitably rules against society and proceeds with Jim. Society and the Individual Tie he didnt need to go no more profound didnt need to loot a ton of vagrants of all that they had. (Ch. 26) This is the most uncertain instance of society versus a person. Here, there are two kinds of winning and losing where the two sides win or lose simultaneously. This can be a direct result of understanding into the two sides or knowledge into not one or the other. Harder to recognize cases like polygamists in west Texas, or even a gathering versus another gathering like the IsraeliPalestinian con? ict are the essential cosmetics of this gathering. Indeed, even bodies of evidence like the prochoice against master life discussion can appear to the individuals on each side that society is against them. Different cases like this are occurrences that show that a gathering is inside legitimate rights to accomplish something, anyway most would concur they arent directly in ethical quality. An ideal case is the Westboro Baptist Church. They fight memorial services of fallen warriors to show their hatred for the war. Actually, they can do this, yet most look downward on these activities. In Huck Finn, the peruser sees this tie toward the finish of the book when Jim is caught. He is going to be returned to servitude, until we ? nd out Jim is free. Society in a manner has won since subjugation despite everything proceeds with continuous after this occurrence. Be that as it may, the individual successes on the grounds that in Jims case, he is liberated. Here, society and the individual tie.

Half Harvard, Half MIT

Half Harvard, Half MIT I have an interesting relationship with Harvard. Coming from MIT I have a propensity to spit upon all popped collars and finals clubs, but I have an older sister who is a pretty cool human bean while simultaneously being Harv 08, and Ive gotten to know some of her similarly cool friends like Sam, who does a beautiful Flight of the Conchords impression, or Nick, who was recently sued by Apple for defending free speech on the internets. Im also cross-registering there and taking two Harvard classes this term with my friend Nina 10, so while my collar isnt physically popped, its been feeling pretty starchy as of late. Going to Harvard as a MIT student can sometimes make you feel like the only boy at Wellesley. You can easily pick me out of a crowd, rocking ratty untied Chuck Taylors and an MIT Orientation Leader 2006 shirt, wondering where the heck the building numbers are and why my recitation (scuse me, section) is in a place called Malinckrodt. (I wasnt an Orientation Leader in 2006, obviously, because I was getting oriented. The t-shirts were free in a box outside 7-103.) Amongst a sea of generally well-dressed, well-groomed and well-mannered Ivy Leaguers, my knotted, unwashed mane that serves as home to many a transgenic fruit fly and is slightly remniscent of Amy Winehouse sticks out like Im wearing a Tim the Beaver suit. Nina, on the other hand, fits right in with her peacoat and colorful scarves. The people sitting in her suite kitchen with me right now have recently come to the consensus that Nina is one of the best-dressed people on our floor, and effortlessly so. And yet she still manages to be an excellent pset buddy and lab partner, so you can see why Im taking Harvard classes basically, Im hoping that in time her intrinsic fashion sense may somehow rub off on me. Like in those chick flicks where the girl becomes hot, but still learns that its whats on the inside that counts. Or not, like in Grease. Or she becomes an ogre, like in Shrek. Nina also was the one to convince me of how easy it was to cross-register, since she had a pretty good experience taking Chemistry 17 last term. In fact, its pretty much just like registering for normal MIT classes you have a separate form that needs to be signed by the Harvard professor, your advisor, and the director of the HASS (Humanities, Arts and Social Science) office, which then gets turned in to both the MIT HASS office and the Harvard registrar. No more than half of your classes can be Harvard classes, and you must be a full-time MIT student to cross-register (paying full MIT tuition, which you kind of have to do anyway if youre taking MIT classes). So about four times a week now, I take the T or the 1 Bus to Harv, which means I have to factor at least 10-15 minutes travel time into my morning routine of sprinting out the door with a Go-Gurt (portable breakfast food FTW). As easy as it was to register and as easy as it is to get there, though, at times it can feel like Im studying abroad. There are cross-cultural differences aplenty and a definite language barrier 5.13 becomes Chem 27 and Course 5 itself is now Chemistry and Chemical Biology; teaching aides are no longer TAs but TFs (teaching fellows); and of course theres the whole dressing up for class thing. (I guess over there they just call it getting dressed.) Dont get me wrong Im definitely glad to be taking advantage of this opportunity, and I enjoy the mixed experience. But I can honestly say, and I think Nina will agree with me on this one, that there is no greater feeling than getting off the bus at the end of the day and stepping back onto MIT ground. Theres nothing better than knowing that youve returned somewhere where you can punt your 7.03 p-set all day to code a wiki for Burton 1, and you can tell someone that, and they will know exactly what you mean. Basically theres no place like home, like in The Wizard of Oz. (Or not, like in Poltergeist.) My schedule, if youre wondering, consists of: Stat 100, a Harvard class that fulfills a Course 9 requirement (in place of 9.07, Statistics for Brain and Cognitive Science). Its probably one of the easier classes on the Harvard spectrum, seeing as every exam is open notes/open book. When I heard that my jaw just about unhinged and crawled away. Nina was like, Welcome to Harv. Chem 27, my other Harvard class, is sort of a weird amalgamation of 5.13, 7.05, and 5.310 (or I guess 5.36, since the lab is a little more geared towards organic reactions). Thats Organic Chemistry II, Biochemestry, and a chem lab; so there isnt really any class like this offered at MIT (of couse, Harvard doesnt really offer 5.13 or 5.310 either, and so because MIT splits them into two classes theyre taught really differently). Twice a week we have an hour and a half of lecture; once a week we have one section (recitation), and one five-hour lab (most MIT lab classes meet twice a week for five hours, and once for a one-hour lecture). This also means I am blessed with the glory of Tuesdays, in which I get up at 7 to bus over to Harvard for a five hour lab, hightail it back to MIT for my attendance-mandatory Japanese class, sit through another hour and a half lecture of 9.00, then bus BACK over to Harvard for Chem 27 section. By Tuesday night I can usually be found limping, battered an d bruised, back to Burton-Conner, sometimes with bits of an unknown organic acid in my hair. Chem 27, if youre wondering, is definitely one of the harder classes on the Harvard spectrum. Exams are pretty close to what Im used to at MIT, and lectures contain all sorts of gems like the glucosidase inhibitor deoxynojirimycin. (I remain unconvinced that deoxynojirimycin is an actual word. Im still waiting for the professor to announce, By the way, you remember that glucosidase inhibitor I told you about the other day? Deoxynojirimycin? I actually just fell asleep on my keyboard when I was writing the lecture slides, so uh, thats not real. Hahaha.) 21F.502, or Japanese 2. A lot harder than Japanese 1. One similarity between MIT and Harvard languages in college are definitely not like languages in high school. Yeah, they start you off with domo arigatou and all the basics, but its a lot faster paced, and from day one they speak rapid Japanese at you (same as when I took French for one week, and Chinese for one week). Weve all sort of gotten used to it now, but on the first day everyone was like, er, this is Japanese 1, right? 9.00, or Introduction to Psychology. Professor Gabrieli is not only one of the more interesting lecturers Ive had, but I also just started working in his lab this IAP. Rather than your average introduction psych course that sticks mostly to Freud and thinking really hard about your feelings, 9.00 has more of neuroanatomical applications i.e. in yesterdays lecture, where we discussed the limitations of the lateral geniculate nucleus in visual processing. He also starts every class with a song from his iTunes playlist; todays gem was Youve Got My Attention by Copeland. And, theres also my UROP, which Im doing for credit (as opposed to for pay, or volunteer). I get to write programs for people to look at while theyre in the MRI, and sometimes in lecture Professor Gabrieli talks about what Im working on and I get all excited and My Friend Matt Cohen is all like, nobody thinks thats cool but you. Here is something cool, though the girl who works next to me is Nupur Lala, the 1999 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion and star of the documentary Spellbound. The thing is, they probably should have never told me that she was the 1999 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion. Because now anytime she does anything, like ask for programming help, I think to myself, The 1999 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion just asked for programming help. Or, The 1999 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion just got up to refill the toner in the printer. Or, The 1999 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion is TAKING A NAP AT HER COMPUTER. Not only is it a pretty big line to get in your head, a lot of the times I also forget to add in that she was the star of the documentary Spellbound. I mean, the 1999 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion and star of the documentary Spellbound is TAKING A NAP AT HER COMPUTER!! Nupur is my hero.

Transformational Leadership The New Leadership Paradigm

â€Å"Transformational Leadership: The New Leadership Paradigm† Boosting morale, increasing motivation, and elevating job performance of followers are all dynamics of a transformational leader. Transformational leadership can be defined as a leader’s approach to nurture and empower followers. This type of a leader exhibits charismatic and visionary tendencies. As its name suggests, a transformational leader transforms and changes people. The emergence of transformational leadership as an approach to leadership in regards to political leaders was presented by James MacGregor Burns, a political sociologist. One of his primary focuses was to link the roles of leadership and followers. Later, Bernard M. Bass, another researcher expanded the work of Bass’ original ideas by explaining certain psychological mechanisms regarding transactional and transformational leadership as well as how transformational leadership can be measured (Northouse, 2013). He also developed the earlier version of the Multi-factor Leadership Questionna ire (MLQ) to measure transformational leadership through questions that measured the followers’ perceptions of a leader’s behavior for each of the full range of leadership factors. A few questions that I would like to address in this essay are what type of contributions do the four transformational leadership factors have on leaders and followers, why have researchers deemed transformational leadership as the new leadership paradigm,Show MoreRelatedThe Influence Of Transformational Leadership On Employee Engagement?1214 Words   |  5 Pagesemployee is not considered as a priority, so it was determined that employee engagement would be one of the ways to develop the banking sector. Transformational leadership style is an important factor to increase engagement amongst employees with specific impact on employee attitudes and behavioral outcomes. Raja (2012) found that transformational leadership has an influence on higher levels of employee engagement in the workplace with its multiple attributes such as, idealized influence, inspirationalRead MoreA Virtual Call Center Via An Employment Agency1655 Words   |  7 Pages This paper will represent the breadth of concepts, and ideas that have been attained during this course, in regards to transformational change within the organization of a virtual call-center via an employment agency. This course has provided valuable information that’s critically important when thinking about change, initiating change, and facilitating change. Along this path, it’s just as important to understand the mind-sets of those that are involved in the change process. While understandingRead More Transformational Leadership Essay examples847 Words   |  4 Pages James MacGregor Burns has defined leadership as â€Å"leaders inducing the followers to act for certain goals that represent the values and the motivations – the wants and needs, the aspirations and expectations – of both leaders and followers† (Burns 1978. p.19.) The concept of leadership as a whole encompasses different explanations, theories and leadership styles and has been popular not only from the organizational perspective but in the educational and political context as well. This essayRead MoreTransformational Leadership : What Makes A Good Leader?1411 Words   |  6 PagesTransformational Leadership in Nursing What makes a good leader? Many people have their own perceptions on what entails a good leader. People have high expectations when a leader is involved. Our country is led by a Commander in chief and without their leadership things would be chaotic. A transformational leader, such as the Commander in chief, is known for being strong person, observant, and exercises great listener skills (ZerwekhGarneau, 2015). They have a clear vision and will have an influentialRead MoreThe Impact Of Transactional, Transformational And Laissez Faire Leadership Styles On Organisational Performance1556 Words   |  7 PagesDoes leadership make a difference to organisational performance? Leadership is commonly equated with positions of power, influence and status. However, leadership can be seen at all levels of an organisation, not just a person or group of people in a superior position. The influence of leadership on organisational performance is a common topic of interest. There are a number of leadership styles that influence an organisations performance when implemented. The type of leadership style used withinRead MoreVolunteer Management Course: A Reflective Essay1338 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction My name is Chao and I come from China. I wanted to take this course to improve my leadership abilities. I have spent time in a variety of managerial roles, often as a volunteer myself, and now I find myself leading volunteers. In China, we have a communal ethic, where the entire community and population pulls together to make sure that projects are a success. We have put together basketball and volleyball teams and tournaments with our school, and at the neighbourhood level organizedRead MorePseudo-Transformational Leader785 Words   |  4 PagesPseudo-Transformational Leadership The Relevance within Corporations by Kimberley K. Hyde A Paper Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements of LEAD500 LEADERSHIP STYLES AND THEORIES May 19, 2013 \ Effective leadership is the greatest tool for the success of any organization; they articulate the vision of the organization and are the motivation for others to fulfill that vision. Leaders have an impact on those they lead;Read MoreSituational Leadership Theory By Paul Hersey And Ken Blanchard1365 Words   |  6 PagesSituational leadership theory is a model based on the relationship between leaders and followers and proposes that the environment and the readiness of followers determines to a large extent, how leaders will tend to function. Developed by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard in 1969 the fundamental underpinning of the situational leadership theory is that there is no single â€Å"best† style of leadership (REFERENCE). Situational leadership has been used extensively in organizational leadership training andRead MoreThe Role Of Transactional Versus Transformational Leadership1320 Words   |  6 Pages As the study of leadership has expanded over the past decades, a general shift in the paradigm of leadership style has begun to occur. The male dominated workforce has started to give way to a far more diversified workplace, with increasing numbers of women and minorities in leadership positions. This shift, resultantly, is causing a move away from the traditional leadership styles, with more focus given to contemporary leadership theories. For example, in a recent TED Talk Roselinde Torres discussedRead MoreTransformational Leadership in Healthcare Essay833 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Æ' Why now? Why are we focusing on transformational leadership? Healthcare costs are continuing to rise. Some of the critical problems and active debates prevalent in many hospital organizations include the rapidly intensifying healthcare costs, funding and reimbursement cutbacks, and concern regarding the overall quality and safety of health care. â€Å"Healthcare systems have come under pressure to improve performance and manage productivity† (Botting, 2011). To be successful in the 21st century

Donald Trump Promises - List and Details

President-elect Donald Trump made a lot of promises while he was running for office in the 2016 election. Some political observers counted hundreds of Trump promises. Trump promised major action on everything from illegal immigration to coal mining to bringing jobs back from overseas to building a wall along the Mexican border to launching an investigation of his opponent in the presidential election, Hillary Clinton. Which promises has Trump kept in the days since he  took office on Jan. 20, 2017? Heres a look at six of the biggest, and probably the most difficult to keep, Trump promises. Repeal Obamacare This was a biggie for Trump and his supporters. Trump repeatedly called the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, a disaster.   One thing we have to do: Repeal and replace the disaster known as Obamacare. Its destroying our country. Its destroying our businesses. You take a look at the kind of numbers that that will cost us in the year 17, it is a disaster. Its probably going to die of its own weight. But Obamacare has to go. The premiums are going up 60, 70, 80 percent. Bad health care at the most expensive price. We have to repeal and replace Obamacare. Trump has promised a full repeal of Obamacare. He has also promised to replace the program by expanding the use of Health Savings Accounts;  allowing policyholders to  deduct health insurance premium payments from their tax returns; and permit shopping for plans across state lines.   Build a Wall Trump promised to construct a wall along the entire length of the United States border with Mexico and then force Mexico to reimburse taxpayers for the cost. The president of Mexico, Enrique Peà ±a Nieto, has openly stated his country will not pay for the wall.  Ã‚  At the beginning of the conversation with Donald Trump, he said in August 2016, I made clear that Mexico would not pay for the wall. Clintons position on immigration was much different; she mocked the wall and supported a path to citizenship. Bring Jobs Back   Trump promised to bring thousands of job back to the United States that had been shipped overseas by American companies. He also promised to stop American companies from shifting positions overseas through the use of tariffs. I will bring jobs back from China. I will bring jobs back from Japan. I will bring jobs back from Mexico. Im going to bring jobs back and Ill start bringing them back very fast, Trump said. Cut Taxes On the Middle Class Trump has promised to drastically cut taxes on the middle class. A middle-class family with 2 children will get a 35 percent tax cut, Trump said. He promised the relief as part of a Middle Class Tax Relief And Simplification Act. Isn’t that nice? Trump said. It’s about time. The middle class in our country has been devastated. End Political Corruption in Washington His battle cry: Drain the swamp! Trump promised to work to end corruption in Washington, D.C. To do that, he said he would seek a constitutional amendment imposing term limits on members of Congress. He also said he would ban White House and congressional staffers from lobbying within five years of leaving their government positions, and place lifetime bans on White House officials lobbying for foreign governments. He wants to also prohibit foreign lobbyists from raising money for American elections. The proposals were outlined in his Contract With the American Voter. Investigate Hillary Clinton In one of the most startling moments in the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump promised to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Hillary Clinton and the many controversies surrounding her. If I win, I am going to instruct my attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your situation, because there’s never been so many lies, so much deception,† Trump said during the second presidential debate. Trump later backed down, saying: â€Å"I don’t want to hurt the Clintons, I really don’t. She went through a lot and suffered greatly in many different ways, and I am not looking to hurt them at all. The campaign was vicious.†

Larkin †a look at the mood poems were written in by Larkin Free Essays

Larkin is an established poet and was cherished by people all around the world. He won the respect of many readers, critics and non-critics. He was gifted in his writing and through this gift he bought us the poems we have today. We will write a custom essay sample on Larkin – a look at the mood poems were written in by Larkin or any similar topic only for you Order Now Larkin therefore can be said to be a memorable poet and this will now be investigated. How is he memorable? And what makes him memorable? To start the investigation off I am going to look at the mood poems were written in by Larkin. Each poem is set in its own mood and the mood can help the reader to understand the poem. â€Å"Dockery and Son† is the first poem. It is about Larkin going to a funeral and remembering one of his university colleagues called Dockery. Larkin has found out that his son now attends the university and this leads on to the general image of the poem. â€Å"†¦In ’43, when I was twenty-one. If he was younger, did he get this son At nineteen, twenty? Was he that withdrawn†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Larkin page 152 Dockery and Son) This quote shows the awe that Larkin shows at this point in time. The poem was written in a sad mood as it is a remembrance poem. He then continues the poem in much the same way showing his point of view and talking about a popular concept for him, life. â€Å"Life is first boredom, then fear. Whether or not we use it, it goes†¦..† (Larkin page 153 Dockery and Son) Life is a matter that Larkin talks about a lot of the time. Whether in high spirits or in low. Therefore the next poem I will look at is â€Å"High Windows†. This is yet another example of Larkin’s preoccupation with the disappointing nature of experience, which I have illustrated for Dockery and Son. High Windows is the culmination of Larkin’s disappointment. He says that as age comes along, fantasies from the younger years of a person’s life, seem to disappear as well. â€Å"I know this paradise Everyone old has dreamed of all their lives- Bonds and gestures pushed to one side Like an outdated combine harvester,† (Larkin page 165 High Windows) In this poem, Larkin is emphasising to what extent he feels cheated by his experience of life. However, although Larkin is dissatisfied with what his generation has been allowed, he looks at how life treated those who were old when he was young. As Larkin looks at the freedom given to the generation which has succeeded his own in the poem â€Å"High Windows†, he is confronted with an optimistic image of endlessness. This is yet another one of his popular subjects and does also occur quite frequently in his poems. It can be seen from the above examples and quotes, that Larkin writes poems that have certain moods and thoughts behind them. This is an important factor for a poet and this helped Larkin to be remembered in the way that he is today. Another matter that could help to see why Larkin is such a memorable poet is whether or not he is arrogant in his poems. Some say that he is and others disagree. Hence I will investigate another few poems to see if he is or is not. The poem I am going to look at to start this part off is â€Å"The View†. This is a poem looking on life from the elderly person’s point of view. Larkin says in this poem that life doesn’t turn out to be what you expected when you were younger. It changes and becomes drear: â€Å"What’s left is drear. Unchilded and unwifed, I’m Able to view that clear: So final. And so near.† (Larkin page 195 The View) He does not appear to be arrogant in this poem. He seems very modest, as can be seen from the quote, and he also is being realistic. This brings about the idea that Larkin is not arrogant. To end this part of the investigation off, I shall look at another poem called â€Å"Wild Oats†. This is about two young women walking into Larkin’s workplace and he looking at them in amazement. One in a beautiful â€Å"English rose† , the other a â€Å"friend in specs†. Larkin finds that he can talk to and go out with the one with specs. â€Å"But it was the friend I took out, And in seven years after that Wrote over four hundred letters Gave a ten-guinea ring†¦.† (Larkin page 143 Wild Oats) He does everything with her but still has a â€Å"crush† on the â€Å"English Rose†. This leads the girlfriend of his to then say to him: â€Å"That I was too selfish, withdrawn, And easily bored to love.† In all I can say that Larkin is not an arrogant poet from the poem that I have read. I can say that sometimes, when he doesn’t understand something, he might knock it down a little but does actually respect it. Finally I will look at if Larkin keeps his life hidden. In his poems he talks a lot about life events and things that are not fiction. He therefore brings his life into the poems that he writes but does not base the whole poem upon these happenings. From the quotes listed above, it is possible to say that life is an important factor in his poetry and it is because of the realism that is involved in his poems, that he is such a memorable poet. Larkin writes from different perspectives and he does so well. He will write a poem to reflect a mood or an experience that might occur in life. To write a poem on this is what forms the base of a real ingenious poet and Larkin is this in my opinion. Therefore I join in saying that Larkin is made a memorable poet and am happy to agree with that statement overall. How to cite Larkin – a look at the mood poems were written in by Larkin, Papers

Dinosaur Extinction Essay Example For Students

Dinosaur Extinction Essay A number of different theories have been assessed throughout the course of this research to attempt to reach a conclusion as to the reason behind the extinction of the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Although all arguments are credible, and supportive with educated information and data, the most conclusive theory of all is The Alvarez Asteroid Impact theory. Alvarez, a researcher at the University of California, discovered a pencil thin layer of Iridium around the rocks in Gubbio, Italy. (New Scientist, 1) Iridium is an element found in meteorites and asteroids. In 1980 it was proven that the layer if Iridium was evidence of a huge comet or meteorite that crashed into the earth sixty five million years ago. The normal amount of Iridium an area is to have is 0.001 on an average. The layer of Iridium found in Gubbio Italy was 0.003. Thirty times the average amount in parts per million. (New Scientist, 1) The theory of the Alvarez Asteroid states that the strength of this comet is at 10,000 times the explosive power of the global nuclear arsenal. The Alvarez Asteroid theory is the leading explanation as to why the amazing dinosaur creatures died millions of years ago, along with many other animals of the Earths Crustaceous Period. The extinction of the Tyrannosaurus Rex was obviously due to the same reason. Every other living species was killed sixty five million years ago. Although it is believed that the asteroid theory is the cause of extinction of the Crustaceous Period, we cannot be positive. The environmental effects of this problem were that the dinosaurs living during this period perished from the earth and their extinction remains a mystery to us to this day. All we can do to reenact what happened is use the technology we have in the twenty first century to find more evidence to see what went wrong so long ago. By discovering things like what happened to the Tyrannosaurus Rex we can use this information to prevent an event such as a mass extinction from happening a second time. Although it is impossible to rewrite history, we still have to be careful to prevent a catastrophe like the asteroid said to have hit the earth sixty five million years ago. If there is ever a scare of an asteroid as big as the Alvarez Asteroid, one way of preventing it from hitting Earth is have something block it, or collide with it. If our country could do this before it hits the earth, with a missile or something of that sort, it could hit the asteroid and blow it up before it hits the earth. As regular citizens there isnt much to do to prevent a problem such as this. If an asteroid wants to hit the earth its going to try to regardless to how people treat the environment. We really have no control in what happens in space, and how our atmosphere works. One way that our country is helping citizens learn about these fascinating creatures that existed so long ago and what happened to them, is our beautiful museums. The leading dinosaur exhibit is in the Smithsonian. The Smithsonian Museum of Science provides a huge dinosaur exhibit including all of the theories of how dinosaurs were killed. It is very important to educate people on the past, for the future. If they know what happened back then, they will have ideas on how to solve certain problems when they are in charge. There are many technologies used in dinosaur studies. One of course is theMicroscope. Most scientists use microscopes no matter what field of science they are in. Even paleontologists use them to discover certain characteristics of the fossils they are examining to determine how old they are or what species of dinosaur they belong to. .u0b7162cc92cd71c2695e382c8141e8ce , .u0b7162cc92cd71c2695e382c8141e8ce .postImageUrl , .u0b7162cc92cd71c2695e382c8141e8ce .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u0b7162cc92cd71c2695e382c8141e8ce , .u0b7162cc92cd71c2695e382c8141e8ce:hover , .u0b7162cc92cd71c2695e382c8141e8ce:visited , .u0b7162cc92cd71c2695e382c8141e8ce:active { border:0!important; } .u0b7162cc92cd71c2695e382c8141e8ce .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u0b7162cc92cd71c2695e382c8141e8ce { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u0b7162cc92cd71c2695e382c8141e8ce:active , .u0b7162cc92cd71c2695e382c8141e8ce:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u0b7162cc92cd71c2695e382c8141e8ce .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u0b7162cc92cd71c2695e382c8141e8ce .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u0b7162cc92cd71c2695e382c8141e8ce .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u0b7162cc92cd71c2695e382c8141e8ce .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u0b7162cc92cd71c2695e382c8141e8ce:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u0b7162cc92cd71c2695e382c8141e8ce .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u0b7162cc92cd71c2695e382c8141e8ce .u0b7162cc92cd71c2695e382c8141e8ce-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u0b7162cc92cd71c2695e382c8141e8ce:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Language Essay Another technology that we can use today to prevent an event such as the Alvarez Asteroid is telescopes. Telescopes are great. They allow humans to see what they would never dream of being able to see with the naked eye. They let us view things that we could only dream of ever being able to touch. That is why they are such an important piece of technology. By being able to detect things before they enter our atmosphere, countries could shoot missiles at asteroids to prevent them from hitting the earth and save the human civilization. Not only did dinosaurs die but also 75% of all living things in the PrehistoricPeriod. What occurred was a mass extinction, a worldwide death of most of the living creatures on earth. It is believed that the death of these creatures was triggered by a collision of an asteroid, 10-km in diameter, with earth. (Melbourne Planetarium, 1)The extinction of the dinosaur race occurred sixty five million years ago when an asteroid between 4 and 9 miles wide hit the earth. When the asteroid hit the earth huge clouds of debris and dust penetrated the air making it almost impossible for living organisms to breathe. As a result of the huge impact to the earth an irruption of all volcanoes took place sending molten rock and lava everywhere. Also since there were oceans the impact to the water created huge tsunamis that splashed upon the earth and severe storms began to rise from this. Since there was so much air pollution due to the volcanic irruptions and all of the debris in the air, the rain became highly acidic. Since the rain began to turn acidic the chemicals began to change in the Earths atmosphere making abnormally high levels of sulfuric acid, nitric acid, and fluoride compounds. Due to all of the debris in the air it is believed that it began to block the sunlight, drastically lowering the temperature making the living conditions unbearable to the organisms that had survived that far. (Zoom Dinosaurs, 1)Besides dinosaurs there were a large of amount of other living organisms thatWere also killed. The asteroid killed 75% of all living organisms in that time. As to the conditions that were described above any human now could see how it would be almost impossible to sustain living conditions sixty five million years ago. ManyOrganisms could not adapt to the temperature and light changes and died. Also not only moving organisms but plants too. They were probably the first to die due to the changes in the light, without sunlight they wouldnt be able to live or adapt to the changes because they need sunlight to survive. Many organisms that depended on air in order to breathe also died very quick, since there was so much dust and debris in the air they were unable to cope with the dramatic changes in their climate. (Zoom Dinosaurs, 1)Out of all the animals that were killed during the Crustaceous Period, theTyrannosaurus Rex is the most memorable of all. It was the king of his time and no other dinosaur would stand up to him. On an average, most Tyrannosauruses weighed at least seven tons and were over forty feet long. The T-Rex was the largest meat-eating dinosaur. The teeth of the T-Rex are thick and sharp for the killing of its prey. The T-Rex was also very fast; in fact it could outrun any species of dinosaur if it was hungry enough. Scientists have also found that the Tyrannosaurus was also very smart, it would outwit any prey if it needed a snack, even the Gigantosaurus the only dinosaur that is bigger than the T-Rex wasnt smarter than the king. (Highlights, 22)The Tyrannosaurus Rex was a very smart and interesting dinosaur and it is unfortunate that we will never be able to see one. The extinction of dinosaurs was brought on by the Alvarez Theory. .uc4b1b9e40c6ab375ba1a2fd110863a47 , .uc4b1b9e40c6ab375ba1a2fd110863a47 .postImageUrl , .uc4b1b9e40c6ab375ba1a2fd110863a47 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc4b1b9e40c6ab375ba1a2fd110863a47 , .uc4b1b9e40c6ab375ba1a2fd110863a47:hover , .uc4b1b9e40c6ab375ba1a2fd110863a47:visited , .uc4b1b9e40c6ab375ba1a2fd110863a47:active { border:0!important; } .uc4b1b9e40c6ab375ba1a2fd110863a47 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc4b1b9e40c6ab375ba1a2fd110863a47 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc4b1b9e40c6ab375ba1a2fd110863a47:active , .uc4b1b9e40c6ab375ba1a2fd110863a47:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc4b1b9e40c6ab375ba1a2fd110863a47 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc4b1b9e40c6ab375ba1a2fd110863a47 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc4b1b9e40c6ab375ba1a2fd110863a47 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc4b1b9e40c6ab375ba1a2fd110863a47 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc4b1b9e40c6ab375ba1a2fd110863a47:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc4b1b9e40c6ab375ba1a2fd110863a47 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc4b1b9e40c6ab375ba1a2fd110863a47 .uc4b1b9e40c6ab375ba1a2fd110863a47-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc4b1b9e40c6ab375ba1a2fd110863a47:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: McKinley 1 Essay It is great to know what actually happened to them now, and also know how to prevent such an occurrence from happening again. If our country uses the technology it has available it will be possible to find out more about the mass extinction of the Crustaceous Period. As the years pass technology becomes more advanced and we will eventually know everything there is to know about what happened sixty five million years ago.

Genetic Engineering In Food Production Essays - Molecular Biology

Genetic Engineering In Food Production Genetic Engineering in Food Production: Is it Safe, Wise, and Moral? Over the past couple of decades much debate has been going on about the use of advanced technology in the field of biology. Ever since the first gene was cloned in 1973, genetic engineers have been pursuing at break-neck speed the unlimited possibilities promised by biotechnology (Davidson 1993). Their excitement, which has generated billions of investment dollars for the industry, is understandable. Bioengineering allows scientists to identify specific gene sequences responsible for particular characteristics and then to transfer the genes -- and the specific trait -- into entirely different species. One of the more current and controversial issue in the field of biotechnology is the use of bioengineering in food production. Scientists are experimenting with many different plants, but the genetic engineering of the tomato, dubbed Flavr Savr has been the most highly publicized project by far. The new tomato is supposed to boast more flavor and be tastier due to its longer staying tim e on the vine, thereby giving it more time to accumulate sweetness; yet, it will not rot or spoil because of its new genetic makeup. (Davidson 1993). With this advanced technology scientists argue that it could offer the greatest hope in the aid to stop hunger in Third World countries. This new technology could be used to make bulk levels of food production more efficient and less costly. However, despite all of its advantages in creating better crops, many people are very skeptical about its safetiness and possible long-term health effects. Moreover, the social issue lies deep in the realm of ethical and moral concerns. Do people really want to eat meat that is leaner and tastier but contains genes from humans? Or, would individuals (like vegetarians) be able to eat certain vegetables that may contain genes from animals? Personally, I would not support the use of genetic engineering in food production based on moral and ethical reasons: I do not think that scientists should be able to use their knowledge and social prestige in society to be able to play the role of God in creating new or better living things even if their justification is for the purpose of serving mankind. Although we still have much to learn about genes, recently developed techniques have already given rise to a new technology of molecular genetics. Genetic engineering, also known as gene splicing/manipulation and recombinant DNA technology is a set of techniques for reconstructing, or deliberately manipulating, the genetic material of an organism. Operating at the molecular level, this process involves the addition, deletion, or reorganization of pieces of an organism's DNA (known as genes) in order to alter that organism's protein production (Arms et al. 1994). The use and applications of genetic engineering range from medical and pharmaceutical to industrial crops and food products. Its applications, today or in the future, include?creating improved strains of crops and farm animals (Arms et al. 1994). All of these applications rely on the ability to transplant genes into a cell's makeup, or genome. The new gene may come from another organism, of the same species, or it may contain DNA produced in the laboratory. One example, the new Flavr Savr tomato, developed by Calgene, a biotechnology company based in Davis, California, was subjected to years of scrutiny before the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) agreed that it was safe to eat. They found, copied, and rebuilt a gene that lets these tomatoes stay on the vine without softening and spoiling. That means that the fruit can develop more of the sugars and acids that make a home-grown tomato taste so sweet and rich. Conventional tomatoes sold in the stores are often hard and flavorless because they are picked while green and firm enough to transport, then 'ripened' by spraying with ethylene (Wood 1995). This turns the tomato red but does nothing to develop a riper flavor. Ethylene, a colorless, odorless gas that once kicks in, so do all the problems of perishability (Wood 1995). Since tomatoes have a softening gene, it produces RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) to help manufacture a protein that causes rotting. To stop the tomatoes going soft too soon, the researchers devised a

Conjugation of Past or Preterite Tense Verbs in Spanish

Conjugation of Past or Preterite Tense Verbs in Spanish As one of Spanishs two simple past tenses, the preterite  has a conjugation that is essential to learn. It is the verb form used most often to tell of events that have already happened and that are seen as completed. The other simple past tense, the imperfect, is used for past actions that are not completed, meaning the past action did not have a definite beginning or a definite end. How to Conjugate the Preterite Tense In Spanish, verbs are the words that change the most often and depend on different tenses, moods, gender, and agreement in person according to what needs to be conveyed in the sentence. A verb ending can indicate when the action occurs, and also give the listener a better idea of who or what is performing the action. As is the case with standard Spanish conjugation rules, the preterite verb forms are made by removing the infinitive ending of the verb, such as -ar, -er or -ir, and replacing it with an ending that indicates who is performing the action of the verb. Verbs agree in person and number. For example, the infinitive or base form of the verb that means to speak is hablar. Its infinitive ending is -ar, and the verb stem is habl-. To say I spoke, remove the -ar, add -à © to the stem, forming hablà ©. Yo hablà © is I spoke. To say you spoke, singular you in an informal way, remove the -ar, add -aste to the stem, forming hablaste:  Tu hablaste is You spoke. Other forms exist for other personal pronouns. The endings are slightly different for verbs that end in -er and -ir, but the principle is the same. Remove the infinitive ending, then add the appropriate ending to the remaining stem. Conjugation of Regular -AR Verbs in the Preterite Tense Person -Ar Ending Infinitive: Hablar Translation: To Speak yo - habl I spoke t -aste hablaste you (informal) spoke l, ella, usted - habl he/she spoke, you (formal) spoke nosotros, nosotras -amos hablamos we spoke vosotros, vosotras -asteis hablasteis you spoke (informal) ellos, ellas, ustedes -aron hablaron they spoke, you (formal) spoke Conjugation of Regular -ER Verbs in the Preterite Tense Person -Er Ending Infinitive: Aprender Translation: To Learn yo - aprend I learned t -iste aprendiste you (informal) learned l, ella, usted -i aprendi he/she learned, you (formal) learned nosotros, nosotras -imos aprendimos we learned vosotros, vosotras -isteis aprendisteis you learned (informal) ellos, ellas, ustedes -ieron aprendieron they learned, you (formal) learned Conjugation of Regular -IR Verbs in the Preterite Tense Person -Ir Ending Infinitive: Escribir Translation: To Write yo - escrib I wrote t -iste escribiste you (informal) wrote l, ella, usted -i escribi he/she wrote, you (formal) wrote nosotros, nosotras -imos escribimos we wrote vosotros, vosotras -isteis escribisteis you wrote (informal) ellos, ellas, ustedes -ieron escribieron they wrote, you (formal) wrote In the preterite tense, regular -er and -ir verbs use the same pattern of endings. Additionally, the first-person plural, the we form of nosotros and nosotras, has the same conjugation for both the present indicative tense and the preterite past tense for -ar and -ir verbs. The word hablamos can mean either we speak or we spoke, and escribimos can mean either we write or we wrote. In most cases, the context of the sentence makes clear which tense is intended. Conjugations of Common Irregular Verbs Below are the preterite-tense for the irregular verbs you are most likely to use. Irregular forms are shown in boldface; the forms given follow the same order as in the charts above, beginning with the first-person singular and continuing to the third-person plural. dar (to give): di, diste, dio, dimos, disteis, dieron. decir (to say, to tell): dije, dijiste, dijo, dijimos, dijisteis, dijeron. estar (to be): estuve, estuviste, estuvo, estuvimos, estuvisteis, estuvieron. haber (to have as an auxiliary verb): hube, hubiste, hubo, hubimos, hubisteis, hubieron. hacer (to make, to do): hice, hiciste, hizo, hizimos, hicisteis, hicieron. ir (to be): fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron. (Note that the preterite conjugations of ir and ser are identical.) llegar (to arrive): lleguà ©, llegaste, llegà ³, llegamos, llegasteis, llegaron. poder (to be able, can): pude, pudiste, pudo, pudimos, pudisteis, pudieron. poner (to put): puse, pusiste, puso, pusimos, puisisteis, pusieron. querer (to be): quise, quisiste, quiso, quisimos, quisisteis, quisieron. saber (to know): supe, supiste, supo, supimos, supisteis, supieron. ser (to be): fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron. tener (to have or possess): tuve, tuviste, tuvo, tuvimos, tuvisteis, tuvieron. ver (to see): vi, viste, vio, vimos, visteis, vieron.

Construction and management of a global macro fund Essay

Construction and management of a global macro fund - Essay Example The market fluctuations affect returns on investments and make investors lack confidence on investments. Therefore, a well maintained portfolio is vital to every investor aiming to succeed and at the same time manage risks. As an investor, you need to know how to allocate assets that suits personal goals and strategies. This means that the selected portfolio should be in a position of meeting your future capital needs. Every investor’s goal is to maximize wealth; therefore this report focuses on construction and management of portfolio for a mutual fund. The portfolio to be constructed should be the one with high returns and well diversified Portfolio analysis studies the performance of different portfolios under different circumstances (Angus, 2000). Portfolios can be grouped according to industries, countries or sector. Each group consists of sub-unit. For example, the financial sector can be made up of several banks or the Airline industry can be made up of several airline companies. The analysis of each portfolio helps an investor in making a decision when investing. Most likely, a rational investor will choose the best portfolio and screen out the ones that are not essential based on objective criteria. A good portfolio is characterized by high returns on investment. Portfolio analysis requires subjective judgment as it is not easy to segment different industries. Portfolio analysis is a process as different financial instruments have to be evaluated one by one. The process is time consuming and involves a lot of effort. In spite of these odds, Markowitz the fonder of modern portfolio analysis has simplified the process by suggesting the use of expected return and variance. In this report, we will discuss four steps of constructing a portfolio. Customers have different preferences and needs. Therefore, it is important to understand their expectations first. This entails ascertaining their financial

Korean Economic Crisis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Korean Economic Crisis - Term Paper Example (OECD 2009) The Korean government's role on developing the economy was more pronounced during the earlier years of the republic. This was particularly during the period of Park Chung Hee's rule. During this time, the government instituted reforms that bore the hallmarks of state capitalism and free market economy. The result can be considered successful as this pushed the Korean economy to modernization and progress. However, in the succeeding years, the national governments that ruled the country after Park introduced measures that made the economy freer from state intervention. The policies of liberalization were carried onwards to these current times by the incumbent administration of President Lee Myung-bak. However, the Korean economy was not immune to crisis. In the late 90's, the country suffered an economic turmoil, which led to the closure of several of its key industries. Many economists view it as a result of the vestiges of the protectionist policies initiated by the Park administration in the 60's the 70's. However, there were opposing views also by other economic experts. They insist that protectionism of Park is not the culprit in the crisis but the economic dependence towards the world market and the reduction of government role, both in the name of liberalization. Nevertheless, the government at that time, under Kim Dae-Jung, started out reforms in the country's financial sector, which include borrowing heavily from the International Monetary Fund. Before the end of the 90's, particularly in December 1999, Kim declared the crisis as over. In 2007 until 2009, roughly ten years after, another crisis hit the economy. The debate between analyses of what can be the root cause of the late 1990's crisis was again revived. Those who insist that Korea's economic liberalization is problematic are now raising a new but related argument. They believe that the economy's vulnerability to the global crisis is due to its overdependence on foreign markets. They assert that there are no basic differences in the crisis of the late 90's and the current on wracking the economy. Therefore, they push for reforms that are also much different to those introduced by the Kim administration. Currently, the Lee government has yet to institute any significant steps toward solving the new crisis. As solutions that will make a long-term positive effect on the economy are still to be found, it is necessary to fuel such debates and to seek out the best ideas that can come out of it. These ideas may be better extracted if a thorough comparison of the previous crisis and the current one is made. This paper aims to present an objective comparison between the crisis of the 90's and the current crisis of the Korean economy. This also aims to provide an in-depth analysis on the root factors of both crises. In so doing, it hopes to introduce suggestions on how the current crisis should be addressed. The method is based on the idea that by understanding the lessons of past problems and the solutions pushed, new and more effective remedies may be discovered for the present crisis. II. A Background of the Korean Economy In order to understand best the

Entrepreneurial Strategies Of Tara Orekelewa Cultural Studies Essay

Entrepreneurial Strategies Of Tara Orekelewa Cultural Studies Essay Tara Fela-Durotoye popularly known as Tara Orekelewa which means beautiful or beauty in her native west-arfican language is the managing director and creative director of HOUSE OF TARA International, a make-up and skincare line targeted at women of color. She is a veteran in the beauty industry and the pioneer of bridal make-up in Nigeria. She launched the first bridal directory in Nigeria (1999), set up the first high standard make-up studio, and the very first make-up school in the country. She was also the first make-up artist to launch a beauty product line. Tara is seen as an inspiration to many young women, as she has empowered quite a number (especially those in tertiary institutions) by making them beauty representatives of her product line, which has helped young ladies improve their entrepreneurial and marketing skills, as well as gain some form of financial independence in a difficult economy. She has also succeeded in training and developing an impressive number of make-u p artists through her make-up school. Tara is an acclaimed winner of international and national awards. Awards such as Entrepreneur of the Year (2006), Pioneer Award for Beauty (2006), Young Person of the year (2007), The Wedding Planner Honorary award for mentoring other make-up artists (2008) and others. BACKGROUND: Tara studied Law at the Lagos state university, Nigeria from the year 1996 to 2000. She attended Charles Fox (Covent Garden,London) to get trainned and certified, and in a bid to get more professional, attended the LEAP African Business Managers Forum (2005) and the Lagos Business School Ownner-Manager Programme in 2006 (House of Tara 2009). Taras involvement with beauty and make-up was highly influenced by her step mother whom she was very fond of as a child. Her step mother according to her, was very much in touch with femininity and could be described as vain. This made her very aware of make-up and beauty products at an early stage in life and sub conciously,formed a mini-foundation on what later on became her passion. Her journey started as far back as when she graduated from high school and was seeking admission into university. While waiting at home to get into university, she got a part-time job working in a perfume and cosmetics store. That was her very first step into the world of beauty and its allure. While working at the store, she had the opportunity to prcatise on customers and herself while idle (on a slow day when not many customers came in) and slowly, she began to educate herself on the power of make-up under the mentorship of her boss. By the time she got admission into university, she was no longer a n amateur. The time spent in the perfume and cosmetics store had been well invested and she had now learned through practise how to apply make up. She had developed a flair for it and I quote what she said you see, I loved it! I loved to make people beautiful and I was passionate about making people love the way they looked albeit enhanced by make-up, but the way they looked nontheless(Durotoye 2010) While at school, she practised frequently on her friends whenever they were invited for ocassions and started her business. Through this, she began to make some money for herself. She was actually able to pay her way through school, rent an apartment and even help with her sick fathers medical bills. At that point in her life, her father had suffered a stroke,leaving half of his body paralyzed. Her mother, though she was working with the Nigerian Civil Service at the time, had to take care of her father, giving up all businesses on the side. So obviously, her mother already had enough on her hands, so she did her best not to be a liability and instead was an asset to to her family through her gifted hands and her passion for make-up. Another highly influential force in her life was her husband, Fela Durotoye. When Tara met Fela, he was a consultant at Phillips Consulting with a solid business management background. He saw the potential in her and helped her build her small business (as of then) into something remarkable. He thought her basic things such as customer service, product management, and how to create a database for her customers. She undoubtedly had the talent, skills, and a growing customer base, but he brought some form of finesse and experience into her business which helped her succeed even more. She started out small, but her name spread from place to place little by little around the country. She took a leap of faith even when the concept of bridal make-up was very limited in Nigeria, made herself a name, set-up a make-up studio, started a beauty school; which is where the idea of beauty representatives to sell her products originated from and now has her very own product line. She launched her perfume called be inspired in the year 2007 and is currently writing a book on how she turned her passion into a profit making venture. Tara and Fela are currently happily married and blessed with three children. Resources Leader Opportunity Process TeamTHE ROADMAP: The Leader/ Founder: According to Burns(2007), the role of a successful entrepreneurial leader involves patience, the ability to infuse solid or tangible visions and management for the long haul. Tara Fela-Durotoye is the founder of House of Tara international. She is highly respected by most of her staff and even colleagues in the make-up industry in Nigeria. Taras personality, like most entrpreneurs is very positve and optimistic. She has a firm believe in God and built her business in the most ethical way possible, emulating one of her mentors Anita Roddick (the founder of Body Shop). Opportunity: Accoding to Burns (2007), entrepreneurs in contrast to regular people, adapt,exploit, and welcome change by creating an opportunity out of it through innovation. In the case of Tara Fela-Durotoye, she welcomed the change to the make-up enviroment at the perfume store where she had her first job, by using it to build on an innate skill. As at that time, most customers were not really familiar with the make-up facial sample testing, but because the owner of the store had lived abroad, she brought the mentality home to Nigeria with her, which was a new approach to selling make-up back then. This provided the opprotunity to learn and led to a series of events that occurred through innovative ideas (opening a bridal make-up studio, make up school and having a cusmetic product line). Other business opportunities she had where: Her spouse, who was her business consultant A chinese business partner who came into the picture when she decided to launch her cosmetic product line. Employment of a general manager, who was an MBA graduate of Lagos Business School, who helped build the franchise document and implemented it. This enabled her to sell the HOUSE OF TARAÂ   franchise, thus, accelerating geographic expansion Team: According to Lockett (2010), it is an illusion to assume that entrepreneurs are totally independent. The most successful entrepreneurial leaders are those who have built good teams and have good relationships with the individuals that surround them. Taras team consists of a general manager,a business consultant, a chinese business partner, an administrative team, a sales and marketing team, and about 300 beauty representatives who are marketing her cosmetic products. Process: According to Baron and Shane(2005), entrepreneurship is descibed as a process rather than a single event. The process is considered to move through distinct but holistic phases that unfold over time. This process consists of idea generation, opportunity recognition, and the exploitation of that opportunity (Lockett 2010). These series of events would be shown in the diagram below: The entrepreneurial process The birth of the idea of the make-up business from the time spent and skills acquired from her fist job at the perfume and cosmetic store. She then realized her potential through the process of sample testing on customers. Idea Generation The opportunity to turn her hubby into a profit making venture presented itself when the change in the area of purchasing cosmetics (sample testing) was tapped into as a business idea to be learnt from and exploited even after leaving the store. Opportunity Recognition From exploitation of change to a ripple of ideas and opportunities Exploitation Expressed as a business model Source: Lockett 2010 OPPORTUNITY BUSINESS MODEL Source: Lockett 2010 Proposition To enrich the lives of young women by offering them quality products to enhance their beauty and self esteem. These beauty products that can also be used as a tool for becoming financially independent. People The leader is Tara Fela-Durotoye, her husband Fela Durotoye is her business consultant, she has a Chinese business partner for ease with product development and expansion and her team consists of a general manager, an administrative team, marketing and sales team, and beauty representatives. Her customers are women of color, and her supplier is also her Chinese business partner. Place For now Taras business is still based in Nigeria though she has plans of expansion. Are customers are women in Nigeria, her and her competitors are other make-up artists such as unveil, divine looks, BM Pro, and so on. Analysis of the market: Tara was a pioneer in the make-up industry in Nigeria. She was the first to set up a bridal studio, make-up school, and make-up product line. This has made it quite difficult for her competitors to catch up, her market share is quite large and she also has first mover advantage. Process House of Tara has an MD/ CEO, a general manager and the rest of her team (as mentioned earlier). But the uniqueness of the structure of this organization is the beauty representatives idea. About 300 of them are currently marketing her products after they have been trained. Profit As an entrepreneur, Tara started her business because she had a passion for beauty and of course made profit from it. She believes in giving back to the community, and inspiring others. Social return: Tara, through her giving back venture, has gained the heart of youths, which has helped in expansion of her brand name across most universities in Nigeria. She has also made an irrefutable impact on the press, which has made her become a media darling. Societal The only societal driver in this case was the change in the make-up sales procedure. The society as at the time Tara began her entrepreneurial journey had not keyed into the idea of sampling before buying. After the society recognized this new process and accepted it, her business idea benefited from this social change(though it was not of her making) through her bridal studio as people now saw the need to test and sample make up, especially for very important occasions such as weddings. Commercial Information for this was not attainable Legal Information for this was not attainable Technological Online social networking was a great opportunity for Taras business venture, she possesses an active website, has a face book group, and a personal blog. Resources: According to Hitt et al (2002), in order to recognize entrepreneurial opportunities with maximum potential returns and exploit them by using efficient approaches, an appropriate set of resources are required. Taras resources into her new business venture were very limited. She did not have any financial back up from her parents, but because she had started at an early stage she had a little financial back up but along the line she became partner with a Chinese business man who helped her fulfill the dream of having her own make-up line. She also had financial aid from multinational companies. However it is easier to narrate now than it actually was back then, she said, and I quote this business started from a box that I used to carry around making up peoples faces. What could be deduced from all that has been stated above is that there is a link between each constituent of the road map. The founder of the business has an idea or dream, identifies an opportunity, exploits it, and creates a new venture from all this. And because entrepreneurs are not completely independent (Lockett 2010), they need a team to carry along to help fulfill the dream. That is where the team members come in, and here, the leadership skills also come into play. The resources help solidify the dream and the process wraps the journey all up. Role of Social Networking and Social Capital: According to Hitt et al (2002), formation of alliances and networks has become an important part of organizing to obtain the necessary resources and means to compete effectively in a business environment. Other than this, the formation of these alliances helps in the development of resources and means that are not easily imitated by others, which would lead to gaining competitive advantage. Tara started her business through word of the mouth. Social networking has been a huge part of her success. Most of her contacts were gotten from one individual who knew another who could be of value to her. For example her second bridal make-up job when she first started out, her Chinese business partner, the employment of her general manager( by recommendation), and even her image. She built her image by granting multiple interviews, creating an online presence through face book, personal blog and the creation of an active website, offered free scholarships for enrollment at her make-up school for the less privileged, became a public speaker by organizing youth seminars in universities, so as to put her company in the minds of people (branding) and sponsored events regularly. Her networking skills helped build her image and this resulted in making her darling with the press, which further promoted her products. She also uses her network for the patronage of her products within the upper and middle class women within the community. Her mentor Mrs Ibukun Awosika was her link to bridging talks between the company and the bank for her first substantial debt into the business that was required for expanding her product line. This influx of debt from Guaranty Trust Bank (Lagos, Nigeria) aided the rapid geographical expansion of House of Tara. Women in Business and Management (WIMBIZ) also created a platform for her participation in the US State department / Fortunes powerful womens mentoring programme. Ethical issues: Tara is a very good Christian and believes very strongly in God. Auditors when examined her accounts often advise her to stop giving away so much money to churches; they felt too much money was being wasted. But she stood her grounds and insisted that God was her ultimate source. Entrepreneurial Attribute Analysis: Taras entrepreneurial attributes would be compared with the core attributes in the model below: Source: Lockett 2010 Commitment and determination: Following her story, one could easily see that she had these qualities. Leadership: Her story is that of success, she wouldnt have made it that far if she didnt possess good leadership skills. Moreover, she has the respect and admiration of her staff and even her competitors. Opportunity Obsession: Tara could be seen as an opportunist. She was the first in every move, first make-up artist, first studio owner, and the first product line owner in the Nigerian beauty industry. Tolerance of risk: All her steps into new ventures and ideas where risky. She had no ones mistakes to learn from in the industry. Ambiguity and Uncertainty: She possessed these as well; no one could anticipate her next move. Creativity, Self-Reliance, and Adaptability: Tara was creative, hence the idea generation for business. She also had no one but herself to rely on at the initial start of the business and lastly, she adapted excellently to changes in the business environment, she created opportunities out of them. Motivation to excel: Her motivation was herself, her mentors and God. Courage: She possessed huge amounts of courage; she ventured into her business all by herself with no examples to follow in her particular industry. Conclusion: Tara Fela-Durotoyes entrepreneurial road map and process from the very first step of idea generation to building a national brand soon to be international brand-name has been a success. The critical review of her journey as an entrepreneur has been contrasted with theoretical frame-works, and has not shown much of a difference. The only difference noticeable is the fact that the entrepreneurial process may not evolve step by step as seen in Taras case. She had the opportunity to work at a cosmetics store before she ever had the idea of becoming a make-up artist, opening her own studio and becoming a veteran in Nigerias cosmetic industry. In her own case, opportunity brought about idea.

American Universities Contribution to Society Essay

Since the first time a female high school graduate stepped foot into an American university, it has become a tradition for high school graduates to attend college. Prior to this shift in American culture, only wealthy families could send their sons. Instead, sons worked for the family business, or joined the military. During this time it was a privilege to attend a university. The men that came out of these American institutions graduated with a special skill that they could offer to the American public. Now most young men and women attend college. The question I wish to raise now is: what does the American university contribute to the public? The answer to the question is simple. The American university still produces a well-rounded, cultured individual. American universities since have altered their ways of running their institution to account for the large enrollment of students. Institutions hired more professors to teach smaller classes so students could get more focused attention rather then having professors teach larger classes. Several hundreds of universities now have organizations, clubs and activities that culture and shape their students. These organizations provide the students with opportunities to meet new people and learn about their backgrounds and differences. This is crucial for a college graduate when they are ready to go into the business world. The American university gives their student this quality of understanding of differences between people they encounter, which allows the graduates to better understand their colleagues in the workforce. Collegiate organizations also provide many experiences, such as community service activities, which provide the students a minimum understanding of what it is like to poor or misfortunate. Most of these students can benefit the American culture by starting their own organizations and benefiting the less fortunate. Another thing a college could offer the American culture is a well educated person, also skilled in a specified field. During their collegiate career, students choose what they would like to study because, eventually, they would like to have an occupation involving what they studied. Considering the fact that the students enjoy what they study, it would do them better in the business world. It would allow them to work to their fullest because they like what they do. Not only would a skilled person properly execute their job, they make it easier to interact with their associated because they have learned how to work with people and their differences. This is what an American university provides to the American culture. A well rounded man and women, who, over their collegiate career, have learned to accept differences, helped out the community and studied what they loved, is what an American university gives to American society. The more mature people of today’s society don’t believe that the youth of America have it in them to fill their shoes and lead America to a brighter tomorrow, but that isn’t right. By that I don’t mean their parents, I mean the war vet who feels 1950s America was ideal. A good college experience and education can and will provide American culture with the well cultured, experienced future leaders of America.

You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 14~15

Chapter Fourteen Powers for Good The Emperor was sitting on a black marble bench just around the corner from the great opera house, feeling small and ashamed, when he saw the striking redhead in jeans coming toward him. Bummer lapsed into a barking fit and the Emperor snatched the Boston terrier up by the scruff of the neck and stuffed him into the oversized pocket of his coat to quiet him. â€Å"Brave Bummer,† said the old man. â€Å"Would that I could still hold that kind of passion, even if it were fear. But my fear is weak and damp, I've barely the spine for a dignified surrender.† He'd felt like this since he'd seen Jody outside the secondhand store, where she'd warned him away from the owner. Yes, now he knew her to be one of the undead, a bloodsucking fiend – but then, not so much a fiend. She had been a friend, a good one, even after he had betrayed Tommy Iff to the Animals. He could feel the City's eye on him, could feel her disappointment in him. What does a man have, if not character? What is character, if not a man's measure of himself against his friends and enemies? The great city of San Francisco shook her head at him, ashamed. Her bridges slumped in the fog with disappointment. He remembered a house somewhere and that same look on the face of a dark-haired woman, but mercifully, in an instant that memory was a ghost, and Jody was bending to scratch behind the ears of the steadfast Lazarus, who had never been agitated by her like his bug-eyed brother, who even now squirmed furiously in the woolen pocket. â€Å"Your Majesty,† Jody said. â€Å"How are you?† â€Å"Worthless and weak,† said the Emperor. She really was a lovely girl. He'd never known her to hurt a soul. What a cad he was. â€Å"I'm sorry to hear that. You have plenty to eat? Staying warm?† â€Å"The men and I have this very hour vanquished a corned beef on a sourdough roll the size of a healthy infant, thank you.† â€Å"Tommy's Joynt?† Jody said with a smile. â€Å"Indeed. We are not worthy, yet my people provide.† â€Å"Don't be silly, you're worthy. Look, Emperor, have you seen William?† â€Å"William of the huge and recently shaven cat?† â€Å"That's the one.† â€Å"Why yes, we crossed his path not long ago. He was at the liquor store at Geary and Taylor. He seemed very enthusiastic about purchasing some scotch. More energetic than I've seen him in many years.† â€Å"That was how long ago?† She stopped petting Lazarus and stood. â€Å"Little more than an hour ago.† â€Å"Thank you, Your Majesty. You don't know where he was going?† â€Å"I should think to find a safe place to drink his dinner. Although I can't claim to know him well, I don't think William passes the evening in the Tenderloin often.† Jody patted the Emperor's shoulder, and he took her hand. â€Å"I'm so sorry, dear.† â€Å"Sorry? About what?† â€Å"When I saw you and Thomas the other night, I noticed. It's true, isn't it? Thomas has changed.† â€Å"No, he's still a doofus.† â€Å"I mean he is one of your kind now?† â€Å"Yes.† She looked up the street. â€Å"I was alone,† she said. The Emperor knew exactly how she felt. â€Å"I told one of his crew from the Safeway, Jody. I'm sorry, I was frightened.† â€Å"You told the Animals?† â€Å"The born-again one, yes.† â€Å"And how did he react?† â€Å"He was worried for Thomas's soul.† â€Å"Yeah, that would be Clint's reaction. You don't know if he told the other Animals?† â€Å"I would guess yes, by now.† â€Å"Okay, don't worry, then, Your Highness. It's okay. Just don't tell anyone else. Tommy and I are leaving the City just like we promised those police detectives. We just have to get things in order.† â€Å"And the other – the old vampire?† â€Å"Yes. Him, too.† She turned and strode away, heading into the Tenderloin, her boot heels clacking on the sidewalk as she kept her pace just below a run. The Emperor shook his head and rubbed Lazarus behind the ears. â€Å"I should have told her about the detectives. I know that, old friend.† There was only so much weakness he could confess to at one time – that, too, a fault. The Emperor resolved to sleep somewhere cold and damp tonight, perhaps in the park by the Maritime Museum, as penance for his weakness. There was no way she was going to remember his new mobile number. It was five in the morning before Tommy had finished moving all of the furniture, books, and clothes. Now the new loft looked almost exactly like the old loft had looked, except that it didn't have a working phone line. So Tommy sat on the counter of the old loft, looking at the three bronze statues and waiting for Jody to call. Just the three statues left to move: Jody, the old vampire, and the turtle. The old vampire looked fairly natural. He'd been unconscious when he'd been bronzed, but Tommy had the biker sculptors downstairs pose him as if he was in midstep, out for a stroll. Jody was posed with her hand on her hip, her head thrown back as if she'd just tossed her long hair over her shoulder, smiling. Tommy turned his head to the side, getting perspective. She didn't look skanky. What made Abby say the statue was skanky? Sexy, well yes. Jody had been wearing some very low-cut jeans and a crop top when he'd posed her for the electroplating, and the bikers had insisted upon exposing more of her cleavage than was probably decorous, but what could you expect from a couple of guys who specialized in making high-end garden gnomes acting out the Kama Sutra? Okay, she looked a little skanky, but he didn't see how that was a bad thing. He had actually been delighted when she came streaming out of the ear holes to materialize, stark naked, in front of him. If she hadn't killed him, it would have been the fulfillment of a sexual fantasy he'd nurtured for a long time. (There had been this old TV show he'd watched as a kid, about a beautiful genie who lived in a bottle – well, Tommy had done some serious bottle polishing over that one.) So the Jody statue stayed. But the old vampire, Elijah, that was a different story. There was a real creature in there. A real scary creature. Whatever bizarre events had brought them to this spot had been set off by Elijah Ben Sapir. He was a reminder that neither he – Tommy – nor Jody had chosen to be vampires. Neither had chosen to live out the rest of their days in the night. Elijah had taken their choices away from them, and replaced them with a whole new set of scarier, bigger choices. The first of which was how the hell do you deal with the fact that you have imprisoned a sentient, feeling being in a shell of bronze, even if he is an evil dick-weed from the Dark Ages? But they couldn't let him out. He'd kill them for sure if they did. Really kill them, too, a complete death, the kind with no nooky. Suddenly Tommy was angry. He'd had a future. He might have been a writer, a Nobel Prize winner, an adventurer, a spy. Now he was just a foul dead thing, and the furthest his ambition would reach was his next victim. Okay, that wasn't really true, but still, he was pissed off. So what if Elijah was trapped in bronze shell forever. He'd trapped them in these monstrous bodies. Maybe it was time to do something monstrous. Tommy picked up Jody's statue and threw it over his shoulder and, despite his great vampire strength, followed it over backward as it clanged against the floor. Okay, it had taken the two bikers and a refrigerator dolly to get the statues up here, maybe a little planning was in order. It turned out he could move the statue pretty efficiently if he slung it over his back and let one of her feet drag, and so he did, down the steps, half a block down the sidewalk, and back up the steps of the new loft. Bronze Jody looked happy in the new place, he thought. The turtle took half as long. She, too, looked pleased with the surroundings. As for Elijah, Tommy figured what was the point of being in a city on a peninsula if you didn't take advantage of the water now and then. And Elijah evidently liked the ocean, since he'd come to the City on his yacht, which Tommy and the Animals had managed to blow to smithereens. The vampire statue was even heavier that Jody's, but Tommy felt energized by the idea of getting rid of it. Just a short twelve blocks to the sea and that would be that. â€Å"From the sea ye came, and to the sea ye shall return,† Tommy said, thinking that he might be quoting Coleridge, or maybe a Godzilla movie. As Tommy dragged the bronzed vampire down Mission Street, he considered his future. What would he do? He had a lot of time to fill, and after a while, figuring out new ways to jump Jody would only fill up a part of his nights. He was going to have to find a purpose. They had money – cash the vampire had given Jody when he turned her – and what was left of the money from the sale of Elijah's art, but eventually that would run out. Maybe he should get a job. Or become a crime fighter. That's it, he would use his powers for good. Maybe get an outfit. After a few blocks Tommy noticed that Elijah's toe, the one that was dragging on the sidewalk, was starting to wear away. The bikers had warned Tommy that the bronze shell was pretty thin. It wouldn't do to unleash a claustrophobic and hungry ancient vampire when you were the guy who had imprisoned him, so Tommy stood the vampire on the corner for a minute while he dug through a trash bin until he found some heavy-duty plastic Big Gulp cups, which he fitted on the vampire's dragging foot as skid protection. â€Å"Ha!† Tommy said. â€Å"Thought you had me.† A couple of guys in hip-hop wear walked by as Tommy was fitting the cups on the vampire's feet. Tommy made the mistake of making eye contact and they paused. â€Å"Stole it from a building on Fourth,† Tommy said. The two nodded, as if they were saying, Of course, we were just wondering, and proceeded to move down the sidewalk. They must sense my superior strength and speed, Tommy thought, so they wouldn't dare mess with me. In fact, the two had confirmed that the white boy in the ghost makeup was crazy – and what would they do with a four-hundred-pound statue anyway? Tommy figured he'd drag the statue to the Embarcadero and toss it off the pier by the Ferry Building. If there was anyone around, he'd just stand at the rail like he was there with his gay lover, then shove the statue in when no one was looking. He felt enormously sophisticated about the plan. No one would ever think a guy from Indiana was pretending to be gay. That kind of thing just wasn't done. Tommy had known a kid once in high school who had gone up to Chicago to see the musical Rent and was never heard from again. Tommy reckoned he'd been disappeared by the local Kiwanis Club. When he got to the Embarcadero, which ran all along the waterfront, Tommy was tempted to just chuck Elijah in the Bay right there and call it a night, but he had a plan, so he dragged the vampire that last two blocks to the promenade at the end of Market Street, where the antique streetcars, the cable cars, and the cross-bay ferries all converged in a big paved park and sculpture garden. Here, away from the buildings, the night seemed to open up to his vampire senses, take on a new light. Tommy stopped for moment, stood Elijah by a fountain, and watched heat streaming out of some grates by the streetcar turnaround. Perfect. There was absolutely no one around. Then the beeping started. Tommy looked at his watch. Sunrise in ten minutes. The night hadn't opened up to him, it had been shutting him down. Ten minutes, and the loft was a good twenty blocks away. Jody was quickstepping along the alleyway that came out in front of their old loft. She still had twenty minutes until sunrise, but she could see the sky lightening, and twenty minutes was cutting it too close. Tommy would be freaked. She should have taken the cell phone with her. She shouldn't have left him alone with the new minion. She'd finally found William, passed out in a doorway in Chinatown, with Chet the huge cat sleeping on his chest. They'd have to remember not to leave William with any money from now on, if he was going to be their food source. Otherwise he'd go elsewhere for his alcohol, and that wasn't going to work. He was making his staggering way home on his own. Maybe she'd let him take a shower at the old loft – they weren't going to get their deposit back anyway. There was still a light on in the loft. Great, Tommy was home. She'd forgotten to get a key for the new place. She was about to step out of the alley when she smelled cigar smoke and heard a man's voice. She stopped and peeked around the corner. There was a brown Ford sedan parked across the street from their old loft, and in it sat two middle-aged men. Cavuto and Rivera, the homicide detectives that she'd made a deal with the night they'd blown up Elijah's yacht. They'd moved just in time, but then, maybe not quite. She couldn't get to the new place either. It was only a half a block away, and she'd have to cross in the open. And even then, what if it was locked? She jumped four feet straight up when the alarm on her watch went off. It was toward the end of their second shift after returning to the Safeway that the Animals sobered up. Lash was sitting by himself in the wide backseat of the Hummer limo, his head cradled in his hands, hoping desperately that the despair and self-loathing he was feeling was only the effect of a hangover, instead of what it really was, which was a big flaming enema of reality. The reality was, they had spent more than a half a million dollars on a blue hooker. He let the hugeness of it roll around in his head, and looked up at the other Animals, who were sitting around the perimeter of the limo, similarly posed, trying not to make eye contact with one another. They'd had nearly two semi trucks of stock to put up that night, and they'd known it was coming because they'd ordered it to make up for the time they'd been away and Clint had let the shelves get low. So they'd sobered up, put their heads down, and thrown stock like the Animals that they were. Now it was getting close to dawn and it was dawning on all of them that they might have severely fucked up. Lash risked a sideways glance at Blue, who was sitting between Barry and Troy Lee. She'd taken Lash's apartment on Northpoint, and made him sleep on the couch at Troy Lee's, where there were about seven hundred Chinese family members, including Troy's grandmother, who, every time she passed through the room during the day, when Lash was trying to sleep, would screech, â€Å"What's up, my nigga!† and try to get him to wake up and give her a pound or a high five. Lash had been explaining to her that it's impolite to refer to an African American as a nigga, unless one was another African-American, when Troy Lee came in and said, â€Å"She only speaks Cantonese.† â€Å"She does not. She keeps coming in and saying, ‘What's up, my nigga? â€Å" â€Å"Oh yeah. She does that to me, too. Did you give her a pound?† â€Å"No, I didn't give her a pound, motherfucker. She called me a nigga.† â€Å"Well, she's not going to quit unless you give her a pound. It's just the way she rolls.† â€Å"That's some bullshit, Troy.† â€Å"It's her couch.† Lash, exhausted and already hungover, gave the wizened old woman a pound. Granny turned to Troy Lee. â€Å"What's up, my nigga!† She offered and received a pound from her grandson. â€Å"That shit is not the same!† Lash said. â€Å"Get some sleep. We have a big load tonight.† Now half a million dollars was gone. His apartment was gone. The limo was costing them a thousand dollars a day. Lash looked out the blackout windows at the moving patchwork of shadows thrown by the streetlights, then turned to Blue. â€Å"Blue,† he said. â€Å"We have to get rid of the limo.† Everyone looked up, shocked. No one had said anything to her since they'd finished stocking. They'd brought her coffee and juice, but no one had said anything. Blue looked at him. â€Å"Get me what I want.† Not a hint of malice, not even a demand, really, just a statement of fact. â€Å"Okay,† Lash said. Then to the driver he said, â€Å"Take a right up here. Head back to that building where we went last night.† Lash crawled over the divider into the front passenger seat. He couldn't see shit out the blackened windows. They'd only gone about three blocks into the SOMA district when he saw someone running. Running way, way too fast for a jogger. Running – like he was on fire – running. â€Å"Pull up alongside of that guy.† The driver nodded. â€Å"Hey, guys, is that Flood?† â€Å"Yeah, it is,† Barry, the bald one, said. Lash rolled down the window. â€Å"Tommy, you need a ride, man?† Tommy, still running, nodded like a bobble-head on crack. Barry threw open the back door, and before the limo could even slow down, Tommy leapt in, landing across Drew and Gustavo's laps. â€Å"Man, am I glad you guys came along,† Tommy said. â€Å"In about a minute, I'm going to – â€Å" He passed out in their laps as the sun washed over the hills of San Francisco. Chapter Fifteen Broken Clowns Inspector Alphonse Rivera watched the broken clown girl – black-and-white-striped stockings and green sneakers – come out of Jody Stroud's apartment and head up the street, then turn and look back at their brown, unmarked sedan. â€Å"We're made,† said Nick Cavuto, Rivera's partner, a broad-shouldered bear of a man, who longed for the days of Dashiell Hammett, when cops talked tough and there were very few problems that couldn't be solved with your fists or a smack from a lead sap. â€Å"We're not made. She's just looking. Two middle-aged guys sitting in the car on the city street – it's unusual.† If Cavuto was a bear, then Rivera was a raven – a sharp-featured, lean Hispanic, with just a touch of gray at the temples. Lately he'd taken to wearing expensive Italian suits, in raw silk or linen when he could find them. His partner was in rumpled Men's Wearhouse. Rivera often wondered if Nick Cavuto might not be the only gay man on the planet who had no fashion sense whatsoever. The knock-kneed kid with the raccoon eye makeup was making her way across the street toward them. â€Å"Roll up your window,† Cavuto said. â€Å"Roll up your window. Pretend like you don't see her.† â€Å"I'm not going to hide from her,† Rivera said. â€Å"She's just a kid.† â€Å"Exactly. You can't hit her.† â€Å"Jesus, Nick. She's just a creepy kid. What's wrong with you?† Cavuto had been on edge since they'd pulled up an hour ago. They both had, really, since the guy named Clint, one of the night crew from the Marina Safeway, had left a message on Rivera's voice mail that Jody Stroud, the redheaded vampire, had not left town as she had promised, and that her boyfriend, Tommy Flood, was now also a vampire. It was a very bad turn of events for the two cops, both of whom had taken a share of the money from the old vampire's art collection in return for letting them all go. It had seemed like the only option, really. Neither of the cops wanted to explain how the serial killer they'd been chasing had been an ancient vampire, and how he'd been tracked down by a bunch of stoners from the Safeway. And when the Animals blew up the vampire's yacht – well, the case was solved, and if the vampires had left, it would have all been good. The cops had planned to retire early and open a rare-book store. Rivera thought he might learn to golf. Now he was feeling it all float away on an evil breeze. A cop for twenty years, without ever so much as fixing a traffic ticket, then the one time you take a hundred thousand dollars and let a vampire go, the whole world turns on you like you're some kind of bad guy. Rivera was raised a Catholic, but he was starting to believe in karma. â€Å"Pull out. Pull out,† Cavuto said. â€Å"Go around the block until she goes away.† â€Å"Hey,† said the broken clown girl. â€Å"You guys cops?† Cavuto hit the window button on his door but the ignition was off, so the window didn't budge. â€Å"Go away, kid. Why aren't you in school? Do we need to take you in?† â€Å"Winter break, brain trust,† said the kid. Rivera couldn't hold the laugh in and he snorted a little trying to. â€Å"Move along, kid. Go wash that shit off your face. You look like you fell asleep with a Magic Marker in your mouth.† â€Å"Yeah,† said the kid, examining a black fingernail, â€Å"well, you look like someone pumped about three hundred pounds of cat barf into a cheap suit and gave it a bad haircut.† Rivera slid down in his seat and turned his face toward the door. He couldn't look at his partner. He was sure that if it was possible for steam to come out of someone's ears, that might be happening to Cavuto, and if he looked, he'd lose it. â€Å"If you were a guy,† Cavuto said, â€Å"I'd have you in handcuffs already, kid.† â€Å"Oh God,† Rivera said under his breath. â€Å"If I were a guy, I'll bet you would. And I'll bet I'd have to send you to the S and M ATM, because the kinky shit is extra.† The kid leaned down so she was eye level with Cavuto, and winked. That was it. Rivera started giggling like a little girl – tears were creeping out the corners of his eyes. â€Å"You're a big fucking help,† Cavuto said. He reached over, flipped the ignition key to â€Å"accessory,† then rolled up his window. The kid came over to Rivera's side of the car. â€Å"So, have you seen Flood?† she asked. â€Å"Cop?† She added  «cop » with a high pop on the p, like it was punctuation mark, not a profession. â€Å"You just came out of his apartment,† Rivera said, trying to shake off the giggles. â€Å"You tell me.† â€Å"Place is empty. The douche nozzle owes me money,† said the kid. â€Å"For what?† â€Å"Stuff I did for him.† â€Å"Be specific, sweetheart. Unlike my partner, I don't threaten.† It was a threat, of course, but he thought he might have hit pay dirt, the kid's eyes opened wide enough to see light. â€Å"I helped him and that redheaded hag load their stuff into a truck.† Rivera looked her up and down. She couldn't have weighed ninety pounds. â€Å"He hired you to help him move?† â€Å"Just little crap. Lamps and stuff. They were like, in a hurry. I was walking by, he flagged me down. Said he'd give me a hundred bucks.† â€Å"But he didn't?† â€Å"He gave me eighty. He said it was all he had on him. To come back this morning for the rest.† â€Å"Did either of them say where they were going?† â€Å"Just that they were going to leave the City this morning, as soon as they paid me.† â€Å"You notice anything unusual about either of them – Flood or the redhead?† â€Å"Just day dwellers, like you. Bourgeois four-oh-fours.† â€Å"Four-oh-Fours?† â€Å"Clueless – Pottery Barn fucktards.† â€Å"Of course,† Rivera said. He could hear his partner snickering now. â€Å"So you haven't seen them?† the kid said. â€Å"They're not coming, kid.† â€Å"How do you know that?† â€Å"I know that. You're out twenty dollars. Cheap lesson. Go away and don't come back here, and if either of them contact you, or you see them, call me.† Rivera handed the kid a business card. â€Å"What's your name?† â€Å"My day-slave name?† â€Å"Sure, let's try that one.† â€Å"Allison. Allison Green. But on the street I'm known as Abby Normal.† â€Å"On the street?† â€Å"Shut up, I have street cred.† Then she added, â€Å"Cop!† like the chirp of a car alarm arming. â€Å"Good. Take your street cred and run along, Allison.† She shuffled off, trying to swivel nearly nonexistent hips as she went. â€Å"You think they left the City?† Cavuto asked. â€Å"I want to own a bookstore, Nick. I want to sell old books and learn to golf.† â€Å"So that would be no?† â€Å"Let's go talk to the born-again Safeway guy.† Four robots and one statue guy worked the Embarcadero by the Ferry Building. Not every day. Some days, when it was slow, there were only two robots and a statue guy, or on rainy days, none of them worked, because the silver or gold makeup they used to color their skin didn't hold up well in the rain, but as a rule, it was four robots and one statue guy. Monet was the statue guy – the ONLY statue guy. He'd staked his territory three years ago, and if some poseur ever showed up, he had to meet Monet on the field of stillness, where they would clash in the motion-free battle of doing absolutely nothing. Monet had always prevailed, but this guy – this new guy – was really good. The challenger had been there when Monet arrived in the late morning, and he hadn't even blinked for two hours. The guy's makeup was perfect, too. He looked as if he had really been bronzed, so it was beyond Monet why he would choose to get his collections in Big Gulp cups that he'd jammed his feet into. Monet carried a small portfolio case, with a hole cut in it where tourists could stuff their bills. He had primed his money hole with a five today, just to show the challenger that he wasn't intimidated, but the truth was, after two hours, he hadn't made half of what he saw the newcomer take in, and he was intimidated. And his nose itched. His nose itched and the new statue guy was kicking his ass. Normally Monet would change positions every half hour or so, then stand motionless while the tourists taunted him and tried to make him flinch, but with the new competition, he had to stay still as long as it took. The robots on the promenade had all assumed poses from which they could watch. They only had to hold still until someone dropped cash into their cup, then they would do the robot dance. It was boring work, but the hours were good and you were outside. It looked like Monet was going down. Sundown. He felt like his ass was on fire. Tommy came to to the sound of a riding crop being smacked against his bare butt and the rough bark of a woman's voice. â€Å"Say it! Say it! Say it!† He tried to pull away from the pain but couldn't move his arms or legs. He was having trouble focusing his vision – waves of light and heat were rocketing around his brain and all he could really see was a bright red spot with waves of heat coming off of it and a figure moving around the edges. It was like staring into the sun through a red filter. He could feel the heat on his face. â€Å"Ouch!† Tommy said. â€Å"Dammit!† He pulled against his bonds and heard a metallic rattling, but nothing gave. The red hot light went away and was replaced by the blurry form of a female face, a blue face, just inches away from his own. â€Å"Say it,† she whispered harshly, spitting a little on the â€Å"it.† â€Å"Say what?† â€Å"Say it, vampire!† she said. She whipped the riding crop across his stomach and he howled. Tommy squirmed against his bonds and heard the rattling again. With the spotlight moved away, he could see that he was suspended by very professional-looking nylon restraints to a brass, four-poster bed frame that had been stood on end. He was completely naked and evidently the blue woman, who was dressed in a black vinyl bustier, boots, and nothing else, had been whaling on him for some time. He could see welts across his stomach and thighs, and well, his ass felt like it was on fire. She wound up to smack him again. â€Å"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,† Tommy said, trying not to screech. He only realized then that his fangs were extended and he'd bitten his own lips. The blue woman held up. â€Å"Say it.† Tommy tried to keep his voice calm. â€Å"I know you've been doing this for a while now, but I've only been awake for about a minute of it, so I have no idea what you are asking me. If you slow down and repeat the whole question, I'll be happy to tell you whatever I know.† â€Å"Your safety word,† said the blue woman. â€Å"Which is?† Tommy said. He noticed for the first time that she had enormous boobs spilling out of that bustier and it occurred to him that he had never seen big blue boobs before. They were kind of mesmerizing. He wouldn't have been able to look away even if he weren't strapped down. â€Å"I told you,† she said, letting the riding crop fall to her side. â€Å"You told me what a safety word is?† â€Å"I just told you what it is.† â€Å"So you know it, then?† â€Å"Yes,† she said. â€Å"Then why are you asking?† â€Å"To see if you're at your breaking point.† She seemed to be pouting a little now. â€Å"Don't be a dick, this isn't my specialty.† â€Å"Where am I?† Tommy asked. â€Å"You're Lash's Smurf, aren't you? Are we at Lash's?† â€Å"I'm asking the questions here.† She snapped the riding crop against his thigh. â€Å"Ouch! Fuck! Stop that. You have issues, lady.† â€Å"Say it!† â€Å"What is it? I was asleep when you told me, you stupid bitch!† He was wrong, he was able to look away from the blue boobs. He snarled at her, something coming up from deep inside him that he didn't even recognize – something that felt wild and on the verge of out of control – like when he first made love with Jody as a vampire, only this felt – well, lethal. â€Å"It's Cheddar.† â€Å"Cheddar? Like the cheese?† He was getting beating because of cheese? â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"So I said it. Now what?† â€Å"You're broken.† â€Å"‘Kay,† Tommy said, straining against the heavy nylon straps, understanding now what he was feeling. He was going to kill her. He didn't know how yet, but he was as certain of it as of anything he had ever known. Grass was green, water was wet, and this bitch was dead. â€Å"So now you have to turn me,† she said. â€Å"Turn you?† he said. His fangs ached, like they were going to leap out of his mouth. â€Å"Make me like you,† she said. â€Å"You want to be orange? Is this another Cheddar thing? Because – â€Å" â€Å"Not orange, you nitwit, a vampire!† she said, and she snapped the riding crop across his chest. He bit his lips again and felt the blood running down his chin. â€Å"So for that you needed all the hitting?† He said. â€Å"Come over here.† She leaned up and kissed him, then pushed away hard and came away with his blood on her mouth. â€Å"I guess I'm going to have to get used to this,† she said, licking her lips. â€Å"Closer,† Tommy said.